Over the next few weeks, we’ll spotlight 30 athletes who excelled during the outdoor track season that we didn’t have a chance to write about extensively. We’d love to write about every athlete in South Jersey, but that’s not practical. But we will try to spotlight some who may have gotten overlooked over the past few months. We apologize in advance if we don’t get to you or your son or daughter or an athlete you coach.
Today: Madeline Meder, Cherokee
Madeine Meder is the latest in a long line of outstanding Cherokee distance runners, and she enjoyed a big breakthrough season this spring.
Meder had PRs of 2:20.19, 5:15.82 and 11:14.98 coming into her sophomore year but dropped to 2:18.84, 5:01.52 and 11:08.77 this spring as well as doing some outstanding relay work for Cherokee along the way.
Meder’s 2:18.84 at the South Jersey Elite made her the No. 5 sophomore in South Jersey, her 5:01.52 at the Meet of Champions made her the No. 5 soph in New Jersey and No. 1 in South Jersey and her 11:08.77 ranked No. 11 in the state among 10th-graders and No. 3 in South Jersey, behind Riley Fayer of Audubon [11:02.14] and Giovanna Mantuano of Paul VI [11:07.24].
The only other South Jersey girl to run sub-2:20, sub-5:05 and sub-11:10 this spring was Northern Burlington junior Liliah Gordon [2:17.65, 4:51.84, 10:22.20].
Meder placed in all three races at South Jersey Group 4 sectionals at Pennsauken and then ran the 1,600 at Meet of Champions, placing 10th overall with that 5:01.52 and 2nd among South Jersey runners, behind only Ocean City junior Maeve Smith [7th in 4:58.66] and 3rd among sophomores, behind only Wall’s Cali Buxbaum [2nd in 4:55.60] and Toms River North’s Jessica Abbott [7th in 4:58.66].
Meder’s 5:01.52 puts her 4th-fastest on the all-time Cherokee list, behind Nicole Clifford [4:48.82 converted mile in 2022], Megan Lacy [4:55.66 in 2012] and Lisa Burkholder [5:00.14 in 2003].
Meder earned All-America honors as a freshman for her leg on Cherokee’s 6th-place 4-mile relay team at West Philly Nationals. Media, Megan Niglio, Kelsey Niglio and Kerry O’Day ran 21:03.39, 3rd-fastest in South Jersey history.
Indoors, Meder ran the 800 leg on Cherokee’s winning distance medley at Easterns at the Armory, with junior Megan Niglio, senior Madison Van Haren and O’Day.
She finished her sophomore season with a 5:01.66 anchor on Cherokee’s 12th-place DMR at West Philly Nationals, with Niglio, Van Haren and Brooke Hibbs also running. Cherokee ran 12:05.01, No. 8 in South Jersey history.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 