Course: Delsea High School’s 5,000-meter layout
By Kevin Cranston
Runningco.com Writer
Division 3
Timber Creek junior Megan Arnold held off a hard-charging Britney Kott of Millville over the final 100 meters to take the Division 3 race by two seconds in 18:47 – the second-best time of the day. Kott finished in 18:49, while Shawnee’s Casey Doyle was third in 18:51.
“Breaking 19 (minutes) here is big for me,” Arnold said after the race. “My best before today was 19:25 from sectionals last year, so I’m feeling pretty good.”
Arnold trailed Williamstown’s Maria Ruiz (fourth, 18:52) by three seconds after a 5:48 opening mile. As Ruiz went through 2 miles in 11:58, Arnold was still a couple strides behind.
Arnold finally caught up to Ruiz at the 2½-mile mark and quickly surged past her and opened up a four-second gap. At that point, it looked as if Arnold had the race all locked up. Kott, though, made it interesting when she made a hard push for the win in the final straightway, only to come up just shy of catching Arnold.
“I didn’t know she was that close,” Arnold said of Kott. “I heard someone yell that she was right on me, so I gave it everything I had left.”
Lenape, ranked No. 1 in runningco.com’s Top 20, made it two titles in a row as the Indians scored 85 points to get by Toms River North (97) and No. 9 Millville (133). Last Saturday, Lenape won the Varsity A race at the Shore Coaches Invitational.
Top finisher for the Indians Saturday was sophomore Caitlin Orr, who took seventh in 19:09. Following Orr were Miya Johnson (ninth, 19:22), Erika Griffith (16th, 19:35), Moira Cunningham (22nd, 19:51) and Alivia Royds (31st, 20:24).
The Indians managed a team average of 19:40.2, which was the fastest of the day out of the three girls’ races.
Division 2
Kinsgway sophomore Chelsea Ley can now add Delsea to the list of courses she has devoured this season.
A week after her 18:24 on Holmdel at the Shore Coaches Invitational, Ley pumped out an impressive 17:51 to win the Division 2 race by 1:07 over Moorestown senior Brianna Rogers (18:58). Highland freshman Megan Venables was third in 19:14.
Ley was in complete control the entire way as she ran the first mile in 5:36 and hit the 2-mile mark in 11:26 on her way to the fastest time of the day by 53 seconds.
Ley led by 15 seconds after the first mile and an incredible 43 seconds after Mile 2.
“I really wanted to break 18 (minutes),” Ley said. “And I knew this would be a great course to do it. This race is a big confidence booster for me.
“I felt good the entire race. The weather was great and I was able to get the time I was looking for.”
In the team race, No. 18 Seneca gave No. 4 Moorestown a push, but the Quakers had enough to claim the title, 65-71. No. 11 Kingsway was third with 77.
Behind Rogers, the Quakers’ pack was made up of Stephanie Donatone (sixth, 19:56), Kelsey Wheeler (16th, 20:49), Emily Thompson (21st, 21:07) and Kate Levinson (23rd, 21:33).
Division 1
It was all Haddonfield in the Division 1 race. Sophomore Marielle Hall won the individual title in 18:52 and the No. 2 Bulldawgs, which jammed their first five in the top eight, picked up the team title with a mere 25 points.
After trailing Our Lady of Mercy Academy’s Jena Peacock by six seconds after the first mile, Hall took the lead just before the 2-mile mark and went on to take the victory by 12 seconds as Peacock finished in 19:04. Hall split 5:48 for the opening mile and 6:08 for the second mile. Wildwood Catholic’s Tara Wuko was third in 19:42.
Along with Hall, it was Mia Spinelli (fourth, 19:51), Jackie Sikkema (fifth, 19:55), Monica Ramstad (seventh, 20:03) and Alyssa D’Orazio (eighth, 20:06) that teamed up to run a team average of 19:45.4, second-best to Lenape’s 19:40.2 in the Division 3 race.
Following Haddonfield were No. 17 OLMA (89) and No. 19 Haddon Township (98).
Photo courtesy of Kevin Cranston, writer extraordinaire, but lame photographer...
