Now that we’ve had a couple days to digest their races, let’s take a look at just how rare the performances of Patrick Ditmars and Nick Kuenkel were on Saturday.
As we wrote over the weekend, Ditmars and Kuenkel finished 2nd and 4th in the 50th annual Meet of Champions at Holmdel County Park, leading Cherokee to a 3rd-place finish – its best in 22 years.
Here’s what’s most remarkable about their races: Ditmars and Kuenkel became the first South Jersey teammates – and only the 6th teammates in meet history – to both finish among the top four finishes in the same Meet of Champions. Only four programs can claim that rare achievement.
It had been 13 years since any two runners from the same school both finished in the top four, and they were two of the greatest runners in New Jersey history.
In 2009, identical twins Joe Rosa and Jim Rosa of West Windsor-Plainsboro North went 1-2 in 14:56 and 15:15 – the No. 2 and 3 performances in course history [behind Edward Cheserek’s 14:53 in 2011]. Fortunately, NJSIAA officials did not stop that race with 400 meters to go!
It happened three times in the 1980s – Brad Hudson and Andy Martin of North Hunterdon went 1-2 in 1983 and then Martin and Hudson went 1-2 in 1984. And in 1987, CBA’s John Coyle and Matt Mitchell placed 2nd and 4th.
In the 33 races from 1988 through 2021 – there was no MoC in 2020 – it only happened twice. In 1999, Brian Kerwin and Jeff Dichiara of CBA placed 1st and 4th and the Rosas in 2009.
So Ditmars and Kuenkel are only the third set of teammates to both place 4th or better in a Meet of Champions in the last 35 years – or the last 34 races.
And Cherokee is only the 4th school in meet history to have two in the top four, joining three of the other all-time great programs in state history – North Hunterdon, West Windsor-Plainsboro North and Christian Brothers Academy.
Of the six sets of teammates to place 4th or better in a Meet of Champions, only the Rosas ran as fast or faster than Ditmars and Kuenkel. The full list is below.
Ditmars and Kuenkel also joined Shawn Wilson – who ran 15:40 at the 2021 state Group 4 meet – and Ethan Wechsler – who ran 15:41 at the 2019 Meet of Champions – as the 3rd and 4th Cherokee runners to go 15:41 or faster at Holmdel.
That makes Cherokee only the 3rd school in state history with four at 15:41 or faster on the historic Holmdel 5,000-meter course. The list is below.
Here’s a look at the schools with two finishers in the top four in meet history:
Cherokee, 2022
15:39 … Patrick Ditmars [2nd]
15:41 … Nick Kuenkel [4th]
West Windsor Plainsboro-North, 2009
14:56 … Joe Rosa [1st]
15:15 … Jim Rosa [2nd]
Christian Brothers Academy, 1999
15:52 … Brian Kerwin [1st]
16:16 … Jeff Dichiara [4th]
Christian Brothers Academy, 1987
16:05 … John Coyle [2nd]
16:17 … Matt Mitchell [4th]
North Hunterdon, 1984
15:52 … Andy Martin [1st]
15:57 … Brad Hudson [2nd]
North Hunterdon, 1983
15:38 … Brad Hudson [1st]
15:59 … Andy Martin [2nd]
And here’s a look at the three schools who’ve had at least four runners at 15:41 or faster at Holmdel County Park (Haddonfield just missed, with three at 15:41 or faster and a 4th at 15:42!):
Christian Brothers Academty
15:19 … Mike Mazzaccaro [2010 Meet of Champions]
15:26 … Mike McClemens [2013 Meet of Champions]
15:35 … Blaise Ferro [2015 Meet of Champions]
15:37 … George Kelly [2011 Meet of Champions]
15:41 … Shaw Powell [2019 Meet of Champions]
North Hunterdon
15:30 … Matthew McDonald [2010 Meet of Champions]
15:31 … Brendan Heffernan [1991 Meet of Champions]
15:38 … Brad Hudson [1983 Meet of Champions]
15:35 … Andy Martin [1984 state Group 3] `
Cherokee
15:39 … Patrick Ditmars [2022 Meet of Champions]
15:40 … Shawn Wilson [2012 state Group 4]
15:41 … Nick Kuenkel [2022 Meet of Champions]
15:41 … Ethan Wechsler [2019 Meet of Champions]
Finally, here’s the updated all-time South Jersey Holmdel County Park list, with all sub-16 performances:
15:16 … Jason DiJoseph [Paul VI], 1988 Parochial A
15:29 … Kevin Antczak [Mainland Regional], 2019 Meet of Champions
15:32 … Kevin Antczak [Mainland Regional], 2019 Shore Coaches Group A
15:33 … Jason DiJoseph [Paul VI], 1988 Meet of Champions
15:33 … Josh Clark [Highland], 2015 Meet of Champions
15:36 … Louis Corgliano [Hammonton], 2013 Meet of Champions
15:36 … Jason DiJoseph [Paul VI], 1987 State Parochial A
15:36 … Seth Clevenger [Haddonfield], 2021 Meet of Champions
15:37 … Aaron Groff [Cherry Hill East], 2015 State Group 4
15:38 … Gregory Hughes [Mainland], 2003 Meet of Champions
15:39 … Luke Petela [Haddon Twp.], 2014 Meet of Champions
15:39 … Aaron Groff [Cherry Hill East], 2015 Meet of Champions
15:39 … Patrick Ditmars [Cherokee], 2022 Meet of Champions
15:40 … Shawn Wilson [Cherokee], 2012 State Group 4
15:40 … Brett Johnson [Ocean City], 2008 State Group 3
15:40 … Steve Maine [Highland], 2013 State Group 3
15:40 … George Andrus [Haddonfield], 2022 Meet of Champions
15:41 … Jon Vitez [Haddonfield], 2009 Meet of Champions
15:41 … Nick Kuenkel [Cherokee], 2022 Meet of Champions
15:42 … Ben Potts [Haddonfield], 2010 Meet of Champions
15:41 … Ethan Wechsler [Cherokee], 2019 Meet of Champions
15:42 … Shawn Hutchison [Bishop Eustace], 2014 Meet of Champions
15:43 … Marc Pelerin [Cherokee], 2001 Meet of Champions
15:43 … Miles Schoedler [Ocean City], 2010 Shore Coaches
15:44 … Brett Johnson [Ocean City], 2008 Shore Coaches C
15:45 … Keith Krieger [Cherokee], 2002 State Group 4
15:45 … Shawn Wilson [Cherokee], 2011 Meet of Champions
15:46 … Jack Shea [Cherokee], 2015 Meet of Champions
15:46 … Dennis Fortuna [Triton], 2021 Meet of Champions
15:47 … Urie Ridgeway [Bridgeton], 1988 Meet of Champions
15:48 … Chris Platt [Haddonfield], 2001 Meet of Champions
15:48 … Keith Krieger [Cherokee], 2002 Meet of Champions
15:48 … Austin Gabay [Cinnaminson], 2019 State Group 2
15:48 … Oliver Adler [Cherry Hill East], 2019 Meet of Champions
15:49 … Gregory Hughes [Mainland], 2003 State Group 4
15:49 … Luke Petela [Haddon Twp.], 2014 State Group 1
15:50 … Mike Myers [Eastern Reg.], 2000 Meet of Champions
15:51 … Jon Anderson [Cinnaminson], 2003 2003 Meet of Champions
15:51 … Murad Campbell [Overbrook], 1998 Shore Coaches
15:51 … Ethan Wechsler [Cherokee], 2019 State Group 4
15:52 … Kevin Antczak [Mainland Reg.], 2019 State Parochial A
15:54 … Mike Mantini [Gateway], 1978 State Group 2
15:54 … Paul Szulewski [Williamstown], 2010 Meet of Champions
15:54 … Skip Stiles [Haddonfield], 2001 Meet of Champions
15:54 … Mike Myers [Eastern], 2000 State Group 4
15:55 … Dominick Munson [Timber Creek], 2014 Meet of Champions
15:55 … Breton Bonnett [Haddonfield], 2001 Meet of Champions
15:55 … Aaron Groff [Cherry Hill East], 2014 State Group 4
15:55 … Seth Clevenger [Haddonfield], 2021 Shore Coaches Group E
15:56 … David Forward [Shawnee], 2008 Shore Coaches B
15:56 … Ethan Wechsler [Cherokee], 2018 Meet of Champions
15:56 … Brett Johnson [Ocean City], 2008 Meet of Champions
15:56 … Jon Vitez [Haddonfield], 2009 State Group 2
15:56 … Ben Potts [Haddonfield], 2010 Shore Coaches Championship
15:56 … Kyle Kirk [Camden Catholic], 2012 Meet of Champions
15:56 … Nick Kuenkel [Cherokee], 2022 Meet of Champions
15:57 … Nate Miller [Highland Reg.], 1998 Meet of Champions
15:57 … Paul Szulewski [Williamstown], 2009 Meet of Champions
15:57 … Connor Herr [Shawnee], 2010 Meet of Champions
15:57 … Michael Ungvarsky [Cinnaminson], 2016 State Group 2
15:58 … Jason DiJoseph [Paul VI], 1987 Meet of Champions
15:58 … Marc Pelerin [Cherokee], 2000 Shore Coaches A
15:58 … Jack Shea [Cherokee], 2016 Meet of Champions
15:58 … Austin Gabay [Cinnaminson], 2019 Shore Coaches Group E
15:58 … Oliver Adler [Cherry Hill East], 2019 Shore Coaches Group A
15:58 … Martin Ridell [Haddonfield], 2019 Meet of Champions
15:58 … George Andrus [Haddonfield], 2021 Meet of Champions
15:59 … Anthony Dentino [Washington Twp.], 2010 State Group 4
15:59 … Steve Maine [Highland], 2012 Meet of Champions
15:59 … Robert Edwards [Bridgeton], 2002 Meet of Champions
15:59 … Shawn Hutchison [Bishop Eustace], 2014 State Parochial A
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 