Bartlett, Starkey, Sheppard Make History At Brooks Nationals

The amazing trio of Blair Bartlett, Leah Starkey, and Paige Sheppard put an exclamation point on the greatest cross-country season ever in New Jersey when they produced a historic collection of performances at Saturday's Brooks XC National Championships at Balboa Park in San Diego.

For the first time ever, 3 NJ girls earned All-American honors in the same race as Bartlett, Starkey, and Sheppard all ran under 18 minutes, marking the first time that's ever happened in state history on the Balboa layout! The top 20 finishers earn All-American status!!  

And that's not all.

In addition to the All-American finishes by Bartlett, Starkey, and Sheppard, Rutgers-bound Molly Domurat of Hunterdon Central, the state Group 4 champ, ran 18:12 to place 26th, and UPenn-bound Allison Lee of West Windsor-Plainsboro North was 37th in 18:33.1. 4 NJ runners in the top 37!!! That's how you level up!!! 

Bartlett, a junior at Lawrenceville, led the record-breaking charge by New Jersey girls by capping off the best season in state history for a first-year XC runner by finishing second in 16:57.2! That's the second fastest time by an NJ runner in course history!!! Starkey, a sophomore at Ocean Township, finished seventh in 17:25.0, and Sheppard, a junior at Union Catholic, was 13th in 17:45.0!!!

This is the first time that 3 NJ girls ever finished in the top 15 at an XC National Championship, which has been held since 1979!

BARTLETT-DUDEK, PART 2

For the second week in a row, Bartlett, who played tennis until this season, waged another memorable battle with undefeated sophomore Natasza Dudek of Ann Arbor Pioneer High in Michigan for a national title. Last week, Dudek edged Bartlett by less than 2 seconds when the duo finished 1-2 at the national championships in Portland.

In the rematch in San Diego, Bartlett was even with Dudek with less than a quarter mile to go before Dudek was able to pull ahead and win by about 10 yards, 16:55.5 to 16:57.1. Dudek is the only runner in the country who defeated Bartlett this seaosn.

Dudek, who joined her sister, Zofia (2019) as the only siblings to win an XC national champion, is the first girl to ever complete the national championships double in the same season.    

Bartlett, who received a Golden Ticket to compete in San Diego, meaning she was able bypass running at the Northeast Regional, matched all of Dudek's big moves throughout their monumental clash. Bartlett's splits were 5:16.1 at the first mile and 10:56.2 at 2-miles as her and Dudek ran side-by-side for much of the race. 

Bartlett's runner-up time of 16:57.1 is second in NJ history on the venerable Balboa course. The only girl faster is the legendary late great Janet Smith of J.P. Stevens, who won this title in 1983 by running 16:44. Smith is still the only NJ girl to win at this XC National meet.

Bartlett's epic season will go down as one of the greastest in NJ history.!

In addition to her back-to-back runner-up finishes at the national championships to close out her campaign, Bartlett ran 17:00.6 to win the Northeast Regional at Bowdoin Park, which places her No. 2 all-time on the course, she dropped a 17:24 at Holdmdel Park, No. 6 all-time on that 3.1-mile layout, and she burned a 16:17 at the course at Peddie, the fastest time ever run by any NJ girl on any course!!           

STARKEY AND SHEPPARD 

Starkey, who won the NJ Meet of Champions title last month and was 4th at the Northeast Regional, ran the 5th fastest time on this course by a NJ girl with her 17:25.0. Sheppard's 17:45 on Saturday puts her No. 12 on NJ's all-time list for Balboa. Sheppard, like Bartlett, received a Golden Ticket, to race.

Last month, Starkey won the NJ M of C title in an epic clash with Sheppard when she stopped the clock at 17:15. Sheppard, a junior at Union Catholic, was second at the Meet of Champions in 17:17. Those times place Starkey and Sheppard No. 3 and No. 4 all-time at Holmdel Park!

So that means in just this season alone, Bartlett, Starkey and Sheppard became 3 of the 6 fastest runners in Holmdel Park history, and all moved into the top 12 on the NJ all-time list at Balboa Park!

We may never see a season like this in our state again..... until they all come back next year!!!