GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
By: Tim Falls
Hopewell Valley Central High School sophomore Clare Buck had to bear the brunt of a lot of responsibility this season.
Buck took over as the Bulldog’s lead runner after the loss of senior Megan Fitzpatrick to mononucleosis.
The sophomore never shied away from the tasks asked of her and Buck got her reward for all of her efforts last weekend.
Buck finished 17th at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions at Holmdel Park last Saturday.
The sophomore completed the 3.1 mile course in 19 minutes flat and achieved her goal of finishing in the top 20.
"It was an individual thing this time," said Buck. "I was just running for me. I didn’t have to run for the team."
While Buck would have appreciated the leadership and company of Fitzpatrick out on the course, reaching the Meet of Champions was quite an accomplishment for the young runner. Buck may have had to lead the team in several races this season, but she could always count on Fitzpatrick, even after the senior was sidelined.
Buck represented Hopewell well in the state’s championship event. Her 19:00 finish improved on the 19:28 finish that earned Buck seventh in the Group III Championship the week before.
Buck’s best finish on the Holmdel course came during the Group III Central Jersey Sectional race.
Buck finished first in the sectional in 18:54 and freshman teammate Julie Jablonski followed in second-place in 19:53 as Hopewell won the Sectional Title.
The Bulldogs claimed second in the Mercer County Championship and went undefeated in the Colonial Valley Conference regular season meets, but came in 10th at the Group III Championship race.
Hopewell went 13-0 this season after going 13-1 last year. The Bulldogs completed their CVC season with a victory over Princeton after the Little Tigers edged them at the Mercer County Championship.
Without having to worry about the team score as Hopewell’s lone representative in the Meet of Champions, Buck could concentrate her own finish. The sophomore set her sights on placing in the top 20.
"I wanted to be in the top 20," said Buck. "That’s what motivated me. I started getting passed near the end, and knew I needed to push."
Fortunately for Buck, she never encountered any real trouble during the race. Some runners complain about being caught in the pack a choke-points like woods at the start of the race, but Buck said that wasn’t a problem.
"I got out pretty well," said Buck. "There was a pack ahead of me and one behind. I was in my own space."
The experience gained from running in the Meet of Champions will benefit Buck in her junior and senior years, but with plenty of young talented runners on the rise, she may not have to race on her own.

