From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Cinnaminson senior Jacob Wickersham continued his outstanding fall season with a 2nd-place finish in the Varsity E race at the 53rd annual Shore Coaches Invitational.

Wickersham ran 16:21 over 5,000 meters at Holmdel County Park and placed 2nd, just three seconds behind Bernards senior Brody Watt of Bernards, a 4:12 miler.

Wickersham’s previous Holmdel best was a 16:43 at last year’s Meet of Champions, so he beat that by 22 seconds on Saturday morning.

His time is fastest by a Cinnaminson runner since Austin Gabay ran 15:58 at the 2019 Shore Coaches Invite.

Also in the top 10 were Haddonfield senior Michael Sinnes [4th in 16:45] and Cedar Creek senior Sean Martino [16:51].

Also in the top 20 were Woodstown senior Jacob Marino [17:01], Middle Township junior Jamar Mack [16th in 17:16], Haddonfield senior Brandon Stoner [17th in 17:16] and junior Lucas Laganella [18th in 17:23] and senior Cedar Creek Ryan McCann [19th in 17:26].

Haddonfield, competing without most of its top group, placed 2nd in team scoring with 120 points. Bernards won with 48.

Woodstown took 3rd [142], Cinnaminson was 4th [161] and Cedar Creek placed 6th [190].

Senior Julia Flanagan ran the fastest time ever by a Holy Cross girl on the legendary Holmdel County Park course Saturday morning at the 53^rd annual Shore Coaches Invitational.

In a race with two of the top schools in the counry – No. 3 Union Catholic and No. 24 Shenendehowa of Clifton Park, N.Y – Flanagan placed 8^th overall in  18:51 [we think].

Her previous Holmdel best was 20:08 at last year’s Meet of Champions, so she beat that by .

Because of the usual timing issues when any company other than Tomhawk is involved, Flanagan was initially credited with a time of 30:51 with the winning time showing as 28:57. Her time was briefly listed as 18:51 before going back to 30:51.

It’s unbelievable that in 2025 major track and cross country meets still can’t get results correct.  Unbelievable but not that surprising since it happens all the time.

In any case, the previous best time at Holmdel was 19:17 by Kari Vigerstol when she won the 1994 Parochial A state meet by over half a minute.

Villanova freshman Maeve Smith from Ocean City led the South Jersey contingent Friday at the 51^st annual Paul Short Invitational at Lehigh.

Smith covered the challenging 6,000-meter course mostly in Bethlehem and partly in Lower Saucon Township in a lifetime all-course best 21:03 in the Women’s Gold Race.

She was the 8^th-fastest of nearly 400 freshmen women in the four college races and placed her 80^th-fastest out of nearly 1,400 runners in the race merge.

Smith was Villanova’s 6^th finisher, and the Wildcats – unranked last week in the national poll – won the team title 110-115 over No. 15 Penn State. PSU is ranked No. 1 in the USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Region, followed by West Virginia, Georgetown, Princeton and Villanova. Georgetown was 3^rd with with 143 points. West Virginia didn’t race at Paul Short. Princeton competed in a non-scoring race.

For Smith, her time over 6,000 meters was almost the same pace as her fastest race ever over 5.000 meters. And she did it on a challenging course that hosted the NCAA Championships in 1979, 1983 and 1993.

A 21:03 on a 6,000-meter course is 17:32 pace for 5,000 meters. Smith’s 5,000 PR is 17:27 from the 2023 Cape-Atlantic Conference Championships on the flat, fast Stockton University course in Galloway Township.

Eastern graduate Alexis Tepper, a junior at Maryland-Baltimore County, was the Retrievers’ top finisher and ran 21:17 in the Women’s Gold Race and was the 2^nd-fastest South Jersey runner.

East Stroudsburg junior Payton Falkenstein from Burlington Township placed 15^th in the Women’s Brown Race and ran 21:25, some 89 seconds faster than she ran last year.

Penn State freshman Liliah Gordon from Northern Burlington ran 21:28, an all-course PR in the Women’s Gold Race. She ran 21:30 in a home meet in State College last month.

La Salle junior Helene Usher ran 21:30 and was the Explorers’ 2^nd placer, finishing 1.2 seconds behind Gordon in the Gold Race.

Delsea grad Carly Nicholson, a Rutgers grad student from Elk Township and a transfer from Louisiana State, ran 21:31 in the Gold Race and was the Scarlet Knights’ 2^nd finisher. Her previous all-course 6,000 PR was 22:08 from a meet last month in East Lansing.

Villanova’s Maeve Smith from Ocean City is 9^th-fastest out of 400 freshman at Paul Short, fast times also for Alexis Tepper, Carly Nicholson, Payton Falkenstein, Liliah Gordon, Helene Usher!

Also, senior Gabriella Pagano from Sparta High placed 8^th in the Women’s White Race in 21:14, leading Rowan and smashing her all-course 6,000 PR of 21:25 set in Salisbury, Md., in August.

Some 59 South Jersey schools are entered in the 53^th running of the massive Shore Coaches Invitational, scheduled for Saturday at historic Holmdel County Park. The meet began in 1970 but wasn’t held in 1971, 1976 or 2020.

More than 3,000 runners are expected to compete in 26 varsity, J.V. and freshman races, including seven varsity boys races and six varsity girls events.

The meet starts at 9 a.m. with the boys J.V. E race and concludes seven hours later with the boys J.V. A race, which starts at 3:40 p.m.

Here’s a look at who’s running which race along with a race schedule. Later this week, we’ll take a look at every South Jersey individual and team that’s ever won at Shore Coaches going back to the 1970 Sterling boys.

Boys
Varsity A [2 p.m.]
Cherokee
Cherry Hill East
Eastern
Egg Harbor Township
Gloucester Tech
Lenape
Washington Township
Williamstown

Varsity B  [1:40 p.m.]
Atlantic City
Bridgeton
Kingsway
Northern Burlington
Rancocas Valley
Shawnee
Winslow Twp.

Varsity C [1:10 p.m.]
Clearview
Delsea
Deptford
Hammonton
Mainland Regional
Moorestown
Ocean City
Pennsauken
Triton

Varsity D [12:40 p.m.]
Burlington City
Delran
Gloucester
Seneca
Timber Creek
West Deptford

Varsity E [10:30 a.m.]
Bishop Eustace
Camden Catholic
Cedar Creek
Cinnaminson
Collingswood
Haddonfield
Lower Cape May
Middle Township
Salem Tech
St. Augustine
Sterling
Woodstown

Varsity F [10 a.m,]
Buena
Co-op Gateway/Woodbury
Glassboro
Haddon Heights
Haddon Township
Holy Cross
Maple Shade
Oakcrest
Paul VI
Paulsboro

Varsity G [9:30 a.m.]
Audubon
Schalick
Moorestown Friends
Palmyra
Pitman
Riverside
Wildwood Catholic

Girls
Varsity A [1:25 p.m.]
Cherokee
Cherry Hill East
Eastern
Egg Harbor Township
Lenape
Rancocas Valley
Washington Township

Varsity B [12:55 p.m.]
Gloucester Tech
Kingsway
Moorestown
Shawnee
Williamstown
Winslow Twp.

Varsity C [12:25 p.m.]
Clearview
Atlantic City
Bridgeton
Delsea
Deptford
Hammonton
Mainland Regional
Northern Burlington
Ocean City
Pennsauken
Seneca
Triton

Varsity D [10:55 a.m.]
Delran
Gloucester
Middle Township
Paul VI
Sterling
West Deptford
Woodstown

Varsity E [10:15 a.m.]
Bishop Eustace
Buena
Burlington City
Camden Catholic
Cinnaminson
Collingswood
Glassboro
Haddon Heights
Haddon Township
Haddonfield
Holy Cross
Lower Cape May
Moorestown Friends

Varsity F [9:45 a.m.]
Audubon
Cedar Creek
Schalick
Maple Shade
Oakcrest
Palmyra
Paulsboro
Pitman
Riverside
Wildwood Catholic

Race Schedule
9 a.m. – Boys JV E
9:15 a.m. – Girls JV C
9:30 a.m. – Boys Varsity G
9:45 a.m. – Girls Varsity F
10 a.m. – Boys Varsity F
10:15 a.m. – Girls Varsity E
10:30 a.m. – Boys Varsity E
10:45 a.m. – Girls Varsity D
11:10 a.m. – Boys Freshman C
11:25 a.m. – Girls Freshman B
11:40 a.m. – Boys Freshman B
11:55 a.m. – Girls Freshman A
12:10 p.m. – Boys Freshman A
12:25 p.m. – Girls Varsity C
12:40 p.m. – Boys Varsity D
12:55 p.m. – Girls Varsity B
1:10 p.m. – Boys Varsity C
1:25 p.m. – Girls Varsity A
1:40 p.m. – Boys Varsity B
2 p.m. – Boys Varsity A
2:20 p.m. – Boys JV D
2:35 p.m. – Girls JV B
2:50 p.m. – Boys JV C
3:05 p.m. – Girls JV A
3:20 p.m. Boys JV B
3:40 p.m. – Boys JV A

Sophomore Wyatt Evans and junior Duke Snyder-Shellito placed 1-2 and led Gloucester County Tech to the team title Wednesday at the South Jersey Tech School Championships in Westampton.

Evans ran 17:15 and Snyder-Shellito 17:40 over 5,000 meters at Westampton Tech, and Gloucester won 22-73 over Salem Tech, with Medford Tech a close 3^rd with 75 points. Gloucester went 1-2-5-6-8.

Also in Gloucester’s top five were junior Ryan Ejjalili [5^th in 18:45], junior Logan Monaghan [6^th in 18:49] and freshman A.J. Trampe [8^th in 19:00].

Also in the top 10: Medford Tech senior Marcos Paulino [3^rd, 17:54], Medford junior Chris Davis [4^th, 18:22], Cape May Tech senior Evan Feliciano [7^th, 18:50], Atlantic County sophomore Carlos Blackman [9^th, 19:03] and Salem freshman Levi Seals [10^th, 19:04].

Gloucester also won the girls meet, outscoring 2^nd-place Atlantic County Tech 17-60.

Gloucester sophomore Jordan Moczydlowski was first across the line in 21:05, and after Cape May County senior Kirstyn McHale took 2^nd in 22:58, Gloucester had the next three finishers: junior Natalie Pandolfo [3^rd, 23:02], sophomore Isabel Guerra [4^th, 23:07] and freshman Frances Carnevale [5^th, 23:32]. Gloucester’s 5^th scorer was junior Eunice Sta Clara [9^th, 24:58].

Also in the top 10: Cape May freshman Rosa Cameron [6^th, 23:35], Burlington sophomore Addisyn Kriza [7^th, 23:51], Atlantic County senior Aniyah Hargis [8^th, 24:46] and Salem freshman Paityn Harrington [10^th, 25:03].

Collingswood senior Landon Forero recorded his first win in track or cross country Tuesday when he was 1st of 54 runners in a five-team Colonial Conference batch meet at West Deptford Park.

Forero ran 17:35 and won by 250 meters over Gloucester seniors Vincent Kelly and Marcus Flagg, who both ran 18:34.

Also in the top 10 were Collingswood sophomore Owen Garvey [4th, 19:13], West Deptford junior Hunter Whinna [5th, 19:13], Paulsboro junior Jeffery Taylor [6th, 19:23], Gloucester senior Johnny Chen [7th, 19:25], Collingswood junior Michael Huerta [8th, 19:28], Gloucester senior Trey Reed [9th, 19:32] and Colingswood senior Josiah Zook [10th, 19:32].

West Deptford senior Kayla Romanoski won the girls race in 20:51, with Collingswood sophomore Hazel Straight and senior Macie Straight 2nd and 3rd in 20:57 and 22:23. Lindenwold senior Daisy DelaRosa placed 4th in 22:52.

Holy Cross senior Julia Flanagan became the 7th girl to break 18 minutes on the Six Flags 5,000-meter course in Jackson when she won the Wild Safari Varsity D race Saturday.

Flanagan ran 17:58, the 6th-fastest time in course history and fastest ever by a South Jersey girl. The previous course best by a South Jersey was 18:09 by Washington Township’s Dina Iacone in 2011.

Flanagan won by 50 meters over Nieve Keitel of Germantown Academy in Whitemarsh Township, Montgomery County, who was 2nd in 18:08.

This was Flanagan’s second straight race under 18 minutes. She ran an all-course best of 17:53 at Ocean County Park in Lakewood earlier this month when she won the Battle at Ocean County Park.

So Flanagan’s two-fastest 5,000 times have come in Ocean County.

Flanagan’s 17:58 was 2nd-fastest of all girls in all four varsity races at the Wild Safari 5K. Sophomore Dominique Cameron of Leonia ran 17:57 to win the Varsity C race.

Flanagan ran 10:52.74 last spring to win the state Parochial B 3,200 at Stockton University in Galloway Township, and she’s the top returning two-miler in South Jersey.

Next for Flanagan is the Shore Coaches Invitational Saturday at Holmdel County Park. Flanagan will compete in the Varsity E race at 10:15 a.m.

The fastest Holy Cross girl at Holmdel is Kari Vigerstol, who ran 19:17 when she won the state Parochial A meet in 1994. Vigerstol was the 1993 Meet of Champions 1,600 winner outdoors.

Also under 20 at Holmdel for Holy Cross: Michy Redmbold [19:41 at 1980 Group 3 meet], Karen Fileshifter [19:44 at 1980 Meet of Champions], Andrea Dippolito [19:46 at 1995 Meet of Champions] and Kathleen Porter [19:53 at 1998 Meet of Champions].

Senior Erik Preisner, junior Nathan Aschmann and junior Keenan Neuman all placed in the top 10 and the Ocean City boys won the Varsity B team title Saturday at the Six Flags Wild Safary Invitational in Jackson.

Preisner ran 15:40 and placed 2^nd to junior Timothy Claessens of Newark (Del.) Charter, who ran 15:27.

Aschmann was 8^th in 16:04 and Neuman 10^th in 16:26 for the Red Raiders, who outscored 2^nd-place Phillipsburg, 63-111, with Allentown 3^rd with 111 after the 6^th-runner tiebreaker.

Junior Michael Romano [21^st in 16:52] and sophomore Benjamin McCarthy [24^th in 16:53] were Ocean City’s 4^th and 5^th finishers. Sophomore Hayden Tarves [35^th, all-course PR 17:26] was the Raiders’ sixth runner.

Cherry Hill West senior Rex Takakjy placed 4^th in 15:58, and Highland senior Andrew Dopkin was 11^th in 16:26.

Ocean City sophomore Riley Tolson ran a big all-course 5,000-meter PR and recorded her first career invitational win Saturday at the Six Flags Wild Safari Invitational in Jackson, leading Ocean City to 2^nd place in the Varsity B race.

Tolson ran 18:16, breaking her 5,000 PR of 18:38 set at South Jersey Group 3 sectionals last October on the DREAM Park speedway in Logan Township.

Tolson finished 150 meters ahead of 2^nd-place Lucy Myers of Notre Dame Prep of Towson, Md., who ran 18:49. Notre Dame went 2-3-5-15-18 and topped Ocean City 43-61 to win the team title.

The Red Raiders placed five runners between 12^th and 26^th, with junior Lillian Flora 12^th in 20:03, senior Gabrielle Henry 16^th in 20:14, freshman Bella Cera 18^th in 20:16, junior Peighton Clemens 23^rd in 20:21 and 6^th runner freshman Isabelle Edwards 2th in 20:28.

Delran senior Ashley Doyle ran 19:47 and placed 6^th, followed by Highland senior Lyana Gutierrez in 7^th in 19:51.

In the girls C race, Maple Shade junior Juliana Catalani placed 7^th and ran an all-course PR of19:27.

In the D race, Holy Cross senior Julia Flanagan was 1^st in 17:58, her 2^ndstraight race under 18 minutes. More on her tomorrow.

Audubon senior Riley Fayer was 4^th in 18:29, her fastest 5,000 ever.

Ocean City sophomore Riley Tolson ran a big all-course 5,000-meter PR and recorded her first career invitational win Saturday at the Six Flags Wild Safari Invitational in Jackson, leading Ocean City to 2^nd place in the Varsity B race.

Tolson ran 18:16, breaking her 5,000 PR of 18:38 set at South Jersey Group 3 sectionals last October on the DREAM Park speedway in Logan Township.

Tolson finished 150 meters ahead of 2^nd-place Lucy Myers of Notre Dame Prep of Towson, Md., who ran 18:49. Notre Dame went 2-3-5-15-18 and topped Ocean City 43-61 to win the team title.

The Red Raiders placed five runners between 12^th and 26^th, with junior Lillian Flora 12^th in 20:03, senior Gabrielle Henry 16^th in 20:14, freshman Bella Cera 18^th in 20:16, junior Peighton Clemens 23^rd in 20:21 and 6^th runner freshman Isabelle Edwards 2th in 20:28.

Delran senior Ashley Doyle ran 19:47 and placed 6^th, followed by Highland senior Lyana Gutierrez in 7^th in 19:51.

In the girls C race, Maple Shade junior Juliana Catalani placed 7^th and ran an all-course PR of19:27.

In the D race, Holy Cross senior Julia Flanagan was 1^st in 17:58, her 2^ndstraight race under 18 minutes. More on her tomorrow.

Audubon senior Riley Fayer was 4^th in 18:29, her fastest 5,000 ever.

Butler senior Austin Gabay ran an all-course lifetime-best 8,000 Saturday at the Gans Creek Classic at the University of Missouri in Columbia.

Gabay, a 2020 Cinnaminson graduate, ran 23:21, 15 seconds better than his previous 8,000 best of 23:36 that he ran last October at Sydney Marovitz Golf Course in Chicago.

Gabay was Butler’s 3^rd finisher in a meet that included eight of the top 20 teams in the USTFCCCA NCA Division 1 poll. Butler, ranked 15^th, finished 7^th. and beat three schools it’s ranked below – No. 7 Stanford, 9 Wake Forest and No. 14 Northern Arizona,

Next for the Bulldogs is the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational on Oct. 17 and then Big East on Oct. 31 in Ashland, Neb.