Clarissa Modde is a veteran voice of reason when it comes to cross country; a label she earned while being part of Voorhees High School's Meet of Champions title team last year as well as two Group 2 championship teams.
Today, the Viking senior led her teammates to a more modest but hard-fought goal; a ninth-place finish in the team race at the 42nd annual NJSIAA Meet of Champions race at Holmdel Park in Holmdel, N.J.
Clarissa Modde
Modde finished 11th in a time of 18 minutes, 44 seconds -- six seconds off her personal best set last year in the Meet of Champs race -- and set the tone for her Voorhees teammates. Junior Meaghan Driscoll finished 35th in 19:20, freshman Kelly McLaughlin was 91st in 20:17, junior Elly Brakewood placed 107th in 20:38 and junior Erin McLaughlin was 117th in 20:56.
The Vikings, under first-year coach Matt DeRobbio, accumulated 205 points in a race won by Randolph (106). North Warren, powered by junior Regina Duncan's 68th-place finish (19:53) placed 15th in team race with 369 points.
Seniors Christine Hughes (113th), Lisa Wilbur (120th) and Debbie Magalhaes (138th) and sophomore Elizabeth Kelly (137th) were the scorers for the Patriots.
"It was just hard to pass people," said Modde, who is undecided between Boston College and Syracuse as her college choices. "I was happy with my finish. I never really was in the top 10 at any time in the race. I was around 11th to 15th the whole way."
North Hunterdon junior Eve Glasergreen, the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex and North 2 Group 4 section champion, got off to so-so start, got boxed in midway through the race and had to fight her way through the traffic to finish 17th in 18:58. Teammate Cailyn Lavigne, a senior and a Skyland Conference runner-up, was closing in a top-20 finish, too, but pulled a hamstring on the final 400 meters and gutted her way to a 39th-place finish.
South Hunterdon sophomore Kelly Shaffer, the Group 1 state champion, finished 25th in 19:04. Haddonfield freshman Briana Gess easily won the girls title in 17:45, the fourth-fastest time ever run at Holmdel Park.
On the boys side, North Warren senior Charlie Eiserle finished his cross country career by finishing 29th in a career-best 16:14.
David Mugavero, a senior at North Hunterdon, finished 33rd in 16:17. He was deeply disappointed afterwards with his performance.
"I felt fine going out but the bowl (a landmark around the two-mile mark) gave me some trouble," Mugavero said. "I just couldn't go."
Voorhees didn't advance its boys team but it had three individual qualifiers in senior Anthony Capone (40th in 16:23) and juniors Nick Raefski (46th in 16:28) and Chris Thompson (107th in 17:15).
Christian Brothers Academy's Mike McClemens ran 15:26 to win the boys title, topping Group 3 champion Dylan Tarpey (15:32) of Freehold Township by 35 yards. CBA also cruised to its fourth straight M of C crown and 18th overall by scoring 51 points.
BOYS
Team standings
1.Christian Brothers Academy 51; 2. Don Bosco Prep 104; 3. West Windsor-Plainsboro South 179; 4. Westfield 191; 5. Middletown North 201.
Top 10 individuals
1. Mike McClemens, Christian Brothers, 15:26; 2. Dylan Tarpey, Freehold Township, 15:32; 3. Louis Corgliano, Hammonton, 15:35; 4. Kyle Kroon, Toms River South, 15:37; 5. Steve Maine, Highland Regional, 15:42; 6. Mike Higgins, Don Bosco, 15:42; 7. Craig Corti, Wallkill Valley, 15:44; 8. Blaise Ferro, Christian Brothers, 15:45; 9. Josiah Hanko, Trinity Christian, 15:46; 10. Tom O'Neill, Middletown North, 15:47.
Other region runners: 29. Charlie Eiserle, North Warren, 16:14; 33. David Mugavero, North Hunterdon, 16:17; 40. Anthony Capone, Voorhees, 16:23; 46. Nick Raefski, Voorhees, 16:28; 107. Chris Thompson, Voorhees, 17:15.
GIRLS
Team standings
1. Randolph 106; 2. Red Bank Catholic 113; 3. Rumson-Fair Haven 140; 4. West Windsor-Plainsboro South 159; 5. Haddonfield 164; 9. Voorhees 205; 15. North Warren 369.
Top 10 individuals
1. Briana Gess, Haddonfield, 17:45; 2. Josette Norris, Tenafly, 18:12; 3. Mackenzie Barry, Mendham, 18:12; 4. Elizabeth Lansing, Randolph, 18:14; 5. Courtney Thompson, St. John Vianney, 18:16; 6. Dana Klein, Gill St. Bernard's, 18:22; 7. Grace Dwyer, Hamilton North, 18:30; 8. Marin Warner, Holmdel, 18:36; 9. Julia Guerra, Indian Hills, 18:37; 10. Sierra Castaneda, West Morris Central, 18:39.
Voorhees scorers: 11. Clarissa Modde, 18:44; 35. Meaghan Driscoll, 19:20; 91. Kelly McLaughlin, 20:17; 107. Elly Brakewood, 20:38; 117. Erin McLaughlin, 20:56.
North Warren scorers: 68. Regina Duncan, 19:53; 113. Christine Hughes, 20:50; 120. Lisa Wilbur, 21:00; 137. Elizabeth Kelly, 21:24; 138. Debbie Magalhaes, 21:26.
Other region runners: 17. Eve Glasergreen, North Hunterdon, 18:58; 25. Kelly Shaffer, South Hunterdon, 19:04; 39. Cailyn Lavigne, North Hunterdon, 19:27.