Boys Union County Rankings | Girls Union County Rankings
With the Union County Cross-Country Championships scheduled to celebrate its 80th anniversary on Wednesday at Warinanco Park in Elizabeth, I figured it would be good time to rewind the cross-country clock and give all of a history lesson about one of the oldest county meets in the state.
Down below you will see a complete list of every team and individual Union County XC champion as well as the all-SUB-16 minute Warinanco club for the current 3.19-mile dual meet course. There sure are some legendary names that have come through this county.
A big shout out and thanks goes out to Union County XC meet director Bill Kiimas for spending countless hours in the library digging through archives, microfilm, and dinosaur fossils to put this list together, and to NJ XC and track historian Ed Grant for his contributions.
One more thing before you go diving through this remarkable list of champions, this is a good place to mention that there are few people as passionate and knowledgeable as Klimas is about the sports of XC and track and field.
Kilmas has done it all in this sport. For those don't know, Klimas was a great sprinter during his days at Roselle Catholic, coached the sport for several years, and is now a track and XC official as well as a meet director for several meets.
UNION COUNTY CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONS
BOYS
YEAR TEAM CHAMPION / INDIVIDUAL CHAMPION / WINNING TIME
1938 JEFFERSON /
NORMAN HOLTAWAY UNION 13:12.4
1939
JEFFERSON / HUGH SHORT HILLSIDE 13:26
1940
JEFFERSON / WALT MCGINLEY PLAINFIELD 13:23
1941
UNION / PARTINGTON UNION 14:02
1942
RAHWAY / PHIL THIGPEN RAHWAY 13:09.1
1943
UNION / TED BAUER UNION 14:30
1944
JEFFERSON / PHIL THIGPEN RAHWAY 13:26.6
1945
UNION / HAL WETZEL UNION 13:25.2
1946
PLAINFIELD / ED HOOS WESTFIELD 13:50.2
1947
PLAINFIELD / GORDON JEFFERSON 14:08.7
1948
WESTFIELD / BOB FREVERT CRANFORD 13:24.4
1949
PLAINFIELD / FRED VAN ECK PLAINFIELD 13:30.1
1950
JEFFERSON / FRED VAN ECK PLAINFIELD 13:28.8
1951
JEFFERSON / DON TOWNSEND JEFFERSON 13:27.5
1952
RAHWAY / TONY MOSKWA EDISON TECH 13:37.1
1953
JEFFERSON / GODFREY MATTHEWS ROSELLE 13:44.2
1954
JEFFERSON / FRED KREHBIEL UNION 13:38.5
1955
JEFFERSON / CURRAN CRANFORD 13:37.8
1956
JEFFERSON / LARRY ST. CLAIR JEFFERSON 13;05.9
1957
PLAINFIELD / STAN BLEJWAS HOLY TRINITY 13:15.1
1958
PLAINFIELD / BILL AUGUSTINE ROS. PARK 13:15.5
1959
PLAINFIELD / LENNY PHILLIPS RAHWAY 13:03.4
1960
PLAINFIELD / LENNY PHILLIPS RAHWAY 13:06.9
1961
HOLY TRINITY / DAVE COLEMAN WESTFIELD 12:49.2
1962
WESTFIELD / STEVE HARRIS SC. PLNS. 12:48.3
1963
WESTFIELD / STEVE HARRIS SC. PLNS. 12:36.3
1964
ROSELLE CATHOLIC / MIKE GARVEY ROSELLE CATH 12:29.9
1965
ROSELLE CATHOLIC / CHARLIE SCANELLA ROSELLE CATH 12:38
1966
ROSELLE CATHOLIC / GENE MAFFEY ROSELLE CATH. 12:34
1967
ROSELLE CATHOLIC / RICH STEIN ROSELLE 12:31
1968
ROSELLE CATHOLIC / ED BRENNAN ROSELLE CATH 12:35
1969
ROSELLE CATHOLIC / JOE SAVAGE ROSELLE CATH 12:37
1970
ROSELLE CATHOLIC / VINCE CARTIER SC. PLNS. 12:20
1971
WESTFIELD / TIM PROVOST SC. PLNS. 12:21
1972
ROSELLE CATHOLIC / JOHN ROSAS HILLSIDE 12:21
1973
ROSELLE CATHOLIC / SCOTT BUTTINGHAUSEN NEW PROV. 14:28.7
1974
CRANFORD / BOB AMITRANI CRANFORD 14:16
1975
WESTFIELD / BOB AMITRANI CRANFORD 14:27
1976
WESTFIELD / MIKE O'BRIEN WESTFIELD 14:36.5
1977
$-WESTFIELD / DAVE MILLER WESTFIELD 14:50
1978
WESTFIELD / GEORGE ABITANTE WESTFIELD 14:28
1979
WESTFIELD / CLIFF SHEEHAN WESTFIELD 16:31 (first year using
Warinanco's 3.25-championship course)
1980
WESTFIELD / CLIFF SHEEHAN WESTFIELD 15:50.9
1981
WESTFIELD / DAVE FITZGERALD WESTFIELD 16:47
1982
WESTFIELD / ANDY JACOB WESTFIELD 16:16
1983
CRANFORD / ANDY JACOB WESTFIELD 16:16
1984
WESTFIELD / HAL HAMILTON PLAINFIELD 16:48
1985
WESTFIELD / TIM YOCKEL WESTFIELD 16:43
1986
WESTFIELD / TIM YOCKEL WESTFIELD 16:51
1987
WESTFIELD / CRAIG RUSSELL WESTFIELD 16:58
1988
**ELIZABETH / DAN AVIS WESTFIELD 16:51
1989
WESTFIELD / MIKE CLAVIN SC. PLNS. 16:30 (first year using
3.19-mile Warinanco dual meet course)
1990
WESTFIELD / JEAN DESTINE ELIZABETH 16:20
1991
WESTFIELD / PETER CLAVIN SC. PLNS. 16:27
1992
WESTFIELD / ANTHONY DEBENEDICTIS ROS. PARK 16:41
1993
WESTFIELD / ANTHONY DEBENEDICTIS ROS. PARK 16:27
1994
WESTFIELD / ANTHONY DEBENEDICTIS ROS. PARK 15:58
1995
WESTFIELD / MATT ELMUCCIO WESTFIELD 16:16
1996
WESTFIELD / MATT ELMUCCIO WESTFIELD 16:36
1997
CRANFORD / GORDON KASLUSKY WESTFIELD 15:59
1998
CRANFORD / TIM STYLER CRANFORD 15:42 (current course record
for 3.19-mile dual meet course)
1999
CRANFORD / FRANK DABROSKY CRANFORD 16:43
2000
CRANFORD / BOB WALLDEN SC. PLNS. 16:29
2001
CRANFORD / BOB WALLDEN SC. PLNS. 16:04
2002
CRANFORD / ED CLINTON CRANFORD 16:29
2003
CRANFORD / BRIAN KOPNICKI SC. PLNS. 16:27
2004
CRANFORD / JOE MCKENNEY CRANFORD 15:57
2005
WESTFIELD / JEFF PERRELLA WESTFIELD 15:59
2006
WESTFIELD / STEPHEN HANKINSON SUMMIT 16.06
2007
WESTFIELD / PAT DOLIBER SC. PLNS. 16:41.71
2008
SUMMIT / D.J.THORNTON UNION CATHOLIC 16:16.11
2009
WESTFIELD / D.J.THORNTON UNION CATHOLIC 16:34
2010
WESTFIELD / ANDREW KIRNA WESTFIELD 16:14
2011
WESTFIELD / JACK LEAHY WESTFIELD 15:50
2012
WESTFIELD / MATT LUPPINO WESTFIELD 16:06
2013
WESTFIELD / LELAND JONES SUMMIT 15:49
2014
SUMMIT / LELAND JONES SUMMIT 15:57.1
2015 WESTFIELD / JORDAN PRICE, NEW PROVIDENCE 16:14.6
2016 WESTFIELD (record 34th team title)/ CHRIS HECKELMAN,
SUMMIT, 15:53
SUB 16 CLUB
The following boys have broken 16 on the current 3.19-mile dual meet course, which has been used since 1989.
WARINANCO PARK'S SUB 16 LIST FOR THE 3.19-MILE DUAL MEET COURSE
15:42-Tim Styler, Cranford 1998
15:43-Jeff Perrella, Westfield, 2005
15:49,-Leland Jones, Summit, 2013
15:50-Jack Leahy, Westfield, 2011
15:53-Tim Styler, Cranford, 1998
15:53-Chris Heckelman, Summit, 2016
15:53-Nate Papachristos, Union Catholic, 2016
15:57-Joe McKenney, Cranford, 2004
15:57-Leland Jones, Summit, 2014
15:58-Anthony DeBenedictis, Roselle Park, 1994
15:59-Gordon Kaslusky, Westfield, 1997
15:59-Jeff Perrella, Westfield, 2005
15:59-Everett Price, New Providence, 2011
GIRLS UNION COUNTY CHAMPIONS
YEAR TEAM CHAMPION / INDIVIDUAL CHAMPION / WINNING TIME
1977 PLAINFIELD / DORIAN ST. CLAIR, PLAINFIELD, 18:22
1978
PLAINFIELD / DORIAN ST. CLAIR, PLAINFIELD, 18:00
1979
PLAINFIELD / THERSA GSCHWIND ,SUMMIT, 18:39
1980
CRANFORD / THERSA GSCHWIND SUMMIT 18:25
1981
PLAINFIELD / THERSA GSCHWIND SUMMIT 18:10
1982
PLAINFIELD / MICHELLE KRASKA UNION CATHOLIC 19:54
1983
DAYTON / MARY PAT PARDUCCI DAYTON 20:08
1984
PLAINFIELD / TRACY BIBER DAYTON 19:44
1985
SUMMIT / TRACY BIBER DAYTON 19:19
1986
SUMMIT / LORI CARPENTER NEW PROVIDENCE 20:04
1987
SUMMIT / KATHLEEN CASTLES SUMMIT 20:29
1988
WESTFIELD / LIZ PABST DAYTON 20:16
1989
WESTFIELD / MAGGIE MORROW CRANFORD 20:43
1990
SUMMIT / MAGGIE MORROW CRANFORD 19:43
1991
WESTFIELD / AIMEE STOUT WESTFIELD 21:10
1992
WESTFIELD / HAZEL CLARK, KENT PLACE 20:36
1993
WESTFIELD / MARISSA DEFREESE RAHWAY 20:49
1994
WESTFIELD / MARISSA DEFREESE RAHWAY 20:21
1995
#WESTFIELD / SUZY KOZUB, WESTFIELD 20:27
1996
#WESTFIELD / SUZY KOZUB, WESTFIELD 20:15
1997
WESTFIELD / ALEXIS ANZELONE, WESTFIELD 20:22
1998
WESTFIELD / CHRISTINA MORGADO, UNION 19:41
1999
WESTFIELD /CHRISTINA MORGADO, UNION 19:56
2000
WESTFIELD / ALEXIS ANZELONE, WESTFIELD 19:47
2001
WESTFIELD / JESSICA RODRIGUES, ELIZABETH 19:43
2002
OAK KNOLL / MEGS DIDARIO, GOV. LIVINGSTON 19:35
2003
WESTFIELD / LIZ HANKINSON, OAK KNOLL 19:37
2004
SCOTCH PLAINS / LAURA GALLO, CRANFORD 19:22
2005
CRANFORD / LAURA GALLO, CRANFORD 19:22
2006
CRANFORD / LAURA GALLO, CRANFORD 19:07
2007
*A.L.JOHNSON KATHLEEN McCAFFERTY, OAK KNOLL 18:29.4 (current course
record for 3.19-mile dual meet course)
2008
A.L.JOHNSON / INES SIMOES, ROSELLE CATH. 19:04.5
2009
SUMMIT / NICHELLE HARRIS, RAHWAY 19:33
2010
SUMMIT / KATIE WATSON, SUMMIT 18:46
2011
SUMMIT / GILLIAN McILROY, SUMMIT 19:28
2012
SUMMIT / GILLIAN McILROY, SUMMIT 19:20
2013
WESTFIELD (record 15th title)/ GILLIAN McILROY, SUMMIT 19:04
2014
UNION CATHOLIC / CAITLIN GLYNN, UNION CATHOLIC 19:05.1
2015 UNION CATHOLIC/ JILLIAN TURNER, NEW PROVDENCE 18:49.8
2016 WESTFIELD/ VICTORIA VANRIELE, GOV. LIVINGSTON 19:21
$-In 1977, the Westfield boys won with a perfect score of 15
**-In 1988, the Elizabeth boys won on a tiebreaker
#-In
1995 and '96, Westfield's girls, under coach Thom Hornish, won with a perfect
score of 15
*-In 2007, Johnson won the girls team title on a tiebreaker over Scotch Plains.