South Jersey just keeps getting better and better at Foot Locker, and rivals Briana Gess and Alyssa Aldridge this weekend gave South Jersey two Foot Locker national qualifiers for only the third time in history.

And they did it in record-setting fashion.

Since the inception of the Foot Locker series — then known as Kinney Nationals when the program began in 1978 — South Jersey has had 14 girls qualify for nationals. And only three times have two S.J. girls qualified the same year. But all three of those instances have been since 2009.

More than half of South Jersey’s qualifiers have been in the last seven years and all but two since 2003.

Gess, the Haddonfield junior who earned All-America status two years ago at Foot Locker nationals, placed fifth in 17:44.2, and Aldridge, who won the Meet of Champions last weekend, was a few seconds back, sixth in 17:47.8.

Those times are among the fastest ever by New Jersey runners at Van Cortland. Full list is below.

Complete results of the race are here.

Gess becomes only the third girl in South Jersey history to qualify for Foot Locker nationals twice. Brittany Sedberry of Ocean City made it in 2002 and 2003, and Kingsway’s Chelsea Ley qualified three times — 2007, 2008 and 2009.

The only other times two South Jersey girls have advanced to nationals are 2009, when Ley was third and Haddonfield’s Marielle Hall was fifth, and 2010, when Megan Lacy of Cherokee and Megan Venables of Highland ran third and fourth.

After South Jersey was blanked in 22 of the meet’s first 24 years, South Jersey has now had at least one qualifier nine of the last 13 years.

Here’s a list of every S.J. girl that’s qualified for Foot Locker nationals [top eight through 2009, top 10 since]:

1982
2^nd, Michelle Rowan, 12, Washington Township, 17:28.7

1998
2^nd, Erin Donohue 10, Haddonfield, 18:07.8

2003
2^nd, Brittany Sedberry 10 [Ocean City], 18:16.4

2004
10^th, Brittany Sedberry 11 [Ocean City], 18:33

2007
10^th, Chelsea Ley, 10 [Kingsway], 18:33.1

2008
5^th, Chelsea Ley [Kingsway], 18:08.3

2009
3^rd, Chelsea Ley [Kingsway], 18:33.1
5^th, Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 18:36.4

2010
3^rd, Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 18:08.0
4^th, Megan Venables [Highland], 18:11.0

2011
4^th Holly Bischof [Bishop Eustace], 18:24.9

2013
5^th Briana Gess [Hadonfield], 17:43.2

2015
5^th Briana Gess [Hadonfield], 17:44.2
6^th Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Reg,.], 17:47.8
Gess ran slightly faster at Vanny as a freshman. She owns the No.
5 New Jersey time ever at Van Cortland with her 17:43.2 from 2013. Aldridge moves right into the No. 6 spot in state history. Gess and Aldridge are No. 2 and No. 3 ever by South Jersey girls at Van Cortland, behind only legendary Michelle Rowen, who ran 17:28.7 back in 1982.

Here’s a look at the all-time New Jersey list at Vanny, with South Jersey girls in boldface:

• 17:08.1 … Janet Smith [J.P. Stevens], 1983
• 17:28.7 … Michelle Rowen [Washington Twp.], 1982
• 17:42.3 … Christi Constantin [Kittatinny Reg.], 1988
• 17:43.2 … Briana Gess [Haddonfield], 2013
• 17:47.8 … Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Regional], 2015 
• 17:52.0 … Ashley Higginson [Colts Neck], 2006
• 17:53.6 … Kate McCafferty [Voorhees], 2007
• 17:54.9 … Danielle Tauro [Southern Regional], 2005
• 17:55.4 … Jodie Bilotta [North Hunterdon], 1985
• 17:55.6 … Katie Trotter [Red Bank Regional], 2002
• 17:55.9 … Anne Marie Letko [North Hunterdon], 1985
• 18:00.4 … Chelsea Ley [Kingsway], 2007
• 18:00.6 … Briana Jackucewicz [Colts Neck], 2005
• 18:02.8 … Theresa Gschwind [Summit], 1981
• 18:05.9 … Melanie Thompson [Voorhees], 2008

He was seeded 16th. Think about that for a moment.

Highland Regional senior Josh Clark went into Saturday’s Meet of Champions with a respectable but certainly not electrifying Holmdel PR of 16:11, set at last year’s Meet of Champions, when he placed 14th. His 16:16 at states last weekend made him the No. 16 seed today, appropriately.

Yet there he was Saturday, sprinting away from a loaded field on the final straightaway  at the 44th annual Meet of Champions at Holmdel County Park with the fastest time by a South Jersey runner on the historic Holmdel course in 27 years.

Upset? Maybe. But Clark was undefeated this year and wasn’t challenged at sectionals or states, and he obviously had much more in the tank than he showed.

Clark, who also wrestles at Highland [who doesn’t?] and was a 9:14 two-miler in the spring, won Saturday in a blazing 15:33, No. 2 on the all-time South Jersey Holmdel list behind only legendary Jason DiJoseph of Paul VI, who ran 15:16 back in 1988.

And an astonishing 38-second PR at Holmdel.

Clark’s time is No. 16 in course history.

Here’s the updated all-time South Jersey list at Holmdel:

• 15:16 … Jason DiJoseph [Paul VI], 1988
• 15:33 … Josh Clark [Highland], 2015
• 15:35 … Louis Corgliano [Hammonton], 2013
• 15:37 … Aaron Groff [Cherry Hill East], 2015
• 15:38 … Gregory Hughes [Mainland], 2003
• 15:39 … Luke Petela [Haddon Twp.], 2014
• 15:40 … Shawn Wilson [Cherokee], 2012
• 15:40 … Brett Johnson [Ocean City], 2008
• 15:40 … Steve Maine [Highland], 2013
• 15:41 … Jon Vitez [Haddonfield], 2009
• 15:42 … Ben Potts [Haddonfield], 2010
• 15:42 … Shawn Hutchison [Bishop Eustace], 2014
• 15:43 … Marc Pelerin [Cherokee], 2001
• 15:43 … Miles Schoedler [Ocean City], 2010
• 15:45 … Keith Krieger [Cherokee], 2002
• 15:46 … Jack Shea [Cherokee], 2015
• 15:47 … Urie Ridgeway [Bridgeton], 1988
• 15:48 … Chris Platt [Haddonfield], 2001
• 15:50 … Mike Myers [Eastern Reg.], 2000
• 15:50 … Jon Anderson [Cinnaminson], 2003
• 15:51 … Murad Campbell [Overbrook], 1998
• 15:54 … Mike Mantini [Gateway], 1978
• 15:54 … Paul Szulewski [Williamstown], 2010
• 15:54 … Skip Stiles [Haddonfield], 2001
• 15:54 … Aaron Groff [Cherry Hill East], 2014
• 15:55 … Dominick Munson [Timber Creek], 2014
• 15:55 … Breton Bonnett [Haddonfield], 2001
• 15:56 … Kyle Kirk [Camden Catholic], 2012
• 15:56 … David Forward [Shawnee], 2008
• 15:57 … Nate Miller [Highland Reg.], 1998
• 15:57 … Connor Herr [Shawnee], 2010
• 15:59 … Anthony Dentino [Washington Twp.], 2010
• 15:59 … Robert Edwards [Bridgeton], 2002

Some notes on Clark’s remarkable performance:

–> Clark’s 15:33 makes Highland the only South Jersey school with two runners at 15:40 or faster at Holmdel. Steve Maine ran 15:40 when he was third at the 2013 Meet of Champions.

–> Highland is now only the second South Jersey school with two Meet of Champions winners in the boys race. Nate Miller won the 1998 race. Paul VI also had two winners — Ron Faith in 1985 and DiJoseph in 1987 and 1988

–> Highland is one of only five schools in all of New Jersey with two individual champs. North Hunterdon has had four, and West Windsor-Plainsboro North, CBA and Paul VI have also had two.

–> With Haddon Township’s Luke Petela winning last year, this marks the first time since 2000 and 2001 that South Jersey has produced consecutive individual Meet of Champs winners. Then, it was Eastern’s Mike Myers in 2000 and Cherokee’s Marc Pelerin in 2001.

–> South Jersey runners won six of the first 17 titles but had only won three of 25 before Petela and Clark the last two years.

–> Cherry Hill East senior Aaron Groff and Cherokee junior Jack Shea made it three South Jersey runners in the top six, Groff crossing in 15:39 and Shea in 15:46.

–> This is the first time in meet history three South Jersey boys have run 15:46 or faster.

Mainland soph Alyssa Aldridge, second to Ocean City’s Devin Grisbaum in last year’s XC Meet of Champs, out-ran Olympia Martin of Ridgewood and 2013 M-of-C winner Briana Gess of Haddonfield Saturday to win the 44th annual girls Meet of Champions at Holmdel County Park.

Aldridge won by about 100 meters.

Aldridge ran 18:21 last year, finishing two seconds behind Grisbaum, who graduated. Gess won the race two years ago in 17:44.

Aldridge, Gess and Martin ran together much of the way until Aldridge pulled away in the woods after the tennis courts in the final mile.

Martin and Gess both ran 18:25, with Martin edging Gess for second in a battle of juniors.

Complete girls results, courtesy of Jim Lambert, are here.

Here is a look at all the girls from South Jersey who have won the Meet of Champions since its inception in 1972.

As you can see, South Jersey girls won only two of the first 27 Meet of Champions individual titles but have now won 10 of the last 17, including six of the last seven.

1982 … Michelle Rowen, Washington Twp.
1994 … Jamie Weisgerber, Woodstown
1999 … Erin Donohue, Haddonfield
2000 … Erin Donohue, Haddonfield
2003 … Brittany Sedberry, Ocean City
2004 … 
Brittany Sedberry, Ocean City
2009 … 
Chelsea Ley, Kingsway
2010 … 
Megan Venables, Highland Regional
2011 … Holly Bischof, Bishop Eustace
2013 … 
Briana Gess, Haddonfield
2014 … Devin Grisbaum, Ocean City

Aldridge ran 18:05, which trims eight seconds off her Holmdel PR, set back in October at the Shore Coaches race. It’s No. 6 ever by a South Jersey girl at Holmdel and lowers her own Atlantic County record and also breaks the Cape Atlantic record of 18:12, set in 2004 by Brittany Sedberry.

17:28 Megan Venables [Highland Reg.], 2010
17:40 Michelle Rowen [Washington Twp.], 1982
17:44 Chelsea Ley [Kingsway], 2008
17:45 Briana Gess [Haddonfield], 2013
17:55 Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 2010
18:05 Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland],2015
18:09 Holly Bischof [Bishop Eustace], 2010
18:12 Brittany Sedberry [Ocean City], 2004
18:17 Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2009
18:19 Theresa Catunna [Cherry Hill East], 2006
18:20 Devin Grisbaum [Ocean City], 2014
18:22 Vanessa Wright [Haddonfield], 2004
18:27 Erin Donohue [Haddonfield], 2000
18:38 Casey Doyle [Shawnee], 2007
18:40 Mindy Rowand [Sterling], 1984
18:40 Dina Iacone [Washington Twp.], 2011
18:41 Shelby Cain [Haddonfield], 2011
18:43 Amanda Goetschius [Delsea], 2005
18:44 Arianna McKinney [Highland], 2003
18:49 Mara Sschiffhauer [Seneca], 2013
18:50 Dawn Cody [Paul VI], 1982
18:50 Jamie Wisgerber [Woodstown], 1994
18:50 Meghan Malloy [Haddonfield], 2011
18:52 Lisa Burkholder [Cherokee], 2004
18:53 Renee Tomlin [Ocean City], 2005
18:57 Lori Watson [Cherry Hill East], 1983
18:58 Abbey Hartman [Ocean City], 1996
18:59 Wendy Westphal [Highland], 1982
18:59 Kara Bonner [Shawnee,], 2015
19:00 Katie Van Horn [Triton], 2004

More coming soon on today’s Meet of Champs!!

Complete boys results, also courtesy of Lambo, are here.

Syracuse is one of the top NCAA Division 1 teams in the country, and one of their top contributors right now is Cherokee graduate Shawn Wilson.

Wilson placed a very impressive 19th out of 247 runners Saturday at the NCAA Northeast Regionals at Franklin Park in Boston, helping Syracuse win its third straight Northeast Regional championship and sixth in the last seven years.

The Orange went 1-2-3 and placed all seven runners in the top 20. Their average time of 30:38 is so fast it would have placed seventh overall in the race.

Syracuse outscored second-place Iona 29-40. Iona lost by 11 despite placing its five scorers in the top 13.

Wilson covered the 10,000-meter course in 31:05, out in 15:57 and back in 15:08.

Syracuse, ranked No. 2 in the nation, behind only Colorado, races in the NCAA Championships Saturday. Colorado is seeking its third straight NCAA Division 1 title.

Syracuse last finished in the top five in 1957, when they were fifth.

The men’s race is scheduled for 1 p.m. at E.P. Sawyer Park in Louisville. Syracuse won its only national XC title in 1951 in East Lansing, Mich.

 

While at Cherokee, Wilson placed fifth in the Meet of Champions at Holmdel as a junior. He won state titles in XC as a senior in 15:39 – fifth-fastest ever at Holmdel by a South Jersey runner — and the 3,200 as a senior, when he also ran 9:04.05 at the Meet of Champs.

 

Last year was the first time ever South Jersey went 1-2 in the girls race at the Meet of Champions. That was Devin Grisbaum of Ocean City, now a freshman at Vanderbilt, edging freshman Alyssa Aldridge of Mainland.

Could it happen again?

The two two seeds coming out of states are Aldridge, who blew away the Group 3 field, and Group 2 winner Brianna Gess, who won the Meet of Champs as a freshman two years ago.

Aldridge won the Group 3 race in 18:12, and Gess won her second state Group 2 XC title in 18:40.

Gess and Aldridge rank No. 4 and No. 8 on the all-time South Jersey Holmdel performance list.

Aldridge’s previous Holmdel PR was an 18:20 at the Shore Coaches in October. Gess is No. 4 in course history with her 17:45 from her 2013 Meet of Champions win.

The only other South Jersey girl under 19 minutes Saturday was Shawnee’s Kara Bonner, who ran 18:59 in the Group 4 race.

In all, only eight South Jersey runners broke 20 minutes in the various state meets on Saturday:

18:13 … Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland]
18:41 … Briana Gess [Haddonfield]
18:59 … Kara Bonner [Shawnee]
19:25 … Alyssa Condell [Timber Creek]
19:34 … Alexa Weber SO Ocean City]
19:35 … Alexis Mullarkey [Kingsway]
19:36 … Briana Roberts [Pennsauken]
19:50 … Claire Rankin [Shawnee]

With her 18:13, Aldridge moved into eighth place on the all-time South Jersey list at Holmdel.

Here’s a look at everybody that’s run 19:00 minutes or faster since Holmdel County Park became the official site of the New Jersey state meet in 1979:

• 17:28 Megan Venables [Highland Reg.], 2010
• 17:40 Michelle Rowen [Washington Twp.], 1982
• 17:44 Chelsea Ley [Kingsway], 2008
• 17:45 Briana Gess [Haddonfield], 2013
• 17:55 Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 2010
• 18:09 Holly Bischof [Bishop Eustace], 2010
• 18:12 Brittany Sedberry [Ocean City], 2004
• 18:13 Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland], 2015
• 18:17 Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2009
• 18:19 Theresa Catunna [Cherry Hill East], 2006
• 18:20 Devin Grisbaum [Ocean City], 2014
• 18:22 Vanessa Wright [Haddonfield], 2004
• 18:27 Erin Donohue [Haddonfield], 2000
• 18:38 Casey Doyle [Shawnee], 2007
• 18:40 Mindy Rowand [Sterling], 1984
• 18:40 Dina Iacone [Washington Twp.], 2011
• 18:41 Shelby Cain [Haddonfield], 2011
• 18:43 Amanda Goetschius [Delsea], 2005
• 18:44 Arianna McKinney [Highland], 2003
• 18:49 Mara Sschiffhauer [Seneca], 2013
• 18:50 Dawn Cody [Paul VI], 1982
• 18:50 Jamie Wisgerber [Woodstown], 1994
• 18:50 Meghan Malloy [Haddonfield], 2011
• 18:52 Lisa Burkholder [Cherokee], 2004
• 18:53 Renee Tomlin [Ocean City], 2005
• 18:57 Lori Watson [Cherry Hill East], 1983
• 18:58 Abbey Hartman [Ocean City], 1996
• 18:59 Wendy Westphal [Highland], 1982
• 18:59 Kara Bonner [Shawnee,], 2015
• 19:00 Katie Van Horn [Triton], 2004

 

Aaron Groff fell a few seconds shy of winning a state title, but that was about the only disappointment in an otherwise spectacular performance Saturday by the Cherry Hill East senior.

Groff not only led Cherry Hill East to second place in the Group 4 team race [more on that later], he posted the second-fastest time of the day in the six state championship races at the historic and challenging Holmdel County Park 5,000-meter course. He just happened to be in the same race as the fastest runner of the day.

Millburn’s Matt Grossman, who finished just behind Groff at last year’s state Group 4 meet, ran 15:32 this year to win the race.  That’s the No. 15 time in course history.

Groff was just five seconds back in 15:37, No. 23 in history. Grossman and Groff were the only runners under 15:49.

Let’s put Groff’s performance in perspective:

–> It was fast enough to win all but one previous state Group 4 race since states moved to Holmdel in 1979.

–> It was the fastest time recorded at Holmdel by a Camden County runner in 27 years, since legendary Jason DiJoseph of Paul VI set a course record of 15:16.2 in the 1988 Parochial A race that stood as a course record for 18 years, till Craig Forys of Colts Neck broke it by one second in  2006.

–> It’s the third-fastest time ever recorded at Holmdel County Park by a South Jersey runner  [see list below].

OK, time for some lists.

First, let’s look at the fastest times ever run in the state Group 4 race in the 37 years states have been at Holmdel:

• 15:31 … Craig Forys [Colts Neck], 2006
• 15:32 … Matt Grossman [Millburn], 2015
• 15:37 … Aaron Groff [Cherry Hill East], 2015
• 15:38 … Tim Ball [Piscataway],  2011
• 15:39 … Mohamed Khadraoui [JFK-Paterson], 2003
• 15:39 … Dylan Tarpey [Freehold Twp.], 2013
• 15:40 … Jeremy Elkaim [Livingston], 2010
• 15:40 … Shawn Wilson [Cherokee],  2012
• 15:41 … Brian Leung [West Windsor-Plainsboro South], 2007
• 15:41 … Matt McDonald [North Hunterdon], 2010
• 15:44 … Nikhil Pulimood [West Windsor-Plainsboro South], 2014
• 15:45 … Peter Hess [Toms River North], 2002
• 15:45 … Tim Ball [Piscataway], 2010
• 15:45 … Keith Krieger [Cherokee], 2002
• 15:47 … Chris Pannone [Hunterdon Central], 2003
• 15:49 … Greg Hughes [Mainland Reg.], 2003

As you can see, Groff’s time is third-fastest in Group 4 state meet history, behind only Forys and Grossman. The fastest previous non-winning time was 15:41 by Matt McDonald of North Hunterdon behind Jeremy Elkaim’s 15:40 in 2010.

The fastest previous non-winning time by a South Jersey runner was Keith Krieger’s 15:45 behind Pete Hess’s faster 15:45 back in 2002.

Now let’s take a look at the all-time South Jersey list at Holmdel, and you can see just how impressive Groff’s race was on Saturday:

• 15:16 … Jason DiJoseph [Paul VI], 1988
• 15:35 … Louis Corgliano [Hammonton], 2013
• 15:37 … Aaron Groff [Cherry Hill East], 2015
• 15:38 … Gregory Hughes [Mainland], 2003
• 15:39 … Luke Petela [Haddon Twp.], 2014
• 15:40 … Shawn Wilson [Cherokee], 2012
• 15:40 … Brett Johnson [Ocean City], 2008
• 15:40 … Steve Maine [Highland], 2013
• 15:41 … Jon Vitez [Haddonfield], 2009
• 15:42 … Ben Potts [Haddonfield], 2010
• 15:42 … Shawn Hutchison [Bishop Eustace], 2014
• 15:43 … Marc Pelerin [Cherokee], 2001
• 15:43 … Miles Schoedler [Ocean City], 2010
• 15:45 … Keith Krieger [Cherokee], 2002
• 15:47 … Urie Ridgeway [Bridgeton], 1988
• 15:48 … Chris Platt [Haddonfield], 2001
• 15:50 … Mike Myers [Eastern Reg.], 2000
• 15:50 … Jon Anderson [Cinnaminson], 2003
• 15:51 … Murad Campbell [Overbrook], 1998
• 15:54 … Mike Mantini [Gateway], 1978
• 15:54 … Paul Szulewski [Williamstown], 2010
• 15:54 … Skip Stiles [Haddonfield], 2001
• 15:54 … Aaron Groff [Cherry Hill East], 2014
• 15:55 … Dominick Munson [Timber Creek], 2014
• 15:55 … Breton Bonnett [Haddonfield], 2001
• 15:56 … Kyle Kirk [Camden Catholic], 2012
• 15:56 … David Forward [Shawnee], 2008
• 15:57 … Nate Miller [Highland Reg.], 1998
• 15:57 … Connor Herr [Shawnee], 2010
• 15:59 … Steve Maine [Highland Reg.], 2012
• 15:59 … Anthony Dentino [Washington Twp.], 2010
• 15:59 … Robert Edwards [Bridgeton], 2002

Let’s not forget Groff’s teammates, who teamed up to give Cherry Hill East a berth in the Meet of Champions. East finished second to Old Bridge, which finished with a 54-81 margin of victory.

East packed all five scores in the top 36, with Isaiah Jean-Baptiste 19th in 16:39, Marc Meltzer 22nd in 16:43, Tyler Parsons 26th in 16:49 and Cole Parsons 36th in 16:54.

That’s a 16:32.4 team average, fourth-fastest of the day, behind only Don Bosco [16:30.0], Old Bridge [16:30.4] and Christian Brothers Academy [16:32.2].

The program has existed for 12 years. The program has won six sectional titles.

This is the remarkable story of the Seneca girls cross county program, which has never not qualified for states.

Seneca on Saturday outscored Ocean City 47-54 for its sixth sectional title in the last nine years. Incredibly, this school that has had varsity sports for only 11 years has more South Jersey Group 3 XC titles than anybody but Ocean City and now has the ninth-most South Jersey sectional championships than all but eight schools — who have all been around decades longer than Seneca.

Here’s a look at the most titles in South Jersey history:

Haddonfield 23
Shawnee 16
Haddon Township 9
Brick Township 8
Ocean City 8
Moorestown 7
Pt. Pleasant Boro 7
Toms River North 7
Seneca 6
Pitman 6
Kingsway 6

And here is a look at Seneca’s year-by-year performance at sectionals:

2004- 5th in Group 2 – 22:25 [111 points]
2005- 3rd in Group 3 – 21:08 [135 points]
2006- 5th in Group 3 – 21:00 [114 points]
2007- 1st in Group 3 – 20:22 [92 points]
2008- 1st in Group 3 – 19:48 [54 points]
2009- 1st in Group 3 – 20:13 [53 points]
2010- 4th in Group 3 – 21:22 [118 points]
2011- 2nd in Group 3 – 20:23 [101 points]
2012- 1st in Group 3 – 19:26 [44 points]
2013- 2nd in Group 3 – 19:26 [45 points]
2014- 1st in Group 3 – 19:51 [51 points]
2015- 1st in Group 3 – 19:49 [47 points]

So the program has averaged 76 points per year at sectionals since its inception [despite never scoring in the 60s, 70s, 80s or 90s].

Jenn Denn started the Seneca program and won the first three sectional titles. Former Shawnee and Princeton runner Karen O’Neil took over in 2010 and has won the last three.

On Saturday, Seneca placed its five scorers from fourth to 14th, all within a 56-second span. Junior Kayla Martin [fourth in 19:18], sophomore Sydny Warner  [seventh in 19:40], senior Joey Webb [10th in 19:52], senior Lindsay Hoffman [12th in 20:02] and freshman Reilly Ritter [14th in 20:14] were supported by freshman Jessica Sprague [15th in 20:16].

The 19:18 is a 5,000 PR for Martin on any course. This was also a big race for Warner, who is coming off an injury, and Webb, who had her best day of the season.

Next for Seneca is the state Group 3 meet. With a top-three finish, the Golden Eagles would be off to the Meet of Champions for the fourth time in school history.

He was third two years ago, he was second last year, and this time Aaron Groff wasn’t going to let anybody beat him.

Groff, Cherry Hill East’s senior, continued his terrific season Saturday by winning the South Jersey Group 4 race in 15:25, tied for ninth-fastest in course history over 5,000 flat meters at Delsea Regional.

As a sophomore, Groff finished 12 seconds behind Kingsway’s Noah Culbreath and about a second behind teammate Ben Dillon. Last year, he finished less than a second behind Culbreath. On Saturday, he left no doubt, finishing more than 10 seconds ahead of Jackson’s Ryan Rafferty.

Incredibly, Groff became Cherry Hill’s first individual sectional winner in 32 years, since Bill Stewart won the 1983 race. East’s only other individual winner was Bruce Miller in 1981.

Cherry Hill East beat a loaded field, outscoring Cherokee 54-82 to win its third straight team title. East becomes only the second school ever to win three straight South Jersey Group 4 titles. The other was Cherokee from 1997 through 2000.

Let’s take a look at the rest of Cherry Hill East’s scoring group:

10th – Isaiah Jean-Baptiste, 16:26
12th – Cole Parsons, 16:27
14th – Mark Meltzer, 16:31
17th – Tyler Parsons, 16:32

That’s two through five in a six-second span, which is incredible pack running. Especially in such a competitive race.

Groff moved into the No. 9 spot on the all-time course list:

• 15:18 … Peter Hess [Toms River North], 2002
• 15:22 … Greg Hughes [Mainland Reg.], 2003
• 15:22 … Kyle Kroon, [Toms River South], 2012
• 15:22 … Kyle Kroon, [Toms River South]. 2013
• 15:22 … Keith Krieger [Cherokee], 2002
• 15:24 … Chris Platt [Haddonfield], 2002
• 15:24 … Jon Vitez [Haddonfield], 2009
• 15:24 … Lou Corgliano [Hammonton], 2013
• 15:25 … Joe Kotran [Toms River North], 2009
• 15:25 … Aaron Groff [Cherry Hill East], 2015
• 15:27 … Connor Herr [Shawnee], 2011
• 15:30 … Jim Kavaliauskas, Highland Regional, 2003
• 15:30 … Luke Petela [Haddon Twp.], 2014

It had been four years since anybody broke 18 minutes at Delsea, and Saturday morning, Alyssa Aldridge and Briana Gess did it in the first two races of the day.

Gess, the 2013 Meet of Champions XC winner and a two-time Meet of Champions 1,600 winner, began the day by winning her third consecutive South Jersey Group 2 race in 17:57 and leading Haddonfield to its sixth consecutive team title and 10th in the last 11 years.

Then Aldridge, the Meet of Champs runner-up last year, followed in the Group 3 race by winning in 17:52. Mainland freshman Emily Dirkes finished fifth and Mainland qualified for states with a third-place finish.

The rest of Mainland’s scoring group deserves big props as well: junior Emily Forestar in 21st, junior Kelly Glenn in 27th and sophomore Gabby Boggs in 29th.

Haddonfield was typically dominating, placing its five scoring in the top 10 … but more impressively placing all seven runners in the top 13.

Supporting Gess were sophomore Lilly Minor in third and sophomore Izzy Miller in fifth — both under 20 minutes — along with junior Meg Schroeter in seventh, senior Bridget Poisel in 11th and junior Lauren Lynch in 13th.

During its streak of six straight team titles, Haddonfield has averaged 25.3 points per year. Going back to 2003, and including 2009, when the Bulldogs lost to Delsea by eight points, Haddonfield has averaged 24.0 points per year in the last 13 sectional meets.

Gess and Aldridge are the first girls to break 18 minutes at Delsea since 2011, when Megan Lacy of Cherokee did it.

Gess and Aldridge are the seventh and eighth runners to run sub-18 at Delsea since sectionals moved there from Williamstown in 2002.

• 17:22 … Megan Venables [Highland], 2010
• 17:22 … Chelsea Ley (Kingsway), 2008
• 17:22* … Chelsea Ley (Kingsway), 2009
• 17:32 … Chelsea Ley (Kingsway) , 2009
• 17:35 … Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 2010
• 17:35* … Chelsea Ley [Kingsway], 2008
• 17:36 … Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 2011
• 17:42 … Megan Venables [Highland], 2009
• 17:48* … Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2009
• 17:51 … Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2009
• 17:51 … Danielle Tauro [Southern Reg.], 2006
• 17:52 … Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Reg.], 2015
• 17:55 … Brittany Sedberry [Ocean City], 2003
• 17:56 … Chelsea Ley [Kingsway],  2007
• 17:57 … Briana Gess [Haddonfield],  2015
• 17:59 … Jill Smith [Southern Reg.], 2007
• 18:00 … Devin Grisbaum [Ocean City], 2014
• 18:00 … Niamh Hayes [Howell], 2015
• 18:01 … Vanessa Wright [Haddonfield],2004
• 18:04 … Briana Gess [Haddonfield],  2013
• 18:04 …  Brittany Sedberry [Ocean City], 2005
• 18:06 … Briana Gess [Haddonfield],  2014
• 18:10 … Theresa Cattuna [Cherry Hill East], 2006
• 18:10 … Arianna McKinny [Highland Reg.], 2004
• 18:15 … Dina Iacone [Washington Twp,], 2011
• 18:20 … Danielle Leavitt [Lacey Twp.],  2011
• 18:21 … Bridget Flynn [Ocean City], 2013
• 18:22 … Daniell Leavitt [Lacy Twp.],2012
• 18:23 … Natalia Ocasio (Lenape),  2010
• 18:22 … Danielle Tauro [Southern], 2005
• 18:23* … Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Reg.], 2014
• 18:24 … Vickie Ajimoko [Williamstown], 2012
• 18:24 … Marielle Hall [Haddonfield],  2007
• 18:25 … Jill Smith [Southern Reg.],  2008
• 18:26 … Maria Ruiz [Williamstown],
• 18:29 … Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2008
• 18:30 … Mara Schiffhauer [Seneca], 2012
• 18:30 … Natalia Ocasio [Lenape], 2011
• 18:30 … Arianna McKinney [Highland], 2003

Much more on the South Jersey sectionals coming up later this afternoon!!!!!!