A decorated member of numerous winning one mile relay teams for Manhattan, he began his Jasper career by going undefeated in the indoor 600 and the outdoor 400 meter dashes. As the leadoff leg for the mile relay, he consistently handed the baton off in first place for a team that did not lose a race for three years. Among the races Pina helped win were the 1952 National AAU Indoor Mile Relay Championship, the first time the Jaspers had won the event, the 1952 Milrose Games mile relay, the 1953 Penn Relay Championship of America, and the 1952 and 1953 Los Angeles Relays mile relay, with the team’s time at the 1953 meet establishing a school record. After college, Pina led the New Rochelle High School track teams to numerous team and individual championships, including a 13-year dual meet undefeated streak.