From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Junior Connor Brand was the overall winner and led five Haddonfield scorers in the top seven – and seven in the top 11 – at the Colonial Conference Championships in West Deptford.

Brand ran 16:07, finishing about 20 seconds ahead of 2^nd-place John Robinson of Audubon, who ran 16:28.

Senior Andrew Blum was 3^rd in 16:32, sophomore Logan Tripician was 4^th in 16:34, junior Graham Dodson 6^th in 16:52 and sophomore Nathan Bollard 7^th in 16:58 for the Bulldogs, who outscored 2^nd-place Haddon Township 21-77.

Junior Luke Lindner and sophomore Lucas Larson backed up Haddonfield’s top five in 9^th and 11^th in 17:07 and 17:12.

Haddonfield has won seven straight conference titles since team scoring resumed in 2020 but unofficially has won a lot more than that – probably 19. It looks like the last time Haddonfield wouldn’t have had the lowest team score was 2007, when Haddon Heights went 1-2 with Josh Black and Mickey Borsellino and would have won 28-36 over Haddonfield. But when there’s no team scoring, teams aren’t necessarily trying to win the meet and might not use their top lineup, so who knows? If it were up to me, every meet would have team scoring.

Haddon Township packed its top five in 14 seconds from 17:29 through 17:43. That group included a junior, three sophomores and a freshman.

Anyway, also in the top 10 were West Deptford senior Lane McClintock [5^th in 16:44], Sterling senior Brady Kay [8^th in 17:02] and Sterling senior Giovanni Fuchs [10^th in 17:09].

Others under 18 minutes over 5,000 meters at West Deptford Park: Woodbury junior Elijah Smith [12^thin 17:24], Haddon Township sophomore Kieran Adams [13^th in 17:29], Haddon Township freshman Ryan Luke [14^th in 17:31], Haddonfield junior Ian Rodriguez [15^th in 17:32], Haddon Township junior James Strimel [16^th in 17:34], Haddonfield senior Lucas Laganella [17^th in 17:35], Paulsboro senior Jeffrey Taylor [18^th in 17:37], Haddon Township sophomore Bryce Davis [19^th in 17:42], Haddon Township sophomore Simon Pierwola [20^th in 17:43], Sterling senior Brody Sinon [21^st in 17:43], Haddon Township sophomore Isaiah Williams [22^nd in 17:55] and Sterling junior Connor Zane [23^rd in 17:58].