Hayes, Brannan place 2nd, run personal bests at county meet

By TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

 Colts Neck High School’s Jordan Brannan finishes his second-place run at the Monmouth County Cross-Country Championships at Holmdel Park Oct. 20.  STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER ERIC SUCAR Colts Neck High School’s Jordan Brannan finishes his second-place run at the Monmouth County Cross-Country Championships at Holmdel Park Oct. 20. STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER ERIC SUCAR There’s always a disappointment in finishing second. However, for Monmouth County cross-country runnersup, Niamh Hayes of Howell High School and Jordan Brannan of Colts Neck High School, there was the consolation of turning in personal bests at the county championships held at Holmdel Park Oct. 20.

“I did everything I could today,” Hayes said after finishing second to Red Bank Regional High School’s Lauren Sapone.

Hayes dipped under 19:00 for the first time (18:58), drawing closer to the school record of 18:55 held by the legendary Lindsey Gallo.

Hayes dueled with Sapone over the entire 5K course. They were in the lead pack at the first hill and by the mile, they were the leaders.

“I wanted to run consistently in the beginning,” Hayes said.

Sapone continued to push the pace in the second mile, making a surge that gained some separation between herself and Hayes.

As Sapone began to pull away, Hayes did not give up the chase.

“I was going to go as fast as I can,” she said.

The reward was her first sub-19:00 performance at Holmdel behind Sapone’s time of 18:44.

Hardly deterred by the second-place finish, Hayes pointed out that the competition pushes her to do better.

Hayes added she is really looking forward to her next race against Sapone Oct. 29 at the Shore Conference Championships at Lakewood’s Ocean County Park. Ocean County Park is a flat course that historically produces very fast times.

Freehold Township High School’s Ciara Roche, who missed last year’s county championships with an injury, made a solid 2015 debut at Holmdel Park by finishing third in 19:24. Her teammate, Rose Barrett finished 10th (20:20).

Manalapan High School’s Kieara Nealon (20:47) and Colts Neck’s Kayleigh Hoagland (20:50) had top-20 finishes in 14th and 16th, respectively.

Colts Neck’s Brannan was the one harrier who was not going to let Christian Brothers Academy’s (CBA) nationally ranked team control the county championship race.

Just before the 2-mile mark during the roller-coaster section of the course, Brannan decided it was time to break away from the lead pack that included five of CBA’s runners.

“I used the downhills to my advantage,” Brannan said.

The Cougars’ standout surged on the downhill, breaking away from the CBA pack. However, Ocean Township High School’s Elliot Gindi decided to go with him.

Gindi followed Brannan, who tried to get away from him on the downhills in the backwoods heading to the finish line. While downhill running is Brannan’s strength, he conceded the uphills aren’t his strongest suit.

On the final uphill of the course, Gindi struck, and Brannan had no response.

“It balances itself out,” Brannan said of the uphills and downhills of the course. “I thought I could break [Gindi].

“He made his surge and put 100 meters on me. I’ve got to hand it to him.”

Gindi stopped the clock in a personal best time of 16:21, with Brannan 10 seconds back (16:31) in a personal best.

Gindi was gracious in victory, crediting Brannan’s surge away from the CBA pack as making the difference in the race that enabled him to win it with his late kick.

“He’s a very experienced runner,” Gindi said of Brannan. “He ran a great race.”

This could be the start of a great rivalry. Both runners are juniors. Brannan beat Gindi in a dual-meet race earlier this season. They both ran at Van Cortlandt Park in the Manhattan Invitational — albeit in different races — with both running under 13:00 on the 2.5-mile course. Gindi’s 12:50.8 was quicker than Brannan’s time of 12:58.6.

The next round will be the Shore Conference meet and an opportunity for both to break 16 minutes at Ocean County Park.

Colts Neck’s Anthony Russo (16:54) and Manalapan’s Ethan Seltzer (16:56) joined the county’s best, taking ninth and 10th, respectively. Rick Sommer of Colts Neck was 19th (17:21), with Manalapan’s William Spector (17:32) and Howell’s Bill Bajohr (17:35) going 22nd and 25th. Colts Neck teammates Alex Megerle (17:36) and Gavin McDonnell (17:39) were 26th and 30th, respectively. Manalapan’s Jared Skalski (17:41) finished 31st.

Colts Neck’s boys had another strong meet as a team, finishing second to CBA, 28-86. The Cougars completed the dualmeet season undefeated (7-0) and won the Shore Conference B North Division championship. The Cougars will want to prove they are the best public-school team in the Shore at the conference meet. Manalapan (239) and Howell (300) had good team races in sixth and ninth, respectively, qualifying for the conference meet as teams. Freehold High School made it as well in 14th (382). The Colonials’ top runner was Cameron Costanzo in 55th (18:09).

Freehold Township’s girls had the highest finish among the Freehold Regional High School District teams, taking fourth place (130). Completing the Patriots’ scoring behind Roche and Barrett were Alexandra Simon (21:25), Ashley Sibilia (21:32) and Kasey Finnigan (22:01) to finish 32nd, 34th and 51st.

Colts Neck’s girls were eighth (253), with Elizabeth O’Horo (21:24) and Coleen Megerle (21:33) finishing 31st and 35th, respectively.

Manalapan (280), with No. 2-runner Hayley Flanagan placing 40th (21:44), and Howell (289) were 10th and 11th, respectively, and headed to the conference championship as a team.