Seniors Nico Grilli and Brett Shea ran 1-2 to lead Cherokee to its seventh straight Burlington County Open XC title.

It’s also Cherokee’s 19th team title in the last 24 years.

Grilli ran 16:28 and Shea 16:41 over the 5,000-meter course at the Rancocas Valley Athletic Complex in Eastampton.

It was the first time the race was held at a site other than Mill Creek Park in Willingboro in 40 years. It was held at Burlington County College in Pemberton from its inception in 1970 until 1979.

For Cherokee, senior Dylan Odud ran 17:03 for 7th, sophomore Patrick Ditmars 17:17 for 12th and sophomore Conor Jacob 7:24 for 13th.

Cherokee outscored second-place Shawnee 56-35, with Moorestown third with 85 points. 

The second place is Shawnee’s best finish since 2006, when the Renegades won the team title 56-63 over Seneca. Third place is Moorestown’s best team finish since it was second to Cherokee in 2014.

Senior John Ruona led second-place  Shawnee in third with a 16:48, and senior Robert Birdsall [14th in 17:29] and junior Alex Campagna [18th in 17:38] were also in the top 20.

Ruona’s 3rd-place finish is the best by a Shawnee runner at the County Open since Connor Herr won the 2011 race.

Moorestown placed sophomores Paul Kresloff [5th in 17:00] and Colin Shand [8th in 17:13] in the top 10.

Kresloff’s finish is the highest at the County Open by a Moorestown runner since Joe Inglis took 4th in the 2012 race.

Also in the top 10 were junior Rancocas Valley Andre Faigal [4th in 16:55], Cinnaminson sophomore Alex Boyko [6th in 17:01] and Lenape junior Jake Buniva [9th in 17:15] and sophomore Colin Hermack [10th in 17:15].

Junior Kyle Rakitis placed second to Gateway/Woodbury’s Brady Shute and Kingsway raced to a close team win over West Deptford at the Gloucester County XC Championships.

The title is Kingsway’s ninth in a row.

Shute ran 15:59 over 5,000 meters at West Deptford Park to become the first repeat winner from Gateway since Paul Greenhalgh won the 1983 and 1984 titles.

According to the New Jersey Milesplit venue performance list, Shute’s time broke the course record of 16:15 set by Haddonfield’s Derek Gess at the Colonial Conference All-Star Meet in 2018.

Rakitis ran 16:16 for second, junior Ryan Allen and senior Aidan Smith took 8th and 9th for the Dragons in 17:19 and 17:20. Senior Ethan Gray and junior Thomas Driscoll rounded out Kingsway’s top-5 in 12th and 19th.

Kingsway won a wild four-team battle with 49 points, with West Deptford second with 54, Clearview with 67 and Co-Op Gateway-Woodbury fourth with 68.

It was the closest four-team finish since 1994, when Clearview [83] edged Williamstown and Kingsway [84] by one point, with West Deptford fourth with 96.

Also in the top 10 were Clearview senior Anas Bensaoud [5th in 16:53], Gateway-Woodbury freshman Peyton Shute [6th in 16:57], Williamstown senior Josh Jackson [7th in 17:12] and Gateway-Woodbury sophomore Michael Torelli [10th in 17:29].

Sophomore Aubrey Pierontoni and junior Allison Helkowski finished 1st and 2nd, leading the Kingsway girls to their sixth straight Gloucester County XC title.

Pierontoni ran 19:45 and Helkowski 19:56 at West Deptford Park, and Kingsway out-scored second-place Clearview, 25-59. 

Senior Sydney Watts, sophomore Nicole Lipieta and freshman Cassidy Dunk also scored for Kingsway, Watts in 6th in 20:29, Lipieta in 7th in 20:47 and Dunk in 9th in 20:54.

Kingsway had a 69-second gap from its first through fifth runners.

Clearview senior Katherine Byrne and sophomore Abigail Waddington ran 3rd and 5th, Byrne in 20:06 and Waddington in 20:19. Freshman Eleanor Race (12th in 21:22), senior Ava Grelli (19th in 22:16) and sophomore Abigail Kotran (20th in 22:17) also scored for Clearview.

Also in the top 10 were Delsea senior Carly Nicholson [4th in 20:15], West Deptford junior Hope Siner [8th in 20:53] and West Deptford senior Corinne Dorsett [10th in 21:01].

Mainland junior Lily Malone ran 20:03 to lead a 15-50 win over Oakcrest Monday in a Cape Atlantic League dual meet at Mainland.

Mainland, with four freshmen among its top six finishers, swept the top eight spots and improved to 3-0.

Freshman Claudia Booth finished second in 20:35, junior Savannah Hodgens was third in 21:15 and freshmen Gillian Lovett [22:02] and Chloe Malone [22:27] also scored for Mainland.

Sophomore Sydney Luff, freshman Julia Moore and senior Mary Kate Merenich made it eight straight Mustangs across the finish line.

Junior Abigail Tunney was Oakcrest’s first finisher, taking 9th in 23:18.

Haddonfield seniors Sarah Naticchia, Payton Weiner and Allison Colflesh ran three of the fastest times in the long history of the Pennypacker Park 5K course in a Colonial Conference batch meet Tuesday.

Naticchia ran 17:50, Weiner 18:05 and Colflesh 18:21 to move into the No. 3, No. 6 and No. 9 spots on the all-time course list, according to New Jersey MileSplit. 

Haddonfield’s top five averaged an astonishing 18:33, which is a huge course record.

Naticchia’s time trails only Foot Locker finalist Briana Gess [16:57 in 2013] and Olympian Marielle Hall [17:49 in 2008] at Pennypack Park.

It’s Naticchia’s fastest XC 5,000 ever on any course and her first time under 18 minutes. Her previous PR was an 18:18 at the Cougar Invitational at Buck Mill Park in Colts Neck behind Colts Neck’s Lilly Shapiro, the 2019 Meet of Champions runner-up.

Weiner’s 18:05 is her fastest 5K by 15 seconds. She ran 18:20 as a freshman in 2017 at the Colonial Conference All-Star Meet on the same course.

Colflesh’s 18:21 is also an all-course PR. She ran 18:29 as a freshman at that same Colonial Conference All-Star Meet and also at the Cougar Invite last week.

Haddonfield freshman Anne Earp, in only her fourth varsity race, placed fourth in 19:09, a 24-second PR over 19:33 at DREAM Park last week. That 19:09 is No. 19 in course history and 4th-fastest this year by any New Jersey freshman on any course.

Haddonfield’s fifth runner was senior Lindsay Colflesh, who placed sixth in 19:20. Her previous PR was a 19:29 on the same course last month.

Collingswood senior Sophie Steidle, the state Group 2 indoor 1,600 champ, ran 19:12 for fifth.

In all, Haddonfield had eight runners under 20 minutes, and all eight either set or tied their lifetime PRs over 5,000 meters for all XC courses.

Junior Jess Goode ran 19:25, sophomore Sabrina Miller 19:26 and senior Olivia Stoner 19:49. Goode’s previous 5K PR was 19:42 earlier this month, Miller’s was 19:38 earlier this month and Stoner tied her PR set last fall on the same course. 

Haddon Township junior Regan Shemeley also recorded a massive all-course 5K PR with her 19:29. Her previous fastest time was a 20:16 last week. She led Haddon Township to second place in the six-team batch meet.

Six other runners broke 21 minutes: Haddonfield freshmen Ava Thomas [20:18] and Riley Slootsky [20:29], Haddonfield senior Georgia Nussey [20:41], Haddonfield sophomore Helene Usher [20:41], Haddon Heights sophomore Ava Severino [20:46] and Haddonfield freshman Sarah Fetter [20:52].

Haddonfield’s first five freshmen – Earp, Thomas, Slootsky, Fetter and Ava Peifer – averaged 20:48 and placed 4-11-12-16-26 and would have placed if competing as a separate entity. 

West Deptford senior Zack Rhoda edged a pack of three Haddonfield runners in a fast Colonial Conference dual meet Tuesday.

Rhoda ran 16:24, with junior Tobias Janssen, senior Caleb Clevenger and senior Sean Eisenhower crossing the line between 16:25 and 16:31.

Seven runners dipped under 16:45 over the 5,000-meter course at West Deptford Park.

Haddonfield, ranked No. 8 in the state, averaged 16:33 and won 22-37, packing its five scorers within 19 seconds.

West Deptford’ junior Jacob Cobb took 5th in 16:34 before senior John Hurly [16:38] and sophomore George Andrus [16:44] completed Haddonfield’s scoring.

Also in the top 10 were Haddonfield sophomore Ian Romea [8th in 17:28] and West Deptford senior Tommy Thomasson [9th in 17:33] and Zackery Assero [10th in an all-course PR 17:42].

Some terrific pack running delivered the Olympic Conference National Division boys XC title to Paul VI Saturday.

Paul VI won with a lineup including two freshmen, two sophomores and a junior, with two sophomores rounding out their pack of seven.

Sophomore Joe Wigginton, freshman Will Mrozinski, sophomore Owen King, freshman Braden Tedesco and junior Adam Boberick all finished between 5th and 10th in the 41-runner field at DREAM Park in Logan Township, and PVI emerged first in a close three-team race.

Paul VI finished with 38 points, Camden Catholic was second with 46 and Bishop Eustace right behind with 54.

The top four runners were Camden Catholic junior Billy Clewell, Eustace juniors Anthony Faust and Ryan Carney and sophomore Braelen Crump from Camden Catholic.

But five of the next six runners were from Paul VI, and they earned the team title without a runner in the top four.

Clewell ran 16:57, finishing 50 meters in front of Faust, who was second in 17:06. Carney ran 17:51 and Crump 17:57 before the wave of Paul VI runners began crossing the line.

Wigginton ran 18:02, Mrozinski 17:04, King 18:26, Tedesco 18:49 and Boberick 18:57. They were broken up only by Camden Catholic Warren Derman, seventh in 18:10.

Only two of the top 21 finishers were seniors.

The Cherokee girls placed all five scorers among the top nine finishers and tallied just 29 points in winning the Olympic Conference American Division XC title Saturday.

Cherokee, ranked No. 15 in the state, packed its top five in 44 seconds, averaging 20:09 over the 5K layout at DREAM Park in Logan Township.

No. 16 Cherry Hill East placed second in the six-team field with 43 points followed by Eastern [92] and Shawnee [95].

Scoring against the field, Cherokee would have been a close second at 26-29.

Cherry Hill East sophomore Alexis Tepper was the overall winner in 19:37, but junior Nicole Clifford and freshman Kerry O’Day took 2nd and 3rd in 19:47 and 19:50 for Cherokee, with sophomore Kelsey Niglio [7th in 20:19] and freshmen Olivia Parkinson [8th in 20:20] and Alaina Bromley [9th in 20:31].

For O’Day, this was her first time under 20 minutes on any course and a PR by 42 seconds. Her time is No. 2 among freshmen in the three years the course has been used, behind Kate Ruona’s 18:32 for Shawnee last year. Parkinson’s time was a 55-second all-course PR.

Also in the top 10 were Washington Township senior Maura Keane [4th in 20:01], Cherry Hill East senior MaryKathleen McCurdy [5th in 20:06], Cherry Hill East junior Madison McNiff [6th in 20:14] and Eastern senior Morgan Bromley 10th in 20:41.

Shawnee’s leading runner was junior Kyra Birdsall [13th in PR 21:11] and Lenape was led by junior Grace Boltz [25th in 22:09]. 

Freshman Shaelan McNally and senior Katie Sparks finished 1st and 3rd to lead the Paul VI girls to the Olympic Conference National Division team title Saturday.

McNally ran 20:12 over 5K at DREAM Park in Logan Township, winning by about 165 meters over Eustace sophomore Arianna Cane, second in 20:52. Sparks ran 21:03 for third.

Paul VI also packed freshmen Gisella Croge and Madison Pedicelli and junior Kaitlyn McDonald 8th, 9th and 10th to round out their top-5, Croge in 22:20 and Pedicelli and McDonald with all-course 5K PRs of 22:58 and 23:07.

Paul VI finished with a 31-47 win over second-place Bishop Eustace, with Camden Catholic third at 64.

Also placing in the top-10 in the five-team race were freshman Carly Troy of Bishop Eustace [4th with 5K PR 21:15], Camden Catholic sophomore Casey Bednarek [5th in 21:48], Eustace sophomore Elena Cicchini [6th in 22:00] and Seneca senior Emma Daniels [7th in 22:16].

Senior Aidan Groff ran 16:05, and Cherry Hill East packed its five scorers in 49 seconds to win the Olympic Conference American Division XC title Saturday.

Cherry Hill East finished with a 42-45 advantage over Cherokee at DREAM Park in Logan Township, and Washington Township was third with 59 points. 

The 16:05 is an all-course 5K personal best for Groff, who ran 16:10 earlier this month at Buck Mill Park in Colts neck. His previous PR was 16:17, also earlier this month.

Groff moves up to No. 8 in course history and No. 2 in Cherry Hill East history, behind Oliver Adler’s 15:54 at last year’s Olympic Conference meet.

Senior Gabe Rodriguez was 5th in 16:23 and senior Aidan Eyre 10th in 16:37. East juniors Dylan Hagan [12th in 16:38] and Ethan Anderer [14th in 16:54] also scored, and 6th man sophomore Michael McCurdy was 15th in 16:55.

Seniors Nico Grillo and Brett Shea and sophomore Conor Jacob ran 2nd, 6th and 7th for Cherokee in 16:07, 16:24 and 16:33. 

Dylan Odud and Patrick Ditmars rounded out Cherokee’s pack, Odud in 13th in 16:52 and Ditmars 17th in 17:00. 

Jacob’s time was an all-course 5K PR by 28 seconds and Ditmars’ by 16 seconds.

Also in the top 10 were Washington Township senior Julian Lawson [3rd, 16:11, 18-second all-course PR], Shawnee senior John Ruona [4th, 16:14], Washington Township senior Cole Kolodziej [8th in 16:33] and Minuteman junior Chris Colavita [9th in 16:37, 22-second all-course PR].

Here’s what the all-time course top-10 should look like after the race:

15:12 … Ethan Wechsler [Cherokee], 2019

15:52 … Connor Melko [Bishop Eustace], 2018

15:53 … Brady Shute [Co-op Gateway/Woodbury], 2019

15:54 … Oliver Adler [Cherry Hill East], 2019

16:01 … Nico Grilli [Cherokee], 2020

16:01 … Chris Spisak [Cherokee], 2018

16:04 … Chase Miller [Cherokee], 2019

16:05 … Adan Groff [Cherry Hill East], 2020

16:07 … Tyler Jackson [Cherokee], 2019

16:10 … Jake Aylmer [Haddon Twp.], 2019