|
Team
|
Time
|
Places
|
Score
|
Margin of Victory
|
|
Albertus Magnus 1985
|
77:33
|
1-3-5-9-10
|
28
|
63
|
|
Clarkstown South 2000
|
78:49
|
2-3-4-10-18
|
37
|
16
|
|
Pearl River 1984
|
78:41
|
2-5-7-13-16
|
43
|
20
|
|
Albertus Magnus 1991
|
79:41
|
2-5-6-7-17
|
37
|
51
|
|
Albertus Magnus 1990
|
79:10
|
1-3-4-13-38
|
59
|
43
|
|
Suffern 1997
|
79:28
|
2-5-9-13-14
|
43
|
74
|
|
Suffern 2016
|
84:05
|
1-4-5-6-19
|
34
|
23
|
|
Suffern 1995
|
79:35
|
5-6-8-9-19
|
47
|
45
|
|
Clarkstown North 2000
|
79:30
|
7-8-9-14-15
|
53
|
N/A
|
|
Monroe Woodbury 1988
|
80:00
|
1-4-7-12-16
|
40
|
32
|
While this list cannot be considered absolute, I've put alot of thought into it, and I think it's pretty close. In other words, if you disagree, start your own damn website.
The criteria I used for selecting my Ten Greatest Teams Ever were: cumulative time of the top 5 runners, team score, individual places of the top five runners, and margin of victory (where applicable). I consider this last criteria to be least important. After all, while a large margin of victory may represent a very dominant team (Suffern in 1997), it can also represent simply diluted competition (Albertus in 1987, second all-time in margin of victory but with a cumulative time of 83:05). A narrow victory margin, also, can simply represent a competitive year, rather than a less impressive team performance--look at the two-team battle of 2000, where South and and North accounted for 7 of the top 10 and 9 of the top 15 spots.
While I think cumulative time is the most telling statistic (and my rankings more or less reflect this trend), I refuse to make this an absolute ranking, since cumulative time can be affected by weather, or by a simply "slow year." Instead, I considered how these teams performed relative to those they competed, in addition to how they fared against the clock. Albertus' 1991 team ranks only eighth in cumulative time, but it's tough to argue with a team that took four of the top seven spots.
A brief synopsis of the top 10:
1. Albertus Magnus 1985
1. Buckheit 14:36
3. Kempton 15:10
5. Crowley 15:31
9. Chambers 16:06
10. McNiff 16:10
The only team in race history to put five runners in the top ten; the only team with a cumulative time under 78 minutes; record for the lowest point score in race history; still rank fifth in largest margin of victory. Far and away the best team ever.
2. Clarkstown South 2000
2. Sklar 15:27
3. Sullivan 15:33
4. Modafferi 15:36
10. Newsome 15:56
18. Chafkin 16:17
A tough call over Pearl River in 1984, but I rank them #2 on their lower overall score and the strength of their top four. Only four teams in history have put four runners under the magical 16:00 barrier, and only three teams have taken three of the first four spots individually.
3. Pearl River 1984
2. Conway 15:09
5. A. Kohlbrenner 15:22
7. M. Kohlbrenner 15:51
13. Enright 16:06
16. Dempsey 16:13
Am I playing favorites since South's 2000 team beat us? These guys would actually beat the team ranked just ahead of them in a dual meet, 26-29.
4. Albertus Magnus 1991
2. Buckheit 15:19
5. Kempton 15:44
6. Crowley 15:52
7. Chambers 15:55
17. Butler 16:50
Funny how similar this team looks next to the 1985 edition. Four runners in the top 7, all under 16:00. Another big margin of victory.
5. Albertus Magnus 1990
1. Crowley 15:09
3. Kempton 15:13
4. Buckheit 15:15
13. Chambers 15:47
38. McNiff 17:46
Still the best top four in history, and would have been the best team ever if not for the fifth runner--and they still won by 43 points. Fourth-fastest cumulative time in race history, and this as the only team in the top 10 with a runner over 17:00.
6. Suffern 1997
2. Gagliano 15:14
5. Howell 15:41
9. Gerhart 15:48
13. Ciccone 16:21
14. Rubin 16:24
The crowning glory of the Suffern dynasty. Still holds the team record for margin of victory.
7. Suffern 2016
1. Ward 15:51
4. Collins 16:23
5. Boston 16:41
6. Hennelly 16:48
19. Gulick 18:22
Due to the much-discussed course changes, the times don't measure up to those from previous eras. But no other team has put four runners in the top six overall; their 34 points is the second-lowest score in race history.
7. Suffern 2016
1. Ward 15:51
4. Collins 16:23
5. Boston 16:41
6. Hennelly 16:48
19. Gulick 18:22
Due to the much-discussed course changes, the times don't measure up to those from previous eras. But no other team has put four runners in the top six overall; their 34 points is the second-lowest score in race history.
8. Suffern 1995
5. Gerhart 15:35
6. Gagliano 15:41
8. Rubin 15:47
9. Cox 15:50
19. Dempsey 16:42
A very similar situation to the decision between #2 and #3 exists between #8 and #9. The weaker fifth man almost dropped this team behind my 2000 Rams, but they hold on to the seventh spot despite the slower cumulative time for the same reasons South beat out Pearl River for #2. Oh, one other thing: they won their race. We didn't.
9. Clarkstown North 2000
7. Morris 15:44
8. McGillick 15:45
9. Driscoll 15:45
14. McCarney 16:08
15. Friedman 16:08
The best team not to win a race, only 24 seconds separated our five runners. Of course, it would have been nice to win this one. A dual meet between this team and Suffern in '95? Suffern, 26-29.
10. Monroe Woodbury 1988
1. Trautmann 15:03
4. Ackerly 15:44
7. Comerford 16:09
12. Benzi 16:25
16. Boelke 16:39
Actually the slowest of Trautmann's three wins, but the best team performance for the Crusaders. Their 40-point total is one of the lowest in race history.
