DyeStat


The Internet Home of Track & Field




NJ TOP 25 RANKINGS (week 6)

BOYS CROSS-COUNTRY TOP 25



CBA stays on top as Sectional Saturday looms

November 5, 2009 –  High stakes races and riveting rematches involving several ranked teams will dominate the action this weekend when Sectional Saturday is held at four sites across the state on the busiest and one of the most exciting days of the season in New Jersey.

While there wasn’t much movement in the Top 25 this past week, there could be some major shuffling, especially among Group 4 teams, after some of the marquee matchups on tap for Saturday's state sectional championships.

One of the biggest showdowns on the schedule will take place at Warinanco Park in Elizabeth where #6 Westfield, #7 Ridge and #12 Bridgewater-Raritan will go toe-to-toe in the North Jersey, Section 2 Group 4 race

This is the fist meeting of the season between defending champion Ridge and Westfield, and it couldn’t get much closer on paper as both teams have very tight and deeep packs. This one figures to come down to the No. 5 runner. .

Bridgewater-Raritan, second to Ridge at the Somereset County and Skyland Conference Championships, is as strong as any Group 4 team in the state through four runners. If it gets a solid race from No. 5 it could spring the upset.

The best rematch of the day on paper is clearly the battle between #9 Old Bridge and #10 East Brunswick in Central Jersey, Group 4 at Thompson Park in Jamesburg.

 Old Bridge has won two of the three meetings this season, including a one point thriller at the Greater Middlesex Conference Championships last Saturday. But don’t forget about #18 West Windsor-Plainsboro South, which will be defending its title.

Over in North Jersey, Section 1, #14 Ridgewood and #15 Randolph will hook up at in the Group 4 race at Garret Mountain in West Paterson. Randolph ended Ridgewood’s streak of six straight titles last year, and Ridgewood is trying to win a record 17th sectional crown. Ridgwood defeated Randolph at the Passaic Coaches meet at Garret in Septemeber, but both temas are much improved since then.

The South Jersey sectional at Delsea features five teams ranked in the top 21 going head-to-head in the Group 4 race. Defending champion and #5 Toms River North will put its title on the line against Ocean County rival and #11 Southern, #13 Cherokee, #20 Shawnee and #21 Lenape. 

Princeton is the only newcomer to the poll this week. Princeton placed a very strong second at the Mercer County Championships last Friday, finishing ahead of  Hopewell Valley (No. 15 at the time) and West Windsor-Plainsboro South (No. 16 at the time). The Mercer County champion for the third straight year was No. 4 West Windsor-Plainsboro  North.

West Windsor North, Princeton and #17 Hopewell Valley could sweep the first three places in Central Jersey, Group 3.

NJ Top 25

Rank/Team/Previous Rank
1-Christian Brothers (1)
2-Haddonfield (2)
3-Millburn (4)
4-West Windsor-Plainsboro North (5)
5-Toms River North (3)
6-Westfield (6)
7-Ridge (9)
8-Don Bosco Prep (8)
9-Old Bridge (7)
10-East Brunswick (10)
11-Southern Reg. (11)
12-Bridgewater-Raritan (12)
13-Cherokee (13)
14-Ridgewood (16)
15-Randolph (17)
16-Princeton (NR)
17-Hopewell Valley (15)
18-West Windsor-Plainsboro South (16)
19-Mendham (18)
20-Shawnee (19)
21-Lenape (20)
22-Ocean City (21)
23-Holmdel (22)
24-Wallkill Valley (25)
25-Moorestown (NR)


DYESTAT NEW JERSEY GIRLS XC TOP 25


There was indeed a big shakeup in the DyeStat New Jersey girls cross-country Top 25 this week, but top-ranked Hillsborough was one of the few teams unshaken by championship season.

Led by individual winner Ashley Smolinka, Hillsborough captured its first Skyland Conference title and remained #1 in the poll for the fourth straight week. In a conference meet featuring seven ranked teams, Hillsborough’s victory was dominant – had Smolinka and No. 2 runner Julianna Miller not scored, Hillsborough would still have beaten #2 Ridge by 11 points. Nonetheless, Ridge shot up six spots by finishing a strong second. #5 Voorhees placed third.

One of the biggest movers of the week was #11 Pingry, typically one of the smallest parochial schools in the state, which finished fourth overall in this powerhouse conference with a school record for average (20:13.1).

#12 Hunterdon Central, missing one of its front-runners in Allison Payenski (tendonitis), was fifth, and #19 Bridgewater-Raritan appears in the poll for the first time upon placing sixth. #20 North Hunterdon was missing its #2 and #3 runners and placed seventh.

#4 Toms River North improved by two spots following its triumph at the Shore Conference Championships. The biggest mover in the poll this week is #9 Howell, which rocketed 10 spots after beating conference heavyweight and #10 Red Bank Catholic, third overall. #13 Southern Regional placed fourth in the conference.

#6 Holy Angels reasserted itself after moving ahead of Bergen County rival and #8 Immaculate Heart Academy in last week’s poll.  Holy Angels earned its second straight Bergen County Meet of Champions title, 33-69, over runner-up IHA.

Bridgewater was not the only team to introduce itself to the DyeStat 25. Fellow Somerset County program and #24 Mount St. Mary jumped into the fray after beating Pingry to win the state prep championship A title on Wednesday at picturesque Blair Academy in Blairstown.

The poll is sure to be jumbled a bit more after this weekend. Every NJ squad jumps into the sectional championships, which take place Saturday at four sites across the state – North Jersey, Section 1 at Garret Mountain in West Paterson, Passaic County; North Jersey, Section 2 at Warinanco Park in Elizabeth, Union County; Central Jersey at Thompson Park in Jamesburg, Middlesex County; and South Jersey at Delsea High School in Franklinville, Gloucester County.
 
Rank-Team (Previous rank – Oct. 30 poll)
 
1-Hillsborough (1)
2-Ridge (8)
3-Randolph (5)
4-Toms River North (6)
5-Voorhees (2)
6-Holy Angels (9)
7-Pope John (7)
8-Immaculate Heart (10)
9-Howell (19)
10-Red Bank Catholic (4)
11-Pingry (16)
12-Hunterdon Central (3)
13-Southern Regional (11)
14-Cherokee (13)
15-Lenape (14)
16-Haddonfield (17)
17-Delsea (18)
18-Roxbury (20)
19-Bridgewater-Raritan (NR)
20-North Hunterdon (12)
21-Seneca (21)
22-Morris Knolls (22)
23-Williamstown (23)
24-Mount St. Mary (NR)
25-Washington Twp. (24)

DyeStat