Junior Erik Preisner, senior Ethan Buck and sophomore Keenan Neuman swept the top three spots, all between 15:27 and 15:35, and Ocean City coasted to its 9th sectional title Saturday in Logan Township.
Preisner ran 15:27, Buck 15:33 and Neuman 15:35 and the Red Raiders coasted to a 29-72 win over Shawnee in the South Jersey Group 3 meet at DREAM Park.
This is the first time three runners from the same school have run 15:35 or faster in the same race at DREAM Park.
Ocean City, ranked 11th in New Jersey, became the first school in the meet’s 59-year history to record a 1-2-3 sweep in South Jersey Group 3.
The last 1-2-3 finish in any group at South Jersey sectionals was in 2013, when Haddon Township’s Luke Petela, Owen Long and Andrew Shaw took the top three spots in the Group 1 race at Delsea.
Sophomores Nathan Aschmann and Michael Romano placed 11th and 12th for the Red Raiders. Aschmann in 15:59 and Romano in 16:04.
Ocean City averaged 15:43.99, 2nd-fastest in course history behind the 15:42.17 that Cherokee recorded in the Group 4 race earlier in the day.
The four-fastest single-race team averages in course history were all recorded Saturday.
15:42.17 … Cherokee, 2024 South Jersey Group 4 15:43.99 … Ocean City, 2024 South Jersey Group 3 15:44.60 … Cherokee, 2024 Olympic Conference 15:47.01 … Cherry Hill East, 2024 South Jersey Group 4 15:48.06 … Cherokee, 2022 Group 4 Sectionals 15:52.43 … Haddonfield, 2021 Group 2 Sectionals 15:52.70 … Haddonfield, 2022 Group 2 Sectionals 15:54.96 … Cherokee, 2023 Group 4 Sectionals
Ocean City’s 6th runner, senior Zach Hutchinson, placed 14th in 16:08 and finished ahead of the 3rd runner from all 16 other schools (and ahead of the 2nd runner from 13 schools). Nevin Millstein ran 17:14 and was the top freshman in the race.
Top non-Ocean City runner was Shawnee senior Noah Stapleton, who ran 15:46 and placed 4th.
Also in the top 15 and locking up individual qualifiers for states were Delsea junior Matthew Littlehales [6th in 15:50], senior Highland Mason Wassell [7th in 15:51], Shawnee senior Simon Bernhardt [8th in 15:58], Clearview senior Ethan Worst [9th in 15:59], Cherry Hill West junior Rex Takakjy [10th in 15:59], Highland junior Andrew Dopkin [13th in 16:05] and Sicklerville Tech senior Julian Rich [15th in 16:10].
Also running under 17 minutes: Winslow Township junior Vincent Perri [17th in 16:31], Winslow Township senior Dominic Bassey [18th in 16:35], Shawnee senior Elias Knoll [19th in 16:36], Clearview Ryne Handley [23rd in 16:51], Highland senior Andrew Kellem [24th in 16:53], Shawnee senior Jake Steelman [25th in 16:57] and Highland sophomore Liam Murphy [26th in 16:59].
Ocean City has won nine sectional titles in the last 21 years – 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2018, 2019, 2023 and 2024.
But Preisner is Ocean City’s first individual winner since Miles Schoedler won his 2nd in a row in 2010. Other Ocean City winners: John Richardson in 2001 and 2002, John Pennekohl in 2006 and Brett Johnson in 2007 and 2008.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 