RBC boys looking to build on last year's harrier success
BY TIM MORRIS Staff Writer
Red Bank Catholic's boys cross country team is looking to join the state's elite this fall. The Caseys have been making steady progress for coach Rob DeFillipis in recent years. They had an undefeated dual meet season in '06 winning the A Central Division title, and they qualified for the NJSIAA Meet of Champions.

"We have five of our top seven returning, which bodes well," said DeFillipis. "We were 14th at the Meet of Champions and we can build on that.

Bobby McGann and Nick Bond, a junior and senior, are the team's top returners. Both had solid years in '06 helping to get the team to the MOC. Bond has improved every year at RBC and could be one of the better harriers in the Shore this year

Behind Bond and McGann, who were the team's No. 2 and No. 3 scorers at the MOC, are Mike Quinn and Brandon Mulhern, who were both freshmen last year, and senior Jon Cusick, as the five returning players from the top seven. They helped give the team a pretty good pack behind the team leaders last year and they will be looking to bring the time gap down.

Stephen Louie, a sophomore, figures in the mix this year and the team could get a boost from promising freshman Kevin Byrne, who, as DeFillipis noted, brings "impressive credentials." Byrne is the son of Kevin Byrne Sr., who was a state champion runner for Paramus Catholic in the late 1970s and winner of the high school

mile at the Millrose Games.

"The guys are excited [about the season]," said DeFillipis.

It's a season that will see the team compete in Rhode Island

at the New Balance

Ocean State Cross Country Invitational on Sept. 29 in Warwick.

DeFillipis said the team's goals for the season are to win their division, try to top their third place at the Monmouth County Championships, and qualify for the MOC once again.

The Monmouth County Championships will take place Oct. 16 at Holmdel Park, and the Shore Conference meet is Oct. 27, also at Holmdel.

The Catholic Conference Championships are Nov. 3 at Warinanco Park in Elizabeth. The big date for the Caseys is Nov. 10, when the NJSIAA Non-Public A Championship is run at Holmdel Park. This is where the Caseys hope to qualify for the Nov. 17 MOC. A top-three finish there gets them in.