Elite XC Race Set for New Brunwick
New Brunswick, NJ
On Sunday, October 7th, some of the East Coast's best distance runners will compete in the Get the Gorilla 5k at Buccleuch Park, one of the courses used in the NJ State HS Championship rotation back in the "olden days"before Holmdel Park became the permanent venue . This RRCA Championship Race includes two races: the open 5k (9:30am) and the elite 8k/5k (10:30am). More details can be found on the event's website www.gorilla5k.org.
The two-time defending national champions in club track and field, the Central Park Track Club, will race a classic cross country dual meet against the host and USATF-New Jersey state champions, the Garden State Track Club, at 10:30am. At last year's national cross country championships in Seattle, CPTC's men finished 10th, and the GSTC was 15th. The GSTC elite teams are fraught with former New Jersey high school standouts who are now pursuing post-collegiate running careers.
In the men's elite 8k race, the home team is lead by three sub-14:30 superstars: Jeff Perrella (Westfield HS/Yale), Tom Poland (Delbarton/Columbia), and Ken Goglas (Randolph HS/UConn). They will be flanked by teammates Chris Heibell (Immaculata HS/Loyola), Rob Nihen (Glen Rock HS/TCNJ), Tim Morgan (South Plainfield HS/St. Thomas Aquinas), Steve Mennitt (Edison HS/Rowan), Anthony Harris (East Brunswick HS/Hartford), Andrew Capizzi (Paramus HS/Ramapo), Ashwin Anantharaman (Hightstown HS/Kean), and Adin Mickle (Triton HS/Temple). All have broken 15:00 for 5k, and Heibell has run 4:08 for the mile. CPTC will counter with Carlos Jamieson (American University), Jonevan Hornsby (Georgetown), John Pollina (Staten Island), Ross Weller (Swarthmore), and Stan Berkow (Bowdoin College)
In the women's elite 5k, the GSTC's two front-runners are both 4:50 milers in Cheyenne Ogletree (Garfield HS/Rutgers) and Jamie Liberti (Middletown HS/UPenn). Meanwhile, teammate Chelsea Callan (Raritan HS/Rider) has run 5:00, and Lindsey Lambert (Howell HS/Lock Haven) has hit 17:18 for 5k. Rounding out the final top spots are Alyssa Douma (West Milford HS/Lock Haven), Erika Huling (West Morris CentralHS/Lock Haven), Karen Auteri (Pompton Lakes/TCNJ), and Meghan O'Toole (Garfield HS/Rutgers). Central Park TC will lineup with Denise Mazzeo (Villanova), Rolanda Bell (Tennessee), Jane Vongvorachoti (St John's), Stephanie Herrick (College of New Jersey), Bevin Peters (Yale), Christina Argueta (Bowdoin College), amd Kim Smith (Harvard).
Both clubs are preparing for the 2012 USATF Club National Cross Country Championships at Masterson Station Park in Lexington, Kentucky on December 8th.