By: Paul Schwartz, North Jersey Record
Top 25 rankings
1. Ridgewood
2. Bergen Catholic
3. Tenafly
4. Passaic
5. Indian Hills
6. Bergen Tech
7. Don Bosco
8. West Milford
9. Wayne Hills
10. North Bergen
11. Northern Highlands
12. Pascack Hills
13. Ramsey
14. River Dell
15. Rutherford
16. Fair Lawn
17. Mahwah
18. Hasbrouck Heights
19. Butler
20. Clifton
21. NV/Old Tappan
22. Paramus
23. NV/Demarest
24. Hackensack
25. Dwight-Englewood
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NJIC predictions: The NJIC sees defending Patriot champ Park Ridge/Emerson moving to the Colonial, along with Dwight-Englewood and probable league individual champ Jeremy Bronstein. Butler’s move to the Meadowlands gives defending champ Hasbrouck Heights some competition.
Colonial: Rutherford can repeat in a very competitive meet,
Meadowlands: Hasbrouck Heights hadn’t won a league title in more than 40 years until last fall. The Aviators should make it two in a row over new league member Butler,
Patriot: Bogota should win its fifth title in seven years
Top prospects in NJIC:
Jeremy Bronstein, Dwight-Englewood, senior: He had a great first half of the season last year, winning the NJIC Patriot and Bergen E crowns before fading a little late in the season, taking 12th in the Bergen Meet of Champions and third in Non-Public B. But he had an excellent spring, winning the Non-Public B 1,600 title and then running a personal best of 4:18.98 in the event at the State Meet of Champs.
Andrew Laguttuta, Glen Rock, senior: Had a breakthrough in cross-country, taking sixth in the Lou Molino Bergen Meet of Champions, second in the Group 2 state sectionals and a remarkable 10th in state Group 2, setting or coming close to school records at Darlington, Garret Mountain and Holmdel respectively. He also broke 4:19 in the 1,600 outdoors and ran well all spring in the 3,200.
NJIC Team By Team Previews:
COLONIAL
DWIGHT-ENGLEWOOD
Top returnees: seniors Jeremy Bronstein, David Khym, Max Louis, A.J. Rosenberg and Brian Merson, junior Lukas McCullough and soph Caleb Dalgetty.
Outlook: The Bulldogs have a new coach, D-E Hall of Famer Alexandra Champ, and return a terrific top three led by SMOC qualifier and defending league and Bergen E champ Jeremy Bronstein, who ran a sub 4:20 1,600 last spring. If the Bulldogs can find a consistent 4 and 5, they can contend at the Non-Public B meet.
EASTERN CHRISTIAN
Top returnees: senior Ben Postma.
Outlook: After a 2017 season with Postma and six freshmen, the Eagles should be much improved.
ELMWOOD PARK
Top returnees: New program.
Outlook: Former Rutherford star Kellie Dunn is trying to revive the Elmwood Park program.
GARFIELD
Top returnees: senior Israel Torres and soph Michael Boyer.
Outlook: A larger than expected turnout gives hope for a better than expected season. Torres could be a star in the conference.
GLEN ROCK
Top returnees: senior Andrew Laguttuta, junior Ryan Lazev andd sophs Bryce Fisher and Peter Smutelovic.
Outlook: The team is rebuilding but Laguttuta, a SMOC qualifier last year who might have been the most improved runner in the area last year, has big goals that could be realized after he broke 4:20 in the 1,600 last spring.
HARRISON
Top returnee: senior Edik Serrano.
Outlook: The Blue Tide is rebuilding after losing their first four runners.
LEONIA
Top returnees: senior Nicolas Echavez and juniors Yaseen Abdelaziz and Kenoh Uchida.
Outlook: Leonia alum Matt Ryan, who also ran at Monmouth, takes over his alma mater and is enthusiastic about his young team.
LYNDHURST
Top returnees: junior Matthew Madonna.
Outlook: The Golden Bears lost a lot to graduation but has some good underclassmen.
PARK RIDGE/EMERSON
Top returnees: seniors Michael Pantaleo and Jack Burns, juniors Anthony DelRosso and Nicolai Nodjanosh and soph Joshua Zdanowicz.
Outlook: The Owls can compete in the league and should be in the middle of the pack in other races.
RUTHERFORD
Top returnees: seniors Michael Castellanos, Jack Whaley and Taha Faiq and juniors Tristan Ramac and Jacob Maciag.
Outlook: The Bulldogs return five of the top seven from last year’s league champs and can contend again.
MEADOWLANDS
BUTLER
Top returnees: senior Matt Konopinski and junior Joseph Voli.
Outlook: The Bulldogs have a great 1-2 punch up from and should contend for a title in their first league in a new league.
CRESSKILL
Top returnees: seniors Ethan Aoki, Samuel Kwasnaza, Roy Geiger and Omer Sarfati.
Outlook: A great senior class is gone but the Cougars should be in the league mix again. There’s a good freshman class and soph Alex Riccardo could surprise.
HASBROUCK HEIGHTS
Top returnees: senior Jeremy Bailey, juniors T.J. Singh Jr., T.K. Kasper Jr. and Nick Bua and soph Jake Porco.
Outlook: The Aviators won its first Bergen title since 1974 and won the divisional title and hope to do it again. Bailey and Porco head a good nucleus, and freshman Evan Morrow should add depth.
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
Top returnee: soph Rachel Dubar.
Outlook: The Blue Wolves are continuing to develop a program.
NEW MILFORD
Top returnees: seniors Dave Godfrey, Leandre Lowe, John Sollecito and Justin Torrente and junior Sean Johnson.
Outlook: If New Milford can stay healthy it could contend for the divisional title.
NORTH ARLINGTON
Top returnees: senior Gabe Giovenne.
Outlook: Sirish Modhagala is now on the varsity at Seton Hall University and the Wildcats try to rebuild.
POMPTON LAKES
Top returnees: soph Nathan Armstrong and junior Evan Cornwell.
Outlook: Armstrong is already an all-Passaic performer and should be ready to step up at the sectional level this year. If the back of the pack develops the Cardinals could contend.
SADDLE BROOK
Top returnee: senior Christian Mendez.
Outlook: The Falcons are rebuilding with Mendez the only senior
SECAUCUS
Top returnees: seniors Austin Hawxhurst and Marcos Zamora, juniors Mohamed Al Obaidi, Sebastien Flood and Jeffrey Villagomez and soph Vishwa Naik.
Outlook: The Patriots could contend in the league and hopes to make the state group meet for the 17th time in 20 years.
ST. MARY’S
Top returnees: senior Anthony Basile, juniors John Papajni and Ethan O’Hara and soph Oscar Zaccone.
Outlook: New head coach Joel Pasternack brings enthusiasm and experience to the Gaels and hopefully results will follow.
PATRIOT
BOGOTA
Top returnees: seniors Jimmy Guteirrez and Hamza Hussaini and sophs Jesus Michel, Brandon Rivera and Dylan LeMay.
Outlook: New head coach and all-time Bogota great Pat Rochford moves up to take the head job and should have a team that can contend for league and county group honors and a shot at returning to the State Group 1 meet for the 7th time in 8 years.
HAWTHORNE CHRISTIAN
Top returnees: None
Outlook: Newcomers sophomore Cormac Murtaugh and freshman Luis Goenaga will help rebuild the Defenders program.
MIDLAND PARK
Top returnees: seniors Matt Rossnagel and Steven Baker, juniors Ludovic Guerdat and soph Tom Kelly.
Outlook: The Panthers look for their first major title since winning the Triple Crown of league, county group and state sectional in 2003.
PALISADES PARK
Top returnees: senior Samuel Golovin
Outlook: A rebuilding program led by senior leadership.
PATERSON CHARTER
Top returnees: juniors Christopher Rivera, Neftaly Lopez, Isaiah Stevens and sophs Xavier Reynoso, Alex Guerrero and Leon Walker.
Outlook: This team is slowly building and with six veterans and senior newcomer Christian DeLaOz could be in the top half of the league.
RIDGEFIELD
Top returnees: senior Anthony Barrera.
Outlook: Barrera finished in the top 20 at the league last year, and could move into the top 10 this season.
WALDWICK
Top returnees: soph Ryan Bennett.
Outlook: Junior Michael Carver has had success in track and has now become an all-year round runner and should help the Warriors try to get into the top three in the league.
