For the 3rd time in five years and the 8th time overall, Cherokee has won a state cross country title.
Cherokee edged Cherry Hill East 72-75 to win the state Group 4 title at Holmdel County Park, despite not having a runner among the top nine finishers.
But sophomore Benjamin Realley, junior Logan Bromley, freshman Jack Tindall, senior Liam Tindall and sophomore Sean Sooy packed in a 22-second gap between 10th and 22nd place to overcome a terrific race by Cherry Hill East.
Westfield, defending champion and the top-ranked school in Group 4, was 3rd with 87 points. In the lastest state poll, Westfield was ranked 4th, Cherokee 5th and Cherry Hill East 6th.
Realley placed 10th in 16:21, Bromley 11th in 16:26, Jack Tindall 16th in 16:38, Liam Tindall 21st in 16:43 and Sooy 22nd in 16:43. Jack Tindall, the top freshman in the state, has been sick all week and gutted out the race. Cherokee’s 6th runner, senior Enzo Corona, finished 25th in 16:46, giving the Chiefs six runners in 25 seconds.
Cherokee had four of the first nine underclassmen in the race. Eight of the top 17 underclassmen were from either Cherokee or Cherry Hill East.
Seniors Brandon Lyons and Brody Bogos gave Cherry Hill East two in the top 10, with Lyons 7th in 16:15 and Bogos 9th in 16:19. Juniors Will Nelson [17th in 16:38], Alvin Lin [19th in 16:40] and Milo Poerner [33rd in 16:57] were also in East’s top five.
Cherry Hill East’s 75-point total is the lowest non -winning score in Group 4 in 23 years, since Old Bridge edged Cherokee 63-69 in the 2001 meet.
Cherokee’s three-point margin of victory is the smallest in Group 4 since 2004, when Old Bridge edged Toms River North 87-90.
Kingsway sophomore Ryan Duffy placed 15th in 16:37.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 