From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

It had been almost a quarter of a century since a Mainland Regional girl won a race at the Shore Coaches Invitational.

Alyssa Aldridge ended that streak on Saturday.

Aldridge, a Mainland Regional soph, ran a personal-best 18:20.0 over the hilly and historic Holmdel County Park 5,000-meter layout, winning by about 250 meters over Katie Delidow of Millburn in the Girls B race at the Shore Coaches Invite.

Aldridge’s time is fastest by a South Jersey girl at Shore Coaches since Megan Lacy of Cherokee, now running for Stanford, ran 18:19 in the Girls A race in 2011.

The only other Mainland girl to ever win a Shore Coaches race was Julie Schick, who ran 20:15 to win the Girls B race in 1991.

Aldridge beat her previous Holmdel PR by under two seconds. She ran 18:21.94 for second to Ocean City’s Devin Grisbaum last year in the Meet of Champions.

Also under 20 minutes from South Jersey at the largest non-championship meet of the year were Kara Bonner of Shawnee [19:41], Ashley Dunteman of Northern Burlington [19:46], Alexis Mullarkey of Kingsway [19:48], Julia Rothstein of Clearview [19:50], Briana Roberts of Pennsauken [19:53] and Claire Rankin of Shawnee [19:56].

Aldridge’s time is No. 11 in South Jersey history at Holmdel County Park. Here’s a look at every South Jersey who’s run 19:00 minutes or faster at Holmdel, either at Shore Coaches, states or Meet of Champs [or at Central Jersey sectionals, when they were held there]:

• 17:40 …… Michelle Rowan [Washington Twp.], 1982
• 17:43.1 … Chelsea Ley [Kingsway], 2008
• 17:44.78 .. Briana Gess [Haddonfield], 2013
• 17:50.0 … Megan Venables [Highland], 2010
• 18:11.6 … Brittany Sedberry [Ocean City], 2004
• 18:12.0 … Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 2010
• 18:12.02 .. Holly Bischof [Bishop Eustace], 2011
• 18:16.5 … Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2009
• 18:18.2 … Theresa Catunna [Cherry Hill East], 2006
• 18:19.26 .. Devin Grisbaum [Ocean City], 2014
• 18:20.0 … Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Reg.], 2015
• 18:22.0 … Vanessa Wright [Haddonfield], 2004
• 18:28.0 … Erin Donohue [Haddonfield], 2000
• 18:38.2 … Casey Doyle [Shawnee], 2007
• 18:40 …… Mindy Rowand [Sterling], 1984
• 18:40 …… Dina Iacone [Washington Twp.], 2011
• 18:40.22 .. Shelby Cain [Haddonfield], 2011
• 18:43.1 … Amanda Goetschius [Delsea], 2005
• 18:44.4 … Arianna McKinney [Highland], 2003
• 18:48.79 .. Mara Schiffhauer [Seneca], 2013
• 18:49.87 .. Meghan Malloy [Haddonfield], 2011
• 18:50 …… Dawn Cody [Paul VI], 1982
• 18:50 …… Jamie Wiesgerber [Woodstown], 1994
• 18:52.2 … Renee Tomlin [Ocean City], 2005
• 18:52.3 … Lisa Burkholder [Cherokee], 2004
• 18:58 …… Lori Watson [Cherry Hill East], 1983
• 18:58 …… Abbey Hartman [Ocean City], 1996
• 18:59 …… Wendy Westphal [Highland], 1982
• 19:00.2 … Caitlin Orr [Lenape], 2009
• 19:00.9 … Katie Van Horn [Triton], 2004