Hornets’ Segal races to a win at Stewart Invitational
Middletown South girls take team title
VERONICA YANKOWSKI Middletown North’s Jon Monigan (r) and Howell’s Dave Calpini go for the ball during a game in Howell on Friday.
Craig Segal admits that he can be a little impatient when it comes to racing.
At times, that impatience has gotten the Holmdel High School runner into trouble. And there are times, like Saturday’s Stewart Invitational at Warninanco Park in Elizabeth, when that little something inside him tells him to take off, and it works.
Segal used a midrace surge to run away from Cranford’s K.C. Brown and impressively win the B Division race in the fastest time of the day on the 3.2-mile looping course, 16:20.83.
"My coach Bill Loughran has been teaching me to be more patient, to sit back more," Segal remarked. "I get too anxious during a race."
Segal said he felt that anxiety against Brown when the two of them passed the first mile running together. As they began the second loop of the course (which ends on a track), Segal had had enough.
"I threw in a surge around the mile-and-one-half mark and broke away," recalled Segal.
The race ends on the track and Segal said it felt like track season as he crossed the finish line well in front of Brown, who was 25 seconds behind.
Track brought back fond memories for Segal, because it was at the state meets last year that the Hornet senior enjoyed his big breakthrough. He lowered his personal best in the 3,200 meters from 10:07 to 9:17, nearly capturing the Group II state title.
"The track season left me with some unfinished business," said Segal. "It was my motivation for the cross-country season."
Segal put in more miles than ever this summer, as he looked to pick up where he left off in track.
All the hard work had an immediate impact when Segal ran his preseason time trial over the school’s 2-mile course in 10:45, a full 1:10 faster than in 2000. That was followed by a pb 16:30 at Holmdel Park which represented a 24-second improvement for him.
Segal doesn’t like being in the limelight. But it can’t be avoided when you’re running fast times and winning major races like the Stewart Invitational.
Saturday, Segal will look to add another big race to his collection when the cross-country scene shifts to Holmdel Park for the Shore Coaches Invitational.
In the team competition, the Hornets were second to Red Bank Regional, 72-106. St. John Vianney’s Victor Vientos was eighth (17:11.89).
The big meets are coming up and Middletown South’s girls let everyone know that they are going to be contenders every time out. The Eagles, paced by Nicole Lombardy, won the A Division crown over fellow state power, Hunterdon Central, 86-101.
Lombardy posted a 19:55.04 and took second to Columbia’s Courtney Epps (19:50.67).
Making the Eagle effort more noteworthy was the fact that they ran without Kolleen McCauley, who has been their No. 3 runner.
Mater Dei also left Warninanco with a championship. The Seraph girls took the C Division, 72-89 over Montgomery.
Leading the way for Mater Dei was Jen Michal, who ran second to Cari Ann Gerbino of Glen Ridge (21:37.7-21:42.75).
Also placing high for the Seraphs were Colleen Dobson (22:29.66) and Laura Dolan (22:59.38), who were seventh and ninth, respectively.
St. John Vianney’s Laura Carpenter was seventh in the B Division (20:41.5) and Holmdel’s Ashley Folchetti was 10th (20:46.8).