BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer
Craig Segal was back at home.Holmdel Park is where Segal trained when he was at Holmdel High School and is the site of many of his finest moments with the Hornets.
Friday he was wearing a Monmouth University singlet, but it was just like the old days for him as he helped the Hawk men, with a team total of 28 points, win the 12th Monmouth University Invitational.
Holmdel Park’s demanding course was made more treacherous by three days of rain, but it was no sweat for Segal, now a graduate student at West Long Branch, who finished first overall in 27:44 over the five-mile college course.
With Dustin Coleman (Bishop Hendrick, Rhode Island), Matt Caporaso (Old Bridge) and Randy Hadzor (Lafayette, N.Y.) finishing second, fourth and fifth in 28:06, 28:12 and 28:28, respectively, the Hawks turned back a field that included Rutgers (38) and Seton Hall (73), which finished second and third.
Led by Malia Lyles (Cherokee), the Monmouth women matched the men’s result, first place overall and with the individual champion to boot. Lyles toured the 5K layout in 20:01, finishing just ahead of teammate Cailin Lynam (Sparta), second in 20:07, and Jessica Jones (Wilkes Barre, Pa.) made it a one-two-three sweep for the hosts, placing third in 20:52. The Hawks team score of 24 topped Seton Hall (42) and Felician (77). Monmouth University coach Joe Compagni said the Hawks accomplished what they went to Holmdel Park for.
“Both the men and the women ran real well today considering the conditions and the difficulty of the course,” he said. “Our goal was to come out with a win on both sides, and we did that.
“It’s always impressive to come out and beat teams from the Big East,” he added. “Individually, that was Malia’s first collegiate cross country win and was a nice win for Craig because he grew up next to Holmdel Park.”
This was the third straight year that the Hawks swept both the men’s and women’s titles in this race.
Segal, who was an All-State harrier for the Hornets and state 3,200-meter champion on the track, is doing graduate work at Monmouth after getting his degree at Villanova University. He still has one year of college eligibility and is using it to compete for the Hawks. He joins a veteran squad that was already looking for a big season.
The Hawks have a solid core of returners led by juniors Caporaso, Coleman and Hadzor. Caporaso and seniors Larry Schau (Tottenville, Staten Island, N.Y.) and Martin Suarez (Holy Cross, Burlington) were All-East honorees last fall.
Leadership will be provided by seniors Suarez, Schau, Will Springman (Cumberland Valley, Pa.) and David Gaines (Colts Neck). Gaines is Monmouth’s top 800-meter runner in track and is versatile enough to contribute in cross country.
Segal made his debut at a six-team meet hosted by Monmouth and finished second overall and first for the Hawks. He toured the 6K layout in West Long Branch in 19:19.9. Red Bank Catholic graduate Peter Forgach figures in Monmouth’s varsity plans. He had a top-20 finish in that home meet (20:30.8).
The Monmouth women also expect to have a very good season, and their win Friday over the likes of Seton Hall, Felician and Temple spoke to their potential. The key for the Hawks will be the freshmen, all harriers, and all of them capable of contributing this year.
Lyles will provide steadying influence as the team’s senior leader. Lyles was All-NEC in 2005 after finishing seventh at the conference championships. Sophomore Jones could join her teammate as All-NEC. She had a top 30 finish at the conference championships.
Laura Embrey, a star at nearby Shore Regional, heads the incoming freshman class. Embrey was a member of multiple NJSIAA Central Jersey and NJSIAA State Group championships with the Blue Devils. She finished 10th on Friday (21:21).
At the Fordham Invitational at New York City’s Van Cortlandt Park, the Hawk women finished sixth with 182 points. Lyles led the Hawks’ pack with a 27th place (20:28.5). Jones was 39th (20:49).
Monmouth’s men were 14th at Fordham, led by Coleman (27:37) and Caporaso (27:41) in 36th and 38th place over the famed VCP five-mile course.