McCully placed third in 20:37, Hagerty fifth in 20:47 and Stiles eighth in 21:08, and Pitman outscored Schalick 40-76. The 36-point victory is the largest margin of victory in SJ-1 since Pitman won 22-65 over Pennsville in 2013.
Seniors Paige McKenna and Sydni McKenna finished 12th and 15th for the Lady Panthers, both under 22 minutes.
The eight sectional team titles equal the fourth-most by any South Jersey girls program. Haddonfield has won 23, Shawnee 15 and Haddon Township 10. Ocean City, Brick Township and Toms River North have also won eight.
Pitman also won Group 1 sectional titles in 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2015.
Panthers girls coach Matt Elmuccio teaches math at Pitman but may be slightly better known as the guy who ran a 4:11.5 anchor on Westfield’s 1995 distance medley team that won the Penn Relays Championship of America in 10:14.08 and is also the only three-time Meet of Champions outdoor 1,600-meter run champ.
While Pitman was easily winning the team title, Schalick sophomore Marleigh Puglia was easily winning the South Jersey Group 1 individual race.
Puglia became the first sectional XC winner in Schalick history, covering the 5,000-meter course at Delsea in 20:01 and finishing 150 meters ahead of soph Darby Williamson of Haddon Township, who took second in 20:36.
The best previous finish by a Schalick girl at sectionals was second place by Nicole Vit in 2001 and Olivia Gerstenbacher’s in 2015.
Others in the top 10 were sophomore Hailey Carano of Buena [4th in 20:46], Sha ‘Lynn Clarke of Glassboro [6th in 21:01], Woodstown sophomore Olivia Monahon [7th in 21:02], Buena sophomore Alana Sasdelli [9th in 21:15] and Schalick freshman Julia Smith [10th in 21:19].
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 