2011 North Jersey High School Boys Cross-Country Preview
by: Matthew Murphy
Malone, Ironmen Look to Leave their Mark on State
For the past two years, Patrick Rono was the man, the story of Bergen County Cross-Country. Having graduated from Lyndhurst High School in three years, Rono has headed off to run for the University of Arkansas, and the heads of North Jersey XC fans will turn to rising junior Ben Malone of Pascack Valley, who may be poised to equal, if not surpass Rono’s success. Malone enjoyed a breakout year as a sophomore, building on solid summer training and rapid improvement to place 14th at the Meet of Champions. He was the top sophomore finisher in the race and enters this season as the 2nd top returnee in the state. In a year where the Rosa twins, along with numerous top level runners like Jeremy Elkaim and Mike Mazzaccaro have departed for college, Malone looks to be a big factor in the championship discussion provided he stays healthy. After a satisfying finish last season, he confidently asserted that he hoped to win a Meet of Champions title someday, and continued working toward that goal in the Spring when he finished 4th in the 800 meter race after setting a sizzling personal-best of 1:52.17 at the sectional race.
In Bergen County, Malone’s biggest challenge will likely come from Ridgewood senior Levi Jennings. He was the number two man for the group 4 powerhouse Maroons, and while his 82nd place performance at the Meet of Champs was subpar, Jennings also produced a fine outdoor track season, running big PRs of 1:54 in the 800 and 4:14 in the 1600 when he earned silver in the group 4 race. Don Bosco’s Christian Costello is the only other sub-16 minute returner at Darlington Park, as he looks to improve on his 7th place in the Bergen Meet of Champions. The Ironmen feature additional individual contenders in sophomore Kyle Levermore, and seniors Nick Lapinski and Nick Carapezza, who is coming off a breakout spring. Several other athletes could join in the elite conversation, including Hackensack’s John Pujols, Ridgewood’s Nick Salamone, and the Ramsey duo of Erik Buser and Chris Eltringham.
Along with Malone, the Don Bosco Prep team hopes to make things happen at Holmdel Park in November. The Ironmen held their own last season with a very young squad, and will return 5 out of 7 varsity starters this fall as they look to pick up where they left off after winning state titles in 2007 and 2009. Standing in their way will be Christian Brothers Academy, their perennial rival in Non-Public Group A who begin the season ranked #1 in the nation. It will take a very special season to dethrone Tom Heath’s impressive group, but Don Bosco should be able build on their experience and depth in order to put themselves in the mix amongst the states best. They also will be adding two transfers to the bunch in sophomore Michael Higgins from Montville and junior Anthony Orosz from Becton, both of whom could have an immediate impact. The Ironmen are the clear early favorite to earn their 6th straight Bergen Meet of Champions title, although it will be no small task with local rival Ridgewood also fielding a strong team. The Maroons lost three seniors to graduation but return three rising juniors with Holmdel experience to help fill the void. They will be led by Jennings and Salamone, but Will Ades, Brian Daniels and Storm Dublier will be counted on in bettering last year’s 8th place at the Meet of Champions, the top performance of any local team. While these two teams may steal the North Jersey spotlight, another team to keep an eye out for is Ramsey. The Rams are coming one of their best seasons in school history, highlighted by a surprise runner-up finish at the group 2 meet. Their top runner John Dugan has graduated, but Buser and Eltringham should form a formidable 1-2 punch and seniors Chris DiRiso and Sam Ruel, and junior Dan Dugan also return, giving the Rams a solid pack that should battle for another MOC birth.
This year’s Passaic County action should once again boil down to a battle of the Waynes. Last fall, Wayne Valley edged Wayne Hills by one point at the County Championship meet, and both squads return enough talent this season to make another run at the title. The Wayne Valley boys will feature a dangerous duo in senior Zachary Post and junior Jack LaCarubba, who will be followed by a strong supporting cast in seniors Jason Frank and Ken Salvatore and junior Patrick Sexton. After a disappointing 6th place finish at the North 1 Sectional meet last year, the Indians have the potential to bounce back. Meanwhile, Wayne Hills lost several seniors from their varsity lineup, but return experience in senior Justin Diamond and sophomore Brendan Ungemach and have plenty of depth to pull from last year’s junior varsity bunch to help form a tight pack. Additionally, other teams that could factor into the county picture include Clifton, returning 5 of their top 7, and Passaic Tech which brings back everyone except their top runner Victor Reyes. Individually, the field might look weak on paper with last year’s top 5 all having graduated, but the next 5 return led by Post and LaCarubba. Ungenmach, Passaic Tech’s Nick Rodriguez, and Manchester’s Andrew Nashed should also contend.
In Hudson County the story is much the same, as last year’s top eight finishers have graduated and Dickinson, a team that enjoyed a special season behind superb athlete Jose Veras, said goodbye to its entire top 5. The tide may shift to the Memorial boys’ squad, which brings back six starters from last year’s third place team. They are led by seniors Bernie Joa and Jose Grullon who will clash with McNair Academic’s Kevin Ratigan and Omar Lopez for the individual title. McNair should be a contender with three returning juniors, and last year’s runner-up Saint Peter’s will have an outside shot.
Note: NJRunners welcomes writer Matthew Murphy to the staff, specializing in North Jersey coverage. Murphy is a 2005 graduate of Ramsey HS, where he ran Cross Country & Track. Matt majored in Communications & Journalism at Villanova University. He remains an avid fan of New Jersey XC and Track & Field