Bishop Eustace Crusaders
Runners to watch: Haylee Marakovits flashed a ton of potential as a freshman and is poised to build on that promise this fall as a sophomore. She placed 16th at the Bob Kiessling sectional meet and was Bishop Eustace’s top finisher at states, clocking a 23:44 for 13th. Grace Marsden is another talented sophomore who ran sub-23s at the Olympic Conference and sectional races and took 29th at states. Sophia Kaloustian is a key senior leader who could push toward the front of the pack as well, and junior Hollis Tracy has bounced back from an injury that sidelined her during states and is also expected to contribute.
Outlook: The Crusaders hope to add runners to build around the four veterans, and Marakovits will surely be someone to watch in the major races.
Camden Catholic Irish
Runners to watch: Camden Catholic graduated one of the top runners in the area, Nilaa Ponnappan, and will count on new leaders to emerge. One of the candidates is senior Brynn Deiwert, who finished 18th at the Bob Kiessling sectional meet with a time of 21:51, up four spots from the year before. Her progress should continue, and the same can be said for junior Maddy O’Neill, who joined Deiwert in the top 20 at sectionals. Sophomore Madison Golden and junior Sophia Tilelli both ran consistently in the 23-minute range, and other experienced returners are junior Grace Ramirez and sophomore Lila O’Kane. Sophomore Erin Callinan is also a talented sophomore coming off an excellent spring track season, and senior Kuyill Ponnappan is a newcomer to keep an eye on.
Outlook: Although there is no replacing Ponnappan, the Irish are fortunate to have a promising core that will give maximum effort in every meet and help them remain competitive.
Cherokee Chiefs
Runners to watch: Maddie Meder, already a standout in spring track, made the switch from soccer to cross country last fall and had an immediate impact for Cherokee. She took first at the Olympic Conference Championships in 18:15 and added a second title at sectionals with a time of 18:07, good for first in South Jersey, Group 4. Meder, who was also the runner-up at the Burlington County Open, went on to place seventh at states and 28th at the Meet of Champions, and it will be exciting to see what she can accomplish as a senior. Erin Healy also made her presence felt right away, as she came on board as a freshman and placed eighth in the county, 11th in the conference and 13th at sectionals. She covered Holmdel in the low 20s at both states and the MOC. Senior Maya Kumar is yet another top returner who took ninth in the county, 12th in the conference and 14th at sectionals. Senior Sofia Recinto and juniors Genisa John and Gabrielle Urban round out an excellent nucleus.
Outlook: The Chiefs repeated as county, conference and sectional champions and also had impressive performances at states (third) and the MOC (sixth). There’s no reason for one of the premier programs in South Jersey to lower its high expectations now.
Cherry Hill East Cougars
Runners to watch: Ryleigh Budsock made significant improvement as a sophomore and established herself as one of the top young runners in the region. She clocked a 19:01 at sectionals to place fifth in South Jersey, Group 4, and handled herself well at Holmdel Park as well, finishing 19th at states and 59th at the Meet of Champions. She also took 10th at the Olympic Conference Championships and has high hopes for her junior campaign. The talented crop of returners also includes junior Gabriella Pizzo, sophomore Emmie Wang, and seniors Ella Davidson, Shaelea Conway and Keira Conway, who all placed in the top 22 at the conference meet and the top 32 at sectionals. Junior Katherine Grottini had solid times as well and will look to contribute more this fall.
Outlook: Budsock and the rest of the veterans are likely to keep the Cougars in contention at the big races after they placed third in the conference, second at sectionals and sixth at states a year ago.
Cherry Hill West Lions
Runners to watch: Milana Orlov made steady progress throughout her junior season and peaked at the right point of the season, clocking a 22:18 at sectionals for her best time at the major meets. She hopes to carry the momentum over to her senior season and will be a key leader for Cherry Hill West. Junior Aziayah Jackson is another upperclassman to keep an eye on, while sophomores Lily Barger and Sophia Gaudio will look to follow up their encouraging freshman seasons.
Outlook: After setting a good foundation for the future with an entirely new lineup last year, the Lions expect to keep showing improvement in 2025.
Clearview Pioneers
Runners to watch: Lacrosse star Rhea Remaly proved last year that she’s no slouch when it comes to cross country, either. She placed in the top 20 at both the Gloucester County Championships (11th) and the Tri-County Conference Showcase (17th), and went on to clock a 21:19 at sectionals to place 42nd. She could lead the pack for Clearview this fall, but fellow junior Claudia Webb is also capable of filling that role. She took 17th in the county, 25th in the conference and 40th at sectionals as a sophomore. Junior Kate Yanek was right behind Webb in all of those races and is another key veteran along with junior Leah Hagerman and senior Lillian Pedersen.
Outlook: With five experienced runners who should all push each other to run their best at the big races, the Pioneers have a chance to be right in the thick of things in the team standings at those meets.
Eastern Vikings
Runners to watch: Eastern brings back a dynamic duo in junior Theresa Albertson and senior Natalie Dumas, and they will set the tone for the rest of the lineup. Albertson posted a time of 18:34 to place third at sectionals and went on to take 13th at states, up from 35th as a freshman. She also finished sixth at the Olympic Conference Championships and competed at the Meet of Champions, where she clocked a 20:33. Dumas, one of the premier competitors in the state in spring track, finished just a spot behind Albertson at both the conference race and sectionals and ran 20:26 at states for 31st. Junior Jordyn Waterman had consistent showings at the big races, and Anika Sandilya is another key junior who the Vikings will depend on. Seniors Evolet Espinosa, Alexis Marella and Emma Wells and junior Gabrielle Porch will look to contribute as well.
Outlook: Eastern finished third at sectionals, fourth in the conference and 12th at states in a successful 2024 campaign. With Albertson and Dumas sure to contend in every race they enter, the Vikings will continue to follow their lead.
Haddonfield Bulldawgs
Runners to watch: Senior Riley Austin, a key competitor since she was a freshman, will look to put an exclamation point on her sensational career at Haddonfield this fall. Last season, she repeated as the South Jersey, Group 2 sectional champion, added a win at the Colonial Conference Championships and was the runner-up at states. She went on to clock a 19:01 at the Meet of Champions, becoming the first South Jersey runner to cross the finish line in 11th overall. Juniors Molly Mills and Madison Kelsey were neck and neck with each other at several big races, with Mills placing fourth in the conference and 23rd at states and Kelsey following in fifth and 24th. Kelsey also finished fourth at sectionals, and other Bulldawgs who shined at that meet were seniors Elizabeth Pappas (seventh), Edith Green (10th) and Lauren Hamblin (15th). Juniors Devon Gervasi and Harper Benjamin both placed in the top 10 at the Camden County and conference races before running well at states. Senior Chloe Ruse adds depth, and Dylan Hosty and Tatem Russo are two runners out of a strong freshman class who could have an immediate impact.
Outlook: Haddonfield extended its streak of sectional titles to eight but had its run of three consecutive state crowns end with a second-place finish. The Bulldawgs will be hungry to get back on top and Austin has a chance to seize the individual championship as well.
Kingsway Dragons
Runners to watch: Aubrey Bishop followed up her strong freshman campaign with an even better sophomore season, and it will be exciting to see what she can accomplish as an upperclassman. She took second at the Gloucester County Championships, sixth at the Tri-County Conference Showcase and 11th at sectionals, where she clocked a time of 19:19 and moved up six spots from the year before. Ava Buchanan is another talented junior who consistently ran in the low 22-minute range and will look to continue lowering her times. Sophomore Peyton Gould hopes to build on a promising freshman season and junior Katelyn Gallinaro rounds out the solid core.
Outlook: If the back end of the varsity lineup develops, the Dragons could be in line to move up a spot or two at the county, conference and sectional meets under new head coach Justin Brown.
Lenape Indians
Runners to watch: Audrey McCorkle ran cross country for the first time as a sophomore and made her presence felt right away. She was Lenape’s top finisher at all of the major meets, placing eighth in the Olympic Conference and 16th at both the Burlington County Open and sectionals. She will look to drop her times—which were consistently in the low 19-minute range—even lower this fall. Vivian Jony is a key senior leader, and the Indians also bring back several promising returners who had solid showings at the big races: sophomores Amy Kaltz and Addison Haskins, junior Brenna Sheeron and senior Katie Gonzalez. Juniors Gwendolyn Teske and Elizabeth Sunlitis will push to be in the top seven.
Outlook: With McCorkle nipping at the heels of the top runners in the county, conference and South Jersey, Group 4—and a strong supporting cast—the Indians have the potential to make some noise at the big races.
Moorestown Quakers
Runners to watch: Moorestown’s balanced squad includes three returners who placed among the top 21 at the Burlington County Open and in the top 23 at sectionals, and all three are capable of big things this fall. Sophomore Makayla Zell had a promising rookie season in which she finished 16th at sectionals and 20th in the county, and it will exciting to see what she can do with a year of experience under her belt. Junior Sophia DiFiore (23rd in the county, 19th at sectionals) and senior Celia Frederico (21st at both) round out the top three. Sophomore Katherine Simpson and junior Siyana Sheth both ran sub-21s at the Olympic Conference meet, and junior Catherine Hipple is another veteran to watch. Juliet Stack Maya is a newcomer to keep an eye on.
Outlook: The Quakers’ successful 2024 season featured runner-up finishes at the county and sectional meets and sixth-place showings in the conference and states. They have the potential to match those achievements in the coming months.
Moorestown Friends Foxes
Runners to watch: Moorestown Friends has not traditionally had the same numbers as other area programs, but the runners on their roster are certainly committed to the sport and to getting better. Junior Kelly Li surely fits that description and will look to lead the pack for the Foxes once again after placing first among her teammates at all of the big races last year. Sophomore Laila Williams raised her own expectations with a promising rookie season, and junior Shali Trivedi is another veteran excited to lower her times. Three new runners—E’lon Rodwell-Simon, Aliyah Goldberg and Madelyn Lovequist—gives the Foxes a full girls team that can score at meets, which they have not had in quite a few years.
Outlook: The Foxes have been training hard throughout the preseason and are looking forward to continued progress this fall.
Paul VI Eagles
Runners to watch: Almost the entire roster returns for Paul VI, including senior Macy Huber, who won the Bob Kiessling sectional race with a time of 18:10 and took third at states before finishing 41st at the Meet of Champions. Huber was also the Camden County champion and took second at the Olympic Conference Championships and is poised for a monster final season. The same can be said for senior Giovanna Mantuano, who was not able to compete down the stretch last season but took third at sectionals and 19th at states the year before. She should bounce back in a big way. Junior Grace Gutowski was not far off Huber’s pace in most of the major races. She finished second behind her at both the county and sectional races, took fourth in the conference, fifth at states and 49th at the MOC. Sophomores Peyton Blake and Morgan Kuzma impressed right away as rookies, as both placed in the top 10 in the county and sectional races and placed 13th and 23rd, respectively, at states. Junior Kara Salamone and sophomore Johanna Trampe also shined at the major meets, and a deep roster behind them is ready to contribute as well.
Outlook: Not only did the Eagles repeat as sectional champions, claim another title in the county and take second in the conference meet, but they also went on to place third at states and eighth at the MOC to cap off a remarkable 2024 campaign. This season is shaping up to be just as special.
Seneca Golden Eagles
Runners to watch: Catherine Hodges made big gains as a junior and was the first Seneca runner to cross the finish line at sectionals as she placed 22nd with a time of 21:30. She will help to set the pace along with junior Abigail Connolly, who was right behind Hodges at sectionals in 25th place and consistently ran in the low 22-minute range. Senior Simona DelCollo and junior Jaden Eberman are other veteran returners with experience in the big races, and sophomore Lucy Wojculewski has a chance to build on the promise she showed as a freshman.
Outlook: The highlight of the Golden Eagles’ season was a third-place finish at sectionals, and they hope to carry the momentum from that race into the 2025 campaign.
Shawnee Renegades
Runners to watch: Shawnee had a senior-dominant lineup last season, but that didn’t prevent Kelsey Beer from stepping in and making a difference right away as a freshman. She ran sub-21s at several major meets on her way to 18th place at the Burlington County Open and 31st at both sectionals and the Olympic Conference Championships. Following the graduation of last year’s lone state qualifier—Paige Cline—Beer has the potential to move into the No. 1 spot for the Renegades and hopefully punch a ticket to Holmdel Park. Sophomore Cristina Springfield and senior Melissa Gomez will look to keep lowering their times and be big contributors, and several freshmen with talent and determination are expected to have an impact right away.
Outlook: Although there are important spots to fill throughout the lineup, Shawnee usually finds itself in the thick of things at the major meets and hopes to continue that trend during a rebuilding campaign.
Washington Township Minutemaids
Runners to watch: Washington Township will need new standouts to rise to the occasion after the graduation of its top two runners. Senior Julia Blanchard and sophomore Layla Chain may be up for the challenge after finishing 19th and 20th, respectively, at last year’s Gloucester County Championships. Blanchard also took 28th at the Tri-County Conference Showcase and ran a 21:35 at sectionals. Sophomore Courtney Waddington placed in the top 30 at the county race, and junior Allison Reinherz is a key veteran who had times in the high 22s last season before having to shut down due to a nagging injury. Senior Carli Sciotto and junior Dakota Milou finished one-two in the county JV meet and will push for the top eight as well.
Outlook: The Minutemaids were in the top four at the county and conference races and took 10th at sectionals last fall. They have voids to fill in the lineup but their work ethic should pay off by the end of the season.
