Kerry O’Day ran the 3rd-fastest time of the day and Megan Niglio was 7th-fastest and Cherokee placed 2nd out of 29 teams in the Battle of Ocean County Park Friday in Lakewood.
There is no official team scoring, but Cherokee scored 118 points in MileSplit’s unofficial merge, behind only Middletown South at 90. Cherry Hill East was 5th with 220 points.
O’Day ran 18:28 over 5,000 meters and placed 2nd in the Senior Race, and Niglio ran 19:04 and took 3rd in the Junior Race.
Grace Wojciechowski, Alaina Bromley and Madison Van Haren made up the rest of Cherokee’s top-5, with Wojciechowski 10th in the Junior Race in 20:52, Bromley 10th in the Senior Race in 20:58 and Van Haren 23rd in the Senior Race in 21:37.
Cherry Hill East was led by Cate Feudtner [20:35, 6th in Junior Race], Ella Davidson [20:56, 13th in sophomore race] and Shaelea Conway [20:59, 14th in sophomore race]. Sophia Szlarski [21:57, 28th in sophomore race] and Keira Conway [22:06, 30th in sophomore race] rounded out East’s top five.
The two-mile freshman race isn’t included in the team merge, but Cherry Hill East also had two freshmen in the top 10: Ryleigh Budsock was 8th in 13:36 and Katherine Grottini was 10th in 13:49.
Other South Jersey girls under 22:00:
Kaylee Russen [Washington Twp.], 5th in Junior Race [20:32]
Ava Millner [Winslow Twp.], 11th in Junior Race [20:56]
Alex Butcher [Seneca], 12th in Senior Race [21:01]
Rachael Wilson [Washington Twp.], 15th in Junior Race [21:13]
Bea Faigal [Rancocas Valley], 17th in Senior Race [21:16]
Catie Andrews [Seneca], 19th in Senior Race [21:24]
Maya Kumar [Cherokee], 25th in Sophomore Race [21:40]
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 