The verbal commitment of Northern Highlands star Catherine Pagano to run track and cross-country at Stanford University pushed the notebook to this site.
It’s a note or notes about each of the 24 teams in Saturday’s Lou Molino Meet of Champions.
The 42nd running of the Bergen Meet of Champions, renamed for the late Ramsey coach and athletic director Lou Molino in 2012, is one of the highlights of the season.
Saturday’s races are at Darlington County Park in Mahwah. The girls’ race begins at 11 a.m., and the boys’ begins at 11:40.
The girls’ first race was in 1978.
Bergen Catholic’s boys qualified for its third straight race and 28th overall. The Crusaders, winners of 11 of the first 18 meets, haven’t finished higher than third since 2001.
Bogota qualified for the fourth straight time and 23rd overall. Its best finish was sixth in 1978.
Don Bosco, winner of a record 14 titles, qualified for a record 24th straight meet and 26th overall. The Ironmen have finished at least third in each of their 23 previous meets.
Hackensack qualified for its fifth straight meet and 21st overall. The Comets won in 1998 but haven’t been higher than fourth since.
Indian Hills qualified for its 13th straight meet. The Braves qualified just once between 1971 and 2001, but since 2002 have finished fifth or better each time.
Lyndhurst makes its fifth appearance and first since 2011. The Golden Bears were ninth in 2010.
Old Tappan qualifies for the fourth straight time and 22nd overall. The Knights were runners-up in 1977 and 1982.
Pascack Valley makes the meet for the first time since 2010 and 10th time in all. The Indians were second in the first meet, held in 1973.
Ramsey has missed just twice since 1998 and qualified for the second-most meets, 32. The Rams were second four times.
Ridgewood, winners of 10 meets, has missed only in 1992, and qualified for the 22nd straight year. The Maroons were fourth last year, their first non top-three finish since 1998.
River Dell makes the meet for the second straight time and 11th overall. The Golden Hawks were second in 2000.
Dwight-Englewood becomes the 46th Bergen boys school to make the meet at least once. Fair Lawn was the last rookie team to run, in 2011.
On the girls’ side, Cresskill makes its second straight appearance and 12th overall. The Cougars’ top finish was fifth in 1979.
Glen Rock makes its first appearance in three years and 14th overall. Glen Rock was third in 2001.
Hackensack makes its 21st appearance, but first since 2001. The Comets were second in 1997.
Holy Angels, a four-time winner, makes its 10th straight appearance and 14th overall. Meghan Adams of Ridgewood, who will run Saturday, is the granddaughter of Mary Harkins, who coached the Angels’ first Meet of Champs team in 1988.
IHA, three-time winner, makes a 10th straight appearance and 25th total. The Blue Eagles have been at least third in each of their previous nine BMOC races.
Northern Highlands makes a ninth straight visit and 20th overall. The Highlanders won in 1991.
Palisades Park also has qualified 20 times but this is its first trip since 2007. The Tigers were second in 1989.
Ramsey has the second-most girls appearances, 27, and has missed just once since 1992, taking second four times in the 1990s.
River Dell returns to the meet for the first time since 1993 and ninth time overall, finishing third in 1982 and 1983.
Tenafly makes the meet for the fourth straight time and 12th overall. The Tigers were fourth in 2003.
Bergen Tech is the first new girls team since Hasbrouck Heights qualified for the first time in 2008. The Knights are the 44th girls team to qualify.
Ridgewood has made each of the 37 meets, winning 27, with only two finishes (in 1978 and 2009) outside the top five.
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