Seniors Nick Kuenkel and Robert Poplau finished 1-2 and Cherokee placed all five scorers in the top 10 to win its 3rd straight Olympic Conference title and 7th in the last 8 years.
Cherokee, ranked 10th in the state, topped 7th-ranked Cherry Hill East 24-54. Paul VI edged Shawnee on a 6th-runner tiebreaker after both finished with 106 points.
For Cherokee, Kuenkel ran 15:51 and Poplau 15:53. Junior Liam Tindall was 5th in 16:11, sophomore Logan Bromley 6th in 16:11 and freshman Benjamin Realley 10th in 16:21.
That’s a 30-second pack for Cherokee. Cherry Hill East had a 37-second pack and Shawnee a 26-second gap from 1 to 5.
Cherokee or Cherry Hill East has won the Olympic Conference team title every year since 2012, when Washington Township won by seven or Cherry Hill East.
Cherry Hill East was led by senior Raine Guidarelli in 3rd place in 15:57.4 and Brody Bogos in 8th in 16:20.
Others in the top 10: Paul VI Will Mrozinski [4th in 16:03], Moorestown sophomore Peter Simpson [7th in 16:14] and 1st-year junior XC runner Christian Rouzard of Rancocas Valley [9th in 16:20].
Cherokee’s 16:04.91 average for its five scorers is No. 6 in course history
Fastest Team Averages at DREAM Park
15:48 … Cherokee, 2022 [South Jersey Group 4 Sectionals]
15:52 … Haddonfield, 2021 [South Jersey Group 2 Sectionals]
15:52 … Haddonfield, 2022 [South Jersey Group 2 Sectionals]
16:00 … Cherokee, 2019 [Olympic Conference Championships]
16:00 … Southern Regional, 2022 [South Jersey Group 4 Sectionals]
16:05 … Cherokee, 2023 [Olympic Conference Championships]
16:10 … Cherokee, 2022 [Olympic Conference Championships]
16:13 … Cherokee, 2021 [South Jersey Group 4 Sectionals]
16:14 … Cherokee, 2018 [Olympic Conference Championships]
16:15 … Highland, 2022 [South Jersey Group 3 Sectionals]
16:15 … Cherry Hill East, 2023 [South Jersey Open]
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 