The Jackson Liberty High School girls and boys cross country teams share optimism, despite losing top runners from their Shore Conference B South Public School championship teams, as they set their goals on new titles while competing in the Shore Conference C Central Division this year.
“Everything is going good. We lost two girls, but we have good quality girls [this season],” said coach Janice Schenk, who has developed keenly competitive girls cross country and swim teams at Jackson Liberty.
“We are looking to be pretty good,” said boys coach Todd Engle. “We are good enough at 1, 2 and 3 as long as we have guys to fill in after that. We can win our division, but MonDon [Monsignor Donovan High School of Toms River] is tough. We lost close to them last year. Maybe we can get them this year.”
Competing in a division with Monsignor Donovan as well as a tough Wall High School team, both Jackson Liberty squads lost intradivisional meets with Monsignor Donovan, the only loss on the girls’ dual meet record last season. Manasquan, Point Pleasant Borough and Lakewood also are in the C Central division.
While molding their lineups, both Jackson Liberty teams will be in Vermont on Oct. 1-2 to compete in the Woods Trail Run in Thatford. Most of the upperclassmen took that trip two years ago when the teams competed in Vermont on a scenic course winding through state park land.
The Lions will compete in the Ocean County Championships on Oct. 21 and in the Shore Conference Championships on Oct. 30, both at Ocean County Park, Lakewood, and they will run in the NJSIAA state sectional meet the following weekend.
There is also the inaugural Six Flags Safari Run organized by Colts Neck High School cross country coach Jim Schlentz that will be held at GreatAdventure in Jackson on Sept. 25.
Chelsea Morales, a sophomore, looks like the top runner on the girls team as the teams opened their dual meet season on Sept. 14 against Wall, but senior Stephanie Paluchowski was among the top four in last year’s lineup.
The Lions’ big meet against Monsignor Donovan will take place on Sept. 21.
Chelsea Chamra, a junior who also was in the regular lineup last year, and sophomoreAlex Kaveloff are coming off injuries. Sarah Morales, a senior who is Chelsea Morales’ cousin, figures to make the top five lineup.
Junior Taylor McKenzie and freshmen Sam Lopez and Melissa Robertson have been running well in practices. Junior Paige Fisk, sophomores Katherine Calabro and Abby Lyons, and freshman Dominique Pangborn give the team depth.
Although some of the boys posted good times in the Randolph Invitational held on Sept. 10, the team was thin on numbers with only four entries.
One senior decided not to return to the team this season, and senior Youssef Mahmoud has been sidelined with ankle injuries.
Matt Sclafani, a junior, was just cleared to begin running and getting into shape after sustaining a torn anterior cruciate ligament during lacrosse season.
Sophomore Nick Eckett, who finished second in the freshman division race in Randolph last year, was a solid 22nd in Randolph’s varsity race in 17:25.
Mike Davies, a senior, was timed in 17:38, and senior Mike Gustafson, who ran consistently through last season, clocked in the low 18-minute range.
“Individually, we did well,” said Engle, who also lost senior Charlie Arnold, who rolled his ankle 200 yards into the race when his foot was stepped on and he pulled out of the event. Engle is hoping Arnold will be ready for the Monsignor Donovan meet.
“We had a little more dedication to training, and I pushed it harder with 25 workouts this summer,” said Engle, who enjoyed success in his prior coaching stint at Red Bank Regional High School from 1996 to 2005 with two Group III state championships.
Senior Nick Luca also has run hard in workouts, but many of the young runners on the 12-man roster have not yet established their roles on the team, according to the coach.