The Ocean City boys and girls, the Cherry Hill boys and the Cherokee and Paul VI girls all appear to have earned at-large bids to the cross country Meet of Champions Saturday.
Although the NJSIAA hasn’t bothered to announc anything officially, because why would anybody want to know if they’re racing next weekend or not, the MileSplit merge – which includes the six winning teams – shows those five teams should be among the top eight non-winners.
[Note – MileSplit has just posted the official list here, which shows no changes.]
The six team winners from Saturday’s state meets all qualify automatically and then eight more boys teams and eight girls teams qualify based on the results of a merge of every non-winning team.
The Haddonfield and Cherokee boys qualified automatically by winning Group 2 and Group 4.
Cherry Hill East, which finished only three points behind Cherokee in Group 4 was the lowest-scoring non-winning team, totaling 211 points and placing 4th in the overall merge and 1st among non-winners. So they’re a slam dunk.
Ocean City, which was 2nd to Colts Neck in Group 3, finished 7th in the merge and was the 3rd-lowest scoring non-winning team, behind only Cherry Hill East and Westfield, who was 3rd in Group 4. So they should be through.
The other boys wild-cards appear to go to St. Peter’s Prep of Jersey City [2nd in Parochial A], Ridgewood [4th in Group 4], Union Catholic of Scotch Plains [3rd in Parochial A] and South Brunswick [5th in Group 4].
The final spot will go to either Manalapan [6th in Group 4], Chatham [3rd in Group 3] or Ridge [7th in Group 4]. Because those three schools are separated by only three points – 554 for Manalapan, 555 for Chatham, 557 for Ridge – it’s too close to call since removing the runners from the six winning teams could change that order.
Presumably, the NJSIAA will announce the wild-cards before race-time Saturday.
This will be Cherokee’s 6th straight Meet of Champions appearance and 22nd overall. It’s Ocean City’s 2nd MoC and first since 2004. Cherry Hill East previously raced in 2013, 2014, 2019, 2021 and 2023.
In the MileSplit girls merge, Cherokee – 3rd in Group 4 – had the 3rd-lowest non-winning score behind Group 4 runner-up Ridgewood and Parochial A 2nd-place Pingry School of Basking Ridge. So they’re clearly through to the Meet of Champions.
After removing all six state champions, Middletown South [2nd in Group 3] and Freehold Township [4th in Group 4] were next, followed by Paul VI [3rd in Parochial A] and Ocean City [3rd in Group 3].
Paul VI is 100 points ahead of Ocean City in the merge, so they’re safely through, and Ocean City is 7th in the non-winner merge at 533, with Hopewell Valley 8th at 536. That’s close but probably far enough ahead of Haddonfield at 557 to get Ocean City (and Hopewell Valley) into the MoC.
In the merge of all schools, Haddonfield appears to be 9th among non-qualifiers, with Moorestown 12th and Cherry Hill East 13th. But again, nothing official yet.
Assuming the official at-large bids are the same as what we’re figuring, this will be Ocean City’s first time at the Meet of Champions since 2012. The Red Raiders also raced at the MoC in 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 2003. Cherokee won Meet of Champions in 2021 and also raced in 2004, 2010 and 2023. And Paul VI is headed to the MoC for the first time since 2003. They also went in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002.
Boys who qualified as individuals by finishing in the top 10: Glassboro senior Ty Blackman, Woodstown junior Jacob Marino, Moorestown Friends senior Isaac Linden and Bishop Eustace seniors Ethan Caprarola and Desmond Carey
Girls who qualified without their teams: Schalick senior Jordan Hadfield, Wildwood senior Macie McCracken, Sterling senior Jonalee Adames, Northern Burlington senior Liliah Gordon, Mainland Regional senior Sofia Day and Holy Cross junior Julia Flanagan.
The boys race begins at 11 a.m. and the girls race at noon Saturday back at Holmdel County Park. This will be the 52nd annual Meet of Champions for both the boys and girls. The meet has been held every year since 1972 other than 2020.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 