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SHORE LOOKS GOOD - Boys XC Meet of Champs
Andrew Brodeur, Ray Coles and Robby Andrews all snagged top four finishes at the Boys XC MOC, while CBA placed second as a team.
Published: 11/17/2007
By - Scott Clayton - Senior Staff Writer
HOLMDEL - Entering the season, such a finish would not seem all that unlikely. Coming off of last week's NJSIAA Group Cross Country Championships, however, it was hard to imagine a scenario in which Brick Memorial's Andrew Brodeur (second in Group IV), Monsignor Donovan's Ray Coles (third in Non-Public A) and Manalapan's Robby Andrews (fifth in Group IV) could all earn top-four finishes at the Meet of Champions.
The task seemed especially daunting since Brian Leung of West Windsor-Plainsboro South and Doug Smith of Gill-St. Bernards had so firmly established themselves as co-favorites for the race.
When Smith dropped out of the race in 'The Bowl,' however, the Shore's finest were there to take advantage.
Brodeur, who has given Holmdel Park his best shot nearly a dozen times over his four-year career, finally broke the 16-minute barrier, finishing second to Leung in 15:51. Coles hit 16 minutes on the nose for third, while Andrews also ran a personal best of 16:02 for fourth. Christian Brothers Academy placed second in the team battle, won decisively by Don Bosco Prep. It was the 26th top-five showing for the Colts, according to coach Tom Heath. Defending champion Jackson also reached the podium with a sixth-place showing.
"I was about to go down 'The Bowl' and I passed Doug Smith and I thought it was wide-open now for second," Brodeur said. "It was a great race for the Shore. Leung was destroying us, come on now, give me a break."
Leung's time of 15:33 is the fifth-best in state history. Brodeur tied four other runners, including 2006 Manasquan graduate Owen Boyle, for 33rd all-time.
A pack of four, including Smith, Leung, Brodeur and Franklin's Jermaine Coore separated early from the chasers. By three-quarters of a mile, the gap opened up to more than 50 meters back to fifth-place. While Coles and Andrews made the most out of that tactic, Brodeur felt good about sticking his nose in with the title contenders.
"I figured it was about time I go out a little faster at this place," Brodeur said. "That's where I can get some seconds. I went out about 10 seconds faster and I finished nine seconds under my goal.
"I knew they were coming up on me," Brodeur added. "My coach told me, 'Ray Coles is catching up, you'd better look out.' I thought, wow, that's great for Ray."
"I was thinking I would just lay it back with the chase pack and see what happened from there," Coles said. "I passed a lot of people from the three-quarter mark to the two-mile."
According to his teammates stationed at the two-mile post, Andrews passed that point in 15th place, using his trademark finishing speed to make up ground down the remaining hills.
"After the second mile I got re-energized after 'The Bowl'," Andrews said. "But then I started feeling good around the tennis courts and started pounding away. It felt amazing, that was the best feeling ever."
Andrews will be the top returner in the state next year from this race, although Smith, who ran 15:43 to win the Non-Public B race a week ago, is also a junior. Coles' teammate George Johnson placed 10th and was the fourth local across the line, helping the Griffins to an eighth-place team showing. Jackson's Austin Santillo (14th, 16:13) and Colts Neck's Mark Leininger (20th, 16:22) also earned top-20 showings.
CBA was just 16 points back of Don Bosco in the Non-Public A race a week ago, but unlike last year, when a subpar showing from the Ironmen helped Jackson walk away with the title, Bosco came ready to perform on Saturday, averaging 16:25.8 and scoring just 69 points, 81 less than the Colts.
"We can't control them," Heath said. "They didn't run last week's race. They ran this week's race."
The Colts, meanwhile, did what they do best, putting five runners across the line in a 19-second span to edge the six other teams that all averaged sub-17 minutes.
"We definitely came in here thinking we had the possibility to win," CBA's top runner, Vin Ferrer, said. "Things always happen at the MOC so you never count any one team out."
Click here for full results.
E-mail: clayton@digitalsports.com
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