From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Williamstown senior Sophia Aldridge broke 19 minutes for a 2^nd straight race and finished first in the Gold Championship Race Saturday at the South Jersey Shootout.

Aldridge ran 18:59 at DREAM Park in Logan Township, only five seconds off the Williamstown best at DREAM Park, an 18:54 by Alyssa Boucher two years ago, when she placed 2^nd at South Jersey Group 4 Sectionals.

West Deptford senior Kayla Romanoski ran 19:49 for 2^nd place in her second competitive 5,000 in her first year of XC. She trimmed 53 seconds off her only previous 5,000, a 20:42 at Pennypacker Park earlier this week.

Maple Shade junior Juliana Catalani broke 20 minutes for the first time, placing 3^rd in 19:58.

Sophomore Makayla Zell finished 4^th in 20:10, helping Moorestown win the team title with just 20 points . Clearview and Delsea both had 77 points, with Clearview’s 6^th runner finishing one spot ahead of Delsea’s sixth for 2^nd place.

Moorestown had five finishers in the top 12, with senior Celia Frederico 6^th in 20:29, junior Catherine Hipple 8^th in 20:41, junior Siyana Sheth 10^th in 21:25 and freshman Juliet Stack Maya 12^th in 21:28. All five Moorestown scorers finished in an even-numbered place.

Also in the top 10 were West Deptford junior Taylor Sierzega [5^th in 20:16], Vineland junior Olivia Marucci [7^th in 20:33] and Delsea freshman Brooke Mashburn [9^th in 20:56].

Another win by Washington Township sophomore Trevor Szlier and some terrific pack running by Highland highlighted the boys race Saturday morning at the South Jersey Shootout.

Szlier, who won the Cherokee Challenge Sophomore Race last weekend in his first high school XC race, followed that up by winning the Shootout over 5,000 meters at DREAM Park in Logan Township.

Szlier ran 16:14, leading six runners under 17 minutes and finishing 60 meters ahead of Gateway-Woodbury senior David Houck, who was 2^nd in 16:26. There were over 100 runners in the race.

Highland had three of the top seven finishers, with senior Andrew Dopkin 3^rd in 16:28, junior Colin Roznowski 5^th in 16:48 and junior Liam Murphy 7^th in 17:04.

Other South Jersey runners in the top 10 were Gloucester senior Vincent Kelly [4^th in 16:42], Sterling junior Brady Kay [6^th in 16:55], Gloucester senior Marcus Flagg [8^th in 17:12] and Clearview senior Tyler Galtman [10^th in 17:18].

Highland outscored 2^nd-place Gloucester 36-90, with Washington Township 3^rd with 91 points.

Also in Highland’s top five were junior Pierce Dopkin [11^th in 17:21] and sophomore Oluwanifemi Fadulu [17^th in 17:44]. Not far behind were junior Tyler Boice [18^th in 17:50] and senior Daniel Gee [20^th in 18:00], giving Highland seven of the first 20 finishers.

Another invitational win Saturday for Bucknell sophomore Shaelan McNally from Paul VI, who remains unbeaten so far this XC season.

McNally, who won the Lehigh Invitational in her 2025 cross country opener two weeks ago, was first among 186 runners Saturday morning in Manhattan University’s Jasper Fall Invitational in Montgomery, Orange County, N.Y.

McNally ran 20:08 over 6,000 meters at Twin Ponds on the Farm, finishing 90 meters ahead of 2^nd-place Sierra Gray of Quinnipiac, who ran 20:26.

That 20:08 is a big all-course 6,000 PR for McNally, who ran 21:06 at the Lehigh Invitational. That’s 16:47 pace for 5,000 meters with an extra 1,000 tacked onto the end.

Next for McNally and Bucknell is the Youngstown [Ohio] State Invitational in two weeks.

Junior Maddie Dischert from Atlantic City was Rider’s No. 1 runner in 36^th place overall in 22:27

Josh Awotunde placed 7^th in the shot put final Saturday at the World Championships in Tokyo.

The 2013 Delsea graduate threw 69-4, well off his lifetime-best 73-8 ¾ last month when he won the U.S. Championships in Eugene.

Awotunde opened with a 64-11 and then hit the 69-4 on his 2^nd attempt. He finished the first round with a foul and then threw 62-7 ½ and 69-3 on his final two throws.

Awotunde, ranked 3^rd in the world, placed 3^rd at Worlds in Eugene in 2022 with a 73-1 ½. He’s No. 17 in world history and No. 10 in U.S. history.

Holy Cross senior Julia Flanagan won the Senior Class Race and sophomore Addison Weiss and Ryleigh Budsock led the Cherry Hill East girls to 2^nd place in the team merge Friday at the Battle of Ocean County Park in Lakewood.

Flanagan ran 17:53, the fastest 5,000 on any course on record by a Holy Cross girl and won the Senior Race by 75 meters over Lexie Mizzone of Voorhees, who was 2^nd in 18:11.

Her previous all-course PR over a 5,000-meter course was 18:39 last year at DREAM Park in Logan Township. She was the state Parochial A champ at 3,200 meters both indoors and outdoors last year, and her 10:52.74 at outdoor states at Stockton Unviersity in Galloway Township makes her the fastest returning two-miler in South Jersey.

Cherry Hill East, ranked No. 11 in New Jersey, finished second only to 3^rd-ranked Middletown South, 72-106.

Weiss placed 3^rd in the Sophomore Race and had the 4^th-fastest time overall from the three races at 18:06 and Budsock ran 18:55, 4^th-fastest in the Junior Race and 11^th-fastest overall. The freshman race was 3,200 meters and isn’t considered in team scoring.

Also in Cherry Hill East’s top five: Katherine Grottini, 10^th in the Junior Race and 35^th overall in 19:57, Gabriella Pizzo, 11^th in the Junior Race and 43^rd overall in 20:10 and Emmie Wang, 12^th in the sophomore race and 44^th overall in 20:17.

Cherry Hill East’s 6^th and 7^th runners, Ella Davidson and Shaelea Conway, were also among the 55-fastest of 350 runners in the three 5,000-meter races. Davidson ran 20:23 for 23^rd in the Senior Race and 46^th-fastest overal, and Conway ran 20:51 for 27^th in the Senior Race and 55^th overall.

For team scoring purposes, East went 4-9-26-33-34-(36-44).

Eastern’s Theresa Albertson placed 7^th in the Junior Race in 19:35, and Delran’s Ashley Doyle ran the same time and was 12^th in the Senior Race.  They were both tied for 23^rd-fastest in the entire field.

Alvin Lin, Cian Sherlock and Milo Poerner ran the 3^rd-, 6^th– and 11^th-fastest times out of more than 500 runners in three races, and the Cherry Hill East boys – ranked 5^th in New Jersey – won the team merge at the Battle of Ocean County Park Friday in Lakewood.

Lin ran 15:46 and placed 3^rd in the Snior Race, Sherlock ran 15:51 and took 2^nd in the junior race and Poerner ran 16:04 and was 7^th in the Senior Race.

Cherry Hill East outscored 2^nd-place St. Peter’s Prep of Jersey City, 122-129, to win the merge. Aneesh Rajagopal was 20^th in the Junior race in 16:53 and 38^th overall, and Jonathan Chalmers ran 36^th in the Junior race in 17:20 and 67^th overall.

Conan Poerner and Braden Sherlock ran 2^nd and 3^rd in the Freshman Race in 10:37 and 10:44 over two miles, but since the freshman race was not 5,000 meters the don’t count in the team competition.

Paul VI and Cinnaminson placed 3^rd and 4^th in the merge, giving South Jersey three of the top four schools overall.

PVI had an all-underclass top five of Chris Monaghan 13^th overall and 4^th in the Junior Race [16:16], Max Long 19^th and 9^th in the Junior Race [16:33], Jason Smith 28^th and 14^th in the Junior Race [16:43], Chase Cooley 31^st and 15^th in the Junior Race [16:45] and Caden Briggs 58^th and 30^thin the Junior Race [17:11], with Andrew Keane just out of the top five in 61^st at 33^rd in the Junior Race in 17:14.

Paul VI soph Nick Ablaza also had a top-10 finish, running 17:41 for 10^th in the Sophomore Race, and Kevin Huber ran 11:31 for two miles for 8^th in the freshman race.

Cinnaminson was led by Jacob Wickersham, who ran 15:44, the 2^nd-fastest time among all the races. Wickersham was 2^nd in the Senior Race, behind only Randolph’s Kennan Byers, who ran 15:23. And he was the only senior in Cinnaminson’s top five.

Also in the top 20 for Cinnaminson were Ryan Scaricaciottoli, who was 14^th overall and 7^th in the Junior Race [16:18] and Edward Abu-Adas, who was 17^th overall and 8^th in the Junior Race [16:27]. Owen Castanheira [62^nd overall, 34^th in Junior Race in 17:15] and Alexander Lonardo [72^nd overall, 38^th in Junior Race 17:26] were also in the Pirates’ top five.

Cherry Hill West’s Rex Takakjy of Cherry Hill West finished two seconds behind Wickersham in 15:44 for 3^rd place in the Senior Race and 4^th-fastest overall behind Byers, Wickersham and Lin.

Also running sub-17 were Eastern’s Timothy Shack, who was 11^th in the Junior Race in 16:36, 24^th-fastest overall, and Winslow’s Vincent Perri, 18^th in the Junior Race in 16:53, 38^th-fastest overall.

Delsea’s Josh Awotunde was one of 12 shot putters to advance to the finals at the World Championships during qualifying that was actually held tomorrow in Tokyo [it was Saturday morning in Tokyo, Friday night in the Eastern U.S.]

Awotunde threw 68-2, 8th-best among 36 entrants. The top 12 advanced to the final on Saturday. Marks don’t carry over to the final.

Awotunde followed his 68-2 with a 67-1 and then fouled on his 3^rd attempt.

Shot put qualifying was split into two groups of 18. Awotunde was 3^rd in Group B, behind Tom Walsh of New Zealand [71-3 ¾] and Scott Lincoln of Great Britain [68-2 ¾].

Five throwers in Group A, including two Americans, threw farther: Adrian Piperi of the U.S. [21.47], American Ryan Crouser [21.37], Wictor Petersson of Sweden [21.14], Leonard Fabbri of Italy [20.95] and Chukwuebuka Cornnell Enekwechi of Nigeria [20.83].

Anyone throwing a certain distance – that isn’t listed anywhere in the results – advances to the final automatically. That distance is somewhere between 69-4 ¼ [the best mark that isn’t listed as an auto qualifier] and 70-1 ¼ [the worst mark that is listed as an auto qualifier].

The final is scheduled for 8 a.m. EST on Saturday, which is 9 p.m. Saturday in Japan.

Awotunde, a 2013 graduate of Delsea, won the U.S. Championships in Eugene last month to earn a berth at Worlds with a final-throw PR of 73-8 ¾.

He’s ranked 3rd in the world behind world championship silver medalist and European champion Leonardo Fabbri of Italy [74-10] and two-time world champion and three-time Olympic medalist Joe Kovacs of the U.S. [73-9].

In his only previous appearance at Worlds, Awotunde placed 3rd in 2022 in Eugene. Awotunde ranks 17th in world history and No. 10 in U.S. history.

Nate Kidwell, a junior from Washington Township, placed 5th out of 56 runners and helped The College of New Jersey to a two-point win in the Lions’ own Herb Lorenz Invitational Friday at the Green Lane Fields in Ewing Township.

Kidwell ran a lifetime all-course best of 20:18 for 6,000 meters. His previous 6,000 PR was a 20:23 at a meet at Unionville High School in East Marlborough Township, Chester County.

TCNJ sophomore Sawyer Stellitano, a sophomore from Hunterdon Central, was TCNJ’s first finisher, in 4th place in 20:03, and Kidwell was the Lions’ No. 2 runner.

Goldey-Beacom of Wilmington, Del., swept the first three spots, but TCNJ went 4-5-6-7-8-(9-10) to eke out the two-point win, with their 6th and 7th runners bumping Goldey-Beacom’s 4th and 5th finishers.

TCNJ didn’t run its full lineup, but sophomore Tyler Smith from Paul VI took 16th overall in 21:57.

Holy Family placed 3rd, and the Tigers’ No. 3 runner was sophomore Andrae Johnson of Oakcrest in 22nd place.

The meet honors legendary Masters runner Herb Lorenz, a member of the Road Runners Club of America Hall of Fame, the South Jersey Track and Field Hall of Fame, the South Jersey Coaches Hall of Fame, the Burlington County Track Hall of Fame and The College of New Jersey Hall of Fame.

Lorenz grew up in Pemberton and graduated from TCNJ – when it was still called Trenton State – before embarking on a remarkable post-collegiate career. Among his many accomplishments, in 1975, he set an American age-36 record of 2:17:43 at the Boston Marathon. He coached at Burlington Township for 30 years and also coached at Lenape.

Josh Awotunde will get the South Jersey contingent started off at the World Championships Saturday at Japan National Stadium in Tokyo.

Awotunde, a 2013 graduate of Delsea, won the U.S. Championships in Eugene and earned a berth at Worlds with a final-throw PR of 73-8 ¾ on Aug. 3.

He goes into Worlds ranked 3rd in the world behind world championship silver medalist and European champion Leonardo Fabbri of Italy [74-10] and two-time world champion and three-time Olympic medalist Joe Kovacs of the U.S. [73-9].

In his only previous appearance at Worlds, Awotunde placed 3rd in 2022 in Eugene.

Awotunde now ranks 17th in world history and No. 10 in U.S. history. Fabbri is No. 5 in world history at 75-4 ¾ at Boudewijnstadion, in Brussels, Belgium, last September. Kovacs is No. 2 in world history with a 76-2 ½ at Sechseläutenplatz, in Zürich, Switzerland, in September 2022.
The men’s shot put trials are scheduled for 9:55 p.m. EST on Day 1 of Worlds, with Awotunde in Group B. The final is scheduled for later on Saturday in Tokyo, which will be 8:10 a.m. in the U.S. on Sunday. The top 12 qualifiers out of the qualifying round advance to the final, and the marks do not carry over.

Rancocas Valley graduate Erika Kemp is scheduled to race in the women’s marathon, which begins at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. Kemp is ranked No. 12 in U.S. history and 52 in the world this year with her breakthrough 2:22.56 from Houston in January

And Florence graduate Curtis Thompson throws in the javelin rounds at 6:10 a.m. or 7:45 a.m. EST on Wednesday. Thompson is No. 3 in U.S. history with his 287-11 in Austin in March, and he’s No. 4 in the world this year behind two-time Olympic finalist Julian Weber of Great Britain [300-2], South American championships medalist Luiz Maurcio Da Silva of Brazil [298-6] and India’s Olympic gold medalist and world champion Neeraj Chopra of India [296-0].

More on them later!

Cedar Creek seniors Sean Martino, Vincenzo Vecchio and Ryan McCann swept the top three spots in a tri-meet with St., Augustine and Mainland Regional Tuesday in Richland Township .

Martino ran 16:38, Vecchio 16:39 and McCann 16:51 over 5,000 meters at St. Augustine. Team scoring wasn’t kept, but Cedar Creek went 1-2-3-6-10 for 22 points.

St. Augustine was led by freshman Braden Bernardini in 4^th in 17:18, and Mainland was led by sophomore Chris Sanchez in 5^th in 17:51.

Also in the top 10 were Cedar Creek freshman Valentino Vecchio [6^th in 18:18], Mainland junior Mark Wurzer [7^th, 18:20], Cedar Creek senior Franesco Malone [8^th, 18:48], St. Augustine freshman Chase Bernardini ‘9^th, 18:50] and Cedar Creek senior Louis Flynn [10^th , 19:05].