Cross country: Metuchen, Old Bridge win state titles
HOLMDEL -- It was a banner day for Greater Middlesex Conference boys cross country at Saturday’s NJSIAA state group championships.
Metuchen and Old Bridge, the conference’s two most storied programs, added more hardware to the trophy case with titles in Group I and Group IV, respectively. Both advanced to the Meet of Champions next Saturday at Holmdel Park.
Metuchen exceeded its expectations.
"The goal for the guys this year was to get top three, just to get through," Metuchen coach Marty Holleran said. "The fact that we won is a beautiful treat. Our goal in June, we wanted to get through. Next week we want to represent our school the best we can."
Metuchen didn't have a runner finish in the top 10, but it was strong in the middle of the pack. Sophomore Jake Beacher led the charge by coming in 11th (17:07).
"I went out there and I knew we had to get anyone from Pennsville and Haddon Township," Beacher said. "We had to do our thing."
The Bulldogs take pride in depth at the top of the lineup. Sophomore Caelan Johnson (17:27) and the lone senior on the squad, Mike Stonehocker (17:36), were able to give Metuchen much-needed points.
It's the first team title since 1994 for Metuchen. They were able to hold off talented teams like Haddon Township and Pennsville. For the Bulldogs, it's only the beginning for this young team.
"For these kids it's a great honor," Holleran said. “All of the teams in Group I this year are very good. We made some changes this year and kind of gave up our dual meet schedule. We tried to stay fresh for this and it worked out.”
Old Bridge wins Group IV
On a day where Old Bridge's top runner, Rey Rivera, didn't put together his top performance, the Knights needed other athletes to step up to the plate.
Gerard Gill gave his team a push in the right direction by finishing 10th overall (16:21).
"We saw Rey wasn't doing as well as he usually does, so I knew we had to get the other guys going," Gill said. "I just went for it, I'm really happy with my day."
The Knights weren't focused on individual success, but instead, they wanted to reach new heights for the team. They have experienced a steady incline in success over the past couple of years, which set them up to win the Group IV title.
Rivera came in 13th (16:25), Gerard D'Ambrosio followed in 14th (16:28), and Art Dzieniszewski crossed the line next for the Knights in 18th (16:38).
"We worked hard for it," Rivera said. "I don't think we had as good of a performance as we wanted. All thogether, we wanted to come in and get the team title. That is all that matters for all of us."
Next comes the Meet of Champions. Old Bridge’s highest-ever finish there is second.
"We want to go out there and do the same thing we have done in every race this entire year," Gill said. "We can see what we can come away with. We are very confident about next week."
On the girls’ side, Metuchen star Rachel Suss entered Saturday's competition as a heavy favorite to come in first in Group I, but the Yale-bound senior was unable to finish the race after she fell during the last stretch and had to get carted away from the field due to an injury. New Providence’s Jillian Turner placed first in the race.