2024 NJSIAA Meet of Champions Coverage
In a sport where the clock is always moving forward, it's time to turn it back as we celebrate this Saturday's 52nd anniversary of the NJSIAA XC Meet of Champions with a historical rewind that looks at every single race since the M of C was born in 1972.
What better way to say Happy Anniversary to the single greatest high school event ever created then to relive more than a half-century worth of races? Talk about the ultimate jog down memory lane!!
Here's your NJ XC history lesson for today, tomorrow, and forever!! You're welcome!
LEGENDS OF THE FALL
1972
In the first ever boys M of C race, Harry Kronick of Franklin outdueled the late Greg ``Bucky'' Miller of Northern Highlands, 12:33.0 to 12:33.1, over 2.5 miles at Ocean County Park in Lakewood (a photo of that finish is at the top of this article).
Here is a story about the first boys M of C race ever, which was written last year. There was no team scoring for the boys in the first race.
Longtime Shore Regional coach Mel Ullmeyer was 10th for Raritan in the inaugural race, and Ed Donohue of Collingswood (the father of NJ legend Erin Donohue of Haddonfield) finished 20th.
Kronick, a 4:14 miler in high school, went on to run at Manhattan College where he was part of a recruiting class that included Chris Inman (Essex Catholic), Dave Wall (Dickinson), Peryte Gaughn from NYC (held national flat floor indoor HS miler record at 4:13.1 at the time) and Matt Centrowitz.
Meanwhile, in the girls race (all the girls M of C races have been held at Holmdel), Red Bank Catholic and Hilary Noden of Hopewell Valley were victorious. It was the first of five straight titles for RBC, coached by the legendary Jack Rafter. Noden ran 12:41 to capture the first of her three straight titles.
1973
St. Joseph (Met.), under coach Al McCafferty (whose son is current CBA coach Sean McCafferty), became the first boys team champion ever when the Middlesex County squad edged Pascack Valley, 125-128 and Greg Stremmel of Gateway won the boys race in 14:22.8, edging Steve McDuffie of Neptune (second in 14:25). The race was increased to 3.0 miles and held at Bridgewater-Raritan West High School.
The girls race was a repeat of 1972 with RBC and Noden (12:31) successfully defending their titles
1974
Marty Ludwikowski of Cherry Hill East went wire-to-wire, like he always did, and ran 14:42.1 to beat runner-up Sal Vega of Memorial WNY by seven seconds (14:49) at Buccleuch Park in New Brunswick. Eventual champion Kevin Byrne, then a soph. at Bergen Catholic, was third in 14:54.
Ludwikowski, who finished 26-0 by winning all 14 duals and all 12 invitationals. He also won one of the most thrilling races in Millrose Games history when he edged a diving Kevin Byrne at the line to win the High School mile, 4:15.5 to 4:15.6, in 1975. Ludwikowski went on to have an All-American career at Manhattan.
Morris Catholic defeated defending champion St. Joseph (Met.), 80-106, for the boys team title.
On the girls side, Noden finished off her 3-peat by running a meet and course record 11:22.
Noden is one of just four girls to ever win 3 M of C titles. No one has won four. RBC made it three straight team titles with a 95-124 win over North Hunterdon.
1975
Kevin Byrne, who transferred from Bergen Catholic to Paramus Catholic after he was third in 1974, wasn't favored to win, but he scored the upset to become the first underclassmen to win the title in 14:43.2. The race was held at Pennsauken High. Chris Hallinan of Bernards, the heavy favorite, was second in 14:48.
Morris Catholic repeated as boys champion, 129-130.
In the girls race, Carol Conlon of Nutley finished first in 12:47, five seconds ahead of runner-up Sandy Alexander of Roxbury, to become the only girl from Essex County to ever win. RBC once again defeated North Hunterdon, 98-124, for its fourth in a row.
1976
Defending champion Kevin Byrne had the flu and didn't finish the race as Bob Siehl of Morris Hills went on to win the three mile race by 18 seconds in 14:43.5 in the first M of C boys race ever at Holmdel Park. The bowl was run in reverse back then. The current course started being used in 1979.
Kevin Molteni of Morris Catholic was second in 15:01. The guy in third place is someone everyone sees at every state meet, Jim Casey from Manalapan (15:03). Casey is the guy that puts together the finish line chutes, and works that area during all the state meets.
Westfield dethroned 2-time defending champion Morris Catholic, 59-78.
On the girls side, RBC outscored Shore Conference rival Toms River North, 56-70, to complete its five-peat, the longest girls streak in M of C history. Lucy Sheldrick of Union City, the only Hudson County girl to win an XC M of C title, won the 1976 race in 12:22, eight secnds ahead of Nancy Fitzgerald of Cedar Ridge.
1977
The Cuban-born Estoquio Gonzalez of Memorial (W.N.Y), 11th the year before, won by five seconds over Bill Leonard of Bergen Catholic, 15:21.6 to 15:26. Gonzalez attended Clemson very briefly before dropping out.
In one of the closest three-way boys team finish ever, Bergen Catholic defeated Westfield, 68-72, and Memorial (WNY) was third with 73.
The girls race featured a great three-way clash between Shore Conference powers as Brick ended RBC's run of 5 straight titles with a 57-71 win over RBC and Toms River North, who tied for second. With the course extended to 3.0 miles, Nancy Seeger of Roxbury dropped a 17:47 to cross the line first, 34 seconds ahead of Mary Banks of Raritan.
1978
Joe Weber of Kearny, 8th as a junior, didn't win a major race all season, but shocked everyone except himself and his coach (Jim Cifelli) when he crossed first in the first M of C 5-K ever run at Holmdel Park in 15:49.5. Weber was second to Dave Swatland of Columbia in the Group 4 race the week before. The course was run differently that year as the bowl was run in reverse.
Weber's son, Joe Jr., won the Hudson County XC titles for Kearny in 2004 and '05, making the Weber duo possibly the only father-son combination in state history to both win county XC titles.
In another dramatic team finish, Memorial of West New York won the boys team title, 102-105 over Brick. CBA and Morris Catholic fiinshed with 106.
The Shore Conference continued its stranglehold on the girls title as Toms River North defeated Brick, 51-65. RBC was third with 96. Anne Gladue of Bayley-Ellard won the race in 18:48. Mary Banks of Raritan finished second for the second straight year in 18:53.
1979
In one the greatest finishes ever, Jim Smith of Haddonfield won a lean at the line over Kevin Lundy of Long Branch as both were timed in 16:09.5. This was the first year that the current Holmdel 5K course was used.
This was also a very significant race because it marked the first of CBA's state record 25 titles.
Smith, who was third at the M of C as a junior, placed 5th at the Kinney Nationals (now Champs Champ) in 15:27.
In the team competition, a very young coach by the name of Tom Heath led his alma mater, Christian Brothers Academy, to its first M of C title, a 57-116 over runner-up Bernards. Manalapan was third with 118. A dynasty was born.
The 1979 CBA team won the first of its state record 20 Meet of Champions titles. ( Photo courtesy of CBA)
Thirty-six years later, CBA, with Heath still at the helm, has piled up a state record 20 M of C titles. The Colts will seek to make it 21 overall and six straight M of C titles at this Saturday's 44th annual meet at Holmdel. No team is even close to CBA's M of C total. Paul VI has the second most titles with four. CBA's top seven that day were Marc Librizzi (fifth in 16:26), John McCabe (19th in 16:49), Kevin Brandon (26th), Greg Karpick (31st), Steve Apostolacus (40th), Ed Hillmann (44), and John Vickers (96th).
While Holmdel has certainly had its share of magical moments over the last three plus decades, the 1979 M of C race will always hold a special place in NJ history as one of the most meaningful.
In the girls race, Hunterdon Central ended the Shore Conference run of seven straight girls titles with a 52-63 victory over Old Tappan, and Gladue made it two straight titles by running 18:17. Theresa Gschwind of Summit was second in 19:19. Gladue finished third at the 1979 Foot Locker National Championships.
1980
Westfield's Cliff Sheehan, who passed away at the age of 48 in 2011, lost just one race all season. He won the M of C title in 15:50.0, seven seconds in front of Tom Fischer of Manalapan. Sheehan also won the Kinney NE Regional in 15:19.8, and was 14th at Kinney Nationals in 15:36.
At Harvard, Sheehan broke four minutes in the mile (3:59.2 indoors), finished fifth in the 3,000 at the NCAA Indoor Championships as a junior, and was second in the mile at the NCAA Outdoor as a senior.
Sheehan then went to medical school at the University of Texas, and was a well respected cardiologist.
Here is Sheehan's obituary - http://www.tributes.com/show/Clifford-Jean-Sheehan-92012802
CBA made it two straight team titles with an 82-86 victory over Westfield. Bernards was third with 89.
In the girls race, Janet Smith of J.P. Stevens became the first freshman to win when she ran 18:43, 20 seconds ahead of runner-up Meg Waldron of Bernards, and North Hunterdon's all underclassmen pack, under the direction of legendary coach Bob McGivney, captured the first of its eight nine titles with a 53-99 victory over Ridgewood.
1981
Tom Fischer of Manalapan, 7th as a sophomore in '79 and 2nd as a junior in '80, finally got his title by running 16:01.6, three ticks ahead of Shore Conference rival Carlos Hanze of Central Regional. Fischer was fourth in the Northeast Regional, and 24th at the FL national meet in 15:36.6 Fischer attended Auburn University for one year and earned All-Southeast Conference honors before transferring to Monmouth.
The boys team champ was Bernards, 36-111 over St. John Vianney.
Smith made it two in a row in the girls race by running 18:01, 18 seconds ahead of Theresa Gschwind of Summit. North Hunterdon rolled to its second straight championships, 30-59 over Bernards.
1982
Bernards became the first and only program to sweep the boys and girls team titles in the same year!!!
John Carlotti, 24th as a junior in 1981, led Bernards to a second straight boys title with a winning time of 15:53.0 as the Mountaineers outscored CBA, 53-90. Carlotti, 32nd at the Kinney Nationals in 16:29.8, edged soph. and eventual champion Brad Hudson of Voorhees, who was second in 15:55.
The Bernards girls dethroned North Hunterdon, 47-94, and Michelle Rowen of Washington Township ran a then course record 17:40 to upset two-time defending champion Janet Smith of J.P. Stevens, second in 18:19. Rowen finished 24th as a freshman and fifth as a sophomore.
1983
Both course records went down as senior Janet Smith of J.P. Stevens won her third title by running 17:35, and Brad Hudson, a junior at North Hunterdon, ran 15:38.0.
Smith went on to win the Kinney National title in 16:44, the only NJ girl to ever win that title
In the boys race, Hudson and teammate Andy Martin went 1-2 and the Lions put three guys in the top 7 to capture its lone team title, 69-104 over Holy Cross.
North Hunterdon almost certainly would have won again in 1984, but Hudson moved to Oregon for his senior year.
Hudson finished seventh at FL Nationals in 1983 in 15:12, and he was third in 1984 as senior in Eugene, Oregon in 15:11.
Hudson, best known for holding the Van Cortlandt Park 2.5 mile course record of 12:15.7 from 1983 until 2006, ran at the University of Oregon, earning multiple All-American honors and winning a PAC 10 XC title. He won the Columbus Marathon twice and ran a marathon PR of 2:13.23.
The North Hunterdon girls avenged its 1982 loss with a 37-88 victory over defending champion Bernards.
1984
North Hunterdon's Andy Martin, the runner-up in '83, took down former teammate Brad Hudson's Holmdel CR by running 15:35.0 at the Group 3 meet. He followed that up by winning the M of C title in 15:52.8, five seconds in front of teammate Bill Babcock.
Martin took second in the Kinney Northeast Regional in 15:30.3, and was 19th at the Kinney Nationals in 15:45.
Paul VI won the first f its four boys titles, 53-66 over defending champion North Hunterdon.
In the girls race, Toni Ann Angione of Bergenfield, who was 11th in 1982 and fifth in '83, ran 18:30 to capture the title, and North Hunterdon repeated as champs and won for the fourth time, 75-89 over Bernards.
1985
Ron Faith of Paul VI, sixth in 1984, Faith outran Carlos Martins of Newark East Side, 16:10 to 16:14 to take the title. He took 22nd at the Kinney Nationals in 15:22.6.
Faith went on to run for famed coach Vin Lananna at Dartmouth. Dartmouth finished in the top 10 of the NCAA XC meet all four years Faith was there. He was All-East and All-Ivy in cross country and track.
Bernards made it two straight boys titles, 49-138 over St. Joseph (Met.) and defending champ Paul VI.
For the girls, Jodie Bilotta won the first of her three straight titles with a time of 18:44 to a third straight title, 32-84 over Bernards. It's the fifth straight year that either North Hunterdon or Bernards finished first, and each year the other team was second.
1986
Carlos Martins of Newark Eastside, the runner-up the previous year, ran 16:10 to win by three seconds over Cesar Gaudin of Union Hill. A sophomore star on the rise named Jason DiJoseph of Paul VI was third in 16:15. Martins was 10th at the Kinney Nationals in 15:17.
Jodie Bilotta won her 2nd straight title and led an amazing 1-2-3 finish for North Hunterdon, which blasted the competition with a 24-72 victory Brick for its fourth consecutive championship and sixth title overall. Anne Letko and Jeanne LaPlaca finished 2-3 for North Hunterdon.
CBA defeated Toms River North, 63-130, for its third title. This race began a stretch of dominance by the Non-Public teams, which captured every the team title from 1986 through 2000.
1987
Junior Jason DiJoseph of Paul VI won the first of his two straight titles in 15:58.0, seven seconds in front of rival John Coyle of CBA. DiJoseph went on finish 21st in 15:44 as a junior in 1987. CBA won its second boys title in a row, 39-84.
In the girls race, North Hunterdon hammer Jodie Bilotta became the second girl to win 3 straight titles by winning in 18:34, three seconds ahead of eventual champ Christi Constantin of Kittatinny, but North Hunterdon was upset by Kearny, 73-74, to deny North Hunterdon a fifth straight title.
1988
Jason DiJoseph of Paul VI had one of the best seasons in state history in 1988.
The senior shredded the then Holmdel CR with a 15:16.2 to win the 1988 Non Public A race, and then made it two straight titles at the M of C with a 15:33.0 as he sparked Paul VI to a 62-65 victory over CBA.
Mike Mykytok of Bound Brook was second in 15:41 and Urie Ridgeway of Bridgeton was third in 15:47.
A three-time national qualifier, DiJoseph won the Kinney Northeast Regional in 15:17.6 in 1988, and was second at the Kinney Nationals in 15:10.1.
In the girls race, Christi Constantin of Kittatinny, second in 1987, ran 17:55, No. 3 in course history at the time, to finish first, and Brick won its second title with a 45-69 victory over Toms River East.
1989
Bryan Spoonire of Asbury Park won in 16:05.0 with Ken Flynn of Ramsey second in 16:12, and Monal Chokshi of Bridgewater-Raritan became the second freshman to win when she ran 19:13 to win.
Paul VI repeated as boys champion with a 50-89 victory over Highland Regional.
In the girls race, Mount Olive, led by runner-up Christine Engel, became the first Morris County squad to win a team title, 76-82 over Toms River East.
1990
As a senior in 1990, Bryan Spoonire of Asbury Park won his second straight title, coming across the line in 15:56.0, 13 seconds ahead of Ray Beyer of Absegami. Spoonire finished 25th in 16:05.2 at Kinney Nationals in 1990.
Spoonire starred at Seton Hall University, winning 8 Big East titles, including the 10-K in 1994 and '95, and the 5-K in '94. He won the Millrose Mile, ran a mile PR of 4:05.18, 8:00.03 in the 3,000, and 14:11.33 in the 5-K.
The team title went to CBA, which defeated Paul VI, 96-130.
Sophomore Monal Chokshi of Bridgewater-Raritan won her second straight title in 18:44, and Voorhees defeated Paul VI, 120-136, for the girls team title.
1991
Brendan Heffernan, sixth as a sophomore in 1990, ran a then Holmdel #2 15:31 to finish first as a junior, winning by 37 seconds over Rob Reeder of Northern Highlands. That's the largest margin of victory in meet history.
Although he got upset in 1992 at the M of C by Ridgewood junior Bob Keino (15:52 to 16:00), Heffernan bounced back to win the Kinney Regional (now Foot Locker) and became New Jersey first national XC champion when he won the Kinney title. He also finished 10th at Kinney Nationals as a junior.
CBA repeated as champ and won for the sixth time with a 63-102 victory over Ridgewood.
On the girls side, Monal Chokshi of Bridgewater-Raritan got her three-peat with a time of 19:18. Kristen Hall of West Morris, fourth in 1989, finished second to Chokshi for the second straight year. Shawnee won its first girls title with a heart-pounding 99-100 victory over Toms River North.
1992
Bob Keino, who moved to Ridgewood from Kenya, knocked off defending champion Brendan Heffernan of North Hunterdon, 15:52 to 16:00. Keino went on to place 4th at FL Nationals. Keino is the the son of legendary two-time Olympic gold medalist Kip Keino.
Don Bosco Prep won the first of its three boys titles with a 120-134 victory over Ridgewood.
In the girls race, Monal Chokshi's bid to become the only four-time winner was derailed by illness, which forced the senior at Bridgewater-Raritan to drop out of the Group 4 race. Heather Bury of West Orange won the race in 19:15, and Ridgewood edged Ocean Township, 80-89, for its first title.
1993
Senior Jenna Rogers and Bob Keino of Ridgewood made history by becoming the first and only runners from the same school to sweep the individual titles.
Rogers ran 18:56 to win the girls race, and Keino made it two straight by capturing the boys race in 15:51. Keino won the FL NE title and was 5th at the FL Nationals in 1993. In the team competition, Hunterdon Central won its second girls title, and CBA defeated North Hunterdon, 46-64, for its seventh title
In the team competition, Hunterdon Central won its second girls title, and CBA defeated North Hunterdon, 46-64, for its seventh title.
1994
Eamon Blanchard of Lacey, ninth as a junior in 1993, drafted off Matt Illian of Pascack Valley through the bowl before hammering away from the top of the bowl to the finish to win in 16:06. John Williams of Paul VI was second in 16:21.
Paul VI won its fourth boys title with a 63-81 victory over defending champion CBA.
In the girls race, Red Bank Catholic won the first of three straight titles, and Jamie Weisgerber of Woodstown ran 18:51 to finish first.
1995
Chris Robinson of North Hunterdon, probably the biggest individual surprise winner in boys meet history, only finished sixth in the Group 3 race in 17:07. But he shocked the field by running 16:02.9 to win at the M of C. Scott Keyser of Mainland was second in 16:06.1. Soph. Steve Slattery of Mount Olive was third in 16:09, Matt Elmuccio of Westfield fourth in 16:12.9 and current CBA head coach Sean McCafferty of Central Regional was fifth in 16:13.4.
Robinson's victory gave North Hunterdon its fourth different individual M of C winner, a meet record. No other school has more than 2 different individual champs.
CBA started a streak of six straight boys titles by outscoring North Hunterdon, 51-88.
On the girls side, Autumn Fogg of Hunterdon Central ran 18:56 to finish first, and RBC won for the second straight year.
1996
In one of the wildest finishes in meet history, CBA won it second straight title with a thrilling 66-67 victory over Westfield, and junior Steve Slattery, who along with Matt Elmuccio of Westfield are the only boys to finish in the top 10 four times at the M of C, staged the biggest comeback in meet history.
Westfield seemed poised to knock off CBA and win its second title, but misfortune struck the Blue Devils when Ryan Stefiuk, one of the top runners on the team, fell just before exiting the woods and was passed by several runners, which opened the door for CBA to win.
As for Slattery, he never even saw Adam Daniels of Seton Hall Prep when he made the turn past the tennis courts to head into the woods. But he ran him down over the final half mile on the way to victory in 15:48. Slattery went on to place 9th at FL Nationals. Daniels was second in 15:52. Elmuccio was third in 15:57.
Dana Satir of Ramsey (18:52) and Red Bank Catholic won the girls titles. It was the third title in a row for RBC under coach Mary Banks, who was second twice at the M of C during her running career at Raritan (1977-78)
1997
Steve Slattery successfully defended his title when he won a long awaited showdown with Murad Campbell of Overbrook on a muddy day in 16:09. Campbell was second in 16:15. Slattery went on to place fourth in at the Foot Locker Nationals.
1998
Nate Miller became just the third runner to win the M of C after losing at the Group meet. Joe Weber (1978) and Robinson (1995) also won after losing. Miller, second to Jon Fasulo of Hunterdon Central in Group 4, changed his race tactics for the M of C and surprised Fasulo and Cranford's Tim Styler, winning in 15:57. Styler was second in 16:04. Miller placed 23rd in 16:21.2 at FL Nationals, and after a brief time at Stanford, he transferred to Villanova.
CBA, led by Geoff Fahey's fifth place in 16:12.5, averaged 16:48 and edged Cherokee, 55-66, for its fourth straight championship.
In the girls race, senior Cate Guiney, who had multiple sub 18 times at Holmdel during the season, ran 18:06 to win. Guiney is the first girl to finish first and be on the winning team as she and twin sister, Maggie, led Middletown South to the title.
1999
Brian Kerwin became CBA's first champ when he won a Monmouth County showdown with Walton Kingsbery of Red Bank, 15:52.8 to 16:04.5, to lead CBA to the team title with a then meet record 31 points. CBA put four runners in the top nine and averaged 16:24.8 on the way to a convincing 31-95 victory over Paul VI.
In the girls race, Haddonfield junior Erin Donohue, a U.S. Olympian in 2008 at 1500 meters, won the first of her two straight titles as by running 18:45., and Ridgewood captured its second title, 111-132 over Moorestown.
2000
Senior Mike Myers of Eastern won a South Jersey battle with junior Marc Pelerin of Cherokee, 15:50.3 to 16:01.5, and CBA captured its sixth straight boys title and 13th overall, 61-69 over Cherokee.
On the girls side, Erin Donohue of Haddonfield made it two in a row by running 18:27, and Hunterdon Central won its third team title.
2001
Haddonfield, under Hall of Fame coach Nick Baker, became the first Public School to win the boys title since Bernards in 1985 and became the first team to ever have three runners, junior Chris Platt (15:49), senior Skip Stiles (15:55) and senior Breton Bonnette (15:56) go sub 16 at Holmdel in the same race.
The Dawgs, who bounced back after losing at the Group 2 meet the week before when Stiles couldn't finish due to illness, outscored Old Bridge, 87-124. CBA, which had won the last six titles, placed eighth.
Individually, Cherokee's Marc Pelerin, after his second-place finish in 2000, won in 15:43, the fastest winning time in 10 years. Platt, was second 15:49. Pelerin went on to finish 25th at the FL Nationals in 15:57.31, and also won the M of C 1,600 title in the spring of 2002.
In the girls race, junior Lindsay Van Alstine of Hawthorne Van Alstine ran 18:43 to defeat Passaic County rival Jesse Mizzone of Passaic Valley (18:53), and Moorestown, second in 1999, captured the team title.
2002
In their only season running cross-country, senior twins Katy and Amanda Trotter of Red Bank finished 1-2 as both crossed together in 18:43. Katy was declared the winner. They are the only sisters to ever place 1-2. Katy went on to finish second at the FL Nationals.
Mohamed Khadraoui of Paterson Kennedy, who was third in the Group 4 race (behind winner Keith Krieger of Cherokee and Pete Hess of Toms River North), put together a whole new race plan for the M of C and the Moroccan Rocket won a thrilling duel in the boys race with Keith Krieger of Cherokee, 15:48.0 to 15:48.9.
In the team competition, Mainland's No. 5 runner, Spenser Popseon, finished five places and five seconds ahead of the No. 5 man for Toms River North to give Mainland a 101-104 victory over TRN in the boys race, and Shawnee won its third girls title.
2003
Mo K earned All-America status multiple times in college, highlighted by a 6th place in 29:29 to help lead Iona to a runner-up finish behind Oregon at the 2008 NCAA XC Championships.
In the boys team competition, Mainland put four runners ahead of CBA's No. 3 man as the Mustangs won its second straight title, 68-74, over CBA. Mainland joined Berrards (1981, '82) as the only Public School boys teams to ever repeat as champions.
The girls race saw Ocean City's Brittany Sedberry win the first of her two titles by running 18:42, and Shawnee captured its second straight girls title and fourth overall, which is still tied for the third most in meet history. Only RBC and North Hunterdon, who have captured nine each, have won more.
2004
Bobby Papazian, of Gill St. Bernard's, 10th as a junior in 2003, ran 15:39.0, 14 seconds ahead of emerging star Craig Forys of Colts Neck, who ran a then sophomore course record 15:53. At FL Nationals, Papazian finished 28th in 16:13.
CBA returned to the top by winning its 14th boys title.
In the girls race, Brittany Sedberry of Ocean City, a FL National qualifier, successfully defended her title by running 18:12, and Roxbury won its first of two straight titles.
2005
CBA, ranked No. 5 in the nation at the time, made it two in a row and broke the 23-year-old course record average with a 16:15.6 as the Colts defeated Morris Hills, 48-100. CBA broke the CR average of 16:18.4 that was set by the 1982 CBA squad at the Monmouth County Championships.
Morris Hills, ranked No. 7 in the nation, had a tough day as Jayson Decker lost a shoe before the 2-mile mark, and Brandon Rodkewitz suffered from heart arrhythmia during the race and finished three minutes slower than his Holmdel PR.
2006
2007
The Voorhees girls, led by winner Melanie Thompson, who edged Jill Smith of Southern, 18:02 to 18:03, ran a still-standing course record average of 19:01 to win its first title since 1990 and its second overall. Voorhees defeated Roxbury, 60-122.
On the boys side, the expected duel between Brian Leung of West Windsor-Plainsboro South and Doug Smith of Gill St. Bernard's fizzled when Smith dropped out near the midway point and Leung ran unchallenged to a 15:33 win. Leung went on to place 15th in 15:41 at the FL Nats.
Don Bosco Prep won its second title ever and first since 1992 with a 69-150 victory over CBA.
2008
Junior Tyler Udland of Millburn ran 15:39 to beat super soph. Joe Rosa of WW North by 7 seconds. Rosa's runner-up time of 15:46 was a soph. course record at the time, and it ignited WW North to a course record average of 16:14.4 and the team title, 41-59 over defending champion Don Bosco Prep
Udland was 8th as a senior in 15:50 in a race that saw Joe Rosa run a then course record 14:56. Udland qualified for FL nationals twice. He was 34th in 2008 in 16:18, and placed 16th in 2009 in 15:42.3.
In the girls race, Thompson won her second straight title in 17:47, tied for No. 6 in course history at the time, to lead Voorhees to its second straight title,138-139 over Ridge.
2009
Joe Rosa of West Windsor North, after running a 15:04 to smash the Holmdel CR set by Craig Forys (15:15.2 in 2006) at the Shore Coaches Invit., did the once unthinkable. He ran sub 15 at Holmdel at the M of C, winning in 14:56!!! That was the course record until Edward Cheserek of St. Benedict's Prep ran 14:53 at the 2011 Shore Coaches meet.
Rosa, who finished 19 seconds ahead of runner and twin brother Jim (15:15), led a then-record 11 runners under 16 minutes at the M of C.
Despite the 1-2 finish by the Rosa twins, WW North came up short in its attempt to win its second straight title as Don Bosco edged CBA, 78-86, for its third title. WW North was third with 118.
During the season, Rosa also set a then Van Cortlandt Park record for 2.5 miles with a 12:03.8, rolled to victory at the Nike NE Regional, and then took third at the Nike Nationals.
One of the biggest questions that will always linger is how fast would Rosa could have run in his senior year if he wasn't sidelined for the season after foot surgery. Could he have broken 14:50 at Holmdel and been a national champ? Those questions will forever remain unanswered, but will always make for a great debate.
In the girls race, Chelsea Ley of Kingsway, after finishing third in 2007 and second in '08, finally won it all in '09 when she ran 17:44, No. 4 in course history. Megan Venables of Highland was second in 18:01. Hillsborough, under coach Rich Refi, won a wild one, 78-79 over Randolph!!!
2010
With his twin Joe out for the season (foot surgery), Jim Rosa of West Windsor North matched his 2009 runner-up time by winning in 15:15, equaling his Holmdel #2 all-time time. Rosa won by four seconds over Mike Mazzaccaro of CBA as a record five runners broke 15:40.
Jim and Joe are the only siblings to win NJ XC Meet of Champions titles.
During the season, Rosa also ran a then CR 15:35 at Bowdoin when he outdueled runner-up Edward Cheserek of St. Benedict's Prep to win the Nike NE title. Rosa is the only NJ runner to have ever defeated Cheserek in XC (he was 2-1 against him.).
In the boys team race, CBA won the first of six in a row with a 68-98 victory over Haddonfield.
2011
After a pack of six went by the first mile in 5:10, Piscataway's Tim Ball went by Cherokee junior Shawn Wilson just after coming out of the Bowl and opened a 20-yard gap at two miles. Ball, who ran 5:03 in that pivotal second mile, was never seriously challenged in the final 1.1 on his way to victory in 15:31, tied for No. 10 in course history at the time.
Ball, a senior, led a record 12 runners under 16 minutes on a perfect day for running. George Kelly of CBA was second in 15:37 to lead his team to a then course record average of 16:04.4 as CBA won its second straight title and extended its state record to 17 M of C titles. CBA went on to win the National Championship a couple weeks later.
Ball, 16th at the FL XC Nationals as a senior, is now a senior starring at Notre Dame. He finished 26th at the ACC Championships and 13th at the Great Lakes Regional Championships.
In the girls race, Holly Bischof of Bishop Eustace, a year after placing second as a junior to Megan Venables, finished first in 18:12, and Rumson defeated Hillsborough for the team title, 126-142
2012
The boys race was an all-time classic as CBA held out its top five runners and still won its third straight title, 110-133 over runner-up Holmdel, and the Voorhees averaged 19:01.6, No. 2 in course history, to capture its fourth title, 74-133 over Hillsborough.
In the boys race, after a 5:16 first mile, Middletown North junior Tom O'Neill was in a pack of five runners approaching the two-mile mark and had a slight lead on Toms River South junior Kyle Kroon. Then O'Neill, who went by two miles in 10:30, ripped off a 5:01 final 1.1 to win in 15:31. Kroon was second in by 15:47, and Dylan Tarpey of Freehold Twp. was third in 15:50 as the Shore Conference went 1-2-3.
The 5:01 matched the fastest final 1.1 ever run at Holmdel. Edward Cheserek of St. Benedict's Prep did it in 2011 when he ran the course record 14:53, and Joe Rosa of West Windsor-Plainsboro North also ran 5:01 in 2009 when he ran 14:56, the course record until Cheserek's 14:53.
O'Neill is still the only runner to break 16 minutes at Holmdel four times in one season. He did it as senior in 2013, highlighted by his second straight Group 3 title in 15:26, tied for No. 8 in Holmdel history at the time.
The girls individual winner was senior Sarah Disanza of High Point. Disanza, 11th as a junior in 2001, threw down a 17:47, tied for No. 6 in Holmdel Park history at the time.
2013
Mike McClemens of CBA, locked in a a great battle with Monmouth County rivals Tom O'Neill of Middletown North, the defending champion, and future Columbia University teammate Dylan Tarpey of Freehold Township, not only answered their strongest moves, but he countered them with the biggest move of the race when he hammered past O'Neill before the tennis courts and pulled away from Tarpey on the way into the back woods.
Once he was in front there was no catching McClemens as he exploded onto the final straightaway as the huge crowd roared. When he came across the line, McClemens froze the numbers on the clock at 15:26, tied with O'Neill for No. 8 on Holmdel's all-time list.
Tarpey, third in 2012,, was second in 15:32. O'Neill, who caught a cramp as he came up the bowl, placed 10th in 15:47. The Shore Conference produced five of the top 10 finishers!!!
The race lived up to the hype as 18 runners broke 16 minutes and 10 guys ran under 15:50, both meet records.
Led by McClemens, CBA ran a course record average 15:52.2, and won its fourth straight title, 51-104 over Don Bosco, which raised its total to 19 titles overall. CBA's McClemens, Blaise Ferro (15:45), and Tom Rooney (15:51) became the second trio of teammates to break 16 in the same race at Holmdel. Haddonfield did it in 2001.
The girls race was equally as thrilling as Randolph, second by one point to Hillsborough in 2009, defeated Red Bank Catholic, 106-113. This race will forever be remembered for what junior Margaret "One Shoe Hero'' Thompson did. Thompson ran most of the race without a shoe and still finished 13th in 19:11 to help Randolph secure the title.
Individually, Briana Gess of Haddonfield became the third freshman to win the M of C title when she ran 17:45, No. 5 in Holmdel Park history at the time. Josette Norris of Tenafly finished second in 18:12.
2014
Luke Petela of Haddon Township, who placed 2nd in the Group 1 race, nine seconds behind Craig Corti of Wallkill Valley, reversed that loss by dropping nine seconds off his Holmdel Park PR and running 15:40 to finish first. He followed that up by placing second in 15:33.4 at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional Championships at Van Cortlandt Park. At the Foot Locker Nationals, Petela placed 34th.
CBA defeated South Brunswick, 82-113, for its fifth straight victory and 20th overall.
In the girls race, RBC defeated Hillsborough, 88-95, to win its first title since 1996, and its ninth overall, which is tied with North Hunterdon for the most ever. And senior Devon Grisbaum of Ocean City, a week after placing third in Group 3, ran 18:20 to finish first.
2015
CBA, in the final M of C race under legendary coach Tom Heath, sent him out top with an 87-92 victory over archrival Don Bosco Prep. Heath, who retired after the season, finished his career with a state record 21 Meet of Champions titles.
Josh Clark of Highland won the race in 15:33, three seconds ahead of Blaise Ferro of CBA, who finishes his career as the only runner in state history to score on four M of C winning teams.
In the girls race, sophomore Alyssa Aldridge of Mainland, second as a freshman in 2014, ran 18:07 to win by 17 seconds over junior Olympia Martin of Ridgewood. Junior Briana Gess of Haddonfield, the 2013 winner, was third. Ridge, after so many close calls in the past, won its first title, 72-103 over Hillsborough.
2016
2017
.png)
2018
Devin Hart of Point Pleasant Boro won an instant classic vs. Jack Stanley of Mendham and No. 1 Christian Brothers Academy repeated as champion with a 68-86 victory over Haddonfield for its state-record 23rd title for CBA.
In an epic duel that will go down as one of the closest and greatest races in state history, Hart held off a hard-charging Stanley by the slimmest of margins in a breathtaking finish that sent the huge crowd into a frenzy as both runners stopped the clock at 15:36.
It was the second straight title for Hart, a senior at Point Pleasant Boro, as he became just the seventh boy in state history to repeat as champion. The last boy to repeat was Craig Forys of Colts Neck (2005-06).
On the girls side, North Hunterdon and Abby Loveys of Randolph steamrolled their way to titles.
North Hunterdon, ranked No. 1 in New Jersey since winning the M of C title last year, captured its second straight title, 93-125 over runner-up and NJ #2 Ridgewood. Holmdel finished third with 136 points, it's highest finish ever.
The M of C title is the eighth for North Hunterdon, the second most in state history behind Red Bank Catholic's nine, and it gives the Skyland Conference nine M of C girls titles in the past 12 years.
Meanwhile, Loveys left no doubt that she's the top runner in New Jersey with a dominant performance as she kept her undefeated rolling along. Loveys blasted out to a big early lead on her way to victory in 17:54.
2019
Liam Murphy of Allentown turned frustration into jubilation with a huge bounce back victory and Christian Brothers Academy added to its rich tradition of excellence and sheer domination.
After a 5:11 first mile and 5:03 second mile, Murphy, fueled by an agonizingly close loss in the Group 3 race last week, used a powerful surge near the tennis courts to get a gap on a very game Kevin Antczak of Mainland,. Then Murphy, who overcame a slip and fall at the start, let it rip on the downhills in the back woods on his way to victory in 15:23! Antczak, who nearly ran without his race bib, saw his strategy of holding back last week pay off with a runner-up finish in 15:29.
Unfortunately, the eagerly anticipated rematch between Murphy and Jack Jennings, whose big kick gave him the dramatic comeback win over Murphy in Group 3 in 15:19 (No. 6 in course history at the time) to Murphy's 15:21 (No. 8 in course history at the time), fizzled out. Jennings was sick all week with a raging fever that made it virtually impossible for him to contend with Murphy. Despite his sub-par health, Jennings ran a gusty race to place 14th in 16:12 to help NJ#2 Mendham place second to CBA.
Murphy's 15:23, No. 5 in meet history and the fastest winning time in nine years, puts him alongside some some very fast company as he became just the third runner to ever go under 15:30 twice on the hallowed grounds of Holmdel Park, the M of C course since 1976.
The other two are NJ legends Joe and Jim Rosa from West Windsor-Plainsboro North. Joe went a then course record 14:56 to win the 2009 M of C and ran 15:04 at the 2009 Shore Coaches. Jim ran 15:15 to place second to Joe at the 2009 M of C and ran 15:15 again to win the 2010 M of C title.
CBA, on the 40th anniversary of its first M of C title ever in 1979, was simply too strong for any team to contend with as the NJ#1/US#6 Colts, with its huge pack of XC alums gathered as always to root on their alma mater, rolled to a 62-119 over Mendham.
It's the third straight title for CBA, its ninth in the past 10 years, and it raised its state record to an astounding 24 M of C titles overall. That's one more than the rest of the state combined. That's right, the Meet of Champions scoreboard after this race was CBA 24, the rest of New Jersey 23!!! That's just mind-boggling!!!
With senior Shaw Powell leading the charge with a third-place finish in a Holmdel PR of 15:41, which moves him into No. 5 all-time in school history at Holmdel, CBA went 1-9-11-20-21 in the team scoring, had a 1-5 split of 54 seconds, and averaged 16:15, the same average as last week when the Colts notched its state record 30th Non-Public A title. The 16:15 is No. 9 in course history.
Following Powell for CBA were junior Ben Santos, 15th in a Holmdel PR of 16:13, junior Chris DeSousa, 17th in 16:14, sophomore Jack Moran, 35th in 16:33, and senior Troy Hill, 37th in 16:35.
In the girls race, North Hunterdon tied Red Bank Catholic for the most M of C titles with nine, joined RBC as the only girls programs to win at least three straight M of C titles twice. RBC won the first five titles beginning in 1972, North won from 1983 through '87, and RBC won three in a row in 1994, '95 and '96.
North Hunterdon defeated Bergen County powerhouse Ridgewood 65-78, while Middletown South, with their incredibly young lineup featuring freshman Reese Fahys (fifth, 18:41), was third with 134. Group 2 runner-up Haddonfield had 172 points to place fourth, its best finish ever at the M of C.
2020
Meet canceled because of COVID
2021
Marco Langon of Bridgewater-Raritan continued his torrid season by dropping a 15:06, which places him third all-time at Holmdel, to win a great battle with Jackson Barna of Ridge, second in 15:13, No. 4 all-time at Holmdel. Langon and Barna were together at the mile (5:07 and two-mile (10:02) before Langon's huge surge around the tennis course and into the woods gave him a 5-second gap.
This marked the first time in course history (Holmdel's current layout has been used since 1979) that two runners ran under 15:15 in the same race.
The only two runners who have runner faster at Holmdel than Langon and Barna are two icons of the sport in the state, course record holder Edward Cheserek of St. Benedict's Prep and Joe Rosa of West Windsor-Plainsboro North. Rosa ran 14:56 at the Meet of Champions as a junior in 2009, and Cheserek broke the record when he ran 14:53 at the 2011 Shore Coaches Invitational.
This race was so fast that it produced four of the top 20 times ever run at Holmdel, a new sophomore course record, a record seven runners under 15:40, a record-tying 10 runners under 15:50, and five more guys went sub16!!! The 16 runners that ran under 16 minutes is the second most in meet history. The record is 18 from the 2013 M of C race.
Angelina Perez of Lakeland ran away with the girls race as she threw down the greatest performance in meet history by winning in 17:09, a meet record and just off her NJ CR of 17:07 that she ran the week before at the State Group Championships.
In the boys team race, Union Catholic, just four days after its Non-Public A victory (the Non-Public A races and the boys Group 2 race were moved from last Saturday to Tuesday because of bad weather, threw down the second best performance in meet history by averaging 16:01, No. 2 in course history, and defeating defending champion CBA, 67-84.
Shane Brosnan led the charge for UC by placing third in 15:22, 23 seconds faster than his winning time in Non-Public A. Jimmy Wischusen was fifth for UC in a sophomore course record 15:35.
After Brosnan and Wischusen crossed for UC, senior Myles Plummer placed 19th for in 16:10, a two second PR, junior Caudell Cajuste finished 43rd in 16:27, a three second PR, and then junior Ryan Cichocki put on a exclamation point on the biggest win in school history by placing 53rd in 16:34, a drop of 20 seconds.
In the girls team race, Cherokee, which entered the race ranked No. 3 in the state, threw down several huge Holmdel PR's to outscore runner-up No. 4 ranked Ridgewood, 117-126, for its first ever title. This is the third straight time that Ridgewood has finished second. No. 1 Colts Neck was third with 147. No. 5 North Hunterdon finished fourth with 149, and No. 2 Haddonfield, running without the injured Sabrina Miller, was fifth 179.
Cherokee, which finished sixth in 2010 and eighth in 2004 in its only other appearances at the M of C, is the first South Jersey girls team to win since Shawnee won a second straight title in 2003.
Despite defeating then No. 1 ranked Ridgewood by two points to win its first Group 4 title ever last week, Cherokee came into this race as an underdog because it was third in the team merge last week, well behind both Haddonfield and Colts Neck.
But Cherokee stunned the field by dropping its average from 20:01 last week all the way down to a South Jersey course record 19:23.
A huge key for the Chiefs was that its fifth runner finished ahead of Ridgewood's No. 4 runner to seal the deal.
Cherokee's top five finished 8-22-24-26-37 in the scoring, and Ridgewood's scoring five finished 9-16-21-39-41.
Senior Nicole Clifford led the charge for Cherokee by placing 11th in 18:43, No. 2 in school history. Junior Kelsey Niglio placed 35th in 19:22, sophomore Kerry O'Day was 38th in 19:24, sophomore Olivia Parkinson placed 44th in 19:30, and freshman Megan Niglio 60th in 19:58.
2022
Lawson, who showed a lot of resiliency by overcoming multiple setbacks during the season, was sitting in 11th place at the mile mark after hitting it in 5:15. He could have easily panicked, but instead he stayed patient, dug down deep, and pushed himself harder than he ever has before in the back woods to rally for the breathtaking win, stopping the clock at 15:38. Lawson joined the late Cliff Sheehan of Westfield (1980) as the only runners (boy or girl) from Union County to win the coveted crown.
Lawson kept himself within striking distance as he moved through the bowl, and cranked it up after he came out of the bowl and moved up to fifth place after a 5:10 second mile.
Lawson was still well behind the leader, Patrick Ditmars of Cherokee, who made a huge move in the bowl and kept pushing the pace as he opened a five second lead at the two-mile mark. It looked like Ditmars might steal the race, but then Collin Boler of Delbarton, who was leading a big chase pack, overtook Ditmars and made a big push going toward the woods.
That's when Lawson, who was five seconds behind and in sixth place when he turned into the woods, went to work and poured it on, blasting past all five runners ahead of him, including Boler on the short rise just before coming out onto the final straightaway. Once he got the lead, Lawson wasn't going to give it up as he kept the pedal to the medal and slammed the door on his remarkable come from behind victory as he put the finishing touches on a blazing 5:08 over the final 1.1.
The boys team race went as expected as CBA, ranked No. 1 in the state all season and No. 3 in the nation coming into this race, accomplished one of its biggest goals of the season by getting back on top after finishing second to Union Catholic in 2021.
The Colts, who averaged 16:07.2, avenged its loss last year with a 44-98 victory over runner-up Union Catholic. UC, ranked No. 2 in the state and No. 21 nationally, averaged 16:31.8 and ran without injured star Jimmy Wischusen. Group 4 champion Cherokee was third with 106, Westfield was fourth with 121, Ridge placed fifth with 179, and Group 2 champ Haddonfield finished sixth with 183.
With the victory, CBA has won four of the last five titles and the Colts extended their state record to 25 M of C titles. That's one more than the rest of the state combined. That's right, the M of C all-time scoreboard now reads, CBA 25, the rest of NJ 24. There was no boys team scoring in 1972, the first year the meet was held.
In the girls, race, no one gave Union Catholic much of a chance to win. It just didn't seem like there was any way that UC could still win after its No. 1 runner was knocked out of the lineup with an injury. That seemed like it was just too much to overcome against the best teams in the state.
But that's not the way No. 2 ranked Vikings were thinking.
Instead, UC was fueled by its sudden underdog role and was determined to prove everyone wrong. And that's exactly what happened as the Vikings scored one of the more improbable victories in meet history by pulling out a thrilling 79-88 upset victory over heavily favored and No. 1 ranked Haddonfield.
This is the first M of C girls title for Union Catholic, and the first girls championship ever for a team from Union County.
Individually, Freehold Township junior Emma Zawatski simply owned the race. Zawatski, 12th in 2021, used a hard charge into the bowl to break away from the field an ran unchallenged the rest of the way en route to victory in 18:38. She's the first runner from Freehold Township (boys or girls) to win an XC M of C title.
Zawatski, who likes to charge out tand take the race by the throat and dare the rest of the field to try to catch her, followed that formula to perfection.
After a 6:15 first mile, Zawatski, who was leading by a few yards, broke away from the field as she pounded her way down the path that leads to the bowl.
Zawatski, who put the race away by hammering through the bowl on her way to a race-changing 5:58 second mile, took a quick look back as she climbed out of the bowl and didn't see anyone as her lead increased to 17 seconds over Lindsay Hausman of Kent Place Hausman and Olivia Murray NJ of Pingry.
Zawatski maintained that lead all the way to the woods on her way to victory in 18:38.The Duke-bound Hausman, sixth in, 2021. closed fast to finish second in 18:47. Murray ran a big Holmdel PR of 18:50 to place third, and Gunsiorowski was fourth in 18:57
2023
GIRLS RACE
There have been a lot of teams that have produced jaw-dropping and mind-boggling races over the years in New Jersey's rich distance running history.
But what happened at the 51st M of C may just be the most stunning, eye-popping, earth-shattering and electrifying performance in state history.
The Union Catholic girls, who have been chasing the Holmdel Park course record average for two years, not only broke it, they absolutely blew it apart with an epic performance for the ages when the Vikings leveled up and lit up the 3.1-mile course with a hard to fathom average of 18:37!!!!! That's not a misprint!!
UC's masterpiece propelled the Vikings to its second straight title in the biggest blowout in meet history, outscoring runner-up Middletown South, 31-145. That's the biggest margin of victory in a girls race in meet history!! And UC's 31 points is the third lowest score ever recorded by a girls squad. North Hunterdon scored 24 in 1986 and 30 in 1981.
For some more perspective on just how massive this performance was, the 18:37 average by UC is faster than 18 of the winning individual times at the Meet of Champions.
On a day dominated by the defending champions, UC's masterpiece propelled the Vikings to its second straight title in the biggest blowout in meet history, and Emma Zawatski of Freehold Township won her second straight title in 17:52 as she rallied to keep her crown in a memorable showdown with freshman phenom Paige Sheppard of UC, second in 17:54!
Let's take a deeper dive into this instant classic.
BOMBS AWAY
This was the race that UC, ranked No. 1 in NJ and No. 6 in the U.S., had waited all season for, and the Vikings made sure to get what they came for by leaving lots of smoke on the course and no crumbs!
Sheppard, as gifted and talented as any freshman to ever burst on the scene in NJ, got the UC express rolling by igniting a 2-4-8-15-16 finish for the Vikings with her runner-up finish in 17:54, the third fastest time ever run by a freshman at Holmdel.
UC's Fab Five scores were Sheppard, UPenn-bound Courtney Kaiser, fourth in 18:17, Duke-bound Peyton Hollis, eighth in 18:41, freshman Cayleigh Kaiser, 15th in 19:06, and freshman Kayla Devine, ninth in 19:09. UC showed its superior depth as its sixth and seventh runners, sophomores Ella Solorzano (29th and 19:34, and Emmy O'Hearn (43rd in 19:54) both finished ahead of the No. 2 runner for Middletown South.
Last week, UC won the Non-Public A title with an average of 19:04.8, tied for No. 4 in Holmdel history at the time.
How did they chop off 27 seconds in a week?
Sheppard sliced off 15 seconds, Courtney Kaiser cut six seconds, Hollis made a huge drop of 75 seconds (she had an off day last week), Cayleigh Kaiser ran a 13 second Holmdel PR, and Devine was 33 seconds faster this week.
"We knew that we were ready to drop a bomb and crush that record,'' said Courtney Kaiser. "We just had to all run our best on the same day and we put it all together today and made it happen. We knew we were' capable of something like this. It was just a matter of time.''
UC's 18:37 added to its course record-breaking rampage this season. The Vikings have taken down the CR averages at every course they've run on this season with their top guns, Sayreville Soccer Complex (18:27), Oak Ridge Park (18:20), Warinanco Park (18:18), and now Holmdel.
Courtney Kaiser said there still a lot of work to be done.
"We are just getting started,'' she said. "Our goals now are to win the regional and get to nationals and take on the best teams in the country and see what we can do.''
ANOTHER JEWEL IN HER CROWN
The long and eagerly awaited showdown between Zawatski and Sheppard was even better than anticipated as the veteran and the rookie clashed for the first time.
Sheppard surprisingly darted out fast and aggressively attacked the opening start hill, building a 20-yard lead when she hit the half-mile mark. Sheppard still led by seven seconds when she ran past the mile-mark in 6:06 with Zawatski leading the chase pack.
Relying on her experience and race savvy, and trusting her training, Zawatski stayed relaxed, knowing there was plenty of time to try to reel in Sheppard.
Sheppard maintained a six second lead coming out of the bowl, but then Zawatski started to eat up ground on Sheppard as they headed for the 2-mile mark. Sheppard hit 2 miles in 12:03 with a hard-charging Zawatski now just three seconds behind. Zawatski then made a race-changing surge around the tennis courts to seize the lead and then kept pounding through the back woods to try to put the race away, opening up a seven second lead on Sheppard just before exiting the woods.
But Sheppard refused to go down without a fight, digging down deep to summon a huge kick when she came on the final straight as she made a strong run at Zawatski, cutting the deficit with seemingly each step as the two stars hammered toward the line. Sheppard pulled within 5 yards of Zawatski, but the champ showed a lot of heart and was able to find something in her tank to keep Sheppard from getting any closer.
Zawatski said she often dreams about her races the night before.
"This race went exactly the way I dreamed it would,'' said Zawatski.
Zawatski said she refused to panic when Sheppard bolted out fast to start the race.
"I knew I had to stay patient and keep running my race, and I felt confident that if I did that I could close the gap and have a good chance to win,'' said the undefeated Zawatski. "When I finally got close to her, I knew (the tennis courts) was the place to just go for it. But I knew she would fight back, so I had to really work hard and close as fast as I could. I knew she was coming at the end, so I was just pushing with everything I had to get to the finish line.''
Zawatski won by two seconds over the hard-charging Sheppard, 17:52 to 17:54. That's the closest girls finish since at the M of C since Melanie Thompson of Voorhees edged Jill Smith of Southern, 18:02 to 18:03, in the 2007 race.
Zawatski, who won last year in 18:38, is the 11th girl to repeat as champion, and her 17:52 places her 18th all-time and 16th among NJ girls at Holmdel. Zawatski now has four M of C titles on her amazing resume (2 in XC and the 1,600 indoors and outdoors).
"This was definitely not an easy race,'' said the University of Colorado-bound Zawatski. "Paige Sheppard is such a great runner and is going to do amazing things in this sport. She ran great today. It took everything I had to win, and it means even more to finish first again because of how hard this race was."
Next up for Zawatski is the Foot Locker Northeast Regional in Boston in 2 weeks.
"The goal is to get back to Foot Locker Nationals,'' said Zawatski, who was 23rd at the National Championships last year.
Sheppard's 17:54 makes her the third fastest freshman in course history behind only Briana Gess of Haddonfield, who ran 17:45 to win in 2013, and Christina Allen of River Dell, who ran 17:50 at the Holmdel Invitational in 2020.
Zawatski (17:52) and Sheppard (17:54) led 14 girls under 19 minutes in one of the fastest races ever.
BOYS RACE
Joe Barrett threw his right index finger in the air as he pointed toward the sky when he approached the finish line.
The Christian Brothers Academy junior was a couple steps away from winning the biggest race of his life at Saturday's 51st NJSIAA Meet of Champions at Holmdel Park, and the raw emotion of the moment was taking over.
"I was sick this week (missed school on Wednesday), so I was a little worried about how I'd race,'' said Barrett, who has been on antibiotics the last few days. "So when I came across the line I was just really happy that I was able to win. This is race that every runner wants to win, so to come out on top is just such a great feeling.''
Barrett's victory fueled a 1-5-9-11-12 finish for NJ No. 1/US No. 3 ranked CBA, which averaged 15:55.9, had a 1-5 split of 43 seconds, and narrowly missed breaking the meet record for fewest points as the Colts ran away with its second straight title, 34-70 over NJ No. 2 Westfield. CBA has now captured a state record 26 M of C titles, two more than the rest of the state combined (there was no team scoring for boys at the first M of C).
The scorers for CBA, which put five runners ahead of Westfield's No. 2 man, were Barrett, senior Conor Clifford (Holmdel PR of 15:51), senior Alex Kemp (16:05), senior Jack Falkowski (16:09) and junior Alex Mastroly (16:10)
CBA's 34 points was just off the meet record of 31 points that CBA scored in 1999 when Brian Kerwin led the charge by becoming CBA's first individual champion.
CBA's epic performance was so dominant than we you score their top 5 against the entire field, the Colts come out with 38 points and the rest of the state finishes with 22. That's right, the rest of state combined only finished 16 points ahead of CBA. That's just ridiculous.
The 15:55.9 average was No. 3 in Holmdel Park history at the time and marks the third time during the season that CBA dropped a sub 16 average on the legendary 3.1-mile layout! This CBA team now own three of the four fastest times ever run on the current Holmdel course, which has been used since 1979. The previous week, CBA ran a then course record average at Holmdel with a 15:51.8 at the State Non-Public A Championships!!! And at the Shore Coaches Invitational in September, the Colts ran 15:59 at Holmdel.
"The race didn't go as fast as it did last week,'' said Barrett. "So we didn't really have a chance at breaking our record, but it's all about winning and we went out there and did what we had to do and took care of business.''
Barrett, who ran 15:21 (No. 10 in Holmdel Park history) when he won the Non-Public A title the week before, leveled up and became the third CBA runner to capture the crown jewel of distance running in NJ as he joined Kerwin and Mike McClemens (2013) as Meet of Champions winners.
"It means so much to be added to that list of CBA greats who have won this,'' said Barrett. It's an honor.''
The individual race wasn't nearly as fast up front in the early stages as expected.
With no one wanting to lead, Barrett and the leaders, including Union Catholic's Jimmy Wischusen, and Peyton Shute of Gateway/Woodbury, hit the first mile in 5:21,10 seconds slower than the Non-Public A race.
"That's not what we wanted,'' said Barrett. "I knew I had to pick it up.'
Barrett and the lead pack started to real crank it up through the bowl, and Barrett led through the bowl and when they exited the bowl, Barrett was a step ahead of Wischusen with Shute just a few yards back.
"I hit that bowl mile fast,'' said Barrett. "I felt I had to get a gap by two miles if I wanted to win.''
When he hit the 2-mile mark, Barrett had opened a small gap on Wischusen after a big 4:56 second mile. Shute was in third place and in hot pursuit.
But then Wischusen, whose race status was up in the air after a cramped hamstring forced him to drop out after 2 miles last week, once again felt discomfort in the same hamstring, causing him to take a spill just before the tennis courts (near the 2.25-mile mark). He got up and valiantly continued, but eventually and unfortunately he couldn't continue after he rounded the tennis courts.
"I didn't know about that when it happened,'' said Barrett. "I took a look back when I started to go into the back woods after the tennis courts and I didn't see him. I only saw Shute.''
So it became a two-man battle between Barrett and Shute, just like it was when they raced at the Manhattan Invitational last month.
With about 1K to go, Shute started to mount a big charge, hitting the gas on his way into the back woods, getting close to Barrett's heels as they made their way toward the big downhill. Barrett tried to shake Shute, but Shute stayed within striking distance as they exited the woods. Then Barrett found another gear and opened a 10-yard gap as he hit the top of the final straight.
With the crowd roaring, Barrett kept hammering before he crossed the line in 15:27. Shute, who ran his guts out, finished second in 15:33, a Holmdel PR by 10 seconds. Shute finished 11th last year.
The finish was very similar to when Barrett won the Eastern States race at Manhattan in 12:13.6 and Shute was second in 12:18.1.
Barrett, who remained undefeated on the season, said he had to dig down deep to pull out the victory.
"One of my friends was yelling during the race, asking me how bad I wanted it, so I had to close fast and give it all I had,'' said Barrett.
2024
Who will become the newest NJ Legends of The Fall?? We will find out this Saturday (Nov. 16) when the best runners in the state toe the line at Holmdel Park! Get ur NJ XC on!!!!!!!!