Hunterdon Central High School - Echo Yearbook (Flemington, NJ)

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Boy's Cross Countr 5398s-Q, - ,pa The l982 Boys Cross Country team was the surprise of the season. Having lost three of the top seven runners of the '8I squad, including the top two racers to graduation, few would have believed that these Devils were to finish their season with only two losses and a state ranking of seventh. Yet it happenedf with each race, the red and black competitors became more awesome and came to earn the respect they deserved from opponents who had considered Central's runners mediocre in the past. Hunterdon Central Cross Country history was made in the fall of l982. While surprising the schools against which they ran, the Red Devils also shocked themselves and their third year coach David Kelber with their constant improvement. Junior .lim Herdman, who ran toward the back of the l98l Central team, took charge of this year's team and led the red and black in dual meets and invitational races alike, followed close behind by his brother senior Rick Herdman. Central's sophomore Randy Sepcic and seniors Rick Herdman and Dan Brewster, who were backed through the season by Chris Switky, senior Paul Madonia, and junior Mark Madonia. This group of eight ran away with thirteen dual meet wins and slaughtered literally dozens of teams at a shot by placing high in weekend invitationals. The Red Devils opened their season by slipping past Steinert 27-28 and shutting out Warren Hills I5-50. In their first Mid- State Conference triple meet, the

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... ' Q, - JV: Froni Row fl to Rj: Dan Walker, Jeff Carter, co-capt. Brian Virostek, Tom Selquist, Mark Aimone. Tad Sumaskii Middle Row, Ed Shaadi, Eric Stites, Pete Schroeder, Dave Eikamp, co-captg James Moricz, Kenney Sailerg Back Row, Coach DiLeonardo, Lou Galoppo, Warren Siecke, Mike Craft, Ken Eik, Jason Smith. Chris Vozzo, Chfis Santella SoccerfI55

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BOY'S CROSS COUNTRY: QL to RJ: Eric Freedman, Rich Herdman. Chris Switky, Chris McDevitt, Rich Hammond, Paul Madonia. Dan Brewstert Back Row, Mike Mulcahy, Gary Mulcheski, Ed Endler. Jim Herdman, Mark Madonia, John Ballantine, Randy Cepcik, Paul Connell, Tim Sullivan, Warren Grill. John D'Amico. Josh Cox. Jeff Brown. Dave Kelber, Coach. Central crew put it to Bridgewater West but, with Sepcic milling, fell behind Watchung Hills, something they would never allow to happen again. After destroying Piscataway and South Plainfield, the boys ran away with the silver for a second place finish in the powerful Bernards Classic. Of course, the big dual event of the fall was the North Hunterdon meet - while Central lost to the Lionrivals 26-29, the Devils came closer than any other team to beating the green and yellow in a dual meet. Not discouraged by the loss, the Central runners swept their final seven dual meets, including the race with the powerful Vikings of Voorhees. The Red Devils had lost to Voorhees at the Mid- State Conference Championship meet, where they placed third behind the Vikings and North Hunterdon. Having outrun a team such as Voorhees, the Central squad realized their potential to run competitively on a state level, at this point, the season changed radically. If any part of the I982 season can be called the climax, it would be the final three weeks. At the sectional championships, the red and black got silver and, in the process, did something they hadn't done in more than three years, the Red Devils beat North Hunterdon's Lions, finishing second while North was third. lt was a day of celebration, and the win prepared Central for the Groups race to be run one week later. Kelber's team then had the opportunity to be the first Hunterdon Central Boys' Team ever to place in the top three at Groups and thus advance to the State Championships. Although it was close, it was what they accomplished at the Group IV Race by finishing third overall and qualifying to race for the State Champs. while the Devils fell only to East Brunswick and Toms River North, their rival, North Hunterdon, placed seventh in their first Group IV Race and were eliminated. Another week later, the first Central boys ever to run the States placed seventh out of the seventeen teams that made it to the race. lronically, Voorhees was only a few points ahead in the sixth spot overall. An incredible season had ended, and Hunterdon Central had shocked the rest of New Jersey's high school running teams. Nothing less than amazing would describe the top five Central harriers, as .lim and Rick Herdman placed third and nineteenth in the individual race with the other three, Sepcic, Hammond, and Brewster close on their heels. Graduating from the l982 Central team are Rick Herdman, Dan Brewster, Chris Switky, Paul Madonia, and Chris - McDevitt. Jim Herdman and Randy Sepcic will return in l983 with varsity letters along with Mark Madonia, Doug Stastny, Eddie Endler and Tim Sullivan. True, the '83 team will be missing many important faces from one year past, but next year's Devils may be, like the crew of '82, the surprise of the season. HCHS 8th 27 I5 l4th 26 3I I5 I8 2nd 30 I8 4th I9 3rd 22 I9 27 I5 I8 2nd 3rd 7th BOY'S CROSS COUNTRY OPP Mercer Invitational Steinert 28 Warren Hills 50 Warinanco Invitational Bridgewater West 3l Watchung Hills 26 South Plainfield 50 Piscataway 47 Bernards Invitational North Hunterdon 25 Delaware Valley 49 Ridgewood Invitational Franklin Township 36 Mid-States Championships Somerville 33 Bridgewater East 36 Voorhees 28 Hillsborough 50 Ewing 39 Sectional Championships Group IV Championships State Championships CLower score winsj Boy's Cross Countryfl57