Roxbury’s Viparina sets new meet record at DeSchriver Invitational

MADISON – It’s almost too unbelievable for words that Olivia Viparina had never run in an indoor track meet before last week. After all, the Roxbury senior has been a staple of the running community for the past four years, one of the most successful competitors in the school’s history.

But sure enough, Viparina decided to compete in indoor track for the first time this season, as a way to lower her times to impress the coaching staff at James Madison, where she is headed in the fall.

“I came off cross country pretty strong,” Viparina said. “So I wanted to get more times before college. It’s sort of an incentive.”

So Viparina found herself on the starting line for the 1,600-meter run at the DeSchriver Invitational on Monday night at Drew University, competing in just the third indoor meet of her life. Her second meet last Saturday didn’t go so smoothly.

“I overran my race by about 20 meters,” Viparina said. “I just kept running. I didn’t know. I just kept going until someone told me that I could stop. I’m still adjusting to it all.”

However, Viparina had much more success Monday night, when she raced out to a victory in the 1,600, crossing the line in 5:07.32, setting a new meet record in the process. Viparina broke the old meet record set last year by Kylene Cochrane of West Morris, who went on to become the All Daily Record Girls Indoor Track Athlete of the Year. Cochrane is currently running at the University of Pennsylvania.

“I felt great,” said Viparina, who allowed the race to settle in before taking the lead midway, then racing home ahead of runner-up Laura Walsh of Chatham, who was nine seconds behind. “I’ve never felt so strong before. I love it. I knew that there was a lot of speed in the race, so I felt myself slow down a little to save something for the end. But since I felt strong, I just kept going. It’s a really good feeling to finish a race so completely strong.”

Viparina said that she hopes to get more accustomed and comfortable to her new indoor track surroundings.

“I am hoping to break the indoor record (for the 1,600-meter run),” Viparina said. “The more and more experience I get, the better I’ll be.”

As for the possibility of being a factor in the big championship races in Morris County next month, Viparina just shrugged her shoulders.

“I have no idea what they’re like,” Viparina said. “I guess we’ll find out.”

Viparina also received a trophy for winning the featured event.

“I never got a trophy before,” Viparina said. “I didn’t even know that was a thing.”

Christine O’Kane of Morristown finished third in 5:17.70.

While Viparina had no idea that a trophy was on the line Monday night, Will Mitchell certainly did. The Chatham senior standout arrived at Drew with the thought of winning the trophy for the 1,600-meter run firmly planted in his mind.

“I would always see that this was the featured event and I was always jealous when someone else got the trophy,” Mitchell said. “It’s a cool thing that they do.”

So on the way to Drew on Monday, Mitchell and buddy Grant Hauck joked about winning the trophy. They were together inside the infield at Drew, awaiting the final call for the 1,600, when Mitchell saw some other top runners at the starting line.

“We realized that some other people were getting ready, so we ran over to the start,” Mitchell said. “But they already seeded the race.”

It meant that both Mitchell and Hauck would have to race in the unseeded portion, making it more difficult to gauge how they had to run.

“We knew what we needed to do,” Mitchell said. “We tried to process times. I didn’t think we would have missed the race.”

As it turned out, Mitchell and Hauck went stride for stride in their own heat, with the two exchanging the lead four times in the last two laps. Mitchell won the race in 4:34.12, compared to 4:34.28 for his friend and teammate.

“It was a great paced race and the credit goes to him,” Mitchell said of Hauck. “Grant was right on my shoulder and kept me on my toes. I wanted to race my best and run the best time I could. In the last 200 meters, he passed me, but I got him over the last 10 meters and fought to the finish. We definitely pushed each other. This was a nice confidence booster.”

Chatham’s Perrone wins 1st varsity race

Chatham junior Nicholas Perrone continued his strong start to the indoor track season by winning the 55-meter dash in 6.90 seconds.

“It’s the first varsity race I’ve ever won,” Perrone said. “It’s pretty exciting.”

Perrone said that he did extensive training in the offseason to get ready for the indoor track campaign.

“One day I would work on my legs, then the next I’d work on my body,” Perrone said. “I would go to the gym three times a week, doing fitness training.”

Whatever Perrone did, it has worked, because he is eclipsing seven seconds in the dash when he never did before.

“My acceleration is much better, so I feel much faster than I ever did before,” said Perrone, whose mother, the former Diane Collura, was a standout track performer at Caldwell High School and his uncle, Joe, is still the track coach there. “In this race, I started poorly, but I just accelerated at the end and won.”

Perrone said that his older sister, Lia, was a runner at Chatham. He was a former baseball player for the Cougars who joined the track team as an attempt to match his sister.

“But I’m much better than her now,” Perrone laughed. “It’s all worked out well.”

Perrone defeated Samuel Thomas of Hunterdon Central on Monday night, with Billy Frederick of Morristown finishing third.

Wildermuth wins

For the last three years, Jordan Wildermuth used to watch and marvel at the talents of her Jefferson teammate, Carrie Wasdyke.

“She motivated me immensely,” Wildermuth said. “It was a great experience being with her, seeing how Carrie tried and worked hard.” She put so much time into getting better. Now, she’s gone and I’m kind of in her place.”

Wildermuth won the gold medal Monday with a throw of 36 feet, 6¼ inches, the first gold medal that the junior has secured without Wasdyke.

“I watched her win all the time, so I guess I learned from her,” Wildermuth said. “I’m not at her level yet, but I’m getting there.”

Alexis Pignataro of Mount Olive was second with a throw of 33-feet even. Chioma Eluemunor of Morris Hills was third.

More winners

Another meet, another meet record for Randolph’s sensational hurdler Elly Scherer. The junior won the 55-meter hurdles in 8.55 seconds, breaking the meet record set last year by Allya Barnes of West Orange. Scherer also set a new meet record in last Thursday’s O’Leary Lid Lifter in the same event.

Edward Dennerlein of Chatham continued his fine start to the indoor season, winning the shot put with a throw of 48 feet, three inches, two feet better than Jaylon Jorge of Morristown. Dennerlein was the surprise winner at the Gardiner Relays, but he backed up his solid win with another dominant effort Monday.

Steven Yeung of Morristown won the pole vault. The Colonial senior cleared 12 feet even for the gold medal. Josefine Loeken, the latest in line of Loekens to compete at Randolph, won the girls’ pole vault by clearing eight feet even.

Melissa Mattson of Butler was the winner of the girls high jump, clearing the bar at 4 feet, 10 inches, taking home the gold medal in a match of jumps against Catherine Larkin of Roxbury.