Scott Emmerling has been involved with the Union City High School track and field and cross country program for the last three years, but became the head cross country coach this season.
Emmerling knew that there were a lot of girls who ran track last spring and were going to come out for the cross country squad this fall.
“We had a good core group of girls who ran track last year and have been running together for a number of seasons,” said Emmerling, who is enjoying his first-ever head coaching position this year. “We had four very good runners, but we needed others to become the fifth, sixth and seventh runners.”
It hasn’t been easy getting the girls to practice their craft, mainly because there aren’t a lot of hills and parks near the Union City High School campus.
“We have to take a bus to Lincoln Park [in Jersey City],” Emmerling said. “Sometimes, we go to North Hudson [Braddock] Park. The girls sacrifice so much of their time to be on this team just with the travel alone. We’re getting back to school so late sometimes.”
But Emmerling knew that he had the makings of a special group.
“They really stepped up,” Emmerling said. “They also took it seriously. They knew that they had a chance.”
A chance to do what? Compete? Sure, that’s a possibility. But to win? That idea is almost laughable.
Let’s face facts. Union City has never been a track or cross country powerhouse. Even before the two former high schools, namely Emerson and Union Hill, merged as one five years ago, there was never a team that actually won a Hudson County championship.
Union Hill had a few solid girls’ teams and performers during the 1980s, under the tutelage of then-coach Mike McGinley. The school had some individual standouts like Lucy Sheldrick (1977), Giselle Marcano (1994) and Emilia Lopez (2005), but those are individuals, not teams.
Emerson never set the world on fire. Most people didn’t even know that the schools offered track and field and cross country programs.
So a new head coach taking over a program with not a litany of success didn’t seem like a recipe for success.
Emmerling believed.
“They thought they could do something special,” Emmerling said.
Last Saturday morning, the Soaring Eagle girls got together early to prepare for a chance to achieve new-found glory.
“We looked at it and thought that it was between us, Secaucus, St. Dominic [Academy] and McNair [Academic],” Emmerling said. “We were all very close coming in. It was going to be very tight. I was a little worried about how it would turn out.”
But Emmerling got to see how his team was ready to handle the intensity of a county championship.
“I got to the school and they were already stretching in the lobby of the school,” Emmerling said. “They were all crying together. They were really focused. I was surprised, but they knew they could do something special.”
Junior Allison Guajala had been the Soaring Eagles’ best runner all season and did the same last Saturday at Bayonne County Park. Guajala finished fifth overall to lead the way.
Junior Jarline Garcia was next, finishing sixth, one right after the other, just two seconds apart.
“They’ve been running with each other all year,” Emmerling said. “One would pass the other and vice versa. They’ve been really close, working with each other.”
Ashley Bustamante, another junior, was next. She finished 11th overall.
Michelle Ling, the team’s lone senior, finished next, crossing the line at No. 14. Suddenly, there was hope. The performances were all adding up.
“Michelle ran her best race,” Emmerling said. “She cut more than a minute off her best time. Before the race, we were saying that we wanted to win it for Michelle. As it turned out, she won it for us.”
Jennifer Contreras, whom Emmerling calls “my super sophomore,” finished 22nd overall.
“She had been slowly chipping away at her best times all year,” Emmerling said. “She really came out of nowhere.”
Anique Jones, yet another junior, was next. She crossed the line in 28th place.
“All these juniors all run together,” Emmerling said. “They all shattered their best times. Anique really had her confidence back.”
Juniors Maria Urrea, Kaylee Velasquez, sophomore Sabrina Ozoria and freshmen Hailee Scarafile, Emily Garcia and Jeanne Echeveria all aided in the cause.
“They all battled for that last spot and made things very competitive,” Emmerling said.
When the dust cleared, Union City High School had its first-ever Hudson County Track Coaches Association championship. The Soaring Eagles were 22 points better than runner-up Secaucus and 24 points better than St. Dominic Academy. Champions in cross country – yes, in Union City.
“It’s been a magical season,” Emmerling said. “It’s really amazing. They really exceeded expectations.”
Individually, Hudson Catholic’s fabulous freshman Crystal Ortiz won the race in 18:36, followed by Camille Bertholon of St. Dominic, who crossed the line in 19:04. Eileen Flood of McNair Academic was third.
On the boys’ side, St. Peter’s Prep won the team title in a close battle with Memorial, 39 points to 51.
Rafael Hernandez of Memorial won the boys’ race in a blistering 15:52, followed by Mathew Gonzalez of North Bergen (16:21) and Will Delaney of St. Peter’s Prep (16:32) in third.
But the day belonged to the Soaring Eagles, who will soon put a girls’ county championship banner in the school gym.
“We want to keep it going,” Emmerling said. “Right now, we’re riding this high, but we don’t want it to end here. The sectionals [NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group IV this weekend at Garret Mountain in Woodland Park] will be tough, but if we won the county, maybe we can do well at the sectionals. One thing is for sure. The future is bright. Our freshmen won the county championship as well. We’re going to be very good next year.”
So perhaps a dynasty has been born in Union City. No one could have ever imagined that.
“When the season started, no way,” Emmerling said. “But they really worked hard and they deserve it.”
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com. You can also read Jim’s blog at www.jimhaguesports.blogspot.com.