Liliah Gordon on Saturday morning became the 2nd South Jersey girl in the 53-year history of the Meet of Champions to place in the top eight four years in a row.
Gordon, a senior at Northern Burlington, placed 2nd in the 53rd annual meet at Holmdel County Park in 18:12 after taking 8th as a freshman, 7th as a sophomore and 5th as a junior.
Mainland Regional’s Alyssa Aldridge placed 2nd in 2014, won in 2015 and 2016 and was 2nd in 2017.
Gordon’s finish matches the best ever by a Burlington County girl. Kari Vigerstol of Holy Cross was 2nd in 1992 and Liz Moore of Shawnee was 2nd in 1993. Vigerstol and Moore placed 1-2 in the outdoor Meet of Champions 1,600 in 1993.
Gordon, a Foot Locker finalist last year, cemented her status as one of the all-time greats in South Jersey history.
Union Catholic sophomore Paige Sheppard won the race in 18:01.76. Gordon finished 60 meters clear of 3rd-place Allison Lee of West Windsor-Plainsboro North, who edged Gordon at the Central Jersey Group 3 meet before Gordon ran away with the state Group 3 title.
Gordon has been the top South Jersey finisher at the Meet of Champions all four years. Aldridge was 2nd to Ocean City’s Devin Grisbaum in 2014, so Gordon is the first girl to lead all South Jersey runners at a M-of-C since Haddonfield Olympian Erin Donohue, who was 10th in 1997, 2nd in 1998 and 1st in 1999 and 2000.
Cherokee, Ocean City and Paul VI, South Jersey’s three full teams racing Saturday, placed 6th, 7th and 8th, and we’ll have more on them later.
But in terms of South Jersey individuals, Schalick senior Jordan Hadfield ran 19:28.71 to place 25th for the 2nd straight year and Mainland senior Sofia Day was 33rd in 19:38.90.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 