Three years ago, the Cherokee girls won a very tight Meet of Champions – four teams within 32 points – and averaged 19:23.40 on the challenging Holmdel County Park course.
That broke the South Jersey course record of 19:31 set by Haddonfield in 2020 at the Holmdel Invitational, a meet arranged to replace the Meet of Champions after states and the MoC were both cancelled because of COVID.
Cherokee’s top-5 that day consisted of Nicole Clifford [11th in 18:43], Kelsey Niglio [35th in 19:22], Kerry O’Day [38th in 19:24], Olivia Parkinson [44th in 19:30] and Megan Niglio [60th in 19:58].
Cherokee beat 2nd-place Ridgewood 117-126, with the big gap coming between the two teams’ 4th runners. Parkinson finished 13 places ahead of Ridgewood’s 4th, and that was the difference.
With states and the Meet of Champions coming up the next two Saturdays, it’s time for our all-time South Jersey single-race performance list. I don’t know what’s going to happen at states or Meet of Champions, but I do know this list is going to undergo some major changes very soon.
As always, let me know in the comment section if any performance is missing!
19:23.40 … Cherokee, 2021 Meet of Champions [1]
19:31.00 … Haddonfield, 2020 Holmdel Invitational [1]
19:35.42 … Haddonfield, 2013 Meet of Champions [5]
19:36.00 … Haddonfield, 2022 Group 2 [1]
19:45.35 … Kingsway, 2017 Meet of Champions [2]
19:49.20 … Haddonfield, 2021 Meet of Champions [5]
19:49.67 … Shawnee, 2013 Meet of Champions [7]
19:52.86 …….. Ocean City, 2024 Shore Coaches [1]
19:52.80 … Haddonfield, 2021 Group 2 [1]
19:53.83 … Haddonfield, 2005 Meet of Champions [6]
19:56.01 … Haddonfield, 2013 Group 2 [2]
19:56.20 … Cherry Hill East, 2006 Meet of Champions [7]
19:56.36 … Kingsway, 2019 Group 4 [1]
19:57.0h ..… Haddonfield, 2022 Meet of Champions [2]
19:57.01 … Haddonfield, 2005 Group 2 [1]
19:57.40 … Seneca, 2013 Group 3 [2]
19:58.88 … Kingsway, 2016 Meet of Champions [3]
19:59.10 … Moorestown, 2001 Meet of Champions [1]
19:59.70 … Cherokee, 2010 Meet of Champions [6]
20:00.43 … Shawnee, 2017 Group 4 [4]
20:01.40 … Cherokee, 2021 Group 4 [1]
20:02.28 … Seneca, 2012 Group 3 [2]
20:03.07 … Seneca, 2013 Meet of Champions [10]
20:03.35 … Kingsway, 2017 Group 4 [5]
20:03.90 … Haddonfield, 2007 Group 2 [1]
20:04h …….. Cherokee, 2023 Group 4 [4]
20:04.53 … Haddonfield, 2014 Group 2 [3]
20:06.10 … Shawnee, 2017 Meet of Champions [5]
20:06.90 … Haddonfield, 2019 Group 2 [2]
20:06.98 … Shawnee, 2013 Group 4 [4]
20:07.00 … Clearview, 2022 Group 3 [1]
20:08.20 … Haddonfield, 2021 Shore Coaches D [1]
20:09h …….. Haddonfield, 2023 Group 2 [1]
20:10.13 … Lenape, 2006 Meet of Champions [8]
20:11.24 … Seneca, 2012 Meet of Champions [12]
20:11.56 … Shawnee, 2002 Group 4 [1]
20:11.62 … Cherry Hill East, 2006 Group 4 [2]
20:11.80 … Shawnee, 2003 Meet of Champions [1]
20:13h …….. Haddonfield, 2023 Meet of Champions [5]
20:13h …….. Cherokee, 2023 Meet of Champions [9]
20:13.10 … Cherokee, 2010 Group 4 [5]
20:14.16 … Ocean City, 2012 Group 3 [3]
20:14.43 … Shawnee, 2015 Group 4 [7]
20:14.90 … Kingsway, 2015 Group 4 [6]
20:15.20 … Moorestown, 2001 Group 2 [1]
20:15.27 … Haddonfield, 2007 Meet of Champions [8]
20:16.38 … Shawnee, 2002 Meet of Champions [1]
20:17.67 … Seneca, 2015 Meet of Champions [7]
20:18.80 … Clearview, 2022 Shore Coaches B [1]
20:19.09 … Haddonfield, 2006 Meet of Champions [10]
20:19.10 … Shawnee, 1998 Meet of Champions [1]
20:19.40 … Shawnee, 2001 Meet of Champions [3]
20:19.60 … Shawnee, 2003 Group 4 [1]
20:20.49 … Bishop Eustace, 2010 Parochial A [3]
20:21.14 … Lenape, 2009 Group 4 [6]
20:23h …….. Haddonfield, 2023, Shore Coaches [2]
20:23.15 … Shawnee, 2014 Group 4 [7]
20:24.37 … Cherokee, 2004 Meet of Champions [8]
20:24.50 … Seneca, 2014 Group 3 [4]
20:24.92 … Moorestown, 2000 Meet of Champions [3]
20:25.40 … Cherokee, 2021 Shore Coaches. [1]
20:28.15 … Cherokee, 2011 Group 4 [6]
20:28.94 … Haddonfield, 2009 Meet of Champions [11]
20:29.21 … Lenape, 2012 Group 4 [7]
20:29.22 … Haddonfield, 2015 Meet of Champions [12]
20:29.39 … Lenape, 2007 Group 4 [5]
20:29.48 … Delsea, 2009 Meet of Champions [8]
20:29.72 … Seneca, 2017 Group 3 [5]
20:30.75 … Haddonfield, 2016 Group 2 [1]
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 