Forys in his own league during x-country season
Teammate Krewer, Braves’ Andrews also All-District
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

Colts Neck’s Craig Forys scorched the cross country hills and dales unlike anyone who has preceded him.

He turned the 2006 season into his personal tour de force. Starting with the Spike Shoe Invitational at Penn State University, the Cougar senior set six meet records, including two of the biggest for any runner in New Jersey — the 2.5-mile Van Cortlandt Park course in the Bronx, N.Y., and Holmdel Park. He ended his season with a strong confirmation that he is one of the best harriers in the country and one of the best-ever from the Garden State when he finished second at the Foot Locker National Championships in San Diego, Calif., on Saturday.

With Forys and help from a budding crop of underclassmen with potential and Brenden Krewer, the Cougars won the public school Shore Conference A North Division title and were second at the Monmouth County and Shore Conference championships.

Manalapan defended its 2005 Freehold District title, led by Bob Kreppein and Rob Andrews.

Forys, Krewer, Kreppein and Andrews are joined on the News Transcript’s 2006 All-Freehold Regional District Boys Cross Country Team by Howell’s Matt Cook and Colts Neck’s Jason Weiner and Matt Smutko.

There isn’t much else to say about Forys. He enjoyed the finest season ever by any harrier in the District, and put himself up alongside the best who have ever run in New Jersey. He beat all comers, going undefeated until the Foot Locker final.

Among the highlights of his season of highlights was his magnificent 12:10.7 at the Manhattan Invitational in the Bronx, which took down a record that had stood for 23 years (although it was topped by .1 in the next race, the mark still stands as the New Jersey record). The other big mark to fall was Holmdel Park, where he chipped .2 off the revered Holmdel Park record that had lasted 18 falls with his 15:16, set while winning his second straight Meet of Champions title. The next week he was back at VCP winning the Foot Locker Northeast Qualifier in 15:15.5, the third fastest time ever run on that 5K course and the fastest by a Garden State harrier.

His incredible year continued to the national championships, where his famed kick took him from seventh to second in the final 700 meters on Saturday, running 15:24.

Forys, who will be running for the University of Michigan this time next year, also broke his home course, Bucks Mill Park, record with a 14:58 at the Cougar Invitational in late September that gave fair warning to everyone in the state that he was running on a different planet this year. He also set the Ocean County Park course record with his victorious 15:05 at the Shore Conference meet.

What was so impressive about Forys’ year was not that he was undefeated until the national final, but the way he meticulously attacked each race. He would set out to work on a different part of the 3.1-mile race so that he would be able to handle any kind of race condition. It led him to victory twice at VCP and to a second place and First Team All-American recognition.

The Cougar now turns his attention to the track, where he will look to break some more records.

Andrews was the only other District harrier to race at the MOC. A sore knee delayed the start of his season until the District Championships, where he finished third. His season picked up steam after a 10th place in the county. The sophomore ran a 16:03 at Ocean County Park to place sixth in the conference. He was fifth at the state sectional and 10th in State Group IV qualifying for the MOC. He turned in the sixth fastest time in District history at Holmdel Park (16:32) in finishing a strong 28th.

Krewer enjoyed a breakout season in ’06, turning in his best 5K times ever. The senior started the year with an eighth place at the Spike Shoe and a ninth in the Cougar Invitational. He was second to Forys at the county championships and ran his fastest 5K, 15:56, in finishing fifth at the conference championships. He was 15th in CJ IV.

For Cook, 2006 was the year in which he took his place among the best in the Shore Conference. The senior ran well throughout the season, starting with a second place at the District meet, where he was out-gunned in a three-way race by two Braves. Cook was sixth in the county, joining the sub-17:00 club (16:57), 11th in the SC running a 16:16 at OCP, and eighth in Central Jersey.

Kreppein’s highlight was joining the ranks of ex-Brave stars Tom Fischer, Jim Casey and Tim Anderson as a Freehold District champion. He outran Cook and teammate Andrews at Bucks Mill Park to notch the biggest win of his career (16:52). The senior was 10th at the county championships, 24th in the conference and 17th in Central Jersey.

The one-three of Kreppein and Andrews helped the Braves retain their Freehold Regional District title.

Sophomore Weiner was a nice surprise for the Cougars, becoming not only the team’s No. 3 runner behind Forys and Krewer but one of the area’s best as well. He was 14th in the county, 25th in the conference and 26th in Central Jersey.

Smutko ran well for the Cougars throughout the season. He was 23rd in the county and 37th in the SC, and his emergence is reason for optimism at Colts Neck next year. They can’t replace a Forys, but the Cougars will be a deeper team.

Those earning Honorable Mention for 2006 are: Mark Leninger, Shane Hart, Devrin Vivino and Dan Fiasconaro, Colts Neck; Cody O’Flaherty, Freehold Borough; Joe Solek, Jack Tarpey and Chris Ernst, Freehold Township; Tim Holleran and Cody Kulik, Howell; and Ryan McGilvray, Jon Gorenc and Eric Tymezak, Manalapan.