Knights looking to recapture GMC title
BY WARREN RAPPLEYEA
Staff Writer

The Old Bridge High School winter track team heads into the Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) Championships this weekend at the Jersey City Armory, looking to build its previous success.

The Knights won the GMC Relays earlier this year with a strong performance paced by its 4x400 relay team of Allan Lunkenheimer, Sean Davila, Nick Carbone and Shawn Phillip. Lunkenheimer, Davila, Jon Tauzon and Breandan Lyman took first place in spring medley. Carbone, Lyman, James Hauser and freshman Evan Petrovich also teamed to win the distance relay, with Lyman running the anchor.

From there Old Bridge went on the NJSIAA Group IV Relays where the Knights tied for third place with CBA. The 4x400 team took second place, just .2 seconds behind the Trenton Central contingent. Old Bridge also grabbed second place behind Trenton Central in the 4x200, as Tauzon and Mohamed Mansaray teamed with Lyman and Petrovich.

Carbone and Hauser combined with Sheriff Showumi and Billy Baker to place third at 4x800 meters, while Lunkenheimer, Tauzon, Davila and Lyman finished seventh in the sprint medley.

"The guys have been working very hard and it shows," Old Bridge coach Jack Campbell said. "Fortunately, we've had good weather until recently and that's been a big help."

Lunkenheimer, a four-year veteran, has earned a scholarship and will be competing for Wake Forest University next year.

Following the GMC Championships, the Knights are looking at a busy month of February. Campbell's team will be competing in the Group IV championships, and, hopefully, several Old Bridge competitors will qualify for the state individual meet.

"We think our best is yet to come and our goal is to get into the Meet of Champions," Campbell explained.

The Knights should also be bolstered by the return of Matt Ciambriello to the lineup. The senior distance runner led the Knights¿ cross country team to a perfect 7-0 mark and the GMC Red Division title in the fall. Along the way Ciambriello won the GMC championship and helped his team win the GMC crown. Ciambriello is considering several opportunities to compete at the college level.

"We had him [Ciambriello] cut back a bit so he'd be ready for this portion of the season as well as the spring campaign," Campbell explained. "He's ready to go."

Campbell also noted that Jorge Merino has been impressive in the shot put. The sophomore has been improving steadily and has a toss of 46 feet 11 inches to his credit.

Also on the agenda for the Knights are the Varsity Classic Invitational and the Eastern States Relays.

Both events are scheduled for late February at the 168th Street Armory in New York.