By Justin Feil, The Packet Group
Like the rolling hills at Holmdel Park, Molly Doyle’s emotions have risen and fallen over the last month of the season.
The Hillsborough High School senior reveled a the Raider girls cross country team won the Somerset County Championships over Ridge, but then grew concerned when Ridge bounced back to win the Skyland Conference Championship and the Raiders were edged by West Windsor-Plainsboro South in the sectionals.
Doyle helped the Raiders put any disappointments behind them as she helped Hillsborough squeak out a one-point win over Ridge for the team championship at the Group IV state meet Saturday at Holmdel. It’s the fourth team title in five years for Hillsborough.
”I think it really rebounds our confidence,” Doyle said. “We were feeling pretty low after Skylands and sectionals.”
Stephanie Mauer was second in 18:42. She trailed only North Hunterdon’s Ever Glasergreen, who ran the top time of the day out of all groups, 18:15. Paige Novak ran 19:25 to finish 11th. Doyle split a pair of Ridge runners for 19th place in 19:35. Olivia DeLorenzo ran 20:04 for 31st, and Kelly Cianciola finished in 39th in 20:16 to close out the Raiders’ scoring. Peri Bongiovanni ran 20:18 for 41st and Courtney Skikus was 65th in 20:59.
”I think we were all much more focused,” Doyle said. “We all understood our competition and didn’t underestimate them. We put our game faces on and did it. Everybody had a great race, but not their best race ever.”
The Raiders are hoping that they have saved that best race in the state for the state championship 11:45 a.m. Saturday back at Holmdel.
”That’s what we’re trying to do,” Doyle said. She still has plenty of drive individually, which should benefit the team. She wants to go out with her best race ever, and she took a solid step with her 19:35 clocking, which was a full minute faster than her time at Holmdel at the Shore Coaches Invitational.
”I haven’t gotten an overall PR,” Doyle said. “(Saturday) was my Holmdel PR forever. I haven’t got an overall PR yet.”
Brandon Tubby was the lone Hillsborough entry in the Group IV boys state meet, and he represented the Raiders well. He ran 16:37 for 25th place. He earned a trip to the Meet of Champions as one of the 10 fastest individual finishers not on a qualifying team.
Doyle is confident that she is finishing her season strong. She ran 19:13 last year in the Skyland meet, and her 19:35 last Saturday was a couple seconds improvement over her sectional finish time at Thompson Park and a step in the right direction. It was her top time of the season and a significant improvement over what she ran at last year’s group meet, when the Raiders’ year ended without a trip to the MOC. Hillsborough is in a far better place now mentally and physically.
”Everyone was deflated last year,” Doyle said. “We might have been able to make it, but everyone was so far gone. It was all downhill when we heard we didn’t even have a chance to get a wild card. Bouncing back this year, everyone knew we wanted to get to MOCs, we wanted to take it all.”
It was far more achievable with the return of Mauer, who has enjoyed an incredible year. Her time Saturday was one of the 10 best in the state on that day, and it puts her in position to medal at the MOC. Last year, she didn’t run in the state meets.
Mauer’s scoring was vital to the Raiders’ win, just as every other runner’s finish was crucial in the one-point win. Had one of them moved down one spot, Hillsborough would have finished second to Ridge. Mauer and Novak together scored 12 points, equal to that of Ridge’s top runner. Doyle then finished between a pair of Ridge runners.
”I knew there were the two right in front of me,” Doyle said. “When I got to ‘The Bowl,’ I had Sophie (Spring of Ridge) in front of me and then I passed her and got some distance. With 20 meters to go, I saw her right next to me and I saw her trying to sprint me out.
”I was making sure I stayed in front of Sophie. Her sister last year would be back and forth with me too. It was important. I guess that’s why Coach (Marc) Bloom was screaming so much. If me and Kelly hadn’t sprinted out some girls at the line, we could have lost.”
Instead, the Raiders picked up another group title, one as satisfying as any given how their last two races had played out. There was no holding back for a motivated Hillsborough team. It was place, not time that was their main focus.
”I just wanted to do really good,” Doyle said. “I had no idea what time I was going to do. I just wanted to get up there in place.”
The Raiders jumped out to a good start, something that had been a problem in losses to Ridge and WW-P South. They were better on their favorite Holmdel course.
”Usually where you get in 1,000 meters is where you get (overall at the finish),” Doyle said. “That’s what we were going for.
”I think we were just smart with the start. It went out crazy, crazy fast. We were smart with it and went with the flow. We were pushing through people to stay on the line all the way.”
Doyle continued to push to the end. She believes she can go even harder this week. She wasn’t feeling as sore on Sunday as some of her teammates.
”Of cross country season, that was probably one of the best races I’ve had,” she said. “I still haven’t blacked out at the line yet. It’s nice when you know you gave absolutely everything.”
Doyle and the Raiders bring plenty of experience into this Saturday’s MOC. They didn’t run there last year, but the year before Doyle, Mauer and Novak were a part of Hillsborough’s state final team.
”I think we understand there’s a lot more responsibility every race,” Doyle said. “You know people are counting on you, it’s not just you. It’s good that everyone has that experience.
”It’s cool how we’re all upperclassmen. It shows with hard work you’ll be in the top seven.”
The Raiders can see how hard they had to work to win the group and return to the MOC. It has them ready for the next step.
”It’s a huge confidence boost to the whole team,” Doyle said. “We didn’t think we were going to win.”
Hillsborough head coach Rich Refi had a feeling his team would win the group, and the Raiders went out and did just what they had to. With that new confidence sparked, the Raiders head into the MOC as one of the top contenders.
”It was the whole plan since last year when we didn’t make it,” Doyle said. “That’s always been the plan. It’s good to have one last chance. We can run as hard as we can.”
