Hebner, CBA turn tables at NJ Meet of Champions

By John Nepolitan of DyeStat

HOLMDEL, N.J. -- At the New Jersey Group 3 Championship a week ago at Holmdel Park, Monica Hebner (Northern Highlands) was run down in the final 150 meters by Alyssa Aldridge (Mainland) for the win.

Being a two-time New Jersey Meet of Champions medalist and undefeated this season made Aldridge (who has also qualified for two Foot Locker National Championships) the favorite, but Hebner was able to avenge her only loss of the season with a five-second win Saturday over Aldridge.

Hebner won this year's New Jersey Meet of Champions title, 18:13 to 18:18. Hebner covered the same ground seven seconds faster than she did last week, while Aldridge ran an identical time.

North Hunterdon, which sits on top of the NXR Northeast girls rankings, dominated the team race. The Lions beat Kingsway 100-126.

Devin Hart (Point Pleasant Boro) placed eighth at last year's Meet of Champs behind seven seniors. He went on to claim the Meet of Champs 3,200-meter title in the spring and it put a bull's eye on his back as the man to beat this fall.  Hart is undefeated this season and for the second week in a row he out-dueled Chris Romero (Voorhees). He ran 15:35 to Romero's 15:44.

Christian Brothers Academy topped the regional rankings all season, but after Kingsway posted the best team average on Groups weekend, there was a new No. 1. 

CBA responded by putting all five of its scorers ahead of Kingsway's fourth and winning the MOC title 80-96. It is the Colts' seventh victory in eight years and gives the storied program 22 Meet of Champions titles. The next most is four by Paul VI.

CBA and Kingsway will go at it again next week at NXR Northeast with national championship automatic berths on the line.  

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