Andrews, Leininger one-two in Central Jersey race

Robby Andrews conquered the elements as well as a very strong field to capture the Central Jersey Group IV cross country championships.

CHRIS KELLY staff Courtney Hulley and her Howell High School cross country teammates slogged their way to a fifth-place finish at Saturday's Central Jersey Group IV Championships held at Thompson Park in Jamesburg. The Rebels advanced to this Saturday's State Group Championships at Holmdel Park. The stormy skies opened up just as the Group IV race went off Saturday at Thompson Park in Jamesburg, adding an additional challenge for the harriers.

As he has throughout this championship laden season, Andrews ran up front with the leaders and waited until the final stages of the race to unleash his finishing kick.

"The course was slick, especially on the downhill," said Andrews. "The West Windsor runners [Sam Macaluso and Kevin Foy] took it out. I worked with Mark [Leininger of Colts Neck]."

When the time came, Andrews attacked at around 600 meters from the finish line.

"At the top of the hill I made a move," he said.

Andrews quickly opened up daylight on the lead pack, with only Leininger responding. But the Cougar had no answer either.

"I worked to close the gap so he'd pull me to second," noted Leininger.

Despite the pouring rain and slick course, Andrews broke 16:00 posting a 15:56. This was the second straight week he added a title that had eluded him last fall (it was the Shore Conference on Oct. 30). Saturday, he'll try to win his first cross country state Group title back at Holmdel Park.

Leininger did get second, in 16:01. His teammate Mike O'Dowd ran another solid race in sixth (16:40).

Behind O'Dowd, Freehold Township's Eric Dynarski was coming through with his breakthrough race. He finished seventh (16:43) and qualified for Saturday's NJSIAA Group State Championships at Holmdel Park for the very first time.

"I thought in my senior year I'd make it [Group meet]," Dynarski said. "It's incredible."

After a very promising freshman year, the Patriot sophomore was slowed for most of the season by growth plate ailments to both knees. He never imagined he'd finish in the top 10 at the state sectional, let alone qualify for the Group IV race.

The season looked like it would be a wash for Dynarski — until the Monmouth County Championship. His 34th place there, he said, told him he was back. He followed that up with a 23rd place at the Shore Conference, another indicator he was on an upward curve.

Dynarski said he had no prerace strategy, except to run hard. He kept passing runners during the race until O'Dowd in front of him gave him a target to shoot for.

Manalapan boys advance

Andrews had a second reason to celebrate on Saturday, this one with his teammates.

Ever since the Braves came up one point short of qualifying for the Group IV championship as a team in '07, they dedicated this season to taking that next step.

In the summer they went camping, as a way of bonding, and put in quality mileage, all with the goal on not coming up one point shy again. And they didn't. The Braves easily advanced to Saturday's Group IV meet with a third place (106) behind West Windsor- Plainsboro South (52) and Old Bridge (66).

Gary Sparapani was Manalapan's No. 2 runner, finishing 14th (17:05). Kingsley Prophet (17:24), Matt Gabor (17:26) and Kyle Schneider (17:28) ran within four seconds of each other, finishing 28-21-32.

The Braves won the Shore Conference A North Public School division title and their fourth straight Freehold Regional District crown during the year, but advancing to the State Group meet was their biggest goal.

The top five teams and top 10 individuals at the sectionals all advance to the Group meet.

Colts Neck is also going. Riding the 2-6 finish of Leininger and O'Dowd, the Cougars were fifth (167). Corey Rubin (17:39), Kevin O'Dowd (17:46) and Mike Blaskovich (18:18) completed the Cougar scoring, placing 41-46-72.

Freehold Township was eighth (212) and Howell was 10th (279). Keenan Huggins-Filozof was 24th (17:18) for the Pats and Howell was led by Aansh Mehta, who was 38th (17:36).

Colts Neck's Briana Jackucewicz ran in one of the most anticipated races of the day, featuring some of the state's leading harriers that included WW-P South's Katie Kellner, Hillsborough's Ashley Smolinka and Montgomery's Jillian Prentice.

Kellner set the pace from the gun with Jackucewicz in hot pursuit. Smolinka and Prentice would have nothing to do with the pace set by the two, and it quickly became a two-runner race.

Jackucewicz held on as long as she could, but Kellner was able to gradually slip away and turned it on over the second half of the race. She would win in 18:15 with Jackucewicz holding on for second (18:45).

Jackucewicz's second place helped the Cougar girls advance with a fourth-place finish (99). Rival Howell also moved on, taking fifth (127).

Eva Wimberley followed up her smashing 2008 debut at the SC with a 12th place (20:16) and was the Cougars' No. 2 runner. Rachel Morris (21:02) and Casey Corley (21:07) were 24th and 25th and Allie Flott was 36th (21:26).

Howell bundled its top five from 21st to 34th led by freshman Jamie Hand, who was 21st (20:56). She led a trio of Rebels across the line. Tara Nealon (20:56) and Jacquie (20:59) were 22nd and 23rd. Laura Kochenash, another frosh, was 27th (21:14) and Alyssa Pinney was 34th (212:25).

Freehold Township's Chelsea Thorsheim was 20th (20:54) and the Pats were ninth (271).

In Group III, Freehold Borough's Cody O'Flaherty was 13th (17:05) and the Colonial boys were 10th (248).

Mackenzie Roche led the Borough girls in 16th (20:41). Laura Coyne was 28th (21:30) as the Colonials were seventh (182).

At Saturday's Group Championships, the top three teams and top 10 individuals will automatically qualify for the Meet of Champions on Nov. 22 at Holmdel. There will be 10 wild card berths for the 10 fastest nonqualifying individuals as well as two at-large team (non-placing teams with the best total times of all the fourth-and fifth-place teams).

The first race will go off at 10 a.m. on Saturday.