Cougar harriers extend win streak

Girls clinch tie for seventh straight division crown

BY TIM MORRIS Staff Writer

On paper, the 33-straight dual meet winning streak of the Colts Neck girls cross country team was in serious jeopardy.

At the Freehold Regional District Championships, Howell had scored a decisive victory over the Cougars on their own home course, Bucks Mill Park.

Yes, the Cougars’ top runner, Briana Jackucewicz, had not run in that race, but even figuring her in the equation, Howell would have won a dual meet, 26-29, based on the District results on Oct. 2.

On Oct. 7 back at Bucks Mill Park, the Cougars faced those same Rebels and their very strong pack in the decisive Shore Conference A North Division meet. Not only was Colts Neck’s dual meet win streak on the line, but so was their run of six straight division championships.

Potentially, on paper, both streaks could come to an end. Races, though, are not won on paper, and the Cougars, running with a confidence they hadn’t displayed all year, extended their streak to 34 straight with a convincing 21-34 victory. It was set up by the unexpected one-twothree finish at the front by Rachel Morris, Casey Corley and Briana Jackucewicz, who crossed the line together in 20:00.

Morris, who won the individual Freehold Regional District title, and Jackucewicz figured to go one-two. Howell, though, would have the edge after that with its better depth led Jacquie Ward. The Cougars had to find a way to break up the Rebels’ pack.

Colts Neck’s game plan was to make it an honest race by forcing the pace early, hoping to break up Howell’s pack. Jackucewicz and Morris went straight to the front, passing the first mile in 6:16. Behind them was a wave of Rebel blue — with one surprise, Casey Corley.

Corley stayed off the pace for the first half-mile, eventually running alongsideWard, who was in third, and in front of Howell’s pack. She picked up her pace during the second mile, getting separation from Ward and finding Jackucewicz waiting for her.

“They [Jackucewicz and Morris] were planning to go out fast for the first mile,” said Corley. “I came up with them in the second mile. Bri helped me a lot with the pace.

“It helps having Bri on the team; she’s done a lot for me” she added.

Jackucewicz slowed the pace during the second mile to give the surging Corley a target to shoot for. Once Corley joined the trio, the goal was to stay together the rest of the race.

“My job was to stay with Rachel,” noted Jackucewicz. “When Casey came up with us, we pulled her along.”

With Corley joining Morris and Jackucewicz, it was checkmate for the Cougars. A one-two-three finish is a guaranteed dual meet victory.

Howell still had the edge behind the trio, but it didn’t matter; the Cougars had again risen to the occasion.

Ward would take fourth (20:20), but Colts Neck’s Morgan Clark was next (20:31), finishing ahead of Howell’s pack.

Laura Kochenash (20:32), Alyssa Pinney (20:35), Jamie Hand (20:39) and Tara Nealon (20:46) finished sixth through ninth for Howell.

Colts Neck’s fifth scorer was Alyssa Morgan in 10th (20:53).

The Cougars’ triumph was more a tribute to their strength than anything Howell did wrong. Rebel coach John Hein noted that all of his harriers had run personal bests on the Bucks Mill Park course. The Cougars were just better on this day.

The Cougars improved to 5-0 and clinched no worse than a tie for their seventh consecutive division crown. They had one dual meet remaining (yesterday against Middletown North) before they could put the finishing touches on another undefeated season. The Cougars’ win streak dates back to 2003.

Colts Neck’s harriers are very aware of both streaks and are very proud of them.

“We all wanted to keep it going,” said Jackucewicz. “I was proud to help keep it going. I didn’t want it to end on my watch.”

Jackucewicz credited Howell with bringing out the Cougars’ best.

“Howell’s a great team,” she said. “It’s great to have someone who keeps you honest.”

Colts Neck and Howell (3-1 in dual meets) will have many more battles before the season is over. There is the Monmouth County Championships at Holmdel Park on Tuesday and the Shore Conference meet Nov. 1 at Ocean County Park in Lakewood. That will be followed by the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV championships at Thompson Park in Jamesburg on Nov. 8. Last year the Cougars edged the Rebels by a single point in capturing the state sectional title.