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State Championships & RankingsNew Jersey Sectionals - Ryan GroteDate: Sun, 09 Nov 1997 15:45:51 -0500 From: Ryan Grote <[email protected]> Subject: t-and-f: Jersey High School Cross There will probably be a more informed and detailed post from the source of all NJ high school knowledge, Ed Grant, but I thought I'd get things started from what I could gather in today's Star-Ledger. Yesterday was the big day for statewide sectionals, and the last day that any races are held anywhere other than Holmdel Park. For those savages who do not live in New Jersey, the state is broken up into 4 sections, and each section has 4 groups from large (group 4) to small (group 1). In addition there are Parochial A (large) and B (small divisions). Yesterday the top five teams and top 10 individuals moved on to next Saturdays State Group championships at Holmdel. There will be a race for all six categories for boys and girls, and the top teams and individuals from those races will move on to the all-encompassing Meet of Champions. Before I get into yesterdays results featuring local teams who all have one thing in common, I'll mention the Prep results from earlier in the week. Pingry, the alma mater of the superstar Brothers Lear, swept the team titles and blew out the boys field which included Delbarton (ranked 5th in the S-L preseason poll). They move on to Parochial B at Holmdel next week and should win again to advance to the M of C. The duo of Justin Manly and Andrew Gruel went 1-2. Other local schools, including my alma mater, made out well and will run again next week. Like Pingry, the schools I am about to mention all have had the sense to buy their shoes from an all-knowledgeable source of runnning wisdom. Bernards may not be back at its pre-Grote, Wetmore/Mather era glory days, however the girls squad led by defending Group 1 champ Laura Nann scored a scant 21 points to win the Central Jersey Group 1 race. The boys were 2nd with 78 points, and both stand a good chance to make it to the M of C. The most spectacular patron is no doubt Ridge's Ricky Gibson. Yesterday Gibson led Ridge to the CJ Group 2 title, winning in 16:44 at Holmdel. Earlier Gibson ran 16:18 at Holmdel and 12:36 at Van Cortland, and he has yet to lose to another Garden Stater. Next week he will be tested by Manchester's Ian Hahn, who won his South Jersey sectional. The Ridge boys blew out Somerville to win 66-126, and have a good shot at winning the Group 2 meet, as well. They have had a breakthrough season, much of it attributable to good shoes and sound advice. The Ridge girls also moved on placing 2nd. Bridgewater, whose alums include Stanford's Monal Chokshi and some fine hoopsters such as Eric Murdock and Lance Miller, pulled off a big upset winning the CJ Group 4 race. The girls also barely advanced placing 5th. Hunterdon Central's Jon Fasulo, a junior, ran the fastest time of the day at Holmdel, a 16:29. Returning M of C winner Steve Slattery again beat Morristown's Tom Del Sordo to win his 4th straight North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 title in 16:07. Mo'town, whose alums include a coaching prodigy named Vig, easily won the team title and remains the only potential threat to the reign of CBA, whose alums include Nick McDonough among others. The Garden State is quite strong this year. In my factless opinion, there are at least 6 boys who stand a shot at making it through to Foot Locker nationals. Slattery is the favorite to win but may be pushed by Overbrook's (Ron Dayne an alum) Murad Campbell and possibly Ridge's Gibson. The other top individuals in no particular order are Morristown's Del Sordo, HC's Fasulo and Manchester's Hahn. All six have decent chances at placing top 8 in the FL NE meet. I'll bet that at least three of them make it. As for the girls, frosh Erin Donohue should blow out the M of C, but according to Mr. Grant will not run the FL meet because of hoops. Yesterday she was bothered by the flu and only ran 18:30 to win her South Jersey Group 1 section. Three other girls ran slightly faster, but Donohue herself set the course record of 17:07 a few weeks ago. That should do it for today. Like I said yesterday, it is a slow weekend with no division one cross action. I felt compelled to post again, so I did. Tomorrow is the amazing and spectacluar Grote Regional Preview. Actually, today is the PNAC meet at Woodland Park in Seattle which should provide some interesting results. Dan Browne, Brad Barquist, Rob Cook, and a few other nationally competitive guys were slated to run, as were some current and former Pilots. I am sure that Mike Scott will grace us with the results ASAP (not a hint or a request--really). Whether I get them before I leave at 5:00 remains to be seen. The New Jersey Nets are still the team even after last night's loss to the Bulls. They played without Van Horn and Kittles, just wait. Someday everybody will be jumping on the Nets bandwagon when they assume the NBA throne. Grote Runners Pace "In the long run the truth does not matter." Wallace Stevens
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