Woodbury senior Peyton Shute blazed the 3rd-fastest time ever by a South Jersey runner at historic Holmdel County Park Saturday at the 51st annual Meet of Champions.
Shute ran 15:32.6 and placed 2nd to CBA senior Joe Barrett, who ran 15:26.33.
The only faster times by South Jersey runners in the more than half a century that Holmdel has hosted Shore Coaches, the state meet and the Meet of Champions are Jason DiJoseph’s 15:16 when he won the 1988 state Parochial A race and Kevin Antczak’s 15:29 when he placed 2nd to Allentown’s Liam Murphy in the 2019 Meet of Champions.
Highland’s Josh Clark ran 15:33 to win the 2015 race, and since there were no fractions kept in that race he and Shute will share the No. 3 spot on the all-time South Jersey list.
Shute’s previous best time at Holmdel was a 15:47 last weekend, when he won the state Group 3 meet. Before that, the fastest time ever by a Gloucester County runner at Holmdel was 15:54.18 by Williamstown’s Paul Szulewski at the 2010 Meet of Champions. He was 11th last year in the MoC in 16:05.
Shute matched the best finish at a Meet of Champions by a Gloucester County runner in 50 years, since Gateway’s Greg Stremmel won the 1973 race over 2.9 miles at Bridgewater Raritan West High School. Three years later, the boys race moved permanently to Holmdel. Gateway and Woodbury now have a combined program.
Also in the top 10 was Cherokee senior Nick Kuenkel, who recorded his 2nd straight top-10 finish with a 6th-place in 15:55.87. Kuenkel was 4th last year.
Collingswood senior Elijah Forrest ran 16:11.75 for 14th place, the best finish ever by a Collingswood runner at the Meet of Champions. The best previous finish was Ed Donahue’s 20th place in the inaugural 1972 race at Ocean County Park in Lakewood. Forrest lowered his Holmdel PR from 16:22 last weekend at states.
Paul VI senior Will Mrozinski ran 16:15.28 and placed 19th, the best finish by a Paul VI runner since 1995, when Ryan Anderson ran 16:41 and placed 18th. Mrozinski’s 16:12 is 5th-fastest ever by a Paul VI runner at Holmdel in 32 years, since Tom Keefer ran 16:09 at the 1991 Meet of Champions.
Also in the top 50: Cherokee junior Liam Tindall [31st in 16:24], Kingsway freshman Ryan Duffy [35th in 16:27], Williamstown junior Dylan Saber [40th in 16:30], Glassboro junior Ty Blackman [43rd in 16:33], Haddonfield sophomore Luke Andresen [45th in 16:34], Haddonfield junior Bennett Wright [49th in 16:42] and Cherry Hill East junior Brody Boggs [50th in 16:43].
Here’s a look at all the top-10 finishes by Gloucester County runners at a Meet of Champions:
1st … Greg Stremmel [Gateway], 1973 [14:22, 2.9 miles]
3rd … Mike Mantini [Gateway], 1975 [15:27]
10th … Tom Milligan [Delsea], 1979 [16:39]
8th … Bryan Skelly [Washington Twp.], 1998 [16:19]
3rd … Bryan Skelly [Washington Twp.], 1999 [16:13]
10th … Paul Szulewski [Williamstown], 2009 [15:57]
8th … Paul Szulewski [Williamstown], 2010 [15:55]
And here’s the updated all-time South Jersey sub-16 list:
15:16 … Jason DiJoseph [Paul VI], 1988 Parochial A
15:29 … Kevin Antczak [Mainland Regional], 2019 Meet of Champions
15:33 … Peyton Shute [Woodbury], 2023 Meet of Champions
15:33 … Josh Clark [Highland], 2015 Meet of Champions
15:36 … Louis Corgliano [Hammonton], 2013 Meet of Champions
15:36 … Seth Clevenger [Haddonfield], 2021 Meet of Champins
15:37 … Aaron Groff [Cherry Hill East], 2015 Group 4
15:38 … Gregory Hughes [Mainland], 2003 Meet of Champions
15:39 … Luke Petela [Haddon Twp.], 2014 Meet of Champions
15:39 … Patrick Ditmars [Cherokee], 2022 Meet of Champions
15:40 … Shawn Wilson [Cherokee], 2012 Group 4
15:40 … Brett Johnson [Ocean City], 2008 Group 3
15:40 … Steve Maine [Highland], 2013 Group 4
15:40 … George Andrus [Haddonfield], 2022 Meet of Champions
15:41 … Jon Vitez [Haddonfield], 2009 Meet of Champions
15:41 … Nick Kuenkel [Cherokee], 2022 Meet of Champions
15:41 … Ethan Wechsler [Cherokee], 2019 Meet of Champions
15:42 … Ben Potts [Haddonfield], 2010 Meet of Champions
15:42 … Shawn Hutchison [Bishop Eustace], 2014 Meet of Champions
15:43 … Marc Pelerin [Cherokee], 2001 Meet of Champions
15:43 … Miles Schoedler [Ocean City], 2010 Shore Coaches
15:45 … Keith Krieger [Cherokee], 2002 Group 4
15:46 … Jack Shea [Cherokee], 2015 Meet of Champions
15:46 … Dennis Fortuna [Triton], 2021 Meet of Champions
15:47 … Urie Ridgeway [Bridgeton], 1988 Meet of Champions
15:48 … Chris Platt [Haddonfield], 2001 Meet of Champions
15:48 … Austin Gabay [Cinnaminson], 2019 Shore Coaches
15:48 … Oliver Adler [Cherry Hill East], 2019 Meet of Champions
15:50 … Mike Myers [Eastern Reg.], 2000 Meet of Champions
15:51 … Jon Anderson [Cinnaminson], 2003 Meet of Champions
15:51 … Murad Campbell [Overbrook], 1998 Shore Coaches
15:51 … Ethan Wechsler [Cherokee], 2019 Meet of Champions
15:54 … Mike Mantini [Gateway], 1978 Group 2
15:54 … Paul Szulewski [Williamstown], 2010 Meet of Champions
15:54 … Skip Stiles [Haddonfield], 2001 Meet of Champions
15:55 … Dominick Munson [Timber Creek], 2014 Meet of Champions
15:55 … Breton Bonnett [Haddonfield], 2001 Meet of Champions
15:56 … David Forward [Shawnee], 2008 Shore Coaches
15:56 … Kyle Kirk [Camden Catholic], 2012 Meet of Champions
15:57 … Nate Miller [Highland Reg.], 1998 Meet of Champions
15:57 … Connor Herr [Shawnee], 2010 Meet of Champions
15:57 … Michael Ungvarsky [Cinnaminson], 2016 Group 2
15:58 … Martin Ridell [Haddonfield], 2019 Meet of Champions
15:59 … Anthony Dentino [Washington Twp.], 2010
15:59 … Robert Edwards [Bridgeton], 2002 Meet of Champions
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 