Nick Kuenkel and Robert Poplau went 1-2 and led Cherokee to its 13th sectional title and 5th in a row Saturday morning at DREAM Park in Logan Township.
Kuenkel became the 1st Cherokee runner to win back-to-back South Jersey Group 4 titles since Alex Yersak won three in a row from 2005 through 2007, winning in 15:23, and senior Robert Poplau was 2nd in 15:35.
Cherokee outscored 2nd-place Cherry Hill East 36-69. Southern Regional [103], Toms River North [107] and Williamstown [174] also advanced to the state Group 4 meet Saturday at Holmdel.
Cherokee’s 36 points are the 5th-lowest total in the meet’s 59-year history. Vineland scored 33 in 1965, Cinnaminson 31 in 1971, Mainland 25 in 2003 and Kingsway 26 in 2017.
Cherokee junior Liam Tindall ran 15:39 for 4th place, junior Anthony DiBattista ran 16:28 for 14th and freshman Benjamin Realley took 15th in 16:30.
The Chiefs’ average of 15:54.96 is 4th-fastest in course history, behind Cherokee’s 15:48.06 at last year’s sectionals, Haddonfield’s 15:52.43 at last year’s Group 2 sectional meet and Haddonfield’s 15:52.70 at 2021 sectionals.
Cherokee also won sectional titles – all in South Jersey Group 4 – in 1988, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2007, 2011, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Cherry Hill East packed senior Raine Guidarelli, junior Brody Bogus, junior Brandon Lyons and sophomore Alvin Lin from 10th through 13th and between 16:11 and 16:26, and 5th man junior Nikhil Raman ran 17:04 for 23rd.
Kingsway’s Ryan Duffy placed 5th in 15:46.21 and shattered the course freshman record of 16:10.2 set at last year’s Group 3 sectionals by Moorestown’s Peter Simpson. Duffy ran 15:40.0 at DREAM Park last month but the course was short of 5,000 meters by an unknown amount.
According to the MileSplit database, Duffy’s 15:46.21 is actually the fastest time on record for any 5K course by a New Jersey runner. St. Benedict’s Ronald Kigen is listed with a 15:46.93 at the 2015 New Jersey Catholic Track Conference meet at Greystone Park’s old course in Morris Plains.
Other South Jersey runners in the top 10: Williamstown junior Dylan Saber [6th in 15:49] and sophomore teammate Dominic Burgio [9th in 16:09].
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 