Cherokee, Cherry Hill East, Haddonfield and Ocean City are each sending their boys and girls teams to the Nike Cross Regionals this weekend. The Paul VI girls are also making the trip.
Nike Cross Regionals are scheduled for Saturday at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls, Dutchess County, N.Y.
The boys race is scheduled for 1:50 p.m. and the girls race at 2:25 p.m.
The Haddonfield, Cherokee, Cherry Hill East and Ocean City boys placed 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 9th in the Meet of Champions Saturday at Holmdel County Park. Among public schools, they finished 1-2-4-6, with only Westfield and Colts Neck breaking up South Jersey public school dominance.
Here are the lineups based on each team’s entry list:
Cherokee: Junior Logan Bromley, senior Enzo Corona, sophomore Benjamin Realley, sophomore Sean Sooy, freshman Jack Tindall, senior Liam Tindall, senior Benjamin Weiner.
Cherry Hill East: Senior Brody Bogos, junior Alvin Lin, senior Brandon Lyons, junior Colin Moore, junior Will Nelson, junior Milo Poerner, sophomore Cian Sherlock.
Haddonfield: Junior Luke Andresen, junior Ben Andrus, sophomore Andrew Blum, junior Ryan Gibson, junior Aaron Keith, junior Peter Simpson, senior Bennett Wright
Ocean City: Sophomore Nathan Aschmann, senior Ethan Buck, senior Zach Hutchinson, freshman Nevin Millstein, sophomore Keenan Neuman, junior Erik Preisner, sophomore Michael Romano.
The same four programs are also sending their girls teams. I almost missed the Paul VI girls on the entry list because their team name is listed as “Horses on Hopkins.” Paul VI is located on Hopkins Road in Haddon Township.
Cherokee, Ocean City and Paul VI placed 6th, 7th and 8th at the Meet of Champions Saturday. Cherry Hill East and Haddonfield didn’t qualify for MoC but Haddonfield placed 2nd in the state Group 2 meet and Cherry Hill East was 6th in the state Group 4 meet.
Here are their lineups:
Cherokee: Senior Emily Butler, freshman Erin Healy, sophomore Genisa John, junior Maya Kumar, junior Madeline Meder, senior Megan Niglio, senior Grace Wojciechowski
Cherry Hill East: Sophomore Ryleigh Budsock, junior Keira Conway, junior Shaelea Conway, junior Ella Davidson, senior Cate Feudtner, sophomore Katherine Grottini, sophomore Gabriella Pizzo.
Haddonfield: Senior Katherine Asher, sophomore Devon Gervasi, sophomore Madison Kelsey, senior Dylan Melcher, sophomore Molly Mills, junior Elizabeth Pappas, senior Tylin Regan
Ocean City: Senior Chloe Care, sophomore Peighton Clemens, sophomore Lillian Flora, sophomore Carly Godfrey, senior Maeve Smith, freshman Riley Tolson, senior Zoe Zammit.
Paul VI: Verina Belmonte, Peyton Blake, Grace Gutowski, Macy Huber, Morgan Kuzma, Kara Salamone, Johanna Trampe.
A handful of South Jersey runners are competing as individuals: Ty Blackman of Glassboro is in the boys race and Williamstown junior Sophia Aldridge, Holy Cross junior Julia Flanagan in the girls race. Anybody else?
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 