ED GRANT'S STATE PREVIEW

                      New Jersey’s annual cross-country three-ring circus begins this weekend with 32 sectional meets at four 
sites around the state, leading to the all-group championships on Nov. 17 at Holmdel County Park.

                        For most of the group and all-group favorites, teams and individuals, boys and girls, this first step---formally 
known as the sectionals---will be a routine matter. The top five teams in each race and the first 10 finishers qualify for the 
four public school group races on Nov. 10, also at Holmdel. (The non-public schools have no sectionals, but the majority of 
them will be running, either at the 50th New Jersey Catholic Track Conference championships at Warinanco Park, Elizabeth, 
or in the South Jersey Parochial meet at Delsea High School—in both cases, following immediately sectional meets at these 
sites.)

                        But there are a few interesting direct pairings, such as the now annual battle between Voorhees, the state’s 
top-rated girls’ team and Ridge in the North Jersey 2 Gr. III race at Warinanco and, on the boys’ side a head-on clash between 
Jackson and Old Bridge who traded wins last year in the Gr. IV and AG meets. Close attention will also focus on the state’s 
top two girl runners, Jillian Smith of Southern Ocean and Chelsea Ley of Kingsway who will run in separate races in the South 
Jersey meet at Delsea.

                        The NJCTC races, however, will be much the strongest of the day. The boys’ event has the state’s No. 1 and No. 
3 teams entered, Don Bosco and Christian Brothers, though it is possible that the Ironmen will run their strong second team 
which has already taken top honors in the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League and Bergen County Gr. IV meets this fall. 
And it will also have one of the state’s top runners, Brandon Jarrett of St. Benedict’s, heading a strong individual field.

       Immaculate Heart Academy, the state’s No. 2 team, heads a girls’ field which also includes two others from the top 10, No. 3 
Msgr. Donovan and No. 7 Red Bank Catholic and also features an interesting individual clash between Kathleen McCafferty of Oak 
Knoll and Sarah Pagano of IHA who could sweep the non-public individual titles next weekend.

                        Not in action this weekend will be the favorite for the boys’ all-group title, Doug Smith of Gill-St. Bernard’s, who 
won the state prep B title on Wednesday at Blair with a record time of 15:35 while Jarrett returned to action that day with a 15:42 
repeat win in the boys’ event. The third member of the state’s triumvirate of Footlocker candidates, Brian Leung of West 
Windsor-Plainsboro North heads the Central Jersey Gr. IV field at Thompson Park.

                        Now for a look at the various sectional fields:

                         North Jersey 1 at Garret Mountain, West Milford: Ridgewood has won the last five Gr. IV boys’ titles here, 
but is experiencing a down year and may be vulnerable to a challenge from Clifton. Morris Hills, the state’s No. 2 team, 
should, however, have no trouble making it four in a row in Gr. III. Indian Hills is a strong favorite in Gr. II with Jeremy Perkins 
and Maxwell Bruno likely to finish 1-2. Bogota shares the favorite role in Gr. I with the combined Park Ridge-Emerson squad. 
The individual picks are Bergen County A champ Mike Mitchell of Bergen Tech, Sean Pohorence of Morris Hills, Perkins or 
Bruno and soph David Oster of Verona.

                        Roxbury should have no trouble making it four in a row in the girls’ side, but this time in Gr. III with a possible 1-2-3 
finish from last year’s Gr. IV champ Lauren Penney, Ashley Cromartie and freshman Mary Migton. This leaves Gr. IV to neighbor 
Randolph, whose frosh star Joelle Amaral should win easily. North Warren, led by twins Melissa and Lindsay McKee, will likely 
defend its Gr. II title against a strong challenge from Ramsey, while I features a wide-open battle among three of the state’s top four 
in that group: Waldwick, Verona and freshman-led Mt. Lakes.

                        North Jersey 2 at Warinanco Park: Phillipsburg has won the last two Gr. IV boys’ titles, but lost the Hunterdon-Warren 
and Skylands titles this year to Hunterdon Central, which will have to worry about Somerset County champ Bridgewater. Ridge also 
had a two-year streak going in Gr. III but has no chance against the state’s No. 4 team, Millburn. Chatham has much better hopes in 
Gr. II against Berkeley Heights and Bernards, while New Providence, back where it belongs, should add to the four-year string which 
“ended” when it was moved to Central Jersey in 2003.

                        Jeff Coore of Franklin should succeed former teammate Chris Gonzalez in the Gr. IV field with Doug Jankowski of 
Phillipsburg his main rival. Essex County champ Pete Murphy will head Millburn’s effort in Gr. III, Chris Joseph could give Berkeley 
Heights its first winner in Gr. II and Ben Singleton of University Academic of Jersey City could become the first charter school 
sectional champ ever.

                        Hunterdon Central will likely end another two-year string, this one by Bridgewater, in the girls’ Gr. IV meet, led by 
Rashmi Singh. Voorhees is a lead-pipe cinch in to repeat in Gr. III, Summit likewise in Gr. II and New Providence---which won CJ II 
last fall---will go at least 1-2 in Gr. I on its way to a possible group crown.

                        Singh, who has been trailing some of the state’s top runners—Smith, Thompson, for example---in her every race this 
fall, should win one this time. Thompson will make it three in a row in III and sophomore rivals Kearsley Olcott of Summit and Olivia 
Clyde of New Providence are strong favorites in II and I, respectively.

                        Central Jersey at Thompson Park: The Jackson-Old Bridge duel dominates the team picture here. West Windsor-Plainsboro 
North, the state’s No. 7 team, has a lock on Gr. III. Holmdel and Red Bank will duel in Gr. II and Metuchen will end Keansburg’s four-year 
string in Gr. I.

                        The Gr. IV individual field is a strong one, headed by Leung---fastest winner at Manhattan this year---and three other county 
champs: Andrew Brodeur of Brick Memorial, Travis Mahoney of Old Bridge and Bobby Andrews of  Manalapan. Joe Rosa of WWPN could 
become that rare thing, a freshman boy sectional champ, in III, defender Danny Stiles of Somerville is favored over George Galasso of 
Holmdel in II and Julian Fensterheim of Metuchen heads the Gr. I field.

                        Colts Neck, the state’s No. 4 girls’ team, should repeat in a strong Gr. IV field, led by individual defender Brianna 
Jackucewicz. (Actually, the Cougars have won three sectionals in a row, the first two in Gr. III). Hopewell Valley will also have no 
problems, led by individual defender Clare Buck, Holmdel is in another close battle in II, this time with Rumson, and Metuchen has 
no real opposition for a third straight win in I.

                        The Gr. IV individual field is one of the strongest of the day with Jackucewicz joined by Middlesex County champ S
ophia Ginez of South Brunswick, Katie Kellner of West Windsor-Plainsboro South, Jillian Prentice and Amanda Herrman of Montgomery 
and Ashley Smolinka of Hillsboro. Buck’s main rival will be Briana Rogers of Moorestown. Freshman Shannon Nelson of Holmdel heads 
the Gr. II field and Fiona Weeks of Metuchen and Morgan Lesniak of Robbinsville lead in Gr. I.

                        South Jersey at Delsea: Toms River North’s young team is favored over Burlington champ Cherokee and Atlantic winner 
Mainland in Gr. IV boys. Highland’s balance will probably prevail over a 1-2 finish by Ocean City’s Brett Johnson and Ryan Birchmeier in III, 
Haddonfield is a lock for a fourth straight win in II and Haddon Heights, back in Gr. I, will likely unseat 2006 group champ Pennsville.

                        Alex Yersak of Cherokee will no doubt take his third Gr. IV title in a row. Johnson and Birchmeier have just one serious 
challenger, Kyle Gorczynski of Highland. Jon Vitez has only his own teammates as rivals in Gr. II and Charles Black and Mickey Borsellino 
figure to give Heights a 1-2 finish in I.

                        The Gr. IV girls field is a strong one, headed by Ocean champ Southern Ocean and the better-balanced Lenape team. 
Kingsway, which has five Gr. II title in its background, should get its first in Gr. III, while Haddonfield and Haddon Twp will be walkaway 
winners in II and I.

                        Smith is, of course, an odds-on favorite in Gr. IV, as is Ley in Gr. III. Chelsea is likely to turn in the day’s fastest girls’ 
time on the flat Delsea layout with Jillian, as usual, running only as fast as she has to. Marielle Hall will lead a Haddonfield parade as 
she defends her Gr. II title and Holly Gallagher of Haddon Twp has no serious rival in G. I.