Christian Brothers Academy is the best boys’ cross-country team in New Jersey for the 23rd time.
Christian Brothers Academy is able to boast that elite statement because it finished first in the NJSIAA Meet of Champions on Nov. 17.
The Colts topped 19 other teams at Holmdel Park, beating runner-up Haddonfield Memorial High School by 18 points, 68-86. That victory resulted in a record 23rd Meet of Champions state title for CBA.
CBA’s top five of Tim McInerney, Luke Reid, Shaw Powell, Mike Morris and Tristan Amell placed sixth, 17th, 18th, 32nd and 57th, respectively. They all crossed the finish line between 16:00 and 16:54.
The Colts qualified for the 2018 Meet of Champions by winning the NJSIAA Non-Public A championship on Nov. 10 at Holmdel Park. Powell, Morris, Amell, Ben Santos and David Ham powered that victory, finishing in first, fifth, ninth, 11th and 17th, respectively. They all crossed the finish line between 16:14 and 17:11.
But CBA didn’t stop at the Meet of Champions. On Nov. 24 at the Nike Cross Nationals Northeast Regional, the Colts finished first. At Bowdoin Park in New York state, McInerney, Reid, Powell, Morris and Amell placed sixth, seventh, ninth, 44th and 52nd, respectively.
Three area girls’ cross-country teams also competed in the Meet of Champions on Nov. 17.
Holmdel High School finished third out of 19 teams. Emily Levonas (17th) and Claudia Zhang (22nd) placed in the top 25.
The Hornets also ran in the Nike Cross Nationals Northeast Regional on Nov. 24, coming in seventh as a team. Levonas and Zhang crossed in 26th and 33rd in that event.
Middletown High School South finished in 11th at the meet of champions, behind Kathleen Shay (47th) and Lucy Afanasewicz (48th).
Red Bank Catholic High School placed in 16th. Maddy Kopec of RBC turned in an impressive individual performance, finishing 15th, in 19:12, out of 170 runners.
The boys’ race also featured some solid individual performances by local runners.
Red Bank Regional High School’s Tyler Schwinn placed 22nd, out of 183 runners, at 16:24. He also finished fifth and 11th, respectively, in the North Jersey Section 2, Group 3 state sectional championship race and in the Group 3 state championship meet.
Schwinn’s meet of champions finish earned him a spot in the Foot Locker Northeast Regional on Nov. 24 in New York City. In the regional, he came in 46th out of 193 runners.
The senior was happy with the final four races of his high school career.
“I definitely felt I competed well. It’s always hard against the best guys. It’s a lot of competition,” Schwinn said. “But I fought hard, so I’m happy.”
“I thought he ran great. We’ve been working all season. We can hold our heads up high and say, ‘He did a great job today,’ like we have all year,” said Red Bank Regional coach Brendan McGoldrick. “Tyler’s got a drive that you can’t teach. He’s really determined.”
Shore Regional High School’s Cameron Janovic placed 52nd in the Meet of Champions, crossing the finish line in 16:52. Janovic also won the Central Jersey, Group 1 state sectional championship meet on Nov. 3, completing the race in 16:57. A week later, he placed third in the Group 1 state championship race, crossing in 16:50.
“I think I ran ok. It’s always fun to run in the meet of champions. It’s such a great and prestigious race. A lot of states in the country don’t hold a meet where all the best guys run against each other,” Janovic said. “I’m just happy I got to end my season here and rep the SR on my jersey one last time.”
Janovic was talking about his own experience, but he also summed up the meet of champions in general. Making it there was a point of pride for most runners and teams, and a point of closure separating the cross-country season from the upcoming winter track season.
“I’m looking forward to competing in higher level races (in winter track), and testing myself to see if I can finish as high as I can,” Schwinn said. “Compete with the best guys in (New) Jersey.”
