After 2 fractures, Howell's Card wins Monmouth County cross country gold in 'revenge run'

HOLMDEL – Two years ago, as a Howell High School freshman, Michael Card suffered a broken leg on Holmdel Park’s treacherous downhills during the Monmouth County cross country championships.

Last fall, as Card attempted to come back, he was dealt another literal bad break with a stress fracture in his hip.

At that point, a lot of teenagers might have abandoned the sport. But Card stuck with it, and on Tuesday he not only finished the 3.1-mile course at the very meet that bedeviled him in 2021. He finished in first place, becoming Howell’s first male Monmouth County cross country champ since the meet’s inception in 1960.

“This was kind of a revenge run,” Card said. “On the hat I wear for every run it says, ‘It’s not about the fall. It’s about the comeback.’ This is pretty cool.”

The junior prevailed in dramatic fashion, passing three competitors down the homestretch before crossing the finish line in a time of 16 minutes, 18 seconds – just ahead of Wall’s Matthew Remishofski (second place, 16:20), Red Bank Catholic’s Patrick Coyle (third, 16:23) and Christian Brothers’ Sean Galvin (fourth, 16:25).

“I’m an 800 runner, and when my coach yelled at me that I had a half-mile left, I knew I had it with my speed,” Card said.

“Unbelievable story,” Howell coach John Gagliano said. “He’s a great kid, such a hard worker and so focused.”

During rehab from his fractures, Card did low-impact cardio work in pools and on bicycles. It helped that he had some company.

“A lot of kids on the team were able to push me with the cross training,” he said.

This summer and early fall, he capped his weekly mileage at 50.

“Everyone’s got to find their sweet spot, and that’s definitely mine,” he said.

If there were any demons at Holmdel, they got excorcised during twice-weekly summer training runs on the park’s notorious hills. That paid off at late September’s Shore Coaches Invitational, when he posted a breakthrough time of 16:47. To drop another 29 seconds just a couple of weeks later shocked him – and indicates how much potential he possesses.

It was a long and painful road to this point, but perseverance paid off. At the finish line Card exulted by extending both index fingers. The emotion was palpable.

“I’ve had dreams about this,” he said. “That was a very special moment.”

CBA defends boys crown

Christian Brothers, which held out its top runners, defended its boys team title with a 16:46 average and 49 points. Colts Neck took second overall with 68 points (averaging 16:55).

In addition to Galvin’s fourth place, the Colts got scoring from Luke Hnatt (sixth place, 16:29), Gavin Schmitt (10th, 16:54), Thomas Field (14th, 16:59) and Ryan Collins (15th, 17:06).

Zawatski, Freehold Township girls rise to challenge

You’d be hard-pressed to find a sport with more camaraderie among rivals than cross country. The latest example took place in the Monmouth County girls race, where Freehold Township’s Emma Zawatski and Middletown South’s Rosie Shay made a pact at the starting line.

“Rosie is a good friend, a great competitor and an amazing and talented runner,” Zawatski said. “We said before the race, 'Let’s work together.’”

They did just that for two miles before Zawatski, the defending state champion, pulled away. Her victorious time of 18:20 marked a personal best at Holmdel and the second-fastest clocking in the 43-year history of the meet, behind only the 18:10 by Colts Neck superstar Lilly Shapiro in 2021.

The scary thing about it? Zawatski trained through this, logging a hard workout of mile repeats with her teammates Friday with an eye toward the bigger prizes ahead.

“I feel like I have a lot left in the tank,” she said. “This was not 100 percent for me.”

Her triumph paced Freehold Township's girls to a defense of their county team title. The Patriots scored 45 points and averaged 19:52. Leah Rutledge (seventh place, 20:05), Ava Biemuller (ninth, 20:10), Heather Feinstein (14th, 20:18) and Sophia Briggs (16th, 20:28) rounded out their scoring.

Middletown South, with Shay placing second in 18:47, finished second overall with 66 points and a 20:14 average. The much-improved Eagles were coming off a win at the Shore Coaches Invitational – a performance that did not escape Freehold Township’s notice.

“We know we can’t slack because they’re going to be right there,” Zawatski said.

They’ll meet again next week at the Shore Conference meet.

“Iron sharpens iron,” Freehold Township coach Todd Briggs said. “This only makes us better in the big picture.”

Race for a good cause

Anyone interested in racing for a good cause can circle Saturday, Nov. 4 on the calendar. That's when the second annual River Rock 'N Run 5K Relay is taking place in Brick, with all proceeds benefitting Fulfill (the food bank of Monmouth and Ocean counties) ahead of the holiday season. The race, which starts at 9 a.m. at the River Rock Restaurant, can be run as a solo 5K or as a two-person relay, with each partner running a 1.5-mile loop along the Manasquan River.

Registration includes post-race food, a T-shirt and eligibility for custom-made awards. For more information or to register, visit www.raceforum.com/riverrock. Send questions to race director Adam Nalven at runriverrock@gmail.com.

Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: After two fractures, Howell's Card wins Monmouth County XC gold