The Cherry Hill East and Cherokee girls, two of the top XC teams in South Jersey, met in the season opener for both teams Saturday in a six-team Olympic Conference batch meet at DREAM Park in Logan Township.

Racing against Paul VI, Camden Catholic, Winslow and Eastern, Cherokee and Cherry Hill East swept nine of the top 10 places.

Although team scoring wasn’t kept, Cherokee went 2-5-6-8-10 for 31 points unofficially, and Cherry Hill East went 1-4-7-9-11 for 32 points.

Cherry Hill East sophomore Alexis Tepper ran 19:57 on the 5,000-meter course, finishing first overall, 16 seconds ahead of Cherokee junior Nicole Clifford.

Senior MaryKathleen McCurdy [4th in 20:23], junior Madison McNiff [7th in 20:49], sophomore Inesa Grace Linker [9th in 21:12] and senior Sabrina Rounds [11th in 21:24] rounded out Cherry Hill East’s top five.

Cherokee backed up Clifford with sophomore Kelsey Niglio [5th in 20:35] and three freshmen running their first high school race – Kerry O’Day [6th in 20:39], Alaina Bromley [8th in 20:57] and Olivia Parkinson [10th in 21:15].

The only runner from a school other than Cherokee or Cherry Hill East in the top 10 was Paul VI freshman Shaelan McNally, who was 3rd in 20:17.

Other girls under 22 minutes in the varsity race were Camden Catholic sophomore Casey Bednarek [12th in 21:45] and Eastern senior Sierra Feeney [13th in 21:52].

Two girls in the JV race broke 22 minutes – Paul VI freshman Gisella Croge won in 21:40, which would have taken 12th in the varsity race, and Cherokee freshman Allison Rathman ran 21:54.

The Haddonfield girls, ranked 8th in the state, opened their XC season Friday with eight girls running under 20 minutes over 5,000 meters in a Colonial Conference batch meet at Pennypacker Park.

Two of the sub-20 group were running their first high school career race.

Haddonfield swept Sterling 15-50, taking the top 13 spots overall.

Seniors Allison Colflesh, Sarah Naticchia and Payton Weiner, Haddonfield’s top three runners on last year’s team 4th-place Meet of Champions team, were joined in the top five by sophomore Sabrina Miller in her first varsity race and junior Jess Goode.

Colflesh, Naticchia and Weiner all ran 19:27 or 19:28, Miller crossed in 19:38 and Goode in 19:42.

Freshman Anne Earp, senior Lindsay Colflesh and sophomore Helene Usher also broke 20 minutes for Haddonfield.

Goode never run faster than 20:28 on any course last year and Usher never broke 20:54.

Senior Olivia Stoner, freshman Riley Slootsky, freshman Ava Thomas, senior Georgia Nussey and freshman Sarah Fetter rounded out Haddonfield’s lead group.

Senior Rylie Mansfield was Sterling’s first finisher.

Also, Audubon had 6 of the first 9 finishers in a 21-37 win over Haddon Heights.

Seniors Greta Davis and Natalie Slavin went 1-2 for Audubon. Sophomore Victoria Cerini was Haddon Heights’ top runner, in third place.

We’re not going to write about every dual meet this year, but I think we’re all so happy to have cross country back today that I want to celebrate the start of the season as much as possible!

There was a series of Colonial Conference dual meets today at Pennypacker Park in Haddonfield, and Haddon Township junior Luke Overbeck ran 16:24, fastest time of all the meets.

Six Colonial Conference schools raced Thursday, and Haddon Township went 1-4-5-7-9 to edge West Deptford, 26-31. Key man for Haddon Township was 5th runner Grant Overbrook, a freshman competing in his first high school race.

Luke Overbeck, 12th in the state Group 1 meet, led West Deptford’s Zach Rhoda and Jacob Cobb, who finished 2nd and 3rd and also broke 17 minutes.

Ethan Bergmann [17:00] and Matt Conway [17:28] took 4th and 5th for Haddon Township, Max Tomashek was 7th [18:18] and Overbeck placed ninth [18:53]. 

Haddon Township placed seven in front of West Deptford’s fifth, with Ryan Erhart and Jackson Sennhen taking 10th and 11th overall. Tommy Thomasson was 6th for West Deptford in 18:01 and Zackery Assero 8th in 18:34.

Haddonfield swept the top eight spots in a 15-50 win over Sterling, with George Andrus [16:46], Caleb Clevenger [16:47], Tobias Janssen [16:47], John Hurly [16:53] and Sean Eisenhower [17:03] taking the top five spots. Sterling was led by Alex Brown, 9th in 18:47.

Very close meet between Audubon and Haddon Heights, with Audubon winning 28-29. Audubon went 1-3-4 with Zachary Williams running 16:38 and winning by about 150 meters over Haddon Heights’ Ritwik Rati, second in 17:10. Tyler Wells [17:44] and Joseph Gaspari [17:46] were 3rd and 4th for the Green Wave.  

Jack Bolling, Ryan Wartenberg and Leonardus Kittle took 5th, 6th and 7th for Heights.

In a girls meet, Regan Shemeley and Meghan Lex went 1-2 in 21:01 and 21:09 to lead Haddon Township past West Deptford, 21-40. Corinne Dorsett and Hope Siner ran 3-4 for West Deptford before Township had the next six across the finish line.

We have results!

For the first time since the indoor Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze on March 8, we actually have live high school results!

It was only a dual meet, but when the South Jersey track and field world has been dormant for nearly seven months, a dual meet seems like the Olympics!

Triton raced Timber Creek in boys and girls dual meets Thursday afternoon over a 3,200-meter course at Timber Creek, with Triton winning the boys meet 23-32 and Timber Creek taking the girls meet 19-42.

In the boys meet, the all-underclass Triton group went 1-2-5-7-8 and Timber Creek 3-4-6-9-10. Juniors Dennis Fortuna and Caleb Messenger went 1-2 in 9:59 and 10:37, with junior Forrest Miller and sophomores Antonio Nieves and Gavin Leinhauser also scoring. 

Timber Creek was led by senior Michael Henry and junior Cole Mylan in 3rd and 4th in 10:51 and 10:55. Seniors Sean Tolentino and Eric Shawver and freshman Robert Wakefield rounded out the Chargers’ scoring group.

Fortuna placed second at Group 3 sectionals last fall and 11th at the state Group 3 meet.

In the girls meet, junior Vanessa Marinero, senior Colleen Manley and sophomore Juliana Grasso swept the top three spots, Marinero clocking 12:58.

Junior Amelia Vanni and senior Naavaeh Lorjuste led Triton in 4th and 5th. Sophomore Chantelle Amang and junior Mariana Cantero also scored for Timber Creek. Triton’s other scorers were freshman Brooke Campbell, junior Lake Seefeldt and sophomore Kailee Perna.

Cinnaminson’s Austin Gabay and Cherokee’s Ethan Wechsler, two of the state’s top runners last year, made their college XC debuts Saturday.

Gabay, now a freshman at Duke, ran 25:41 over 8,000 meters at the Virginia Tech Invitational on the Buford Meredith Course in Blacksburg.

Gabay finished 21st – 11 seconds and three places behind former Cinnaminson teammate Mike Ungvarsky.

Wechsler, a freshman at Syracuse, ran 26:13 in the Coast-to-Coast Battle in Beantown.

Wechsler placed 20th on the Coogan 8,000-meter course in Attleboro, Mass. 

Gabay and Wechsler rank No. 2 and No. 9 in South Jersey history indoors in the 3,200.

Our latest installment in the all-time New Jersey top-100 performance list is the boys outdoor 400-meter dash, including converted 440 times.

There are a few marks on this one that I just couldn’t find the origin for, mainly from the 1970s and 1980s but a few from the 1990s. I’ve checked every county, conference, sectional, state and Meet of Champions result for the missing marks. Generally, most of the marks I can’t find are from meets like outdoor Easterns, Golden West or in-season out-of-state meets that were never reported to the local newspaper.

If you have any info for the missing meets, please let me know! And if there are any marks missing or incorrect, also let me know!

All-Time N.J. Boys Outdoor 400-Meter Dash Top-100 List

45.71 … Clayton Parros [Seton Hall Prep], 2009 [2nd, Great Southwest, Albuquerque, N.M.]
46.02 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1984 [1st, International Prep Invitational, Elmhurst, Ill.]
46.28 … Zyaire Clemes [Trenton], 2013 [3rd, New Balance Nationals, Greensboro, N.C.]
46.34 … Ray Williams [Scotch Plains-Fanwood], 2002 [2nd, adidas Outdoor Championships, Raleigh, N.C.]
46.43 … Najee Glass [St. Peter’s], 2011 [1st, Meet of Champions, Carl Sandburg Middle School, Old Bridge]
46.4y … Ron Freeman [Jefferson], 1965 [1st, C.J. Group 4, Union]
46.62 … Gary Satterwhite [Rahway], 1985 [2nd, International Prep Invitational, Elmhurst, Ill.]
46.62 … Lamont Smith [Willingboro], 1991 [1st, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
46.67 … Jamaad Muse [Timber Creek], 2014 [2nd, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
46.68 … Lance Wigfall [East Orange], 2003 [1st, Group 4 States, Egg Harbor Twp.]
46.73 … Mario Heslop [Franklin Twp.], 2018 [1st, Group 4 States, Franklin]
46.77 … Reuben McCoy [Winslow Twp.], 2004 [1st, Group 4 States, Egg Harbor Twp.]
46.81 … Andrew Valmon [Manchester Twp.], 1983 [2nd, Jumbo Elliott, Villanova]
46.81 … Taylor McLaughlin [Union Catholic], 2014 [7th, USATF Junior Nationals, Eugene, Ore.]
46.82 … Brandon Outlaw [Moorestown], 2017 [1st, C.J. Group 3, Bernards]
46.84 … Kevin Lyles [Franklin], 1991 [2nd, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
46.84 … Mario Heslop [Franklin], 2017 [1st, Group 4 States, Franklin]
46.87 … Ty Adams [Monmouth Reg.], 1993 [2nd, Keebler Invitational, Elmhurst, Ill.]
46.88 … Shaquan Brown [JFK Paterson], 2005 [3rd, Nike Outdoor Nationals, Greensboro, N.C.]
46.90 … Antonio Abney [Willingboro], 2007 [5th, Nike Outdoor Nationals, Greensboro, N.C.]
46.8h … Darrell Jeffress [Trenton], 1978 [2nd, International Prep Invitational, Elmhurst, Ill.]
46.94 … Bryant McCombs [Old Bridge], 2005 [1st, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
46.95 … Darrell Bush [Woodbury], 2012 [2nd, Meet of Champions, Old Bridge]
46.95 … Charles Cox [Monmouth Reg.], 2007 [1st, C.J. Group 3 Sectionals, Monmouth Reg.]
46.98 … Adian Sanderson [Ewing], 2003 [1st, Group 3 States, Egg Harbor Twp.]
47.03 … Royce Reed [Bridgeton], 1994 [4th, American Airlines National Scholastic, Raleigh, N.C.]
46.9h … Tony Valentine [Plainfield], 1983 [2nd, Group 4 States, Rutgers Stadium]
47.16 … Isaiah Gill [Plainfield], 2008 [1st, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
47.18 … Walt McCall [Hackensack], 1988 [3rd, International Prep Invitational, Elmhurst, Ill.]
47.19 … Tyrone Ross [Metuchen], 1997 [6th, National Scholastic Outdoors, Raleigh, N.C.]
47.21 … Jermaine Griffith [Nottingham], 2013 [3rd, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
47.22 … Taj Burgess [Carteret], 2017 [2nd, Meet of Champions, Northern Burlington]
47.1h … Harold Rollins [Lakewood], 1985 [1st, S.J. Group 3, Buena Reg.]
47.1h … Darron Outler [Lenape], 1984 [2nd, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
47.30 … Rob Gary [Lenape], 1998 [1st, Group 4 States, South Plainfield]
47.33 … Joey Mendel [Wayne Hills], 1999 [1st, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
47.2y … Duval Moore [Asbury Park], 1965 [2nd, C.J. Group 4, Union]
47.2y … Joe Bryant [Englewood], 1966 [1st, Group 3 States, Rutgers Stadium]
47.3y … Levin Handy [Vineland], 1969 [1st, Group 4 States, Highland Park
47.2h … Walt James [East Orange], 1980 [1st, N.J. Section 2, Group 4, Elizabeth]
47.2h … Brian Bennett [Edgewood], 1985 [1st, S.J. Group 4, Buena Reg.]
47.3y … Fred Brown [Weequahic], 1972 [1st, N.J. Section 2 Group 3, Elizabeth]
47.4y … Bill Butler [East Orange], 1972 [2nd, N.J. Section 2 Group 3, Elizabeth]
47.3h … Charles Pennington [Plainfield], 1984 [1st, Plainfield Invitational, Hub Stine Field, Plainfield]
47.3h … Keith Barker [Weequahic], 1992 [1st, N.J. Section 2 Group 3, Morristown]
47.3h … Curtis Mcintyre [Bridgeton], 1992 [unknown]
47.44 … Amir Brock [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2017 [2nd, Group 4 States, Egg Harbor Twp.]
47.46 … Kevin Sembrat [Roxbury], 2018 [1st, Group 3 States, Central Reg.]
47.48 … Hakim Johnson [Toms River South], 1998 [2nd, Group 4 States, South Plainfield]
47.48 … Ron Hillian [Eastern], 2002 [3rd, Meet of Champions, South Brunswick]
47.49 … Nadale Buntin [J.P. Stevens], 2018 [1st, Greater Middlsex County, Carl Sandburg Middle School, Old Bridge]
47.53 … Thomas Kalieta Jr. [Matawan], 2016 [2nd, Group 2 States, Northern Burlington]
47.4h … Jack Armour [Lincoln], 1980 [found 47.9, Union County meet]
47.4h … John Marshall [Plainfield], 1981 [1st, Group 4 States, Rutgers Stadium]
47.4h … Will Hamilton [Elizabeth], 1984 [unknown]
47.4h … Ken Moore [Overbrook], 1984 [4th, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
47.4h … Brandy Wells [Montclair], 1984 [1st, Essex-Union, site unknown]
47.4h … Glenwood Jackson [East Orange], 1984 [unknown]
47.4h … Chuck Carter [Eastern], 1985 [1st, Camden County, Haddon Twp.]
47.4h … John Grimsley [Newark West Side], 1989 [1st, N.J. Section 2 Group 4 Sectionals, Morristown]
47.4h … Charlz Hester [Toms River South], 1998 [1st, S.J. Group 3, Egg Harbor Twp.]
47.57 … Nakia Fenner [Newark East Side], 1994 [unknown]
47.58 … Clayton Gravesande [Franklin Twp.], 2010 [1st, N.J. Section 2 Group 4 Sectionals, Ridge]
47.59 … Jade Smith [Camden], 2002 [4th, Meet of Champions, South Brunswick]
47.60 … Jordan Jimerson [Union Catholic], 2013 [2nd, World Youth, Edwardsville, Ill.]
47.62 … Barry Douglas [Willingboro], 1993 [1st, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
47.64 … Keith Griffith [Florence], 2010 [4th, Princeton Elite, Princeton]
47.5h … Jim Adams [Hanover Park], 1980 [unknown]
47.65 … Leonard Robbins [East Brunswick], 2011 [1st, C.J. Group 4 Sectionals, Hillsborough]
47.67 … Alex Moore [JFK-Iselin], 2017 [2nd, Group 3 States, Northern Burlington]
47.68 … Nick Brown [Bridgeton], 1999 [2nd, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
47.68 … Keith Taylor [Elizabeth], 2003 [2nd, adidas Outdoor Nationals, Raleigh, N.C.]
47.68 … Cory Poole [East Orange], 2017 [3rd, Group 4 States, Egg Harbor Twp.]
47.69 … Colin Winslow [Sayreville], 2013 [2nd, Group 4 States, Egg Harbor Twp.]
47.73 … David Fields [Monmouth Reg.], 1989 [1st, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
47.6h … Keith Davis [Lincoln], 1970 [2nd, Easterns, Randall’s Island]
47.6h … Mike Penniston [Neptune], 1976 [unknown]
47.6h … George Cooper [Newark Central], 1983 [3rd, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
47.6h … Steve Brown [McCorristin], 1983 [1st, Easterns, Randall’s Island]
47.6h … Rob Totten [Peddie], 1997 [unknown]
47.6h … Devon Matthews [Pleasantville], 1999 [2nd, S.J. Group 2 Sectionals, Buena Reg.]
47.75 … Ian Arcia [Montclair], 1994 [unknown]
47.76 … Carl Smith [Camden], 2005 [2nd, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
47.78 … Harmodio Cruz [South Brunswick], 2017 [4th, Group 4 States, Egg Harbor Twp.]
47.79 … Duan Freeman [Winslow Twp.], 2003 [2nd, Group 4 States, Egg Harbor Twp.]
47.80 … Allan Lukenheimer [Old Bridge], 2007 [1st, C.J. Group 4 Sectionals, Hillsborough]
47.83 … Antraye Miles [Winslow Twp.], 2003 [3rd, Group 4 States, Egg Harbor Twp.]
47.7h … Elliott Johnson [Ewing], 1981 [1st, Meet of Champions]
47.7h … Tyrone Elijah [Barringer], 1983 [4th, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
47.7h … Barry Solomon [Asbury Park], 1984 [1st, Shore Conference, Brick]
47.7h … Maurice Gibbs [Vailsburg], 1986 [unknown]
47.84 … Garrett Kroner [Indian Hills], 2006 [3rd, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
47.7h / 47.85 … Jason Bass [Morristown], 1990 [2nd, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
47.8h … Hardge Davis [Montclair], 1966 [1st, State Federation Championships, Highland Park]
47.88 … Shawney Kersey [Woodbury], 2009 [1st, Group 1 States, South Plainfield]
47.88 … Damiere Byrd [Timber Creek], 2011 [1st, Group 3 States, South Plainfield]
47.88 … Mike Andre [Ocean Township], 2012 [1st, C.J. Group 3 Sectionals, Monmouth Regional]
47.89 … Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], 2019 [1st, Meet of Champions, Northern Burlington]
47.89 … Damon Merkerson [St. Mary’s-Rutherford], 2007 [4th, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
47.89 … Corey Wright [Neptune], 2006 [4th, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]

Alex McGrainer, a 2013 Seneca graduate, ran 27:33.77 to place 4th in the open 8,000 at the Garden State Track Club High School Fall Showcase Meet #1.

McGrainer, the 2017 Atlantic 10 indoor 1,000 champion for Rhode Island, finished behind three GSAC teammates-  Aditya Singh, a 2014 Mahwah graduate; Matt Eder, a 2011 South Brunswick grad; and and Tony Harris, alma mater unknown. 

McGrainer, a Tabernacle Township native, placed in both the 800 and 1,600 at states his senior year at Seneca, running PRs of 1:55.91 and 4:19.83. He was an Olympic Conference, Burlington County and South Jersey Group 3 champ at 1,600 meters.

At URI, he had PRs of 1:53.26 at 800 meters and 3:55.85 for 1,500 meters, equivalent of about a 4:14.7 full mile.

Brady Shute, a senior at Woodbury, posted the 9th-fastest track 5,000 ever by a South Jersey runner at the Garden State Track Club High School Fall Showcase Meet No. 1.

Shute placed seventh in a field of top prep runner from across the Northeast in 15:27.76 in the race at Thomas Edison Park in Edison.

His time is No. 5 in state history by a Group 1 runner and fastest ever by a South Jersey Group 1 runner, about 3 1/2 seconds faster than Haddon Township’s Luke Petela ran in 2014.

The No. 4 time in state history by a Group 1 runner is 15:22.94 by Ben Godish of Highland Park, who finished just in front of Shute.

Shute’s Gloucester County rival, Delsea junior Andrew Littlehales, finished 8th in 15:31.60, and Collingswood senior Josh Forrest and Haddon Township junior Luke Overbeck also broke 15:50, Forrest 11th in 15:44.58 and Overbeck 12th in 15:49.04.

Gavin Sherry of Conrad High in West Hartford, Conn., ran 14:43.15 to win the race, and his teammate, Callum Sherry, was second in 15:12.51.

Shute was third among New Jersey runners, behind Edwin Klanke of St. Peter’s Prep, who was 4th in 15:20.15, and Godish.

Shute was 9th in the state Group XC race as a junior last fall and 4th in the 3,200 at Group 1 indoor states last winter.

All-Time South Jersey 5,000-Meter List
14:38.37 … Marc Pelerin [Cherokee], 2002
14:42.2 ….. Jerry Andrews [Highland], 1979
14:45.49 … Jimmy Daniels [Sterling], 2013
14:47.53 … Connor Melko [Bishop Eustace], 2019
14:48.20 … Aaron Groff [Cherry Hill East], 2016
14:51.0 … Jim Smith [Haddonfield], 1980
15:01.01 … Kevin McDonnell [Camden Catholic], 2008 
15:05.56 … Anthony Dentino [Washington Twp.], 2011
15:11.78 … Michael Ungvarsky [Cinnaminson], 2016
15:27.76 … Brady Shute [Woodbury], 2020
15:27.93 … Michael Rankin [Paul VI], 2010
15:29.53 … Sean Mulroy [Lenape], 2012
15:30.85 … Jon Vitez [Haddonfield], 2008

All-Time New Jersey Group 1 5,000 List
14:25.8 … Chris Hallinan [Bernards], 1976
14:54.15 … Chris Luciano [Mountain Lakes], 2014
14:54.87 … Craig Corti [Walkill Valley], 2014
15:22.94 … Ben Godish [Highland Park], 2020
15:27.76 … Brady Shute [Woodbury], 2020
15:31.30 … Luke Petela [Haddon Twp.], 2014

Haddonfield senior Allison Colflesh ran the No. 8 track 5,000 in South Jersey history Friday at the Garden State Track Club High School Fall Showcase Meet No. 1 at Thomas Edison Park in Edison.

Colflesh, the South Jersey Group 2 800 champ last year at 2:15.91, placed seventh in a loaded field in 17:50.26 in her first lifetime track 5,000.

Her time is fastest by a South Jersey girl since another Haddonfield runner, Meghan Malloy, ran 17:40.49 to win the 2013 Rowan Open. 

Collingswood senior Sophie Steidle, the state Group 1 champ in the outdoor 1,600 and 3,200, placed 10th in 18:09.30

North Carolina signee Brooke Rauber of Tully, N.Y., won the race in 16:32.62. Rauber won the IAAF world junior Pan Am Games XC race in February in Vancouver.

The Haddonfield and Cherry Hill East boys and girls XC teams will get to race against some of the best teams in the state next month at a new invitational scheduled for next month in Colts Neck.

With XC meets all over the state getting cancelled and states and Meet of Champions already called off, long-time Colts Neck coach Jim Schlentz put together a small XC meet featuring some of the best teams in the state.

The meet will be held with COVID-19 restrictions and safety measures in place, but will give Haddonfield and Cherry Hill East an opportunity to race teams they won’t have another chance to compete against this fall.

The Cougar Invitational Team Challenge is scheduled for Oct. 10 at Bucks Mill Recreation Area. Spectators won’t be allowed, starting positions will be separated by a six-foot buffer zone, chip timing will be used to avoid a crowded finish and the fields will be limited to eight teams each.

Haddonfield boys are ranked No. 17 in the state and the girls are ranked No. 8. Cherry Hill East boys are ranked No. 4 and the girls No. 13.

In the boys meet, Haddonfield and Cherry Hill East will face CBA, Ridge, Colts Neck, Middletown South, Westfield and Summit, all ranked in the top 10 in New Jersey by MileSplit.

The girls meet will also feature Middletown South, Colts Neck, Westfield, Ridge, Summit and Red Bank Catholic, all ranked among the top 16 in the state.

The Haddonfield and Cherry Hill East boys finished 3rd and 8th in the Meet of Champions last year. The Haddonfield girls finished 4th.