Super day for harriers at Shore Conference meet
CN girls set record in winning; Forys repeats
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

Above, Freehold Township’s Charlotte Walsh leads a pack to the finish line at the Shore Conference Championship meet on Saturday at Holmdel Park. Below,Colts Neck’s Craig Forys sprints to his first-place finish.

It’s becoming clearer with every cross country meet that the Colts Neck girls are up to something extraordinary.

After winning Saturday’s Shore Conference Championships, the Cougars, based on time, are one of the best teams the state has seen.

Led by Ashley Higginson’s astonishing 48-second improvement (18:48 to a Freehold District record 18:10), the Cougars won the SC title with 69 points and had a team average of 19:22.0 that is the fourth-best ever at Holmdel Park. The mark is both a meet and Shore Conference record. The Cougars put four runners under 20:00.

PHOTOS BY CHRIS KELLY staff

“Our team was so pumped up and excited for this race,” said Higginson. “I ran every step of the way for the team.”

While Higginson was running every step of the way for her team, the Cougars’ Craig Forys had company throughout his race. The defending champion turned in a personal-best 15:51 in holding off Manasquan’s Owen Boyle, who cracked 16:00 for the first time (15:54), in winning his second straight conference crown.

“He [Boyle] ran awesome,” said Forys. “I was worried. That’s why I looked back near the end; I wanted to make sure.”

Saturday’s Shore Conference Championships were the first showdown of the year at Holmdel Park for two teams with designs on capturing the Meet of Champions title on Nov. 19. Colts Neck, the Monmouth County champion, and Ocean County winner Jackson, are two of the best teams not only in the state but the Northeast and both rose to the occasion Saturday.

The Cougars were magnificent in averaging 19:22 per runner, and Jackson was equally fabulous averaging 19:38.6 running without their No. 2 runner, Jen Clausen, sidelined by a sore back. The Jaguars put three runners in the top 10 and scored 97 points.

Jackson’s Amanda Marino, like Higginson, ran the race of her life at Holmdel Park in finishing second to Southern Regional’s Danielle Tauro.

Tauro, the state 1,600-meter champion, broke the Shore Conference record for Holmdel Park with her scorching 17:52 (Middletown South’s Cate Guiney held the mark at 17:59). Marino also broke 18:00 (17:59) and matched the former conference record. They were just the fifth and sixth girls to break 18:00 at Holmdel, and Tauro’s time is the third fastest ever (Janet Smith of J.P. Stevens set the still standing mark of 17:35 in 1983).

Higginson became the District’s fastest ever, breaking the record set by teammate Briana Jackucewicz of 18:47 set earlier in the season, and No. 4 all-time in the Shore.

Jackucewicz was part of the big day, lowering her personal best to 18:30 in finishing fourth.

Higginson was still trying to contemplate what she had done after her third-place finish.

“This is beyond a dream come true,” she said of her time. “I wanted to break 18:30 this year. I ran every step of the way for the team.”

A quartet of the state’s running royalty — Tauro, Marino, Higginson and Jackucewicz — who may well be the state’s four best, passed the first mile of Saturday race in a startling 6:03. The rapid first mile took a toll first on Jackucewicz, who fell back as the runners headed toward the bowl.

Tauro and Marino pulled away from Higginson during the second mile, but Higginson never let them out of sight and was still in contention with half a mile to go. But she knew victory was a long shot.

“Being behind two of the best kickers in the state with half a mile to go is not where you want to be,” she said. “I needed to be in front or with them.

“She [Tauro] is an amazing runner,” she added. “I respect her so much. She flew down the hills.”

Higginson’s 18:10 was the start of a special day for the Cougars. Jackucewicz followed in fourth with her 18:30 (just four seconds off the state frosh record). Erin Donaghy was 16th in 19:47 and twin sister Allison Donaghy followed in 19:57 in 21st place. It was the first time that either dipped under 20:00 at Holmdel.

The Cougars’ fifth scorer was Allison Linnell (20:16) in 25th place. All five ran personal bests Saturday. Colts Neck bested Jackson by getting its first five runners home before Jackson’s No. 4.

How impressive were the Cougars? Sixth runner Kristen O’Dowd was 26th (20:22) and seventh runner Alexandra Flott was 33rd (20:29). All seven Cougars ran under 20:30.

“Every day and every week, we improve and hit a new level,” said Higginson. “We want to get the respect we deserve.”

The Cougars won’t have any trouble getting respect after the way they ran Saturday as a team.

Colts Neck joined Freehold Borough’s boys (1970) as the only District cross country teams to win SC titles.

Running for the Colonials that day in 1970 was current Cougar cross country coach Jim Schlentz. Freehold’s win 35 years ago was one of the great upsets in SC history. They were ranked 10th heading into the meet.

It wasn’t just a big day for the Cougars, as Howell saw its top five runners all come up with season or personal bests as the Rebels lowered their school record team average to 20:04.4 and finished third (111).

Kellee Hand led the Rebels in 12th place (19:43). Lauren Rome broke 20:00 for the first time (19:55) in finishing 17th.

Lindsey Lambert was 22rd (20:00) for Howell, with Lauren Wiemken 29th (20:25) and Sarah Nelson 31st (20:25).

Janel Parker lowered her personal best at Holmdel Park to 19:27 in finishing ninth. With teammate Charlottte Walsh near by in 11th (19:40) in a pb as well, the Patriots were fifth in the team scoring (175).

The District had three of the top five teams in the conference and of the 21 runners who broke 20:00, eight were from the District.

Forys got what he wanted Saturday, a second title and a fast time.

“I was pleased with my effort,” he said. “I wanted to go out faster than last week [when he won the Monmouth County title in 16:02] and make myself hurt going into the last mile. I did that. I was hurting.”

Forys’ opening mile in 5:17 was 10 seconds faster than he ran at the county championships. There, he pulled away from Boyle, running a fast second mile. Saturday, Forys’ second mile didn’t have the same sting, and Boyle was able to stay in contact.

But as the runners exited the bowl and hit the stretch of rolling hills that follows, Forys, an outstanding downhill runner, began to edge ahead with each downhill.

Because he had Boyle chasing him the last mile, Forys had to keep the hammer down, leading to his personal best 15:51.

“He made me run a lot harder,” he said. “I’m very happy with my time. I’m feeling real good.”

Marlboro’s Scott Cohen said he put everything he had into the last half-mile of Saturday’s race and his reward was dipping under 17:00 at Holmdel for the first time. Cohen turned in his best race of the season, finishing 15th in 16:55. Seeing the time at the finish line, the Mustang senior raised his arms in triumph.

Colts Neck’s Brenden Krewer was 34th (17:32).

Manalapan (383) and Colts Neck (384) finished 14th and 15th in the team scoring. Christian Brothers Academy won easily with 35 points.

Manalapan was led by Joe Kreppen, who was 43rd (17:42).

The run to the state championship begins Saturday with the running of the NJSIAA State Sectionals. Central Jersey is held at familiar Holmdel Park. The top five teams and top 10 individuals will advance to the State Group Championships at Holmdel on Nov. 12.