From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Led by senior Liam Dougherty, junior Bennett Wright and sophomore Ryan Gibson all in the top 10, Haddonfield won its 21st state cross country championship – and 6th in a row – Saturday at Holmdel County Park.

Haddonfield packed its five scorers in a ridiculous 18 seconds and raced past Bernards 39-68 in a showdown of the top-two small-school programs in New Jersey history.

Bernards and Haddonfield have won the most state championships by any public schools in state history – 23 for Bernards and now 21 for Haddonfield. Only CBA, with 32 (including the one they’ll win later today), has won more.

Since 2000, Haddonfield has won nearly twice as many state Group 2 titles [15] as every other team combined [8]. The meet wasn’t held in 2020.

Bernards sophomore Brody Watt won the race in 16:19, but Dougherty, Wright and Gibson all finished ahead of Bernards’ 2nd runner.

Sophomore Benjamin Andrus placed 11th in 16:52 and sophomore Luke Andressen 14th in 16:54. Senior 6th man Matthew Sullivan ran 17:13 for 22nd place, and senior Reid Gervasi made it seven Haddonfield runners in the top 35 with a 17:32.

Haddonfield won its first state championship in 1978 and also won Group 2 in 1980 before moving down to Group 1, where the Bulldogs won in 1985, 1987, 1989 and 1990 before returning to Group 2. They’ve since won Group 2 in 2000, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Collingswood senior Elijah Forrest ran 16:22 for 3rd place and was the top South Jersey finisher in the race. Haddon Heights junior Reggie Hernandez finished 19th in 17:03.

Sophomore Riley Austin and seniors Ava Thomas and Riley Slootsky all finished in the top 10 and led the Haddonfield girls to their 3rd straight state Group 2 cross country championship and 12th overall.

Austin ran 19:20 for 3rd place, Thomas 19:49 in 6th and Slootsky 20:03 for 8th in her first race in a month, and Haddonfield Colonial Conference rival Sterling 40-84. More on Sterling a little later.

Only Red Bank Catholic [20] and Bernards [12] have won more state titles than Haddonfield.

Senior Anna Stolarick placed 15th in 20:32, junior Dylan Melcher was 26th in 21:04 and 6th runner Harper Benjamin, a freshman, took 29th in 21:09.

Haddonfield won its first state titles in Group 1 in 1990, 1993 and 1998 before moving up to Group 2 and winning in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2016, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Haddonfield’s 40-point total is 7th-lowest ever recorded in Group 2. Haddonfield is responsible for four of the eight-lowest scores ever recorded in Group 2.

29 … Bernards [Group 2], 1985
33 … Haddonfield [Group 2], 2005
34 … Voorhees [Group 2], 2012
36 … Haddonfield [Group 2], 2022
39 … Moorestown [Group 2], 2001
39 … Hopewell Valley [Group 2], 2002
40 … Haddonfield [Group 2], 2023
44 … Haddonfield [Group 2], 2021

Haddonfield scored 44 points to win Group 2 in 2021 and 36 to win last year. They’re only the second school in the meet’s 47-year history to score 45 or fewer points in three straight meets. Bernards did it six straight years, winning Group 1 from 1981 through 1984 with 28, 15, 23 and 21 points, then Group 2 in 1985 with 29 and 33 back in Group 1 in 1986.

Sterling had junior Jonalee Adames, senior Cara Coppolino and junior Kaysie Luna all in the top 20. Adames ran 19:59 for 7th place, Coppolino 17th in 20:47 and Luna 18th in 20:49.

The Haddonfield-Sterling 1-2 finish was the first by two South Jersey schools at states since Delsea and Haddonfield went 1-2 in Group 2 in 2009, Delsea winning by 81-112.

Also in the top 20 were Cinnaminson senior Anna Marino [13th in 20:25], West Deptford freshman Taylor Siertzega [14th in 20:29] and West Deptford senior Isabella Mackey [20th in 20:51].

Senior Shaelan McNally placed 5th to lead Paul VI to its best team finish in 20 years at the state Parochial A cross country championships.

McNally ran 19:17 at Holmdel County Park and PVI placed 3rd with 126 points. Last time the Eagles placed in the top three at states was 2003, when Liz Kessler, Diana Rankin and Rachel Lively placed 10th, 13th and 14th. The year before Paul VI placed 2nd, just six points behind Red Bank Catholic.

Sophomores Giovanna Mantuano and Macy Huber also placed in the top 20, Mantuano in 19th in 20:20 and Huber 20th in 20:30. Senior Madison Pedicelli ran 21:32 for 35th and freshman Lucy Crothers clinched the 3rd-place team finish in 50th with a 22:35.

Also in the top 20 was Camden Catholic junior Ponnappan, who placed 16th in 20:07.

Edinboro senior Kylie Anicic from Kingsway cruised to her 2nd straight NCAA Division 2 Atlantic Region Championship Saturday with a comfortable win over 6,000 meters in Lock Haven, Pa.

Anicic ran 20:19.2 – not far off her 6,000 all-course PR of 20:13.7 from September on the same course – and won by 75 meters over Julie LaFare of Charleston (W. Va.), who ran 20:34.1. Anicic won the title last year in 21:07.5 in Mansfield, Pa.

Anicic and LaFare gapped the field early in the race. Anicic led by 10 meters a mile into the race, 20 meters by the 3,000 and about 50 meters at the 5,000.

Anicic, a Kingsway graduate, qualified for the NCAA Division 2 Championship race on Nov. 18 on the Tom Rutledge XC Course in Joplin, Mo.

Senior Ryan Gaulrapp, junior Ethan Caprarola and senior Matt Colden were all among the top 11 finishers and Bishop Eustace came out on top in a wild four-team battle to win its 7th state Parochial B title.

Gaulrapp ran 17:28 and placed 2nd behind only Caleb Brox of the Wilberforce School in Princeton. Caprarola ran 17:44 for 5th place and Colden was 11th in 18:40.

Freshman Shane Smith and sophomore Alexander Dietz clinched the team title in 31st and 32nd place, Smith in 19:58 and Dietz in 20:00. With only five runners, Eustace had no margin for error, but all five came through, and the Crusaders finished with 77 points, edging St. Rose of Belmar [80] and Wilberforce School of Princeton [85] with Princeton Day school 4th with 93 points.

Eustace won its first state titles in 1980 and 1982, then won in 2002 before winning more recently in 2010, 2011, 2016 and now 2023.

The only South Jersey schools to win more state titles than Eustace are Haddonfield [20] and Haddon Township [11]. Cherokee and Paul VI have also won seven.

The only parochials with more state XC championships are CBA [32], Pingry [9] and Saint Benedict [9].

Moorestown Friends junior Isaac Linden placed 4th in 17:42, matching the best finish by a Moorestown Friends runner in 14 years. Drew Haines placed 2nd in the 2009 Parochial B race in 17:46.

Senior Nick Kuenkel, junior Liam Tindall, senior Robert Poplau and freshman Benjamin Realley all placed in the top 30 to lead Cherokee to 3rd place in the state Group 4 meet at Holmdel Saturday.

This is the 5th straight year Cherokee has placed in the top 5 and the 19th time in the last 26 years the Chiefs have placed 5th or better.

The race featured the three highest-ranked public schools in the state – Westfield, Ridgewood and Cherokee – and they finished in that order, with Westfield placing all five scorers in the top 20 for 54 points and Ridgewood edging Cherokee 104-110 for 2nd place.

Kuenkel placed 5th in 15:47, Tindall ran 16:15 for 15th, Poplau placed 21st in 16:21 and Realley was 28th in 16:39. Junior Benjamin Weiner was Cherokee’s 5th scorer in 48th with a 17:05.

Since 1996, Cherokee has won Group 4 seven times, placed 2nd three times, 3rd five times, 4th twice and 5th twice.

Williamstown junior Dylan Saber ran 16:14 for 14th place. That makes him the 2nd-fastest Williamstown runner ever at Holmdel. Paul Szulewski ran 15:54 at the 2010 Meet of Champions.

Saber’s time is No. 11 in Gloucester County history at Hollmdel:

15:54 … Mike Mantini [Gateway], 1978
15:54 … Paul Szulewski [Williamstown], 2010
15:59 … Anthony Dentino [Washington Twp.], 2010
16:01 … Peyton Shute [Woodbury], 2022
16:09 … Noah Culbreath [Kingsway], 2014
16:09 … Brady Shute [Woodbury], 2020
16:10 … Nick Pshunder [Delsea], 2014
16:11 … Sebastien Reed [Pitman], 2019
16:12 … Anas Bensaoud [Clearview], 2019
16:13 … Brian Skelly [Washington Twp,], 1999

Kingsway’s Ryan Duffy placed 18th in 16:18.93, which breaks his own South Jersey freshman record at Holmdel. More on Duffy later!

Bishop Eustace senior Anya Kazemi ran a 33-second Holmdel PR Saturday and placed 2nd in the state Parochial B race at Holmdel County Park.

Kazemi ran 19:55 and placed 2nd to Blythe Dudley of Villa Walsh Academy of Morristown, who ran 19:24 to win the state title.

Kazemi’s previous Holmdel best was 20:28 in September at Shore Coaches.

Eustace placed 4th with 111 points.

Kazemi has had an outstanding year, with top-5 finishes in her last four major races – 3rd in the South Jersey Open, 4th in the Olympic Conference, 4th in the Bob Kiessling Invitational. She’ll race in the Meet of Champions next Saturday back at Holmdel.

Kerry O’Day became Cherokee’s 2nd-fastest runner ever at Holmdel Saturday morning with her 4th-place finish at the state Group 4 meet.

O’Day, a senior, ran 18:41, her fastest time on the historic 5,000-meter layout by 43 seconds. O’Day had run 19:24 at the 2021 Meet of Champions.

The only faster Cherokee girl at Holmdel is Megan Lacy, one of six South Jersey runners to break 18 minutes at Holmdel. Lacy’s fastest Holmdel time was a 17:55 at the 2010 Group 4 meet.

O’Day’s time makes her the 4th-fastest performer from Burlington County ever at Holmdel and the 8th under 19 minutes:

17:55 … Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 2010 Group 4
18:18 … Liliah Gordon [Northern Burlington], 2023 Shore Coaches
18:38 … Casey Doyle [Shawnee], 2007 Meet of Champions
18:41 … Kerry O’Day [Cherokee], 2023 Group 4
18:43 … Nicole Clifford [Cherokee], 2021 2021 Meet of Champions
18:49 … Mara Schiffhauer [Seneca], 2013 Meet of Champions
18:52 … Lisa Burkholder [Cherokee], 2004 Meet of Champions
18:59 … Kara Bonner [Shawnee,], 2015 Group 3

O’Day’s 18:41 reshapes Cherokee’s all-time team average, dropping it from 18:46.6 to 18:38.6 and moving the Chiefs – at least temporarily – from 4th-fastest team average in Holmdel history to 3rd-fastest among South Jersey schools.

18:38.6 Cherokee A
17:55 … Megan Lacy [2010 Group 4]
18:41 … Kerry O’Day [2023 Group 4]
18:43 … Nicole Clifford [2021 Meet of Champions]
18:52 … Lisa Burkholder [2004 Meet of Champions]
19:02 … Kate Rathman [2019 Meet of Champions]

Cherokee junior Megan Niglio and Williamstown 1st-year senior XC runner Alyssa Boucher also recorded top-10 finishes, Niglio in 8th in 19:30 and Boucher in 9th in 19:37.

Niglio’s previous Holmdel best was a 19:48 at the 2021 Meet of Champions and Boucher’s was 20:23 in September at Shore Coaches.

Cherokee placed 4th with 135 points and Cherry Hill East was 7th with 203 points.

We’re less than a day away from the state XC championships over the Holmdel County Park course, and this is our best attempt at an all-time South Jersey fastest team average list for the historic Holmdel 5,000-meter course.

As always, please sent additions and corrections to us in the comment section. Hopefully, we’ll have a girls list later today!

15:40.8 Cherokee A
15:39 … Patrick Ditmars [2022 Meet of Champions
15:40 … Shawn Wilson [2012 Group 4]
15:41 … Ethan Wechsler [2019 Meet of Champions]
15:41 … Nick Kuenkel [2022 Meet of Champions]
15:43 … Marc Pelerin [2001 Meet of Champions]

15:41.4 Haddonfield A
15:36 … Seth Clevenger [2021 Meet of Champions]
15:40 … George Andrus [2022 Meet of Champions]
15:41 … Jon Vitez [2009 Meet of Champions]
15:42 … Ben Potts [2010 Meet of Champions]
15:48 … Chris Platt [2001 Meet of Champions]

15:53.8 Highland A
15:33 … Joshua Clark [2015 Meet of Champions]
15:41 … Steve Maine [2013 Group 4]
15:57 … Nate Miller [1998 Meet of Champions]
16:03 … Kevin Pumphrey [1984 Meet of Champions]
16:15 … Jay Wassell [1995 Meet of Champions]

15:56.2 Mainland A
15:29 … Kevin Antczak [2019 Meet of Champions]
15:39 … Greg Hughes [2003 Meet of Champions]
16:06 … Jimmy Wyner [2003 Meet of Champions]
16:07 … Scott Keyser [1995 Meet of Champions]
16:20 … Kurt Wayton [1993 Group 3]

15:58.6 Haddonfield B
15:54 … Skip Stiles [2001 Meet of Champions
15:55 … Breton Bonnette [2001 Meet of Champions]
15:58 … Martin Ridell [2019 Meet of Champions]
16:01 … Matt Nussbaum [2010 Meet of Champions]
16:05 … Jim Smith [1979 Meet of Champions]

15:59.0 Ocean City
15:41 … Brett Johnson [2008 Group 3]
15:44 … Miles Schoedler [2010 Shore Coaches]
16:03 … John Fennekohl [2006 Meet of Champions]
16:10 … Ryan Birchmeier [2007 Group 3]
16:17 … John Richardson [2002 Group 3]

15:59.4 Cinnaminson A
15:48 … Austin Gabay [2019 Shore Coaches]
15:51 … Jon Anderson [2003 Meet of Champions]
15:57 … Michael Ungvarsky [2016 Shore Coaches]
16:08 … Steve Grabowski [2005 Meet of Champions]
16:13 … Matt Poskus [2006 Meet of Champions]

16:00.6 Cherry Hill East A
15:37 … Aaron Groff [2015 Group 4]
15:48 … Oliver Adler [2019 Meet of Champions
16:01 … Bruce Miller [1981 Shore Coaches]
16:18 … Dan Helfand [2014 Group 4]
16:19 … Bill Stewart [1982 Meet of Champions]

16:00.6 Paul VI A
15:17 … Jason DiJoseph [1988 Parochial A]
16:08 … Ron Faith [1984 Meet of Champions]
16:09 … Tom Keefer [1991 Meet of Champions]
16:13 … Joe Cranston [1989 Meet of Champions]
16:16 … Pete Dougherty [1990 Meet of Champions]

16:01.0 Cherokee B
15:45 … Keith Krieger [2002 Group 4]
15:46 … Jack Shea [2015 Meet of Champions]
16:09 … Joe Halin [1999 Group 4]
16:12 … Justin Kelly [2016 Group 4]
16:13 … Tom Yersak [2004 Meet of Champions]

16:05.6 Eastern A
15:51 … Mike Myers [2000 Meet of Champions]
16:05 … Dan Deichert [2001 Meet of Champions]
16:06 … Karl Savage [1996 Group 4]
16:10 … Nicholas Pschunder [2014 Group 4]
16:16 … Barry Shea [1984 Shore Coaches]

16:08.4 Shawnee A
15:57 … David Forward [2008 Shore Coaches]
15:58 … Connor Herr [2010 Meet of Champions]
16:13 … Peter Murray [2010 Shore Coaches]
16:14 … Adam Ambrus [2000 Group 4]
16:20 … Matt Talbot [1984 Group 4]
16:20 … Keith O’Brien [1991 Meet of Champions]

16:10.6 Haddon Twp. A
15:39 … Luke Petela [2014 Meet of Champions]
16:15 … Owen Long [2015 Group 1]
16:17 … Jason Fiscus [1988 Meet of Champions]
16:19 … Randy Ladd [2015 Meet of Champions]
16:23 … Dave Donohue [1988 Group 1]

16:11.8 Haddonfield C
16:06 … Greg Halla [2012 Meet of Champions]
16:10 … Greg Eisenhower [[2018 Meet of Champions]
16:11 … Greg Pelose [2015 Group 2]
16:12 … Andrew Gostovich [2019 Group 2]
16:20 … Brian Goldberg [2003 Meet of Champions]

16:15.0 Washington Twp. A
15:59 … Anthony Dentino [2010 Group 4]
16:13 … Bryan Skelly [1999 Meet of Champions]
16:15 … Carmen Cavella [2003 Group 4]
16:24 … Kyle Leonard [2012 Group 4]
16:24 … Chris Colavita [2021 Meet of Champions]

16:15.4 Kingsway A
16:09 … Noah Culbreath [2014 [Group 4]
16:15 … Ryan Magnus [2012 Meet of Champions]
16:17 … Jonathan Connor [2017 Group 4]
16:17 … Joe Grandizio [2017 Meet of Champions]
16:19 … Stone Caraccio [2018 Shore Coaches Group A]

16:17.8 Cherokee C
16:14 … Greg Malloy [2010 Meet of Champions]
16:18 … Greg Bredeck [2005 Meet of Champions]
16:18 … Chase Miller [2019 Meet of Champions
16:19 … Conor Jacob [2021 Meet of Champions
16:20 … Alex Yersak [2007 State Group 4]

16:18.6 Bishop Eustace A
15:42 … Shawn Hutchison [2014 Meet of Champions]
16:11 … Connor Melko [2018 Meet of Champions]
16:26 … Nick Hutchison [2017 Meet of Champions]
16:34 … Eric Franklin [2012 Parochial A]
16:40 … Mike McGowan [1996 Shore Coaches]

16:19.0 Paul VI B
16:17 … John Williams [1994 Parochial A]
16:18 … Chris Hageman [1984 Meet of Champions]
16:18 … Michael Rankin [2008 Meet of Champions]
16:21 … George Steinhoff [1984 Meet of Champions]
16:21 … Tim Hoban [2010 Parochial A]

16:20.0 Bridgeton A
15:47 … Urie Ridgeway [1988 Meet of Champions]
16:00 … Robert Edwards [2002 Meet of Champions]
16:11 … Lance Hess [1988 Meet of Champions]
16:44 … Jamar Mack [2006 Meet of Champions]
16:58 … James Holden [2000 Shore Coaches]

16:21.0 Cinnaminson B
16:18 … Steve Keen [1982 Meet of Champions]
16:18 … Brian Tetreault [2006 Shore Coaches]
16:18 … Bill Mason [1998 Meet of Champions]
16:25 … Alex Boyko [2022 Shore Coaches]
16:26 … John Keevey [1990 Meet of Champions]

16:23.6 Haddonfield D
16:21 … Mike Burke [2004 Shore Coaches]
16:23 … Joe Shanahan [1987 Meet of Champions]
16:24 … Dan Gough [1986 Group 1]
16:24 … Tobias Janssen [2021 Group 2]
16:26 … Tim Shanahan [1989 Shore Coaches]

16:23.8 Haddon Heights A
16:18 … Mickey Borsellino [2007 Group 1]
16:18 … Matt Mitchell [2005 Shore Coaches]
16:21 … Josh Black [2007 Shore Coaches]
16:27 … John Salisbury [1992 Meet of Champions]
16:29 … Jack Bolling [2021 Meet of Champions]

16:24.0 Lenape A
16:14 … Ryan Garvin [2008 Shore Coaches]
16:15 … Anthony Kelhower [2004 Meet of Champions]
16:26 … Julian Greco [2012 Meet of Champions]
16:30 … Sean Mulroy [2010 Shore Coaches]
16:35 … Colin Hermack [2022 Group 4]

16:24.2 Kingsway B
16:20 … Kieran Burns [2017 Meet of Champions]
16:23 … Ozzie Huerta [21005 Shore Coaches
16:24 … Brian Mangiarcina [2017 Group 4]
16:26 … Kyle Evernham [2014 Group 4]
16:28 … Cade Hindley [2017 Group 4]

16:26.4 Mainland B
16:22 … Joe Masters [2003 Meet of Champions]
16:23 … Kevin Cronin [2006 Meet of Champions]
16:26 … Spencer Popeson [2003 Shore Coaches]
16:30 … Geoff Wayton [1993 Group 3]
16:31 … Matt Hernberg [2008 Shore Coaches]

16:27.0 Holy Cross A
16:09 … Mike Sheehan [2007 Meet of Champions]
16:18 … Tom Farrell [1983 Meet of Champions]
16:23 … Eric Lorenz [1987 Meet of Champions]
16:42 … Chris Creighton [1987 Meet of Champions]
16:43 … Brent Kyler [1983 Meet of Champions]

16:27.4 Paul VI C
16:22 … Joe DiGiacomo [1994 Parochial A]
16:24 … Matt Cieslik [1988 Meet of Champions]
16:29 … Jim Wolfram [1988 Parochial A]
16:30 … Mike Ritchie [2000 Shore Coaches]
16:32 … Vin Cieslik [1988 Meet of Champions
16:32 … Will Mrozinski [2022 Parochial A]

16:27.8 … Highland B
16:21 … Ben Woodward [2017 Group 3]
16:26 … Cole Wassell [2020 Holmdel Invitational]
16:27 … Robert Lacovara [2021 Meet of Champions]
16:30 … Kyle Gorcyznski [2007 Group 3]
16:35 … Jerry Franks [1989 Meet of Champions]

16:29.2 Cherry Hill East B
16:25 … Ben Dillon [2013]
16:27 … Christian Mele [2014 Group 4]
16:29 … Jack Gaffin [2021 Meet of Champions]
16:31 … Marc Meltzer [2017 Shore Coaches]
16:34 … Aidan Eyre [2019 Group 4]

16:29.8 Haddonfield E
16:27 … Chad Evans [2014 Meet of Champions]
16:28 … Austin Stoner [2015 Group 2]
16:29 … Tim Malloy [2010 Meet of Champions]
16:32 … Kevin Underwood [1990 Meet of Champions]
16:33 … Colin Gallagher [2015 Meet of Champions]