Lincroft harriers are 11th at Nike Team Nationals BY TIM MORRIS Staff Writer Tom Heath and his Christian Brothers Academy (CBA) harriers knew that 2004 had the chance to be a very special one from the start. Perhaps, the school’s best. Because a team national championship, the Nike Team Nationals, was being contested for the very first time, that became an immediate goal for the Colts, who have been the standard-bearer for boys cross country in New Jersey. Chris Horel, a junior, who has been CBA’s top runner this year, said the team nationals were a goal from first time the Colts gathered for their summer workouts. “We had our minds on the nationals from the start,” he pointed out. “Every workout we did was for the nationals.” CBA secured a trip to the Nike Team Nationals (NTN) on Nov. 20 when the Colts won the NJSIAA Meet of Champions (MOC). That win, in the 10th best team average in Holmdel Park history, moved the Colts up to No. 2 in the Northeast Region and with it, an automatic bid to the Nike Team Nationals in Portland, Ore., which were held Saturday. For the nationals, the country was divided into eight regions with the top two-ranked teams from each region earning automatic invitations. The 20-team field was rounded out by four at-large “wild cards” from among all the regions. Until their MOC win, it looked like the Colts would have to go the wild card route. Saturday, the Colts, running as the Lincroft Track Club (teams at the NTN ran as clubs and not their school), proved once and for all that they are a national-level program by finishing 11th (284) at the first-ever nationals. The event produced an upset with Fayetteville-Manlius (N.Y.), ranked No. 1 in the country, finishing second to York, Elmhurst, Ill., 92-127. York was ranked second to the New York school (which set meet records in beating CBA at the Manhattan Invitational back in October). York ran as Kroy Cross Country and Fayetteville-Manlius as Stotan Athletic Club. Twenty-one teams ended up participating in the race because the Madison West, W.I., ranked second in the Midwest, initially declined an invitation because of its state association. When it was cleared to run, the NTN decided to let Madison back in and have the extra team rather than take one slot away from an at-large team. Kinetic Running Club, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., lived up to its No. 1 ranking by winning the girls national title with a low score of 61 points. Ramsey Davan of 3-D Running (South Dakota) finished first in 18:05.37. New Jersey’s Roxbury Track Club was ninth (245). Lincroft was the only boys team from New Jersey competing in the nationals. The squad was led by Horel’s 20th place (16:34.4) on the 5K course held within the Portland Meadow Race Track. Kroy’s Sean McNamara was the winner in a scorching 15:43.9. “It was a pretty difficult course,” noted Horel. “It was inside a racetrack and there were man-made hills. It was like European cross country. It had bales of hay to jump over and cliffs to run down. I think it was a fair course for everyone. “Our goal was to run as hard as we could,” he added. “We’re pretty happy with the way we ran. We showed that we deserved to be there.” Horel said the team’s concern was not to get caught up in the mad-dash to the front that would be part of the excitement of competing in the historic race. “We were not worried if we got behind early,” he said. Kevin Rogers was Lincroft’s No. 2 runner Saturday posting a 16:47.0 in 32nd place. Justin Wheat, 63rd (17:04.0), Greg Leach, 81st (17:18.3) and Brian Keating, 88th (17:18.3) were Lincroft’s third through fifth scorers. The team average was 17:01.82. Also competing for Lincroft were Nick DiChiara, 96th (17:32.8) and Anthony Pellegrino, 11th (17:44.0). “It was a really great experience, they did everything for us,” said Horel. “Alan Wells [U.S. Olympic Trials 1,500-meter champion] and a lot of Olympians were there. “It’s basically a great feeling for the team,” he added. “We showed everyone the hard work we put into it.” Horel and his Lincroft teammates have their designs on a return trip next fall. Of Lincroft’s five scorers, only Keating is a senior. Five of the seven who ran are back. In addition to the MOC championship and first-ever NTN appearance, CBA set the national record for consecutive dual-meet wins (266). “This was one of the most successful season’s CBA ever had,” said Horel. In comparing the two marquee events of the year, the national record and the NTN, Horel noted that the dual-meet record was about history, about all those who run for CBA before them. The national championships were “about all the hard work we did,” Horel pointed out.