North Jersey Male Athlete of the Week building a legacy on the trails
Dylan Decambre waited an entire year to get another shot at the Bergen Meet of Champions crown. Bergen Tech waited 45.
Decambre is the Knights’ first boys cross-country runner to win the BMOC since Scott Sarnoski in 1977. That year, Sarnoski took the title at Garret Mountain and was named The Record Athlete of the Week the same day (he’d been nominated for his win in the county group meet).
When Decambre crossed the finish line last weekend at Darlington Park in Mahwah, he not only improved upon his Bergen Group A time by half a minute, he also improved upon last season’s finish by one spot.
“I didn’t want to repeat as runner-up, so I just used that as motivation,” the Hackensack resident said. “The guy who did beat me [last year] graduated. So, I just kept that mentality that I’m the best, and I performed to that mentality.”
He also kept the title in his home city. Hackensack’s Amari Whittle won the 2021 BMOC by 25 seconds over Decambre, who clocked 16:29.
The Bergen Tech ace was 61 seconds faster this time around. In fact, speed has long been his forte – Decambre began running track in second grade and excelled at the middle distances, 400 and 800 meters. This is only his second season of cross-country, as he spent most of his early life playing soccer.
“I found a special part of [track and field] in distance running. That fits me the most,” Decambre said, although he added that “I still consider myself a mid-distance runner.”
The biggest adjustment he's had to make going from the track to the trails?
“It’s mostly a mental battle, like the entire race,” he said. “With the 800, you’re don’t really think of quitting during the race, because it’s such a short distance. But in a 5K, you’re suffering – you’re running through the pain and everything. Your body’s telling you to stop, but you can’t stop.”
Opponents may wish he would. Decambre heads into sectionals unbeaten against New Jersey competition, and his next chance to conquer Garret Mountain comes at this weekend’s North 1, Group 4 meet.
He spoke with several college coaches after his BMOC victory, and the search for his next school continues. Besides running, Decambre would like to continue pursuing the area of studies he enjoys at Bergen Tech.
“I’m a part of the Engineering Academy, so I do a lot engineering concepts,” he said. “I like architecture. At my school, we do a weekly internship, so I go to an architecture internship every single Wednesday in Englewood, which is pretty cool.”
“Dylan the Builder” has a unique ring to it. He’s certainly building a strong résumé, both in his course of studies and on the racecourse.
Dylan Decambre
Sport: Cross-country
School: Bergen Tech
Class: Senior. Age: 17
Accomplishment: Decambre won the Bergen Meet of Champions, clocking 15:28 to finish 10 seconds clear of the field. He ran the course 29 seconds faster than he did at the county group meet, and his effort ranks No. 12 all-time at Darlington County Park.
Also nominated: Van Weber of Rutherford, Anthony DiLascio of Hasbrouck Heights, Devin Rivas of North Arlington, Glen Falone of Garfield, James Hickey of Indian Hills, and Danny McClanahan of Mahwah for football; Andrew Dunne of Demarest for soccer; and Owen Horevay of Lakeland for cross-country.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Record Male Athlete of the Week: Dylan DeCambre, Bergen Tech
