By Justin Feil, Packet Media Group
As Brandon Tubby laid on the ground after crossing the finish line at the Meet of Champions, he thought about how close he’d come to doing everything that he wanted.
In a blink, the Hillsborough High School senior also remembered all that he had done in running 16:06 for 12th place overall in the boys race Saturday morning at Holmdel Park. It was the fastest finish and highest finish for a HHS boy since Brian Dennis ran a school-record 16:00 for seventh in 2005.
“That was a great way to end my high school cross country career — just sprinting down these hills, strong finish, that’s the best part of the sport there,” said Tubby after earning a medal for the first time in his cross country career. “I had a lot of fun in it.”
The Raider girls could think similarly after they placed second overall for the second straight season. This year, it was conference rival Ridge that won the state title. Hillsborough had a tighter split than last year but settled for runner-up again with an average of 19:49 per runner.
“Some of us were a little disappointed because we wanted to win, but we were still happy,” said Chloe Wong, who was Hillsborough’s top individual in 19:24 for 27th. “We accepted what we got. It’s still really great to get second in such a big meet.”
Stephanie Mauer closed her senior year in 45th in 19:48. Junior Peri Bongiovanni continued her improvements in 47th in 19:48. Senior Paige Novak ran 19:51 for 49th, and fellow senior Olivia DeLorenzo closed out the Raiders’ scoring in 72nd in 20:15. Senior Kelly Cianciola ran 20:20 for 75th and junior Courtney Skikus was 128th in 21:11.
“I really never thought it would happen like that,” Wong said. “At the beginning of the season, I wasn’t even sure if I could get in the top seven. When I finished first for the team at MOCs, it was a big surprise.”
Wong has been consistently in the top five for the Raiders this season. As a freshman, she was on the edge and did well in the JV races and freshman/sophomore events. She took a step up this year.
“Usually as a freshman, Coach (Rich) Refi has them do less mileage to get them introduced to the program,” Wong said. “This year was an increase in mileage and the training was a bit more intense. I guess that helped me.
“In the beginning of the season, I was a little nervous,” she added. “It was really competitive to get in the top seven. Once I got in, it was really exciting, and I was excited to run in all the state meets.”
She was a solid addition to the top seven that returned most everyone from last year. She has come on strong down the stretch after battling back in a tough race two weeks ago.
“During sectionals, I had a sinus infection so that wasn’t my best race,” Wong said. “Overall, I was pretty happy with this race. I wanted to have a little faster time but I was still happy with the time I got.”
Wong will have another chance to race Saturday in regionals. It’s another race together with four seniors that have been leaders all season and throughout their careers.
“It’s really a great opportunity because there are a lot of things I learned from them,” Wong said. “They’re really nice. I’m grateful I got to run with them this season and last season.”
The Raider boys and girls will both run in the regionals on Saturday in New York, but the MOC race was one they geared up for all year.
“I’m going to give an effort (Saturday), but I wanted to peak at Meet of Champs, at Holmdel with all the guys in-state,” Tubby said. “I did. It was the first Meet of Champs I didn’t blow up in. I blew up in winter track and spring track. I was nervous this year. My coach and I were cautious about making sure I didn’t peak at sectionals or groups, even counties. We made sure I wasn’t giving my 100 percent until Meet of Champs.
“At sectionals or groups, when I didn’t win, I wasn’t trying to win. My goal at sectionals wasn’t to race and to win, it was just to make it to groups. Once I was in second, that was great. I took it easier. Groups, I was kind of chugging in. In spring track, I peaked at sectionals. I won when I wasn’t supposed to. I did not want that to happen again. I’ll sacrifice a sectional win to run better at Meet of Champs.”
Tubby was hoping to reset records in his final appearance at historic Holmdel. He wanted a top-10 finish and he wanted Dennis’s record.
“I missed both of them – just by a little bit,” Tubby said. “I’m still happy I was able to set high goals and come for the most part very close to them.”
The race started slower than he expected it to, but he didn’t get a gauge of how behind his time goal he was until the second mile. The timing clock read “10:30,” and Tubby knew he had to get moving.
“I finished my last mile at 4:50 pace,” he recalled. “It was way faster pace than the first two miles. My coach and my teammates who came to watch me said, you were flying, you were going crazy. I didn’t even feel it, I was just running off kind of anger that I was all the way back with these people I didn’t want to be with. I passed 10 people within the last mile. I basically was able to dive at the finish. I was able to lay down after the finish. I was able to lay there and take it all in.”
There was a lot to consider. He had spent the entire year preparing for the moment, and he handled it well. He has developed plenty since last spring. He showed it all through his final cross country season with the Raiders.
“Overall, I got so much stronger,” he said. “My mentality has improved by a lot. I’m a completely different person than I was in June. I have a great relationship with my coach. We’ve built up a great team. Last year was a very awkward dynamic and we didn’t do well, but this year we came in with clear-cut goals of what we wanted to do and how we wanted to train. Overall, it was a better atmosphere at practice.”
Tubby helped to guide a team that won the Somerset County Championship. And he went on to set the school record at the Thompson Park course as the Raiders advanced to the Group IV state championship.
“Winning counties, although it’s not the biggest thing, it was important for us to do something like that as a team – set a goal and achieve it as a team,” Tubby said. “I would still call that my favorite race of the year because I was able to share it with everybody.”
Tubby was the lone Raiders runner to reach the MOC this season. He and Austin Raymond are the only seniors in the top seven from Hillsborough’s group championship entry.
“Most of our top seven is going to return next year, and hopefully I instilled some good values and passion into them,” Tubby said. “I think they can do better next year than we did this year because they’re so young.”
Tubby set the pace all season and showed them what it takes to reach the MOC and to medal there. He had gone in with sky-high hopes and used it as motivation to finish well.
“I was telling myself this is my last time here at this very special place,” Tubby said. “All I wanted to do was have fun there. I had such good memories there, I didn’t want to end it on a bad note.
“I just wanted to make my coach proud, make my teammates proud and show them what it looks like to run a race all out with all your passion. I think I did.”
