Cross Country Team Ready to Rumble

The Cranford High School cross-country team has been logging plenty of miles – hoping to build on the success of last fall when the boys team captured the North II, Group 2 Sectional title. Head coach John Schiano is hoping for similar success.

"Winning sectionals last year was the proudest moment of my coaching career," said Schiano. "The boys' worked hard and earned every bit of that title. They will remember that day for the rest of their lives."

Despite losing many valuable seniors to graduation, the boys' team remains focused. The Cougars are led by junior Eli Howard, who has become one of Union County's top runners – and according to Schiano --  is in phenomenal shape. 

"He could break 17 minutes this year," noted Schiano. "Sophomore Tom Feeney and Junior Mike Zanfardino have made huge strides and look to be major contributors this year. Mike Cassidy and Billy Haussner are our senior captains and provide valuable leadership and experience."

Also look for Paul Cassaro, Kevin Swan, Carl Lieberman, and Liam Laverty – who all have varsity experience and add to the team's overall depth. Newcomers Connor McMahon, Zach Fitzgerald, Jimmy Sweeney, Brendan Donovan and Tom Philip give Cranford a young core which will strengthen the team for years to come. 

And while the boys do not have one standout superstar – they will instead continue to attack as they did last year – by using their depth.

Meanwhile, the girls' team did not graduate any seniors and look to build on last year's success as well.

The girls placed second in the conference and county, and placed fourth at sectionals to qualify for the State Group meet. This year they will be trying to catch talent-laden Summit. The Lady Hilltoppers are the returning conference and county champions and everyone in the area will be chasing them. 

Bridget and Veronica Miller bring 4]four years of varsity experience and leadership, while Megan Byrnes looks to have a breakout season in her second year of cross-country. Katia Oltmann, Rebecca Hanke, and Christine Albert all bring valuable experience and add to Cranford's depth. 

The Lady Cougars have some new faces – which could make Cranford even more difficult to deal with in the bigger events. And Schiano couldn't be happier.

"Track sprinters Rebecca Shimonov, Kate Evans, Megan Schetelich, Devon Cacchione, Gillian Burke, and Natalie Englese are all trying cross-country for the first time in order to improve their strength and conditioning," Schiano said. "The girls' team is deeper than they have been in years, and we look to make some noise in the county and sectional events."

Schiano, who also coaches winter and spring track -- is in his seventh year coaching cross-country -- his second as head coach. His assistant is Galen Johnson, a graduate of South Plainfield HS and the College of New Jersey, has been a important addition.

"Galen brings a fresh and valuable perspective to the program. His invaluable knowledge of top level college programs allows us to design dynamic workouts for the kids which have made them stronger and faster. We always bounce ideas off of each other and work together with the same goal in mind – team success. His positive attitude and sense of humor are what make a very difficult sport a lot of fun for the kids."

As for the team goals, some things never change. 

"Our goals are the same year in and year out: win conference, win sectionals, and qualify for Meet of Champions," noted Schiano. "The kids have set the bar high and have worked hard all summer and throughout the season in order to achieve their goals. We are off to a solid start but we know this is a long season and have to be ready for the big championship meets (conference, county, sectionals) in October and November. One thing about these athletes is that they require very little motivation. They know what their goals are and they unquestioningly put in the work needed to achieve those goals."

Schiano considers cross country the ultimate team sport. And he's always looking for newcomers to the sport.

"You cannot win with only one or two individual superstars -- only by working together as a team can you be successful," Schaino said. "If you are an incoming freshman, have been cut by another team, or are just looking to stay in shape for another sport, feel free to give cross-country a try. We have a great group of kids and a history of team success."