Senior Sophia Aldridge became Williamstown’s first repeat winner in 27 years and the Kingsway girls won their 8th team title in 11 years Thursday at the Gloucester County Championships in West Deptford.
Aldridge ran 18:35 over 5,000 meters at West Deptford Park after winning last year’s race on the same course in 19:19. Alridge has also won titles at the South Jersey Shootout and Tri-County Championships so far this fall.
She’s Williamstown’s first repeat winner since Tara Loescher won the 1997 race in 19:30 and the 1998 race in 19:19, both at West Deptford High School.
Juniors Aubrey Bishop, Katelyn Gallinaro, Ava Buchanan led Kingsway, Bishop in 2nd in 18:43, Gallinaro 8th in 20:34 and Buchanan 11th in 20:59.
Kingsway won a close battle that saw four teams finish within 18 points of each other. The Dragons edged 2nd-place Delsea 58-61, with Clearview 3rd with 73 points and Williamstown 4th with 76.
The team title was Kingsway’s first since 2021, when it won its seventh in a row.
Delsea was led by freshman Brooke Mashburn in 5th in 20:20. Also in the top 10 were West Deptford senior Kayla Romanoski [3rd in 19:46], Williamstown sophomore Yazmire Bonhomme [4th in 20:18], West Deptford junior Taylor Zierzega [6th in 20:26], Williamstown junior Julia Burgio [7th in 20:29], Clearview junior Julianne Roes [9th in 20:51] and Gloucester Tech sophomore Jordan Moczydlowski [10th in 20:58].
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 