From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

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.

Freshman Dylan Hasty, junior Molly Mills and junior Madison Kelsey finished in the top 10 and the Haddonfield girls romped to the team title in the Varsity I race Saturday morning at the Bowdoin Park Classic in Wappingers Falls, N.Y.

Hasty placed 5^th in 20:04 over 5,000 meters at Bowdoin Park, Mills ran 20:11 for 7^th and Kelsey ran 20:17 for 1.0^th.

Haddonfield, ranked 9^th in New Jersey, went 1-3-6-8-9-(11) in team scoring and defeated Washingtonville High of Blooming Grove, Orange County, N.Y., 27-112.

Junior Dylan Gervasi, freshman Tatum Russo and junior Harper Benjamin ran 13^th, 14^th and 16^th in 21:00, 21:05 and 21:16, giving Haddonfield six in the top 14 in a 72-second span.

In the boys Varsity II race, Haddonfield senior Ryan Gibson ran 16:13 and placed 5^th and Haddonfield was 4^th as as team.

Haddon Township seniors Jimmy Clauson and Shaun Maloney broke up a Haddonfield pack by placing 1^st and 4^th in a Colonial Conference batch meet Wednesday at Pennypacker Park in Haddonfield and Cherry Hill.

Haddonfield went 2-3-5-6-7-8-9-11-14-15-16-17, but Clauson was 1^st across the line of 84 finishers in 16:44 and Maloney was 4^th in 16:51.

It was Clauson’s first 5,000 on any course under 17 minutes. His previous all-course PR was a 17:19 in October 2023 on the same course. Maloney has run 16:47 – that was from DREAM Park in Logan Township last November, when he was 2^nd in the South Jersey Group 1 race.

Seniors Peter Simpson and Ryan Gibson from No. 2-ranked Haddonfield placed 2^nd and 3^rd in 16:50.

In 5^th through 9^th for the Bulldogs were senior Michael Sinnes [16:53], junior Luke Patterson [17:16], senior Luke Andresen [17:17], senior Brandon Stoner [17:18] and junior Owen Snyder [17:19].

Also in the top 10 was Gloucester senior Vincent Kelly, 10^th in 17:20.

Audubon senior Riley Fayer won the girls race in 19:50, followed by four Haddonfield runners: senior Sofia Conroy [20:24], junior Saya Sood [20:42], senior Elizabeth Pappas [20:45] and senior Chloe Rusc [21:22].

The rest of the top 10 looked like this: Haddon Township junior Tanner Lajoie [21:32], Haddonfield junior Grace McCool [21:42] and Audubon’s junior Lydia Gravante [21:52], junior Isabella Legatie [21:52] and freshman Emma Camm [21:52].

Hammonton junior Ava Salita edged Cedar Creek junior Lisette Echevarria by three seconds to win a tri-meet with Millville.

Salita ran 22:26 and finished 10 meters ahead of Echevarria, who was 2^nd in 22:29.

The versatile Salita has run 62.66 for 400 meters, long jumped 16-2 ½ and high jumped 5-0 in addition to running XC.

Junior Lacie Denmead and freshman Maya Kelley placed 3^rd and 4^th for Cedar Creek, and sophomore Jenny Rae, senior Sabrine Ghazaz and seniorKailey Wagner ran 6^th, 7^th and 8^th.

Also in the top 10 were Hammonton’s sophomore Riley Raffensperger in 5^th, senior Lillian Reigel in 9^th and sophomoreAdriella Santos in 10^th.

Millville’s top finishers were sophomore Jamya Rhett and junior Yamilet Carrasco-Soriano in 13^th and 14^th.