First-ever division title
for 7-0 Howell girls
Rebels end perfect season;
VERONICA YANKOWSKI Howell’s Jessica Hoffman is just one of several budding harriers for the Rebels this year in what has become a banner season.
win A North x-country title
First-ever division title
for 7-0 Howell girls
By tim morris
Staff Writer
The firsts continue for the Howell High School girls’ cross country team.
With last Thursday’s 15-43 dual meet win over Marlboro at the Manasquan Reservoir, the Rebels completed a perfect season (7-0) and captured their first-ever Shore Conference A North Division title. That comes on the heels of the team’s first Freehold Regional District championship earlier in the month.
Senior captain Leslie Holleran was fittingly the first across the line, completing the 3.1-mile course in 20:17. She was followed by Kellee Hand (20:18), Heather Garleb (20:19), Jessica Hoffman (20:20:20) and Jamie Theriault (21:03) as the Rebels put an exclamation point on their finest season.
Coach John Hein said that the season-long A North title was even more impressive that the team’s breakthrough Freehold District triumph.
"A North means more because it was a team effort all year," he pointed out. "Different runners have shone for us. There is very little ego on the team."
Despite having had individual champions in Lindsey Gallo (the District’s finest harrier) and Sandy Cook, Howell had no real cross country tradition whatsoever before the 2002 season. Now, they stand on the precipice of something big.
It started subtly enough last year, when Holleran and Garleb began putting together some impressive races.
"Leslie and Heather were the trailblazers," noted Hein. "They are the key to the change in the mentality. The girls are serious and they train hard.
"Leslie, as a captain, has been the glue," he added. "She ran the captain practices during the summer and helped get some of the girls to join the team. It’s nice to see her and the other seniors go out on top."
The Rebels had a solid returning nucleus with Holleran, Garleb and Kristen Caburis. Add to the mix freshman star Hand and another impact frosh, Theriault, plus junior Hoffman, who ran the 3,200 meters in track and decided give cross country a try for the first time this fall, and the Rebels are a team with an outstanding present and a very bright future.
When the team first assembled in the summer, Hein had no way of knowing just how bright a future his team had and how quickly it would come.
"We didn’t know what to expect," recalled Hein. "When we beat Manalapan early on, a team we haven’t beaten before, we were sure that we could win the division."
Hand and Hoffman have stepped to the front of the class. Hand won the Freehold District title, joining Gallo as the only frosh to win it, and backed it up with a third place at the Monmouth County Championships. She is already the first frosh under 20:00 at Holmdel Park (19:52.6).
"Over the summer Kellee could run with the girls and then, in our first meet when I saw her come around the first turn in the lead I said to myself, ‘We’re on to something,’" said Hein. "She’s very level and down to earth."
Hoffman, like Hand, continues to make dramatic improvement every time she runs Holmdel Park. She ran 10th at the county championships and has gotten under 21:00 (20:31.7). Hein said that it is Hoffman, who hosts the team’s pasta parties, who keeps everything light and produces great camaraderie.
Holleran has continued to improve herself, running a personal best 20:58.1 at the county and placing 15th. Her acceptance of the young freshmen and other newcomers has really set the tone for what is a very tight-knit team.
The same can be said of Garleb, who, as a junior, still has another year to be a part of this team and is getting faster.
Theriault had no cross country background before this season, but that hasn’t prevented the frosh from becoming one of the team’s top five scorers. Like just about everyone else on the team, personal bests follow her every race.
Veteran Caburis, a senior, provides experience and leadership as well.
Senior Jennifer Simester and sophomore Samantha Gabrielli each made their contribution to the perfect dual meet season.
The depth of the Howell team, Hein noted, allowed his top runners to not have to push hard in every dual meet, keeping them fresh for the big meets.
And there are still big meets ahead for the Rebels. On Nov. 2 they will return to Holmdel Park for the Shore Conference Championships. Then, it is on to the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV meet on Nov. 9, also at Holmdel. This meet is now the focus for the Rebels, who would like one more piece of history before this magical season comes to an end.
"We want to go to the Group championships as a team," said Hein.
A top five finish at the Central Jersey sectional will get the Rebels to the Group IV meet on Nov. 16 at Holmdel.