The Cherokee girls each ran between 8:34 and 9:23 for 2,500 meters and finished 1st out of 62 schools Friday night at the RVA Relays at Pole Green Park in Mechanicsville, Va.

Senior Alyssa Suriano led off with an 8:34 split, followed by senior Maya Kumar in 9:23, senior Sofia Recinto with an 8:48 and sophomore Erin Healy 9:07, setting up senior Madeline Meder anchored in 8:47.

Cherokee won by nine seconds over Grafton in Yorktown, Va. Cherokee had a total time of 44:40 and Grafton combvined for 44:49.

In the RVA Relays, five runners from each school run 2,500-meter relay legs on a loop – with a baton – and their five splits are added up to determine team placing.

There were no live results and apparently the full results do not show up in Chrome or Safari, so they don’t make it easy for you to find results.

Cherokee is ranked 8th in New Jersey.They were 4th in this meet last year.

The Cherokee girls also placed 6th in the B race with juniors Genisa John and Gabrielle Urban and freshmen Ava Guarini, Casey Leisse and Ella Holloway. No times listed in the results.

The Cherokee boys may have placed 2nd out of 63 schools at the RVA Relays Saturday night under the lights at Pole Green Park in Mechanicsville, Va.

The results have been such a disaster that it’s hard to tell exactly what happened, but there are results of the A race that appeared more than an hour after the race ended. They don’t show any times for any runners but do show Cherokee listed just below St. John’s Boys, although I have no idea where that school is located. Doesn’t say. Doesn’t say much.

[This just in … there are still no times, but there is a “1.” before St. John’s Boys, and a “2,” before Cherokee. So it seems safe to conclude that was the order of the top two teams.]

No team scoring, of course. Why should results of a team relay show team scoring? We must be crazy to expect it!

The results show Cherokee using seniors Logan Bromley and Dominic Pileri, juniors Sean Sooy and Ben Realley and sophomore Jack Tindall.

The format of the VA Relays is that five runners per school run a 2,500-meter relay legs on a loop at Pole Green Park – with a baton – and their five splits are added up to determine the team winners.

This was the first serious race of the year for Cherokee’s top runners. Cherokee, ranked 3rd in New Jersey, won’t race a full-effort 5,000-meter course with its lead group until Shore Coaches at Holmdel County Park on Oxt. 4.

Apparently, Virginia has not yet discovered FaT timing because there were no live results, results took hours to post, times were missing for some races and it was just a complete timing disaster start to finish. We’ve had a few of those here.

Cherokee was 1st out of 65 teams in the B race, with freshman Hamza Salahuddin, sophomore Evan Amato and juniors Leo Vyvyan, Gavin Danielewicz and Maximo Harada. Incredibly, no times listed with the results. The results disappeared for a while and then reappeared, again with no times.

Welcome to cross country circa 1985. Everybody associated with this meet ought to be embarrassed. What a disaster.

The Cherokee  girls also raced in Virginia. Maybe we’ll have the results by Wednesday!

Burlington Township graduate Payton Falkenstein, a junior at East Stroudsburg, placed 3^rd in the Division II/ III Challenge Saturday at Kutztown.

Falkenstein ran 23:04 on the 6,000-meter Kutztown Farm Course, which appears to not actually be in Kutztown but a few hundred yards west in Maxatawny Township, Berks County.

Falkenstein finished only 30 seconds behind winner Maura Lenhart of Kutztown, who ran 22:34.

Stockton was led by Shawnee gaduate Madelyn Valasek, who placed 10^th in 23:43. Valasek, the NJAC outdoor runnerup at 5,000 and 10,000 meters last spring, was making her 2025 XC debut.

Jefferson freshman Kylee Black from Cumberland County Tech in Vineland placed 42^nd in 25:39 in her first lifetime 6,000-meter race and her first college race.

East Stroudsburg finished with 61 points, 2^nd to Kutztown’s 47. Bloomsburg was 3^rd with 67.

Senior Noelle Falzone from Cherokee, sophomore Taylor Rooney from Egg Harbor Township and freshman Lilla Porter of Clearview from The College of New Jersey all placed in the top eight Friday at the Herb Lorenz Invitational in Ewing Township.

Falzone, Rooney and Porter finished 6th, 7th and 8th, each running between 21:21 and 21:27 over the Mike Walker-designed 5,000-meter course at the Green Lane Fields.

Montclair State swept the top three spots and won the team title with 29 points, but TCNJ went 4-5-6-7-8-(11-12) and was 2nd with 30.

Also for TCNJ, sophomore Ella Feehan from Atlantic County Tech placed 12th in 22:07 and sophomore Anna Marino from Cinnaminson was 18th in 22:55.

Overall winner Abigail Churchill from Montclair, who ran 19:09, has South Jersey ties. She competed for Rowan before transferring to Montclair.

Also for Montclair, Mackenzie Cochrane, a senior from Washington Township and also a transfer from Rowan, placed 15th in 22:18, and Alyssa Taylor, a sophomore from Atlantic County Tech, was 23rd in 23:40.

For Holy Family, Olivia Moyer, a freshman from Cinnaminson, placed 16th in 22:23.

The meet, started by TCNJ assistant coach Mike Walker from Rancocas Valley, honors legendary Masters runner Herb Lorenz, a member of the Road Runners Club of America Hall of Fame, the South Jersey Track and Field Hall of Fame, the South Jersey Coaches Hall of Fame, the Burlington County Track Hall of Fame and The College of New Jersey Hall of Fame.

Lorenz grew up in Pemberton and graduated from TCNJ – when it was still called Trenton State – before embarking on a remarkable post-collegiate career. Among his many accomplishments, in 1975, he set an American age-36 record of 2:17:43 at the Boston Marathon. He coached at Burlington Township for 30 years and also coached at Lenape.

Williamstown senior Sophia Aldridge broke 19 minutes for a 2^nd straight race and finished first in the Gold Championship Race Saturday at the South Jersey Shootout.

Aldridge ran 18:59 at DREAM Park in Logan Township, only five seconds off the Williamstown best at DREAM Park, an 18:54 by Alyssa Boucher two years ago, when she placed 2^nd at South Jersey Group 4 Sectionals.

West Deptford senior Kayla Romanoski ran 19:49 for 2^nd place in her second competitive 5,000 in her first year of XC. She trimmed 53 seconds off her only previous 5,000, a 20:42 at Pennypacker Park earlier this week.

Maple Shade junior Juliana Catalani broke 20 minutes for the first time, placing 3^rd in 19:58.

Sophomore Makayla Zell finished 4^th in 20:10, helping Moorestown win the team title with just 20 points . Clearview and Delsea both had 77 points, with Clearview’s 6^th runner finishing one spot ahead of Delsea’s sixth for 2^nd place.

Moorestown had five finishers in the top 12, with senior Celia Frederico 6^th in 20:29, junior Catherine Hipple 8^th in 20:41, junior Siyana Sheth 10^th in 21:25 and freshman Juliet Stack Maya 12^th in 21:28. All five Moorestown scorers finished in an even-numbered place.

Also in the top 10 were West Deptford junior Taylor Sierzega [5^th in 20:16], Vineland junior Olivia Marucci [7^th in 20:33] and Delsea freshman Brooke Mashburn [9^th in 20:56].

Another win by Washington Township sophomore Trevor Szlier and some terrific pack running by Highland highlighted the boys race Saturday morning at the South Jersey Shootout.

Szlier, who won the Cherokee Challenge Sophomore Race last weekend in his first high school XC race, followed that up by winning the Shootout over 5,000 meters at DREAM Park in Logan Township.

Szlier ran 16:14, leading six runners under 17 minutes and finishing 60 meters ahead of Gateway-Woodbury senior David Houck, who was 2^nd in 16:26. There were over 100 runners in the race.

Highland had three of the top seven finishers, with senior Andrew Dopkin 3^rd in 16:28, junior Colin Roznowski 5^th in 16:48 and junior Liam Murphy 7^th in 17:04.

Other South Jersey runners in the top 10 were Gloucester senior Vincent Kelly [4^th in 16:42], Sterling junior Brady Kay [6^th in 16:55], Gloucester senior Marcus Flagg [8^th in 17:12] and Clearview senior Tyler Galtman [10^th in 17:18].

Highland outscored 2^nd-place Gloucester 36-90, with Washington Township 3^rd with 91 points.

Also in Highland’s top five were junior Pierce Dopkin [11^th in 17:21] and sophomore Oluwanifemi Fadulu [17^th in 17:44]. Not far behind were junior Tyler Boice [18^th in 17:50] and senior Daniel Gee [20^th in 18:00], giving Highland seven of the first 20 finishers.

Another invitational win Saturday for Bucknell sophomore Shaelan McNally from Paul VI, who remains unbeaten so far this XC season.

McNally, who won the Lehigh Invitational in her 2025 cross country opener two weeks ago, was first among 186 runners Saturday morning in Manhattan University’s Jasper Fall Invitational in Montgomery, Orange County, N.Y.

McNally ran 20:08 over 6,000 meters at Twin Ponds on the Farm, finishing 90 meters ahead of 2^nd-place Sierra Gray of Quinnipiac, who ran 20:26.

That 20:08 is a big all-course 6,000 PR for McNally, who ran 21:06 at the Lehigh Invitational. That’s 16:47 pace for 5,000 meters with an extra 1,000 tacked onto the end.

Next for McNally and Bucknell is the Youngstown [Ohio] State Invitational in two weeks.

Junior Maddie Dischert from Atlantic City was Rider’s No. 1 runner in 36^th place overall in 22:27

Josh Awotunde placed 7^th in the shot put final Saturday at the World Championships in Tokyo.

The 2013 Delsea graduate threw 69-4, well off his lifetime-best 73-8 ¾ last month when he won the U.S. Championships in Eugene.

Awotunde opened with a 64-11 and then hit the 69-4 on his 2^nd attempt. He finished the first round with a foul and then threw 62-7 ½ and 69-3 on his final two throws.

Awotunde, ranked 3^rd in the world, placed 3^rd at Worlds in Eugene in 2022 with a 73-1 ½. He’s No. 17 in world history and No. 10 in U.S. history.

Holy Cross senior Julia Flanagan won the Senior Class Race and sophomore Addison Weiss and Ryleigh Budsock led the Cherry Hill East girls to 2^nd place in the team merge Friday at the Battle of Ocean County Park in Lakewood.

Flanagan ran 17:53, the fastest 5,000 on any course on record by a Holy Cross girl and won the Senior Race by 75 meters over Lexie Mizzone of Voorhees, who was 2^nd in 18:11.

Her previous all-course PR over a 5,000-meter course was 18:39 last year at DREAM Park in Logan Township. She was the state Parochial A champ at 3,200 meters both indoors and outdoors last year, and her 10:52.74 at outdoor states at Stockton Unviersity in Galloway Township makes her the fastest returning two-miler in South Jersey.

Cherry Hill East, ranked No. 11 in New Jersey, finished second only to 3^rd-ranked Middletown South, 72-106.

Weiss placed 3^rd in the Sophomore Race and had the 4^th-fastest time overall from the three races at 18:06 and Budsock ran 18:55, 4^th-fastest in the Junior Race and 11^th-fastest overall. The freshman race was 3,200 meters and isn’t considered in team scoring.

Also in Cherry Hill East’s top five: Katherine Grottini, 10^th in the Junior Race and 35^th overall in 19:57, Gabriella Pizzo, 11^th in the Junior Race and 43^rd overall in 20:10 and Emmie Wang, 12^th in the sophomore race and 44^th overall in 20:17.

Cherry Hill East’s 6^th and 7^th runners, Ella Davidson and Shaelea Conway, were also among the 55-fastest of 350 runners in the three 5,000-meter races. Davidson ran 20:23 for 23^rd in the Senior Race and 46^th-fastest overal, and Conway ran 20:51 for 27^th in the Senior Race and 55^th overall.

For team scoring purposes, East went 4-9-26-33-34-(36-44).

Eastern’s Theresa Albertson placed 7^th in the Junior Race in 19:35, and Delran’s Ashley Doyle ran the same time and was 12^th in the Senior Race.  They were both tied for 23^rd-fastest in the entire field.

Alvin Lin, Cian Sherlock and Milo Poerner ran the 3^rd-, 6^th– and 11^th-fastest times out of more than 500 runners in three races, and the Cherry Hill East boys – ranked 5^th in New Jersey – won the team merge at the Battle of Ocean County Park Friday in Lakewood.

Lin ran 15:46 and placed 3^rd in the Snior Race, Sherlock ran 15:51 and took 2^nd in the junior race and Poerner ran 16:04 and was 7^th in the Senior Race.

Cherry Hill East outscored 2^nd-place St. Peter’s Prep of Jersey City, 122-129, to win the merge. Aneesh Rajagopal was 20^th in the Junior race in 16:53 and 38^th overall, and Jonathan Chalmers ran 36^th in the Junior race in 17:20 and 67^th overall.

Conan Poerner and Braden Sherlock ran 2^nd and 3^rd in the Freshman Race in 10:37 and 10:44 over two miles, but since the freshman race was not 5,000 meters the don’t count in the team competition.

Paul VI and Cinnaminson placed 3^rd and 4^th in the merge, giving South Jersey three of the top four schools overall.

PVI had an all-underclass top five of Chris Monaghan 13^th overall and 4^th in the Junior Race [16:16], Max Long 19^th and 9^th in the Junior Race [16:33], Jason Smith 28^th and 14^th in the Junior Race [16:43], Chase Cooley 31^st and 15^th in the Junior Race [16:45] and Caden Briggs 58^th and 30^thin the Junior Race [17:11], with Andrew Keane just out of the top five in 61^st at 33^rd in the Junior Race in 17:14.

Paul VI soph Nick Ablaza also had a top-10 finish, running 17:41 for 10^th in the Sophomore Race, and Kevin Huber ran 11:31 for two miles for 8^th in the freshman race.

Cinnaminson was led by Jacob Wickersham, who ran 15:44, the 2^nd-fastest time among all the races. Wickersham was 2^nd in the Senior Race, behind only Randolph’s Kennan Byers, who ran 15:23. And he was the only senior in Cinnaminson’s top five.

Also in the top 20 for Cinnaminson were Ryan Scaricaciottoli, who was 14^th overall and 7^th in the Junior Race [16:18] and Edward Abu-Adas, who was 17^th overall and 8^th in the Junior Race [16:27]. Owen Castanheira [62^nd overall, 34^th in Junior Race in 17:15] and Alexander Lonardo [72^nd overall, 38^th in Junior Race 17:26] were also in the Pirates’ top five.

Cherry Hill West’s Rex Takakjy of Cherry Hill West finished two seconds behind Wickersham in 15:44 for 3^rd place in the Senior Race and 4^th-fastest overall behind Byers, Wickersham and Lin.

Also running sub-17 were Eastern’s Timothy Shack, who was 11^th in the Junior Race in 16:36, 24^th-fastest overall, and Winslow’s Vincent Perri, 18^th in the Junior Race in 16:53, 38^th-fastest overall.