Jaguar team faces tough act to follow
BY MIKE WHITE
Staff Writer

JACKSON — The 2002 Jackson High School girls cross country team put forth one of the finest efforts in the program’s history.

Despite finishing with a 3-3 dual meet mark, the Lady Jaguars excelled in the postseason

Jackson placed third in the Ocean County Championships, second at the Shore Conference, third at the South Jersey Group IV meet and 10th at state.

Those are pretty impressive numbers for the girls to ponder as the 2003 season approaches.

But with a talented core of runners returning, led by sophomore Jen Clausen, the lady Jags should be a force to reckon with again, during the 2003 postseason.

"Last year we had a lot of senior leadership on this team, and [the girls] performed beautifully," Jackson coach Glenda Calabro said. "We also had a number of very good underclassmen. For some reason, we had a nice mix on the team.

"Everybody seemed to mold together nicely. It was one of those seasons when everybody was chipping in to help the team accomplish its goals."

Clausen returns as one of the top runners in both the Shore Conference as well as the state. Last season, Clausen won both the Ocean County and South Jersey Group IV titles. In addition, she captured the Randolph Invitational at Freedom Park.

Calabro is confident Clausen will put forth a solid effort this season.

"She is an outstanding runner," Calabro said. "She accomplished a lot last year as a freshman. We knew coming in she was a talented runner who was going to make an immediate impact on this program. There is no doubt she is a key component to this squad this season. She is a dedicated athlete who is serious about her sport."

Other returnees include senior captain Megan Smith and junior Ashley Mlotkiewicz.

Newcomers seniors Adriana Correa, Jenna DeLorenzi, and Savannah Knox; juniors Anna Corichi and Sandi Wojtaszek; sophomores Melissa Maloney and Kaitlynn Fortunato; and freshmen Brittney Prell and Erin Ferro all need to make contributions if Jackson is to meet the challenge in the Shore Conference, Calabro said.

"We’ve been working hard right through the summer," Calabro said. "I feel that if we stay healthy, we are going to be able to remain competitive."