BY SHAWN LAYTON
Staff Writer
EDISON — Last year’s Greater Middlesex Conference White Division champions, the Bishop Ahr High School girls cross-country team has acculturated to its new home in the Blue Division with a 4-1 start to the 2004 season.
Despite the team’s senior captain, Erica Navarro, being forced to watch much of the action from the sidelines with illness, the Trojans are still in position to challenge for a top five finish in the GMC Championships slated for Oct. 23 at Thompson Park in Monroe. The boys are scheduled to race at 10 a.m. followed by the girls at 10:45 a.m.
Junior Diane Romona has stepped up to occupy the team’s No. 1 position with Navarro’s absence, while senior Kristen Gilormini has been turning in the Trojan’s next best times. Both runners are finishing area courses between 22:00 and 23:00.
“Not having Erica has been tough,” Bishop Ahr head coach Yancy Munoz said. “She really brings the girls together and she’s a great motivator. The kids look up to her and they are actually running for her now that she’s been battling health problems.”
What makes the loss of Navarro even more frustrating is the fact that her training was going so well prior to the start of the season.
“Erica was awesome all summer,” Munoz said. “She came to Bishop Ahr without any running experience and she’s grown into a great runner. She’s also ranked in the top 10 percent in her class and an honor student.”
In the team’s only defeat, a one-point loss to Spotswood, Navarro was in the lineup, but not running at full capacity. Unfortunately for the Trojans, Gilormini was out due to a family engagement otherwise the team would be unbeaten as it prepares for an Oct. 19 showdown with Metuchen.
“I have to give Spotswood a lot of credit,” Munoz said. “It’s amazing that they do so well with only five girls on the team.”
Like Spotswood, Metuchen remains unbeaten and the Blue Division crown could go to any of these three schools.
“They [Metuchen] are having such a good year,” Munoz said. “They have excellent runners and it’s going to be a real race. It will be our biggest meet of the season and it should be a good one.”
Freshmen Kristen Stevens and Katie Tabor have been nice additions to this year’s team and are a big reason the team has maintained a high level of success despite the loss of Navarro. Stevens has been running the third fastest times this season.
Junior Cynthia Retamazo has been finishing just behind Stevens and sophomore Rosemary Mendonez is steadily improving and finishing among the top six Trojans.
Bishop Ahr hopes to pick up an unscheduled meet with Colonia at 3:45 p.m. tomorrow in Edison as a tune-up race prior to the GMC Championship.
“We are hoping to be among the top five at the county championship,” Munoz said. “We’ve been in the top five for the last four years and we will have to turn in solid times in order to do it again. Erica’s illness took her for a wallop, but the freshmen have certainly surprised everyone.”
Stevens and Tabor came to the team with no prior running experience. Tabor is an accomplished equestrian and Stevens can often be found on the softball diamond.
“Cross country is totally new for them,” Munoz said. “I have such a diverse team here. Anything we do is great because we are all so different.”