Netters:
Just got back from the Union County meet where Tim lLear, twin of
author Chris Lear, had the biggest win of his young coaching career, ending
a long winning streak by Westfield in the girls' race.
Oak Knoll, the alma mater of both of my daughters, won the event
much easier than expected, 49-62, placing four runners before the second
Westfield finisher. This is the fourth major win for a program that was only
revuved a few years ago by track buff Paul O'Shea, who now acts as a senior
adviser to Lear and his even younger assistant, former Seton Hall star
Anthont DeBenedictis.
The Royals hope to end a perfect season with victories in the next
two weeks in the New Jersey Catholic Track Conference championships and the
state Parochial B meet. The NJCTC race will be the wougher with Parochial A
favorite Immaculate Heart Academy---which should take the Bergen County MC
this Saturday---providing the opposition.
As good as this team is for a small (200 or so student) school, it
would have been even better had not Amanda Smith transferred out after
spending eight years in the junior school there. She now runs for Pingry,
the main rival in the Parichial B race.
Today's meet opened a weekend of county championshiups in New Jersey
(as well as four major bi- or tri-county conference affairs which are the
final preparation for the opening of the state meet Nov. 9. The main focus
will be on the Shore Conference meet Saturday at the state championship
course at Holmdel County Park with three Top Ten teams each in the boys and
girls races, as well as some of the state's best boy and girl runners,
including Red Bank's Trotter twins.
Ed Grant
