Casey harriers advance to Meet of Champions

BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

The Girls Non-Public A meet turned out to be the team race of the day at the NJSIAA State Group Cross Country Championships.

Only four points separated the top four teams at Holmdel Park on Saturday and Mary Banks' Red Bank Catholic Caseys were one of the team involved in the chase.

"That's the closest I've ever seen," she said. "Four points dividing four teams. We had a chance."

RBC finished with 73 points in the four-team race, trailing the Academy of Holy Angels (69) and Monsignor Donovan (71) and topping Pope John XXIII (73) via the sixth-runner tiebreaker.

RBC again used its slim margin from first to fifth runner to offset the upfront power of Holy Angels, Monsignor Donovan and Pope John. Only 48 seconds separated the Caseys top five.

Janine Louie paced the young Caseys (they only lose two of their top seven) with an eighth place (20:15). Caitlin Dorgan was 11th (20:31) and Erin Lunny, 16th (20:50). Amanda Cavallo was 18th (20:55) and Emily Rooney 20th (21:03).

Despite their usual pack effort, Banks thought that if her harriers had been able to produce at a higher level, the championship was theirs for the taking. A highlight was their sixth runner, Kim Hogan. She had been a soccer player before joining the cross country team in September. Her 22nd-place finish (21:07) was the difference between the Caseys going on to Saturday's Meet of Champions and sitting it out.

Despite having the top three finishers in the race, Pope John's Lions didn't have any depth behind their trio and ended up tying the Caseys with 73 points. Third place would come down to a tiebreaker and Hogan, a junior, finished 22 places ahead of the Lions' sixth runner

Had the Caseys lost the tiebreaker, they would not have qualified for the MOC. Only the top three teams from the Group championships plus two wild cards with the best team averages from the nonqualifiers made it through. Had RBC been fourth in Non-Public A, their team average time of 20:42.80 would not have gotten them in the MOC. Pope John's average of 20:27.0 got the Lions one of the two wild card berths.

Despite the lost opportunity, Banks acknowledged that the Caseys, who went undefeated during the dual meet season and captured the Shore Conference A Central Division championship along with invitational titles, have had an outstanding season that still has one race remaining.

"It's a great team and we've had a great season," she said.

RBC finished ninth at last year's MOC and Banks said her team's goal on Saturday will be to improve on that position.

RBC's boys are headed to the MOC following their own third-place finish with 168 points.

Nick Bond (17:02) and Shawn Platz (17:15) gave the Caseys two top 20 finishers, taking 12th and 20th respectively. Bobby McGann was 32nd (17:42).

Rumson Fair-Haven's girls, were 11th in Group II (263). Hannah Satzke paced the young Bulldogs finishing 13th (20:55). The Bulldogs, who have enjoyed a resurgence this fall, captured the Shore Conference B North public schools' championship.

Red Bank Regional's Dennie Waite ran his final scholastic race at Holmdel Park taking 22nd in Group III (17:22). The Bucs finished 13th (279).

Ocean Township's girls were seventh in Group III (246).

Danielle Tucholski (21:31) and Christie Gallant (21:32), were 35th and 37th in team scoring for the Spartans.