By Bob Badders - Senior Writer
E-mail: badders@digitalsports.com



    MANALAPAN -- The question is asked almost every season: Will this be the year someone finally knocks off Christian Brothers Academy's cross country team?
    Since 1973 the answer has been a resounding no, and after Tuesday's Shore Conference Class A North tri-meet with Manalapan and Colts Neck, CBA has turned away yet another group of would-be challengers.
    By defeating the Cougars, 25-36, and the Braves, 20-42, the Colts extended their national record for consecutive dual meet victories to 293. Manalapan senior Robby Andrews placed first in 16:13 on the Manalapan high school course that spans the perimeter of the school grounds. Senior Mark Leininger and sophomore Mark O'Dowd of Colts Neck placed second and third, respectively, but a six-pack of CBA runners each crossed the line from fourth to ninth place in 16:54 to close out another dual meet victory.
    "I didn't want (the streak) going down my senior year so we went out there and did what we had to do," said senior Dennis Smith, who was in the pack of six that won both races for the Colts. "You know 34 years of guys are rooting for you every race and you don't want to let them down."
    The last time CBA lost a dual meet was on October 25, 1973. Raritan defeated the Colts, 15-49, taking the top six spots. CBA's Richie Desmond was seventh. Since then it has gone exactly as it did on Tuesday. Many teams have felt they had a legitimate chance to make history, but none have been able to deliver like the Colts. Over the years CBA has had many standout runners and always plenty of depth. As the streak has grown, so has each runners' passion to uphold it.
    "It definitely feels great to continue 30-plus years of tradition," said Colts senior Brendan Swan. "It's great to be part of something unique. As you get older in the program you realize how important it is."
    "We get it done every time," Smith said. "When we really need to, we make sure we run hard because we know what we have to lose."
    Although it did not have a national record at riding on it, the third score of the day was certainly significant. Colts Neck, thought to be the main challenger to CBA, was upended by Manalapan, 27-28. The Braves now have an inside track at their second straight Class A North public division title.
    "No one really counted on us in this race but it's been a goal for us to repeat," said Andrews, who is the top returning finisher in the state from last season's Meet of Champions. "We're all really psyched about the win."