CBA Places 5th And UC Girls Finish 10th At Nike XC Nationals

Dec 07, 2024

Christian Brothers Academy's quest for a perfect ending to its historic season came up short and the Union Catholic girls matched its finish from a year ago when the NJ powerhouses competed on Saturday at the 19th running of the Nike National Championships at the Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland, Oregon.

CBA, who came into the race undefeated, ranked No. 1 in the nation and favored to win its second national title, had an uncharacteristically off race by their high standards when the Colts finished fifth in the boys race, which was run in a driving rain storm that made the course conditions extremely muddy and slippery, causing multiple runners to crash to the ground.

CBA, which was leading at the 2K mark with 90 points, lost several spots over the final 2K of the race and wound up fifth in the 22-team race with 147 points.

The race was won by No. 3 ranked Niwot of Colorado, who outscored runner-up and No. 4 American Fork of Utah, 70-96. Niwot was led by junior Hunter Robbie, who was 21st in 15:52.7. Interesting note about Robbie. Did you know he's the son of Cate Guiney Robbie, who won four NJ Meet of Champions titles during her remarkable career at Middletown South High. She won the XC M of C title as a senior in 1998 to lead her team to the championship, and won three 3,200 M of C titles (two indoors and one outdoors).

The top five runners for CBA, who averaged 16:18, were senior Ryan Schmitt NJ, 39th in 16:06.9, sophomore Gavin Schmitt, 45th in 16:10.4, junior Luke Hnatt, 49th in 16:11.9, senior Alex Mastroly, 72nd in 16:27.9, and senior Joe Barrett was 89th in 16:23.2. Senior Wyatt Falkowski was 11th in 16:50.6, and junior Ryan Collins finished 131st in 16:56.9.

The previously unbeaten Barrett, who won the NJ Meet of Champions and the Northeast Regional, took the line as one of the favorites to win the race. Barrett was in good position when he was as high as sixth near the midway point. But he started to fall back after the 3K mark as he suffered his first loss in what has been a magical season for the North Carolina-bound star.

CBA, which finished sixth a year ago and won its lone championship in 2011, was making its 13th straight appearance at Nike Nationals.

While it's a tough pill for CBA to swallow, their season shouldn't be remembered solely for how it ended. But rather for the journey that took them to Portland.

CBA broke the course record average in five of its seven races, including 15.59.0 at Bowdoin Park at the NE Regional and 15:42.0 at the Meet of Champions at Holmdel Park, and the Colts also scored a mind-blowing 1-7 finish at the Non-Public A State Championships, a near perfect score of 16 at the Meet of Champions, and surpassed 400 straight dual meet wins to extend its national record.

CBA, with a loaded group of underclassmen, will bring back a returning Holmdel 5-man average of 16:02. That's 5 seconds faster than the returning average of this year's team. So look out!!! The Colts should be back in Portland next year as they continue their quest to capture a second national title! They certainly have the talent and the motivation to make that goal a reality.

VIKINGS FINISH SEASON STRONG

The Union Catholic girls, making their third straight trip to NXN, finished 10th for the second straight year with 252 points.

The top five runners for UC's all underclassmen pack were Paige Sheppard, 30th in 17:56.4, sophomore Cayleigh Kaiser, 65th in 18:37.3, sophomore Sophia Thompson NJ, 83rd in 19:49.8, sophomore Kayla Devine, 10th in 19:10.9, and junior Emmy O'Hearn, 158th in 19:54.8. the sixth and seventh runners for UC were junior Ella Solorzano, 184th in 20:45.8, and freshman Jasmine Parran, 194th in 21:31.5.

UC, which came into this race undefeated and ranked No. 7 nationally, finished with 252 points. In a battle between Colorado powers, No.1 ranked Mountain Vista High defeated runner-up and No. 14 ranked Lone Peak, 75-107.

Although their finish was the same as a year ago, the performance by the Vikings was much more impressive this time because so many of their runners dropped huge PR's for this course despite the awful conditions. Sheppard sliced 22 seconds, Kaiser 21, Devine had a monster race as she cut nearly three minutes off her time from last year, and O'Hearn chopped 47 seconds from her time a year ago. UC's average was 18:53, 26 seconds faster than a year ago.

There were several eye-popping highlights during an electrifying season for UC.

The Vikings won its third straight Meet of Champions title to finish No. 1 in the state for the third year in a row, captured the State Non-Public A Championship for the fourth consecutive year, won the Nike Northeast Regional for the second straight year with a NJ course record average of 19:01. Individually, Sheppard broke the Holmdel Park sophomore course record by running 17:41, she became the first girl from Union County to win the Meet of Champions race, and she repeated as champion at the Nike NE Regional.

With no seniors in its pack, the Vikings will have the firepower and the experience to make a run at winning the national title next year!!