Ice in their Veins: The Boys Winter Track Team Withstands the Cold

See how the team did in the Winter Track Season!

Ice+in+their+Veins%3A+The+Boys+Winter+Track+Team+Withstands+the+Cold

Ali Soherwardy, Bear Hub Staff

At the beginning of the new year, the EB Track boys expected to be in their peak shape as they prepared for county and state meets scattered throughout the next 2 months. However, this year the season was pushed back a few weeks.

The boys started to put their work in the middle of February due to a combination of issues from Covid and a record amount of snow in January. And with snow stacking upon the track, the team was pushed out to the sidewalks and parking lots to train.

Connor Rittweger, 11, races for the finish in an intense 200m race.

Even with a tough beginning, they were still able to finish the season in unreal ways.

EB was able to finish their season with 3 boys sitting at the top of NJ rankings. Brian Mcsweeney, 12, ranked 1st at the Ocean Breeze Elite Invitational in pole vaulting. That same meet, Jayden Phillip, 11, was able to run past the competition as he grabbed the NJ #1 time for the 300m, and Christopher Serrao, 11, was able to place 1st in New Jersey for the 55mh. A few weeks later, Serrao came and broke that personal record again.

Junior Christopher Serrao holds 1st in the 55mh at one of the most competitive meets of the season

The EB boys dominated with two other NJ top 10s with seniors Matt Gonzalez, and Ali Soherwardy. “We fared pretty well in all of our meets,” said Gonzalez. With just a handful of invitationals that only a few runners could run at, the boys were still able to showcase their skill in these select meets.

Matt Gonzalez, 12, rounding a corner on the way to a PR (personal record).

As Serrao looked back on the craziness of a season he went through, he had one thing to say: “This year was an interesting one, especially with half of our county meets being canceled. Now it’s what’s in Spring that matters.”

Even after such a difficult and complex season that no high school runner has previously dealt with, the Boys Winter Track team adapted.