Motivated Quinn helped Morristown achieve greatness

Evan Quinn started running cross country as part of Lisa Camelotto’s elementary school gym classes while taking the President’s Challenge physical fitness test. He ran cross country from sixth grade into Morristown High School, but golf was always the sport that took precedence.

“There was a lot of emphasis on running the mile, and I was the fastest miler in the school,” Quinn said. “So I had a lot of incentive to run, especially since my buddies signed up. ... I played basketball and soccer before eighth grade just for fun, but golf was definitely the No. 1 sport by then. I wanted to run cross country, just because of my experience and because I felt like I needed something to do.”

Quinn ran with the Colonials varsity as a freshman and was 45th at the Morris County Championships (17:27). As a sophomore, Quinn was 20th (16:43).

Quinn’s junior year of cross country was cut short when he suffered a hernia that required surgery.

“Ever since he was a freshman, we knew he had a lot of natural ability,” veteran Morristown boys’ head coach Paul Buccino said. “He was built like a distance runner. I didn’t know he was a golfer until one of the parents told me how good he was. But you could see as a freshman that he had a lot of special gifts as a runner. ... He’s very bright, and he works very hard every day. When it’s time to go to work, Evan goes to work. His concentration level is impeccable. When the competition gets to a higher level, you see Evan’s focus even more. He has such huge concentration when the stakes get high.”

The 2015 All Daily Record Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year, Quinn was motivated to become better by former Morristown standout Sean Lyons and, of course, by Buccino.

“I was surrounded by talent, and Sean made me see the talent in me,” Quinn said. “ ’Cino is one of the most motivational guys around. I remember specifically him asking me as a freshman if I wanted to be one of the best runners. It’s pretty amazing that he saw that in me before I did.”

Quinn didn’t know what to expect coming into this season, especially after missing last fall following surgery. He increased his running workload to 30 to 40 miles a week, in between numerous golf tournaments.

“Eric (Clay, a Colonials junior) said, ‘We’ll go run,’ and I didn’t have a choice,” said Quinn, a three-time All Daily Record Golfer of the Year.

“I knew we would have a good team and I had to do my part. I said to myself, ‘Why don’t I just put the work in and see how good we could be as a team?’ but it was more than I ever ran before. I remember looking up at the record board at school and seeing some of the times, like 16:04 at Holmdel, and thinking it was pretty intimidating. ’Cino told me I should go for it. I thought it was just him being crazy. He said, ‘You can achieve things you think you can.’ ”

Buccino watched Quinn go through preseason training and thought he might have caught lightning in a bottle. After finishing second to Josh Clark of Highland Regional at the South Jersey Shootout, Quinn went on a winning spree.

He won the Passaic County Coaches Invitational at Garret Mountain in Woodland Park in 16:14. A week later, Quinn won the Shore Coaches Invitational at Holmdel Park (16:30). He won the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference Large Schools race at Greystone Park in 16:01.84. A week later, he won the Morris County Championships in 15:53.41.

“When I first ran second, chasing Josh Clark, I thought, “Is this a fluke?’ ” Quinn said. “Maybe it was just a one-shot deal. But then it continued. It’s amazing to think that I’m associated with some of the guys who won the county championship. There are some great runners from Morris County. It’s something I’m going to keep special for a very long time. I know I’m blessed.”

Quinn didn’t stop there.

He won the NJSIAA North 1 Group IV sectional (16:06.86), was ninth in Group IV (16:20.29) and finished 11th at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions in 16:04.32, tied for the second-fastest time any Morristown runner has clocked at Holmdel.

“I’m never going to forget how determined he is,” Buccino said. “His level of concentration is also strong. He let his winning do the talking.”

Quinn’s favorite meets of the year were the Morris County and NJAC Championships, when he ran 1-2-3 with Clay and Edwards.

“We talked about going 1-2-3 at the county back in June,” Quinn said. “But I never thought about being first. I put in the time, but I have to give ’Cino, Ben and Eric as well as everyone else on the team credit for pushing me along.”

Quinn has yet to make a decision about college but has several Ivy League schools in the mix. So now, with all he’s achieved as a runner, is Quinn ready to give up the links for running spikes?

“It’s hard to say, but I think I’ve put more time in on the links,” said Quinn, Morris County’s top returning golfer. “I think I’ll take the golf swing over the cross country stride. Golf has been such a huge part of my life for so long. I’m going to keep the running shoes handy, but I’m sad to say that I won’t be running in college.”