Carleen Jeffers, Sam Halvorsen, Kelly Cleary, Olympia Martin, Named
All-Suburban Girls Cross-Country Teams
December 12, 2014 Last updated: Friday, December 12, 2014, 12:31 AM
By Greg Tartaglia
SPORTS EDITOR |
The Ridgewood New
RIDGEWOOD — Indications began showing at the end of last year that Ridgewood was in for a big-time 2014 girls cross-country season.
The Maroons wrapped up 2013 with a sixth-place finish in the State Meet of Champions and delivered on the high expectations that carried over. They took third at this season’s SMOC and topped things off with a ninth-place showing at Nike Northeast Regionals.
As a result, four Ridgewood girls have been named to the All-Suburban first team. Immaculate Heart and Northern Highlands garnered two spots apiece, while Glen Rock and Indian Hills have one each among the four seniors, two juniors, two sophomores and two freshmen.
Kelly Cleary of Ridgewood and Colleen Buckley of IHA are four-time overall picks – Cleary makes her second appearance on the elite unit (2012 and ’14) and Buckley her third (2011, ’13-14). Indian Hills’ Julia Guerra (2012-14 first team) and Northern Highlands’ Veronica Mahler (2012 first team, ’13-14 second team) are three-time honorees overall.
Ridgewood’s Olympia Martin moves to the first team from the Freshman of the Year spot, which this season is occupied by Northern Highlands’ Isabel Hebner.:
Kelly Cleary
GRADE: Senior
SCHOOL/HOMETOWN: Ridgewood
PREVIOUS HONORS: 2011 Freshman of Year, 2012 first team, 2013 second team
SEASON BEST: 19:09
FAST FACTS: Cleary had perhaps the season’s most memorable run at the Bergen Group A meet. After taking ACT exams that morning, she arrived just in time to start the race and clocked an 11th-place 19:33 despite not being able to warm up. One week later, she set a new PR with her 14th-place run at the BMOC, and she was 15th in North 1, Group 4.
Carleen Jeffers
GRADE: Senior
SCHOOL/HOMETOWN: Ridgewood
PREVIOUS HONORS: 2013 first team
SEASON BEST: 17:59
FAST FACTS: Jeffers began her second year of cross-country by winning the Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational at Penn State. The softball-player-turned-distance-runner finished in the top four of every major North Jersey meet and took things to the next level at season’s end, placing ninth at the SMOC and 10th at Nike Cross Northeast Regionals.
Sam Halvorsen
GRADE: Junior
SCHOOL/HOMETOWN: Ridgewood
PREVIOUS HONORS: 2012 Freshman of Year, 2013 first team
SEASON BEST: 17:59
FAST FACTS: Halvorsen shared the No. 1 spot in the lineup with neighbor and fellow first-teamer Carleen Jeffers. She won gold at the North 1, Group 4 meet, leading Ridgewood to its third state-sectional title in five years, and added bronze in the Shore Coaches, Big North Freedom, BMOC and State Group 4 races.
Olympia Martin
GRADE: Sophomore
SCHOOL/HOMETOWN: Ridgewood
PREVIOUS HONORS: 2013 Freshman of Year
SEASON BEST: 18:45
FAST FACTS: Martin followed up a breakthrough rookie campaign by establishing herself as a consistent No. 3 for the Maroons. Her four top-10 outings included a fifth at the Bergen Group A meet and an eighth at the North 1, Group 4 sectional, and at the SMOC, she eclipsed the 20-minute mark at Holmdel for the first time in her career, placing 49th in 19:48.
https://www.northjersey.com/sports/high-school-sports/girls-cross-country/ridgewood-remains-at-front-of-girls-pack-1.1152052
Congratulations to the girls on a spectacular record setting season and Congratulations to Coach Brown for his continued commitment and enthusiasm in bringing the best out of all the girls that run for him. It will be hard if not impossible for anyone to top his career. Hopefully he keeps at it for years to come.
Congratulations to all!