From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Ryan Gibson, Peter Simpson and Benjamin Andrus all placed in the top 10, and Haddonfield finished 2^nd in the Varsity D race Saturday at the Manhattan Invitational.

Gibson was 3^rd in 12:49 over the 2 ½-mile course at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, Simpson placed 7^th in 13:11 and Andrus was 9^th in 13:16.

Haddonfield, competing without two of their projected top group, still finished only 12 points behind team winner St. John’s Prep in Astoria, Queens.

Senior Augie Coley was 30^th in 13:41 and junior Andrew Blum 36^th in 13:45 for the Bulldogs, who even at less than full strength finished 4^th in the overall team merge of seven varsity races with 547 points, behind only Christian Brothers Academy of Lincroft, [101], Bishop Hendricken of Warwick, R.I. [201] and St. John’s College of Washington, D.C. [331], with Haddonfield 4^th and St. John’s Prep 5^th[548].

In that Varsity D race, Egg Harbor placed 4^th with 204 points, packing their five scorers in 25 seconds and their top six in 26 seconds.

Sophomore Liam Aspenberg led the Eagles in 27^th in 13:39, followed by sophomore Timothy Rooney 40^th in 13:47, senior Matthew McDevitt 43^rd in 13:48, junior Daniel Svec 47^th in 13:54 and junior Ben Gettings 52^nd in 14:04. They were backed up by senior 6^th man Matthew Reed in 53^rd in 14:05.

Egg placed 28^th in the merge with 1,119 points but 6^th among New Jersey schools, behind only CBA, Haddonfield, Ridge [14^th in 785], Ocean City [15^th with 785] and West Windsor-Plainsboro North [20^thwith 922] .