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New Jersey Weekly Roundup |
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All-group defenders Christian Brothers and Roxbury head the field as the New Jersey state cross-country championships enter their second phase this Saturday with a dozen group championship races at Holmdel County Park, starting at 10 a.m. CBA was not involved in last weekend’s sectional championships, but showed it was more than ready for the expected challenge from Morris Hills when it won its 24th consecutive New Jersey Catholic Track Conference championship at Warinanco Park, Elizabeth, averaging 16:34 on the 3.2M course. Roxbury’s girls ran away with the North Jersey 1 Gr. IV title at Garret Mountain with a record average of 19:17. Morris Hills pitched a near shutout at Garret in the boys’ Gr. II race, going 1-2-3-4 with a 16:16 average on a course which rates 15-20 seconds faster than Warinanco and Holmdel. And the Colts Neck girls had a 19:51 mark in a Gr. III win at Holmdel even with leaders Briana Jackucewicz and Ashley Higgins coasting to a virtual deadheat in 18:56. Jackson, which figured to be a third party in the girls’ race, pretty much dropped out of contention when senior Jen Clausen packed in her season due to a sore back. The Jaguars still won the Gr. IV race there (for the first time), but will have to wait ‘til next year when their top three, who averaged 19:20, return. But, then, Colts Neck gets its entire team back. The girls’ Gr. IV race had figured to be No. 1 on the schedule this weekend with three of the state’s top teams in the field: Roxbury, Jackson and Morris Knolls, which finished second to Roxbury for the third week in a row. This trio should easily qualify for the all-group meet and two more may make it as well as wild cards from a very crowded field. Colts Neck looks an easy winner in Gr. III with South Jersey champ Moorestown and North Jersey 2 winner Ridge the best bets for the other all-group slots. Ocean City is a dark horse as it will probably have a health Brittany Sedberry in its lineup. After battling a strep throat last week, the two-time all-group champion dropped out of the sectional race at the halfway mark. The Gr. II and I races will be walkaways for Haddonfield and Mt.Lakes, respectively. Haddonfield won easily in South Jersey without No. 2 runner Colleen Brogan who will be back this week. Mt. Lakes was almost two-minutes a girl faster than its nearest rival last weekend as it walked off with the North Jersey 1 race. Four teams are in the running for the other Gr. II positions in the all-group race, led by Central Jersey winner Summit, while all three Gr. I spots could go to NJ 1 teams, Palisades Park and Midland Park figuring to finish 2-3 again behind Mt. Lakes. There were, as noted, no Parochial sectionals last weekend but the NJCTC race and the South Jersey Parochial invitational which followed the sectional races at Delsea provided action for most of the entries, not, however, for Pingry which could sweep the B races. Pope John won the NJCTC girls crown and should lead Red Bank Catholic and Msgr. Donovan into the all-group field. In the B races, Roselle Catholic and Wildwood Catholic are probably boys’ qualifiers with Mater Dei, Bishop Eustace and Eastern Christian looking best among the girls. The top individual race of the day will rematch Danielle Tauro of Southern Ocean and Amanda Marino of Jackson in Gr. IV. The current odd sectional geography separated these Ocean County neighbors last weekend and both won handily, Tauro in 18:22 at Delsea and Marino in 18:38 at Holmdel. The Colt Neck girls will challenge defending Sedberry in G. III, Vanessa Wright should join two legendary New Jersey runners, Janet Smith and Erin Donohue, as a four-time winner in the Gr. II race and Gr. I will likely see a repeat of the North Jersey 1 race with Amy VanAlstine of Midland Park hoping to repeat over Abby Hinds of Mt. Lakes, the 2003 winner. The Parochial favorites are Lara Heigis of Pope John in A and freshman Marie Walsh of Mater Dei in B. The Gr. IV boys’ team battle could be very close with NJ 1 winner Ridgewood, NJ 2 champ Phillipsburg and CJ titlist Hillsboro all having a good shot at the gold. Depth will probably decide the issue and Phillipsburg had the tightest pack last weekend, just 68 seconds between its first and fifth man. Five teams have a shot at the wild card slots, but may get competition from Gr. II and PA clubs. Morris Hills is, of course, a shoo-in in Gr. III with winners Ridge from NJ 2 and Moorestown from SJ heading half a dozen teams which have all-group ambitions either directly in a 2-3 finish or via the wild card route. Gr. II is wide open among the four sectional winners: Hopatcong, Bernards, Spotswood and Haddonfield and Central Jersey Keansburg has “home court” advantage in Gr. I over SJ winner Maple Shade and NJ 1 winner Kinnelon. Craig Forys of Colts Neck, in Gr. III, and Ben Massam of Chatham, in II, should be runaway winners in the individual competition. The other races look more competitive with a real barn burner in IV among defender Brian Dennis of Hillsboro; the boys who beat him in CJ, soph Andrew Brodeur of Brick Memorial and NJ 2 champ Jeff Perrella of Westfield. In Gr. I, Ryan VanAlstine of Midland Park, the NJ 1 winner, goes against James Bulnicky of Maple Shade, hoping to complete a unique “twin double.” Chris Horel is favored to repeat in PA after his 16:07 win last Saturday in the NJCTC race with his main rival perhaps being teammate Kevin Rogers. The PB race will be a rubber match between Chris Scavone of Pingry and Nicolai Naranjo of Montclair-Kimberley who split their previous meetings at the Shore Coaches meet (Scavone) and the New Jersey Prep B (Naranjo). Unfortunately, Brandon Jarrett of St. Benedict’s, the Prep A champ and Shore Coaches winner in another race, is not eligible for this one. |
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