Strong pack has Caseys running with state's best

BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

Red Bank Catholic and Monsignor Donovan harriers will be looking for each other's singlet at tomorrow's Shore Conference Cross Country Championships.

While Colts Neck, the No. 1-ranked team in the state, is the big favorite to win the SC crown at Ocean County Park in Lakewood, RBC and Monsignor Donovan are the top two teams in the State Non-Public Group and will be racing each other the next three weeks - first at the SC, then Saturday at the Catholic Track Conference Championships at Warinanco Park in Elizabeth, and on Nov. 11 at Holmdel Park with the NJSIAA Non-Public Schools state title on the line. Tomorrow's race will be a good measuring stick for the teams as they get ready for the state championships in two weeks.

Monsignor Donovan heads into the SC meet at what could be called their home course as the Ocean County champion. The Griffiths bested Jackson last Saturday, 33-67.

RBC is coming off a solid effort at the Monmouth County meet held in the rain on Oct. 17 at Holmdel Park. The Caseys finished second to Colts Neck, 32-62, as they again displayed their very unique balance. Only 47 seconds separated RBC's top finisher from their No. 7.

"I'm very pleased with what the kids have been doing," said RBC head coach Mary Banks. "We're well ahead of where we were at this time last year.

"We knew we were a strong team with what we had coming back, but we're much stronger than I expected," she added. "Caitlin [Dorgan] and Erin [Lunny] have been the leaders, and everybody is running better times this year. Our pack is strong."

Dorgan led the Caseys at the county championships in sixth place (20:07), followed two seconds later by Lunny (20:09) in eighth. Janine Louie was 10th (20:20). Rounding out the scorers were Michelle Capozzi in 18th (20:42) and Michelle Savarese in 20th (20:44).

Banks offered high praise for the 2006 Caseys, saying that with the exception of the RBC mid-90s powerhouses that captured the Meet of Champions title three straight years (1994-96), this is the best team she's had.

At the Ocean meet, the Griffiths placed their top five runners from second to 13th, but had more of a time gap, 1:09 from first scorer Molly Kempton (18:29) to fifth-place Amanda Cavallo (19:38).

Earlier this month at the Shore Coaches Invitational, RBC won the Varsity D race, with Monsignor Donovan second by just nine points, 74-83.

Since then, however, the Toms River school has added two transfers who became eligible for its lineup, Karissa Loretto and Devin Solvik, which has made the Griffiths ever stronger.

Banks knows her squad, which finished the dual meet undefeated and champions of the Shore Conference Non-Public School Division, has its work cut out for it tomorrow.

"We just have to go out and run our best," she said.

Monsignor Donovan figures to have one or two runners in before the first Casey crosses the line. From there, the Caseys will look to their pack. At the Shore Coaches, the Caseys prevailed because their fourth and fifth runners gained 18 points on the Griffiths.

The top 25 individuals and top 15 teams from the county championships punched their tickets to the SC Championships.

Rumson-Fair Haven girls, enjoying a breakout season, finished sixth in Monmouth County (166). Sara Robinson (20:47) and Hannah Satzke (21:01) were the Bulldogs' top two finishers, placing 21st and 27th.

Ocean Township was fourth (166) with Jacki LaRusso (21:04) and Kristin Enderly (21:11) finishing 28th and 29th.

RBC's boys had a good day on the off-track at the county meet, finishing behind champions Christian Brothers Academy (54) and Colts Neck (75) with 120 points. The Caseys were led by the four-five finish of Shawn Platz (16:50) and Nick Bond (16:55). Bobby McCann was 13th (17:24).

Red Bank Regional's Dennie Waite was 18th (17:37) and helped the Bucs finish 13th (308) and qualify for Saturday's conference championships.

Ocean Township also will be going to OCP. The Spartans were eighth (264), led by John Rochford in 22nd (17:40).

The Rumson boys were 14th (365). Ryan Krystopowicz led the Bulldogs in 56th place (18:19).

Tomorrow's conference race will be as good as a state meet. On the girls' side, there will be six top-20 state-ranked teams in the field - Colts Neck, RBC, Monsignor Donovan, Howell, Jackson and Freehold Township. There will also be the class of the county champions, Colts Neck's Ashley Higginson and Jackson's Amanda Marino.

"It's going to be an amazing meet," said Banks.

On the boys' side, county champions Jackson and Christian Brothers Academy will clash for conference bragging rights with Colts Neck, which has the state's best harrier and pre-race favorite, Craig Forys, in the mix.