Knights face Group challenges along with PHS, South girls
By: Justin Feil
Though the stakes are even higher, and the field that much better, Chris Clark isn’t too nervous about the state Group III meet. And that’s good news for the West Windsor-Plainsboro High North boys’ cross country team.
"We’ve come this far and I think we’ve done a great job," said Clark, the captain of the Knights. "We’re going to try to get to the Meet of Champions, but we’re all really going for personal best times. Personally, I’m not as nervous as I would usually be. And I usually run better when I’m not as nervous."
Clark was just a sophomore the last time the Knights had a team good enough to reach the group meet. After placing fourth in the Central Jersey Group III sectional that year, Clark was the fifth finisher 133rd overall as the Knights finished 14th.
"Back when we went two years ago, I don’t think we thought we could run this well," he said. "I don’t know if we were as mentally prepared as we are now. I was only a sophomore."
Then, he covered the Holmdel Park 5k course in over 20 minutes. He ran it in 18:20 on Saturday as the Knights again were fourth in the CJ III sectional and he was the 32nd individual finisher.
Only the top three teams from each group advance, plus a pair of wild card teams with the best combined times out of the remaining teams. The Princeton High girls will race for a second straight Meet of Champions berth when they take on Group III while the West Windsor-Plainsboro South girls look to advance out of Group IV. WW-P North’s Rebecca Pierson has also qualified as an individual. The Knights are the only Packet-area boys’ team to reach Groups, both Clark and his teammates hope to be faster this weekend.
"As I’m getting older, I get better places and faster times," Clark said. "Competition is still tough. There are a lot of younger kids coming up that are really, really good, especially in the CVC."
Some of them like Sean McNulty and Colin Chudzik are Clark’s teammates, but they still look to him as a leader even though he was the team’s fifth finisher Saturday.
"He’s running a lot more now," said WW-PN head coach Brian Gould. "He has more responsibility being a captain. He’s developed a lot of good leadership qualities. This is one last race for him and then Roland (Bisio) and Mike (Page) will be starting to take that leadership role from him.
"Every day I see him work out, I see something there. He just has to find it on race day. He, McNulty and Roland will be key."
Clark is used to being important to North. He’s been a top-seven runner since his freshman year with the Knights, and is looking for a grand finale to his favorite season before the start of winter and then spring track.
"I’m trying to break 18 (minutes) on Saturday, so I have to find my pack," Clark said. "I know where I have to be with runners on my team and who I have to be with and who should be right behind. The one that’s usually around me is Will Munoz and lately Sean McNulty has been right on my butt. He helps push me. I’m going to go for the best times I can get.
"I’m pure-bred cross country. I can honestly say this is the one season I’ve tried my hardest and done as much as I can to make sure my body is in shape for races."
Clark says that he’s in the best shape of his four seasons at WW-PN, and though it’s a long shot, maybe that will be enough to help the Knights make the Meet of Champions.
"I never really pictured myself going to the Meet of Champions, myself or with a team," Clark said. "So that would be something to remember. We’re going to do the best we can. If not, it was a successful season. I know our team goal was to make it to Groups. We’ll try to expand on it now."
And Clark, the only senior in the top seven, hopes to leave behind more than a Group appearance before he graduates.
"I felt I’ve had the experiences through all different runners," he said. "Hopefully I can leave something with the younger guys and they can pass it on and say, ‘Chris Clark thought of that.’ I’ve tried to give them something."
His best on Saturday will be plenty as the WW-P North boys look to reach their first Meet of Champions in their fourth year of existence.

