Eddy Farez Yunga, a Maple Shade junior, was the overall winner Wednesday and led the Wildcats to their 14thBurlington County Scholastic League Freedom Division title since the meet was revived in 1999.
Maple Shade had won eight straight Freedom Division titles before finishing 2nd to Moorestown Friends last year, but on Wednesday they outscored Riverside by six points to reclaim the title. The meet wasn’t held in 2020, but Maple Shade won it from 2016 through 2019 and 2021 through 2024.
The Wildcats outscored 2nd-place Riverside 66-58, with Moorestown Friends 3rd with 81 points.
Including two meets before the BCSL Championships were eliminated in 1991 – 1983 and 1986 – Maple Shade has now won 16 Freedom Division titles.
For Shade, junior Steve Guinansaca was 5th in 18:02, senior Sunjid Sium 11th in 19:25, senior Lucas Diehl 18thin 19:59 and freshman Jonran Sanchez 30th in 21:59.
The rest of the top 10 looked like this: Doane Academy senior Marlon Addison [2nd in 17:38], Riverside senior Ronald McMahon [3rd in 17:42], Palmyra senior Justin Clemons [4th in 17:46], Riverside junior Jason Russo [6th in 18:16], Palmyra freshman Cooper Caione [7th in 18:32], Pemberton senior Aaron Arocho [8th in 18:47], Westampton Tech sophomore Brayden Bodine [9th in 18:50] and Riverside junior Zachary Plum [10th in 19:06].
Addison’s 2nd-place finish is the best ever by a Doane Academy runner at the BCSL meet. In 2019, Connor McHugh was 4th.
