Holy Cross senior Julia Flanagan ran a big all-course 5,000 PR and Maple Shade won the team title Wednesday at the BCSL Freedom Division Championships in Palmyra.
Flanagan ran 17:37 at Palmyra Cove Park, lowering her all-course best over any 5K course from 17:53 from the Battle of Ocean County Park in Lakewood in September. Flanagan won last year’s race on the same course in 18:57.
Flanagan has won titles this fall at the Battle of Ocean County Park, Six Flags Wild Safari Invitational, Burlington County Open and BCSL Freedom Division meet.
Flanagan won by about 500 meters over junior Juliana Catalani of Maple Shade, who placed 2nd in 19:28. She in turn finished about 500 meters ahead of 3rd-place Johana Perez, her freshman teammate. Perez ran 21:42 for 3rd place.
Maple Shade went 2-3-4-5-8 but scored a perfect 15 as the only school in the division to field a full team. After Catalani and Perez, junior Alyssa Arencibia took 4th in 21:44, freshman Magaly Benito was 5th in 22:25 and junior Yaide Robles was 8th in 23:36. Sixth runner Valeria Bueno-Sosa also ran 23:36 for 9th.
Also in the top 10 were Riverside junior Jully Arrabal [6th in 22:42], Holy Cross sophomore Alexis Buonanno [7th in 23:17] and Moorestown Friends sophomore E’lon Rodwel-Simon [10th in 24:18].
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 