By NICK KOSKO Correspondent Egg Harbor Township High School is known around South Jersey as a track and field powerhouse. A team with Cape-Atlantic League championships and Group IV titles under its belt, EHT produces fantastic athletes year after year. Vincent DelConte is no exception when it comes to top-notch runners. DelConte, a senior, arguably is the best distance runner in the league and one of the best in South Jersey. He captured his first county mile title a few weeks ago, and continued to show it during the recent CAL Championships, running a time of 4:31 in the 1,600 meters on his home track. He bettered that time by more than seven seconds at the sectional meet, clocking in at 4:23.02 to win the South Jersey Group 4 title in the mile. “It’s great having that recognition because it gives me a lot of confidence. Since I usually find myself finishing first in most of my races, I know I can go into different events each time and get much-needed points for the team,” DelConte said. Head coach Ryan Smith points to DelConte’s commitment to the team as a big-time contribution to his individual success as well. 
Vincent DelConte of Egg Harbor Township runs the 1,600 meters during the Atlantic County Championships earlier this month at Buena Regional High School. DelConte has won the county, league and section title in the mile and advanced to the group championships. (Glory Days Magazine photos/Dave O’Sullivan) “Vinny is a kid that you can never say anything bad about. He has always been a great teammate to everyone and always managed to put the team first because that’s just the type of kid he is. What also makes him a very successful runner is that he has an immense drive inside him. He is extremely competitive and you really wouldn’t see that if you just saw him in school or something, but once he is out on the track he has a great desire to go out there and win,” Smith said. However, DelConte felt he needed some vast improvement after his junior season. Despite earning a trip to the Meet of Champions last year, the final meet of the season pitting the best runners from each enrollment group against one another, DelConte was not satisfied. “I wasn’t happy with my two-mile time and didn’t improve much from the winter season. I’m hoping I can run better and get my times down for sectionals.” “He always wanted to do everything for the team, but once his junior year rolled around, he got a taste of winning. I truly believe last season was Vinny’s breakout year as one of the kids to beat because he really came into his own. His mentality is still team-first, but now that he’s been successful, it’s great to see he has that passion and drive to win and to accomplish some of these things individually,” Smith said. A return to the Meet of Champions is well within reach for DelConte. However, the season does not end simply by making the immense track meet; winning it would cap off a great high school career. “That would be incredible and probably unexpected. But, anything can happen on any given day and I haven’t worked this hard for four years for nothing,” said DelConte, who advanced to the overall group meet with his victory at sectionals. “New Jersey is a very tough state with a lot of good competition, so just making the Meet of Champions is an accomplishment — and that’s certainly the plan.” [adsense]
Career of Egg Harbor Township distance runner Vincent DelConte defined by dedication
