BOYS CROSS COUNTRY
By Tim Falls, Sports Editor
Experience is an important factor in the bigger high school cross country meets.
While the Lawrence High School boys cross country team had a successful season in the Colonial Valley Conference meets, the Cardinals were expecting a bit more at the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III Sectional race at Thompson Park on Saturday.
”I think our lack of big meet experience finally caught up to us,” said Lawrence coach Dave O’Neal in an e-mail. “The sectional meet for us was a bit of a let down after the county championships.
Lawrence placed eighth at the Mercer County Championships at Veterans Park the previous week, with many of its runners posting personal records.
Junior Marcin Truszkowski led Lawrence at the sectional race. Truszkowski took 42nd in 18 minutes, 11 seconds. Justin Wisniewski placed 46th as Lawrence’s second runner with a time of 18:22.
”Only Marcin Truszkowski and sophomore Justin Wisniewski had run on this course before and they each only ran it at sectionals last year.”
Lawrence senior Brendan O’Brien placed 50th in 18:30 for the Cardinals, junior Scott Figatner took 53rd in 18:35, sophomore Rafal Truszkowski came in 58th in 18:49, freshman Solomon Park placed 68th in 19:10 and junior Ben Muzi finished 82nd in 19:40.
With much of the team returning, the experience Lawrence gained at the sectional meet this season will pay off next year.
”We are going to return six of the seven boys that ran in the sectional meet this year,” said O’Neal. “We will have the race experience that we need and I expect to compete for one of the top five spots in our sectional race next year.”
There is ample reason for O’Neal to have that much confidence in his team.
Marcin Truszkowski and Wisniewski posted the two fastest times by a Lawrence athlete at Washington Crossing Park. Those two runners, along with Figatner, who posted many impressive times as well, will lead Lawrence next season.
”Rafal Truszkowski and Solomon Park showed great potential as they steadily improved during their first year of cross country,” said O’Neal. “Ben Muzi will be back as the senior with the most race experience as he continues to compete in races around the state in the off season.”
O’Neal took pride in how is team this season was able to match many of the Cardinals’ accomplishments from the year before, despite graduating five seniors from last year’s team. The Cardinals only had one senior in the county championship this season.
”This was supposed to be a year of learning and rebuilding,” said O’Neal, “and we were able to do that and more.”