Grace Gutowski, Giovanna Mantuano and Macy Huber all placed in the top five and Paul VI rolled to its first Olympic Conference title since 2020 Wednesday in Logan Township.
Cherry Hill East Addison Weiss was the overall winner, covering 5,000 meters at DREAM Park in a course-record 17:46, but Gutowski was 2nd in 18:27, Mantuano 3rd in 18:34 and Huber 5th in 18:44 as PVI – ranked 9th in New Jersey – scored just 31 points in defeating two other top-10 teams, Cherry Hill East [46 points] and Cherokee [61].
Weiss, who ran 17:53 at DREAM Park earlier this month at the South Jersey Open, No. 2 in course history, broke the course record of 17:52 set at the 2018 South Jersey Shootout by Shawnee’s Isabella Turner.
Weiss, a 1st-year XC runner, has placed in the top three in every invitational she’s competed in this fall – 3rd at the Battle of Ocean Park and Shore Coaches and 1st in the South Jersey Open and Olympic Conference. She’s undefeated against South Jersey runners this year.
As for Paul VI, Isabella Suarez made it four in the top 10 for the Eagles, running 19:11 for 8th place. Peyton Blake [13th in 19:28] and Morgan Kuzma [15th in 19:33] gave Paul VI six runners in the top 15.
Paul VI averaged 18:52 for its five scorers, 3rd-fastest in course history and fastest prior to sectionals. Haddonfield averaged 18:19 at 2022 South Jersey Group 2 sectionals and 18:51 at 2021 sectionals.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 