NJSIAA MOC: Hnatt, Schmitt Go 1-2, Fuel CBA To Course Record

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When you run for Christian Brothers Academy, the greatest program in state history, you measure yourself against the best CBA teams of the past, constantly chasing the record times produced by the legends who wore that singlet before you, always striving to raise the bar.

So after CBA averaged 16:00 and won their fourth straight Non-Public A title last week at Holmdel Park, the Colts had a simple answer when asked what they felt they could run at the Meet of Champions.

"We can run faster than we did last year and become the fastest team ever at Holmdel,'' the entire pack said.

That seemed like quite a leap when you consider that CBA averaged a course record 15:42 at the Meet of Champions last year and graduated three of their top 4 finishers from that race, including Joe Barrett, who won the M of C race for the second straight time last year.

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But CBA, ranked No. 1 in NJ and No. 4 nationally, did what they always seem to do - they backed up their words and ran their best when it mattered most as the Colts did exactly what they predicted by torching the trails with 7 course PR's to become the fastest team ever on the hallowed grounds of Holmdel's 3.1-mile layout by throwing down a historic average of 15:40.14.  

Running under ideal conditions, CBA crammed its scoring five in the top 12, and they all went sub 15:55 and had a 31-second compression on the way to a 25-90 victory over runner-up Haddonfield to complete a 4-peat to raise its state record to 28 M of C titles. The rest of the state has won a combined 24.  

Haddonfield, No. 2 in the state, averaged 16:09, the second fastest average ever for a public school at Holmdel. The public school record of 16:01 was run by Westfield at the 2023 Group 4 race.

1-2 PUNCH

CBA was fueled up front by a 1-2 finish from senior Luke Hnatt (15:23) and junior Gavin Schmitt (15:28), who became just the fourth set of teammates to pull off the 1-2. Hnatt's time places him tied for No. 14 all-time at Holmdel while Schmitt is now tied for 20th.

Twins Joe and Jim Rosa of West Windsor-Plainsboro North were the last teammates to grab the top two places when Joe ran a then course record 14:56 and Jim was second in 15:15. North Hunterdon did it twice-in 1983 when Brad Hudson won and Andy Maritn was second, and in '84 when Martin finished first and Bill Babcock took second.  

CBA's top five were Hnatt, Schmitt, senior Sean Galvin, seventh in 15:47, senior Ryan Collins, 10th in 15:51, and senior Wyatt Falkowski, 12th in 15:54. Hnatt dropped his course PR by 17 seconds, Schmitt sliced 15 seconds off, Galvin chopped 39 seconds off his time from last week, Collins ran an 11 second course PR, and Falkowski knocked off 15 seconds from his previous Holmdel best. 

Senior Matt McInerney (16:16) and sophomore Liam Schmitt (16:22), the 6-7 runners for CBA, also ran lifetime Holmdel PR's to give CBA a 7-man average of 15:51!  

 "We all knew that we had a lot more in us after last week and we've been building up for this and knew this was coming,'' said Schmitt.

Collins said that it is understandable why people on the outside looking in didn't see this coming like they did last year. 

"Last year we were throwing down course records in just about every race, so it was kind of expected that we'd do it again at this meet,'' he said. "But this year was different. We didn't have our top guys together for some races, and we were focusing more for the end of the season so we can be at our best for nationals. But we knew how fit we were and it was time to show that today. The best thing is that I still don't think you've seen the best from us.''  

Next up for CBA is the Nike Northeast Regional next Saturday at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls, N.Y where the Colts are favored to win their fourth straight title and 10th overall and seek to advance to the Nike Nationals for the 13th straight year. The top 2 teams in the NE Regional race will automatically qualify for the Nike Nationals, which are scheduled for Dec. 6 at the Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland, Oregon.

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LEGEND OF THE FALL

By winning this biggest race in New Jersey, the University of Virginia-bound Hnatt adds his name to CBA's legacy of champions and becomes a Legend of the Fall!!

Hnatt is the fourth different runner from CBA to win an XC M of C title, which ties the meet record, and this marks the fifth time that a CBA runner has finished first, which is the most by any team. North Hunterdon has also crowned four different champs.

Hnatt joins CBA greats Brian Kerwin (1999), Mike McClemens (2013), and Joe Barrett (2023 and 2024) as M of C winners.

Hnatt's 15:23 is No. 2 all-time for a CBA runner behind the 15:20 run by Mike Mazzaccaro when he was second to Jim Rosa in 2010. 

"It means everything to me to put my name on that list of CBA runners who have won this race,'' said Hnatt. This is something that every runner dreams about.''

Hnatt ran a smart race, patiently waiting for his big motor to wear everyone down.

Hnatt was part of a massive pack at the mile mark, which they went by in 5:15. There was still 15 guys together as they pounded there way into the bowl.

As usual, the bowl mile was much faster and by the time they climbed out, the lead pack had dwindled to six runners with Hnatt a step in front of Clay Stevens of Manalapan.

It was still anyone's race at the 2-mile mark with Hnatt, Luke Andresen of Haddonfield and Stevens going 5:01 in the second mile to go through in 10:16 as they had a 10-yard gap on the chase pack.

But then Hnatt put the hammer down and opened a four second gap as he rounded the tennis courts and headed into the back woods.

Schmitt was the only one that could match Hnatt's big surge as he moved into second place and chased his teammate over the final half mile. Hnatt closed in 5:07 over the final 1.1 to secure his place in history.     

PR PARADE

This was one of the fastest races in meet history as a near record 15 runners went sub 16 and dozens more dropped huge PR's. The only race with more sub 16 guys came when 18 runners dipped under in 2013. 

Every runner in the top 10 ran Holmdel PR's, and many of them knocked off a huge amount of time. 

Big shoutout to Clay Stevens of Manalapan.

Talk about a guy that always finds a way to make his presence felt when it matters most, Stevens once again made a huge drop when he completed a 1-2-3 finish for Monmouth County by placing third in a course PR of 15:35. 

The Syracuse-bound Stevens, second in Group 4 last week, knocked 30 seconds off his time from last week!! Last year, Stevens was also second in Group 4 and then sliced 16 seconds off his time when he ran 15:37 to finish second.

Marcus Valenzuela of Chatham, another runner who was second last week, also produced the best race of his life, dropping a 15:38 to finish fourth. The American University-bound Valenzuela chopped 18 second off the time her ran last week when he placed second in Group 3. Valenzuela is now the sixth fastest runner in Morris County history at Holmdel and No. 2 all-time for a Chatham runner, just behind the 15:36 that the late great Ben Massam ran at the 2005 Shore Coaches Invitational. 

Seniors Luke Andresen and Ben Andrus of Haddonfield also made big drops! Andresen was 5th place in 15:42, 20 seconds faster than last week! Andresen is now tied for No. 3 in Haddonfield history at Holmdel. Andrus was right behind Andresen, sixth in 15:43, also 20 seconds faster thsan his previous Holmdel best of 16:03 that he ran to win the Group 2 race last year. 

Brody Watt of Bernards finally took down his long-standing school record by running 15:48 to place 8th. The UPenn-bound Watt ran a 12 secnd course PR to break the Bernards record of 15:53 that John Carlotti ran to win the 1982 Meet of Champions title. 

Senior Mike McGinnity of Hackenack was 9th in 15:49, 24 second faster than his third place time in Group 4 last week when he finished third. 

Marty-11!!!!