Notes on the Cherokee Challenge and dual meet action from this week
Sept. 21, 2007

By Kevin Cranston
Runningco.com Writer

Cherokee Challenge Wrap-up

• Another great job by meet director Chris Callinan in organizing the Cherokee Challenge. The 3,200 meter course and the class races are a perfect way to start the season. Based off the official results, there were 1,659 finishers (figure includes both high school and middle school races).

• Kingsway’s Chelsea Ley was awesome last Saturday. In running 10:55, she won the sophomore race by 53 seconds, had the best time of the day by 22 seconds and cut 30 seconds off a course record that was previously held by Southern great Danielle Tauro, who is now running for the University of Michigan.

• Holy Cross’ Mike Sheehan looked real good in the senior race going right out with Camden Catholic’s Kevin McDonnell and making him really earn the win. Sheehan took second to McDonnell in 9:50, the second fastest time of the day. We all knew Sheehan could roll on the track (4:20.14 in the 1,600 last spring), but it looks like he can handle grass and hills as well. After the senior race, Sheehan said, “A win would have been nice, but I’m happy with my performance.” If Saturday’s race is any indication of what Sheehan can do the rest of the season, he won’t have to wait long to get a big-meet win.

• The Haddonfield boys’ and girls’ teams both put together nice performances at Cherokee. If you were to combine all four class races into one race and score it, both teams would have finished first. The boys’ top five consisted of sophomores Boo Vitez (9:56) and Colin Baker (10:05), senior Dan Carreon (10:13) and sophomores Ray Schlitt (10:22) and David Twitchell (10:37).  The girls’ top five consisted of sophomore Marielle Hall (11:48), junior Jackie Sikkema (11:57), freshman Mia Spinelli (12:09), junior Liz Sikkema and senior Alyssa D’Orazio (12:33).

• The sophomore boys’ class is extremely strong this season with Vitez and Baker from Haddonfield, along with Shawnee’s David Forward and Paul VI’s Mike Rankin Jr. Vitez finished with the fourth fastest time of the day, Forward the fifth, Baker the seventh and Rankin Jr. with the 15th.

• Keep an eye on Triton’s Robert Rawls, who could end the year as South Jersey’s top freshman. His 10:09 at Cherokee would have placed him fourth in the sophomore, junior and senior races.

• The Millville girls’ team has a strong 1-2 in juniors Lindsay Bertulis and Britney Kott, who ran the fourth and fifth fastest times of the day. Bertulis went 11:36 and Kott went 11:40.

• Haddon Heights senior Mickey Borsellino has certainly been consistent at the Cherokee Challenge. Last Saturday, he took third in 10:06 to go along with his third-place finishes from sophomore and junior years.

Dual Meet Highlights

• Breton Bonnette picked up his first dual meet victory as Paul VI boys’ head coach on Tuesday as his Eagles, ranked No. 17 in Runningco.com’s Top 20, defeated unranked Bishop Eustace 24-33 at Gloucester County College. It wasn’t your typical dual meet, though.  Both sophomore Mike Rankin Jr., Paul VI’s No. 1 runner, and junior Andy Arnold, Eustace’s No. 1 runner, were disqualified. According to Bonnette, Rankin Jr. and Arnold had a big lead over the rest of the field when they made a wrong right turn and went completely off course. Paul VI’s Joe Fiore also briefly went off course, but quickly realized his error, and got back on track to save himself from also getting DQ’ed.  Although Eustace senior Brian Laskowski won the race in 18:34, PVI took places 2, 3, 5, 6 and 8 to win the meet. The Eagles’ top finisher was senior Paul Lively.“It was definitely interesting,” Bonnette said over the phone on Tuesday. “I wouldn’t mind if the next one went a little smoother.”

• In an Olympic Conference girls’ meet on Tuesday at Gloucester County College, No. 3 Cherry Hill East edged No. 4 Cherokee 27-31. East junior Melissa Showers won the race in 19:36. Cherokee’s top finisher was senior Alison Weeks, who was second in 20:26.

• The Cherry Hill East boys’ team, ranked No. 12, gave cross-town rival and No. 9 Cherry Hill West all it could handle in Wednesday’s meet at Gloucester County College. But the Lions squeaked by with a 29-30 victory. The top runner for West was senior Andrew Sturner, who ran 16:40. East was lead by Joel Burt’s 17:01.