It was her first major track race in nearly 14 months, and Sarah Naticchia made it an unforgettable one.
Naticchia, who missed the indoor season after a terrific XC season, moved into the all-time South Jersey top-20 with a 10:43.48 Friday at Cherokee’s Night of 3200s.
Naticchia negative-split 5:26.93 and 5:16.55 and closed in 2:34.75 for her final 800.
Her time is No. 20 in South Jersey history and No. 3 in the proud history of Haddonfield’s track program, behind only Olympian Erin Donohue [10:28.6 in 2001] and Vanessa Wright [10:37.53 in 2005].
Naticchia’s previous PR was 10:48.87 at the 2019 state Group 2 championships at Central Regional in Bayville. Other than a 11:42 at a polar bear meet last month, that was her last 3,200.
Naticchia’s time was second-fastest among girls at Cherokee Friday. In a different race, Colts Neck junior Lilly Shapiro ran 10:18.36, No. 10 in state history and the fastest 3,200 or two-mile ever run on South Jersey soil.
Naticchia, who will attend Harvard, ran the fastest time by any South Jersey runner since 2017, when Mainland’s Alyssa Aldridge ran 10:27.44 and Kingsway’s Rachel Vick ran 10:29.28.
Here’s a look at the all-time South Jersey sub-10:50 list:
10:12.8h ….. Michelle Rowen (Washington Twp.], 1983
10:19.31 … Chelsea Ley (Kingsway], 2009
10:22.02 … Megan Lacy (Cherokee], 2012
10:27.44 … Alyssa Aldridge (Mainland Reg.], 2017
10:28.6h….. Erin Donohue (Haddonfield], 2001
10:29.28 … Rachel Vick (Kingsway], 2017
10:30.57 … Dina Iacone (Washington Twp.], 2012
10:32.4h….. Mindy Rowand (Sterling], 1985
10:33.22 … Holly Bischof (Bishop Eustace], 2012
10:33.25 … Megan Venables (Highland], 2011
10:34.79 … Theresa Cattuna (Cherry Hill East], 2007
10:35.59 … Amanda Goetschius (Delsea], 2007
10:37.47 … Meghan McGlinchey (West Depford], 2009
10:37.53 … Vanessa Wright (Haddonfield], 2005
10:39.15 … Devon Grisbaum (Ocean City], 2015
10:40.24 … Katie Van Horn (Triton], 2005
10:40.95 … Erika Kemp (Rancocas Valley], 2013
10:42.22 … Jenn Rawls (Highland], 2009
10:43.3h….. Deanna Germano (Shawnee], 1985
10:43.48 … Sarah Naticchia [Haddonfield], 2021
10:43.50 … Alyssa Condell [Timber Creek], 2017
10:44.23 … Brittany Sedberry (Ocean City], 2004
10:45.12 … Briana Gess (Haddonfield], 2014
10:45.40 … Julianna Catania (Egg Harbor Twp.], 2016
10:45.73 … Meghan Hughes [Moorestown], 2002
10:46.38 … Madison Coppolino [Sterling], 2018
10:48.87 … Sarah Naticchia (Haddonfield], 2019
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 