This past summer was unlike any previous vacation that Kaitlyn Chu experienced.
“I ran a lot this summer and built up my mileage running for the Garden State Track Club,” revealed Chu, who is a junior cross-country runner at Bridgewater-Raritan High School. “I also, for the first time, did a lot of strength training.”
That new regimented running and training schedule paid off for Chu on Tuesday, October 21, at the Somerset County Cross-Country Championship at Pleasant Valley Park in Bernards Township.
She ran a personal best time of 19:00.0 and crossed first to win the Somerset County title—her first ever major championship.
“This was the biggest race that I ever won,” she claimed.
That showing was made possible when she sliced a total of 1:30 off her time she was clocked in last year at the Somerset County Championship race, when she finished in 15th place. She did not compete as a freshman.
Chu was confident entering the county race on October 21.
“I knew that I had a good chance to win,” she said.
Her confidence grew when she grabbed the lead after one mile.
“I kept going to make a gap as big as possible,” Chu said.
Her performance helped Bridgewater-Raritan place fourth in the team standings with a total of 111 points.
Pingry School, which is ranked 10th in the state, won the Somerset County title with a score of 39. Ridge High School, ranked 18th in the state, was the runner-up with 70 points and Hillsborough High School placed third in the 13-school field with 99 points.
Also running for Bridgewater-Raritan in the Somerset County race were Sofia Daniels, who placed 13th in 20:38.00, Lana Guelich, who finished 17th in 20:49.00, Sophia Rizarri, who ended in 35th with a time of 21:55.00, Anabela Mastropasqua, who placed 45th in 22:37.00, Miaoxin Chen, who was 54th in 24:04..00, and Elia Lim, who finished 60th out of the field of 88 with a time of 24:26.00.
Chu is not finished with championships.
She and her team will run in the State Sectional Championship race at Greystone Park in Morris Plains on Saturday, November 1.
Their efforts at the state sectional meet will serve as a qualifier to the State Group Championships that are scheduled for Saturday, November 8, at Holmdel Park. The group meet serves as a qualifier to the Meet of Champions on Saturday, November 15, at Holmdel Park.
“I want to make it to the Meet of Champions,” said Chu, who runs on Bridgewater-Raritan’s indoor and outdoor track and field teams in the 1,6000 and 3,200 events.