Juniors Flora Ahiarakwe and Shakira Dancy both ran sub-58 splits, and the Winslow Township girls roared to a Millrose Games qualifier in the Suburban 1,600-meter relay at the Millrose Trials at the Armory on Wednesday.

Winslow won its race in 3:57.71 and wound up with the top overall time in the various unseeded heats, with North Rockland of New York 1-100th of a second back in 3:57.72 in the previous heat.

Senior Iyianna Williams led off for Winslow with a 60.2, with Ahiarakwe next in 57.3. Junior Maryn Hess split 1:02.5, and Dancy anchored in 57.8.

Winslow’s time is No. 1 by a New Jersey school this year and No. 6 nationally. It’s also not far off the 3:57.05 Winslow ran at New Balance Nationals last year, which was the fastest by a South Jersey school in 2016.

Dancy won the 200 last spring at the Meet of Champions and placed second to Olympian Sydney McLaughlin in the 400.

Williams, Ahiarakwe and Dancy all ran on the Eagles’ winning 4-by-1 team and second-place 4-by-4 team at Meet of Champions last year.

Th 110th annual Millrose Games are scheduled for Feb. 11 at the 168th Street Armory in New York.

Winslow’s fastest previous time this winter was a 4:04.47 at one of the South Jersey Track Coaches Association meets at the Bubble in Toms River. Their time is fastest by a South Jersey school since Kingsway ran 3:56.54 in 2014 at nationals.

Rancocas Valley nearly broke 4:00, with Shauna Nuss, Sydne Nance, Nora Strittmatter and Aliyah Taylor running 4:01.60.

Taylor, the 55-meter dash Meet of Champions winner a year ago for Pemberton, is beginning her first year at Rancocas Valley. Nance (58.9) and Taylor (58.3) both broke 59 seconds for the Red Devils.

Now a senior, Pennsauken’s Martin Booker is off to a hot start this winter, with a near-PR 6.55 and a PR 22.54 double-win in an early season South Jersey Track Coaches Association meet at the Bubble in Toms River.

Booker’s PR in the 55-meter dash is 6.49 at last year’s state group 3 meet, so he’s already only 6-100ths of a second off his PR very early this winter.

Booker’s 55 time is No. 1 in South Jersey in the early going this winter and No. 4 in New Jersey. His 200 is No. 1 in New Jersey.

His previous indoor PR in the 200 was a 22.55 that earned him second in the Meet of Champions last winter behind Thomas Kalieta Jr. of Matawan (who was in a different section of the race).

The 200 of course is a completely different race indoors and out. Indoors, much depends on lane assignment. Booker’s outdoor PR at 200 meters is 21.72, second in the outdoor Meet of Champions, again behind Kalieta Jr.

At the Hispanic Games at the Armory in New York on Saturday, Booker was back at work, anchoring Pennsauken to a fifth place in 1:31.37 in a loaded field. Pennsauken ran slightly faster, 1:31.23, in the prelims, the No. 1 time in the state this year and No. 8 nationally.

Booker also ran the open 200 at the Hispanic Games, running slightly faster in the prelims (22.57) than the final (22.65).

 

Alyssa Aldridge put a giant exclamation point on the end of one of the greatest seasons ever by a South Jersey runner on Saturday when she placed 13th at the Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego.

The top 14-finish earned Aldridge All-America status against a field of the fastest girls in the country.

Aldridge, a junior at Mainland Regional High School in Atlantic County, ran 17:55 over the historic 5,000-meter Balboa Park course in downtown San Diego.

She ran 25 seconds faster than last year, when she placed 23rd.

Only two South Jersey girls have ever finished higher at Foot Locker nationals.

Olympian Erin Donahue finished 17th in 1998 and Kingsway’s Chelsea Ley was 18th in 2007 and 8th in 2008.

Let’s take a look at every New Jersey girl that’s run at Foot Locker nationals:

1979
3rd Ann Gladue 12 (Bayley Allard) 17:51

1981
5th Janet Smith 10 (J.P. Stevens) 17:11.7
12th Theresa Gschwind 12 (Summit) 17:31.5
22nd Meg Waldron 11 (Bernards) 18:20.2

1982
2nd Michelle Rowan 12 (Washington Twp.) 17:02.3
5th Janet Smith 11 (J.P. Stevens) 17:13.6

1983
1st Janet Smith 12 (J.P. Stevens) 16:43.7
12th Missy Duchini 10 (Wayne Valley) 17:57.6
24th Stacy Ann Bilotta 10 (North Hunterdon) 18:32.6

1984
28th Jen Van Horn 11 (Wayne Valley) 18:53.2

1985
10th Jodie Bilotta 10 (North Hunterdon) 17:25.6
19th Anne Letko 11 (North Hunterdon) 18:01.3

1986
17th Jodie Bilotta 11 (North Hunterdon) 18:06.8
18th Anne Letko 12 (North Hunterdon) 18:07.2

1987
5th Christi Constantin 11 (Kittatinny Regional) 17:34.9
22th Jodie Bilotta 12 (North Hunterdon) 18:27.7

1988
3 Christi Constantin 12 (Kittatinny Regional) 17:18.4
26 Kristen Hall 9 (West Morris Central) 18:44.5

1989
24th Monal Chokshi 9 (Bridgewater-Raritan) 19:01.6

1990
10th Monal Chokshi 10 (Bridgewater-Raritan) 18:08.0

1991
24th Monal Chokshi 11 (Bridgewater-Raritan) 19:00.8

1995
12th Autumn Fogg 12 (Hunterdon Central) 18:04.6

1996
31st Dana Stir 12 (Ramsey) 20:28.0

1998
7th Cate Guiney 12 (Middletwon South) 18:10.0
17th Erin Donohue 10 (Haddonfield) 18:36.9
31nd Catherine Feeney (Wayne Valley) 20:40.1
32nd Cheryl Bauer 12 (Morris Hills Mendham) 22:05.5

2001
27th Lindsay Van Austin 11 (Hawthorne Christian) 18:16.8

2002
2nd Kathleen Trotter 12 (Red Bank Regional) 17:43.9

2003
21st Jennifer Clausen 10 (Jackson) 18:27
30th Brittany Sedberry 10 (Ocean City) 19:23

2004
37th Brittany Sedberry 11 (Ocean City) 19:45

2005
6th Danielle Tauro 11 (Southern Regional) 17:41
37th Briana Jackucewicz (Colts Neck) 18:46

2006
22nd Ashley Higginson 12 (Colts Neck) 18:41

2007
18th Chelsea Ley 10 (Kingsway) 18:04
28th Kathleen McCafferty 12 (Oak Knoll) 18:36

2008
8th Chelsea Ley 11 (Kingsway) 17:49
16th Laura Vigilante (West Morris Mendham) 18:14
17th Melanie Thompson (Voorhees) 18:18
27th Katie Kellner (West Windsor-Plainsboro) 18:34

2009
7th Chelsea Ley 12 (Kingsway) 17:37
18th Marielle Hall 12 (Haddonfield) 18:05

2010
5th Megan Venables (Highland Regional) 17:35
24th Megan Lacy (Cherokee) 18:17
37th Caroline Kellner (West Windsor-Plainsboro) 18:39

2011
28th Holly Bischof (Bishop Eustace) 18:17
36th Caroline Kellner (West Windsor-Plainsboro) 18:32

2012
14th Megan Curran (Warren Hills) 17:55
18th Marisa Ruskan (Bound Brook) 18:03
27th MacKenzie (Barry Mendham) 18:20

2013
13th Briana Gess (Haddonfield) 17:51

2014
37th Eve Glassergreen (North Hunterdon) 19:07

2015
23th Alyssa Aldridge (Mainland Regional) 18:20
29th Briana Gess (Haddonfield) 18:20

2016
13th Alyssa Aldridge (Mainland Regional) 18:20

If we extrapolate only the South Jersey runners out of that list, we see that almost all of South Jersey’s damage at Foot Locker nationals has been in recent years. Take a look:

 

1982
2nd Michelle Rowan 12 (Washington Twp.) 17:02.3

1998
17th Erin Donohue 10 (Haddonfield) 18:36.9

2003
30th Brittany Sedberry 10 (Ocean City) 19:23

2004
37th Brittany Sedberry 11 (Ocean City) 19:45

2007
18th Chelsea Ley 10 (Kingsway) 18:04

2008
8th Chelsea Ley 11 (Kingsway) 17:49

2009
7th Chelsea Ley 12 (Kingsway) 17:37
18th Marielle Hall 12 (Haddonfield) 18:05

2010
5th Megan Venables (Highland Regional) 17:35
24th Megan Lacy (Cherokee) 18:17

2011
28th Holly Bischof (Bishop Eustace) 18:17

2013
13th Briana Gess (Haddonfield) 17:51

2015
23th Alyssa Aldridge (Mainland Regional) 18:20
29th Briana Gess (Haddonfield) 18:20

2016
13th Alyssa Aldridge (Mainland Regional) 18:20

From 1979 through 2002, a span of 24 years, two of 29 qualifiers came from South Jersey high schools. But since 2003, a 17-year span, some 13 of 27 have been South Jersey girls.

Aldridge becomes only the sixth girl in state history to finish in the top 23 in consecutive years. It’s quite a list, including some of the most hallowed names in New Jersey scholastic cross country history:

Janet Smith of J.P. Stevens (1981 through 1983), Jodie Bilotta of North Hunterdon (1985, 1986, 1987), Anne Letko of North Hunterdon (1985, 1986), Christi Constantin of Kittatinny Regional (1987, 1988) and Kingsway’s Ley (2007, 2008, 2009)

And don’t forget … Aldridge has one more year and one more chance at the Foot Locker series!

Alyssa Aldridge made history Saturday.

Lots of history.

♦ Aldridge, a junior at Mainland Regional, became the first girl ever from South Jersey to win the Foot Locker Northeast Regionals at historic Van Cortland Park.

♦ She became only the third New Jersey winner ever at Northeast Regionals and the first in 28 years.

♦ She ran the fastest time by a New Jersey girl at Vanny in 33 years, the third-fastest ever and the fastest by a South Jersey girl in 34 years.

♦ She became only the second South Jersey girl ever to place in the top-six at Foot Locker Regionals in back-to-back years.

And of course she established herself as a real threat to finish at or near the front at Foot Locker nationals in two weeks in San Diego.

Aldridge ran 17:40.3 to win the Foot Locker Northeast Regional race over the historic Van Cortland 5,000-meter course in New York.

Aldridge, sixth at Regionals in 17:47 and 23rd at nationals last year, finished a whopping 70 meters ahead of Jacqueline Gaughan, a junior at Exeter High in New Hampshire, who was second in 17:55.

With her 17:40, Aldridge moved into the No. 3 spot on the all-time New Jersey list at Van Cortland Park, behind only two legends from the early 1980s – Janet Smith of J.P. Stevens and Michelle Rowen of Washington Township.

Her time is No. 25 all-time on the legendary 5,000-meter Vanny course, which has been used for Foot Locker Northeast Regionals since the meet’s inception 38 years ago.

Aldridge is the third New Jersey winner ever at Northeast Regionals, after only Smith in 1983 and Christi Constantin of Kittatinny Regional in 1988.

After decades without much of a peep from South Jersey girls at Foot Locker Regionals, it’s been quite a run for South Jersey.

After South Jersey was blanked in 22 of the meet’s first 24 years, South Jersey has now had at least one qualifier 10 of the last 14 years. In all, South Jersey has had 11 qualifiers in the last 10 years.

Thirteen of the 15 Foot Locker Nationals qualifiers South Jersey has produced have been since 2003.

Here’s a look at the all-time New Jersey list at Vanny, with South Jersey girls in boldface:

• 17:08.1 … Janet Smith [J.P. Stevens], 1983
• 17:28.7 … Michelle Rowen [Washington Twp.], 1982
• 17:40.3 … Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Regional], 2015 
• 17:42.3 … Christi Constantin [Kittatinny Reg.], 1988
• 17:43.2 … Briana Gess [Haddonfield], 2013
• 17:52.0 … Ashley Higginson [Colts Neck], 2006
• 17:53.6 … Kate McCafferty [Voorhees], 2007
• 17:54.9 … Danielle Tauro [Southern Regional], 2005
• 17:55.4 … Jodie Bilotta [North Hunterdon], 1985
• 17:55.6 … Katie Trotter [Red Bank Regional], 2002
• 17:55.9 … Anne Marie Letko [North Hunterdon], 1985
• 18:00.4 … Chelsea Ley [Kingsway], 2007
• 18:00.6 … Briana Jackucewicz [Colts Neck], 2005
• 18:02.8 … Theresa Gschwind [Summit], 1981
• 18:05.9 … Melanie Thompson [Voorhees], 2008

And here’s a look at every Foot Locker Nationals qualifier from South Jersey:
1982
2nd, Michelle Rowan, 12, Washington Township, 17:28.7
1998
2nd, Erin Donohue 10, Haddonfield, 18:07.8
2003
2nd, Brittany Sedberry 10 [Ocean City], 18:16.4
2004
10th, Brittany Sedberry 11 [Ocean City], 18:33
2007
10th, Chelsea Ley, 10 [Kingsway], 18:33.1
2008
5th, Chelsea Ley [Kingsway], 18:08.3
2009
3rd, Chelsea Ley [Kingsway], 18:33.1
5th, Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 18:36.4
2010
3rd, Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 18:08.0
4th, Megan Venables [Highland], 18:11.0
2011
4th Holly Bischof [Bishop Eustace], 18:24.9
2013
5th Briana Gess [Hadonfield], 17:43.2
2015
5th Briana Gess [Hadonfield], 17:44.2
6th Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Reg,.], 17:47.8
2016
1st Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Reg,.], 17:40.3

Finally, here’s the all-time Van Cortland list, with New Jersey runners in bold face:

16:46.0 – Cathy Schiro (Dover, N.H.), 1984
17:04.7 – Lois Brommer (Mechanicsburg, Pa.), 1981
17:08.1 – Janet Smith (J.P. Stevens, N.J.), 1983
17:19.3 – Christine Curtin (Mepham, N.Y.), 1982
17:23.3 – Mary Cobb (Pittsfield, Mass.), 1994
17:25.1 – Sally Glynn (Walter Johnson, Md.), 1994
17:28.7 – Michelle Rowen (Washington Twp., N.J.), 1982
17:31.1 – Emily Jones (Harvard, Mass.), 2008
17:31.5 – Erin Sullivan (Mount Mansfield, Vt.), 1997
17:32.0 – Cheri Goddard (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), 1988
17:32.3 – Tessa Barrett (Waverly, Pa.), 2013
17:32.4 – Liz Mueller (Waterford, Conn.), 1991
17:33.4 – Ari Lambie (Bromfield, Mass.), 2002
17:34.1 – Denise Bushallow (Auburn, N.Y.), 1986
17:35.1 – Lynne Strauss (State College, Pa.), 1981
17:35.2 – Brianna Schwartz (Shaler, Pa.), 2014
17:37.1 – Dana Ostrander (Shenendehowa, N.Y.), 1994
17:37.3 – Anoush Shehadeh (Phillips Andover, N.Y.), 2013
17:37.4 – Neely Spence (Shippensburg, Pa.), 2007
17:37.7 – Shelby Greaney (Suffern, N.Y.), 2008
17:39.0 – Aisling Cuffe (Cornwall-on-Hudson, N.Y.), 2008
17:39.1 – Madeleine Davison (Wexford, Pa.), 17:39.1
17:39.3 – Ceci Hopp (Greenwich, Conn.), 1980
17:39.4 – Hannah Debase (Staples, Ct.), 2013
17:40.3 – Alyssa Aldridge (Mainland Reg.), 2016
17:40.5 – Susannah Beck (Waynflete School, Maine), 1985
17:41.5 – Erin Davis (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), 1993
17:41.5 – Jessica Lawson (Addison, N.Y.), 2015
17:41.8 – Nicole Blood (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), 2004
17:41.8 – Nicole Blood (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), 2005
17:42.1 – Hannah Davidson (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), 2006
17:42.3 – Christi Constantin (Kittatinny Reg., N.J.), 1988
17:42.5 – Stacey Prey (Brighton, N.Y.), 1984
17:42.7 – Maria Coffin (Annapolis, Md.), 2015
17:43.2 – Briana Gess (Haddonfield, N.J.), 2013
17:43.3 – Laura Craven (Beechcroft, Ohio), 1981
17:43.7 – Hannah DeBalsi (Westport, Ct.), 2015
17:44.0 – Carly Seymour (Central Cambria, Pa.), 2006
17:44.2 – Mary Kate Champagne (Plattsburgh, N.Y.), 2007
17:44.2 – Briana Gess (Haddonfield, N.J.), 17:44.2
17:45.0 – Laura Whitney (Stony Brook School, N.Y.), 1981
17:46.1 – Tara Chaplin (Union-32, Vt.), 1997
17:46.8 – Aisling Ryan (Warwick Valley, N.Y.), 2004
17:46.8 – Keely Maguire (Georgetown, Mass.), 2007
17:47.8 – Alyssa Aldridge (Mainland Reg.), 2015
17:48.4 – Natasha Roetter (Lexington, Mass.), 2001
17:48.8 – Emily Lipari (Roslyn, N.Y.), 2007
17:49.5 – Caterina Rocha (Peabody, Mass.), 2012
17:49.7 – Megan Reilly (Warwick, N.Y.), 2013
17:50.0 – Lindsey Scharf (Scarsdale, N.Y.), 2003
17:50.0 – Aislinn Ryan (Warwick, N.Y.), 2005
17:51.2 – Emma McMillan (Barrington, R.I.), 2014
17:51.5 – Amanda White (Dulaney, Md.), 1991
17:51.7 – Kacey Gibson (New Castle, Pa.), 2007
17:51.8 – Caitlin Lane (Saratoga, N.Y.), 2005
17:52.0 – Ashley Higginson (Marlboro. N.J.), 2006
17:52.1 – Hannah Davidson (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), 2004
17:52.7 – Ariel Keklak (Sudbury, Mass.), 2015
17:52.9 – Thayer Plante (Cambridge Rindge and Latin, Mass.), 1982
17:53.0 – Nnenna Lynch (Hunter College, N.Y.), 1988
17:53.6 – Madeleine Davison (Wexford, Pa.), 2014
17:54.2 – Christine Crowley (Wellesley, Mass.), 1985
17:54.2 – Jillian Mastroianni (Sayville, N.Y.), 1998
17:54.4 – Erin Dietz (Bedford, Mass.), 2014
17:54.7 – Lindsey Ferguson (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), 2005
17:54.8 – Erica Palmer (Monadnock, N.H.), 1997
17:54.9 – Danielle Tauro (Southern Reg., N.J.), 2005
17:55.2 – Jacqueline Gaughan (Exeter, N.Y.), 2016
17:55.4 – Jodie Bilotta (North Hunterdon, N.J.), 1985
17:55.6 – Katie Trotter (Red Bank Reg., N.J.), 2002
17:55.7 – Anna Flynn (Ursuline, N.Y.), 2014
17:55.9 – Anne Letko (North Hunterdon, N.J.), 1985
17:55.9 – Peggy Melonic (East Aurora, N.Y.), 1997
17:55.9 – Alison Smith (Columbia, Md.), 2006
17:56.7 – Eileen Ellig (Rutland, Vt.), 1984
17:57.5 – Eleanor Lawler (Wakefield, R.I.), 2015
17:57.9 – Kristin Seabury (Stoneham, Mass.), 1985
17:58.4 – Sage Hurta (Hamilton, N.Y.), 2015
17:58.7 – Marissa Sheva (Sellersville, Pa.), 2014
17:58.8 – Donna Fidler (Norristown, Pa.), 1994
17:59.3 – Molly Huddle (Notre Dame, N.Y.), 2001
17:59.8 – Maria Coffin (Annapolis, Md.), 2016

Natalie Cooper’s top-50 finish at the NCAA Division 3 cross country nationals would be amazing even if it weren’t for the remarkable way she got there.

Her path to the top 50 makes the story even crazier.

Cooper was often injured during her running career at Moorestown High School. When she was healthy enough to train and race, she had success. But those moments were infrequent.

As a sophomore, she placed fourth in the Group 3 XC sectionals at Delsea with an 18:56, which put her ahead of some pretty accomplished runners, including future Meet of Champions winner Devin Grisbaum of Ocean City. She also ran an 11:17 for 3,200 meters that spring, which got her in the top 20 at Meet of Champs.

But injuries slowed her down as a junior and senior, and when she was healthy enough to race she was far off her pace as a sophomore.

But she never quit and never stopped running. And it paid off.

Cooper entered the College of New Jersey in the fall of 2015 and ran for the Lions, who count as one of their coaches former Rancocas Valley star Mike Walker. But she didn’t break into TCNJ’s top-seven as a freshman, and her season highlights take up all of three lines on the TCNJ web site.

Which brings us to this year. Cooper finally found herself healthy again and enjoyed an amazing season this year racing for TCNJ.

She ran a very strong 16th with 21:31 over 6K on the challenging Lehigh course at the Paul Short Invite. She took fifth in the Rowan Invite in 21:02. She easily won the New Jersey Athletic Conference race at Stockton. She ran sixth in a loaded race at the NCAA Division 3 Atlantic Regionals. She was named NJAC Runner of the Year.

It was a season nobody saw coming, including her coaches and Cooper herself.

And it all led to the NCAA Division 3 Nationals in Louisville, Ky.

There, over 6,000 meters at Tom Sawyer State Park, Cooper ran 21:29 to place 47th overall in a field of nearly 300 women. She was the 12th sophomore across the line and actually PR’d for 3,000 with a 10:19 along the way.

Cooper was actually in the top 20 until the final 400 meters, which says that with another year of solid training under her belt she’s a real threat to earn All-America status next year.

Her 47th-place finish is best by a TCNJ woman in nine years, since Martine McGrath, who ran scholastically at West Long Branch, placed 10th in the 2007 meet.

For any young runner out there struggling with injuries, Cooper’s story should be a terrific lesson in determination and persistence. If you keep going, don’t quit and believe in yourself, amazing things can happen!

Cooper, who ran for John Denning at Moorestown, will run the 3,000 and 5,000 in track, and if her XC season is any sign, she’s in store for a lot more success for the Lions this winter and spring.

 

Senior Rachel Vick placed third overall and led the Kingsway girls to a remarkable third-place finish Saturday in the Meet of Champions cross country championship race at historic Holmdel County Park.

Junior Alexis Mullarkey placed 28th in 19:44 — 65 seconds faster than she ran at states. She was 13th among girls running for full teams.

Third place is the best finish ever at the girls Meet of Champions by a Gloucester County school and the best by a South Jersey school in 13 years.

Kingsway became the  first South Jersey girls team to finish in the top three in a Meet of Champions since Shawnee won in 2013. It’s been over 20 years since a school outside Burlington County finished in the top three in the girls meet. Shawnee and Moorestown each have had two top-three finishes since.

What’s more amazing is that Kingsway had never even qualified for the Meet of Champions before. So the Dragons placed third in their first trip ever to the M-of-C (although Mullarkey in 2015 and Vick kin 2014 had run as individuals).

No Gloucester County school had even placed in the top 10 in the girls M-0f-C since Delsea was eighth in 2009.

What’s even more amazing is that Kingsway advanced to the M-of-C as a wild card after finishing fifth at states. At the M-of-C, the Lady Dragons turned the tables on Hillsborough and Shawnee, who they lost to in the state Group 4 meet.

Ridge won the team title with 71 points, followed by North Hunterdon with 117 and Kingsway with 132. Shawnee was fourth (179), giving Group 4 the top four spots in the race.

Kingsway averaged 19:59 per girl for its top five of Vick (18:41), junior Mullarkey (28th in 19:44), senior Destiny Stanford (55th in 20:16), sophomore Lauren Krott (71st in 20:33) and senior McKenzie Nugent (81st in 20:44).

That’s the fifth-fastest average in the last 20 years (and probably ever) at Holmdel by a South Jersey girls school, behind 2013 Haddonfield (19:35), 2013 Shawnee (19:49), 2005 Haddonfield (19:53) and 2006 Cherry Hill East (19:56).

How well did Kingsway run? Five of the top 20 South Jersey finishers wore a Kingsway singlet.

Krott, who wasn’t even in Kingsway’s top-5 at states, was the Lady Dragons’ fourth runner Saturday and ran 37 seconds faster than she did a week earlier on the same course.

Congrats to everybody involved with the Kingsway program for a remarkable day Saturday at the Meet of Champs!

In her final college cross country race, Erika Kemp earned All-America honors by placing 17th of 250 entrants in the NCAA Cross Country Championships Saturday at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Ind.

Kemp, a Mount Holly native and Rancocas Valley graduate, helped N.C. State place fourth overall in the country, the Wolfpack’s best finish since the 2001 team placed second.

Kemp ran 20:10.6 over the 6,000-meter course, finishing just eight seconds out of the top 10 and 29 seconds behind winner Karissa Schweitzer.

Kemp’s best previous finish at NCAA cross country was 57th last year. Including indoor and outdoor track, she’s now a three-time NCAA All-America.

N.C. State scored 223 points, finishing 98 behind overall winner Oregon, who scored 125 and won by one point over Michigan. Colorado was third with 134 and N.C. State was on the podium for the first time in 14 years with 223 points for fourth.

Kemp ran 10:40 for 3,200 meters for R.V. in 2012, winning the state Group 4 title and placing fifth in the Meet of Champions.

Kemp’s 17th-place finish matches the best by an N.C. women since 2006, when Julia Lucas placed fourth (although she ran 38 seconds slower than Kemp on the same course). In 2009, Emily Pritt also placed 17th.

Alyssa Aldridge etched her name into the record books Saturday by becoming only the third South Jersey girl in the meet’s 44-year history to win consecutive Meet of Champions titles.

The Mainland Regional junior covered the Holmdel County Park hills in 17:55, a personal best on the historic 5,000-meter layout and the fifth-fastest time ever by a South Jersey girl at Holmdel.

Aldridge won last year’s race in 18:07 and became the first girl to repeat since Melanie Thompson of Voorhees in 2007 and 2008.

The only other repeat winners from South Jersey are Olympian Erin Donohue of Haddonfield in 1999 and 2000 and Ocean City’s Brittany Sedberry in 2003 and 2004.

This is a record four straight wins by South Jersey girls. Haddonfield’s Briana Gess, second Saturday, won in 2013, and Devin Grisbaum won in 2014.

South Jersey girls have won seven of the last eight individual titles after winning just six of the first 36.

Aldridge won by about 450 meters over Gess. Her 40-second margin of victory is largest in 16 years, since Erin Donohue finished 46 seconds ahead of Jesse Mizzen of Passaic Valley in 2000. Kingsway’s Rachel Vick placed third, making it a 1-2-3 South Jersey sweep, and also led the Dragons to a remarkable third-place finish.

It’s the first sweep of the top four places by South Jersey girls since 2009, when Kingsway’s Chelsea Ley, Highland’s Megan Venables and Haddonfield’s Marielle Hall took the first three spots.

Here is the updated all-time South Jersey performance list at Holmdel:

17:28 Megan Venables [Highland Reg.], 2010
17:40 Michelle Rowen [Washington Twp.], 1982
17:44 Chelsea Ley [Kingsway], 2008
17:45 Briana Gess [Haddonfield], 2013
17:55 Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 2010
17:55 Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland], 2015
18:09 Holly Bischof [Bishop Eustace], 2010
18:12 Brittany Sedberry [Ocean City], 2004
18:17 Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2009
18:18 Theresa Catunna [Cherry Hill East], 2006
18:20 Devin Grisbaum [Ocean City], 2014
18:22 Vanessa Wright [Haddonfield], 2004
18:27 Erin Donohue [Haddonfield], 2000
18:28 Grace Yoon [Cherry Hill East], 2016
18:29 Rachel Vick [Kingsway], 2016
18:38 Casey Doyle [Shawnee], 2007
18:40 Mindy Rowand [Sterling], 1984
18:40 Dina Iacone [Washington Twp.], 2011
18:41 Shelby Cain [Haddonfield], 2011
18:43 Amanda Goetschius [Delsea], 2005

There’s plenty more to talk. The Kingsway girls ran great. So did Shawnee. Alyssa Condell of Timber Creek broke 19 at Holmdel. And we’ll go over the boys race, too! All coming up later today and in the next few days!

It could be a historic day for South Jersey Saturday at the 44th annual Meet of Champions cross country championships at legendary Holmdel County Park.

South Jersey runners own four of the top eight times going into Saturday from the various state meets, and that doesn’t take into consideration that Brianna Gess has run almost a minute faster in the past at Holmdel than she did at states on Saturday.

Here are your top eight seeds for Saturday morning:

18:06 … Alyssa Aldridge, Mainland Regional
18:27 … Olympia Martin, Ridgewood
18:27 … Grace Yoon, Cherry Hill East
18:28 … Rachel Vick, Kingsway
18:29 … Niamh Hayes, Howell
18:38 … Jade Tricomy, Toms River North
18:39 … Elene DiMarcello, North Hunterdon
18:42 … Brianna Gess, Haddonfield

Three of the four girls that broke 18:30 at states are from South Jersey, and although anything can happen Saturday, it does set up the possibility for the first truly deep South Jersey finish at Meet of Champions in years.

Here’s a look at all the South Jersey girls who broke 20 minutes at states and are in the field Saturday:

18:06 … Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Reg.]
18:27 … Grace Yoon [Cherry Hill East]
18:27 … Rachel Vick [Kingsway]
18:42 … Briana Gess [Haddonfield]
19:00 … Alyssa Condelll [Timber Creek]
19:18 … Alexa Weber [Ocean City]
19:23 … Sarah Pierce [Cherry Hill East]
19:27 … Madison Coppolino [Sterling]
19:49 … Destiny Stanford [Kingsway]
19:55 … Carley Tool [Seneca]
19:57 … Julia Rothstein [Clearview]

It’s been seven years since South Jersey had four girls in the top eight at a Meet of Champions. In 2009, Kingsway’s Chelsea Ley, Highland’s Megan Venables and Haddonfield’s Marielle Hall swept the top three spots, and Megan Lacy of Cherokee was seventh.

The last time even three South Jersey runners placed in the top eight was 2010, when Venables and Holly Bishof of Bishop Eustace went 1-2, and Cherokee’s  Lacy finished fourth.

South Jersey is also looking for its fourth consecutive individual title. following wins by Gess in 2013, Devin Grisbaum of Ocean City in 2014 and Aldridge last year.

Going back to Ley in 2009, Venables in 2010 and Bischof in 2011, South Jersey girls have won six of the last seven titles after winning just six of the previous 36.

Here’s the updated all-time South Jersey Holmdel list:

17:28 Megan Venables [Highland Reg.], 2010
17:40 Michelle Rowen [Washington Twp.], 1982
17:44 Chelsea Ley [Kingsway], 2008
17:45 Briana Gess [Haddonfield], 2013
17:55 Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 2010
18:05 Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland], 2015
18:09 Holly Bischof [Bishop Eustace], 2010
18:12 Brittany Sedberry [Ocean City], 2004
18:17 Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2009
18:18 Theresa Catunna [Cherry Hill East], 2006
18:20 Devin Grisbaum [Ocean City], 2014
18:22 Vanessa Wright [Haddonfield], 2004
18:27 Erin Donohue [Haddonfield], 2000
18:28 Grace Yoon [Cherry Hill East], 2016
18:29 Rachel Vick [Kingsway], 2016
18:38 Casey Doyle [Shawnee], 2007
18:40 Mindy Rowand [Sterling], 1984
18:40 Dina Iacone [Washington Twp.], 2011
18:41 Shelby Cain [Haddonfield], 2011
18:43 Amanda Goetschius [Delsea], 2005
18:44 Arianna McKinney [Highland], 2003
18:49 Mara Sschiffhauer [Seneca], 2013
18:50 Dawn Cody [Paul VI], 1982
18:50 Jamie Wisgerber [Woodstown], 1994
18:50 Meghan Malloy [Haddonfield], 2011
18:52 Lisa Burkholder [Cherokee], 2004
18:53 Renee Tomlin [Ocean City], 2005
18:57 Lori Watson [Cherry Hill East], 1983
18:58 Abbey Hartman [Ocean City], 1996
18:59 Wendy Westphal [Highland], 1982
18:59 Kara Bonner [Shawnee,], 2015
19:00 Katie Van Horn [Triton], 2004

The official NJSIAA Meet of Champions, which lists all the boys and girls individual and team winners  in meet history is here.

The boys race is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m., with the girls race following at 11:45 a.m.

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Mainland Regional senior Alyssa Aldridge, the defending Meet of Champions winner, ran nearly as fast Saturday in winning states by nearly a minute than she ran a year ago in winning the Meet of Champions.

That certainly points to the possibility of Aldridge’s first sub-18 clocking on the hilly and historic 5,000-meter course at Holmdel County Park.

Aldridge won by 240 meters over Colts Neck sophomore Colleen Megerle, who was second in 18:59.

Nobody in any of the other state races Saturday broke 18:28, so Aldridge is 21 seconds faster than the field going into the Meet of Champions.

Aldridge won the M-of-C in 18:06 last year and ran 18:07 on Saturday. Some statisticians will say Aldridge matched her Meet of Champions time, since her official FAT time last year was 18:06.25, which rounds up to 18:07. Times were not recorded beyond minutes and seconds this year.

In any case, an 18:07 over 5,000 meters comes out to just over 5:50 per mile. To break 18, she would need to lower than only to 5:48.

Only five South Jersey girls have ever broken 18 minutes at Holmdel:

17:28 … Megan Venables [Highland Reg.], 2010
17:40 … Michelle Rowen [Washington Twp.], 1982
17:44 … Chelsea Ley [Kingsway], 2008
17:45 … Briana Gess [Haddonfield], 2013
17:55 … Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 2010

Aldridge ranks sixth on the all-time South Jersey list, just behind that group.

In state history, only 14 girls have broken 18 minutes at Holmdel, most recently Gess in 2013. Aldridge currently ranks 16th on the all-time state list, maintained by Pat Monferrat.

For the full all-time South Jersey  list, click here.