Craig Segal and Christy Planer made the final cross country races of their careers memorable.
Competing in Saturday’s Foot Locker Northeast Regional Qualifier held at Van Cortlandt Park, the Bronx, New York City, the two seniors came up with very strong efforts.
Holmdel High School’s Segal was 22nd in the boys championship race, touring the 5,000-meter VCP course in 16:09.7. Segal finished fourth among the New Jersey harriers, and that made him a part of the New Jersey team that finished second to New York in the team competition. The week before, Segal was eighth at the All-Groups Meet of Champions at Holmdel Park.
New York state’s winning effort was led by the overall winner, Peter Meindl from Orchard Park, who posted a 15:29.3. New Jersey state champion Marc Pelerin was first among the Garden Staters, placing sixth in 15:40.1.
The top eight runners at the qualifier advanced to the Foot Locker National Championships to be held on Dec. 8 at Disney World, Orlando, Fla.
With his 22nd-place finish, Segal made Third Team All-Northeast.
Monmouth Regional senior Erik Brown was 85th (16:50.1) in the race that had 235 finishers.
The Northeast encompasses all of the eastern states from Virginia to Maine.
Rumson-Fair Haven’s Planer was 26th in the girls championship race, clocking a 19:08.5 on the venerable VCP course. She was third among the Garden Staters a week after placing fourth at the New Jersey MOC. The New Jersey girls finished third in the team competition with 102 points behind champion New York (34) and Massachusetts (45).
The Bay State did have the individual champion in Natalie Roetter from Lexington. She ran a fast 17:48.4. New Jersey state champion Lindsay Van Alstin from Hawthorne Christian led the way again for the state runners, taking seventh (18:24.5) and punching her ticket to Disney World.
Middletown South’s Nicole Lombardy also came up with a big effort in her final race. The Eagle senior ran a 19:22.1 and finished 40th overall and fifth among all the state runners.
Red Bank Regional’s Amanda Trotter has been playing soccer all fall, but the state indoor 1,600-meter champion proved that she kept herself racing fit by winning the Junior Girls race in 19:01.
Red Bank Catholic’s Mark Piccarello ran fourth in the Junior Boys event, running a 16:53.2. That race went to Matthew St. James from Rochester, N.Y., in 16:38.3.