This article was submitted by a team parent.
Coach Lisa Morgan’s Columbia varsity boys cross country team is headed to the New Jersey State Group IV Championship as one of the top five finishers in Saturday’s New Jersey Group IV, Section 2 championship at Greystone Park in Morris Plains.
Columbia was paced by junior Jared Pangallozzi, who finished 8th out of 123 runners in a time of 16:18 over the 5K (3.1 mile) course while sophomore David Ives placed 27th in 17:04. Pangallozzi qualified for the Group 4 Championships as an individual with his top ten finish.
Columbia’s medal-winning performance, with a 5th-place finish out of 16 teams, was not without drama. After two runners crossed the finish line, the Cougars trailed eventual 6th-place finisher Watchung Hills by a score of 35-17. With Luke Burke, Tim Depue, and Jacob Paul in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th positions for Columbia, the Cougars rallied to pull away from Watchung Hills and defeat them by a score of 166 to 153.
Next up for the Columbia cross country team will be the New Jersey State Group 4 Championship at Holmdel Park in Holmdel, New Jersey on Saturday, November 14.
