MXC Update - Oct. 6, 2013

Shore Coaches Race Summary:   Another beautiful Saturday had the team at Holmdel Park for the 2013 Shore Coaches Invitational.    The race is the traditional kick-off to the championship season, as teams began to take stock and see how they stack up against the rest of New Jersey.   Moorestown runners continued to acquit themselves nicely, with strong performances across the ranks.   Here is the recap. Frosh:  The first race of the day again belonged to the freshman.   And the squad again set a high standard for the rest of the team.   Especially with the performance of Kevin Fox.   Kevin again ran like a runner with tons of experience, starting off in the top 20 of the 200 person field before slowly moving up on the lead.   Another strong kick had him crossing the finish line 6th in a stellar 12:03 for the 2 mile course.   Tim Fleming had his best finish as a Moorestown runner, finishing second on the team when he finished strong in 13:36.   Special shout-out to Bavish Gummadi who came back with the first battle wounds of the day after taking a tumble in the woods.  Varsity:  The Top 7 toed the line next.   With several of our expected Top 7 testing (SATs) or injured, the team relied heavily on runners attacking the Holmdel course for the first time in a varsity race.   Of course, that is not the case with senior captains Joe Inglis and Kevin Horten.  The two went into the race determined to prove that they are amongst the best runners in the state.   Today, they did so, going out aggressively with the top pack and running exceptional races.   Joe found himself in 2nd after the bowl and held his spot with a fantastic 16:40 on the course, making his the 2nd fastest Moorestown finisher at Holmdel.  Kevin wasn't too far behind, finishing 6th overall in a course PR of 16:56.  The rest of the top guys, rookies to the varsity race, ran well, too.   Christian Cramer continued his string of solid weekend performances, breaking 18 minutes and finishing 3rd on the team.   Harrison Morris survived a fall with 1000m to go and gamely finished as our fourth man.   The 5/6/7 crew was paced by Mike Barsoum, who cut a minute off last year's Holmdel time to finish fifth for our squad.    Overall, the team finished 7th in the Varsity "B" race, but earned valuable experience that will hopefully help key improvement as the season progresses. Junior Varsity:   After a long wait, the JV finally headed to the start for their 4:30 race.   They, too, had grand ambitions for their tour around Holmdel Park.   And they, too, ran races to be proud of.   Up and down the line-up, kids ran gutty races to achieve personal goals.  Kirk Zimmer, desperate for a medal, went out fast in the top 20 and showed grit and determination holding over the final mile, holding on to first on the team and 29th place overall - good enough for a medal.   Max Argentieri, looking to continue his surge up the team ranks, did just that, finishing 2nd on the team in another medal winning performance.   Sam Spirgel, determined to push through a troublesome hip injury, looked strong and pain-free as he knocked 30s off last year's Holmdel time.   Paul Entwistle ran through a troublesome head cold and still broke 20 minutes.   Jim Burns and Andrew Voyack obliterated last year's times and looked strong and fresh.   Jim flash a big smile and put on a burst of speed with 1000m to go, Voyack on his tail.   (Later stories would also reveal Jim's mental toughness at the top of the bowl, which he made sure to share with everyone around!).   Voyack set a life PR -  a particularly difficult task on a tough course.  Not to be outdone, Brian Wright finished next, also with a life PR, as he continues a late season push for faster times.    Nolan Maier and Sam Infanger, running together the whole race, picked up 7 guys in the last 1000m.  Overall, tremendous individual attitudes and efforts.   Even with the pathetic cool down, the JV effort today makes even really long days at Holmdel totally worthwhile for the coaches!  A couple other notes: Full Results - http://nj.milesplit.com/meets/147774-2013-shore-coaches-xc-invitational Thanks to alum Anthony Horten for working with the top guys all day.   Kevin Harris and Ryan Graham continue to prove themselves great teammates, spending a long day at Holmdel supporting their teammates and coaches.   Thanks for taking times.  Welcome back to the "basketball" crew.  Thanks for your attitude and effort today.   Back to work on Monday! Shout out to Coach Eagles for not leaving anyone at McDonalds! This Coming Week We have a HUGE Batch meet on Tuesday at 3:45 at the Rancocas Valley Sports Complex - NOT the High School.  See the Website under Races and Course Directions.  We will be racing very tough RV and Northern Burlington squads that based on Saturday's performances project to beat us.  So we will really have to step up our game.  Come out and cheer us on! Saturday will be the South Jersey Open down at Delsea.  This is a flat and fast course for everyone to get a good PR.  For the Varsity 7, this is where Sectionals will happen on November 9 - so an important day for everyone. Learn more here - http://home.comcast.net/~ecolona/2012xcsjopenz.htm. The Varsity will race at 10:20, Frosh at 11:20, and JV at 11:50.