Holy Cross’s Julia Flanagan ran the fastest time by a South Jersey girl in 12 years at the 30th annual Cherokee Challenge Saturday morning, placing 3rd in the Senior Race in 11:21 over 3,200 meters.
That’s fastest by a South Jersey runner in any race at the Challenge since 2013, when Haddonfield’s Briana Gess won the freshman race in 10:55. Flanagan is fastest by a South Jersey girl in the senior race since Megan Lacy of Cherokee ran 10:55 in 2011.
Flanagan, the state Parochial A 3,200 champ last spring at 10:52.74, finished behind only Anna Bockus of Padua Academy in Wilmington, Del., who won the senior race in 11:08, and Alexia Tubbs of Conestoga High of Tredyffrin Township, Chester County, Pa., who ran 11:13.
Flanagan’s time is fastest ever by a Holy Cross girl at the Cherokee Challenge. She’s the first Lancer girl to place in the top three in any Cherokee Challenge race in 26 years, since Deanna Kloss ran 12:19 and placed 2nd in the Junior Race in 1999. Kloss went on to an outstanding swimming career at Gettysburg.
Cherokee’s Alyssa Suriano placed 4th in the Senior Race in 11:42, sharing the No. 2 time among South Jersey girls with Sophomore Race winner Riley Tolson of Ocean City.It was the first lifetime cross country race for the former soccer player.
Other South Jersey girls in the top 10 in the Senior Race: Williamstown’s Sophia Aldridge [7th in 11:54], Cherokee’s Madeline Meder [8th in 11:59], Audubon’s Riley Fayer [9th in 12:01] and Cherokee’s Sofia Recinto [10th in 12:09].
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 