Cross country: Joe Barrett, CBA sweep Meet of Champions titles
HOLMDEL – As Christian Brothers Academy junior Joe Barrett powered down the homestretch Saturday, with the footsteps of a competitor close behind and a gold medal at the NJSIAA Cross Country Meet of Champions within reach, he heard one solitary voice rise above the crowd of a thousand spectators who lined Holmdel Park.
It was the voice of Alex Denzler, a good friend and runner at Middletown South.
“How bad do you want it?” Denzler shouted.
“That’s the only thing I heard,” Barrett said. “I thought, ‘I want this title and I’ll give everything I’ve got to get it.’”
He did just that, breaking the tape in a time of 15 minutes, 27 seconds for the hilly 3.1-mile course. That was fast enough to hold off Gateway’s Peyton Shute (15:33) and lead the Colts to their 26th Meet of Champions team title.
Despite CBA’s dominance in this 48-year-old event, Barrett is just the third Colt to seize the gold, joining Brian Kerwin (1999) and Mike McClemons (2013). That’s how hard it is to win this.
“It is so special,” the Spring Lake resident said. “Even though I didn’t break the record (CBA’s course record of 15:20), I just really wanted to win, to finally be the third person at CBA to win the Meet of Champs. It’s a pretty exclusive list and I’m so happy to be a part of it.”
Barrett, who clocked 15:21 at Holmdel the week prior and has been ultra-steady all fall, overcame a midweek bout of strep throat and an ear infection. He let others set the pace early, moved to the front before the mile marker and controlled the race from there.
“He is a calming figure on our team because he is so relaxed before races,” CBA coach Sean McCafferty said. “This puts it all together. I’m very proud of him and the guys behind him for how they raced today.”
Rounding out the Colts’ scoring were senior Conor Clifford (fifth place, 15:51), senior Alex Kemp (ninth, 16:05), senior Jack Falkowski (11th, 16:09) and junior Alex Mastroly (12th, 16:10). They compiled 34 points, comfortably ahead of runner-up Westfield (70), and averaged 15:56. That was five seconds slower than the course record they’d set the week before, but no one was complaining.
“I think we’re the best team New Jersey’s ever seen,” McCafferty said. “What they did last week, what they did today – the time wasn’t as fast today, but they buried the field and this was really, really good competition.”
As usual, dozens of program alums came out to support the Colts. It’s a reunion every November, and usually a winning one.
“It’s pretty cool to see all these guys come back out,” Clifford said. “At any point in the course guys are cheering for CBA.”
The current Colts understood the history at stake, but McCafferty made a point of reminding them anyway.
“He said in our meeting this week: You’ve got to win MOCs to be the best team ever,” Clifford said.
Mission accomplished. Now comes a run at a national title. No matter what happens on that stage, these Colts’ place atop CBA’s pantheon seems secure.
“We know how special that is,” Barrett said. “We’re so happy we made CBA history and we want to continue that.”
It was also a banner day for Manalapan, which finished fifth overall with 184 points and a 16:40 average. After winning the Group 4 gold medal the week prior, Braves senior Stephen Kyvelos continued his red-hot streak by placing third in 15:51. Sophomore Clay Stevens crossed eighth in 16:01, the top showing for a sophomore or freshman across the state.
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: Cross country: Joe Barrett, CBA sweep Meet of Champions titles
