RBC impressive in win at County Championships RFH’s Planer is second to Shore’s Ullmeyer

RBC impressive in win at County Championships
RFH’s Planer is second to Shore’s Ullmeyer

MARIE ORTIZ Rumson-Fair Haven’s Christy Planer approaches the finish line at Tuesday’s Monmouth County Championships at Holmdel Park. Planer (19:40) finished second to Shore’s freshman sensation Julie Ullmeyer, who crossed the line at 19:25.8.

After a two-year absence, Red Bank Catholic’s girls are again the Monmouth County cross country champions.

Mary Banks’ harriers had given every indication during the season that they were the team to beat on Tuesday. But anything can happen on race day, and no championship is decided until the race is run.

However, the Caseys were as good as their early-season victories indicated as they easily captured their first title since 1997 by placing five runners in the top 18 and scoring 53 points.

Two-time defending champion Middletown South was second with 84, and Rumson-Fair Haven (95) was third.

MARIE ORTIZ Red Bank Catholic’s Julie Barker crosses the line in fourth place (19:56.1), which helped the Caseys take the team title at Tuesday’s Monmouth County Championships at Holmdel Park, ahead of two-time defending champs Middletown South and Rumson-Fair Haven.

Juniors Julia Barker and Mary McCudden led the way for RBC, turning in personal bests on the 5K Holmdel Park course. Barker, who has emerged as the team’s top runner, led the Caseys with her fourth-place finish in 19:56.1. McCudden was sixth after a 20:27.4.

Barker and McCudden have been very much like the Casey team, exceeding expectations. They have become the front-runners that the team needs.

Suraya Kornegay has given the team the veteran leadership expected of a senior. She was 14th on Tuesday following a 21:06.7. Sandwiched around the senior were the two freshmen, Shannon Gillespie and Alyse Jensen, who have provided the team with a spark.

Gillespie was RBC’s third runner, finishing in 11th place (21:00.6). Jensen was the team’s fifth scorer in 18th place (21:22.5). Right behind Jensen in 19th place was Samantha Sabatos (21:27.7). That gave the Caseys six runners in the top 20. Their seventh runner, Lauren Carter, ran a 22:16 and was 34th, finishing off an impressive display by the entire Casey team.

RBC had an average time of 20:46.6 per runner, an improvement of 12 seconds over what the Caseys did at the Shore Coaches Invitational earlier in the month when they won the D Division race. Improvement like that will make RBC a Meet of Champions contender.

This was RBC’s 13th championship at the meet, far and away the most of any school.

While the Caseys were enjoying their return to championship form, Rumson-Fair Haven’s Christy Planer had mixed emotions after running second behind Shore Regional freshman Julie Ullmeyer, 19:25.8-19:40.

"I wasn’t happy with the race," she said. "I stayed with her until we were going up the bowl. I let her get away there and I didn’t want to.

"I was focusing on running up the hill and keeping my form and not on staying with her," she added. "I was pretty mad that I let her go. I knew at that point I let it get away."

Still, the Bulldogs junior had the consolation of finishing in second place after a fifth place last year. There will be more battles with Ullmeyer (only the second freshman in the history of the meet to finish first, joining St. Rose’s Maura Bolger from 1995) ahead for Planer and she is looking forward to them. Next up will be the Nov. 4 Shore Conference Championships at Holmdel Park.

However, Planer and her Bulldogs were pleased with their third place.

"We all ran very good times today," she pointed out. "We just wanted to see what we could do."

Lillian Pinault (21:10) and Caitlin Moscatello (21:11.2) finished 15th and 16th for RFH. Jenny Krystopowicz was 20th (21:28.6), and rounding out the team scoring was Emma Pinault in 42nd place (22:43.4).

Rumson’s boys were sixth (202) and Red Bank Regional (218) was seventh.

Jonathan Erwin led the Bulldogs in 12th place (16:59.1), with teammate Joseph Clabby next in 16th (17:21.1). Christopher Rumpf was 24th (17:31/1).

Israel Rodriguez led the Bucs with a solid fourth-place run in 16:46.4. Jovannie Cortez was 23rd (17:29.3).

CBA again owned the race, winning the county title for the 19th straight year with 26 points. The Colts packed five runners in the first eight.

The individual champion was Marlboro’s Ty Jensen, who ran a 16:31.8.

Tomorrow, the road to the state championships begins with the Central Jersey Championships, also at Holmdel Park. The top 10 runners in each group and the top five teams will advance to the state group meet on Nov. 11 at Holmdel.