Sophomore Riley Austin and senior Ava Thomas finished 1-2, and Haddonfield placed all five scorers in the top 10 to hold off Sterling in a terrific battle of state-ranked teams at the South Jersey Group 2 meet Saturday.

Haddonfield finished with a 25-38 margin of victory over Sterling, which placed three in the top seven and all five scorers in the top 17. Haddonfield is ranked No. 2 in New Jersey, Sterling No. 14.

Sterling’s 38-point total matched the lowest non-winning score in South Jersey Group 2 in 47 years, since Haddon Township defeated Gateway 26-29 in 1976, when they were the only two schools to field full programs.

The 13-point margin of victory is Haddonfield’s smallest since a 56-52 win over Pleasantville in 2012.

The team title is Haddonfield’s 31st and 14th in a row.

Austin ran 18:47.80 over 5,000 meters at DREAM Park in Logan Township to record the first major individual title of her racing career, and Thomas was 2nd in 19:10.

Junior Dylan Melcher was Haddonfield’s 3rd finisher in 5th place in 19:51, and freshman Harper Benjamin and senior Anna Stolarick ran 8th and 9th in 20:01 and 20:05. Junior Katherine Asher, Haddonfield’s 6th runner, was 13th in 21:09. Haddonfield was at less than full strength.

For Sterling, senior Cara Coppolino placed 3rd in 19:43, junior Kaysie Luna 4th in 19:48 and junior Jonalee Adames 7th in 20:00. Junior Isabella Mackey took 11th in 20:50 and senior Jennifer Tisera ran 22:36 for 17th.

Cedar Creek placed 3rd with 95 points, with Cinnaminson [103] and Seneca [142] also qualifying for next week’s state Group 2 meet at Holmdel County Park.

In addition to the current 14 sectional titles in a row, the Bulldogs won SJ-2 in 1979, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 and SJ-1 in 1982, 1985, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997 and 1998.

Haddonfield has won a sectional title 18 of the last 19 years and going back to 1990, 26 of the last 34 years.

Cinnaminson senior Anna Marino was the first runner across the line not from Haddonfield or Sterling, placing 6th in 19:57. West Deptford freshman Taylor Sierzega placed 10th in 20:07.

Two of the top programs in the state clashed in the South Jersey Group 3 sectional race Saturday, and Ocean City emerged with a dramatic three-point win over Mainland Regional

Ocean City won its 12th sectional title with a 48-51 nail-biter over Mainland at DREAM Park in Logan Township.

Mainland had beaten Ocean City by 44 points at Shore Coaches and 18 points at the Cape-Atlantic Meet last week at Stockton. Both teams are ranked in the top 15 in New Jersey.

But on Saturday, junior Maeve Smith was the overall winner, junior Chloe Care placed 5th and senior Frankie Ritzel 5th to lead the Ocean City pack. The Red Raiders then placed three runners from 15th through 18th to clinch the team title. Sophomore Gabrielle Henry was Ocean City’s 4th finisher in 15th, freshman Lillian Flora 17th and 6th runner junior Zoe Zammit 18th, giving Ocean City six runners in the top 20.

Smith ran 18:08.09 – 6th-fastest in course history – to become Ocean City’s first individual sectional winner since Alexa Palmieri in 2018. Care ran 19:38, Ritzel 20:37, Henry 21:14, Flora 21:18 and Zammit 21:19.

Junior Sofia Day and senior Gillian Lovett ran 2-3 for Mainland, Day in 18:26 and Lovett 18:46. Senior Sophie Goldstein placed 11th in 20:48, junior Ava McDole 12th in 20:59 and senior Claudia Booth 24th in 21:35.

Ocean City also won sectional team titles in 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1993, 2003, 2004, 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Smith is the latest in a very long list of Ocean City girls who’ve won sectional titles: Melody Sye in 1982, Mary Jo Dougherty in 1986 and 1987, Kelly Dougherty in 1988, Megan Hartman in 1992 and 1993, Abbey Hartman in 1985, Brittany Sedberry in 2002, 2003 and 2004, Bridget Flynn in 2013, Devin Grisbaum in 2014 and Palmieri in 2018.

Moorestown had a very good race and finished 3rd with 84 points, and Clearview [104] and Shawnee [117] also qualified for the state Group 3 meet Saturday at Holmel County Park.

Senior Paige McCabe led Moorestown with a 6th-place finish in 20:06 and the Quakers placed their next four scorers – junior Noelia Reyes, senior Julia Brock, freshman Sophia DiFiore and junior Gabrielle DeJoseph – between 16th and 23rd. This will be Moorestown’s first trip to states since 2014.

Clearview senior Allison Roes placed 4th in 19:34, senior teammate Margaret Wisniewski was 7th in 20:12, Winslow’s Ava Millner ran 20:19 for 8th, and Shawnee junior Paige Cline ran 20:21 and placed 9th.

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].

Schalick junior Jordan Hadfield broke her own record for fastest time by a Group 1 runner at DREAM Park and won her first sectional cross country title Saturday.

Haddon Township won its first sectional team title in 19 years.

Hadfield ran ran 18:33.39 to win the race by over a minute. The previous fastest time at DREAM Park in Logan Township by a Group 1 girl was Hadfield’s 18:49.24 earlier this month at the South Jersey Open.

Hadfield has won titles this year at Six Flags Wild Safari, South Jersey Open, Salem County and Tri-County Conference and now sectionals, where she joins Marleigh Puglia in 2017 and Julia Smith from 2018 through 2020 as Schalick’s 3rd sectional winner.

Wildwood junior Macie McCracken placed 2nd in 19:50.

Senior Genevieve Gentlesk and sophomore Blake Kemery placed in the top 10 to lead Haddon Township to the team title, 46-65, over Schalick. Audubon [97], Maple Shade [101] and Gloucester [131] also advanced to the state Group 1 meet Saturday at Holmdel County Park.

Gentlesk ran 19:50.32 for 3rd place and Kemery 21:30 for 6th place. Other Haddon Township scorers were freshman Biz Maher [14th in 23:35], freshman Abigail McLaughlin [16th in 23:57] and senior Ella Sherwin [22nd in 24:34].

The team title is Haddon Township’s 5th but first since 2004, when freshman Eileen O’Mara led the Hawks to the South Jersey Group 2 title at Delsea. Haddon Township won South Jersey Group 2 in the inaugural girls sectional meet at Pennsauken in 1976 behind a 1-2 finish from Linda Matousch and Mimi Bullock, the 1983 title behind individual winner Missy Roller and 1984 with Roller and Suzanne Haug running 2-3.

Also in the top 10: Maple Shade junior Crystal Benito [4th in 21:13], Gloucester junior Dejia Robert [5th in 21:28], Wildwood junior Leiah Pawlus [7th in 21:34], Schalick freshman Elizabeth Petrunis [8th in 21:44], Palmyra senior Cadence Anderson [9th in 21:55] and Maple Shade senior Yaretzy Rodriguez-Parras [10th in 21:58].

Senior Kerry O’Day, junior Megan Niglio and junior Grace Wojciechowski all finished in the top 10 and the Cherokee girls won their 3rd South Jersey Group 4 cross country title in the last four years Saturday morning.

O’Day ran 18:59 over 5,000 meters at DREAM Park in Logan Township for 3rd place, Niglio 19:43 for 9th and Wojciechowski 20:01 for 10th, and Cherokee, ranked 12th in the state, edged 2nd-place Cherry Hill East 54-67, with Egg Harbor topping Williamstown on a 6th-runner tiebreaker for 3rd place after both scored 95 through five runners. Toms River North also advanced to the state Group 4 meet next Saturday at Holmdel County Park.

Overall, the South Jersey Group 4 title is Cherokee’s 4th. The Chiefs won in 2003 and also in 2020 and 2021.

Cherokee’s 4th and 5th runners were seniors Alaina Bromley [15th in 20:29] and Olivia Parkinson [18th in 20:42].

For Cherry Hill East, junior Cate Feudtner placed 6th in 19:33, sophomore Shaelea Conway was 11th in 20:07, Ryleigh Budsock 14th in 20:27, Tiffany Guidarelli 16th in 20:34 and Ella Davidson 21st in 20:50.

Toms River North sophomore Jessica Abbott won her 2nd individual title in a row, and Williamstown senior Alyssa Boucher was the top South Jersey finisher in 2nd place with an 18:55.

Other top-10 finishers from South Jersey were Williamstown sophomore Sophia Aldridge [4th in 19:10], Egg Harbor senior Michaela Schlemo [5th in 19:18], Eastern freshman Theresa Albertson [7th in 19:39] and Egg Harbor sophomore Paige Pacquing [8th in 19:39].

Paul VI senior Shaelan McNally won her 3rd individual title at the Bob Kiessling Invitational Saturday morning.

McNally ran 18:26 over 5,000 meters at DREAM Park in Logan Township, finishing 125 meters ahead of Laura Sallade of the Wilberforce School in Princeton. Sallade was 2nd in 18:55. Sallade’s father Chris was the 1990 state Group 4 champ at 1,600 meters for Shawnee.

McNally won the race in 19:54 as a freshman and then finished 2nd as a sophomore to Anna MacDonald (now at Texas) as a sophomore with an 18:45.30. She won last year in 18:50.57.

She’s the 3rd three-time winner, joining Kari Vigerstol of Holy Cross, who won from 1992 through 1994, and Holly Bischof of Bishop Eustace, who won in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Paul VI placed five scorers in the top 12, winning the team title 31-38 over Wilberforce. Last year, Wilberforce outscored Paul VI 41-43 to win the championship. Paul VI’s last Kiessling title came in 2020.

Sophomore Giovanna Mantuano was 3rd in 19:02, sophomore Macy Huber 6th in 19:56, freshman Grace Gutowski 11th in 21:02 and senior Madison Pedicelli 12th in 21:06.

Other South Jersey runners in the top 10 were Bishop Eustace senior Anya Kazemi [4th in 19:03], Camden Catholic junior Nilaa Ponnappan [5th in 19:30] and Holy Cross sophomore Julia Flanagan [7th in 20:27].

Moorestown graduate Kate Inglis placed 2nd in the Landmark Conference Cross Country Championships Friday, leading Catholic University to the team title.

Inglis, a junior at the Washington, D.C., school, ran 23:19.7 over 6,000 meters at Sunset Golf Club in Huntington, Pa., and finished behind only Elizabethtown senior Kelty Oaster, who won the race in 22:56.8.

Catholic went 2-3-10-11-15 and outscored 2nd-place Moravian 41-66, with Scranton 3rd with 75 points. It was Catholic’s 2nd Landmark Conference women’s XC title and first since 2012.

Inglis placed 9th in the 2021 race and 5th last year and became the only Catholic runner in the program’s history to be named to the all-Landmark 1st or 2nd team three straight years.

Catholic’s 5th runner was junior Georgia Nussey from Haddonfield, who placed 15th in 24:43.7.

No. 2 runner for Susquehanna was freshman Sophia Bostwick of Washington Township, who placed 14th overall in 24:38.7 and was the 3rd freshman across the line.

In the men’s race, Elizabethtown freshman Will Inglis from Moorestown placed 20th in 27:50.9. Presumably Kate’s brother? Anybody? Fundamental rule in journalism is never assume anything, and I can’t find anything anywhere that says they’re brother and sister. Cousins maybe?

Monmonth junior Sebastien Reed from Pitman ran an 8K PR and placed 17th out of nearly 100 runners in the Coastal Athletic Association Cross Country Championships Friday.

Reed was Monmouth’s 2nd finisher at Pole Green Park in Mechanicsville, Va., with a 25:05.8. His previous lifetime-best over 8,000 meters was 25:07.7 at a meet in Boston last September.

Monmouth placed 4th in team scoring with 107 points, behind Stony Brook [36], Northeastern [49] and host William & Mary (77).

Reed set a Monmouth-record 8:10.69 for 3,000 meters in March.

The CAA was known as the Colonial Athletic Association until July.

Sectionals is only a day away, so here’s our updated list of the top single-race team averages in course history at DREAM Park in Logan Township.

I used 17:30 as the boys cutoff and 21:30 as the girls cutoff. As always, if you see an error or omission let me know in the comment section and I will make the necessary updates.

We generally don’t worry about fractions of a second during XC season, but I did break down the 10-fastest teams to hundredths of a second for the sake of comparison. Considering that the two-fastest girls times are only 3-100ths of a second apart, that was the only way to determine who really has the fastest team time in course history!

Fastest Team Averages at DREAM Park [17:30]
15:48.06 … Cherokee, 2022 [South Jersey Group 4 Sectionals]
15:52.43 … Haddonfield, 2022 [South Jersey Group 2 Sectionals]
15:52.70 … Haddonfield, 2021 [South Jersey Group 2 Sectionals]
16:00.07 … Cherokee, 2019 [Olympic Conference Championships]
16:00.07 … Southern Regional, 2022 [South Jersey Group 4 Sectionals]
16:04.92 … Cherokee, 2023 [Olympic Conference Championships]
16:10.71 … Cherokee, 2022 [Olympic Conference Championships]
16:13.12 … Cherokee, 2021 [South Jersey Group 4 Sectionals]
16:14.98 … Cherokee, 2018 [Olympic Conference Championships]
16:15.85 … Highland, 2022 [South Jersey Group 3 Sectionals]
16:19 … Southern Regional, 2021 [South Jersey Group 4 Sectionals]
16:19 … Cherry Hill East, 2023 [South Jersey Shootout]
16:22 … Cherokee, 2021 [Olympic Conference Championships]
16:23 … Cherry Hill East, 2019 [Olympic Conference Championships]
16:23 … Cinnaminson, 2022 [South Jersey Group 2 Sectionals]
16:25 … Lenape, 2022 [South Jersey Group 4 Sectionals]
16:30 … Cherry Hill East, 2021 [South Jersey Group 4 Sectionals]
16:30 … Ocean City, 2022 [South Jersey Group 3 Sectionals]
16:31 … Cherry Hill East, 2022 [South Jersey Group 4 Sectionals]
16:32 … Cherry Hill East, 2020 [Olympic Conference Championships]
16:33 … Triton, 2021 [South Jersey Group 3 Sectionals]
16:34 … Haddonfield, 2020 [South Jersey Group 2 Sectionals]
16:38 … Cherry Hill East, 2020 [Olympic Conference Batch Meet]
16:39 … Shawnee, 2023 [South Jersey Shootout]
16:40 … Germantown Friends, 2021 [Bob Kiessling Invitational]
16:41 … Paul VI, 2023 [South Jersey Shootout]
16:42 … Washington Twp., 2020 [Olympic Conference Championships
16:43 … Cherokee, 2020 [Olympic Conference Batch Meet]
16:46 … Cherry Hill East, 2021 [South Jersey Open]
16:47 … Washington Twp., 2020 [Olympic Conference Batch Meet]
16:50 … Washington Township
16:51 … Camden Catholic, 2018 [Olympic Conference Championships]
16:51 … Cherry Hill East, 2018 [Olympic Conference Championships]
16:59 … Lenape, 2018 [Olympic Conference Championships]
17:00 … Washington Twp., 2018 [Olympic Conference Championships]
17:00 … Cherokee, 2020 [Olympic Conference Batch Meet]
17:02 … Washington Twp., 2020 [Olympic Conference Batch Meet]
17:12 … Rancocas Valley, 2023 [South Jersey Shootout]
17:15 … Shawnee, 2020 [Olympic Conference Batch Meet]
17:18 … Bishop Eustace, 2018 [Olympic Conference Championships]
17:19 … Washington Twp., 2019 [Olympic Conference Championships]
17:19 … Shawnee, 2019 [Olympic Conference Championships]
17:19 … Shawnee, 2018 [Olympic Conference Championships]
17:20 … Highland, 2020 [South Jersey Open]
17:20 … Shawnee, 2020 [Olympic Conference Championships
17:22 … Paul VI, 2018 [Olympic Conference Championships]
17:27 … Timber Creek, 2019 [Olympic Conference Championships]
17:28 … Lenape, 2020 [Olympic Conference Batch Meet]

Fastest Team Averages at DREAM Park [21:30]
19:46.76 … Cherry Hill East, 2019 [Olympic Conference Championships]
19:46.79 … Cherokee, 2023 [Olympic Conference]
19:48.07 … Cherokee, 2019 [Olympic Conference Championships]
19:52.11 … Shawnee, 2019 [Olympic Conference Championships]
19:53.36 … Paul VI, 2023 [Olympic Conference]
20:09.9 … Cherokee, 2020 [Olympic Conference Championships
20:12.74 … Cherry Hill East, 2023 [Olympic Conference]
20:15.63 … Cherry Hill East, 2018 [Olympic Conference Championships]
20:31.76 … Cherry Hill East, 2020 [Olympic Conference Championships
20:37.03 … Shawnee, 2018 [Olympic Conference Championships]
20:38 … Cherokee, 2018 [Olympic Conference Championships]
20:39 … Paul VI, 2018 [Olympic Conference Championships]
20:41 … Eastern, 2019 [Olympic Conference Championships]
20:44 … Cherokee, 2020 [Olympic Conference Batch Meet]
20:45 … Cherokee, 2020 [Olympic Conference Batch Meet]
20:45 … Cherry Hill East, 2020 [Olympic Conference Batch Meet]
20:49 … Paul VI, 2019 [Olympic Conference Championships]
20:49 … Kingsway, 2020 [South Jersey Open]
20:56 … Bishop Eustace, 2018 [Olympic Conference Championships]
21:00 … Moorestown, 2023 [South Jersey Shootout]
21:01 … Williamstown, 2023 [South Jersey Shootout]
21:06 … Shawnee, 2020 [Olympic Conference Batch Meet]
21:13 … Seneca, 2018 [Olympic Conference Championships]
21:13 … Seneca, 2019 [Olympic Conference Championships]
21:15 … Lenape, 2018 [Olympic Conference Championships]
21:23 … Mainland Regional, 2020 [South Jersey Open]
21:23 … Clearview, 2020 [South Jersey Open]

Junior Dawson Baptiste from Delsea placed 2nd among collegians and St. Joe’s edged Penn to win the team title at the Haverford Invitational Thursday.

Baptiste covered the short four-mile course on Haverford’s campus in 20:59.5 and finished behind freshman teammate Michael Glavin, who ran 20:46.1. St. Joe’s 5th runner was freshman Ian Romea of Haddonfield, who ran 22:03.6 and was the 13th collegiate finisher.

St. Joe’s defeated Penn 26-39, with the host Fords 3rd with 57 points.

The first four finishers were post-collegians, including overall winner Bailey Habler, a Villanova red-shirt and a member of the Australian national XC team whose aunt, Leigh Habler, was an Olympic swimmer. Habler ran 20:00.9.