Lancer sprinters shine at indoor championships St. John Vianney's 4x400-meter relay team provided the local highlight of Saturday's Shore Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships. The Lancer quartet of Chris Lewnes, Rob Pitts, Thomas Serpico and Paul Baroletti teamed up to finish fourth in 3:34.26 at the meet held at the Bennett Indoor Athletic Complex in Toms River. The high placing was not a surprise considering that Serpico had finished fourth earlier in the meet in the 400. Running in the second section, Barolette won his race in 50.86, a time that turned out to be the fourth best of the day. Teammate Lewnes competed in the seeded section that had winner Charles Cox of Monmouth Regional (49.36), as well as the second- and third-place finishers, Chris Cox of Monmouth (49.90) and Emanuel Mayers of Lakewood (50.24). Lewnes was fifth in this race (51.39). The eight points earned by the Lancer sprinters tied them for 12th place (Monmouth finished first with 46 points). Among the teams in the four-way tie with SJV was Christian Brothers Academy. The Colts got fourth-place finishes from shot-putter Jon LoPresti (48-8 1/2) and runner Chris Lombardi in the 1,600 (4:30.35). Middletown North's Paul Muller was sixth in the boy's shot put (48-4). The conference championships were the final tune-up for area track and field athletes before the start of the NJSIAA State Group Championships, which begin tomorrow and run through Sunday in Toms River. Group I kicks the championship week off tomorrow with boys and girls starting at 4 p.m. It's Group II on Friday at the same hour for boys and girls. Saturday, Group III girls start at 9 a.m. followed at 1:30 p.m. by the Group IV girls. Sunday, it's the same time frame Groups III and IV boys. The top six finishers from the State meet will automatically qualify for the Indoor Meet of Championships, which will be held over two days this year. The girl's MOC is Feb. 24 and the boy's in Feb. 25. Both meets will start at 11 a.m. - Tim Morris