Laura Gallo

        In the fall of 2003 it didn’t take Tim Styler long to realize that the gangly freshman was destined for greatness. Styler, one of the Cougar’s finest runners ever, is a keen judge of talent and watching Laura Gallo’s determination as she hung tough with senior standout Mallory Harlin made him certain that Gallo had championship potential.

        And Gallo has not disappointed. Four consistently excellent years, ten county individual titles and numerous school records has brought Gallo even in titles with Styler, who now coaches her in three sports, cross country, winter and outdoor track.

        “More than anything else it is Laura’s determination that makes

her a successful runner. She refuses to lose,” said Styler.

        Gallo has been the leader of a remarkable senior class that has brought the school its first two Union County cross country 

championships in 2005 and 2006 and capped off a great year by qualifying for the Meet of Champions for the first time in school history.

        “When the team qualified for the Meet of Champions for cross country we were very excited.  Many of us are seniors, so it was important for us to make it this year.  Also we are very proud of our multiple county and conference titles,” said Gallo.

        Gallo enters her final outdoor season coming off a solid if unspectacular winter year. She capped off the indoor season running 11:09 in the 3200 meters, winning her third straight county title.  

The time was well off her best performance of 10:48 run last spring at the Meet of Champions.

“It certainly is the goal to improve upon the 10:48 and to have a chance at the county record (10:43.7 held by Tracy Biber of Dayton High School in 1986),” said Styler.

        Gallo will also compete at the Penn Relays again in the 3000 meters, trying to improve on an eleventh place finish in a school record 10:11.

        “Going under 11 minutes for the 3200 meters and breaking 19 for cross country were my goals that were most important to me, so I am proud of those achievements,” said Gallo.

        Styler, a college star at Villanova, is confident that Gallo will excel when she competes collegiately at Georgetown next year.

      “Laura will be a valuable asset Georgetown in the 5,000m and 

10,000m on the track and she will fit in on the cross country squad,” said Styler.

        “Georgetown is traditionally a strong team and competing in the Mid Atlantic Region and one of the strongest conferences for distance, the Big East.  Hopefully she continues to improve and carries her love for running beyond college,” said Styler. 

Styler believes Gallo will go down among the great female distance runners from Union County, which include Cathy Persichetty of Oak Knoll, Marissa DeFreese of Rahway, Theresa Gschwind of Summit, Tracy Biber of Dayton and Mary Beth Hogan of Cranford.

“Laura deserves to be mentioned amongst those names. She has certainly 

worked very hard for what she has accomplished and there is more out 

there to take aim at,” said Styler.

While Gallo looks forward to her final season and the challenges of college, she nostalgically wonders where the time has gone.

“High school definitely went by so quickly.  Meets, championships, and season started to blend into one another and now it if feels strange to know that I have only one season left “.