Heading into the Ocean County Cross-Country Championships on Oct. 18, it was almost a given that the Southern Regional High School girls squad was going to be near the top of the team standings. The Rams were the reigning champs, after all, and brought back most of their crew from last fall.

The difference this time around was that now-graduated Taylor Mulch was hanging out near the starting line as a spectator while two freshmen who had joined the team over the summer had worked their way into…