Schalick junior Jordan Hadfield ran away with her first Salem County cross country title Wednesday with an all-course personal-best on her home course in Pitts Grove.
Hadfield ran 18:26, winning by about 1,000 meters over 2nd-place Salem County Vo-Tech sophomore Sarah Seiden, who placed 2nd in 21:59. Her previous 5,000 all-course PR was a 19:18.54 at Six Flags in Jackson last month.
I don’t see team scoring listed anywhere, but unofficially I have Schalick winning the girls team title with 30 points and Salem County Vo-Tech of Pilesgrove Township 2nd with 58.
For Schalick, freshman Elizabeth Petrunis placed 3rd in 22:19, freshman Aubree McKishen 7th in 24:36, junior Jordan Good 9th in 24:50 and freshman Ava Melnick 10th in 25:21.
Others in the top 10: Woodstown junior Kayla Ayars [4th in 23:13], Salem Vo-Tech senior Savannah Johnson [5th in 23:49], Pennsville junior Makayla Butz [6th in 24:12] and Woodstown junior Sammy Sterner [8th in 24:43].
Schalick has won four straight county championship meets – 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023. Pennsville won in 2018.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 