For the 8th time since the meet’s inception in 1974 and the 2nd year in a row, the Ocean City boys threw a perfect game.
Ocean City swept the top five spots and won the 50th annual Cape May XC Championships 15-52 over Middle Township Thursday in Middle Township.
Ocean City also scored 15 points in 1980, 1985, 1986, 2010, 2015, 2019 and 2023.
The Red Raiders have won nine straight county titles and 23 of the last 24 dating back to 2000. Middle Township edged Ocean City 29-34 to break up the streak in 2014.
Ocean City has won 42 of 50 team titles and 41 of the last 47 dating back to 1977. The Raiders have placed 1st or 2nd in 47 consecutive meets. Ocean City placed 4th in the 1976 meet.
They’ve also scored fewer than 40 points in 25 consecutive meets. During their current streak of nine straight wins they’ve averaged 18.2 points.
Junior Erik Preisner, sophomore Keenan Neuman, senior Ethan Buck, sophomore Nathan Aschmann and sophomore Michael Romano swept the top five spots Thursday with an 18-second gap. Ocean City swept the top five spots last year with only Preisner and Buck in the top 5 both years. Last year Buck was 2nd and Preisner 4th.
Senior Zach Hutchinson and freshman Nevin Millstein gave Ocean City seven finishers in the top eight. Hutchinson was 7th in 18:20 and Millstein 8th in 18:21.
Ocean City’s bid for a 2nd consecutive top-7 sweep was broken up by Middle Township sophomore Jamar Mack, who placed 6th in 17:47.
Wildwood Catholic Louis J. Belasco and Cape May County Tech Evan Feliciano also placed in the top 10, Belasco 9th in 19:42 and Feliciano 10th in 19:50.
Ocean City also swept the top 11 spots in the JV race, with junior Gabin Mattina [18:39] and senior Matthew Bell [18:40] running fast enough to place in the varsity top 10.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 