2005 PJXC News

A Journey to the Top: The 2005 PJXC Preview

Sparta, nj (Aug. 29, 2005) � On November 20^th, 2004, the Pope John cross-country team became the only team in New Jersey to have a boys and girls team make the podium (earn medals) at the NJ Meet of Champions.  Both teams finished in 6^th place with 191 points in their respective races.  For the members of the team and the coaching staff, this was a fitting capstone to an unsurpassed successful season (see chart) and many hard months of training and racing.   

On September 10^th of 2005, the Pope John cross-country team will begin their assault on these achievements - and by the look of things, 2005 will be even better.

 For the girls, the 2005 season has the potential to bring unparalleled success.  With all but three athletes returning from the 2004 team and a record-setting track season behind them, the 2005 team should improve on their 6^th place state finish of a year ago.  In addition, the team will be looking to expand their current 22-meet win streak in the SCIL and win their 3^rd straight SCIL Festival.  With 5 girls having run under 2:25 for the 800m, 5:17 for the 1600m, and 11:35 for the 3200m, some analysts and coaches around the state believe the team has the potential to win the NJ Meet of Champions team title and earn a bid to the 2^nd annual Nike Team Nationals in Portland, Oregon, becoming the best team in Sussex County history.  Leading the charge will be junior Lara Heigis (2:16 / 5:06 / 10:55); a 10^th place finisher last season in the MOC�s who set school records in the 1600m and 3200m during the spring season.  Following Lara will be a threesome of seniors: Alessandra LaMastro (5:11), Brynn Merritt (2:20 / 5:11 / 11:15), and Elizabeth So (5:17 / 11:35).  All three girls are 2-time All SCIL selections and raced, along with Lara, on the 11^th place Nike Outdoor Championships 4 x 1 mile relay team.  Other returning varsity athletes include: senior Anne Dauer (5:58), senior Liz Faherty (6:02), senior Liz Lemasters (school record holder indoor HJ), and junior Kelsey Murphy (5:35).  Kelsey is a returning All-SCIL performer, who was injured at the end of the 2004 season. Now healthy, Murphy should join the top racers.  Other returning members who will provide much needed depth and varsity points include: junior Grace Wilson (6:42), sophomore Casey Keller (5:48), and sophomore Zaharo Tsekouras (6:18).  In addition to the eleven returning athletes, three newcomers have joined the team: junior Lauren Bariexca (2:18 / 5:16), a transfer from West Morris Central High School, should join the top girls once her state-mandated 30 day transfer delay is up; sophomore Caitlyn Lees, a sprinter by nature, is looking to expand her range; and freshman Jenny Heigis (5:40), a heralded youth runner (and Lara�s sister), should vie for varsity status. 

Despite losing an undefeated senior class, the 2005 Pope John boys cross-country team is expected to continue the success of the past teams.  Goals for the season include: extending the dual meet win streak, extending the SCIL festival streak, and a top 4 finish at the NJ Meet of Champions.  Currently, the team has 11 members under 5:00 for the 1600m (4 under 4:35), and returns several key members of a year ago.  Leading the way will be senior Anthony LaMastro (1:54 / 4:15 / 9:26), the defending SCIL champion and 3^rd team All-State selection.  On his heels should be junior Jeremy Scheid (4:30 / 9:32), an all-SCIL selection.  Other returning varsity members include: senior Dale Hammer (4:59), senior Mike Lamm (2:07 / 4:48), senior Paul Wilson (5:18 / 11:27), junior Tim Burns (4:47 / 10:34), junior Robert Lennon (4:59), junior Matt Pezzulo (2:04 / 4:47), junior Tom Roy (2:00 / 4:25 / 10:23), junior Clay Smith (4:35 / 10:27), sophomore Nick Beese (10:15), and sophomore Jon Juleus (4:49 / 10:34).  Smith is a returning All-SCIL performer, while Roy was All-SCIL during the track season and competed at the indoor and outdoor national championships.  Other athletes vying for varsity positions include: senior Isak Bond (5:15), senior Dave de la Fuente (2:20), junior Mike Peer (6:43), junior Mike Romano (5:26), sophomore Josh D�Anna (5:14 / 11:30), sophomore Graham Medak (5:20), sophomore Doug Murphy (5:01 / 11:15) and sophomore Tom Wilson (6:23).

The teams will embark on their goal-seeking journey on September 10^th at the Big Purple XC Mania Invitational in Warwick, NY.

Girls Win Wave XC Mania Invitational

 warwick, ny (Sept. 10, 2005) � The Pope John Girls� Cross-Country team started their journey towards a state championship today as they opened their season in impressive fashion by winning the 3^rd annual Warwick Valley �Wave Mania� XC Invitational.  The girls easily won the Varsity I division with 35 points and recorded the fastest team average of the day with a stellar 5-person average time (for the 5k course) of 19:42.

 Leading the way for the Lady Lions was Lara Heigis (�07) in second place with a time of 18:24, an improvement of 57 seconds from 1 year ago.  Lara raced in second the entire race as Aislinn Ryan of Warwick Valley, NY, the defending national cross-country champion, dominated the race with a course record 16:56.  Finishing second for the team was Brynn Merritt (�06) in 5^th place with a time of 19:32, an improvement of 58 seconds from 1 year ago.  The next scorer for the Lady Lions was Alessandra LaMastro (�06) in 7^th place with a time of 19:59.  This marked Alessandra�s first time under 20:00 for 5k and was an improvement of 89 seconds from a year ago.  Rounding out the scoring for the team were Jenny Heigis (�09), in her first varsity race, in 10^th place in 20:13 and Liz So (�06) in 11^th place with a time of 20:23.  Liz improved by 1 minute from last year�s race.  Also finishing in the medals for the varsity girls were Casey Keller (�08) in 17^th place in 21:13 and Kelsey Murphy (�07) in 18^th place with a time of 21:20.  For Casey, this was her first varsity cross-county race and a huge improvement from last year�s performances.  For Kelsey, this marked her first healthy race since last October as she recovered from various leg and hip injuries over the past 10 months.  Despite the long layoff, Kelsey still improved her time by 9 seconds from 1 year ago.

 In the JV race, all 5 runners earned medals and placed highly.  Liz Faherty (�06) led the way in 23:26, an improvement of 42 seconds from last season.  Following Liz was Anne Dauer (�06) in 23:44, 30 seconds faster than last season.  Liz Lemasters (�06) was next in for the Lady Lions in 25:11.  This was Liz�s first race back from a broken arm in the summer that hindered her training.  Caitlyn Lees (�08) followed Liz in 26:04, a respectable time as this was Caitlyn�s first attempt at a cross-country 5k.  And in the biggest improvement from last season, Grace Wilson (�07) finished in 27:19, a remarkable 1 minute and 56 seconds faster than her race 1 year ago.

The girls begin defense of their regular season SCIL championship at 4 PM on Tuesday (Sept. 13) at St. Paul�s Abbey with a dual meet against Kittatinny high school.

Boys Finish 2^nd behind Powerful Warwick Valley

 warwick, ny (Sept. 10, 2005) � The Pope John Boys� Cross-Country team finished a respectable 2^nd at the 3^rd annual Warwick Valley �Wave Mania� XC Invitational.  Topping the Lions was northeast regional power Warwick Valley, NY.  The Purple Wave of Warwick is currently ranked 7^th in the Nike regional rankings and should move up after their performance (places 1-3 under the old course record and not racing the team�s #1 runner).

Running at the front of the race the entire way, Anthony LaMastro (�06) led the Lions in 4^th place in 16:04, 30 seconds faster than last season.  Also, running in the front the entire way was Jeremy Scheid (�07) in 5^th place with a time of 16:11, 23 seconds faster than last season.  Rounding out the scoring for the boys was Tom Roy (�07) in 13^th place in 16:56, Nick Beese (�08) in 15^th in 17:03 and Tim Burns (�07) in 25^th place in 17:50.  For Tom, Nick and Tim, this was their first time racing the Warwick course.  Rounding out the varsity was Dale Hammer (�06) in 18:06, an impressive performance considering he is battling Lyme�s Disease, and Clay Smith (�07) in 18:43.

In JV action, Josh D�Anna (�08) looked impressive in 9^th place running a remarkable time of 18:04.  Following Josh in scoring positions were Jon Juleus (�08) in 18:27, Mike Lamm (�06) in 18:35, Paul Wilson (�06) in 18:59 and Matt Pezzulo (�07) in 19:04.  Mike improved his time of last season by 32 seconds, while Paul bettered his by 41 seconds and Matt improved by 67 seconds.  The biggest improvement of the day belonged to Isak Bond (�06) in 19:15.  Isak improved his time by 1 minute and 39 seconds from 1 year ago.  Rounding out the JV top 7 was Robert Lennon (�07) in 19:20, 48 seconds faster than his time from last season.

In the freshman race, Kevin McCormick (�09) made his Pope John debut an impressive one by placing 5^th in 8:46 for the 1.5 mile course.  Also, placing was Matt Hansen (�09) in 13:04, an impressive improvement from his time trials performances.

The boys begin defense of their regular season SCIL championship at 4 PM on Tuesday (Sept. 13) at St. Paul�s Abbey with a dual meet against Kittatinny high school.

Teams Help an Injured Competitor

 warwick, ny (Sept. 10, 2005) � Showing that the sport of cross-country and athletics in general are about more than just competition, the Pope John cross-country teams raised money to help an injured Warwick Valley cross-country runner.  Don Rock Jr. was a runner on the Warwick Valley (NY) cross-country team until a horrific car accident this summer paralyzed him from the waist down.  Using their own money, led by the senior boys and girls, the team raised $650 to help defray the medical expenses for the Rock family. Though a small amount relative to the total sum facing the Rocks, the athletes have the strong belief that all cross-country runners are a family and they are duty-bound to help one another. 

Showing his own special enthusiasm and character, Don was present at the Warwick Valley �Wave Mania� XC Invitational handing out medals to the top finishers and helping runners through the finish chute.  The thoughts and prayers of the Pope John cross-country teams are with Don and his family.

 Information concerning donations to the Rock Fund can be directed to Coach Corcoran at briancorcoran@popejohn.org.

SCIL Competition Begins with Wins over Kittatinny

andover, nJ (Sept. 13, 2005) � The Pope John boys and girls cross-country teams opened their SCIL seasons today with solid wins over Kittatinny High School at St. Paul�s Abbey.  The Lions took the first 6 places in girls� races to record a 15 to 47 victory while the boys placed 14 runners in the top 16 to win 17 to 44.

The boys� squad swept the first 3 places in their race.  Anthony LaMastro (�06) and Jeremy Scheid (�07) easily placed 1^st and 2^nd in the time of 16:08, while Tom Roy (�07) used a nice finishing kick to finish 3^rd in 16:23.  Other top 10 finishes for the boys included Nick Beese (�08) in 5^th, Tim Burns (�07) in 6^th, Jon Juleus (�08) in 8^th, Josh D�Anna (�08) in 9^th and Clay Smith (�07) in 10^th.  For the Pope John Top 20 list, Anthony�s time is the 4^th fastest senior class time; Jeremy�s time is a PR and 4^th on the junior class list and 5^th all-time; Tom ran the 6^th fastest junior class time and tied Connor Fox (�98) for the 7^th fastest time all-time.

Taking the first 6 spots for the Lady Lions were Alessandra LaMastro (�06), Liz So (�06), Jenny Heigis (�09), Lara Heigis (�07), Brynn Merritt (�06), and Kelsey Murphy (�07).  The first 5 girls finished together and registered a time of 20:26 for the 3.0 mile Abbey course.  Kelsey Murphy continued her comeback from injury with a 6^th place finish in 21:05.  Other places for the team included Casey Keller (�08) in 10^th, Liz Faherty (�06) in 11^th, Anne Dauer (�06) in 12^th, Liz Lemasters (�06) in 14^th and Caitlyn Lees (�08) in 15^th.  For the Pope John Top 20 list, Jenny�s time is #2 all-time on the freshman class list and #13 on the all-time list, while Alessandra, Liz and Brynn tied for the 6^th fastest senior class time and Lara�s time is the 7^th fastest junior class time.

 The teams will continue their SCIL season on Monday, September 19th with a dual meet against Hopatcong at Hopatcong High School.

Boys Power to 40^th Straight Win; Girls Win Easy

Hopatcong, nJ (Sept. 19, 2005) � The Pope John Boys� Cross-Country team ran to their 40^th straight SCIL dual meet victory today over Hopatcong.  Using a strong second half, the boys dispatched the Chiefs by a score of 23 to 32.  The girls continued their dominance from last week by placing 1^st though 4^th and routing the Lady Chiefs 16 to 43.

 After a slower than expected start, Hopatcong held the first six spots after a half-mile, the boys team moved up and relied upon their up-front talent to withstand the strong challenge of the Chiefs.  Jeremy Scheid (�07) and Anthony LaMastro (�06) battled over the second half of the race with Mike Crum of Hopatcong and cruised in with 1^st and 2^nd place.  In addition, Tom Roy (�07) overcame an extremely slow start to notch 4^th place and put the Lions in position for victory.  Rounding out the Top 7 positions for the boys were Nick Beese (�08) in 7th, Tim Burns (�07) in 9th, Dale Hammer (�06) in 11^th, and Matt Pezzulo (�07) in 13^th.  Also of note were the finishes of Joe Benedetto (�09) and Chris Gaus (�09), as both runners completed their first race as a PJXC harrier.

The outcome was never in doubt on the female side as Liz So (�06), Lara Heigis (�07), Alessandra LaMastro (�06), and Jenny Heigis (�09) separated themselves early in the race and cruised home with the first 4 positions.  Casey Keller (�08) moved up over the second half of the race to finish the team scoring with a 6^th place showing.  Rounding out the Top 7 were Liz Faherty (�06) in 9^th and Anne Dauer (�06) in 10^th. 

 The teams will travel to historic Van Cortlandt Park this Saturday for a chance to test their fitness level and work on some pack running before the bigger invitational races in October.

Good Times at Xavier Invitational

 bronx, ny (Sept. 24, 2005) � Running on a picture-perfect day at historic Van Cortlandt Park is a dream for any high school runner and cross-country team.  Yesterday, the Pope John cross-country teams had a chance to live in their dream world.  Competing at the 27^th annual Xavier Cross-Country Invitational on a beautiful 75 degree day, the teams looked every part their top 5 New Jersey ranking.  Using the meet as a tune-up for the October 15^th Easterns, the girls� team swept the top 4 spots in the Varsity race and recorded an outstanding team average of 16:11, while the boys� took the top 2 places and recorded a 5-man average of 13:39.

Running in the first race of the day, the freshman girls race, Jenny Heigis (�09) set the tone for the day.  Running to the front of the race from the gun, Jenny steamrolled to a victory of almost 20 seconds and recorded the second fastest time in Pope John history on the freshman VCP course.  Her time of 9:59 is second to only her older sister Lara�s time of 9:34 set in 2003.

Using Jenny�s triumph as motivation, the Varsity girls sought to duplicate her dominance.  Using similar front running tactics, the Lady Lions were able to sweep the top 4 places in the race.  Leading the entire way and setting a new Pope John VCP record was Lara Heigis (�07) in 15:05.  Following Lara across the line was a pack of three seniors, Brynn Merritt (�06), Elizabeth So (�06) and Alessandra LaMastro (�06), in 16:18.  The 5^th, 6^th and 7^th fastest times ever run on the VCP 2.5 mile course by a Pope John female.  Rounding out the top 5 was Casey Keller (�08) in a phenomenal time of 16:56, which places her #2 on the all-time sophomore list and #9 on the all-time Pope John Top 20 list.  In addition to the Top 5, three other athletes recorded much improved performances from last season.  Liz Faherty (�06) ran 18:44, an improvement of 41 seconds from last year�s race.  Anne Dauer (�06) ran 19:02, an improvement of 9 seconds from last season.  And Grace Wilson (�07) ran 22:31, an improvement of 1 minute and 54 seconds from last year�s race.

After witnessing the dominance of the girls, the Pope John boys were up next.  And just like Jenny Heigis, the freshman boys started things off well.  Running with the leaders the entire race, Kevin McCormick (�09) and Chris Gaus (�09) finished 3^rd and 4^th respectively to highlight the freshman boys.  Kevin� time of 9:30 places him #8 on the all-time freshman Pope John list.  Also, running respectable times in their first freshman races were Joe Benedetto (�09) in 10:49, Brad Holenstein (�09) in 10:54 and Jeff Wimbush (�09) in 13:32.  Rounding out the freshman team was Matt Hansen (�09) in 14:51 (his second freshman race ever).

 In sub-varsity action, Jon Juleus (�08) and Matt Pezzulo (�07) ran the fastest times and had the most impressive performances.  Juleus finished 4^th in the sophomore boys� race in 14:17, 6^th on the Sophomore boys list and #16 on the all-time Pope John VCP top 20 list.  Pezzulo placed 5^th in the junior race in 14:39, an improvement of 54 seconds from last season�s race.  Also improving greatly from last season were Robert Lennon (�07) in 15:36, 30 seconds better than last year�s race, and Isak Bond (�06) in 15:12, a PR by 1:07 on the VCP course.

  Not to be outdone by all the earlier success, the Varsity boys made their mark in the final race of the day.  Anthony LaMastro (�06) triumphed for the 2^nd year in a row with a personal best time of 12:57 (#2 all-time PJ list).  Following Anthony across the line in 2^nd was Jeremy Scheid (�07) in 13:10, a PR of 20 seconds and #4 on the all-time list.  The next man through for the Lions was Tom Roy (�07) in 8^th in 13:46.  This was Tom�s first race at VCP and he recorded the 8^th fastest time ever for a Pope John male.  Also running the VCP 2.5 course for the first time were Nick Beese (�08) and Tim Burns (�07).  Nick finished in 14:08 (#4 sophomore time and #12 all-time) while Tim, in his strongest race of the season, ran 14:13 (#15 all-time).  Rounding out the Top 7 were Dale Hammer (�06) in 14:42, an improvement of 36 seconds from a year ago, and Clay Smith (�07) in 14:45.

 The teams return to SCIL action at 4 PM on Tuesday (Sept. 27) at Station Park in Sparta with a tri-meet against Lenape Valley High School and Sparta High School.

 Teams Sweep Lenape Valley & Sparta

sparta, nJ (Sept. 27, 2005) � The Pope John Cross-Country teams continued their undefeated season today with a sweep of Lenape Valley and Sparta at Station Park.  The boys defeated the Patriots 15 � 50 and the Spartans 15 � 49, while the girls won 16 � 44 over Lenape Valley and 21 � 35 over Sparta.

Working on their pack running and team depth, the Lions swept the first 6 places and 10 of the first 11 spots.  Leading the way with his first varsity win was Clay Smith (�07) in 18:27 for the 3.1 mile course.  Immediately behind was Tim Burns (�07) in 18:28, Anthony LaMastro (�06) in 18:28, Jeremy Scheid (�07) in 18:30, Matt Pezzulo (�07) in 18:30 and Jon Juleus (�08) in 18:31.  Other top 10 performers included Josh D�Anna (�08) in 8^th in 18:53, Kevin McCormick (�09) in 9^th in 19:10 and Isak Bond (�06) in 10^th in 19:17.

  Despite only having 7 girls finish the race, the Lady Lions swept the first 3 positions to easily win the two dual meets.  Lara Heigis (�07) and Elizabeth So (�06) crossed together in 20:13 for the first two positions with Brynn Merritt (�06) just behind in 20:25.  The next finisher was the rapidly improving Casey Keller (�08) in 22:07.  Rounding out the top 7 were Liz Faherty (�06) in 10^th in 23:40, Anne Dauer (�06) in 11^th in 24:12 and Caitlyn Lees (�08) in 17^th in 26:12.

 The teams will compete next at the Shore Coaches Invitational this Saturday at Holmdel State Park.

Varsity, JV Boys Win at Shore Coaches

holmdel, nj (Oct. 1, 2005) � For the third year in a row, the Pope John Boys cross-country team claimed a team title at the Shore Coaches Invitational.  Run the first Saturday of every October, the Shore Coaches Invitational brings together most of the top teams in NJ and is the biggest XC meet in the state.

Running in the Varsity �E� division, the boys claimed the team title with 99 points to easily outdistance Hopatcong (150 points) and Haddonfield (167 points).  Leading the way for the Lions was Anthony LaMastro (�06) and Jeremy Scheid (�07).  Running together the entire way, Anthony and Jeremy finished in 2^nd and 3^rd in new personal best times on the Holmdel layout.  Anthony�s time of 16:15 is a PR by 7 seconds, was the 9^th fastest on the day, and improved on his number two All-Time Pope John time.  Jeremy PR�ed by 30 seconds with a time of 16:16, good enough for the 10^th fastest time of the day and number three on the All-Time PJ Top 20.  Also, running a personal best was Tom Roy (�07). Tom finished in 10^th place in 17:10 (a 19 second PR), had the 72^nd fastest time of the day, and moved into the number nine spot in the all-time list.  Next up for the Lions was Nick Beese (�08) in 24^th place with a time of 17:39. The final scorer was Clay Smith (�07) in 60^th in 18:21.  The final two finishers for the team were Dale Hammer (�06) in 18:35 (a PR) and Tim Burns (�07) in 18:51.  Overall, the team had the third fastest 5-man average (17:09.0) of all teams entered.

Showing the state of New Jersey the depth of the Pope John team, the JV boys also won their division,  Finishing with a score of a mere 23 points, the team easily defeated Pingry with 81 points.  Josh D�Anna (�08), Jon Juleus (�08) and Isak Bond ('06) swept the first three places, while Paul Wilson (�06) in 18:59 and Robert Lennon (�07) finished 8^th and 9^th respectively to nail down the win.  Josh, Jon and Isak ran well to get under 19 minutes on their first try at the 3.1 mile course.

In the freshman race, Kevin McCormick (�09) and Chris Gaus (�09) placed 4^th and 6^th respectively to nail down medals on the 2 mile course.  Kevin�s time of 9:30 ties him for number three on the All-Time freshman Holmdel list while Chris� time of 9:32 places him fifth on the same list.  These times were also the 27^th and 30^th fastest of all times run by freshman at the meet.

The boys return to SCIL competition on Tuesday with a tri-meet against Newton and Vernon at Kittatinny State Park.

Teams Remain Unbeaten

 andover, nJ (Oct. 4, 2005) � The Pope John Cross-Country teams swept their meets against Newton and Vernon this afternoon.  Taking the first five positions in each race. The boys won 15 � 50 over Newton and 15 � 48 over Vernon, while the girls defeated Newton 15 � 46 and Vernon 15 � 50.

With an eye towards closing the top five compression from Saturday, the boys raced as a large pack through the majority of the race and were able to finish within 25 seconds of each other to secure the double victory.  As usual, Anthony LaMastro (�06) and Jeremy Scheid (�07) led the way taking the top two spots,  followed closely by Tom Roy (�07), Nick Beese (�08) and Tim Burns (�07).  Tim rebounded well from a sub-par performance this weekend and kicked it in nicely to secure the sweep.  Other members finishing in the top 10 included Clay Smith (�07), Jon Juleus (�08) and Matt Pezzulo (�07).  Jon and Matt ran especially well and continue to challenge for a top 7 position.  Another highlight included Kevin McCormick (�09) running 17:38 and being the first freshman across the line.  Other noteworthy performances include Dave de la Fuente (�06) running 19:16 and Graham Medak (�08) running 19:35, the first time both runners broke 20 minutes.

Continuing their unsurpassed pack running, the girls were also able to sweep the first five places of the race.  Crossing together in 19:50 were Lara Heigis (�07), Jenny Heigis (�09), Alessandra LaMastro (�06), Casey Keller (�08) and Brynn Merritt (�06) providing the points for the meet.  Once Liz So (�06) and Lauren Bariexca (�07) return to racing, this pack should become the best in New Jersey.  Also running well were Kelsey Murphy (�07) in eighth, a nice return from injury; Anne Dauer (�06) running 21:53 (her first time under 22 minutes), and Liz Lemasters (�06) running 22:51.

The teams will be off this weekend and return to racing next Tuesday, October 11^th with a tri-meet with Jefferson and Wallkill Valley at St. Paul�s Abbey.  Look for some records to fall.

 Heigis� Record Leads to Fast Times

 andover, nJ (Oct. 11, 2005) � Coming into this season, most people assumed that the Pope John girls cross-country team was good and a force to be reckoned with on the state level.  After today, the DPOE and the rest of the state might have to adjust their attitudes.  With Lara Heigis (�07) setting the pace, the Lady Lions ran 7 of the 10 fastest times ever run by a Pope John female at St. Paul�s Abbey, including the 3 fastest.  Using these performances, the girls were able to easily defeat the Jefferson Falcons 15-50 and Wallkill Valley Rangers 18-44.  Not to be outdone, the boys were also able to sweep the tri-meet with score of 15-50 over Jefferson and 16-46 over Wallkill.

Running to the front of the pack immediately, Lara was able to break her St. Paul�s Abbey course record of 17:45 from last season by running a stunning time of 17:29.  Going through the mile in 5:32, Lara looked strong and determined the entire distance.  Equally impressive was the debut of Lauren Bariexca (�07).  Running for the first time as a Lady Lion, Lauren was able to run 18:26, good enough for #2 on the all-time Top 20 list.  Finishing closely behind Lauren was Alessandra LaMastro (�06) in 18:46, a 47 second PR on the course and #3 all-time on the Top 20.  Further rewriting the course record list were Brynn Merritt (�06) in 19:10, Casey Keller (�08) in 19:37, Liz So in 19:39 and Jenny Heigis (�09) in 19:40.  Brynn�s time places her #7 all-time.  Casey�s time is #2 on the sophomore list and #9 on the all-time list.  Jenny�s time is #2 on the freshman list and #10 all-time.  Rounding out the outstanding day were PR�s by five other girls and a nice run by Kelsey Murphy (�07) as she continues to rebound from injuries.  To sum up the day, the Abbey typically runs 50-60 seconds faster than Holmdel State Park.  The team top-5 average was 18:41.

Anthony LaMastro	Lara Heigis

On the boy�s side, the team was finally able to have a top 5 runner compression of less than 1 minute.  Anthony LaMastro (�06) set a fast early pace and was able to run the #2 time for seniors of 15:30.  Following closely behind was Jeremy Scheid (�07) in 15:41, #3 junior time and #3 all-time.  Rounding out the top 5 were Tom Roy (�07) in 3^rd, Nick Beese (�08) in 4^th and Tim Burns (�07) in 6^th.  All three ran personal bests on the course and elevated themselves onto the top 10 All-Time list for Pope John runners.  Tom�s time of 16:12 is #6, Nick�s is #7 (and #4 all-time sophomore) and Tim�s is #10.  Also making the all-time list was Jon Juleus (�08) with the #17 time of 16:50 and Kevin McCormick (�09) running the #6 all-time freshman time of 17:28.  In total, 20 athletes beat or tied their personal best time on the course. 

 The teams will travel to Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx on Saturday for the boys Eastern States Invitational.  Great competition from up and down the East Coast will be there to challenge the Lions.  Fast times are bound to occur.

Girls Win at Van Cortlandt, Defeat Oakton, VA (SE #2)

bronx, ny (Oct. 15, 2005) �Going into the Peter Aquilone Eastern States Cross-Country Championships, the Pope John girls cross-country team were brimming with confidence but unsure where they belonged in the State of NJ and on the Nike Northeast Regional Rankings.  Leaving the championships, the girls now know that they are possibly the best team in New Jersey and one of the top teams in the entire Northeast region.

Running with purpose and determination, the girls easily outdistanced the defending champions and Southeast Regional #2 Oakton, VA 59-82 for the team title.  Winning the race and setting a new Pope John Van Cortlandt Park record was Lara Heigis (�07) in 14:49.  Lara won by 30 seconds over Vanessa Wright of Haddonfield (2^nd in 2004 NJ MOC) and broke her personal best time by 16 seconds.  Next up for the Lady Lions was Lauren Bariexca (�07) in 8^th in 15:51.  This was Lauren�s first invitational as a member of PJXC and her performance was the 2^nd fastest ever by a PJ female.  Continuing the impressive racing was Liz So (�06) in 13^th in 16:04, a 14 second personal best and #5 on the all-time Pope John VCP list.  Following Liz was Alessandra LaMastro (�06) in 16^th in 16:11, a PR of 7 seconds and #7 on the all-time list.  Concluding the scoring for the team was Brynn Merritt in 21^st in 16:25.  Other great performances were turned in by Jenny Heigis (�09) and Casey Keller (�08).  They finished 37^th and 38^th respectively in 16:47, tied for #10 on the all-time list.  In other races, Kelsey Murphy (�07) led the girls with a 13^th place finish in the Girls C race in 17:38.  Although not a PR, Kelsey�s time was an improvement of 55 seconds from earlier in the season.

�William Perlman/The Star-Ledger

For the boys, Anthony LaMastro (�06) and Jeremy Scheid (�07) both finished in the top 15 to lead the Lions to a 5^th place team finish with 182 points.  Oakton of Virginia was the winner with 106 points.  Anthony finished in 8^th place in 13:02 with Jeremy close behind in 15^th place with a 13:15 clocking.  The 3^rd man for the team was Tom Roy (�07) in 33rd in a personal best time of 13:38, good for #7 on the all-time Pope John list.  Also under 14 minutes was Nick Beese (�08) in 55^th place in 13:57, #10 on the all-time list and #3 on the sophomore list.  Clay Smith (�07) finished in 71^st place in a personal best 14:14 (#16 all-time) to cap the scoring.  Following Clay across the line were Jon Juleus (�08) in 74^th in 14:19 and Tim Burns (�07) in 87^th in 14:32.  In sub-varsity action, Matt Pezzulo (�07) led the team to a 5^th place showing with an 18^th place finish in 14:39.  Josh D�Anna also medaled with a 25^th place in 14:50, a 32 second personal record.

The teams look to conclude their undefeated SCIL dual meet seasons on Monday, October 17^th at High Point Regional High School.  Races begin at 4:00 PM.

 Complete Results

SCIL Champions (x 2)!!

Wantage, nJ (Oct. 17, 2005) � The Pope John boys and girls cross-country teams closed their SCIL regular seasons with resounding wins over High Point Regional High School today.  The boys won 18-43 to finish undefeated for the 5^th straight season and extend their unbeaten streak to 47 straight dual meets.  The girls won 21-34 to finish undefeated for the 3^rd straight year and stretch their unbeaten streak to 31 dual meets.

Pacing the effort, as in every meet this season, were Anthony LaMastro (�06) and Jeremy Scheid (�07).  Easily placing 1^st and 2^nd in the time of 18:11, Anthony and Jeremy conclude an unbeaten SCIL regular season.  Securing the victory was Dale Hammer (�06) in 4^th, Jon Juleus (�08) in 5^th, Josh D�Anna (�08) in 6^th, and Matt Pezzulo (�07) in 7^th.  For the seniors, this meet concludes an undefeated career (the 2^nd class ever).  Congratulations to Isak, Dave, Dale, Anthony, Mike, Pat, and Paul on an outstanding accomplishment.

Despite resting some of their top runners, the girls easily disposed of the High Point Wildcats.  Lara Heigis (�07) and Lauren Bariexca (�07) took the first 2 places to pace the victory with Alessandra LaMastro (�06) and Casey Keller (�08) placing 4^th and 5^th respectively.  Rounding out the scoring was Liz Lemasters (�06) in 9^th with Grace Wilson claiming 20^th place.  The senior class of Anne, Liz F., Alessandra, Liz L., Brynn and Liz S. finish their careers with a record of 34-2 in SCIL dual meets.  Congratulations ladies!

This Saturday kicks off championship season with the SCIL Festival.  The boys are seeking their 12^th title in 14 years and 6^th straight, while the girls are aiming for their 3^rd straight and 4^th in 5 years.

Record-Setting Day for Girls at Festival

augusta, nj (Oct. 22, 2005) � The Pope John Girls� Cross-Country team had a record-setting day at the 2005 SCIL Festival today.  Displaying amazing team tactics and great depth, the Lady Lions placed all 7 runners in the top 10 places to win their 3^rd straight title and 4^th in 5 years.  Despite the cold and rainy conditions, the girls were able to break the festival record for lowest team total with an impressive 20 points.  The previous record for a girls� team was 26 points by Pope John set in the 2004 race last year.  In addition, the point total is the lowest ever for any Sussex County team, boys or girls, breaking the Pope John boys� record of 24 points set one year ago.

Also setting a record was Lara Heigis (�07).  Lara easily defended her individual title of a year ago by running a course record 18:03 and winning by 50 seconds.  Lara cruised through the first mile in 5:42 and extended her lead with a dominating 2^nd half.  Following Lara was a triumvirate of PJ runners in 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th place.  Lauren Bariexca (�07) finished an impressive 3^rd in 18:59 in her first ever SCIL festival and broke 19 minutes for the first time ever in a 5k race.  Finishing immediately behind Lauren was Brynn Merritt (�06) in 4^th and Alessandra LaMastro (�06) in 5^th.  Both girls raced smartly over the 2^nd half to claim a top five finish.  For Brynn, this was the 3^rd time she has finished in the top five at the festival, having missed the 2003 race with an injury.  For Alessandra, she improved by 47 seconds from a season ago.

Lara Heigis	Lauren Bariexca	Brynn Merritt and Alessandra LaMastro

Rounding out the team total was Casey Keller (�08), finishing 7^th in 19:27.  Casey is perhaps the most improved runner in the SCIL. Last season she was the freshman champion and typically ran 22 minutes for 5k.  With a great summer of training, Casey has been able to become one of the top runners in the SCIL.  Immediately behind Casey was Liz So (�06) in 8^th in 19:42.  This marked Liz�s 3^rd straight year finishing in the top 10 at the festival, becoming, with Brynn, one of the few Sussex County runners to ever accomplish this feat.  Capping the record-setting day was Jenny Heigis (�09) in 10^th in 20:00.  Running a personal best time for 5k, Jenny was the first freshman across the line and a medal-winner in her first SCIL festival.

Casey Keller	Liz So	Jenny Heigis
Msgr. McHugh congratulates the record setting 2005 SCIL Festival Champions

In sub-varsity action, Anne Dauer (�06) ran away with the JV girls title.  Anne ran 22:42 for the 5k course and defended her title from 1 year ago.  Also medaling were Liz Lemasters (�06) in 4^th and Caitlyn Lees (�08) in 10^th.  Both athletes conclude an outstanding XC season and will now set their sights on some winter track records, Liz in the high jump and Caitlyn in the sprints.  Also running well was Grace Wilson in 15^th place in 26:03.  Grace�s time was an improvement of 28 seconds from last year�s race.

Anne Dauer	Liz Lemasters	Caitlyn Lees	Grace Wilson
	(L to R) Anne Dauer, Grace Wilson, Caitlyn Lees, and Liz Lemasters

 The girls will have a 2-mile time trial next weekend and will seek their first-ever NJCTC XC title on November 5^th.

Boys Win 6^th Straight Festival, LaMastro - Champion

 Augusta, nj (Oct. 22, 2005) � The Pope John Boys� Cross-Country team continued its dominance in the SCIL Festival today as they won for the 6^th straight year and 12^th in 14 years.  The twelve wins are the most in Sussex County history.  The Lions placed five runners in the top eleven finishers to score 27 points and easily defeat Hopatcong, who was 2^nd with 54 points. 

Runners jostle for position at the start of the 2005 SCIL XC Festival

Leading the charge for the Lions was Anthony LaMastro (�06).  Anthony defended his individual title of a year ago and became the 2^nd runner in PJ history to be a two-time SCIL XC Festival champion (Justin Scheid being the other in 2002 and 2003).  Anthony won in a time of 15:48.  Running near the front with Anthony during the entire race were Jeremy Scheid (�07) and Tom Roy (�07).  Jeremy finished 3^rd in 16:02, a 13 second improvement from a year ago, while Tom finished 4^th in 16:30, a 34 second improvement.  Both runners should contend for the individual title next season.  Also placing in the medals was Nick Beese (�08) in 8^th.  Nick won the freshman championship last season and stepped up this year with a strong showing in 16:51.  Clay Smith (�07) concluded the scoring with an 11^th place finish in 16:54, just missing a medal by one second.  Completing the top 7 were Tim Burns (�07) in 13^th in 16:55 and Dale Hammer (�06) in 17:25.  Tim and Dale both improved their times from last season by 20 seconds.  

Anthony LaMastro	Jeremy Scheid	Tom Roy
Clay Smith and Nick Beese	Tim Burns	Dale Hammer

In JV action, the Lions swept nine of the top ten places, demonstrating tremendous team depth.  Winning the race was Jon Juleus (�08) in 17:30 with Josh D�Anna (�08) and Matt Pezzulo (�07) close behind in 2^nd and 3^rd in 17:45 and 17:51, respectively.  These boys raced together the entire way and should vie for top 10 positions next season in the varsity race.  Continuing the Pope John line were Doug Murphy (�08) in 4^th, Pat Rosendale (�06) in 5^th, Isak Bond (�06) in 6^th and Paul Wilson (�06) in 7^th.  This foursome also raced together the entire race distance and separated only towards the end.  Completing the medal winners were Robert Lennon (�07) in 8^th in 18:30 and Mike Lamm (�06), tenth in 18:39.  Robert and Mike engaged in a nice battle with a Hopatcong runner throughout the race with Robert out-kicking him and Mike just missing him at the finish.  Other finishers included Ryan Norris (�07) in 12^th, Graham Medak (�08) in 13^th, Tom Wilson (�08) in 18^th and Mike Peer (�07) in 27^th. 

(L to R) Ryan Norris, Mike Lamm, Jon Juleus, Graham Medak, Tom Wilson, Josh D'Anna, Mike Peer (in back), Isak Bond, Robert Lennon, Pat Rosendale, Doug Murphy, and Paul Wilson Matt Pezzulo (in front)

In the freshman race, Kevin McCormick (�09) continued the PJ win streak by claiming the 2-mile title in 11:18.  Kevin is the 5^th straight PJ winner of the race.  Other medalists include Chris Gaus (�09) in 4^th and Joe Benedetto (�09) in 8^th.  Just missing a top ten medal was Jim Morrissey (�09) in 11^th.

(L to R) Yemi Arole, Jim Morrissey, John Friend, Joe Benedetto, Marc Kunesch, Kevin McCormick, Matt Hansen, Chris Gaus, and Brad Holenstein

 The boys will have a 2-mile time trial next weekend and will compete at the NJCTC XC championships on November 5^th.

Teams Earn 13 All-League Honors

hampton, nJ (Oct. 25, 2005) � The Pope John Cross-Country teams earned 13 All-League citations today at the year-end SCIL coaches meeting.  Selected by the SCIL coaches, the All-League team consists of fifteen male student-athletes and fifteen female student-athletes.  The SCIL Champion girls� team earned seven of the fifteen honors, while the SCIL Champion boys� earned six citations.  Dale Hammer and Kelsey Murphy earned All-SCIL Honorable Mention recognition.  Below is the complete list of honorees.

Boys Second to CBA at NJCTC

elizabeth, nj (Nov. 5, 2005) � With the highest finish ever, a �B� division team title and the fastest team time average ever run at Warinanco Park, the Pope John boys� cross-country continued their impressive season at the 49^th annual New Jersey Catholic Track Conference Cross-Country Championships.

Running without their usual #4 man, Nick Beese (�08), the boys were able to place their five scorers in the top 23 to finish with 75 points, in second place to NJ #1 and National #5 Christian Brothers Academy.  Leading the Lions was Anthony LaMastro (�06) in 4^th place in 16:23.  Anthony�s time is the 2^nd fastest ever run by a PJ boy and a personal best by 14 seconds.  Also finishing in the top 10 was Jeremy Scheid (�07) in 9^th in 16:48.  With his time, Jeremy became just the 4^th PJ boy to ever break 17 minutes on the famed course.  His time was an improvement of 37 seconds from last year�s race.  The third scorer for the Lions was Tom Roy (�07).  Running in his first NJCTC varsity championship, Tom finished 18^th in 17:13 becoming the #6 runner on the all-time PJ list.  Next across the line was Clay Smith (�07) in 21^st place in 17:25.  Clay moved up very well over the last mile and just missed a top 20 finish.  Finishing the scoring was Jon Juleus (�08) in 23^rd in 17:27.  In his first significant varsity action, Jon ran a tremendous race and finally displayed the talent that he showed glimpses of last track season.  His time is #9 on the all-time PJ list and #5 in the sophomore boys� list.  The sixth runner for the team was Dale Hammer (�06).  Dale placed 39^th in 18:03, a 28 second improvement from last season.  Rounding out the placements was Tim Burns (�07) in 59^th in 18:21.

Anthony LaMastro	Jeremy Scheid
Tom Roy
Clay Smith & Jon Juleus	Anthony LaMastro & Jeremy Scheid

In JV action, Josh D�Anna (�08), Matt Pezzulo (�07) and Doug Murphy (�08) secured top 10 finishes to lead the team to a 3^rd place finish.  Josh placed 6^th in 18:06 (#9 on the sophomore boys� list).  Matt was 8^th in 18:18, and Doug was 10^th in 18:39.  Rounding out the scoring for the team was Robert Lennon (�07) in 23^rd in 19:09 and Paul Wilson (�06) in 30^th in 19:25.

In the freshman race, Chris Gaus (�09) led the team with a 13^th place finish in 13:03.  Chris� time places him 8^th on the all-time PJ freshman boys� list.  Also medaling was Kevin McCormick (�09) in 30^th place in 13:35.

The boys will continue their season on Saturday at the NJSIAA Non-Public �A� State Championship at Holmdel Park.  Race time is 10:50 AM. 

 Complete Results

Girls Win NJCTC Championship!

Lara Heigis Leads Way with First Place Finish!

Elizabeth, nj (Nov. 5, 2005) � For the first time in Pope John cross-country history, a team won the overall title at the New Jersey Catholic Track Conference Cross-Country Championships.  Placing four runners among the top ten finishers, the Pope John girls� XC team continued their undefeated season by scoring an impressive 40 points to win the team title at the 49^th annual championships (21^st for women) held at Warinanco Park in Elizabeth, NJ.

Lara Heigis	Lauren Bariexca
Brynn Merritt	Jenny Heigis
Casey Keller

Leading the way for the Lady Lions, as she has done all season, was Lara Heigis (�07).  Using a strong surge around the 2-mile mark, Lara became the 3^rd Pope John female, joining Maria Nitto (�97) and Meagan Murphy (�00), to win the individual title.  Lara�s time of 19:00 also sets a new junior class record and was just off her school record of 18:56 set last year.  Following Lara was Lauren Bariexca (�07) in 4^th place in 19:51.  With her time, Lauren became just the 3^rd PJ girl ever to break 20 minutes on the historic Warinanco course.  In addition, it is the 2^nd fastest time ever run by a junior.  Next across the line for the team was Brynn Merritt (�06) in 8^th place in 20:16.  Brynn moved up throughout the race and raced particularly well considering she took SAT�s in the morning.  The final member of the top ten was Jenny Heigis (�09).  Jenny ran an outstanding race moving from around 20^th place to 10^th in the last mile.  Her time of 20:32 is #7 on the all-time PJ list and the second fastest ever run by a PJ freshman.  Finishing the scoring for the team was Casey Keller (�08).  Casey was very strong in moving up over the last half-mile to finish 18^th and secure the victory.  Her time of 20:51 is #10 on the all-time list and #3 for sophomores.  Rounding out the placements were Liz So (�06) and Alessandra LaMastro (�06) in 26^th and 28^th place respectively.  Nursing some nagging injuries, the girls performed admirably considering the irritations caused by racing.  However, they have vowed to finish the season on a high note and lead the team to the state championship.

In sub-varsity action, Kelsey Murphy (�07) and Anne Dauer (�06) earned medals with a 13^th and 22^nd place finish in the girls JV race.  Also running well was Grace Wilson (�07) in 43^rd place in 27:23. 

The girls will shoot for the NJSIAA Non-Public �A� state championships on Saturday at Holmdel Park.  Race time is 10 AM. 

Complete Results

STATE CHAMPIONS!

holmdel, nj (Nov. 12, 2005) � For the first time in Pope John school history, an athletic team has been crowned the NJSIAA Non-Public �A� State Champions.  The team that accomplished this great feat is the Girls� Cross-Country team.  Using a strong front-runner and a close-knit pack, the girls won their 2^nd state group title (2001 �B� title) decisively by placing 3 runners in the top five and five runners in the top 12.

Lara Heigis	Lauren Bariexca	Brynn Merritt	Casey Keller

Running unaccompanied the entire race, Lara Heigis (�07) became the first Pope John female runner to win a group title.  Her winning time of 18:42 is a Pope John school record and was 55 seconds faster than the second place finisher.  Lara now has her sight set on a sub 18 minute run and an overall state championship next week.  Next across the line for the Lady Lions were Lauren Bariexca (�07) and Brynn Merritt (�06) in 4^th and 5^th place, respectively.  Lauren�s time of 19:57 marks her first performance under 20 minutes on the Holmdel course and is #3 on the all-time PJ list.  Brynn�s time of 20:04 is just off her PR of 20:01 (2004 MOC) but places her #2 on the all-time senior girl list.  Completing the scoring for the team were Casey Keller (�08) in 10^th and Jenny Heigis (�09) in 12^th.  Both girls had extremely good races and will look to run under 20 minutes at the Meet of Champions.  Casey�s time of 20:22 places her #7 on the all-time PJ list (#2 for sophomores) while Jenny�s time of 20:25 is #8 all-time (and #2 for freshman).  Rounding out the top 7 were Alessandra LaMastro (�06) in 24^th in 20:59 (#13 on the all-time list) and Elizabeth So (�06) in 35^th in 21:45.

Jenny Heigis	Alessandra LaMastro (L) and Brynn Merritt	Liz So

Overall, the team averaged 19:54 for the 5k course, a school record.  The average was the 3^rd fastest of all the teams that ran today.  Roxbury and Colts Neck averaged faster.  The girls will shoot for the NJSIAA Meet of Champions state title next Saturday at Holmdel Park.  Race time is 10 AM.  

Complete Results

Boys Second at Non-Public "A" Championship

holmdel, nj (Nov. 12, 2005) � Matching their highest finish ever, the Pope John boys� cross-country team finished 2^nd to powerful Christian Brothers Academy at the Non-Public �A� state championships.  Using a compression of a mere 49 seconds, the boys were able to hold off Don Bosco Prep and average 17:01 for the hilly 5k Holmdel Park course.

Anthony LaMastro	Tom Roy	Jeremy Scheid

 Anthony LaMastro (�06) led the Lions with a 5^th place finish in 16:32.  Next across the line was Tom Roy (�07) in a personal best time of 17:00.  Tom was 15^th overall and his time places him #7 on the all-time PJ boy list for Holmdel.  The #3 man on the day was Jeremy Scheid (�07) in 18^th in 17:05.  The final scorers of the day delivered the biggest improvements on the course.  Clay Smith (�07) in a great race finished 20^th in a time of 17:09 (#10 all-time) and was 81 seconds faster from his time earlier in the year.  Following Clay across the line for the second week in a row was Jon Juleus (�08).  Jon continued his impressive post-season racing with a 24^th place finish in 17:21.  Jon�s time is #12 on the all-time PJ list (#5 for sophomores) and was an improvement of 82 seconds from his last Holmdel race.  The final finishers for the team were Nick Beese (�08) in 38^th in 17:50 and Dale Hammer (�05) in 54^th in 18:11.  Overall the boys had the 6^th fastest average of all teams.

Clay Smith and Jon Juleus

The boys will conclude their season next Saturday at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions at Holmdel Park.  The team will be looking to improve on their 6^th place finish of a year ago.  Race time is 10:45 AM. 

Complete Results

Boys Place a Disappointing 9^th at MOC�s

holmdel, nj (Nov. 12, 2005) � The nature of cross-country racing is that sometimes races go your way and sometimes they don�t.  Unfortunately for the Pope John boys� cross-country team, they had one of the �not� races at the 2005 NJ Meet of Champions.  Seeking a return trip to the award podium and a top four finish, the boys did not perform as expected, finishing a disappointing ninth.

Senior Anthony LaMastro completed his illustrious career at Pope John		Jeremy Scheid finished tough by shaking this pack of runners in the last quarter mile

 As he has all season, Anthony LaMastro (�06) was the 1^st PJ finisher across the line in 38^th place in 16:36.  Next up was Jeremy Scheid (�07) in 46^th in 16:46.  Rounding out the team scoring was Tom Roy (�07) in 85^th, Clay Smith (�07) in 97^th and Jon Juleus (�08) in 109^th.  Other team placements were Dale Hammer (�06) in 133^rd and Tim Burns (�07) in 136^th.  Dale and Tim were the only members of the top 7 to run personal bests for Holmdel Park on the day.  Dale improved by 8 seconds to 17:56, while Tim improved by 45 seconds from earlier in the season.  Overall the team averaged 17:06.2 for the 5k course.  Averaging their personal best times from earlier in the season produces a team average of 16:48, which would have been good enough for the 3^rd fastest average on the day.

Tom Roy	Dale Hammer	Clay Smith

 However, the future does look bright as the team returns eight of their top ten runners from this season, and with a great nine months of  training should be able to challenge for the team title next season. 

2005 XC Boys: (L to R) Kevin McCormick, Nick Beese, Jon Juleus, Clay Smith, Tom Roy, Jeremy Scheid, Chris Gaus, Anthony LaMastro, Tim Burns, Robert Lennon, Dale Hammer, Josh D'Anna, Matt Pezzulo

Complete Results

Girls Finish 3^rd at MOC�s

holmdel, nj (Nov. 19, 2005) � Coming into the 2005 cross-country season, the Pope John girls aspired to be one of the top teams in New Jersey and the Northeast Region.  Throughout their undefeated season, the girls established many school firsts, many school records and many personal bests.  In their last race as a team, the girls displayed the wisdom of their aspiration and continued their record setting ways.  Despite missing Brynn Merritt (�06), one of their usual top runners, the girls finished an impressive 3^rd at the 2005 New Jersey Meet of Champion.  The third place finish is the highest ever for a Pope John team, and their team average of 19:40.0 is the seventh fastest team average ever run by a New Jersey school at the legendary Holmdel State Park course.

Lara Heigis (R) enjoying a laugh with Jenn Ennis of Roxbury (L) and Ashley Higginson of Colts Neck		Liz So, Casey Keller, and Lauren Bariexca emerge from the woods to start the stretch run to the finish

 The top finisher for the Lady Lions, as she has been all season, was Lara Heigis (�07).  Lara finished 6^th in a new Pope John school record of 18:25.  Running near the front the entire way, Lara was able to drop her Holmdel best  by 17 seconds.  Next weekend, she should contend for a top 10 finish at the Footlocker Northeast Region National Qualifier.  Following Lara across the line was a pack of Pope John runners.  Casey Keller (�08) was 39^th, Liz So (�06) was 42^nd, Lauren Bariexca (�07) was 46^th and Jenny Heigis was 58^th.  Casey ran a fantastic race and dropped her time by 31 seconds from last week.  She was the 9^th fastest sophomore in the meet and raised herself to #3 on the All-time PJ list (#2 on the sophomore list).  Also running a personal best was Liz So.  Although hobbled by a leg injury for the last 5 weeks, Liz ran an incredibly gutsy race and dropped her time by 27 seconds from one year ago.   Her time of 19:53 is #4 on the all-time PJ list.  The fourth finisher, Lauren Bariexca, just missed her PR and also placed in the top 50 in her first NJ Meet of Champions race.  Rounding out the scoring was Jenny Heigis in 20:12 (#8 all-time).  Jenny passed approximately 20 people in the last � mile to seal the 3^rd place finish.  On the day, she was the 9^th highest placer among freshman and PR�ed by 13 seconds from one week ago.  Also PR�ing was Kelsey Murphy (�07).  Running her first race in three weeks, Kelsey was able to lower her personal best by 7 seconds, despite missing considerable training due to injury.  Rounding out the placers was Alessandra LaMastro (�06) in 118^th place.

Jenny Heigis was in high gear as she passed numerous runners on the way to the finish line		Alessandra LaMastro finishes her distinguished career as a Lion

 Overall, the girls persevered throughout the season and established a new standard against which all future Pope John teams will be measured.  Despite losing the most productive senior class in history, the girls will battle for the state #1 ranking next season as five of the top eight return.

The Record Setting Team: (L to R) Liz Faherty, Lauren Bariexca, Liz So, Jenny Heigis, Alessandra (Tina) LaMastro, Kelsey Murphy, Brynn Merritt, Anne Dauer, Lara Heigis, Casey Keller, and Caitlyn Lees

Complete Results

SCIL Announces 2005 XC Academic Athlete Achievement Awards

KITTATINNY HS (January 3, 2005) - The Sussex County Interscholastic League announced its 2005 Academic Athlete Achievement awards for the fall 2005 season today.  Among the honored athletes are twelve members of the Pope John XXIII Cross Country team.

Congratulations to our student-athletes.  Keep up the good work!