CBA excited about X-country season
Colts begin season No. 10 in Northeast
BY TIM MORRIS Staff Writer
It cannot be comforting to state cross country coaches to hear that Christian Brothers Academy's Tom Heath is "pretty excited" about the coming season.

CHRIS KELLY staff Middletown North's Joe Dickey (No. 2) carries the ball during the Lions away game against the Brick Township Dragons Sept. 7.

After all, the Colts are the premier program in the state.

If extending your national record for consecutive dual meets, winning the Monmouth County Championship and finishing fifth at the Meet of Champions constitutes a down season, well, that's what the Colts had in 2006. That may be good for most, but not CBA.

"Last year was really disappointing in the way the kids responded to reaching their ability," said Heath, who has won a record 15 MOC titles at CBA.

That won't be the case this season as the Colts appear to be back, and deep as ever.

"It will be a typical CBA team," noted Heath.

That's not too assuring to those looking to chase the Colts down this fall.

By "typical CBA team" Heath means a deep squad with little time gap between the front-runners and the pack, a wave of runners the rest of the state can't match.

Seniors Brandon Pierson, Vinnie Ferrer and Kyle Havard are the seniors at the front of the pack. They are all big race veterans. Behind them, the Colts have several harriers vying for the fourth through seventh spots.

Seniors Ben Horel, Rich Grandeli and Mark Weber, juniors Chris LaMorte and Brendan Swan and sophomore Dan Bailey and Mark Lee are all in the running for the other traveling spots.

What has Heath so excited about this year's team is the dedication of his runners.

"They're great kids and they've trained very hard, significantly harder (than '06)," said Heath.

No matter what this season may bring to the Colts, Heath said he won't be disappointed because each runner on the team has put forth his best effort.

CBA begins the season ranked No. 10 in the Northeast Region. The Colts qualified for the Nike Team Nationals in Portland, Ore., in 2004 and 2005, and that prospect will very much be on their minds this fall.

The NTN has changed its format for qualification and is holding Regional meets throughout the country for the first time. The Northeast Regional is Nov. 24 at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The top two teams there will advance to the NTN on Dec. 1.

One way to way to the Regional is the Pre-Nationals at Bowdoin Park on Sept. 22. The top five teams in this meet will earn tickets to the Regional.

"We'll find out where we're at," Heath said of the Sept. 22 meet.

Besides the NTN, the Colts will be looking to regain their supremacy inside the Garden State. The Shore Conference Championships will be interesting on Oct. 27. Jackson is the defending champion, but, the meet is at Holmdel Park this year, not, Ocean County park. Jackson is ranked No. 7 in the Northeast. CBA could begin its climb back to the top in the state with a win here.

Other major meet dates are the Shore Coaches Invitational, Oct. 6 at Holmdel Park; The Manhattan Invitational, Oct. 13, Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx, N.Y.C.; the Monmouth County Championships, Oct. 16, Holmdel Park; the Catholic Conference Championships, Nov. 3, Warinanco Park, Elizabeth; NJSIAA State Group Championships, Nov. 10 at Holmdel Park; and the MOC, Nov. 17 at Holmdel.

"We're excited about everything," said Heath.