Clearview’s Anas Bensaoud, a sophomore at Rowan College South Jersey, placed 14th out of more than 100 runners Saturday at the 40th annual DeSales University XC Invitational.

Bensaoud covered the 8,000-meter course in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County, in 27:17 and was RCSJ’s first finisher. Bensaoud is a transfer from SUNY Stony Brook. Last spring, he earned All-America honors in two events with a 3rd in the 1,500 in 4:03.98 and a 5th in the 3,000 in 15:53.90 at the NJCAA Division 3 National Championships in Utica, N.Y.

According to the TFRRS database, it looks like Bensaoud did not run XC at Stony Brook, he only ran one year of indoor track in 2022, so this is his first year of XC since the COVID-shortened 2020 season, when he placed 2nd at the South Jersey Group 4 sectionals at DREAM Park behind Southern Regional’s Jackson Braddock, who’s now at Texas.

Rowan College placed 5th in team scoring with 159 points. DeSales won the team title with 28 points. DeSales sophomore Forrest Miller from Triton placed 52nd overall.

For RCSJ in the women’s race, Courtney O’Hara of Gateway placed 26th, freshman Alexandra Campo from Woodbury 44th and Madison O’Donnell from Williamstown 46th. DeSales’ junior Eileen Murphy from Cherry Hill East placed 35th and Hailey Bloom of Atlantic City, a Gwynned Mercy junior, was 42nd.

TCNJ junior Katherine Rice from Haddonfield placed 5th in the Highlander Invitational XC Challenge Saturday at Branch Brook Park in Newark.

Rice ran a lifetime-best 18:59.8 over 5,000 meters and finished behind four runners from Army West Point. TCNJ finished 3rd with 117 points, behind Division 1 Army and Division 2 West Chester.

Rice’s previous 5K best on any course was a 20:07.9 at the Herb Lorenz Invitational last month at the Green Lane Fields in Ewing, where she placed 2nd.

Rice won the mile and anchored the winning DMR last winter at the NJAC Championships at Ocean Breeze.

TCNJ is ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Division 3 Metro Region.

Holy Family freshman Maya Harper from Pleasantville placed 24th in 19:59.5, an all-course 5,000 PR.

Northern Burlington junior Liliah Gordon made the trip to North Carolina worth it with a 5,000-meter PR in the Great American Cross Country Festival girls championship race at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C., outside Raleigh.

Gordon, racing some of the top girls in the country, placed 17th in a field of 320 girls with an all-course PR of 17:53.6.

Her previous 5K PR was a 17:56.10 at the Burlington County Scholastic League Championships last October at New Egypt High School in Plumstead Township, Ocean County.

Gordon has run 10:38.20 for 3,200 meters and is a two-time state Group 3 champ at 3,200 meters and defending state Group 3 champ in cross country.

On Friday, Gordon will look for her 2nd straight Burlington County Open title at Mill Creek Park in Willingboro. The course record is 17:53 set in 2010 by Megan Lacy of Cherokee.

Julia Smith, a Seton Hall sophomore from Schalick, placed 9th Saturday in the Metropolitan XC Championships at Branch Brook Park in Newark.

Smith ran an all-course lifetime-best 18:18.56 and was Seton Hall’s first finisher. Smith’s previous best 5,000-meter time on any course was an 18:33.0 on the same course (but a different meet) last October.

Smith was a three-time South Jersey Group 1 cross country champion at Schalick and also a five-time sectional champ on the track in the 1,600 and 3,200.

Highland graduate Nia Holden of St. John’s, a grad student and transfer from American, fnished just 10 seconds behind Smith in 11th place in 18:29.05, also a PR for her.

Holden was St. John’s 2nd finisher and helped the Red Storm win the team title, 68-77, over Manhattan. Seton Hall was 3rd with 99 points.

Her previous 5K PR was a 20:06.6 in September of 2021 for American in a race in Cockeysville, Md. Holden ran 2:14.43 at American and will have one year of track eligibility at St. John’s.

Senior Anya Kazemi placed 3rd and Bishop Eustace placed all five scorers in the top 16 to win the Division 1 team title Saturday at the South Jersey Open.

Kazemi ran 19:21 – by far her fastest 5,000 ever on any course – and finished behind only overall winner Jordan Hadfield, a junior at Schalick [18:50], and junior Nilaa Ponnappan of Camden Catholic [19:14], who both also ran all-course PRs.

For Eustace, junior Donna Presenza took 8th in 22:52, sophomore Sophia Kaloustian 12th in 23:44, senior Amelia Ingersoll 13th in 13:46 and freshman Embry Doody 16th in 23:58.

Eustace finished with a 40-54 margin of victory over 2nd-place Wildwood Catholic, with Camden Catholic 3rd with 73 points.

Also in the top 10 were Holy Cross sophomore Julia Flanagan [4th in 20:23], Maple Shade junior Crystal Benito [5th in 21:26], Buena senior Melissa Krail [6th in 22:38], Wildwood Catholic sophomore Angelina Richards [7th in 22:43], Holy Cross junior Anna Fonseca [9th in 22:52] and Wildwood Catholic senior Ally Grandizio [10th in 23:23].

Audubon senior Aiden Williams was the individual winner and Schalick had three finishers in the top 10 and won the team title in the Division 1 race at the South Jersey Open.

Williams covered the 5,000-meter course at DREAM Park in Logan Township in 16:18 – only four seconds off his DREAM Park PR from sectionals last year – and won his second invitational this fall following a win at Varsity D at the Six Flags Wild Safari Invitational in Jackson. He was also 3rd in the Shore Coaches Varsity G race.

Williams finished 150 meters ahead of Bishop Eustace senior Ryan Gaulrapp, who placed 2nd in 16:49.

Schalick outscored 2nd-place Gloucester 37-64 to win the team title, led by the trio of senior Charles Fuerneisen, senior Matthew Tozer and sophomore Salvatore Longo, who placed 6th, 7th and 10th, Fuerneisen in 17:40, Tozer 18:05 and Longo 18:42. Senior Wyatt Juczak and Chase junior Walker also scored for the Cougars, Juczak in 16th in 19:31 and Walker 23rd in 19:56.

Eutace runners went 2-3-4, with Matt Colden and Ethan Caprarola finishing just behind Gaulrapp, Colden in 3rd in 17:10 and Caprarola 4th in 17:13.

Also in the top 10 were Moorestown Friends junior Isaac Linden [5th in 17:17], Palmyra senior Colin Broadbelt [8th in 18:25] and Gloucester junior Trey Fitzpatrick [9th in 18:30].

Collingswood senior Elijah Forrest continued his outstanding fall with a win Saturday morning in the Division 2 race at the South Jersey Open.

And Highland packed all five of its scorers in the top 20 to win the team title.

Forrest covered 5,000 meters at DREAM Park in Logan Township in 16:19, finishing 75 meters ahead of Delsea sophomore Matthew Littlehales, who placed 2nd in 16:33.

Forrest placed 2nd to Cherokee’s Nick Kuenkel at the Battle at Ocean Park in Lakewood and won the Varsity E race at the Shore Coaches last weekend at Holmdel.

Highland went 3-4-9-12-19 and outscored 2nd-place Delsea 38-65, with Timber Creek 3rd with 87 points.

Senior Aziz Muhammad-Kane and junior Mason Wassell placed 3rd and 4th in 16:35 and 16:37, junior Andrew Kellem was 9th in 17:27, sophomore Andrew Dopkin 12th in 17:56 and sophomore Daniel Gee 19th in 18:40.

Also in the top 10 were Moorestown sophomore Peter Simpson [5th in 16:43], Timber Creek senior Robert Wakefield [6th in 16:51], Cinnaminson sophomore Jacob Wickersham [8th in 17:25] and West Deptford junior Aiden Fronza [10th in 17:33].

Senior Shaelan McNally ran the fastest time ever at Holmdel County Park by a Paul VI girl and led the Eagles to their first Shore Coaches Invitational title in 36 years over the weekend.

McNally ran 18:56 at Holmdel County Park to win the Varsity D race, and become PVI’s first Shore Coaches winner since Lauren Bello won Varsity A in 1987 in 19:49.

Paul VI edged Camden County rival Sterling 83-91 to win its first title in 36 years. Following Shaelan McNally across the line were sophomore Giovanna Mantuano [6th in 20:29], freshman Grace Gutowski [15th in 21:08], sophomore Macy Huber [28th in 21:59] and freshman Kara Salamone [56th in 23:21].

(This is all assuming the results that are currently posted are correct. I’m not sure anybody really knows for sure.)

In 1987, the last time Paul VI won a girls team title at the Shore Coaches, Bello finished 1st, Sandy Wright was 7th in 20:55 and Missy McNally (any relation to Shaelan, Paul VI?) ran 9th in 21:05 and PVI outscored 2nd-place Brick Township, 45-63.

Junior Jonalee Adames placed 4th for Sterling in 20:14, with senior Cara Coppolino [16th in 21:11], junior Kaysie Luna [20th in 21:24] and junior Isabella Patruno [23rd in 21:29] all finishing within 18 seconds of each other. Senior Jennifer Tisera clinched second place for the Silver Knights by placing 51st in 22:58 for a 26-point edge over 3rd-place Voorhees.

West Deptford freshman Taylor Sierzega placed 13th in 20:56 and senior teammate Isabella Mackey ran 26th in 21:42.

McNally is the first Paul VI girl to break 19 minutes over the winding, hilly 5,000-meter layout at Holmdel County Park since Dawn Cody ran 18:57 at the 1982 Shore Coaches Invite to win the Varsity A race and lead PVI to a 93-100 team title over Ridgewood.

Three Paul VI girls have won a Shore Coaches Invitational race – Cody in 1982, Bello in 1987 and McNally in 2023 – and those are also the three years Paul VI won the team title.

McNally’s previous best at Holmdel was a 19:43 when she was 6th last year at the state Parochial A meet, so she took 49 seconds off that PR.

McNally ran 10:48.08 last spring at the state Parochial A meet, 3rd-fastest among South Jersey girls in 2023 and 2nd-fastest among all non-public two-milers.

Haddonfield packed its five scorers between 4th and 9th and rolled to a 13-point win over Bernards in a battle of top-10 teams and two of the greatest programs in New Jersey history in the Varsity E race at the Shore Coaches Invitational Saturday.

Nobody is sure yet whether all the results are correct and accurate, but based on everything that’s out there, Haddonfield went 4-6-7-8-9 and outscored Bernards 34-47 to win its 13th Shore Coaches team title.

The Bulldogs also won Varsity E in 1995, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2017, 2018 and 2021, Varity C in 1978, Varsity D in 1989 and Varsity F in 1998.

Collingswood senior Elijah Forrest won the race in 16:22 and the next eight finishers were from Bernards or Haddonfield. Bernards had two in before Haddonfield’s 1st runner and three before Haddonfield’s 2nd, but Haddonfield placed five before Bernards’ 4th finisher.

Junior Bennett Wright led Haddonfield in 4th place with a 16:32.0 and then it was soph Ryan Gibson [16:42], senior Liam Dougherty [16:44], sophomore Benjamin Andrus [16:55] and senior Reid Gervasi [17:08] in 6th through 9th, giving the Bulldogs a 36-second gap between their 1st and 5th scorer.

None of those five were on Haddonfield’s varsity when they won the 2021 title. Haddonfield didn’t race at Shore Coaches last year.

Haddonfield’s team average of 16:48 appears to be 3rd-fastest ever by a South Jersey school at Shore Coaches. Cherokee averaged 16:35 in 2019 and 16:37 last year. It was 3rd-fastest among all schools Saturday and fastest by a South Jersey school.

Here’s a look at every program that averaged sub-18 at Holmdel this past weekend:

16:48 … Haddonfield [1st, Varsity E]
17:03 … Cherry Hill East [3rd, Varsity A]
17:03 … Cherokee [4th, Varsity A]
17:34 … Shawnee [4th, Varsity B]
17:37 … Washington Twp. [7th, Varsity A]
17:43 … Ocean City [3rd, Varsity C]
17:47 … Paul VI [1st, Varsity G]

Kingsway’s Ryan Duffy continued his assault on the South Jersey freshman record book Saturday with what appears to be the fastest time ever recorded by a South Jersey 9th-grader at historic Holmdel County Park.

Duffy placed 3rd in the Varsity B race at the Shore Coaches Invitational in 16:22.50, which according to the MileSplit database is the 4th-fastest time by a freshman on the hilly 5,000-meter layout and fastest in 14 years.

The only faster times on record are a 16:15 by Colts Neck’s legendary Craig Forys at Shore Coaches in 2003, a 16:16 by West Windsor-Plainsboro North’s equally legendary Joe Rosa at the 2007 state Group 3 meet and a 16:19 by Barnegat’s Matthew Nelson at the 2009 Meet of Champions.

The database only goes back to 2000 and then into the 1990s including some races. It’s possible a freshman ran faster, but considering the dramatically slower state of the course from the 1970s through the 1990s and the evolution of times with course improvements at Holmdel over the last decade it’s not likely.

The previous known South Jersey freshman record at Holmdel belonged to another Kingsway runner, Joe Grandizio, who ran 16:31 at the 2014 state Group 4 meet.

As for the years before 2000, I checked some of the fastest pre-2000 South Jersey XC runners – guys like Jason DiJoseph [17:16 as a freshman] and Urie Ridgeway, Murad Campbell, Mike Mantini, Nate Miller, Mike Myers and Ron Deckert (none of whom ran at Holmdel as freshmen) – and couldn’t find anybody close to 16:22.

There were numerous results irregularities and errors in the final results, so every performance is under some question but it does appear that Duffy’s 16:22 is accurate.

Duffy finished behind Ridgewood junior Luke Pash [16:00.44], a 9:06 two-miler last spring, and Ridge junior Brenden McMahon [16:14.80], a 9:08 two-miler last spring. Duffy’s time was tied for 4th-fastest among all South Jersey runners Saturday at Holmdel.

Here’s a look at all South Jersey runners who went sub-17 Saturday:

15:43 … Peyton Shute [Woodbury], 1st, F race
15:49 … Nick Kuenkel [Cherokee], 3rd, A race
16:14 … Elijah Whitaker [Glassboro], 2nd, F race
16:22 … Elijah Forrest [Collingswood], 1st, E race
16:22 … Ryan Duffy [Kingsway], 3rd, A race
16:32 … Bennett Wright [Haddonfield], 4th, E race
16:42 … Ryan Gibson [Haddonfield], 6th, E race
16:44 … Liam Dougherty [Haddonfield], 7th, E race
16:44 … Will Mrozinski [Paul VI], 1st, G race
16:47 … Brady Bogos [Cherry Hill East], 20th, A race
16:49 … Aiden Williams [Audubon], 3rd, G race
16:50 … Dylan Saber [Williamstown], 21st, A race
16:51 … Liam Tindall [Cherokee], 23rd, A race
16:52 … Colin Moore [Cherry Hill East], 24th, A race
16:55 … Reid Gervasi [Haddonfield], 9th, E race
16:55 … Aziz Muhammad-Kane [Highland], 9th, C race