CEDAR GROVE, NJ — For the second straight year, the Columbia High School boys cross-country teams swept the varsity, junior varsity and freshman titles at the Essex County Championships on Friday, Oct. 25, at Cedar Grove Park in Cedar Grove.
In the varsity race, the Cougars finished in first place among the 24 schools.
Leo Klint took second place out of 171 runners to lead the Cougars. The junior clocked 16 minutes, 22.30 seconds.
Sophomore Levi Taber-Kewene took third place in 16:51.20, junior Christian Caravetta took seventh place in 17:00.70, senior Asa Glassman took eighth place in 17:02.40, sophomore Julius Marshall took 15th place in 17:33.80 and senior Samuel Medd was 17th in 17:48.70.
In an email to the News-Record, CHS head coach Alex Simon was ecstatic for the boys varsity team.
“One of our top runners had to drop out in the first mile, so it became a race that the other six had to dig down and find true determination, and they did it with flying colors to carry our fallen leader to success with them!” he said.
On the girls side, Columbia took second place out of 15 schools in the varsity race. The Cougars were led by junior Keira Monagle, who won the race in a course-record 19:11.80 in a field of 110 runners.
In an email to the News-Record, Monagle said, “I’ve had a great first cross-country season with my team and my goal going into the race was to perform well to help our score. All the girls performed really well and it was exciting to win second with them. I took the beginning of my race out a little slower and gradually built speed throughout, and I was happy that it paid off.”
Simon also was elated for Monagle for winning the county title.
“Keira came into this season as the fastest returning 1,600 (-meter) runner in the county, but did not know how that would translate to her 5 (kilometer) time,” Simon said. “For her to adapt to the longer distance so well is a testament to her hard work and determination to be the best she can be. She utilized her strategy of waiting in the back of the lead pack for the first mile, taking the lead in the second mile, and putting away the competition with her amazing finish!”
The Cougars had other strong runners. Sophomore Ameli Witherspoon was 13th in 21:15.40, junior Gwendolyn Butkus was 14th in 21:35.40, sophomore Elizabeth Poutre was 16th in 21:46.50 and sophomore Sydney Kwan was 40th in 23:14.00. Amalia Mullin, a freshman, ran 24:28.90 to take 60th and sophomore Rosemary Thomasch ran 25:35.80 to take 72nd. Livingston won the girls team title.
Meanwhile, the CHS girls junior varsity team won the JV title at the meet.
Photos Courtesy of Columbia High School Cross-Country
Columbia HS boys cross-country teams are county champs; Keira Monagle wins girls race added by Joe Ragozzino on
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