Senior Michaela Schlemo placed 2nd and led four Egg Harbor girls in the top 20 as the Eagles won the team title at the Osprey Invitational Friday afternoon.
Schlemo covered the 5,000-meter course at Stockton University in Galloway Township in 19:03.7, finishing second to Toms River North’s Jessica Abbott, who won the race in 18:20.4, 4th-fastest in course history.
Sophomore Paige Pacquing, senior Taylor Rooney and sophomore Devyn Per placed 11th, 13th and 19th for Egg Harbor Township, Pacquing in 20:09.7, Rooney in 20:27.4 and Per in 20:56.3. Junior Bithania Andemariam clinched the team title for the Eagles with a 36th-place finish in 21:29.2.
Egg Harbor topped Red Bank Catholic 75-86 to win the team title, with Southern [102], Toms River North [125] and Shawnee [131] also in the top five.
Wildwood junior Macie McCracken placed 3rd in 19:15.4, Shawnee junior Paige Cline was 5th in 19:46.7, Eastern freshman Theresa Albertson – in her first varsity invitational over 5,000 meters – ran 19:49.5 for 6th and Washington Township junior Kaylee Russen broke 20 with a 19:59.1 for 8th.
Other South Jersey runners under 21 minutes were Washington Township junior Rachael Wilson [15th in 20:33.6], West Deptford freshman Taylor Sierzega [16th in 20:37.2], Vineland freshman Olivia Masucci [17th in 20:41.7], Vineland senior Nicoletta Guiliani [18th in 20:46.9] and Hammonton junior Natalie Clauhs [20th in 20:56.4].
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 