Knights cap off great season
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
HOLMDEL — The West Windsor-Plainsboro North boys’ cross country team may have wanted a higher finish at the Meet of Champions on Saturday, but for the Knights, finishing fifth was another step forward for a relatively young program.
”I think the whole thing is a process,” said Knights head coach Brian Gould, whose team was six points better than last year’s MOC champion Jackson Memorial. “Every underclass learns from their seniors and tries to pass those lessons and some new lessons on the next year. I think if you do it right, you keep getting better.
”We’re fortunate we have five underclassmen in this group with three great senior captains who really taught these guys a lot. I know these guys are going to come into next year with expectations to improve.”
Leading the way back will be Joe Rosa. The freshman was 16th overall — the top freshman finisher in the state — in 16:18.
”I just want to keep moving up and just do better and better each year,” Rosa said. “Now I know that I came in the top 20 and I can keep moving up from here. It’s a good place to start.”
The Knights lose senior captains Saga Velagala, Steve Au-Yeung and John LiPuma, the latter two who competed for their final time scholastically at Holmdel Park on Saturday.
”I have great memories here,” said LiPuma, who finished 93rd. His final memory will be of the Knights’ first trip to the MOC. It’s a far cry from even three seasons before when he started in the program.
”When I first started, I had no idea of any of this stuff,” LiPuma said. “I didn’t even know what the Meet of Champs was. This season, I just wanted to get here. I really didn’t think much about finishing in the top five, I was so focused on the other stuff. But as the season progressed and we beat the teams we beat and were as dominant as we were in the season, I started to realize it was very possible we could finish in the top five. I really thought we could have won it today.”
Tyler Corkdale was 51st, Jon Squeri was 74th, Au-Yeung was 79th and Jim Rosa was 90th. Don Bosco Prep was a convincing winner Saturday with Christian Brothers second and Haddonfield Memorial third. Millburn, which the Knights beat for the Group III title the week before, was fourth. WW-P North had a faster sixth-place runner than either Millburn’s fifth or Haddonfield’s fifth.
”It was a very good season,” Gould said. “One thing about these guys is they set very high goals. And they hold themselves accountable for them, so right now they’re disappointed. When you look at the whole thing, they’re Mercer County champions for the first time, sectional champions for the first time, and we found a way to win that state meet last week. A lot of teams would give anything to be able to accomplish what these guys have this year. They’re happy, but not satisfied. That’s one of the rules we live by.”
The Meet of Champions provided something of a learning experience. The course may have been familiar as the Knights had competed there twice before during this season, but they had not been in this environment.
”I think the biggest thing that the guys have to adjust to when they come to the Meet of Champions is it can be so overwhelming,” Gould said. “These guys are used to being in the front of the pack, and you’ve got a guy like Joe who’s running 16:15 and he’s in like 25th place.
”It’s a hard thing to understand that the whole race is tight. They’re in different positions. It just feels different. It feels like they’re not running well, when in reality, they are. To compete with the best of the best, I think that’s an important experience in order to win it. Jackson coming out here last year and winning it in its first time was amazing. This is a necessary part of the process. It’s a process.”
Rosa hopes to use the experience for next year. Saturday gave him his first taste of the top competition in the state, and afterward he recognized the changes.
”There were so many guys,” Rosa said. “It was a tough race mentally with the all the guys in front of me. I was pretty happy with my time. I would have liked to break the (16:15 freshman) record, but it’s not as big a deal. I still have three years to run.
”I think we can be just as strong next year, maybe even stronger,” he added. “It’s going to be hard without John and Steve. They really provided a lot of leadership this year.”
The seniors will miss it after guiding the Knights to the best season in program history. But they will be watching to see next year the legacy they have helped to build as it continues forward.
”I feel like I’m leaving the team in pretty good shape,” LiPuma said. “I felt like we’ve built a great program here. These guys are ready to win the state next year. I don’t see any reason they can’t. They’re so tough and they care about each other. They’re like a real family. It’s a winning culture here.”
So much so that any time they lose, it is a little disappointing. While initially there may have been some disappointment, the Knights who return know they will have a chance to take another step forward. And even after a season capped with a fifth-place finish at the MOC, the Knights won’t stop until they reach the very top of the state.
”Even now, when you’re on the top, if you become satisfied, then you stop improving,” Gould said. “Satisfaction is dangerous. They can be happy with their accomplishments, but you always want to set new goals and improve. We talked a lot this week about ‘the honor is in the effort.’ It’s one of the things these guys have been driven by all year. Even when you’re on the top, you need the effort to improve.”
Saturday’s effort was good for a fine finish in its first trip to the Meet of Champions, and it was just a first step for the Knights boys’ cross country squad.

