From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

With three freshman in the top five, Maple Shade raced to its 6th consecutive BCSL title Wednesday at New Egypt.

Senior Chad Cloke ran 16:53 and finished about 150 meters ahead of 2nd-place Colin Broadbelt, a Palmyra junior, who ran 17:27.

Other Maple Shade scorers were junior Aidan Cloke [3rd in 17:30] and freshmen Michael Smith [5th in 18:25], Kai Matis [8th in 19:03] and Ries Fox [9th in 19:09]. Smith, Matis and Fox were the first three freshman finishers in the race, and Smith ran faster than any freshman in the Liberty race as well.

Maple Shade recorded a 23-49 margin of victory over Palmyra, with Riverside three points behind Palmyra.

The meet wasn’t held in 2020, but Maple Shade won the BCSL Freedom each year from 2016 and 2019 as well as 2021. Last time the Wildcats lost they were in the Patriot Division in 2015 and fell by two points to Cinnaminson.

Also in the top-10 were Pemberton junior Zion Jackson [4th in 18:25], Palmyra junior James Crean [6th in 18:40], Riverside senior Angel Herrera [7th in 18:42] and Riverside sophomore Eddie Grinnan [10th in 19:31].