By Brett Carroll
Staff Writer
Old Bridge High School’s Rey Rivera went out in style.
At the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Meet of Champions (MOC) outdoor track and field event June 10 at Northern Burlington County Regional High School in Columbus, Rivera finished first in the 800-meter race with a time of 1:49.96.
The gold medal in the 800 gave Rivera his third consecutive MOC title. Last spring, he won with a time of 1:50.66.
Old Bridge’s 4×800 relay team that Rivera ran on finished fifth with a time of 7:53:97. Ridge High School won the event in 7:50.20. Old Bridge finished third last year in the 4×800 with a time of 7:46.68. River Dell High School won the 4×800 last year, clocking 7:40.57.
The Old Bridge team also consisted of Chris Ochleng, Kevin Campbell and Arthur Dzieniszewski. Dzieniszewski also placed 19th in the 800 with a time of 1:58.59.
Despite the success, Rivera wanted more out of his performance.
“I really wanted to [break] the state record,” Rivera said. “I didn’t go as fast as I wanted to, but a win’s a win, so I’ll take it.”
Rivera now sets his sights on the New Balance Nationals in North Carolina June 16-18 and the nationals in Sacramento, California, June 22-25. Rivera will also attend Georgetown University next year.
“It’s been an amazing run,” Rivera said. “From winning championships for the first time my sophomore year, to breaking 1:50 last week, it’s all been amazing.”
