Jensen sets meet record at Battle of Monmouth
Payan wins Junior
Division race
Ty Jensen’s cross country season got off to a quick start. The Marlboro High School senior won the Battle of Monmouth Senior Division race in a meet record 16:21.50 Saturday.
It was the kind of start that Jensen, who has high expectations for the season, was looking for.
"I ran faster than I thought I would," he said. "I felt good throughout the race. It didn’t feel as hard as I thought it would."
Jensen finished the 1999 cross country season by placing eighth at the Meet of Champions and earning himself all-state recognition.
As one of the highest returning finishers from that race, Jensen is expected to compete for major titles this fall. It is nothing new for Jensen, who was in the thick of the big races last year.
And as far as expectations, no one’s are higher than his.
"My goal is to go undefeated," he said. "There is a lot of competition out there, but I’m not going to concede to any one runner."
Jensen doesn’t mind the pressure that goes with being the runner to beat. He even sees an advantage in it.
"I like being a front-runner," he explained. "I don’t mind having everyone gunning for you. I think there is a little fear there on their part. I know last year when I was racing Walton (Kingsbery), I kept thinking, ‘When is he going to go, when is he going to pull away?’ "
After a summer of training at 7,000-foot altitude in Wyoming (he spent the summer at his sister Jamie Pearson’s house) and attending the Brigham Young University Cross Country Camp, Jensen returned to Marlboro a stronger, faster and more confident runner.
"When I came home, the first runs that I did felt like I was running downhill," he said.
The early season workouts were much quicker than ever before. He was ready and his first test would be the Battle of Monmouth at Battlefield State Park in Manalapan. He had run the Junior Division race last year in 17:07.
Jensen’s goal of an undefeated season almost came apart in the first race of the season as Southern’s Vinnie Zarrillo gave Jensen all that he wanted. Jensen went out fast like he planned, but had unexpected company for most of the race.
"I thought I’d lose him earlier," said Jensen. "He really hung on. With a mile left, I could tell by his breathing that he was tiring. With 700 meters to go, I decided to make a surge and he wasn’t able to go with me."
As Jensen cruised to the finish line alone, Zarrillo’s challenge had led him not only to his fastest race at Battlefield Park, but also to a new course record.
He shattered the old mark of Manchester’s Ian Holm (16:41) in 1996 by 20 seconds. Zarrillo was also under the old mark with his 16:30.10.
"It helped that he (Zarrillo) was with me for so long," noted Jensen.
The win also answered any doubts about Jensen running alone. Throughout his career he had Nick Pellegrino (now running for Monmouth University in West Long Branch) to chase after. Now, he’s on his own.
"Last year, every race was a race between us," Jensen pointed out. "It was up for grabs every time. I liked having him there. It will be different this year, but I know I can run alone."
Along with his goal of going undefeated, Jensen is looking to run under 16:00 at Holmdel Park. It’s a very formidable mark that has remained elusive to all but a handful of outstanding scholastic runners over the years. Only one runner in Freehold District history, Manalapan’s Tom Fischer (15:41), has been under 16:00.
While Jensen was getting his year off to a flying start, one of the runners who figures to push him during the season, Colts Neck’s Israel Payan, was also winning.
Payan won the Junior Division race in 17:00.80, outlasting Monmouth Region-al’s Erik Brown (17:07). Payan, who won the Central Jersey Group I title last year, should be one of the Shore’s best harriers this fall with a chance to be a contender for state honors. Payan’s time was the sixth best of the day for all the divisions.
With Jorge Ventura running a 17:47.90 and finishing eighth, Colts Neck was second to South Brunswick, 16-26, in the team competition. The Cougar boys have the chance to contend for state sectional honors later in the season.
Colts Neck’s Ashley Liberatore was the top runner among the girls. She finished ahead of Freehold Township’s Jen Gaffey in the Junior Division. Liberatore ran a 21:01.50 for third place with Gaffey in fourth (21:08.10). Liberatore’s mark was the fifth best of the day in all the divisions with Gaffey’s time coming seventh.
With Diana Dierksen taking fifth (21:34.80) and Ashley McHugh (21:54.10), sixth, Freehold Township’s girls were second in the junior competition to state power Red Bank Catholic, 32-40. RBC’s Mary McCudden (20:45.20) won the race in the best time of the day.
The Lady Pats’ effort there, plus Kristen Alberts’ 22:18.00 for sixth place in the Senior Division race, indicates that they will again be one of the Shore’s best teams. Alberts’ time was 20th best.
Manalapan’s Laura Little ran a 22:06.70 for eighth in the junior race. Her time was the 17th best overall.
Led by Michael St. George’s third place (13:51), Manalapan won the Boys Freshman Division with 16 points.
The next big race on the calendar is the Stewart Memorial at Warinanco Park, Elizabeth, on Sept. 30.
The next week, Oct. 7, the first big test of the season, the Shore Coaches Invitational will be held at Holmdel Park, site of the state championships.
For the first time all of the top teams and runners from the state will compete and get to compare times at Holmdel.

