Cougars tops, Braves repeat at cross country
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

PHOTO BY MARCO MERCURIO In the early stages of the Freehold Regional District Cross Country Championships, the top three finishers (l-r) Howell's Matt Cook and Manalapan's Joe Kreppein and Rob Andrews lead the pack. Kreppein and the Braves prevailed at Bucks Mill Park in Colts Neck.

One mile into the boys championship race, Manalapan's Joe Kreppein and Howell's Matt Cook were right where they wanted to be.

They were following their race strategies for last Wednesday's 34th Freehold Regional District Cross Country Championships at Bucks Mill Park in Colts Neck.

"I just wanted to stay with them for the first mile and then pick it up," said Cook.

He was referring to Kreppein and his teammate Rob Andrews, who had devised their own strategy.

"Rob set up the first mile going out fast," said Kreppein. "It shows you what kind of teammate he is."

Andrews, running just his second race of the season after being shelved with a sore knee, knew he wasn't "race sharp" and wouldn't be there at the end. So he volunteered to set things up for his teammate. Andrews' award was being in the hunt.

"It feels so good to get back there and race," he said. "I was going to take the first mile out fast and look to drain Cook."

As Cook, Kreppein and Andrews passed through the mile, things were going as planned. However, only one strategy was going to prevail.

Colts Neck's Ashley Higginson was running solo at that point of the girls championship race. Higginson, in her finest season, was in a class by herself Wednesday. She had already run fast times, including a course record and personal best of 17:34 at Bucks Mill.

The game plan was for her to work that final 1.1 miles of the race hard in preparation for bigger races to come. But, at two miles, that plan went out the door.

"At two miles, I got a blister on my heel and it hurt," she said. "It's something you have to run through. Today was all about the team."

Higginson didn't have to worry about being caught over the last mile. She cruised home to her second District title in three years in 18:17.

Freehold Township's Charlotte Walsh (19:44) won her duel with Howell's Lindsey Lambert (19:51) for second place, but behind them came the pack that makes Colts Neck the No. 1 team in the state. Erin Donaghy (19:56) and twin sister Allison Donaghy (20:06) were fourth and fifth, with Allie Flott (20:33) and Kristen O'Dowd (20:44) in eight and ninth for the team's 27 points. It was Colts Neck's third championship in the past six years.

The Cougars didn't run roughshod over a weak field on Wednesday. Runner-up Howell (57), the defending champion, is ranked third in the state, and Freehold Township is one of the Shore's best teams (71).

With the invitational season and Freehold District behind them, the Cougars are now focusing on phase two of their season: the run to get to the Nike Team Nationals in Portland, Ore., on Dec. 2. It starts with Saturday's loaded Eastern States in historic Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, N.Y.

"It's time to get everything together," she said. "I think we did a great [early part of the season]. We didn't expect to have some of these hardships [injury to Briana Jackucewicz and the death of a classmate, Mark T. Zarantonello)]. I think it has brought everyone closer."

Two miles into the boys championship race, Cook and Kreppein couldn't have been any closer. The Rebel had thrown in a few surges during the middle mile, but Kreppein had handled them, as Andrews slowly lost contact. With 1,000 meters to go on an uphill section of the course in the woods, Kreppein thought it was time for him to attack.

"I made a surge in the woods and I knew that I had to hold it," he said. "He started to come back to me. I heard my coach [Bill Hagan] telling me he was closing, and I went as fast as I can."

Kreppein, a senior, bore down in the homestretch and held off the Rebel to win his first District title in 16:52 and put his name with the likes of the great Braves of the past, Tom Fischer, Jim Casey and Tim Anderson, who won the District crown. He's the first Brave to win it since Eric Costello in 1996.

"It's great," he remarked. "It's what I've been working for all summer."

With Andrews (17:04) holding on for third, the Braves were well on their way to a second straight championship. They beat Freehold Township, 28-54, to extend their record of championships to 17.

"This was one of our goals, to win the District championship," said Kreppein. "The team has been getting better every race. Everyone has been working hard."

Ryan McGilvray (17:30) was sixth for the Braves, and Jon Gorenc was seventh (17:35). Eric Tymezak (17:59) rounded out the scoring in 11th place.

Cook, who clocked 16:56, had no regrets about his race, outside of the end result.

"Maybe I shouldn't have thrown in so many small surges," he said. "He was a little bit stronger today."

Walsh's second place behind Higginson was affirmation that she is separating herself from the pack and becoming one of the Shore's best. Her 19:30 was a significant improvement over last year at Bucks Mill.

"I've been getting stronger," said the senior. "I put a lot of distance work in my training."

Walsh found herself as the Patriot front-runner with Janel Parker, last year's champion, sidelined, probably for the season (she is awaiting an MRI that could confirm a stress fracture in her foot).

"She's my best friend; it [the injury] stinks," she said.

Walsh's plan of attack worked out perfectly.

"My goal was to get second place," she pointed out. "I knew that Lindsey Lambert runs close to my time, so I paced myself with her."

Walsh relied on her faster closing speed to shake Lambert and take second.

Colts Neck rested its boys varsity team, which included the last three winners, Craig Forys (twice) and Brenden Krewer, because the day before the District meet, the Cougars had gone all-out in their attempt to beat Christian Brothers Academy in a dual meet.

Freehold Borough freshman Cody O'Flaherty made a solid debut, finishing ninth in 17:49.

Next up for the local harriers is Tuesday's Monmouth County Championships at Holmdel Park.