Sofia Day on Thursday ran the fastest time by a South Jersey girl on any 5,000-meter course this year with her winning 17:38 at Stockton University in Galloway Township and led Mainland to the the Cape-Atlantic Conference XC championship.
Day, a Mainland freshman, ran the 2nd-fastest time in course history and fastest ever by a South Jersey runner. Cate DeSousa of Red Bank Catholic, a state champion at 800 and 1,600 meters, set the course record of 17:29 last month at the Osprey Invitational. The previous course best by a South Jersey girl at Stockton was Day’s 18:15 in the same race.
Day’s time is fastest by a South Jersey freshman on any course since Briana Gess of Haddonfield ran 16:57 at Pennypacker Park in Haddonfield at the 2013 Colonial Conference All-Star Meet.
Day is the first freshman to win the Cape Atlantic Conference title since Ocean City’s Brittany Sedberry ran 19:04 at Stockton in 2002 to edge Grace Nuzzi of St. Joe’s-Hammonton by four seconds. She’s Mainland first CAL winner since Alyssa Aldridge won the 2017 meet at Motorsports Park in Millville.
Millville had three of the first six placers and won its first CAL title, 33-60, over Ocean City, with Cedar Creek third with 97 points.
Sophomore Gillian Lovett ran 18:47 for second and sophomore Claudia Booth 19:48 for third. Senior Lily Malone took 11th in 20:21 and sophomore Chloe Malone was 13th in 20:33, with freshman 6th runner Ava McDole 15th in 20:35. Mainland’s five scorers averaged 19:25.
Also in the top 10 were Egg Harbor sophomore Michaela Schema [3rd in 18:53], Atlantic City junior Madeline Dischert [4th 19:23], Ocean City junior Grace McAfee [5th 19:43], Ocean City freshman Chloe Care [7th 19:54], Cedar Creek sophomore Lexi Sears [8th 20:10], Wildwood Catholic senior Samantha Andress [9th 20:14] and Ocean City sophomore Frankie Ritzel [10th 20:19].
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 