ED GRANT'S REPORT ON THE MEET OF CHAMPS
In as perfect conditions as could be imagined, the Christian Brothers Academy and Roxbury shattered the 23-year
old team average records at Holmdel County Park as they successfully defended their titles at the New Jersey
all-group championship meet.
CBA took its 15th title as it almost doubled its 2004 margin over Morris Hills winning by a 48=100 tally. The Colts
were led by seniors Kevin Rogers and Chris Horel who finished 5-6 in 15:52 and 15:53. Senior Greg Leach finished 18th
in 16:18, while juniors Chris Lombardi and Anthony Pellegrino were 26th and 55th in 16:26 and 16:49. All five boys ran
personal records on the hilly 5K course.
The team average was 16:15, three seconds a man faster than the 1982 CBA team had run in the Monmouth
County meet. That club lost the all-group race to a Bernards team which is now tied with the 2003 Mainland team for the
No. 3 spot on the all-time list with a 16:27 average.
The team finish would have been a lot closer had not the usual No. 3 runner for Morris Hills, Brandon Rodkewitz
limped home near the end of the 184-man field. Kyle Soloff led the Knights in 12th place at 16:08 with Jared Labar stepping
up with a 16:14 in 15th and Jayson Decker running 16:25 in 25th. Ryan Uhrynowich, the usual 5th man, came back from an
off day at the Gr. III meet last week to run 47th in 16:42.
Roxbury also won by a healthy margin, 64-100, over an all-underclass Colts Neck team which will certainly start the
2006 season as favorites for the all-group crown. Senior Kris Stevens led the Gaels for the first time this season, finishing
5th in 18:25 with the usual first runner, Jenn Ennis, duplicating last week’s Gr. IV effort by finishing 8th in 18:36. They were
followed by soph Lauren Penney in 16th in 19:04, soph Ashley Cromartie in 32nd in 19:43 and senior Sarah Tencza in 44th
in 19:54.
The individual winners were no surprise. Junior Craig Forys of Colts Neck followed the strong pace of Chatham’s Ben
Massam (a largely uphill first mile of 5:19, a second mile at 5:00), took over just past the 2M mark and went on to win by 60
yards in 15:34, four seconds faster than the junior class record set in 1983 by Brad Hudson of North Hunterdon. Massam,
who had won eight consecutive races this season, held off Jeff Perrella of Westfield in 15:46 and dark horse Owen Boyle of
Manasquan outkicked the CBA pair for 4th.
Danielle Tauro of Southern Ocean, unbeaten in the state this season, had a bad spot on the starting line, but still took
the lead early and won by 50 yards in 18:03 from her constant follower, fellow junior Amanda Marino of Jackson. In third place
was Briana Jackucewicz of Colts Neck who took another second off the frosh course record at 18:20. Senior Vanessa Wright
of Haddonfield survived a gym class injury during the week and finished ahead of Stevens in 4th at 18:24 with Lara Heigis of
Pope John and Ashley Higginson of Colts Neck following in a four-girl finish.
A record 14 girls went under 19:00, three of them being freshmen: Jackucewicz, Parochial B champ Marie Walsh of
Mater Dei in 10th at 18:47 and Melanie Thompson of Voorhees in 13th at 18:58. First-year cross-country runner Renee Tomlin
of Ocean City ran 12th in 18:53, earning an all-state berth in her third sport, the others being swimming (as a sprinter!) and
outdoor track as an 800 runner in 2003 and in the 1600 last spring.
Most of the top finishers in the two races will be at Van Cortlandt Park next week, bidding for berths in the Footlocker final.
They will probably be joined by Brittany Sedberry of Ocean City (a finalist the past two years) who missed the state meet due to
illness. The Roxbury and CBA stars may skip the event, preparing for likely re-appearances at the national team meet in Eugene
a week later. Both teams were rated third in the Northeast before today’s races; their record performances should certainly do no
harm to their chances.