Higginson helps Princeton win Pre-Nationals race
Ashley Higginson has become quite comfortable competing against national competition.

In high school, she won indoor and outdoor national championships in the twomile run and anchored the Colts Neck 4x1-mile relay team to a pair of indoor national crowns.

Now a freshman at Princeton University, she's picked right up where she left off at Colts Neck. Higginson helped the Princeton women's cross country team score one of its biggest wins at the recent NCAA Pre-Nationals.

With Higginson, the team's No. 4 scorer, Princeton won the "White" race at the Pre-Nationals held on Oct. 13 on the same Lavern Gibson Championship course in Terre Haute, Ind., (Indiana State University's home course) which will host the NCAA Division Championships on Nov. 19.

The Tigers made a huge statement at the meet by beating the likes of No. 2- ranked Colorado, sixth-ranked Arizona State, No. 10 Illinois, No. 12 Washington and No. 13 Michigan.

Higginson, in her debut on the national championship course, turned in a 21:11 for the 6,000-meter course and finished 46th.

The one-two punch of Liz Costello (20:25.1) and Christy Johnson (20:27) out front led the way for the Tigers. They were seventh and 10th respectively.

The Tigers' 149 points won by 22 points over Arizona State (171) with Michigan, third (173).

Princeton's team average of 20:52 was third best of the entire meet, trailing only No. 1-ranked Stanford ("Blue" race winner) and its 20:36 and Florida State (20:45).

The Tigers, which are the top-ranked team in the Mid-Atlantic Region, moved up to No. 4 in the national cross country polls with its Pre-Nationals win. They had been ranked No. 8.

New Jersey high school cross country fans will take note that Higginson defeated her scholastic rival, Danielle Tauro, the former Southern Regional star who won the last two NJSIAA Meet of Champions Cross Country crowns. Tauro, now running for Michigan, was the Wolverines No. 5 runner in 64th place (21:23).

On Friday, Princeton will travel to New York City looking to defend its Heptagonal (Ivy League) Championship at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.

Then, it's on to the Nov. 3 NCAA Mid- Atlantic Regional where the Tigers are seeking their third straight championship.