Cross Country
About the Team
The Crusader Cross Country team is centered behind the belief that all athletes can work hard and improve, all athletes contribute to the success of the team, and all athletes experience the feeling of accomplishment brought about by personal and team success. This philosophy of the coaches and the team have led the Morris Catholic teams to state championships in recent years.
Recent Accomplishments
2020 Season
- Both boys and girls teams placed second in the “Blue South Pod”
- At the NJAC championship, the girls team placed 4th and the boys team placed 5th
- At the North Jersey Non-Public A Sectional Championship the girls team placed 4th
- At the North Jersey Non-Public B Sectional Championship the boys team placed 2nd
- Based on their Sectional finishes, both the boys and girls teams would have qualified for the Group State Championship if one had been held
- Girls All Conference Honors: First team: Lisa Veivia; Second team: Mackenzie Schubert, Hannah Schofield, Vonya Gould; Honorable Mention: Sarah Hattan
- Boys All Conference Honors: First team: Cal Braga, Thomas Kelson; Second Team: Dan Voigt, Sean Mulligan, Michael McCarthy, Jayden Rhoney; Honorable Mention: Dominic DeMarco
2019 Season
- Both boys and girls teams were crowned Independence Conference Champs
- Both boys and girls teams won the Eastern Christian Invitational for the second year in a row
- At the Non-Public A Championship the girls team placed 7th out of 20 teams
- At the Non-Public B Championship the boys team placed 4th out of 22 teams
- Girls First Team All Conference Honors - Mia Berthiaume, Lisa Veivia, Mackenzie Schubert, Hannah Schofield, Sarah Hattan
- Boys First Team All Conference Honors - Cal Braga, TK Kelson, Michael McCarthy
2018 Season
- Kate McAndrew - 3rd in Non Public B State Championship; First team All County; First Team All Conference Independence Division
- Kevin Mulligan - 7th in Non Public B State Championship; First Team All Conference Independence Division
- Cal Braga - First Team All Conference
- Mia Berthiaume - First Team All Conference
- Missy Rankel - First Team All Conference
- Both the boys and girls teams won the Eastern Christian Invitational
Beyond the MC Field, Crusaders Running in the NCAA
Kate McAndrew ‘19 Running Cross Country/Indoor Track/Outdoor Track for The University of Richmond
Mia Berthiaume ‘20 Running Cross Country/Indoor Track/Outdoor Track for Catholic University
Lachlan Witt ‘19 Running Cross Country/Indoor Track/Outdoor Track for Macalester College
About the Coaches
Mike O'Brien, Head Coach
Entering his fourteenth season as head coach at Morris Catholic, Mike has also coached track at Morristown High School and Madison High School. Coach O'Brien is a firm believer in Catholic education; all of his children graduated from St. Cecilia's in Rockaway, then attended Morris Catholic. His older daughter, Cathy, was a County Champion at Morris Catholic, then competed for the University of Notre Dame.
Mary Christian, Girls' Head Coach & Assistant Boys’ Coach
Entering her fifth season with the Morris Catholic Cross Country program, Coach Christian is a USATF Level One certified and NFHS accredited interscholastic coach who previously coached track at Mount Olive High School. She is a lifelong runner and marathoner who ran for Providence College (B.A., M.B.A), still runs competitively, and enjoys running with the Morris Catholic team. Coach Christian is an English teacher at Morris Catholic and lives in Flanders. She and her husband John have three daughters, Mariah, Sara, and Allie, who are also runners and competed at Marist, Bucknell, and Holy Cross, respectively.
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More Information and Team Pages
For more information about our Cross Country team, contact Coach O’Brien at [email protected] or Coach Christian at [email protected]