All The Marbles - MOC Coverage


  2010 NJSIAA 

CROSS COUNTRY

MEET OF CHAMPIONS

 

 

Boys Champion Jim Rosa - 15:14.63

 

 

Starting early tomorrow morning and continuing through the Awards Ceremonies, NJRunners wil be out in force at Holmdel Park to bring you Live Updates,Video of Both Races and Hundreds of Photos. Check us out and keep coming back!

 

MOC MEET PAGE - Your Home for, Information, Race Results and More.

 

 

 

 

Photos by: MaroonNews

 

 

If you've not done so already, check out our Previews of tomorrow's Championship Races

 

 

 

 

NJSIAA Meet of Champions

Previews

 

GIRLS

 
2009 Team Champion: Hillsborough (78 points) 19:38 team average
2009 Individual Champion: Chelsea Ley (Kingsway '10) 17:56 (5:47/mile)
 
 
2010 Group Champions:
 
1: Mountain Lakes (31 points) 20:24 average
2: Voorhees (46 points) 19:51 average
3: Mendham (112 points) 20:21 average
4: Hillsborough (60 points) 19:38 average
A: Red Bank Catholic (53 points) 19:48 average
B: Pingry (37 points) 20:31 average
 
 
Additional Teams to Watch:
 
Holy Angels, 2nd NP A (73 points) 20:14 average
Hunterdon Central, 3rd Group 4 (164 points) 20:25 average
Ridge, 2nd Group 4 (153 points) 20:27 average
 
 
 
 
 
 
Justina Cassavell - Voorhees
 
Rich Refi - Hillsborough
 
 
Analysis:
 
The “virtual” Meet of Champions we ran using Milesplit’s tools and stats shows the following results:
 

Hillsborough
109
Voorhees
129
Red Bank Catholic
137
Holy Angels
215
Ridge
221
Hunterdon Central
231
Pingry
233
Mendham
236
Randolph
236
Mountain Lakes
237
Cherokee
239
Bernards
244
Mount Saint Dominic
251
Bishop Eustace
253

 
Championships are not won in virtual reality but the gap between Red Bank Catholic and Holy Angels is significant and will take a lot to bridge. 
 
Hillsborough ran very well at the Group meet, averaging 19:38, 7 seconds better than they ran last year when they went on to win MOC by a point and had the now-graduated Ashley Smolinka run 18:59 for 2nd place. That time would have gotten only 5th this year but Juliana Miller more than capably filled that lead role with her third place 18:30. Their average was the same this year as it was in winning MOC in 2009. Groups represented a significant comeback from the Skylands conference meet on October 28, when they lost to Voorhees by 24. Can they repeat their Groups performance at MOC? Last year’s history would indicate that Coach Rich Refi knows how to get his athletes ready at the right time; next question is will it be enough?
 
Voorhees won Group 2 handily but had something of an off day as they were not near their Skylands form. However, their top 4 finishers all ran Holmdel PRs. To close the gap to Hillsborough, Voorhees will again need PR days from those athletes. Justina Cassavell has been here on numerous occasions and her tight-knit team, which averaged 19:34 at Warinanco in winning the Group 2 Sectional, would appear to be up to the challenge. Their recent history at Skylands and Sectionals make me think they will turn this into a race.
 
The good news for Red Bank Catholic is that they are not just star Molly McNamara and 6 other runners. Besides Molly, they have 2 other sub-20:00 Holmdel performers with 2 more knocking at the door. McNamara and Lindsay Bellaran ran significant PRs at Groups (22 and 27 seconds respectively) but their other scorers did not hit their 2010 bests, indicating that there is more there. Will it be enough to tighten the race and make it a three-team contest? I’m betting yes as RBC turned back a very good Holy Angels team and they are healthy and focused. 
 
Even if I wanted to make a prediction here, this one is too close to call and looks to be a three-way free-for-all. As always in these contests, literally every place will count.
 
2010 Holmdel Bests for Top 7 Runners
 

 
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Hillsborough
18:30
19:36
19:37
19:54
20:29
20:50
21:09
Voorhees
19:06
19:39
19:55
20:10
20:14
20:24
20:31
Red Bank Cath
18:21
19:21
19:56
20:08
20:09
21:42
22:33
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Holy Angels
18:57
19:31
20:10
20:51
21:29
22:01
22:38
Ridge
19:57
20:12
20:26
20:31
20:54
21:10
21:52
Hunterdon Cent
19:17
20:04
20:09
20:38
21:30
21:46
21:50
Pingry
19:53
20:06
20:28
20:56
21:08
21:10
22:18
Mendham
19:08
19:32
19:36
21:11
22:12
22:40
24:05
Randolph
18:28
19:46
20:14
21:19
21:38
24:20
-
Mountain Lakes
19:08
19:59
20:36
20:56
21:08
21:11
22:09
Cherokee
17:55
20:31
20:51
20:53
20:58
21:29
21:32
Bernards
18:44
20:28
20:44
20:48
21:18
22:14
23:16
Mt St Dominic
18:55
19:50
20:17
20:52
21:30
22:08
22:33
Bishop Eustace
18:22
19:34
19:55
21:39
22:11
22:33
-

 (Based on Groups team members)
 
 
                                                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
Top Individuals with Holmdel PRs:
 
Megan Venables (Highland Regional) 17:28
Megan Lacy (Cherokee) 17:55
Molly McNamara (Red Bank Catholic) 18:21
Holly Bischof (Bishop Eustace) 18:22
Samantha Jones (Randolph) 18:28
Juliana Miller (Hillsborough) 18:30
Caroline Kellner (West Windsor Plainsboro South) 18:37
Dana Giordano (Bernards) 18:44
Alyssa LaGuardia (DePaul) 18:45
Tara Hanley (Chatham) 18:52
 
 
Analysis:
 
The temptation of course is to simply award the title to Venables for her stunning course record at the group meet. Why not? Her PR is a good 27 seconds ahead of Lacy (who had herself a very fine day with a 9th all-time at the same meet) and 53 seconds ahead of Molly McNamara. Is there a scenario where Venables is challenged for the win or even the lead during the race? Can any of the group behind Lacy make the jump into the top 10 on the all-time list which means going under 18:00?
 
Naturally Venables is not giving away her MOC strategy. It is hard to imagine that she would go for it a second week in a row, but Megan is extremely hard working and knows what she needs to do to win (not allow the race to turn into a sprint at the end). She is not likely to be careless and allow anyone to steal this race. If Lacy, and she would seem to be the only one who could make the attempt, wants the win she’ll have to go as hard as Venables who ran 5:50, 5:45 and 5:53 for the last 1.1 in her record run, and outkick her at the end. It is unimaginable that Venables would allow the pace to lag and risk the race. She’ll make anyone who wants it work as hard as she does and that won’t be easy even for as gifted a runner as Lacy.  
 
Almost everyone on the list above behind the Megans ran PRs at the group meet. In some cases (i.e. McNamara, Bischof, Jones) those improvements were +20 seconds. While it is probably taking expectations to a ridiculous level to expect any of that group to compete with Venables, when you’re on a roll you go with it. It is not crazy to think that a couple of girls in that group could drop under 18:00 which would put them in the top 10 on the all-time list. I also expect strong races from both Caroline Kellner and Alyssa LaGuardia, neither of whom had their best result last weekend. Both those athletes had been running very well and there is no reason to expect them not to pick up where they left off prior to the Group meet.

 



Boys
 

 


 2009 Boys Team Champion

Don Bosco  Prep (Ramsey) 78 points, 16:25 avg.

 

2010 Top Teams

* Christian Brothers Academy (Lincroft)

Non-Public “A” Champs (16:17 avg.) 1:06 spread

 

 * Westfield (Westfield)

Group 4 Champs (16:36 avg.) 59 second spread

 

* Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey)

Non-Public “A” Runner Up (16:40 avg) 45 second spread

 

* West Windsor-Plainsboro No. (Plainsboro)

Group 3 Champs (16:41 avg.) 1:29 spread

 

* West Windsor-Plainsboro So. (Princeton Jct.)

Group 4 Runner Up (16:46) 38 second spread

 

 

What Might Happen

On paper and based on what has happened out on the trail this year, CBA should be the prohibitive favorite to win their 16th Meet of Champions victory.

CBA is led by Mike Mazzaccaro (’11), who took individual honors in CBA’s win on Saturday. He is followed by a strong supporting cast, chief among them Dan Mykitshyn (16:10 SB @ Holmdel) and George Kelly (16:16 / 3rd @ NP “A”). The balance of the team is not too shabby. The Colts averaged a miserly 16:17 at Groups and would have to suffer a major implosion not to get back to the top of the podium for the first time since 2005.  Or…, another of the top teams would have to outrun them. And that is why the races are run.  Any of the other 4 teams listed above could run outstanding races and seriously challenge the CBA squad. We think that Tom Heath will record that 16th MOC win on Saturday.

 

Three of the 4 teams with the next fastest team averages were at the dance last year. They are all well coached and will be poised to run fast.

 

Westfield, 5th last year, had the 2nd fastest team average at Groups and will hope to get big races up front by Jack Leahy (16:02 @ Groups) and Andrew Kirna (16:13). Coach Jack Martin’s squad gaps under a minute and if the Leahy / Kirna duo can pull their mates along, the Blue Devils will score low.

 

Defending champ Don Bosco has had Christian Costello at the front all year. The junior ran 16:18 at Groups, only 2 seconds behind CBA’s #2 (Kelly). A very makeable gap. If the Ironmen can close up the 2-5 spread they could make things more interesting.   

 

Last year Brian Gould’s Knights of WW-P No. took 3rd at MOC behind the 1-2 finish of the Rosa twins. With brother Joe out for the season, North will depend on a great team performance behind Jim Rosa, onr of the pre race favorites on the individual side. The team has hung together nicely during Joe Rosa’s absence with everyone contributing along the way. At Groups theirb2nd runner was Pat O’Connell (16:36). At Sectionals it was Casey Dalrymple who followed Rosa to the line. The 1:29 spread at Groups is a little deceiving given the 15:46 winning time by Jim Rosa.  The 2-5 gap was 39 seconds.

 

West Windsor South missed the Big Show last year, but should show up on a mission this Saturday. Kurt Wayton’s kids have been proving all year that they belong with the state elite and ran tough to a runner up finish in  the Grp 4 race. A 38 second 1-5 gap is nothing to sneeze at. The Pirates have been running in a tight pack all year (48 sec@ Mercer & Sectionals), and if they can all inch up, they are in the hunt.

 

 

Individuals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2009 Boys Champion

 Joe Rosa (West Windsor-Plainsboro No. ‘11) 14:56 - Course Record

 

Top 2010 Boys Returning Individual 

Jim Rosa (West Windsor-Plainsboro No. ’11) 15:15

 

 Top 50 Holmdel Individuals 2010 XC

 

 

What Might Happen

This Championship race shapes up as a possible steel cage death match between Jim Rosa and Jeramy Elkaim with a couple of the other XC studs sticking their noses in and maybe making things very interesting.

Last year there were 11 sub 16:00 performances at MOC, including a sub 15:00 Course Record by Joe Rosa who will be absent this year. This year we may well see as many as 15 as there are already 11 boys under the barrier at Holmdel and another 9 between 16:00 and 16:09.  Look out below!

I think that this will be a race that goes out very fast. Maybe not the 5:05 that led the first mile in 2009, but very fast. The pack will be large, but a continued hard pace through the deuce will start to thin out the herd.  I can’t/won’t make a prediction, but tink that with 1000m to go there will still be 3 or 4 guys still butting heads. From there on in, it’s anyone’s bet. I do think that the winner might/will go 15:15-15:20.

  

 

“Saturday is a Man’s Race” – Ryan Grote

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cover Photo by Good Doggie Photo: 2009 MOC  - Girls Start