Top XC talent expected at Cougar Invitational
BY TIM MORRIS Staff Writer
Someone else will be wearing the green jacket Friday night. Since its inception in 2003, one of the traditions of the New Balance Jersey Shore Cougar Invitational, now in its fifth year, is the awarding of green jackets to the fastest boy and girl. The first four years of the meet saw Colts Neck's Craig Forys winning the boy's jacket. With Forys now running in college (University of Michigan) that means that for the first time someone other than him will be putting the jacket on.

Another tradition of the Cougar Invitational is outstanding competition, and there will be plenty of it with a total of 66 boys' and girls' teams entered.

For Colts Neck, hosting the meet at its home course at Buck Mill Park, the Cougar girls will be looking to solidify their No. 1 ranking in the Northeast. Last week, the Cougars, running without two of the topthree runners, still managed to take second place at the Delaware Military Academy Invitational at Banning Park in Wilmington, Del.

The Cougars lost to Tatnall, ranked No. 5 in the Southeast Region, 23-59. Both were Nike Team National finalists last year where Colts Neck finished fourth and Tatnall, 12th.

Allison Linnell continued her fine early season performances by finishing third overall (19:05). Stephanie Olenick (20:16) and Rachel Morris (20:19), the early season surprises for the Cougars were 10th and 11th. Allison Donaghy (20:56) was 20th.

Among the teams looking to best the Cougars will be Holy Angels, who are ranked 12th in the state and were last year's State Non-Public A champions; Howell, ranked 12th in New Jersey; and Toms River North, ranked 16th in the state. From out of state comes Unionville, ranked fifth in Pennsylvania.

Outstanding individuals include Briana Jackucewicz (who won the jacket as a freshman in 2005) and Linnell of Colts Neck, Howell's Lindsey Lambert, Freehold Township's Janel Parker and Unionville's Christine Smith. The course record is 17:34 set by Colts Neck's Ashley Higginson last year.

The boys' individual race will be one of the highlights of the meet. Brandon Jarrett of St. Benedict's Prep, a Foot Locker National Championship participant last year, returns to Bucks Mill where he ran a 15:12 while finishing third in the Championship race won by Forys.

Jarrett will be challenged by a trio of Shore Conference runners who could be previewing the conference championship race later this year: Manalapan's Robby Andrews, Holmdel's George Gallaso and Brick Memorial's Andrew Brodeur (seventh last year in 15:54). This is the first meeting of the season between the trio and they will be interested in seeing how they stack up against their top competition.

The course record, 14:58, was set by Forys last year.

The contending boys' teams include last year's Meet of Champions winner Jackson, the defending champion and currently ranked second in the state, Toms River North, 19th in the state and host Colts Neck.

Like previous meets, there will be Varsity Small School, Large School and Championship divisions for the boys and girls.

Last year, Colts Neck's girls won the Championship Division, Toms River North the Large School and Rumson-Fair Haven the Small School. Higginson won the Championship race with Kelsey Ramsey of Ramapo (18:39) the first in the Large School and Raritan's Christine Altland (19:36) first in the Small School.

Jackson Memorial won the Boys Championship with Toms River North and Point Pleasant Borough winning the Large and Small School titles, respectively. The individual winners were Forys in the Championship division, Paul Springer, of Unionville, Pa., (15:09) and Michael Soroko Kinnnelon (16:12) in the Large and Small School races.

In addition to the three varsity high school competitions, there will be freshman and JV races as well. The first race goes off at 3:30 p.m. The Girls Varsity Championship race is set for 4:55 p.m. with the Boys Dan McCarthy Memorial Varsity Championship going off at 6 p.m.