2001 Girls Cross Country Team
The 2001 Girls Cross Country Team was the most dominant girls cross country team in Glen Rock High School history.
In the second half of the 1990s, with Hall of Fame Inductee Head Coach Paul White, Glen Rock’s Girls Cross Country Team had considerable success. Led by Hall of Fame Inductee Tracy Della Torre, the 1996 Team compiled a 9-3 dual meet record, the 1997 Team bettered that with a 10-1 dual meet record and the 1998 Team compiled an 8-2 dual meet record and then finished second at the Group 1, Sectional Championship (with Tracy finishing second) and third at the Group 1, State Championship (with Tracy again finishing second) – the best finishes in the then two decade history of Glen Rock’s girls cross country program. In each of these years, Glen Rock also won a B-PSL Divisional Championship.
Despite Tracy’s graduation, the 1999 Team, with a broad group of outstanding runners, led by seniors Kate Hursthouse and Laura McKay and sophomores Katherine Libretto and Lauren Robbins, delivered an unbeaten 12-0 dual meet record, as well as a third straight B-PSL, King Division title. At the Group 1, Sectional Tournament, it again finished in second place (only 4 points behind the champion).
In the following year, the 2000 Cross Country season was marked by the addition of Hall of Fame Inductee Erin Henry. As a freshman and as a sophomore, Erin played soccer in the fall and then ran (and had great success) with the track & field team. Now, as a junior, Erin switched to cross country and quickly became recognized as the best female cross country runner in Bergen County. In that season, she was B-PSL Carpenter Division Champion, Group 1, Bergen County Champion, and Group 1, Sectional Champion, and finished second in the Bergen County Meet of Champions and at the Group 1, State Championship. As a result, despite other runners suffering injuries, Glen Rock finished second at the B-PSL Carpenter Division Championship, finished sixth at the Group County Championship, finished fourth at the Group Sectional Championship, and twelfth at the Group State Championship.
With the 2000 season as an all-important building block, the 2001 Cross Country Team had the most successful season in that team’s history. After finishing the dual meet season with a 10-0 record, Glen Rock won the B-PSL Carpenter Division Championship with a dominating score of only 25 points, led by Erin’s repeat first place finish followed by #4 sophomore Kristen Stephen, #5 junior Ali Dykhouse, #7 freshman Amanda Peraino and #9 sophomore Brenna O’Rourke.
Glen Rock then won its first Group Bergen County Championship, 57-64 over Cresskill, with Erin repeating as Group 1, Bergen County Champion followed by #8 Kristen Stephen, #15 Brenna O’Rourke, #17 sophomore Jaclyn (Jackie) Rivara and #19 Amanda Peraino.
Glen Rock then won its first Group Sectional Championship, 32-44 over Cresskill. Erin repeated as Group 1, Sectional Champion and the team’s next four runners finished in the top 14: #7 Kristen Stephen, #12 Amanda Peraino, #13 Brenna O’Rourke and #14 Jaclyn (Jackie) Rivara.
This victory gave the girls the program’s first treble championship: league, group county and group sectional.
At the Bergen County Meet of Champions, Erin finished second and was followed by #34 Kristen Stephen, #45 Brenna O’Rourke, #48 Amanda Peraino and #51Jaclyn (Jackie) Rivara. Glen Rock finished third, only behind two much larger schools, Ridgewood and Immaculate Heart Academy.
Finally, at the Group 1, State Championship, Erin finished 150 meters ahead of her nearest competitor in the 5,000 meters race and was crowned Group 1, State Champion. By winning, Erin is the only Glen Rock High School athlete (female or male) to ever win an Individual Group State Cross-Country Championship. She was followed by #20 Kristen Stephen, #30 Amanda Peraino, #31 Ali Dykhouse and #34 Jaclyn (Jackie) Rivara, earning Glen Rock a solid second place finish with a total of 96 points.
In the season ending awards, The Record named Erin to the First Team, All-North Jersey and to the First Team, All-County and First Team, Group 1, All-North Jersey. Kristen was named to the First Team, Group 1, All-North Jersey and received Honorable Mention, All-County. Amanda and Brenna also received Honorable Mention, All-County.
In addition, The Record named Head Coach Paul White the North Jersey Girls Coach of the Year in Cross Country.
In 2010, The Record named Erin to its All-Decade All-County Cross Country Team for her achievements.
After this season, Paul White opted to stop coaching cross country (boys and girls) so that he could spend more time with his family. While Erin graduated, most of her teammates returned to run on the 2002 Cross Country Team. They were joined by sophomores Courtney Wong and Katherine Feeney. With new Head Coach Chris Coughlan, the 2002 Team won the B-PSL Carpenter Division Championship, the Group 1, Bergen County Championship and the Group 1, Sectional Championship (47-55 over Ridgefield Park) – repeating the 2001’s Team’s treble championship. At the Group 1, State Championship, the team finished fourth. In the following year, the 2003 Team finished second at the B-PSL Carpenter Division Meet and at the Group 2, Bergen County Championship Meet (by one point) but then won the school’s third consecutive Group 1, Sectional Championship, defeating its nearest rival by a score of 54-63. At the following Group 1, State Championship, it finished third.
Head Coach Paul White
Assistant Coach Chris Coughlin
Bridget Burke
Ali Dykhouse
Sara Ferguson
Erin Henry
Melanie Klein
Irene Lee
Kathy Libretto
Emily Martin
Sara McCabe
Brenna O’Rourke
Amanda Peraino
Jackie Rivara
Krupa Shah
Kristen Stephen