Forys smashes yet another course record
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

A perfect storm hit Van Cortlandt Park."I caught a perfect day," said Colts Neck's Craig Forys. "The conditions were great and I knew it was possible. Everyone was running great."

"It" was the hallowed course record at the country's most famous cross country venue, Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, New York City. Running in the most competitive field of the Manhattan Invitational, Varsity E, on an ideal day for distance running, Forys smashed the VCP course record by running 12:10.7. The old mark, which was also the New Jersey record, was 12:15.7 turned in by Brad Hudson of North Hunterdon back in 1983.

Forys had come to VCP looking to challenge if not break the mark. Thanks to the weather and a top-flight field, he achieved his goal and left his mark on the course that has been hosting this meet for 45 years. But it took the best of Forys to do it. Steve Murdock of Shenendehowa had grabbed the lead from the Cougar in the final 800 meters on the downhill section of the course, leading to the final straightaway to the finish. Murdock was flying, but Forys remaining composed.

"I knew it was a long straight," said Forys. "Once I caught up to him I felt confident."

Forys surged past Murdoch with 150 meters left, and now it was a question of whether he'd break Hudson's 23-year-old record.

"When I first saw the clock, it read 12:01," said Forys.

Forys bore down in the final meters, passing under the line just as the clocked ticked to 12:10. Little did anyone know at the time that the fractions of a second that it took him to get to the line after 12:10 clicked would be so important.

Forys credited Murdoch, who was also under the old record with his 12:15.5, and the others, like third-place finisher Thomas Mike of Clovis, Calif. (12:21.4), for making the record possible.

"No way I would have done it by myself," he said. "They are so strong. Those guys really pushed the pace."

Forys noted that they were on pace throughout the race for the record. He was in the lead at two miles in 9:58 and in chasing down Murdock, closed with a final 800 meters of 2:12.7.

The depth of the race was impressive. Four runners ran under 12:30, which is the benchmark sub-5:00 per-mile average. Team winner Shenendehowa averaged 12:56.6.

Colts Neck finished fifth with 172 points. Brenden Krewer was 28th in 13:23.4 and Jason Weiner was 37th (13:40.3). The Cougars' team average was 13:24.4.

While Forys was soaking in his course record, and what he said was the peak performance of his career, the Varsity F race went off. The perfect storm was about to hit VCP again, producing another course record. Fayetteville-Manlius' Tommy Grunewald took advantage of the fine racing conditions to take the record from Forys with his 12:10.6. Running solo for most of the race, Grunewald said his coach had told him with half a mile to go that Forys had run a 12:10. Grunewald then threw everything he had into the half-mile and when he crossed the line, the clock had just ticked to 12:10.

It took quite some time to determine what actually had happened. Rumors were swirling as to who had actually turned in the faster time. One rumor making its way was that they would both be given the same time and share the mark. It took the official timer and hundredths of seconds to separate them, with Grunewald's time at 12:10.58 rounded to 12:10.6 and Forys' 12:10.62 to 12:10.7.

It was the finest 24 minutes in the race's history, with the course record falling twice.

Forys, noting that he had no control over what went on in the other races, wasn't shattered by having his mark topped so shortly after setting it.

"I held it for a little while," he said of the course record. "I'm not disappointed. I did what I came here to do."

Forys still owns the state VCP record and the No. 2 mark all-time. He's run faster there than the great Marty Liguori of Essex Catholic (12:23.2) and Holmdel Park record-holder Jason DiJoseph of Paul VI (12:20.5). He also broke the Freehold Regional District's 25-year-old record of 12:26.1 by Manalapan's Tom Fischer.

Further proof that there was magic in the air Saturday: 46 runners broke 13:00, the standard for high school excellence. The old record for a single day was 21.

Colts Neck's Ashley Higginson also left her mark on Saturday in a big way at the Girls Eastern States Championships. The Cougar senior turned in the ninth fastest time ever, and No. 3 in state history, with her 14:16.0 in finishing second to Saratoga Springs' Hannah Davidson's 14:14.6.

Working with third-place finisher Shelby Greany of Suffern (14:18.0), Higginson was closing fast on front-runner Davidson at the finish.

"She [Greany] was great for me," she said. "I was a little better downhill and she was better up hill."

Working together, Higginson and Greany closed what had been a huge gap opened up by Davidson. Higginson's track speed helped her break away from Greany on the flat straightaway at the finish to nearly catch the Saratoga Springs harrier.

The race reassured Higginson's place as one of the Northeast Region's best runners.

"I'm really happy," she remarked. "It makes me excited to keep racing. I have a little more confidence in my racing now."

By moving to the No. 3 position in state history, Higginson passed, among others, the likes of three-time Meet of Champions winner Jodie Bilotta of North Hunterdon (14:20.7) and Meg Waldron of Bernards (14:23.2).

Colts Neck's girls, helped by the return of Briana Jackucewicz, finished eighth (257) in what was one of the deepest fields ever assembled for the meet. Seven of the top 21 teams in the country came to VCP for the race.

Jackucewicz finished 42nd, clocking 15:28.5. Allie Flott was right behind her teammate in 44th (15:29.7).

Allison Donaghy was 63rd (15:44.2) and the fifth scorer, Erin Donaghy, was 102nd (16:18.1).

The Cougars' team average was 15:27.1.1.