Opening weekend outstanding for local runners
Planer, Byrnes, Ullmeyer are victorious
VERONICA YANKOWSKI Freehold Township’s Jen Gaffey tries to keep pace with Red Bank Catholic’s Kelly Byrnes at Saturday’s Shore Coaches Battle of Monmouth meet at Battlefield State Park in Manalapan.
Cross country’s first big weekend was just that, big for local harriers, as the area saw winners at three different venues.
Red Bank Catholic’s Kelly Byrnes signaled that she is back to the form that made her one of the Shore’s best distance runners as a sophomore by winning the Shore Coaches Battle of Monmouth Senior Division race in Manalapan.
Up in Elizabeth at the venerable Warinanco Park, Rumson-Fair Haven’s Christy Planer was impressive in winning the Senior Division race. Closer to home, Shore Regional’s Julie Ullmeyer won the Monmouth University Invitational.
For Byrnes, victory at Battle of Monmouth was sweet revenge. It was at this race last year, held at the Battlefield State Park, when she first began feeling the affects of what was ultimately diagnosed as anemia. The illness cost her the rest of the cross country season, as well as the indoor and outdoor track seasons.
In August, it was discovered that the RBC runner was anemic. She began taking iron supplements and before long she began feeling like her old self. She was no longer tired during her training runs and her legs were no longer cramping. She was back.
Saturday’s Battle of Monmouth was her first test in a year.
"I was a little nervous," Byrnes admitted. "I felt good, but I didn’t know if I had forgotten how to race."
She hadn’t. Freehold Township’s Jen Gaffey surprised Byrnes and everyone else in the senior race by pushing the first mile hard, in 5:55.
"After Jen ran that 5:55, I was thinking ‘what’s next?’" she recalled.
What was next was Byrnes, calling on her racing instincts, ran stride-for-stride with the Patriot runner and near the halfway point of the race put on her own surge, leaving Gaffey behind.
Byrnes then had a solo run to the finish line, posting a 20:25.9 for the 5K run.
McCudden, running her own race behind her teammate, would eventually catch Gaffey and finish second (20:59.9).
"The support of my teammates has been important," Byrnes noted. "I’m happy that I’m back and that I’m able to help the team."
McCudden had her breakthrough race at the Battle of Monmouth last year, winning the junior race. Her performance behind Byrnes Saturday is an indication that she is going to be a factor throughout the season.
"I want to pick up where I left off last year and continue to improve and get better," McCudden said.
RBC ran the senior race without Julia Barker, who is still recovering from a broken collarbone. Had she run, the Caseys would have certainly won the team title.
Overall, it was a good meet for the Caseys. They won the Sophomore Division with 15 points, led by the fourth-place finish of Jackie Sargenti (21:43.7). Annie Barker was right behind in fifth (22:03.7), and Alyse Jensen rounded out the three-runner team scoring with her seventh place (22:45.6).
In the Junior Division, the Caseys were nipped by Ridge, 25-29. Emily Gross was first across the line for RBC in fifth place (21:28.6).
RBC’s freshman effort was led by Lindsey Canning, who was sixth in the two-mile race (13:35.8).
At Warinanco Park, Planer cranked out the fastest time of the day over the 3.2-mile course, 19:37.9, in winning the Senior Division race at the Bernie Magee New Jersey Catholic Track Conference Cross Country Invitational. Planer, who figures to be a contender for all the major titles this fall, turned in a faster time than she did last year when she won the Junior Division race at this class meet. The hard-working Planer has a solid base under her belt following a productive summer of training. She has already run a 20:06 at Holmdel Park (in a dual meet).
Planer’s win and Caitlin Moscatello’s ninth place (21:40.21) helped Rumson win the senior team championship.
The Bulldogs’ Andy Shakey picked up the first invitational win of his career by capturing the Freshman Division race in 12:27.21. The freshman ran a 3,600-meter course.
Middletown’s Tatum Park was the site for the Monmouth University Cross Country Invitational. Ullmeyer, last year’s cross country star who is coming back from injury herself (bursitis in her hip), won the Small School’s race in 14:35.5. Her teammates Teresa Mancini (15:34.2) and Ali Major (15:37.7) were 11th and 14th, helping the Blue Devil girls win the team title.
Shore’s boys matched the girls by winning the team title in the Small Division, too. Mark Altenau led the Blue Devils with his second-place finish (11:54.9) in back of Toms River North’s Peter Hess (11:41.1). Also placing high for the Blue Devils was Tom Dunphy (12:43.2).
RBC’s Matt Piccarello finished third overall in the boys’ race in 12:05.2.
Everyone will be heading for Warinanco Park on Saturday for the Stewart Invitational. This is a class meet.