Junior Yaretzy Rodriguez-Parras was Maple Shade’s only top-10 finisher, but the Wildcats placed all five scorers between 8th and 21st and rolled to their first sectional title in 27 years.
Haddon Township senior Meghan Lex won her 2nd straight individual South Jersey Group 1 title.
For Maple Shade, Rodriguez-Parras ran 21:36 over 5,000 meters at DREAM Park in Logan Township for 8th place, senior Angelina Salcedo placed 12th in 22:16, sophomore Crystal Benito placed 15th in 22:30, sophomore Isabella Castro was 19th in 22:48 and senior Hanna Gross locked up the team title in 21st place in 23:15. Sophomore 6th runner Shanya Walton was two spots back in 24:13.
Maple Shade won its previous sectional titles in 1994 and 1995. The 1994 team outscored Schalick 35-64 and was led by Heather Selzer, Maabo Kludzke, Kathy Skaggs and Dana Eley in the top 10. The 1995 team topped Schalick 38-44, with Leisha Woodward, Cindy Thompson and Michelle Wilkiera in the top 10.
Maple Shade is the first school other than Haddon Township, Schalick and Pitman to win South Jersey Group 1 since Gloucester in 2004.
The Wildcats outscored 2nd-place Haddon Township 55-75, with Schalick [78], Audubon [88] and Wildwood [111] also earning trips to the state Group 1 meet next weekend in Holmdel.
Lex ran 19:10 and edged Wildwood sophomore Macie McCracken by seven meters. McCracken ran 19:12 for 2nd place.
Lex won last year in 19:43 on the same course. Her time Saturday is the fastest winning time in the S.J. Group 1 race on any course in 24 years, since Olympian Erin Donohue of Haddonfield won the 1998 sectional title in 17:44 at Kingsway.
Lex is also Haddon Township’s second repeat winner. Alicia Pipkin won SJ-1 in 2011 and 2012.
Also in the top 15: Haddon Township junior Genevieve Gentlesk [3rd in 20:24], Schalick sophomore Taylor Behrens [4th in 20:26], New Egypt senior Cassidy Burr [5th in 21:02], Wildwood sophomore Leiah Pawlus [6th in 21:22], Palmyra junior Cadence Anderson [7th in 21:29], New Egypt freshman Alana Burnett [9th in 21:50], Audubon senior Mary Kate Owens [10th in 21:50], Riverside sophomore Sydney Greenidge [11th in 22:08], Audubon sophoore Mary McGuire [13th in 22:17] and Schalick senior Jayla Gross [14th in 22:25].
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 