Hopewell Valley cross country
By: Mike Molaro
The name itself Meet of Champions represents the quality of the competition.
Not only does the race include the best female high school runners in New Jersey, it’s competed on one of the state’s toughest cross-country courses.
Qualifying for the MOC means you are among the elite. Earning a spot for two consecutive seasons puts you in a special category.
Hopewell Valley Central High School’s Emily Sherrard placed 49th in last Saturday’s girls Meet of Champions at Holmdel Park with a time of 20:01. She finished 22nd last year at the MOC in 19:21.
In addition to her two straight appearances, Sherrard was one of just four Mercer County female runners among the approximately 200 competitors in this year’s MOC.
Despite her prestigious accomplishments, the Lady Bulldog senior expected more from herself at Holmdel Park last Saturday.
"I’m not happy with how I ran," Sherrard said. "The whole season didn’t go how I wanted. I qualified for the MOC, but I wanted to run faster than I did."
Sherrard, who advanced to the MOC by placing 10th in the Group III Championships two weeks ago on the same course with a time of 19:37, knows that the MOC is much different than any other race, both mentally and physically.
"I had been running with my teammates in dual meets and the sectional championships," she said. "The Meet of Champions is such a challenging race. It’s the best of the best in New Jersey on a very challenging course.
"You go out and run the best race you can. There is no pressure at the MOC. The season is over, and there are no titles to go for. You are running for yourself."
Sherrard’s best running quality finishing strong proved to be a negative at the MOC.
"I usually don’t start out fast," said the Duke University-bound senior. "I’m a fast finisher. The first quarter-mile of this course is up hill and then bottlenecks. It’s tough to get out fast at the MOC, because everyone is so good."
HoVal girls cross country coach Aaron Oldfield knows that Holmdel Park is one of those courses where the start of the race usually determines the winner.
"The first mile at Holmdel is all hills," Oldfield said. "You can’t go out too fast, or it will kill your legs. You have to be aggressively conservative. Emily didn’t get the start she wanted and then got bottlenecked on the trails.
"The Meet of Champions is a very elite field. Getting there is a nice accomplishment. Doing it twice, as Emily did, is tremendous."
Sherrard, who will major in biology at Duke and compete in track and cross country for the Blue Devils, is appreciative of the mental discipline sports provides.
"Running in general keeps me focused and helps me set goals," said Sherrard, who competes in the 800-meter and 1,600-meter races in the spring. "It keeps me motivated. It helps me manage my time better.
"Knowing that I had practice and meets forced me to set aside time for homework and studying. If I didn’t run, I probably wouldn’t have made as good use of my time."
After swimming and playing soccer during her freshman and sophomore years at HoVal, Sherrard switched to running with superb results. She was a member of the Lady Bulldog relay team that won the national sprint medley and placed second in the 4×4 relay at last year’s Nike Indoor National Championships in Maryland.
"I saw my future in running," Sherrard said. "Track is more my thing. We definitely want to repeat as national champions. That’s one of our goals."
Added Oldfield, "A lot of variables need to fall into place for success in the winter season, including staying away from injuries and remaining healthy. It’s not as easy the second time around."
Sherrard, one of the best female cross country runners in HoVal history, is ready for another challenge.

