By Justin Feil, The Packet Group
The Hillsborough High School girls cross country team was able to overcome some significant graduation losses in 2009 to win the 2010 Meet of Champions.
Competing for a third straight MOC crown will again take the emergence of some support runners. The Raiders feel good about the four returners from last year’s state title team.
Seniors Mary Dombrowski and Alexandra Cady, along with juniors Kelly Janokowicz and Mallory Drake return for the Raiders.
”After that, we’re going to find out,” said Hillsborough head coach Rich Refi. “It could be freshmen. There are tons of candidates, which is a great problem to have. There are lots of returning girls and new freshmen. One to four seem kind of established, but after that, we don’t know.”
The Raiders sent some of their young runners out to a competitive environment. At the Roxbury Invitational on Saturday, three Raiders finished in the top nine in the freshman race. Four Raiders were in the top 24 of the sophomore race. Hillsborough’s juniors and seniors did not compete due to a scheduled workout.Refi, though, doesn’t expect to know much beyond who the candidates are until the second month of the season starts.
”The top girls are going to race hard at Shore Coaches,” Refi said of the Oct. 1 race at Holmdel Park. “It’ll be the first time we race hard. We’ll learn a lot after that.”
The Raiders come into the season healthy, and still hungry despite winning the last two MOC titles. Winning the first made last year’s group work a little harder to repeat, and now this year’s group will push for a third crown.
The development of Dombrowski last year was one key for the Raiders. She came on strong to become the Raiders’ second finisher, 22nd in the entire state, at the MOC after not being in the top seven in 2009. If Hillsborough can find another such surprise, they will be in good shape.
”I think we have a solid top four returning, which is obvious based on last year’s results,” Refi said. “We’re looking to fill in the remaining spots. I have no idea where it’s going to come from. There are lots of candidates. There are lots of returning JV girls, there are freshmen girls. There are a lot of candidates.”
The Raiders are waiting to see what roles their runners will fill in the top seven, even the four returning runners that do have varsity racing experience. As juniors and seniors, they could help bring along the less experienced runners.
”We don’t really race hard until October,” Refi said. “Are they team leaders? That is even tough (to answer). It’s hard to say at this point.”
The Hillsborough girls team hopes to have all the answers, and the confidence it will need, when November comes around and the races are biggest.
”Every year is a new year,” Refi said. “We’re going to do what we can do.”
