The NJ season started rolling this past weekend with more meets and some hot early season performances.
Roxbury Invitational
Held on the fast flat Horseshoe Lake course, this meet produced some fast individual
times as well as a very nice early team race by CBA. Doug Smith of Gill-St. Bernards (15:19.48) made his seasonal debut a quick one as he led 2 other runners to sub 16 times. Doug Jankowski of Phillipsburg (15:36.92) and Jon Juleus of Pope John XXIII (15:59.93) followed him home.
Lauren Penny of host Roxbury won the Jr/Sr Girls race (17:49.57) over teammate Ashley Cromartie (18:20.22) with Rashmi Singh of Hunterdon Central recording the 3rd fastest time of the day, taking the Soph race at 19:15.31.
CBA made their first race of the season a fast one as they took the Jr/Sr race with 30 points and a 16:11 avg. Phillipsburg (62 pts.) held of Hunterdon Central (63 pts,) for 2nd place. The Pope John Girls took team honors with 40 points (20:10 avg) over a resurgent North Hunterdon team (50 pts. / 20.29 avg.)
St. Dominic's Academy Invitational
The big excitement here was the Varsity Boys team race. Morristown and Notre Dame were tied at 61 points after their 5 men, so the race race went to the 6th man tiebreaker to decide the championship. Morristown's sixth, Matt Nelson hit the line in 31st place, with ND 6 paces back. The race was won by Ben Singleton of University Charter who toured the 5350m course in 17:50.05. Sam Spangler of Columbia was 2nd (17:53.53).
In the Girls Varsity event, soph. Dale Kinney of Morristown took the win (19:39.44) from the Mater Dei duo of Marie Walsh (19:54.41) and Liz Shaw (20:11.05). Red Bank Catholic took the team title (48 pts.) over Morristown (73 pts.) Michelle Capozzi led the Caseys with her 5th place finish (20:46.74)