Paul VI senior Will Mrozinski won his second second title at the Bob Kiessling Invitational, the unofficial South Jersey parochial school championships.
Mrozinski ran an unpressed 15:55.57 at DREAM Park in Logan Township and won the race Saturday by 150 meters over Caleb Brox of the Wilberforce School in Princeton.
PVI went 1-3-5-10-17 and won the team title 36-57 over Camden Catholic, with Bishop Eustace a close 3rd with 66 points.
Mrozinski is the first repeat winner at the Kiessling Invite – formerly the Knights of Columbus Invitational – since Nick Hutchison of Bishop Eustace won the 2014, 2015 and 2016 races at Delsea.
He’s Paul VI’s first repeat winner since legendary Jason DiJoseph won the 1986 and 1987 races at Newton Lake Park in Haddon Township. DiJoseph was the 1988 Kinney (Foot Locker) Nationals runner-up.
Junior Sean Alemi, junior Christian Napoli and freshman Caden Briggs also finished in the top 10 for the Eagles. Alemi was 3rd in 16:33, Napoli 5th in 16:48 and Briggs 10th in 17:37. PVI’s 5th finisher was another freshman, Chase Cooley, who was 17th in 17:52.
PVI’s 6th and 7th runners were also freshmen – Chris Monaghan [19th in 18:13] and Holden Cranston [20th in 18:18].
Others in the top 10 were Bishop Eustace senior Ryan Gaulrapp [4th in 16:45], Eustace senior Matt Colden [6th in 17:06], Eustace junior Ethan Caprarola [7th in 17:14], Camden Catholic senior Patrick McInerney [8th in 17:25] and Camden Catholic junior Sean Leahy [9th in 17:31].
Mrozinski, who ran 9:24.82 last spring, races Saturday in the state Parochial A meet at Holmdel.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 