Imagine having to run faster than 15:50 at Holmdel just to be in your school’s all-time top-5? That’s the case with Cherokee and Haddonfield, who have the fastest five-man averages in South Jersey history on the historic 5,000-meter course at Holmdel County Park.
Cherokee and Haddonfield have each had eight runners under 16 minutes at Holmdel and that number could increase either at states this weekend or the Meet of Champions a week from Saturday.
Holmdel has hosted the state group meets since 1977 after brief stints at places like Warinanco Park in Elizabeth, Bucchleuch Park in New Brunswick, Pennsauken High School and Garrett Mountain in both Woodland Park and Paterson. The Meet of Champions has been held at Holmdel since 1976 after starting out at Ocean County Park in Lakewood, Bridgewater-Raritan West in Bridgewater, Bucchleuch Park and Pennsauken from 1972 through 1975.
Here’s our best attempt at an all-time South Jersey Holmdel composite performance list, with every team I could find with an average of 16:30 or faster. These are tricky to put together because you’re always moving people around from one team to another, adding and subtracting runners and then doing lots of math to calculate the averages. So there could be mistakes or omissions! Lemme know in the comment section and I’ll get them fixed!
Cherokee A … 15:40.8
15:39 … Patrick Ditmars [2022 Meet of Champions]
15:40 … Shawn Wilson [2012 Group 4]
15:41 … Ethan Wechsler [2019 Meet of Champions]
15:41 … Nick Kuenkel [2022 Meet of Champions]
15:43 … Marc Pelerin [2001 Meet of Champions]
Haddonfield A … 15:41.4
15:36 … Seth Clevenger [2021 Meet of Champions]
15:40 … George Andrus [2022 Meet of Champions]
15:41 … Jon Vitez [2009 Meet of Champions]
15:42 … Ben Potts [2010 Meet of Champions]
15:48 … Chris Platt [2001 Meet of Champions]
Highland A … 15:53.8
15:33 … Joshua Clark [2015 Meet of Champions]
15:41 … Steve Maine [2013 Group 4]
15:57 … Nate Miller [1998 Meet of Champions]
16:03 … Kevin Pumphrey [1984 Meet of Champions]
16:15 … Jay Wassell [1995 Meet of Champions]
Cherokee B … 15:55.6
15:45 … Keith Krieger [2002 Group 4]
15:46 … Jack Shea [2015 Meet of Champions]
15:55 … Jack Tindall [2024 Shore Coaches]
16:09 … Joe Halin [1999 Group 4]
16:12 … Justin Kelly [2016 Group 4]
Mainland A … 15:56.2
15:29 … Kevin Antczak [2019 Meet of Champions]
15:39 … Greg Hughes [2003 Meet of Champions]
16:06 … Jimmy Wyner [2003 Meet of Champions]
16:07 … Scott Keyser [1995 Meet of Champions]
16:20 … Kurt Wayton [1993 Group 3]
Cherry Hill East A … 15.57.6
15:37 … Aaron Groff [2015 Group 4]
15:48 … Oliver Adler [2019 Meet of Champions
16:01 … Bruce Miller [1981 Shore Coaches]
16:07 … Brody Bogos [2024 Group 4]
16:15 … Brandon Lyons [2024 Group 4]
Haddonfield B … 15:58.2
15:54 … Skip Stiles [2001 Meet of Champions]
15:55 … Breton Bonnette [2001 Meet of Champions]
15:58 … Martin Ridell [2019 Meet of Champions]
16:01 … Matt Nussbaum [2010 Meet of Champions]
16:03 … Ben Andrus [2025 Group 2]
Ocean City A … 15:59.0
15:41 … Brett Johnson [2008 Group 3]
15:44 … Miles Schoedler [2010 Shore Coaches]
16:03 … John Fennekohl [2006 Meet of Champions]
16:10 … Ryan Birchmeier [2007 Group 3]
16:17 … John Richardson [2002 Group 3]
Cinnaminson A … 15:59.4
15:48 … Austin Gabay [2019 Shore Coaches]
15:51 … Jon Anderson [2003 Meet of Champions]
15:57 … Michael Ungvarsky [2016 Shore Coaches]
16:08 … Steve Grabowski [2005 Meet of Champions]
16:13 … Matt Poskus [2006 Meet of Champions]
Paul VI … 16:00.6
15:17 … Jason DiJoseph [1988 Parochial A]
16:08 … Ron Faith [1984 Meet of Champions]
16:09 … Tom Keefer [1991 Meet of Champions]
16:13 … Joe Cranston [1989 Meet of Champions]
16:16 … Pete Dougherty [1990 Meet of Champions]
Eastern A … 16:05.6
15:51 … Mike Myers [2000 Meet of Champions]
16:05 … Dan Deichert [2001 Meet of Champions]
16:06 … Karl Savage [1996 Group 4]
16:10 … Nicholas Pschunder [2014 Group 4]
16:16 … Barry Shea [1984 Shore Coaches]
Shawnee … 16:08.4
15:57 … David Forward [2008 Shore Coaches]
15:58 … Connor Herr [2010 Meet of Champions]
16:13 … Peter Murray [2010 Shore Coaches]
16:14 … Adam Ambrus [2000 Group 4]
16:20 … Matt Talbot [1984 Group 4]
Haddon Twp. … 16:10.6
15:39 … Luke Petela [2014 Meet of Champions]
16:15 … Owen Long [2015 Group 1]
16:17 … Jason Fiscus [1988 Meet of Champions]
16:19 … Randy Ladd [2015 Meet of Champions]
16:23 … Dave Donohue [1988 Group 1]
Haddonfield C … 16:11.8
16:05 … Jim Smith [1979 Meet of Champions]
16:06 … Greg Halla [2012 Meet of Champions]
16:10 … Greg Eisenhower [[2018 Meet of Champions]
16:11 … Greg Pelose [2015 Group 2]
16:12 … Andrew Gostovich [2019 Group 2]
Washington Twp. … 16:15.0
15:59 … Anthony Dentino [2010 Group 4]
16:13 … Bryan Skelly [1999 Meet of Champions]
16:15 … Carmen Cavella [2003 Group 4]
16:24 … Kyle Leonard [2012 Group 4]
16:24 … Chris Colavita [2021 Meet of Champions]
Kingsway A … 16:15.4
16:09 … Noah Culbreath [2014 [Group 4]
16:15 … Ryan Magnus [2012 Meet of Champions]
16:17 … Jonathan Connor [2017 Group 4]
16:17 … Joe Grandizio [2017 Meet of Champions]
16:19 … Stone Caraccio [2018 Shore Coaches Group A]
Cherokee C … 16:16.4
16:13 … Tom Yersak [2004 Meet of Champions]
16:14 … Greg Malloy [2010 Meet of Champions]
16:18 … Greg Bredeck [2005 Meet of Champions]
16:18 … Chase Miller [2019 Meet of Champions]
16:19 … Conor Jacob [2021 Meet of Champions]
Bishop Eustace … 16:18.6
15:42 … Shawn Hutchison [2014 Meet of Champions]
16:11 … Connor Melko [2018 Meet of Champions]
16:26 … Nick Hutchison [2017 Meet of Champions]
16:34 … Eric Franklin [2012 Parochial A]
16:40 … Mike McGowan [1996 Shore Coaches]
Paul VI … 16:19.0
16:17 … John Williams [1994 Parochial A]
16:18 … Chris Hageman [1984 Meet of Champions]
16:18 … Michael Rankin [2008 Meet of Champions]
16:21 … George Steinhoff [1984 Meet of Champions]
16:21 … Tim Hoban [2010 Parochial A]
Haddonfield D … 16:19.8
16:13 … Bennett Wright [2024 Group 2]
16:20 … Brian Goldberg [2003 Meet of Champions]
16:21 … Mike Burke [2004 Shore Coaches]
16:22 … Ryan Gibson [2024 Group 2]
16:23 … Joe Shanahan [1987 Meet of Champions]
Bridgeton … 16:20.0
15:47 … Urie Ridgeway [1988 Meet of Champions]
16:00 … Robert Edwards [2002 Meet of Champions]
16:11 … Lance Hess [1988 Meet of Champions]
16:44 … Jamar Mack [2006 Meet of Champions]
16:58 … James Holden [2000 Shore Coaches]
Cinnaminson B … 16:20.2
16:18 … Steve Keen [1982 Meet of Champions]
16:18 … Brian Tetreault [2006 Shore Coaches]
16:18 … Bill Mason [1998 Meet of Champions]
16:22 … Jacob Wickersham [2025 Shore Coaches]
16:25 … Alex Boyko [2022 Shore Coaches]
Haddon Heights … 16:23.8
16:18 … Mickey Borsellino [2007 Group 1]
16:18 … Matt Mitchell [2005 Shore Coaches]
16:21 … Josh Black [2007 Shore Coaches]
16:27 … John Salisbury [1992 Meet of Champions]
16:29 … Jack Bolling [2021 Meet of Champions]
Cherokee D … 16:24.0
16:20 … Alex Yersak [2007 State Group 4]
16:21 … Benjamin Realley [2024 Group 4]
16:26 … Matt Mueller [2000 Meet of Champions]
16:26 … Logan Bromley [2024 Group 4]
16:27 … Nick Falk [2014 Meet of Champions]
Lenape … 16:24.0
16:14 … Ryan Garvin [2008 Shore Coaches]
16:15 … Anthony Kelhower [2004 Meet of Champions]
16:26 … Julian Greco [2012 Meet of Champions]
16:30 … Sean Mulroy [2010 Shore Coaches]
16:35 … Colin Hermack [2022 Group 4]
Kingsway B … 16:24.2
16:20 … Kieran Burns [2017 Group 4]
16:23 … Ozzie Huerta [21005 Shore Coaches
16:24 … Brian Mangiarcina [2017 Group 4]
16:26 … Kyle Evernham [2014 Group 4]
16:28 … Cade Hindley [2017 Group 4]
Haddonfield E … 16:25.0
16:24 … Peter Simpson [2024 Group 2]
16:24 … Dan Gough [1986 Group 1]
16:24 … Tobias Janssen [2021 Group 2]
16:26 … Tim Shanahan [1989 Shore Coaches]
16:27 … Chad Evans [2014 Meet of Champions]
Mainland B … 16:26.4
16:22 … Joe Masters [2003 Meet of Champions]
16:23 … Kevin Cronin [2006 Meet of Champions]
16:26 … Spencer Popeson [2003 Shore Coaches]
16:30 … Geoff Wayton [1993 Group 3]
16:31 … Matt Hernberg [2008 Shore Coaches]
Holy Cross … 16:27.0
16:09 … Mike Sheehan [2007 Meet of Champions]
16:18 … Tom Farrell [1983 Meet of Champions]
16:23 … Eric Lorenz [1987 Meet of Champions]
16:42 … Chris Creighton [1987 Meet of Champions]
16:43 … Brent Kyler [1983 Meet of Champions]
Paul VI C … 16:27.4
16:22 … Joe DiGiacomo [1994 Parochial A]
16:24 … Matt Cieslik [1988 Meet of Champions]
16:29 … Jim Wolfram [1988 Parochial A]
16:30 … Mike Ritchie [2000 Shore Coaches]
16:32 … Vin Cieslik [1988 Meet of Champions
Highland B … 16:27.8
16:21 … Ben Woodward [2017 Group 3]
16:26 … Cole Wassell [2020 Holmdel Invitational]
16:27 … Robert Lacovara [2021 Meet of Champions]
16:30 … Kyle Gorcyznski [2007 Group 3]
16:35 … Jerry Franks [1989 Meet of Champions]
Cherry Hill East B … 16:29.2
16:18 … Dan Helfand [2014 Group 4]
16:19 … Bill Stewart [1982 Meet of Champions]
16:25 … Ben Dillon [2013]
16:27 … Christian Mele [2014 Group 4]
16:29 … Jack Gaffin [2021 Meet of Champions]
16:30.6 … Haddonfield F
16:28 … Austin Stoner [2015 Group 2]
16:29 … Tim Malloy [2010 Meet of Champions]
16:31 … Luke Andresen [2024 Group 2]
16:32 … Kevin Underwood [1990 Meet of Champions]
16:33 … Colin Gallagher [2015 Meet of Champions]
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 