Collingswood senior Elijah Forrest was the overall winner, and Haddonfield won the team title Saturday in the Varsity E race at the Shore Coaches Invitational at Holmdel County Park.
There were numerous timing and results irregularities, so all results are kind of iffy, but according to what’s currently posted, Forrest ran 16:22 – a lifetime best at Holmdel – and Haddonfield outscored Bernards 34-47 to win the team title.
Forrest’s previous Holmdel PR was a 16:49 at last year’s state Group 2 meet. This was Forrest’s first major race since he placed 4th in the Meet of Champions 3,200 in 9:19.24.
Assuming the results are correct, Haddonfield placed all five of its scorers in the top 10 in a 36-second pack to win its 13th Shore Coaches team title.
Junior Bennett Wright led the Bulldog pack in 4th place in 16:32, with sophomore Ryan Gibson, junior Liam Dougherty, sophomore Benjamin Andrus and senior Reid Gervasi taking 6th through 9th in 16:42, 16:44, 16:55 and 17:08.
Haddonfield also won team titles in 1995, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2017, 2018 and 2021 in Varsity E, 1978 in Varsity C, 1989 in Varsity D and 1998 in Varsity F.
Also in the top 20 were Bishop Eustace senior Ryan Gaulrapp [11th in 17:22], Haddonfield sophomore John Leibrandt [16th in 17:38], Bishop Eustace senior Matt Colden [18th in 17:45] and Bishop Eustace junior Ethan Caprarola [20th in 17:50].
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 