From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Seniors Luke Andresen and Benjamin Andrus ran 15:41.22 and 15:42.81 and placed 5^th and 6^th, leading Haddonfield to 2^nd place at the 53^rd annual Meet of Champions with the fastest time ever recorded on the historic Holmdel County Park 5,000-meter course by a South Jersey school.

Haddonfield, 2^nd last year, became the first South Jersey school since Mainland Regional won in 2002 and 2003 to finish first or second two years in a row. Including the 2020 unofficial MoC, this is Haddonfield’s ninth consecutive top-10 finish and 15^th top-5 finish all-time, including a championship in 2001.

Haddonfield averaged 16:08.54 per scorer, breaking the South Jersey record of 16:15.54 the Bulldogs set last week when they won the state Group 2 title.

That’s the 2nd-fastest ever by a New Jersey public school, behind only Westfield’s 16:01 at the 2023 state Group 4 meet. CBA, Don Bosco and Union Catholic are the only other schools  to run faster than Haddonfield did Saturday at Holmdel.

Haddonfield once again finished as the top public school in New Jersey, finishing behind only U.S. 4^th-ranked CBA of Lincroft. The Bulldogs scored 90 points, topping 3^rd-place Union Catholic by 35.

Senior Ryan Gibson placed 16^th in 16:01.21, making Haddonfield the first South Jersey school with three finishers in the top 20 since 2003, when Mainland’s Greg Hughes, Jimmy Wyner and Joseph Masters placed 2^nd, 10^thand 18^th.

Senior Peter Simpson placed 42^nd in 16:34.41 and senior Michael Sinnes 61^st in 16:43.07. Senior Brandon Stoner [90^th in 17:04.32] and sophomore Augustan Coley [130^th in 17:51.44] also raced for Haddonfield.

Cherokee, with No. 1 Jack Tindall sick No. 2 Logan Bromley out, still placed 5^th with 173 points. Cherry Hill East was 7^th with 209 and Ocean City 9^th with 219. Glassboro took 12^th, the highest finish by a South Jersey Group 1 since Haddon Township was 10^th in 2014.

This is Cherokee’s 10^th top-5 finish all-time.

We’ll have much more later today and in the next few days, but other South Jersey boys in the top 25 included Cherokee junior Ben Realley [11^th in 15:52.01] and Cherry Hill East senior Milo Poerner [20^th in 16:09.10].

South Jersey Meet of Champions top 5 teams 
2025: 2. Haddonfield, 5 Cherokee
2024: 2. Haddonfield, 3. Cherokee, 5. Cherry Hill East
2022: 3. Cherokee
2021: 3. Haddonfield
2020*: 4. Haddonfield
2019: 3. Haddonfield, 4. Cherokee
2018: 2. Haddonfield, 3. Kingsway
2017: 2. Kingsway
2015: 4. Haddonfield
2014: 3. Cherry Hill East, 4. Kingsway, 5. Haddonfield
2010: 2. Haddonfield
2009: 4. Haddonfield
2008: 4. Haddonfield
2007: 3. Haddonfield
2006: 3. Haddonfield
2004: 5. Cherokee
2003. 1. Mainland Regional, 5. Cherokee
2002. 1. Mainland Regional, 5. Cinnaminson
2001: 1. Haddonfield, 4. Cherokee
2000: 2. Cherokee
1999: 2. Paul VI
1998: 2. Cherokee, 3. Washington Township, 4. Shawnee
1997: 3. Cherokee, 5. Shawnee
1995. 3. Paul VI
1994: 1. Paul VI
1993: 3. Paul VI
1992: 4. Paul VI, 5. Shawnee
1991: 5. Shawnee
1990. 2. Paul VI
1989: 1. Paul VI, 2. Highland, 5. Haddonfield
1988: 1. Paul VI, 3. Highland, 5. Bridgeton
1987: 2. Paul VI
1986: 3. Paul VI
1985: 3. Paul VI
1984: 1. Paul VI
1983: 2. Holy Cross, 4. Paul
1982: 4. Paul VI