The Delbarton Winter Track and Field team competed at the highest level over the last 7 days, represented their school and team on the biggest stages and reset the record book along the way.  

Seven athletes qualified in nine events to compete at the New Jersey Meet of Champions.  Senior Ryan Johnson flew through the semi-finals in the 55m dash in a time of 6.32s, temporarily resetting his Delbarton School record before running 6.30s in the final to place third in the state.  Of note, his time would have reset the Meet of Champions record, yet the finishers in first and second also beat the record, in one of the fastest races in state history.  Later, Ryan raced in the 200m dash finishing in 6th place for his second podium of the day.  His time of 21.96s qualified him for the national championship meet, and reset his own Delbarton School record.  

In the pole vault, seniors Paul Quense and Andrew Batista performed at a high level with Paul securing fourth place at 14 feet.  Quense concluded his senior winter as the second-ranked vaulter in school history and a two-time NPA champion.  

Junior Peter Donini made the podium in the shot put, with a seventh place finish at 54'8.  His throw was one inch away from our school record set in 2014.  

Senior Everett Jania ran a new personal best of 1:59.64 in the 800m, while senior Ryan Harper and junior Sean Dooley ran well in the 400m and 1600m respectively.  

Four days later, the New Balance Indoor Nationals began in Boston for twelve Delbarton track athletes.  Three of our freshmen raced against the best freshmen in the nation in the 400m and 800m.  Joshua Akakpo ran to a new personal best and new Delbarton freshman record in the 800m in a time of 2:04.09.  He reset his freshman record from earlier in the season, a record once held by Collin Boler '23.  Fellow freshman Todd Smith was right with Josh, racing to a new personal best of 2:05.76.  Earlier, Josh ran in the 400m along with freshman Hans Clovis.  

The Distance Medley team of juniors Sean Dooley and John Cuzzocrea and senior Ryan Harper and Everett Jania ran well.  The Sprint Medley of Ryan Johnson, Ryan Harper, Jack Paguirigan, and Jania nearly ran their fastest time of the season.  Also, the Shuttle Hurdle Relay of Harper, Paguirigan, Paul Quense, and sophomore Aidan Ponzio ran one of the fastest times in school history.  

Senior Ryan Johnson competed in the 200m and the 60m.  Having never run the 60m, his times were each new personal bests and new school records as the reigning school record holder in the 55m. Ryan moved through the prelims in a time of 6.89s.  He was in 21st place going into the semi finals and ran 6.82s.  This time moved him up to a tie for 10th place with the top eight moving on to the finals.  Ryan finished his senior winter as the Delbarton School record holder in the 55m, 60m, and 200m.  

The season concluded with junior Peter Donini in the shot put.  Peter entered the national competition seeded 40th and left the meet ranked 18th.  Peter needed one more inch to break the school record and improved with each of his three throws, adding nearly two feet to the previous school record.  Peter's best throw was 56'7.25.  

Congratulations to the whole team on a triumphant final competition and a record-setting season!