Like every runner that pulls on a CBA singlet, Joe Barrett knows all about the history and tradition of excellence that has been built by the runners who came before him at Christian Brothers Academy.
The unparalleled legacy of greatness sustained over several decades by the CBA program is something that serves as constant motivation for Barrett and CBA's deep stable of runners as the Colts prepare to make another run at state and national titles and extend their state and national records.
CBA, with Barrett leading the attack and four of its top seven back, will head into the season with a state-best returning 5-man Holmdel Park average of 16:17.8. That makes CBA the favorite to repeat as Meet of Champions winner and capture its state record 26th title. Paul VI has the 2nd most M of C titles with four.
My summer training is going great so far. Coach McCafferty and Coach Lunny have really been good about getting us ready for this season and building a solid base so we can run fast all season long. The past two weeks, I have been running around 50 miles a week. We're looking to move that up to around 60 as the summer progresses. Our training right now consists of four practices a week where we split our time between running at Thompson Park across the street, Holmdel, and CBA. The other two days, we run on our own. On those days, I mostly run on the boardwalk or around Spring Lake. My training this summer has been a bit different because I'm a junior, so my mileage is up a bit more than last year and our workouts have differed from last summer.
I know you and your teammates have been putting in lots of mileage together. When did XC training begin for you and your teammates, and how much do you feel it helps for teammates to train together as often as possible throughout the summer?
Our training started up slow around the end of June and since then we have just been building. Training with your teammates is key, because I think the reason we achieved so much last year is due to how close knit our team was. I think the only way to achieve that bond is through running with them as much as possible. Thanks to our coaches for taking time out of their summer to set up practices we have been able to do that more than most teams. I also think that running with your teammates helps a lot when we don't have practice and have to run on our own, because it makes getting out of bed early more bearable.
You and your team usually go to the Radix Running Camp. Is that still the plan and how important do you think it is for a team to go to camp together, train together, and bond together? How much do you think that helps in your preparation for the upcoming season?
Yes, we are still going to Radix this year which I think is really important to our team. Nothing brings us closer more than living and running with each other for a week. I also think that it's great for the incoming freshman and helps them connect with the team. As I said before, having a close knit team is one of the keys to success and this definitely helps us bond and connect before the season starts each year.
Every runner who toes the line wearing a CBA singlet knows all about the streak? What does the national record dual meet winning streak mean to you, and what are your thoughts on the responsibility and importance for your team to keep the streak alive and carry on the great tradition at CBA this season?
The dual meet streak shows me how deep our history is. It shows how many other great athletes have run for CBA before us and what we have to live up to. This streak is important to me and our team because it shows that we have a legacy to follow. We know we have high standards to achieve, and that is something that drives us every day, whether it is during practice or during a competition.
After running a Holmdel PR of 15:43 year, which makes you the third fastest returner in the state, and dropping a 14:59 at Ocean County Park, 16:07 at Bowdoin, and 12:41 at Vanny, what type of goals do you have for yourself this season? What times would you like to hit at OCP, Vanny, Holmdel, and Bowdoin?
I always like to set my goals high, because I feel like if you set them too low it often limits yourself. I have many goals for my team and for myself this upcoming season, but my biggest personal goals are achieving another state title and to make a run at the MOC title against some great competition. As far as times go, at Holmdel I'd love to follow after one of my coaches Mike Mazzacaro and go sub 15:20. For OCP, I'd love to hit somewhere around 14:40, and for Bowdoin and Van Courtland I'm shooting for sub 15:50 and somewhere around 12:25 to 12:20.
You are coming off a great season on the track with PR's of 9:04.64 for 2 miles, 4:15.57 for 1,600 and 1:58.77 for 800. How much of a huge confidence builder was that for you, and how much hungrier did that make you to have the best XC season of your career this fall?
This past track season showed that I'm capable of running the times I hope for if I put in the work and believe in myself. I know that with the amount of effort my teammates and I put in at practice, we are going into the next season eager to reach our goals.
Your team lost a great runner and leader to graduation in Nick Sullivan. As the leader now of the pack at CBA, how has your role changed from a leadership standpoint heading into this season?
Nick was a great leader to the entire team. The thing that I respected most about Nick was that he pushed everyone to be their best - not only as a runner, but as a person, too. As an upperclassman this year, my teammates and I know that it's important to reflect how Nick led the team throughout his time at CBA. As I get older, I know that I need to take on a leadership role within the team and focus on encouraging my teammates to be the best versions of themselves.
Your team returns a lot of great talent from last year with four of your top 7 back and a returning Holmdel 5-man average of 16:17, and you have a lot of great young talent. So what are the team goals for you and your teammates this season? I know repeating as Meet of Champions winner, and contending for a top spot at Nike Nationals are always huge goals for the Colts.
We have a lot of great guys on the team this year. The amount of depth we have on the team going into this season is unparalleled to many of the great CBA teams that came before us. As you said, we are looking to repeat last year and win MOCs again, and we are definitely looking to be a top spot at nationals. We are currently ranked third for the pre-season, but as my coach always says, pre season rankings mean nothing because we have to prove ourselves during the season. We know we have a lot of work to put in before racing at these big meets and hopefully achieving our goals.
Could this team be even better than your team was last year? How much potential do you see with this pack and how excited are you for this season?
I think it definitely can be an amazing team. We lost a lot of great seniors, who all played a major role on the team. However, I'm confident that the seniors this year will follow in their footsteps. I know many of our underclassmen are eager to prove themselves, and I think that many of them will help our team achieve our goals. The potential I see for this team is immense, and I know we have the ability to accomplish a lot of great things, not just because of our runners' talent, but also because of our closeness as a team as well. We support each other through a lot, and I know that this will help us do really well this season.
What is the story behind how you became a runner? When did you first start running, and how did it come about?
I was a competitive swimmer and played club hockey starting at age five. I continued doing this until 8th grade. I first started running in 6th grade for our town cross county rec. program. Some days I would run, swim, and play hockey all in the same day. I started doing well in our cross-country league meets. My Coach, Kim Snarr, who runs the program, kept encouraging me to keep up with it. She is the one who really got me into running and made me truly love running. When I began at CBA, I decided to just focus on cross country and track.
When was your big breakthrough moment when you began to realize that you could do big things in this sport?
The first time I realized I should start focusing more on running was in 7th grade cross-country. It was my first season, and Coach Kim told me I should do a post season and run the USATF middle school state meet. I decided to do it, and ended up going on to nationals after that. I think that's when I first realized I might not be swimming in high school and college like all my other siblings have done. Without my early base of swimming and hockey, though, I would never be where I am today, so I am grateful I played those sports when I was younger.
What do you love the most about being a runner, and what do you love the most about running in N.J.?
What I really love about NJ running is that it is a community. When I step on that line, whether it be track or cross-sountry, I always know someone (or multiple people) from other teams. After racing them for such a long time, I've gotten to know my competitors personally, and I enjoy making these connections with other athletes.
What do you love the most about being a runner for one of the greatest distance running programs in the country? I can only imagine how special it feels to run with those three letters (C-B-A) on your singlet.
I love the history and community of CBA. The support from the alumni is truly unparalleled. We have such great connections with even the earliest running alumni. Our school's motto is "Brothers Forever", and our alumni take this to heart. My teammates and I are always so excited when they come back to practice to run and talk with the team. One experience that meant the most to me was when our team was racing at NXR last year. Multiple alumni drove all the way up to Bowdoin Park, and they were all wearing the same shirt that I often warm up in before my meets. I realized that competing and for and being a part of CBA doesn't just stop when you graduate. It was truly a special moment, and it just showed how meaningful those three letters on our chests mean. We're not only running for ourselves or the current team, we're running for everyone that came before us and everyone that will come after us.
