Jacob Wickersham won his 2nd straight individual title and led Cinnaminson to its first team championship since 2020 and 14th all-time Saturday at the Central Jersey Group 2 sectionals in Jamesburg.
Wickersham ran 16:09.44 over 5,000 meters at Thompson Park and juniors Edward Abu-Adas and Ryan Scaricaciottoli also placed in the top 10 for the Pirates, who won comfortably, 43-70, over 2nd-place Allentown.
Wickersham is Cinnaminson’s 10th sectional winner but first ever to repeat. He won Central Jersey Group 2 last year in 16:19.40.
The team title is Cinnaminson’s 14th, including six in South Jersey Group 2, four in South Jersey Group 3, one in South Jersey Group 4 and now three in Central Jersey Group 2.
Abu-Adas placed 6th in 16:38.41 and Scaricaciottoli ran 7th in 16:40.87 for Cinnaminson.
Junior Owen Castanheira and sophomore Lucas Fried finished together in 14th and 15th – Castanheira in 17:10.14 and Fried in 17:10.28 – to give Cinnaminson all five scorers in the top 15.
Junior Alexander Lonardo and freshman Luke Feeley made it seven in the top 30, Lonardo 28th in 17:47.99 and Feeley 30th in 17:53.80.
Cinnaminson advances to the state Group 2 meet at Holmdel County Park next Saturday.
This is the first time since 2003 that Cinnaminson has had both the individual and team winner.
Previous Cinnaminson sectional winners: Gary Noa in [SJ-4 in 1971], Chris Lopez [SJ-2 in 1989], John Keevey [SJ-2 in 1990], Matt Feeley [SJ-2 in 1993], Bill Mason [SJ-2 in 1998], Jon Anderson [SJ-2 in 2003], Steve Grabowski [SJ-2 in 2005], Brian Tetreault [SJ-2 in 2006] and Austin Gabay [CJ-2 in 2019].
The Pirates’ previous team titles came in 1971 in South Jersey Group 4, 1973, 1974, 1982 and 1986 in South Jersey Group 3, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992 and 2003 in South Jersey Group 2 and 2008 and 2020 in Central Jersey Group 2.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 