Junior Madeline Meder and senior Megan Niglio delivered Cherokee’s first 1-2 finish ever and carried the Chiefs to their 5th sectional title and 4th in the last five years.
Meder won the race in 18:07.69 – fastest of the day and 6th-fastest in course history –Niglio was 2nd in 18:20 and Cherokee won 45-80 over 2nd-place Cherry Hill East in the South Jersey Group 4 meet at DREAM Park in Logan Township.
Cherokee is ranked No. 4 in New Jersey. Cherry Hill East is No. 18.
Meder’s 18:07.69 is the fastest time any South Jersey girl has run on any course this fall and it’s her all-course PR. She ran 18:15.37 on the same course when she won the Olympic Conference title last week.
The last South Jersey girl to run faster on any course was Cherry Hill East’s Sarah Pierce, who won the 2016 South Jersey Group 4 race at Delsea in a hand-timed 18:05.
The last Cherokee girl to run faster was Megan Lacy, who ran sub-18 several times with a lifetime best of 17:35 at the 2010 Olympic Conference Championships at Gloucester County College in Deptford.
Meder and Niglio are the first teammates to run 1-2 in a South Jersey Group 4 race since 2009 with Lenape’s Natalie Ocasio and Caitlin Orr at Delsea.
After Meder and Niglio, Cherokee had a mini-pack with freshman Erin Healy, junior Maya Kumar and senior Grace Wojciechowski in 13th, 14th and 15th in 19:22, 19:23 and 19:27.
Sophomore Ginisa John and senior Emily Butler also raced for Cherokee, John taking 31st in 20:21 and Butler 35th in 20:38.
All seven Cherokee runners posted lifetime bests on DREAM Park’s 5K course.
Cherokee’ top five averaged 18:56.29, 5th-fastest team average in course history and 2nd-fastest on Saturday, behind Ocean City’s 18:41.83 in Group 3.
18:19.90 … Haddonfield, 2022 South Jersey Group 2 18:41.83 … Ocean City, 2024 South Jersey Group 3 18:51.74 … Haddonfield, 2021 South Jersey Group 2 18:53.19 … Clearview, 2022 South Jersey Group 3 18:56.29 … Cherokee, 2024 South Jersey Group 4
Eastern runners placed 3rd and 4th, with sophomore Theresa Albertson running 18:34 and junior Natalie Dumas 18:49.
Cherry Hill East was paced by sophomore Ryleigh Budsock, 5th in 19:01, and senior Cate Feudtner, 12th in 19:22.
Also in the top 15, guaranteeing a spot at states: Williamstown junior Sophia Aldridge [7th in 19:03], Washington Township senior Kaylee Russen [7th in 19:09], Egg Harbor junior Paige Pacquing [9th in 19:13], Vineland senior Gabrielle Brown [10th in 19:19] and Kingsway sophomore Aubrey Bishop [11th in 19:19].
Others under 20 minutes: Lenape sophomore Audrey McCorkle [16th ion 19:28], Vineland sophomore Olivia Masucci [17th in 19:29], Egg Harbor junior Devyn Per [18th in 19:29], Cherry Hill East junior Ella Davidson [19th in 19:43], Vineland senior Kylee Black [20th in 19:49], Cherry Hill East sophomore Gabriella Pizzo [21st in 19:50], Kingsway senior Alaina Zabielski [22nd in 19:54] and Cherry Hill East freshman Emmie Wang [23rd in 19:56].
Cherokee won its first sectional title in 2003 and has won in 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024.
Previous Cherokee individual winners at sectionals are Lisa Burkholder in 2003 and Lacy in 2010 and 2011.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 