By tim morris
Staff Writer
VERONICA YANKOWSKI Howell’s Kellee Hand continued her string of personal bests at Holmdel Park when she finished third at the Monmouth County Cross Country Championships Oct. 15. The freshman got under 20:00 for the first time, running a 19:52.6 for the 5,000 meters.
Here comes the Howell High School girls’ cross country team. After being relegated to an afterthought in the past, the Rebels are starting to raise some eyebrows around cross country circles.
Four days after winning their first-ever championship, the Freehold Regional District, the Rebels finished fourth at the Monmouth County Championship on Oct. 15 at Holmdel Park. It’s the best finish by any Rebel team and was led by the sensational freshman Kellee Hand, who lowered her personal best over the tough Holmdel Park course to 19:52.6. She is the first freshman to get under 20:00 in district history.
"I’m happy to get under 20:00," Hand said after the race. "I ran my own race today and didn’t go out hard. I ran relaxed.
"I took the downhill in the bowl pretty hard and my recovery out of the bowl wasn’t as good," she added.
As a result, Hand found herself in a duel with Middletown South’s Jaime Liberti and Tina Morrison for third place behind the incomparable Trotter twins, Katy and Amanda, from Red Bank Regional, who ran side-by-side for the 5,000 meters with Katy getting the photo win in 18:40 and Amanda next at 18:40.2.
A very determined Hand said that she was not about to give up her position.
"I knew the Middletown South girls were behind me," she said. "I wanted to hold them off. At the finish I went all-out."
That enabled the freshman to take 20 seconds off her Holmdel Park personal best.
Not far behind Hand, teammate Jessica Hoffman was continuing her own personal-best blitz. She knocked more than 20 seconds off her personal best at the park, finishing 10th in 20:31.7.
Hoffman, a junior, is running cross country for the first time. This was just her third race at Holmdel. She keeps knocking 20 and 30 seconds off her personal best at a clip.
Hoffman, who runs the 3,200 meters for Howell during the track season, said that the Rebel harriers talked her into giving cross country a try, so she traded in her soccer cleats for running flats.
"It’s the best decision I could have made," she said after her 10th place at the county. "I’m still getting used to running the race. I’m still dying at the end. I love this course."
Senior Leslie Holleran continued the Rebel parade, finishing 15th in 29:58.1, a personal best for her as well.
Holleran was the only senior who scored for the Rebels at the county championships.
Heather Garleb, who is a junior, was 41st (21:46.4) and freshman Jamie Theriault, 52nd (22:20.3).
After watching his team win the Freehold District title, coach John Hein said, "This could be the start of something big."
His harriers backed him up with a superb run at the county championships. Their 122 points were just one point behind the state’s most successful girls’ cross country program, Red Bank Catholic, which was third with 121. Middletown South edged Red Bank Regional for the team championship, 87-91.
The next big race for Hand and company is Nov. 2, the Shore Conference Championships back at Holmdel Park. Between now and then, the Rebels will look to lock up the Shore Conference A North Division title, which would be another first for the program.