From the CHS Cross Country Team:
The Columbia High School Cross Country team, under the direction of coaches Alex Simon and Michael Johnson, began the 2025 school year with record-breaking success. And that was just the beginning.
At the Roxbury Invitational in early September, Keira Monagle took second with the second fastest 5k in school history with a time of 18:41.82, trailing only a time believed to be on a shorter course. Leo Klint took fourth, breaking the school 5k record with a time of 15:33.09, and the eighth fastest time in Roxbury course history. Three freshman girls, Cecily Taber-Kewene, Chloe Tarry, and Niko Reese, broke the freshman school record.
In October, at the Super Essex Conference (SEC) Championships, the varsity boys, freshman boys and freshman girls placed first, while the varsity girls, novice boys and novice girls placed second. Leo Klint won the American Division race for the second year in row.
At the Essex County Championship race at Cedar Grove Park, the boys swept the championship, junior varsity, and freshman races for the third year in a row, with Leo Klint placing 2nd in the championship race. The girls took second in the championship and won the junior varsity and freshman races, with Keira Monagle winning the individual championship for the second year in a row in a course record time of 18:55.57.
Wrapping up the season in November, the boys varsity team made the NJSIAA Group Championships for the second year in a row, with Leo Klint and Levi Taber-Kewene qualifying individually for the NJSIAA Meet of Champions. This is the first time in school history that more than one boy qualified. Senior Keira Monagle qualified for the girls at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions for the second year in a row and ran the second-fastest time at historic Holmdel Park in school history.
In December, Nj.com ranked Keira Monagle the Cross Country Girl of the Year for the SEC and the boys the Team of the Year for SEC. Coach Alex Simon was also awarded Coach of the Year by the Essex County Track Coaches Association and NJ.com for the second year in a row.
