Girls XC NJ Meet of Champions Review!


Starting line of the 2013 girls Meet of Champions race. / Photo / Robert Kellert for MileSplit

So let us just start by stating that 17 girls broke 19 minutes!! Great work New Jersey runners. The 5th fastest time ever at Holmdel park for a girl was run by Haddonfield's freshman Briana Gess

Full Results and Photos

TrackShow Video

Briana was around 6:10 at the mile and in a battle with Josette Norris of Tenafly through the two mile mark. That's when Gess took off.


Josette Norris of Tenafly (left) and Briana Gess of Haddonfield (right) push each other's race as they head toward the two mile mark. / Photo / MaroonNews for MileSplit

As she exited the woods and climbed the final incline the crowd finally caught a glimpse of Gess as she came flying down the last stretch. She would finish with an insane time of 17:45! Everyone knew it was certainly a possibility that she could win however no one could have predicted the time or gap she put between her and the rest of the leaders. A quick interview with Briana is embedded below her finishing picture.


Briana Gess, all alone, bringing home the MOC individual win in a 5th all-time finish time of  17:45! / Photo / Robert Kellert for MileSplit

Moments after Gess was seen to hold a secure lead another intriguing battle emerged from the woods. Josette Norris of Tenafly and Mackenzie Barry of Mendham were battling back and forth with their final kicks. I was standing right at the finish in the media area and I still couldn't tell you who won as they cross the line. It was a photo finish, and when the results printed out it read Norris second and Barry third both with a time of 18:12. Both girls have posted fantastic seasons so far and I'm excited to see what they have in store for us as we head into Regionals and beyond. 


To the left, Josette Norris and Mackenzie Barry kick in a close one. To the right, Liz Lansing of Randolph and Courtney Thompson of St John Vianney battle for fourth place. / Photo / Robert Kellert for MileSplit

After Norris and Barry there was another great head to head going on between Liz Lansing of Randolph and Courtney Thompson of St. John Vianney. As they came closer to the finish chute however Lansing pulled away and took the "4 Card" at 18:14 for her team, starting what would eventually lead to a great group performance by the Randolph girls. Liz Lansing set the stage and the rest of the team brought home the victory going 2-9-13-19-63 in point placing (not actual places) and a team average of 19:20! One of the girls actually lost a shoe early on and finished the race! They'll tell you all about it in this video interview.


Margaret Thomson of Randolph makes sure she finishes despite loosing a shoe. / Photo / MaroonNews

 

Congratulations Randolph girls!

Athlete Event Mark Wind Round Place
Lansing, Elizabeth F 5,000 Meter Run 18:14.00   Finals 4
Harsch, Carole F 5,000 Meter Run 19:04.00   Finals 24
Thomson, Margaret F 5,000 Meter Run 19:11.00   Finals 30
Wellman, Liz F 5,000 Meter Run 19:36.00   Finals 46
Mcsorley, Nora May F 5,000 Meter Run 20:36.00   Finals 106
Ryan, Melissa F 5,000 Meter Run 21:32.00   Finals 142
Wagner, Karsyn F 5,000 Meter Run 21:44.00   Finals 148


The Randolph girls and Coaches celebrate their great MOC performances. / Photo / Robert Kellert for MileSplit

The Red Bank Catholic girls shouldn't be ignored here as well they put up great performances all year and a misfortune at the end shouldn't take away from that for them. They were only 7 points away from a Meet of Champions title. RBC went 7-17-24-25-40 in the points and had a team average of 19:34.


The Red Bank Catholic girls come together in the finish chute after their MOC race. / Photo / Robert Kellert for MileSplit

 

Place Team Points Scorers Times
1 Randolph HS 106 2+9+13+19+63 (97+103) 2:22 1-5 Split | 19:20 Avg
2 Red Bank Catholic HS 113 7+17+24+25+40 (69+76) 1:00 1-5 Split | 19:34 Avg
3 Rumson-Fair Haven HS 140 14+18+22+33+53 (66+87) 1:07 1-5 Split | 19:42 Avg
4 West Windsor Plainsboro South HS 159 6+16+31+45+61 (79+98) 1:31 1-5 Split | 19:44 Avg
5 Haddonfield Mem. HS 164 1+20+38+48+57 (73+100) 2:40 1-5 Split | 19:35 Avg
6 Ridgewood HS 166 11+12+41+44+58 (68+85) 1:17 1-5 Split | 19:46 Avg

There were plenty of other fantastic performances as well, really fast fields today. I think it also helped that the crowds were huge (hat tip to the fans and parents). Dana Klein of Gill-St. Bernard's had an amazing run dropping 20 seconds from the week previous at Holmdel with an 18:22, she finished 6th on the day. Last year Klein ran a 19:14, great work to push as hard as you could for your senior season. After her in 7th was Grace Dwyer, the sophomore star ran 18:30, 8th was Marin Warner a junior form Holmdel running 18:36, 9th was sophomore Julia Guerra of Indian Hills with 18:37, and rounding out the top ten was Sierra Castaneda of West Morris Central with an 18:39!! As you can see the rest of the elite performances below this was a fast group and many of the top girls ran under 19 minutes.

Below are the performances entered for the meet that met the national silver standard.

HS Girls
5,000 Meter Run 17:45.00 Briana Gess Haddonfield Mem. HS
5,000 Meter Run 18:12.00 Josette Norris Tenafly HS
5,000 Meter Run 18:12.00 Mackenzie Barry Mendham HS
5,000 Meter Run 18:14.00 Elizabeth Lansing Randolph HS
5,000 Meter Run 18:16.00 Courtney Thompson St. John Vianney HS
5,000 Meter Run 18:22.00 Dana Klein Gill-St. Bernard's School
5,000 Meter Run 18:30.00 Grace Dwyer Hamilton North
5,000 Meter Run 18:36.00 Marin Warner Holmdel HS
5,000 Meter Run 18:37.00 Julia Guerra Indian Hills HS
5,000 Meter Run 18:39.00 Sierra Castaneda West Morris Central HS
5,000 Meter Run 18:44.00 Clarissa Modde Voorhees HS
5,000 Meter Run 18:49.00 Mara Schiffhauer Seneca HS
5,000 Meter Run 18:50.00 Amanda Corbosiero Mount Saint Dominic Academy
5,000 Meter Run 18:50.00 Brennan Sharkey West Morris Central HS
5,000 Meter Run 18:52.00 Alexandra Juzwiak Middletown North HS
5,000 Meter Run 18:56.00 Christina Rancan West Windsor Plainsboro South HS
5,000 Meter Run 18:58.00 Eve Glasergreen North Hunterdon HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:00.00 Lauren Zodl Pinelands Reg. HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:01.00 Eryn Mills Red Bank Catholic HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:02.00 Calleigh Higgins Pope John XXIII HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:02.00 Rachel Belmont Old Bridge HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:03.00 Julia Despirito Shawnee HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:03.00 Ashlei Thurston Morris Hills HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:04.00 Carole Harsch Randolph HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:04.00 Kelly Shaffer South Hunterdon HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:05.00 Alexandra Christian Mount Olive HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:08.00 Vickie Ajimoko Williamstown HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:09.00 Carleen Jeffers Ridgewood HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:11.00 Sam Halvorsen Ridgewood HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:11.00 Margaret Thomson Randolph HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:12.00 Christine O'Kane Morristown HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:14.00 Megan Hellman Rumson-Fair Haven HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:16.00 Corey Weiss Millburn HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:17.00 Epiphany Grisbaum Ocean City HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:20.00 Meaghan Driscoll Voorhees HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:21.00 Danielle Leavitt Lacey Twp. HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:23.00 Kerry Dyke Mount St. Mary Academy
5,000 Meter Run 19:26.00 Deirdre Casey West Windsor Plainsboro South HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:27.00 Cailyn Lavigne North Hunterdon HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:27.00 Stephanie Bitcon Wayne Hills HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:28.00 Jillian O'Donohoe Wayne Hills HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:28.00 Kylene Cochrane West Morris Central HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:28.00 Gabriella Ferrigine Red Bank Catholic HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:29.00 Jacqueline Gottuso Rumson-Fair Haven HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:35.00 Paige Petty Bernards HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:36.00 Liz Wellman Randolph HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:37.00 Shelby Cain Haddonfield Mem. HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:39.00 Kiersten Lapp Pitman HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:39.00 Hannah Anderson Rumson-Fair Haven HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:40.00 Giavanna Tabbachino Immaculate Heart Academy
5,000 Meter Run 19:40.00 Megan Coakley Red Bank Catholic HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:40.00 Megan Cronk Red Bank Catholic HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:41.00 Erin Ahearn Immaculate Heart Academy
5,000 Meter Run 19:42.00 Kara Bonner Shawnee HS
5,000 Meter Run 19:43.00 Lydon Kersting Academy Of The Holy Angels
5,000 Meter Run 19:44.00 Maddie Marrone Middletown North HS

Fin