Cross Country Set for Group Finals

The Cranford boys cross-country team has been running with the goal of taking home a state sectional championship, something that had not been done since 2003. They did just that last Saturday in Elizabeth, coming from behind to edge defending champion Chatham for the North Jersey, Section 2 crown.

“The Star-Ledger predicted us to win the section and we thought we were going to win the section,” said John Powasnik. “We have to go in positive or you’re not going to win. You gotta have that mindset. Everyone raced their best.”

“We did not win this race by only having one or two outstanding individual performances," said Cranford coach John Schiano. “The race was won as a team and that made it even sweeter.  Will Smith led the way with a furious kick for a 10th place finish.  Will has been battling various illnesses all season long and this was only his second race back after a month and a half absence.  John Powasnik (12th) and Jeff Sun (14th) have been rock solid all season long. They are the glue that holds this team together.

Trailing by just one point after each team had four runners across, the Cougars took charge thanks to senior Roy Collicchio, who beat Chatham’s fifth man to earn Cranford the 72-80 win.

The road to the top was littered with road bumps, with Collichio battling back from illness, and junior Mike Cassidy finishing 21st while participating with a fractured wrist. Cassidy had slipped on some leaves while running. He was fitted with a cast and wasn't able to run freely or workout for a while.

“Cassidy was a race time decision,” said Schiano. “After testing it out during the warm up, he told me he felt good to go and came through with a monster run.  Colicchio has been battling illness all season long and has yet to return to full strength.  He was clearly hurting during the race but kept on pushing all the way through.  After four runners, Chatham was beating us by one point.  Roy gutted out the last lap on the track to place ahead of Chatham's fifth runner and seal the victory for us.  Without Mike or Roy's performances, we don't win the race.

The sectional title was the seventh overall title in Cranford history and one that will always be remembered.

“Winning sectionals is the highlight of the boys running careers.  I am especially happy for the seniors," Schiano said. "Over the past four years, they have seen the girls win various cross-country and track titles but this was their day in the sun.  They have worked very hard for four years and this is their first real taste of team success.  The smiles on their faces were truly genuine and you could see how caught up in the moment they were.”

Now, with one title under their belt, the boys will look to make even more noise in Saturday’s group meet, where they go in as a team to be reckoned with, Along with Cranford, the Group 2 favorites include Haddonfield, Indian Hills, Wallkill Valley, Red Bank and Delaware Valley.

On the girls’ side, the Lady Cougars are also looking for good results on Saturday. The girls were runner-up to Summit in the county championships on October 29. One of the top girls’ runners is Bridget Miller, who finished the counties in fourth place, the highest of any Lady Cougar. Miller began her track career in sixth grade at the age of 12, and her love for the sport grew even more when she got to high school.

“The girls have been working really hard this year,” said Miller. “We’re looking forward to groups.”

“Bridget Miller has been our ace and did not disappoint with a sixth place finish in the sectionals," said Schiano.  “She races fearlessly and has led this team both on race day and in practice during the week."

There’s a bright future ahead thanks to some talented newcomers.

“Megan Byrnes and Katia Oltmann are first time cross-country runners and continue to gain confidence as they get more of a feel for the sport," Schiano said. "They have been consistently improving all season long.  Their potential for growth is very exciting and bodes well for our team's future.”

With more work to be done this fall, the Cougars hope to have one more big run in them. The NJSIAA championships will be held Saturday at Holmdel Park in Holmdel, with Group 2 set to run at 12:55 p.m.

“At this point, everything else is gravy," Schiano said. “For both the boys and girls, we look to have a strong race in Saturday's group meet.  We look to rebound from a tough race at Holmdel in October at the Shore Coaches meet and finish the season on a high note.”