What's New

October10,2009                                                                                                                       Edition No. 9

The Eagle Harrier

Strong Effort at Vanny!  

# 1 State Ranking Again for JE

Bronx, N.Y. - The Manhattan College Cross Country Invitational is billed as the ‘nation's biggest and best'.  After competing in this weekend's Manhattan race, you'll get no argument from any of the JE Eagle harriers.  At Manhattan this year were over 350 schools, 550 teams, over 10,000 runners, and 13 states & Canada represented.

     Entering into Saturday's race, it was clear that JE would have its hands full with the twelve N.Y. state-ranked teams that were in their race, along with a hand full of other unknowns from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Virginia, and Delaware.  By the luck of the draw, JE had been placed in the toughest of Manhattan's eight varsity boys races.  "Geez Coach, for the third year in-a-row we get the stinkin' fastest kid in the nation in our race" said senior Mike Marrero, "what's up with this"?  Marrero was referring to West Windsor-Plainsboro North's (New Jersey) Rosa twins.  Joe Rosa of WW-Plainsboro is the number-one ranked runner in the nation.  "A top ten finish in this race, on this course, without regard to the size of the school entered would be a tremendous achievement" said JE coach Roman.  "Anything close to a top ten would hover near greatness".

     Well, the Eagles from JE not only were a top-ten team, but they were (ONCE AGAIN) just one-point from the top five of the race - with an incredible score of 194 points.  The top five finishing squads would win a team award and JE was just a single point from this coveted position.  W.W. - Plainsboro would win the race after their top three runners unbelievably finished 1 - 2- 3.  Joe Rosa broke the course record as well by finishing the 2.5 mile course in 12 minutes and 3.7 seconds.  Jim Rosa finished in 12.08.  The next five teams would be ranked in the top of New York State: 11^th ranked Class AA power Cicero-North Syracuse H.S. was 2^nd with 136 points,  12^th ranked Class AA Washingtonville was 3^rd (153), 4^th ranked Class B power Bayport-Bluepoint Long Island was 4^th with 172 points, and Horace Greeley H.S. - 5^th in Class A was 5^th with 193 points.  Number one ranked Class C power JE was 6^th with 194 points.  Behind the Eagles were Class AA state ranked power Saratoga H.S. (195), Merrimack, New Hampshire (202), Joseph by-the-sea (4^th in CHSAA) - 227, St. John the Baptist (7^th in CHSAA) - 255, and Kellenberg H.S. (8^th in CHSAA) - 271.  J-E was the 25^th fastest school on the day in the merged results out of over 350 schools and 10,000 runners.

     "This was the second fastest JE team ever" said Roman, we are faster than the 1987 team which took a team award and finished runner-up in the State Meet that year".  Although the squad did not reach its goal of securing a team award, the 6^th place finish was the third-best ever for a JE team in New York City.  "These one-point losses are going to kill me" said Coach Roman.  "What was worst of all, was Horace Greeley's number one man squeaked by both Cody and Mike RIGHT at the finish line".  "Had the boys kept their spots as I was screaming for them to do, we get the team award and would literally be able to fly back to J-E with the enthusiasm of the achievement".  "It goes to show you that even your top runners have to close the deal".  Stanton become the 3^rd fastest all time for J-E and Marrero is the 4^th fastest. 

     Seniors Cody Stanton and Mike Marrero just missed being the fastest top two runners by combined time in JE cross country history.  Both Stanton and Marrero ran 13.12 over the famed Van Cortlandt Park 2.5 mile course, finishing consecutively in 13^th and 14^th places.  Only Jeremy Cornue and Rob Boucheron from the 1998 State Championship team combined for a faster time (12.59 and 13.18).  "I know Cody and Mike are disappointed for not breaking Cornue's record on this course" said Roman, "but they ran strong, and the course really wasn't running that fast today, well, except for the Rosa brothers".  Greg Bader was pleased that he broke the 14 minute barrier on the course, finishing in 34^th place (13.50).  In the process, Bader became the 17^th fastest runner ever at Van Cortlandt.

     Mountain-man Steve Slonosky and Tom Poppe rounded out the Eagles' scoring.  Slonosky was 60^th (14.21) and Poppe was 73^rd (14.32).  Both received medals for their performances.

     Mitch Alpha took the most time off his 2008 race and was J-E's sixth man.  Alpha was 86^th (14.45), forty-one seconds faster than 2008, but slightly disappointed to be the only member of the squad not to get a medal.

     All time fastest JE teams at Van Cortlandt Park:

            Pl - Year         Time                Post-Season Results

            1^st - 1998        68.05               New York State Champions

            2^nd - 2009        69.07               ????

            3^rd - 1987        69.28               2^nd in New York State Meet

            4^th - 1997        69.29               6^th in New York State Meet

            5^th - 2008        71.05               Section III Class C Champs

            6^th - 1988        71.45               2^nd in Section III Class B  

    J-E's Junior Varsity squad also did well in their competition by finishing in 15^th place out of 26 complete teams.  JE scored 430 points with Carlin Coomey leading the way in 55^th place (15.16).  Derrick Cheney and Jack Gugel were just behind Coomey in 65^th and 72^nd places respectively.  Cheney ran 15.25 and Gugel was clocked at 15.33.  Both Coomey and Cheney took time off their 2008 times.

Gugel didn't look very happy finishing his race, although the award medal for being in the top 75 seemed to brighten his mood.  "First, I was thrown into the trees by some behemoth, then I was blocked from passing by some fat guys" said Gugel.  "I had my problems out there".

Robby "Rosa" Patterson was JE's 4^th man and finished in 105^th place (16.13), 27 seconds faster than 2008.  Freshman Jared Bard was JE's fifth man in 159^th place (17.46) and Billy Direnzo was 166^th place (18.27).