Led by junior Macy Huber and sophomore Grace Gutowski, the Paul VI girls enjoyed their finest day in 22 years Saturday at Holmdel County Park.
Paul VI set a school record with a 20:13 average for its top five runners and placed 3rd in the state Parochial A meet with 74 points. That’s the program’s lowest total since 2002, when PVI placed 2nd to Red Bank with 68 points behind Erin Sigwart and Liz Kessler in 3rd and 4th.
Still waiting for the merge of non-winning teams to see who’s headed for the Meet of Champions back at Holmdel Saturday. Hopefully, Viper Timing isn’t in charge of that or we may never find out. But unofficially, Paul VI should be on its way.
Anyway, Paul VI’s 20:13 average was tied for 9th-fastest of all teams in all six races and 2nd-fastest among South Jersey schools, behind only Cherokee’s 20:10 in the state Group 4 meet.
Paul VI won state titles in 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1994 and 1995 but never had a five-runner average close to 20:13.
Huber placed 3rd in 19:16 behind two Union Catholic runners and Gutowski was 5th in 19:38. Their times were 3rd- and 8th-fastest of all South Jersey runners Saturday.
Also for the Eagles, freshman Peyton Blake ran 20:16 and was the fastest freshman in the race in 13th place, freshman Morgan Kuzma was 23rd in 20:43 and sophomore Kara Salamone ran 21:16 for 30th. Freshman Johanna Trampe [41st in 21:44] and junior Verina Belmonte [49th in 22:19] also raced for PVI.
Huber’s time is 3rd-fastest all-time by a Paul VI girl, behind Dawn Cody’s 18:50 at the 1982 Meet of Champions and Shaelan McNally’s 18:56 at the 2021 Meet of Champions.
PVI lowered its all-time top-5 composite average from 19:21.2 to 19:15.2 with Huber lowering her Holmdel PR from 19:41 from this year’s Shore Coaches and Gutowski bumping Erin Carmody [19:43 in 1988] off the list. That moved them past Delsea [19:16.8], Seneca [19:20.8] and Bishop Eustace [19:20.8] and into the No. 10 spot on the all-time South Jersey Holmdel composite average performance list.
Nationally 11th-ranked Union Catholic won with 40 points and Pingry School of Basking Ridge was 2nd with 70. Paul VI is ranked 5th in New Jersey.
Paul VI A … 19:15.2 18:50 … Dawn Cody [1982 Meet of Champions] 18:56 … Shaelan McNally [2021 Meet of Champions] 19:16 … Macy Huber [2024 Parochial A] 19:36 … Sandy Wright [1988 Meet of Champions] 19:38 … Grace Gutowski [2024 Paochial A
Fastest Team Averages
19:29 .. Union Catholic [1st, Parochial A]
19:56 … Princeton [1st, Group 4]
19:53 … Ridgewood [2nd, Group 4]
20:01 … Rumson-Fair Haven [1st, Group 2]
20:06 … Colts Neck [1st, Group 3]
20:09 … Middletown South [2nd, Group 3]
20:09 … Manalapan [5th, Group 4]
20:10 … Cherokee [3rd, Group 4]
20:13 … Paul VI [3rd, Parochial A]
20:13 … Freehold Township [4th, Group 4]
20:13 … Pingry [2nd, Parochial A]
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 