Boys Cross Country All-Shore 2023

If you like compelling stories, the Shore Conference’s 2023 boys cross country season was right up your alley.

The individual champions in Monmouth County (Howell’s Michael Card), Ocean County (Brick Memorial’s Jared Voorhees) and the Shore Conference (Manalapan’s Stephen Kyvelos) all bounced back from injuries.

Then there was Christian Brothers Academy, which staked a serious claim to being New Jersey’s best team ever – led by a Meet of Champions winner who is approaching the very top of the Shore’s all-time list.

Here’s a look at the Shore Conference’s top performers from a fall to remember.

FIRST TEAM ALL-SHORE

JOE BARRETT

School: Christian Brothers

Year: Junior

The All-Shore Runner of the Year became the third Colt to win the NJSIAA Meet of Champions, with a time of 15:27 at Holmdel Park. He clocked the program’s second-fastest time ever at Holmdel – and the third-fastest in Shore Conference history – while grabbing the Non-Public A gold in 15:21. The Spring Lake resident also won the Eastern States title, covering Van Cortlandt Park’s 2.5-mile course in 12:13 – the sixth-fastest ever by a New Jerseyan.

STEPHEN KYVELOS

School: Manalapan

Year: Senior

Sidelined in September by shin splints, Kyvelos came on strong down the stretch. He struck gold in the Shore Conference (15:26 at Ocean County Park), Central Group 4 (16:07) and state Group 4 (15:38 at Holmdel) before placing third at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions (15:48). His 15:38 broke Manalapan’s Holmdel record of 15:41 set by state champ Tom Fischer in 1981.

CONOR CLIFFORD

School: Christian Brothers

Year: Senior

Clifford placed second in the Shore Conference (15:28 at Ocean County Park), third in Non-Public A (15:57) and fifth at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions (15:51 at Holmdel) – the Colts’ second man in their 26^th MOC title run. He also took 14^th at the Eastern States race, covering Van Cortlandt Park’s 2.5-mile course in 12:50.

JACK FALKOWSKI

School: Christian Brothers

Year: Senior

Falkowski placed second at the Shore Coaches Invitational (15:41 at Holmdel Park), second in Non-Public A (15:42) and 11^th at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions (16:09). He is one of just eight Colts ever to run faster than 15:45 at Holmdel and his 15:41 is a top-20 time there in Shore Conference history.

ALEX KEMP

School: Christian Brothers

Year: Senior

Kemp placed ninth at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions (16:05 at Holmdel), fourth in Non-Public A (16:09), 12^th in the Eastern States race (12:45 for 2.5 miles at Van Cortlandt Park), and seventh at the Bowdoin Park Classic (16:18).

CLAY STEVENS

School: Manalapan

Year: Sophomore

The surprising Stevens finished eighth at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions (16:01) and was the top sophomore finisher in the race by 19 seconds. He also placed sixth in Group 4 (15:50 at Holmdel Park) and second in Central Group 4 (16:10).

SECOND TEAM ALL-SHORE

Alex Mastroly, Christian Brothers

Brady Barber, Christian Brothers

Santino D’Amelio, Southern

Michael Card, Howell

Jared Voorhees, Brick Memorial

Hunter Celkupa, Colts Neck

COACH OF THE YEAR

Sean McCafferty, Christian Brothers

No matter how much talent and depth is in the stable, it takes superior coaching to achieve what the Colts achieved this fall: The fastest average ever at Holmdel Park (15:51), the second-fastest ever at Van Cortlandt and Bowdoin, an exceedingly rare 1-through-5 sweep at Non-Public A, a Shore Conference crown with six junior varsity runners, and the program’s 26^th NJSIAA Meet of Champions title in a fall when the state was loaded with good teams.

The best boys cross country team in New Jersey history? It didn’t happen by accident.

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: Boys Cross Country All-Shore 2023