McIntyre, Morton strike gold at Group IV meet
Lunkenheimer leads Old Bridge boys to strong finish
BY DOUG McKENZIE
Staff Writer

TIM MORRIS Old Bridge's Allan Lunkenheimer competes in the 400-meter event at Friday's Group IV meet in Egg Harbor Township.

With the track and field season wrapping up last night with the Meet of Champions in South Plainfield, one thing is for certain - some of the very best performers in the state hail from right here in southern Middlesex County.

In order to qualify for last night's MOC, athletes needed to finish in the top six at their respective Group championships last weekend, and several local athletes did just that, with some bringing home medals in the process.

South Brunswick senior Stephanie McIntyre broke her own meet record in the Group IV meet, held at Egg Harbor Township High School over the weekend, with a leap of 40-0 1/4 in the triple jump. That eclipsed the mark of 39-7 3/4 she set a year ago.

Her teammate, senior Indira Morton, also claimed a gold medal, winning the javelin with a throw of 133-5, well ahead of the competition. Morton then took second in the long jump, leaping 17-02.5. Oakcrest's Brittany Clyborn won the event with a jump of 18-00.

Their efforts led the Lady Vikings to a fourth-place team finish (30 points), behind champion Southern Regional (48), East Orange (41) and Jackson (33).

Also scoring points for the Lady Vikings, and advancing to last night's MOC, was freshman Sophia Ginez, who took fifth in the 3,200 with a time of 11:13.21. That event was won by the national champion, Ashley Higginson of Colts Neck, who finished in 10:52.49.

North Brunswick freshman Tylia Gillon made her Group IV meet debut an impressive one with a third-place finish in the 100-meter dash. Gillon crossed the line in 12.19, just behind another freshman, Eastern Regional's English Gardner (11.69), and East Orange senior Porshe Giddings (12.07).

Raider sophomore Danae Wise also punched her ticket to South Plainfield with a fifth-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles, finishing in 1:03.95.

The North Brunswick girls 4x400 relay team of Wise, junior Ashley Carlino, senior Alexandra Francis and Gillon just missed out on advancing, finishing in seventh place with a time of 4:02.09, just behind sixth-place Lenape (4:01.66).

In the boys competition, South Brunswick also finished in fourth place with 26 points, behind champion Trenton Central (64), Colts Neck (37) and rival Old Bridge (31).

Senior John Viotto advanced to the MOC in two events, taking second in the discus (166-03), which was won by Toms River South's Patrick Park (175-01), and third in the shot put (53-05), also won by Park (56-00.5).

Senior William Ricketts took third in the high jump, clearing the bar at 6-4, the same height as the winner, Trenton Central's Devon Bond, who did it in fewer attempts.

Junior Matt Kirbos was another Viking boy to advance, taking third in the pole vault, with a height of 13-00. West Windsor-Plainsboro South's Andrew Long won the event with a height of 14-00.

Sean Lease, a junior, was also back in action last night after taking fifth in the discus with a distance of 152-03.

North Brunswick's Toddrick Darden also had a strong meet in Egg Harbor, taking fourth in the 400 (49.09).

Senior Harrison Wright also advanced with a fifth-place finish in the discus with a throw of 179-06.

Old Bridge's boys were paced by senior Allan Lunkenheimer's win in the 400, where he narrowly beat Trenton Central's Dean McLeese (48-53-48.75) with a strong finish over the final 75 meters.

Lunkenheimer was not the only Knight to post an individual win during the meet; senior Brian Florek unleashed a throw of 191-3 to win the javelin competition on Saturday.

The Knights' 4x400 relay team of senior Sean Davila, freshman Evan Petrovich, senior Shawn Phillip and Lunkenheimer also won in 3:20.98, with Lunkenheimer once again using his strong kick to clinch the win, overcoming a 10-meter deficit to the anchor from Winslow.

Senior Matt Ciambriello also advanced via his sixth-place finish against a loaded field in the 3,200. Ciambriello crossed the line in 9:36.20. Colts Neck's Matt Forys ran away with the event in 9:14.93.

Old Bridge's Allyson Cardullo and Sayreville's Lynn Mayer also advanced to last night's MOC, with Cardullo finishing sixth in the javelin (119-02) and Mayer taking fourth in the high jump (5-04).

In the girls Group III competition, Monroe's Nicole Ragucci advanced to the MOC with a third-place finish in the 400 (56.21). That event was won by Lakewood's Shavon Greaves (55.26, a new meet record), who also won the 100 and 200.

Spotswood freshman Brooke Astor also advanced after tying for sixth in the high jump (5-00) in the Group II competition, while in the boys Group I meet, South River senior Antonio Gomes finished fifth in the 1,600 with a time of 4:28.46.