ED GRANT'S REPORT ON THE MEET OF CHAMPS

                      Melanie Thompson of Voorhees announced that she has hung up her basketball shoes after scoring a stunning 
upset of Jillian Smith of Southern Ocean Regional in the New Jersey all-group cross-country championships on Saturday at 
Holmdel County Park.

                        It was not so much that Thompson won the race as the way she did it, outkicking Smith, a 56-second 400-meter 
relay runner, in the final drive to the finish line after coming out of the woods. Pre-race speculations had Smith a sure winner if she 
was close to any of her rivals in that final 200 meters, but Thompson—who had run third for much of the race behind Smith and 
third-place finisher Chelsea Ley of Kingaway—shattered that theory.

                        All three girls finished the hilly 5K layout under 18:10, taking the 8th, 9th and 10th places on the all-time Holmdel 
list, which is still headed by the 17:35.5 run by 1983 national Champion Janet Smith of North Edison. Thompson clocked 18:03, 
Smith 18:03 and Ley 18:08. And they will do it all over again next year since the first two are juniors and Ley only a sophomore. 
(Smith holds that class record with her 1981 all-group victory at 18:01.5.)

                        Thompson, who has been a starter with the Voorhees basketball team as a freshman and sophomore, will now devote 
herself exclusively to what looks like a very promising running career. She led her team to its first all-group title, 60-122, over Roxbury, 
as well as a new team average mark of 19:01 and, this coming weekend, will skip individual efforts at the Northeast Footlocker Trials 
to lead the Vikings in the national team qualifying meet at New York’s Bowdoin Park where Voorhees won a preliminary meet in September.

                        This will leave Smith to head the New Jersey entry at Van Cortlandt Park with Ley and fourth-place Katie McCafferty 
of Oak Knoll following. The New Jersey crew will be a strong one overall as most of the other girls who finished at 18:50 or below should 
also be present.

Just as the Manhattan Invitational battle between Doug Smith of Gill St. Bernard’s and Brandon Jarrett of St. Benedict’s had fizzled last 
month when Jarrett dropped out at the mile mark, so did Smith’s meeting with Manhattan leader Brian Leung of West Windsor-Plainsboro 
South bomb out with Doug cutting off his race in the bowl after running with Leung for the first half of the race. (Jarrett, of course, was not 
on hand since St. Benedict’s is only an affiliate member of the state association.)

                   Leung was thus an easy winner over Andrew Brodeur of Brick Memorial in 15:33, his fastest of three wins at Holmdel this 
year and fifth best in course history, right behind 1991 national champ Brendan Heffernan of North Hunterdon. Third in this race was a
real surprise, Ryan Coles of Msgr. Donovan, who had finished in that same position a week earlier in the Parochial A meet.

                   With Smith a very doubtful starter this weekend, it will be up to Leung and Jarrett to carry the Garden State banner at the 
Footlocker Trials. They last met at this meet a year ago with Jarrett placing eighth to qualify for the Nationals (there he placed 12th) and 
Leung 36th. Needless to say it should be a lot closer this time with the definite possibility of a 1-2 finish. Aside from Jarrett’s mishap at 
the Manhattan meet, both are undefeated this season.

                   Don Bosco will join Voorhees at the team trials after scoring a smashing 69-150 defeat of Christian Brothers in the all-group 
boys’ race. The Ironmen, who last won this one in 1992, had the 11th best all-time performance at Holmdel with a 16:25.8 average, led by
 junior Bob Molke in 8th place at 16:08. The victory concluded an undefeated campaign for the Don Bosco varsity—its only “loss” coming 
in the New Jersey Catholic Track Conference meet where it held out its top seven. 

                   The very young Haddonfield team was a close third in this one, with three sophomores and a freshman in its top five. It may 
have to wait another year to take over the top position, however, as four of Don Bosco’s top six return, two of them also sops, Rafael Vargas, 
who was the fifth man over for the Ironmen in in 16:42, and Howard Rosas, who finished in 17:01. 

                   Voorhees has just three of its top five returning and a big gap to its other runners. Roxbury loses its top pair of Laure Penney and 
Ashley Cromartie, but could get a boost if Ariann Neutts decides to return after playing soccer this fall. The team to watch, however, may be 
Toms River North which finished fifth with four freshmen and a junior in its lineup.

                                    Even with Smith dropping out, there was an unusual number of underclassmen in the top ranks of the boys’ race led 
by juniors Robby Andrews of Manalapan and Brett Johnson of Ocean City who finished 4-5. Molke was the third junior in the top 10 and Jon 
Vitez of Haddonfield led the sophs in 12th at 16:12. Freshman Joseph Rosa of West Windsor-Plainsboro North continued his fine season, 
placing 16th in 16:18, while his win, James, who has been battling Lyme disease all season, ran 17:17.     

                                           

  BOYS                                                                        

                                         

  1. Don Bosco                                                                                

  2. Christian Brothers                                                                     

  3. Haddonfield                                                                              

  4. Millburn                                                                                     

  5. West Windsor-Plainsboro North                                              

  6. Jackson                                                                                     

  7. West Windsor-Plainsboro South                                            

  8. Msgr. Donovan                                                                                                                                                             

  9. Cherokee                                                                                   

  10. Old Bridge                                                                               

 

  GIRLS

                                         

1. Voorhees

2. Roxbury

3. Ridge

4. Immaculate Heart Academy

5. Toms River North

6. Red Bank Catholic

7. Msgr. Donovan

8. Haddonfield                                                                                    

9.  Colts Neck

10. Southern Ocean