Junior Benjamin Andrus won the individual title and Haddonfield placed all five scorers in the top eight – all in a 30-second compression – to win its 22nd state title and seventh in a row Saturday at Holmdel County Park.
Andrus joined his brother George in 2022 as the 2nd member of his family with a state Group 2 title.
Haddonfield averaged 16:20.69 on Holmdel’s historic 5,000-meter course and outscored 2nd-place Bernards 24-112.
The Bulldogs outscored the field 24-31.
Haddonfield’s 24-point total is the 2nd-lowest ever by a South Jersey school at states, lowest in 47 years and lowest ever by a public school. In 1977, St. Augustine scored a perfect 15 with John Pfaff, Tom Pfaff, Tom Baruffi, Bob Domico and Grteg Kazmierizak.
Bernards, which won 23 state titles from 1965 through 2004, is the only New Jersey public school to win more state titles than Haddonfield.
Although the meet wasn’t held in 2020, Haddonfield has won each of the last seven times it was contested, and their streak is 3rd-longest in state history, behind Bernards’ 14-year streak in Group 1 and 2 from 1974 through 1987 and CBA’s 11-year streak in Parochial A from 1995 through 2005.
Haddonfield’s 16:20.69 average is 3rd-fastest ever by a South Jersey school at Holmdel and fastest in 14 years. It’s also fastest ever at states. Mainland Regional averaged 16:19.12 when it won the 2003 Meet of Champions, and Haddonfield averaged 16:19.68 when it placed 2nd in the 2010 Meet of Champions.
The Bulldogs would only need to average a little over 1 ½ seconds per runner Saturday at the Meet of Champions to break the South Jersey record.
Here’s a look at the top-10 single-race team averages by South Jersey schools:
16:19.12 … Mainland Regional, 2003 Meet of Champions [1]
16:19.68 … Haddonfield, 2010 Meet of Champions [2]
16:20.69 … Haddonfield, 2024 State Group 2 [1]
16:21.56 … Haddonfield, 2001 Meet of Champions [1]
16:21.40 … Haddonfield, 2021 Meet of Champions [3]
16:22.4h ….. Mainland Regional, 2003 Shore Coaches
16:22.94 … Kingsway, 2017 Group 4 [1]
16:25.00 … Mainland Regional, 2003 Group 4 [1]
16:26.05 … Cherry Hill East, 2014 Group 4 [1]
16:27.2h ….. Paul VI, 1988 [1]
Andrus won by about 35 meters over Tommy Jendryka of Mendham, who was 2nd in 16:08. Jacob Nolan of Madison placed 3rd before three straight Haddonfield runners crossed the line – senior Bennett Wright [4th in 16:20], junior Ryan Gibson [5th in 16:21] and junior Peter Simpson [6th in 16:25].
After Bernards’ 1st runner crossed, Haddonfield’s Luke Andresen [8th in 16:32] made it five Bulldog finishers before any other school had its 2nd runner across the line. Senior 6th runner Aaron Keith also placed in the top 20, taking 19th in 17:11.
Haddonfield won its first state title in 1978 and has also won championships in 1980, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 2000, 2002, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023, all in Group 2 except 1985, 1987 and 1989 in Group 1.
Thanks to the MileSplit guys for sending me screen shots of the results since Viper Timing has yet to post any results from any race today.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 