Smolinka earns medal with record-setting day

HHS freshman finishes 20th at M of C

By: Rudy Brandl
   Big brother was watching, and little sister sure put on a show.
   Hillsborough High freshman cross country star Ashley Smolinka made the most of her first opportunity to race in front of her older brother, Mike, in Saturday’s NJSIAA Meet of Champions at Holmdel Park. Mike, now a junior at West Virginia University, has been away at college ever since Ashley began her cross country career in middle school. Mike ran cross country in his HHS days but never reached the elite status of his little sister. Saturday, he got a chance to see for himself.
   After her first Meet of Champions performance, it’s safe to say Ashley Smolinka has officially burst on the scholastic scene in a big way. She shattered the school record at the state championship racecourse by 31 seconds Saturday, earning a medal for finishing 20th in a time of 19:09. Smolinka broke the old HHS girls’ standard at Holmdel held by Ashley Uniszkiewicz. She was delighted to run the best race of her very young career with big brother Mike on hand.
   "It helped to know that he was there watching," Ashley Smolinka said. "A lot of my cross country friends were there cheering, too. It was really exciting."
   Smolinka entered the M of C as the 39th seed. She hadn’t run great in her two previous trips to Holmdel, which included a 20:11 at the Shore Coaches Invitational in October and a 20:00 at the Group 4 meet Nov. 11. The third time was a charm.
   She followed the game plan outlined by Raider head coach Rich Refi, who instructed her to get out fast enough to be in medal contention and focus on keeping her place in the final mile. Smolinka had lost a few spots in the final mile in the Group 4 race. This time, she ran her fastest final 1.1-mile split ever.
   "Running there before helped because I knew when the hills were coming and when to go faster," Smolinka said. "Coach Refi told me the third mile would be the fastest, so I had to focus on the third mile."
   Smolinka notched a 6:20 split for the first mile, which put her in 20th place. She ran 6:30 in the second mile to hold her place and briefly fell into 21st place in the final 1.1 mile. She picked it up and posted a sizzling 6:19 split in the final 1.1, marking the first time she’s ever run under 7:00 in that portion of a race at Holmdel.
   "I wanted her to get somewhere for a chance to medal and hold her spot," Refi said. "I thought she was capable of going under 19:20. I’m definitely impressed."
   Smolinka was the second freshman in the state to hit the wire in the M of C, finishing behind friend and local rival Jillian Prentice of Montgomery. Smolinka and Prentice entered Saturday’s race as the top two freshmen in Somerset County. Now, they can claim to be the two best in New Jersey.
   "We were next to each other most of the time," Smolinka said. "She got in front of me right before the end. I knew I wanted to stay close to her and not let her get too far in front. I knew I was in 20th place and I wanted to go for the medal."
   Ten of the top 20 finishers in the girls’ race were seniors, leaving Smolinka as the 10th-ranked returning runner in the state. Smolinka received her first NJSIAA medal on a special record-breaking day for her and her family.
   Smolinka became the first HHS freshman runner to break a school record in any sport since Kristen Meyer set a bunch of new distance standards during the 1997 outdoor track and field season. Saturday’s performance has raised the bar for the rest of Smolinka’s cross country career.
   "Now, I know I can go that fast," Smolinka said. "I know I can do it. Since I’m only a freshman, I have more chances to break the record."