Irvington Boys Cross-Country Team Looking To Re-Claim Title

Irvington boys cross-country has been handed a torch to carry proudly for the district's fall sports program.

The Bulldogs boys cross-country team, who emerged as a force to reckon with last season, will look to defend their league championship title this year.

On paper though it seems like a rebuilding year.

The Bulldogs lost Westchester County and Section I champion Julian Saliani, who is now a freshman at Johns Hopkins University. 

 The loss of Saliani, who clocked under 16 minutes in the 5K and re-wrote the record books his senior season, creates a gap the team will need to work hard to fill.

 The Bulldogs also lost their reliable second-place finisher Sam Lindberg, along with two others from last year's Sizzling Six. That top-six took the league by storm, dominating across the board and helping Irvington capture first place in League III-C.  

 "We lost a lot, there's definitely been a lot of turnover," said Bulldogs coach Chris Barry. "We obviously don't have the upfront strength that we had last year. But without blowing our horn, I expect us to have a shot at the league championship."

 An infusion of J.V. runners and underclassmen should help pad the loss of the four talented graduates.

Irvington must subscribe to pack running and have consistent fourth and fifth place finishers in the top-14. This will help win dual meets and fend off Rivertowns rivals Hastings and Dobbs Ferry.    

The top runner will be senior Dennis Montaruli, who came into his own last season.

Montaruli, a long-legged harrier with an immense work ethic, broke the 18-minute barrier in the 5K. Given his steady improvement, the pack leader has the potential to shave many seconds off that time and establish a new personal record.

He clocked an 18:20 on the rugged, rock-dotted course at Bowdoin last season.

Barry is aiming to get his top dog underneath 17 minutes, a high-water mark he is confident Montaruli can reach. After watching him cut two minutes off his 5K time from his sophomore year to his junior year, Barry envisions the consistent progress continuing.  

While no runner will come close to matching what Saliani did the past few years, Montaruli's long distance aptitude ranks up there with the elite. He ran a 10:35 two-mile in the at the Section 1 State Qualifier in the spring. He additionally clocked 17:56 in the three-mile run.    

"He works very hard and he's made the most of his talent," said Barry.  "He's a good leader in terms of setting the tone and training."    

Montaruli spent the summer laboring through long, grueling workouts and increasing his stamina and endurance with crossfit workouts.

 Having grown a good deal physically,  Montaruli suddenly finds himself as the incoming golden boy, after emerging into the no.3/no.2 runner last season. He now faces the challenge of taking some ownership of a young, unproven team.

 The young runners show shreds of promise, though most are untested on the big stage.

Sophomore Brett Pastore is projected to run around 18:35-18:40 in the 5K. He held his own as a freshman last season and is now expected to play a more prominent role.

While it's yet to be seen how the top five following Montaruli will pan out, Pastore will is likely to become the Robin to Montaruli's Batman.

Thrust into the mix will be junior Taira Davey--who was impressive at the Green Mountain Lake Invitational last season--and Tom Lindberg.  

 "Tom had a very good spring," explained Barry. "He's one of those kids that I'd say, coming out of the chute in the fall, not many people know about him. He stepped forward big time last fall, as he was the top kid on the JV."    

Other runners Barry expects immediate contributions from are Reid Mitchell and Logan Muise.

Mitchell was running 3.1 mile races in the high 19-minute times last season. The junior showed major strength during spring track season,  clocking a 2:12 in the 800-meter (half-mile) race.    

Muise will be counted on to score points beyond the upfront four. His performance, like many other members of the junior class,  will be crucial for the Bulldogs' success in 2010.  

"I think Hastings is our top challenger," said Barry, while evaluating the landscape of the league. We're not going to dominate the way we did last year.  Hastings and Dobbs Ferry--which has two very good runners at their front--should be significant challengers."

For the Bulldogs, who spent the summer training at the Green Mountain Running Camp, officially started practice last week.