Seems like these days they are subpar to the days of Murad Campbell, Marc Pelerin, and the Cherokee dynasty.
I guess every state has their slumping years.
Add Virginia to this list, but after the departure of Alan Webb, Sharif Karie, Bobby Lockhart, Seneca Lassiter(?)and the like they seem to be also in a slump.
When will VA and NJ come back into the mix?
Hello... Mo K.? He'll contend for the win at footlocker. He ran 15:15 at a very tough course and that was unpushed. Plus add in Justin Schied who ran 8:58 full 2 mile last year and numerous others under 15:45 and the state is not as bad as you say.
NJ had Justin Scheid run 8:58 last year for 3200, faster than Murad ran (although his 8:55 for 2 miles is faster). And oh yeah he is back this year. Plus Cherokee had Keith Krieger last year run sub 31:00 for 10k and was the first high schooler at Junior Nationals. Plus you forgot to add Steve Slattery to that list of good runners from years past, I heard he had a decent outdoor campaign last year.
New Jersey needs to get a public college with a good team. Rutgers is not cutting it they are one of the worst distance programs on the east coast, in a state that usually has good runners. New Jersey runners don't aspire to go to Rutgers, but then again who in Jersey does?
This might be the best year for NJ xc since 87 or 88. Get real buddy boy.
craig forys... remember the name.
what ever happened to cambell? i heard he went to some jr. college then, does anyone out there know what happened to him or his running?
yea, but NJ get's no publicity compared to CA, CO, New England and Midwest. For the most densely populated state in the country, you'd expect some more hype.
I was wondering what happend to Murad. He was the shit back in h.s. He went to idaho then transfered to barton jc then I don't know what the hell happend to him I hope he is still running I would like to see him competing again he had some talent.
By the way is Brendan Heffernan still running?
campbell is at Essex County College in NJ, that is where he was last year anyway i ran against him in Boston at Harvard. He ran sub 4:20.
The days of Meg Waldron, John Carlotti, and the Bernardsville crowd? Or, Kevin Byrne of Bergen Catholic?
Mainland HS had a pretty good season. There are plenty of fast up and commers in NJ.
what happened?
ed moran and jon fasulo are both like top 20 at ncaa xc. how many states will boast 2 top 20 guys?
ran in nj 78-82. Seem to recall the best guys then were john carlotti, jj clark, cliff sheehan and the entire bernardsville xc team.
Am partial to my old teamate Rich Osifchin who blossomed into a 29:15 10k college runner for lafayette. Seemed like most really good nj kids went to the PA schools like Lehgih, lafayette, and bucknell.
Any coach Ado Bolles disciples out there? (Kinnelon HS - a gp I powerhouse in the 70s)
NJ is still on the map? Suprised you threw Marc Pelerin up there with Murad Campbell?
Mainland, CBA are churning out good runners. Papizan is a junior, Chris Pannone, Oskar Nordenberg, Scheid
YEAH BOBBY WALLDEN
john richardson? you know, the guy from ocean city who won the penn relays hs boys mile in april? ran like 4:11 or something like that...went to kansas, i believe. i'd say he was a pretty good runner, & only graduated june '03.
Actually went to Kentucky to add to their depth of 800/1500m runners
Kid has talent
I fully back all the names thrown out here thus far in this thread. The trend usually is for NJ to appear weaker than the year before; however, as many posters have mentioned "Mo. K" from JFK is still around, and so is Scheid. Plus, you have Greg Hughes and the rest of his Mainland crew, Will Melofchick from CBA, and Jon Anderson of Cinnaminson. These guys have all been running well this season; check out any meet -- especially Manhattan Invite -- to see how NJ stacks up. Perhaps we will have somebody of this group placing in the top 8 at regionals; NJ never seems to show how good our talent is come late November. New Jersey is still respectable; don't knock its HS runners.
And, to add to the names of NJ studs who're competing in college... Walt Kingsberry @ UVA, Pete Hess and Adam Ambrus @ Md. (Hess = ACC rookie of the year), Brian Kerwin holding his own at ND, same with Bryan Skelly @ LaSalle, and Adam Driscoll of Washington Twp has been improving steadily at UMBC. Someone who has vanished though would be Mike Myers, of Eastern, who won the Meet of Champs in 2000. Anyone know if he's still at PRovidence and injured or not running, or if he has transferred or what???
Hammer boy - you definitely bring up some quality points. Rutgers does not attract many or any top notch runners, especially home-grown talent. TCNJ, however, has been sporting very respectable teams of NJ distance guys. Check them out.
He's pretty good, he had a good 25 seconds on me in a 5k when I raced him last year. Went out with him after the first mile and faded after. There's not even much in the NJ road racing scene either, with the exception of Debenedictis, who blows everyone away. I'm not sure if Richard Byrne is from Jersey though.