The North Jersey Mid-Season Report
For a few days, it was starting to feel like that time of year again. Before the Indian Summer and 85 degree temperatures hit this weekend, the days prior had brought along those early signs of fall, which more importantly means that the heart of the Cross-Country season is upon us. For many, the cool nights, changing colors and shorter days mean football, garage sales and pumpkin picking. For us, it all means Cross-Country. Heck, even flipping the channels on a lazy Saturday and coming across a few college football games made me think of Cross-Country! I need to go online and get some results. Well, Manhattan was on a Sunday this year, but you get the jist. These are the precious few weeks where just as the weather transitions, runners and teams take the leap from invitational season to championship season. Shore Coaches and Manhattan are behind us, and runners are working harder than ever to gear up for the onslaught of leagues, counties, states and in some cases nationals. So let’s take a deep breath and enjoy it all, because before we know it we’ll be looking back on another jaw-dropping season as the temperatures plunge into another long winter. Here are a few thoughts where things stand in the North Jersey XC scene.
· * I like Don Bosco as the number 2 team in the state of New Jersey, which unfortunately in a season like this one, is all the Ironmen can ask for. CBA is just a buzzsaw. Having one of your top 3 runners fall during the race, and still nearly averaging below 13 minutes at the 2.5 mile Van Cortland Park course is just incredible. The Colts aren’t going to slow down this season, and they are hoping to bring home New Jersey’s first team National Championship. But Don Bosco has been quietly putting together a nice season, although they have raced somewhat sparingly. After romping the field at the Regis Invite, they put themselves to the test at Bowdoin Park against the big boys and came out with a distant, but solid 2nd place. After skipping Shore Coaches, Don Bosco delivered another 2nd in the Eastern States race. The results speak for themselves as West Windsor-Plainsboro South and Westfield, ranked 2nd and 4th in NJ respectively, finished well behind the Ironmen.
· * Ridgewood has a had few runners go through some ups and downs in the early going, but the Maroons still look like the 3rd best team in group 4 this season. That’s a key spot to be in, because it’s a lot easier to advance to MOC that way than to fight for a wildcard spot with countless other group 4 schools. Ridgewood was probably a bit disappointed with their 13th place finish at Manhattan, but you’re not always going to get the type of effort they got when they obliterated the B race at Shore Coaches. Levi Jennings may still not be quite on his game, but Will Ades, the hero at Holmdel, was a bit back today at Van Cortland. Nick Salamone continued his fine season with a top 50 finish, and first year runner Travis Spicer stepped up with a nice race. Ridgewood will have back to back chances to challenge rival Don Bosco at Darlington Park, first on October 22nd at the Bergen Group A race, then again for a county title on October 29th. After that, it’s onto a likely sectional title for the Maroons, followed by a hopeful top 3 finish at Holmdel.
· * Speaking of all those wildcards, guess who finds itself near the top of that list? That’s right, it’s Hackensack. The Comets have started to steamroll a bit in the last few weeks, with a very strong 2nd to Hillsborough in the A race at Shore Coaches, and an even better runner-up finish today in the E race at Manhattan. Hackensack has no holes in their lineup, and they epitomize pack-running behind frontrunner John Pujols. At Van Cortland, Angel Uzcha, Carlos Coronado, Cosmo Nardozza and Chris Mascetti all finished within 17 seconds of each other. The Comets averaged faster than group 4 foe North Hunterdon today, and will put themselves to the test against Ridgewood for 3 straight weeks, beginning with the Big North meet this Tuesday. Don’t be surprised to see them in the mix at BMOC at the end of the month, but if Hackensack keeps up its current pace, a trip to the State Meet of Champs is also not out of the question.
· * Ramsey and Indian Hills round out the top 5 in North Jersey, and then it’s a significant gap to everyone else. Passaic County has some pretty good teams with Wayne Hills, Wayne Valley, and Clifton, but no one else has really shown anything to stand out. Regarding Ramsey and Indian Hills, that’s become quite a nice little rivalry. Indian Hills had won the dual for several years in a row, but when Ramsey brought out its best team in decades last year, things got a lot tighter. Indian Hills won 24-33 last year in an incredibly fast dual meet at Darlington Park, but the Rams got their revenge this year at Garret Mountain, edging the Braves 27-28 when their fourth and fifth runners finished right behind the Indian Hills four man pack. The two teams will go at it again on Friday at the Big North league meet. Ramsey features perhaps the best 1-2 punch in group 2 with Chris Eltringham and Erik Buser, but the gap to their number 3 will have to close if they are to beat the likes of Morris Hills and Walkill Valley. Speaking of those teams, all 3 will square off on November 5th at Garret Mountain in a remarkably strong Group 2 sectional race. That’s one you don’t want to miss. Meanwhile, the Indian Hills quartet of Scott Savage, Adam Frank, Hee Tae An and Bobby Corcoran will try to lead the Braves to consecutive sectional titles, followed by that elusive MOC berth.
· * It’s been a while since Eastern Christian has been this good. Kristen Traub continues to soar, but her teammates behind her are starting to really make noise. They took home a trophy Saturday at the Brett Taylor Memorial Invitational, with Erin Van Lenten, Kathryn Post, Jessica Wisse and Bethany Van Eck finishing in a 9-11-13-14 pack. That was enough for a 38-65 over Bergen County power Holy Angles, and in an always tough to predict Non Public B group, Eastern Christian appears to have as good of a title chance as anyone. While Traub’s 18:14 Saturday tied her personal best and led her to an impressive 80 second victory, it’s a shame that she doesn’t get to compete against Bergen County, as a sub-18 clocking could have been in the cards.
· * Northern Highlands and Ridgewood have to like their chances in groups 3 and 4, respectively. In a strange year where group 2 is arguably as strong as group 4, and certainly a lot better than group 3, the Highlanders could come out near the top of a large toss-up if they keep everything together. After an uplifting tiebreaker win over Princeton at the Shore Coaches Meet, Northern Highlands will look to the North and Abitante sisters to help them challenge Ridgewood for Bergen County supremacy. After that it’s on to Holmdel, where an MOC berth is a very real possibility. The Maroons, meanwhile, have to be encouraged that they finished just 15 points behind NJ#4 Ridge with Freshman star Catherine Pagano hampered by some leg pain at Shore Coaches. No one knows how Pagano will bounce back, but with her at full strength Ridgewood could be very dangerous. Just like the boys, they look like the 3rd best team in group 4, but with a healthy lineup the Maroons can definitely threaten Hillsborough and Ridge.
Cover Photo: John Pojols (Hackensack) - Top Bergen Finisher at Shore Coaches took 2nd in the "A" race
By: Mike Dennis for NJRunners