Record-setting Rosas lead boys
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
Casey Dalrymple has made changes to jump into the West Windsor-Plainsboro North boys cross country team’s top seven.
The Knights junior logged many more miles over the summer than he had ever before. He has stayed after practice. And he made some dietary changes, including cutting down on his bacon intake.
”That was the toughest,” Dalrymple said. “I knew I had to start moving up and things had to change.”
It has paid off. Dalrymple, who won the Division B junior varsity race last year in 18:06, placed 16th overall in the Division B varsity race Saturday at Holmdel Park in 16:51.
”Every day is kind of new for me,” Dalrymple said. “I’m getting used to the work ethic. I definitely feel like I’m getting stronger and improving with every workout.”
Dalrymple was the fourth finisher for the Knights, who placed third in the team standings though they had a team average of 16:25, the best of all divisions Saturday. Joe Rosa, Jim Rosa and Jon Squeri paced the remarkable average.
Joe Rosa won in a new course record of 15:04, eclipsing current University of Michigan runner Craig Forys’ 15:16 run in 2006 when he was a Colts Neck High senior. Jim Rosa was second and equaled Forys’ record of 15:16.
”I was dumbfounded,” Dalrymple said. “To see them run every mile sub-five and completely destroy that course, it’s indescribable.
”I knew something big was going to happen. It was bound to happen with guys like that care so much about the team and care so much about the performances, but I wasn’t expecting anything like that.”
Squeri made a huge jump as well. After running 16:55 last year for 16th in the race, the senior ran 16:00 to finish fourth overall Saturday.
”It tells me he’s the toughest kid I’ve ever coached,” said Knights head coach Brian Gould. “I’ve never seen a kid that pushed himself beyond his limits like that. He’s all guts and willpower. He’s all inspiration to the other guys. And if you talk to him, he’s not satisfied.”
Sam Macaluso ran 16:09 for seventh place as WW-P South finished just six points behind the Knights in fourth place overall. The Pirates put six runners ahead of the Knights’ fifth finisher. Montgomery’s Mike Stanley placed 22nd in the race as the Cougars finished 18th in the team standings.
In the Division C race, Sean Pradhan was 10th and Aaron Thomas was 12th to guide Princeton High School to a sixth-place finish.
Squeri and the Rosa brothers are the lone returning runners from WW-P North’s state championship team of a year ago. Dalrymple was just on the outside of the group.
”It wasn’t as frustrating as I expected it to be,” he said. “I was really excited for the rest of the guys because they were doing big things and going to nationals and everything.
”In previous years, I knew how to work hard. I knew I had to work hard, but I didn’t know how. They taught me — whether it be a new core exercise or how to eat properly. They taught me how to train properly.”
Dalrymple started competing in cross country in fifth grade at St. Paul’s School. He followed his mother and father into running.
”It was kind of expected that I would (run) one day,” said Dalrymple, though he tried other sports. “From fourth grade to sixth grade, I played lacrosse in the spring. It was a huge mistake. I’m not the biggest guy in the world, so I got tossed around. And I played rec basketball some.”
If there was pressure to follow the family, there could have been incredible pressure to join a team that last year set a new standard of excellence.
”I wouldn’t say so much it’s pressure,” Dalrymple said. “It’s more just you’re on a team and you’re around these guys for every day throughout the year. You don’t want to let them down. They’re more than just friends. You know you have to work harder. You might be denying something that they really want.”
Dalrymple has helped to keep the Knights near the top of the state rankings. He has proven himself a solid No. 4 for North.
”He was consistently our eighth man last year,” Gould said. “Our seventh was running a minute ahead of him, so it was a unique position. He just wasn’t ready to crack into the varsity lineup. He had a great season for a sophomore, but without an injury, he wasn’t going to run varsity.
”He was in no man’s land last year. I think that helped him. He’s there again this year. He’s looking for the fifth man and then Jon Squeri is looking like a top-10 man in the state. Casey is very intrinsically motivated.”
He cut out the bacon, and has all the motivation he needs in keeping pace with a Knights team that has some of the best runners in the state.
”I think it’s good for me,” Dalrymple said. “It used to be intimidating running in middle school with them and even in freshman year. I’m more excited than anything else.
”I think I’m definitely solid in my fourth spot. The main thing for me is to keep consistently improving and who knows what’s going to happen next?”