Cross country next Sunday at Deer Path Park

Published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey

On Sunday, Oct 14, 2018

CROSS COUNTRY NEXT SUNDAY AT DEER PATH PARK

Cross Country racing is in high swing now.  This past Friday I drove over to Central Park to watch high school athletes  race in the Greystone Invitational.  The athletes prefer the new course that was first used in 2017, but I as a spectator I miss the old course that was easier to navigate.

Adult racing will take place in the New Jersey championship cross country 8 kilometer meet next Sunday at Deer Path Park.  The course is a triple loop of the park, which is considered by many to be a classic cross country venue.  The racers start on a baseball field and are quickly out on the paths that ring the former farm fields.  Because of the layout spectators can watch the start and finish, and twice during the race without even moving.

In 2017 the top men were an interesting mix with Joshua Izewski of Doylestown PA in 24:52 running for the Garden State Track Club, with Brian Quilty of Glassboro next in 25:14 running for the Breakneck Track Club, and he was followed in by Justin Scheid of Succasunna, running for the Shore Athletic Club in 25:19.  Kristin Andrews of Manalapan was the women’s winner finishing over a minute ahead of any other woman in 29:12.

The team grand prix has been updated after the masters men’s 5k championship and the Garden State team leads in the M40 division with the Garmin Runners only six points back – 104 to 98 points.  The Shore AC is in third but well out of the race.  The real contest is between Shore and Garden State’s B team and the Clifton Road Runners separated by less than ten points.

Those four clubs are the leaders in the M50 division with Garmin Runners in first and fourteen points ahead of Garden State in second.  Clifton and Shore are well off in third and fourth respectively.

In the M60 division the Shore’s A team is leading Clifton 66 to 53, with the Fleet Feet Essex club in third with 48 points.  The Clifton M70 team has a probably insurmountable lead over the North Jersey Masters.

Masters women will have their 5K championship in November which means their scoring opportunities have not been all reached.  The masters women’s contests are very differint than on the men’s side.  The Clifton Running Club leads in the W40 with the Garmin Runners next and the Garden State New Balance team in third with the Raritan Valley Road Runners women in fourth place.

Clifton has the lead also in the W50 division with a tie for second between the Garmin women and the Raritan Valley club.   The North Jersey masters lead the W60 with another tie for second, this time between the Clifton runners and Raritan Valley’s A team.  The Morris County Striders crack W70 team cannot be beat but their W80 team must compete in one more race to have their place secured.  The grand prix rules require that a team must compete in a minimum of three races in order to score at the end of the series. 

There is not as much excitement in the open team divisions.  The Garden State Track Club New Balance has the top three spots with the Garmin Runners in fourth and the Freedom Running Club in fifth.  The Breakneck Track Club is returning and can be a spoiler by beating the Garden State team like they did in August at the 5km cross country meet.  Randolph’s Colin Frost will be ready to go for the win he told me, after having to pull out of his Steamtown Marathon debut, due to cramping at mile 19.  He will be well rested by next Sunday and ready to lead his team in.

 In the open women’s division  the Garden State’s team has a substantial lead over the Garmin Runners, who are flanked by the Garden State’s B team.  In the missed-opportunity category is  the Shore Athletic Club that has missed two championships where they might have scored big points and would be in second place instead of fifth.

 LDR MEETING TOMORROW NIGHT

The Long Distance Running Committee will meet Monday night, October 15 at the Madison Y at 7:00 p.m.  This is when people who believe there is a better way to do things present their suggested rule or operation changes for the coming year. 

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