Forys brothers run well together

It was a good night for the Forys brothers, Matt and Craig, who seldom get to see each other run.

Matt, a senior at Bucknell University, was running the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Sam Howell Invitational at Princeton University on Saturday, while brother Craig, a senior at Colts Neck, was in the open 5,000 looking for a state record as well.

The brothers, who still talk to each other regularly, admit they seldom discuss their running; they let their track performances speak for themselves, and Friday night they spoke loudly.

Matt, a Howell High School graduate, who at this time last year was unable to compete in this event because of an injury, is healthy again and enjoying his finest form. He came to Princeton looking for a personal best and a qualifying time for the NCAA East Region. He achieved both goals with a strong, front-running 8:50.10, which was 19 seconds under his previous pb, and more importantly, well under the 9:07 NCAA Regional qualifying time.

"This was my first meet [of the season]," said Forys. "I wanted to get a Regional qualifier. Things have been going really well. I feel great.

Forys' performance was magnified by the fact that he was on his own, pushing the pace from the start.

"I knew in the first 30 meters that no one was going to take the lead," he said.

He pressed on, winning by 17 seconds and achieving his goal for the meet.

With the steeplechase qualifier attained, Forys said he will focus on the 5K in upcoming meets. After his cool-down jog, Forys was back to watch his brother in the 5,000. Craig Forys had hoped to break the state 5K record (14:25.8 by Bernards' Chris Hallinan). He was on target through 3,200 meters (a speedy 9:12.4), but hit the wall during the third mile.

"On the ninth lap it got hard," said Craig Forys, the indoor two-mile national champion. "From there I just wanted to finish."

Forys, who found himself leading the pack with no one to pace off, fought his way through the pain, and a closing 32.8 200 brought him home in 14:28.95, third-fastest time all-time in New Jersey and a pb by 14 seconds.

"I wanted to go around 14:20," he said after finishing sixth. "It wasn't a bad race."