NBTHS harriers focus on the team's goals
Cullen and Kyle Davis help Raiders win GMC White Division
BY JIMMY ALLINDER Correspondent
In a sport where so much depends on individual accomplishment, it is a credit to the Davis twins, Cullen and Kyle, that the pair have strived together to help the North Brunswick Township High School cross country team win the GMC White Division championship.

Above: North Brunswick's Kyle and Cullen Davis lead the pack during the Greater Middlesex Conference cross country meet, held at Thompson Park, Monroe, on Oct. 31. Right: Cullen crosses the finish line during the meet. PHOTOS BY ERIC SUCAR staff

That, in essence, describes the course each has traversed as the Raiders recently defeated their chief competition, Bishop Ahr High School, to complete a 9-0 dualmeet season and capture the White Division.

Last year, North Brunswick finished second with an 8-1 record.

"Each works very hard to become the best he can be," North Brunswick coach Mike Palazzo said, who in his 31 years at the helm has seen few cross country runners wear the blue and gold with as much talent as the Davis brothers.

"But their individual drive and dedication has also helped our team win meets. You can't ask for more than that."

Cross-country meets are scored by ranking the top five finishers for each team and assigning points. So when the Davis brothers finish one-two, which has happened numerous times this year, North Brunswick has enjoyed a distinct advantage.

As juniors, Cullen and Kyle can look forward to the rest of the cross country season, which is highlighted by the GMC championships Oct. 31 at Thompson Park in Jamesburg, followed by the Nov. 7 Central Jersey Group IV group meet in Holmdel.

"The goal is for each of them to finish high in the GMC meet and then place in the top 10 in the sectionals," said Palazzo. "That would qualify them for the state group meet."

Palazzo knew something was special brewing with Cullen and Kyle two years ago when they first joined the cross country team.

"You could see they were not only talented," Palazzo said, "but they brought a work ethic you like to see in high school runners but don't always get. When they're on the course, you see the look each has in his eyes, like they are striving for a goal. The effect they have had on our team has been extremely positive. We have some experienced runners, but the Davis brothers have sort of raised the bar on what you can do when you really put your mind to accomplishing the task at hand. You see the results with our record."

North Brunswick's Kyle Davis sprints to the finish line during the Greater Middlesex Conference cross country meet. ERIC SUCAR staff

While it is the cross-country season, Cullen and Kyle compete year-round as members of the winter and spring track teams. During those seasons, the twins compete in the distance races, the 1,500- and 3,000-meter runs.

"They have gone to the summer running camps and participate in all the big meets, which enables them to compare themselves to the good competition out there," Palazzo said. "That kind of dedication breeds a tenacity you can't teach."

So the inevitable question posed to Palazzo is, Who is better?

"Not a fair question," he said. "When they are on the course [now that it's cross country season], they may be racing against each other, but it's in a complementary way. Sometimes they are running shoulder to shoulder and you think they're trying to race against each other. In their minds, the twins are actually trying to spur each other on, trying to maximize their times."

When it comes to times, the Davis brothers aren't really concerned. Kyle currently holds the school course record of 15:40, but PHOTOS BY ERIC SUCAR staff ERIC SUCAR staff Palazzo downplays one brother's achievement over the other.

"That could change in the next meet," said Palazzo. "They are more concerned about what the team does. So far, it has been all positive."

Palazzo was asked how the Davis twins compare with other distance runners he has coached in his 31 years.

"About five years ago," he said, "we had Tim Reilly, who held all the school records. Interestingly, when I was coaching the girls, we had another pair of twins, Kathy and Elizabeth Fitzpatrick, who held all the records. No doubt, Cullen and Kyle are already up there with the best that have run for us, and they are only going to improve their times."

With another year to go, where the pair goes to college is not even being discussed.

"Next year, we can start that discussion," Palazzo said. "Right now, the boys are all business."

For the Davis twins, it's all about running.