Forys does it again, breaks another course record
Cougars take second at SC cross-country meet
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

CHRIS KELLY staff Brenden Krewer continues to emerge as one of the state's elite harriers, helping lead the Colts Neck boys to a second-place finish at the ShoreConference Championships on Oct. 30.

Craig Forys' record at the Oct. 30 Shore Conference Championships was only part of the story line.

Yes, the Cougar senior tore up another course record, this time Ocean County Park in Lakewood, in what has been a season of records, but behind him, the Colts Neck Cougars finally topped Christian Brothers Academy.

While pre-race favorite Jackson won the team championship with 55 points, the Cougars edged out the Colts, 98-103, to take second place.

Head coach Jim Schlentz pointed out that his team had cleared a huge psychological hurdle finishing ahead of the state's measuring-stick program.

"It's hard to say you can beat CBA when you haven't done it before," he said. "It's been a long road."

Forys did as planned, blasting the first mile on his way to his third straight SC title. His opening 4:35 made it a solo effort the rest of the way, with Jackson's Kris Carle gamely trying to stay as close as he could to the state champion before fading over the last mile.

"It's [4:35] what I was going to do," he said. "I wanted run the first mile hard and then cruise. It definitely hurt a little, I didn't feel that great today."

Most of us should be able to "cruise" at a sub-5:00 pace. Forys stopped the clock in 15:05, taking 13 seconds off the former course record co-held by Point Pleasant's Terrance Fagan and equaled by CBA's Brian Kerwin.

This was his fourth course record of the season, having broken marks at Penn State University at the Spike Shoe Invitational, Bucks Mill Park (where he broke 15:00 for the first time, 14:58), Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, N.Y., in the Manhattan Invitational, and now at Ocean County Park.

"I'm so far ahead of myself," he said. "So far, everything is going real well."

Behind Forys, teammate Brenden Krewer continued his breakout season. He finished fifth and broke 16:00 for the first time (15:56).

"It's been my goal all along in high school to break 16:00," he said. "It's fantastic. I never imagined that I'd be in this kind of shape. Before the season started, I would have been happy with a top 20."

Krewer was running in a pack behind Forys and Carle at the halfway point of the race.

"With one-and-a-half miles to go, I said it's my time to go," he said.

Schlentz had wanted Krewer to finish in the top seven to help secure All-Shore honors.

"I like to do one better," said Krewer.

Jason Weiner was Colts Neck's No. 3 runner in 24th (16:40).

Shane Hart was the difference maker for the Cougars. Struggling with a low iron count for much of the season, he is rounding into form at the right time. He turned in an encouraging 16:45 for 32nd, but most importantly, passed two Colts in the final 100 meters. That proved to be the difference between second and third place.

The Cougars' fifth scorer was Matt Smutko in 36th (16:48).

Colts Neck's team average was 16:14.80.

Manalapan's Rob Andrews, sidelined for the first half of the season recovering from a sprained knee, came up with one of the biggest surprises of the day, taking sixth place. It was far and away his best race of the year, clocking 16:03.

When asked where this performance came from, he replied, "I'll let you know when I find out."

Andrews pointed out that he has been able to put some speed work into his training recently and that may have made the difference on the flat Ocean County Park course, where speed is more important than strength.

"It was a perfect race for me," he said. "It's [OCP] my new favorite course."

The Braves finished eighth (239) in the loaded SC field. Joe Kreppein, the team's second scorer, was 23rd (16:39).

Howell's Matt Cook has also been enjoying a breakout campaign. He turned his fastest 5K of the season, 16:16 in finishing 11th. His Rebels were 13th (328).

Freehold Township was 18th.

Yet another course record

for Forys at state sectional

Saturday, the road to the NJSIAA Meet of Champions began with the Central Jersey Meet at Jamesburg's Thompson Park. Forys didn't have a meet record on his mind, but what the heck. Pushed by course record holder Matt Ciambriello of Old Bridge, Forys, who just wanted to run fast enough to win, responded with a fast closing mile to smash the old record of 16:05 with his 15:38.3, giving him his fifth course record of the season. Ciambriello was second, also finishing under his old mark with a 15:43.5.

The Cougars were third (126) behind Jackson (53) and Old Bridge (84) and qualified as a team for the State Group Championships coming up on Saturday at Holmdel Park. The top five teams and top 10 individuals all qualified at Thompson Park for the State Group meet.

Krewer was 15th (16:47) and Weiner 26th (17:03) for the Cougars.

Andrews and Cook will be going to the Group Championships individually. Andrews was fifth Saturday in 16:10.4, while Cook's 16:29.5 brought him home in eighth place.

Manalapan was sixth (156) and Howell seventh (188).

Other local harriers who finished in the top 25 were: Manalapan's Joe Kreppein, 17th (16:47) and Howell's Tim Holleran, 24th (17:01).