SJM_HSSP_Girls Cross Country_0825 . qxp_Layout 1 9 / 5 / 25 3 : 56 PM Page 3 can be said for senior Giovanna Mantuano , right away . who was not able to compete down the stretch OUTLOOK : Although there are important spots to G I R L S C R O S S C O U N T R Y last season but took third at sectionals and fill throughout the lineup , Shawnee usually 19th at states the year before . She should finds itself in the thick of things at the major bounce back in a big way . Junior Grace meets and hopes to continue that trend during three are capable of big Gutowski was not far off Huber’s pace in most arebuilding campaign . things this fall . Sopho - of the major races . She finished second behind moreMakayla Zell had a her at both the county and sectional races , took promisingrookie season W A S H I N G T O N fourth in the conference , fifth at states and in which she finished T O W N S H I P 49that the MOC . Sophomores Peyton Blake 16th at sectionals and and Morgan Kuzma impressed right away as 20th in the county , and it MINUTEMAIDS rookies , as both placed in the top 10 in the will be exciting to see RUNNERS TO WATCH : county and sectional races and placed 13th and what she can do with a WashingtonTown - 23rd , respectively , at states . Junior Kara Salam - year of experience under her belt . Junior Sophia ship will need new oneand sophomore Johanna Trampe also DiFiore ( 23rd in the county , 19th at sectionals ) standouts to rise to shined at the major meets , and a deep roster and senior Celia Frederico ( 21st at both ) round the occasion after behind them is ready to contribute as well . outthe top three . Sophomore Katherine Simp - the graduation of its top two runners . Senior OUTLOOK : Not only did the Eagles repeat as sec - son and junior Siyana Sheth both ran sub - 21s JuliaBlanchard and sophomore Layla Chain tional champions , claim another title in the at the Olympic Conference meet , and junior may be up for the challenge after finishing 19th county and take second in the conference Catherine Hipple is another veteran to watch . and 20th , respectively , at last year’s Gloucester meet , but they also went on to place third at Juliet Stack Maya is a newcomer to keep an eye CountyChampionships . Blanchard also took states and eighth at the MOC to cap off a on . 28that the Tri - County Conference Showcase remarkable2024 campaign . This season is OUTLOOK : TheQuakers ’ successful 2024 season and ran a 21 : 35 at sectionals . Sophomore shaping up to be just as special . featured runner - up finishes at the county and CourtneyWaddington placed in the top 30 at sectional meets and sixth - place showings in the county race , and junior Allison Reinherz is the conference and states . They have the S E N E C A a key veteran who had times in the high 22s potential to match those achievements in the last season before having to shut down due to GOLDEN EAGLES comingmonths . a nagging injury . Senior Carli Sciotto and junior RUNNERS TO WATCH : Catherine Dakota Milou finished one - two in the county JV Hodgesmade big gains as M O O R E S T O W N meet and will push for the top eight as well . a junior and was the first F R I E N D S OUTLOOK : TheMinutemaids were in the top four Seneca runner to cross the at the county and conference races and took FOXES finish line at sectionals as 10th at sectionals last fall . They have voids to she placed 22nd with a RUNNERS TO WATCH : fill in the lineup but their work ethic should pay time of 21 : 30 . She will help MoorestownFriends off by the end of the season . to set the pace along with has not traditionally junior Abigail Connolly , who hadthe same num - was right behind Hodges at bers as other area PAUL VI’S sectionals in 25th place and consistently ran in GIOVANNA programs , but the MANTUANO thelow 22 - minute range . Senior Simona Del - runners on their roster are certainly committed Collo and junior Jaden Eberman are other vet - to the sport and to getting better . Junior Kelly Li eran returners with experience in the big races , surely fits that description and will look to lead and sophomore Lucy Wojculewski has a the pack for the Foxes once again after placing chance to build on the promise she showed as first among her teammates at all of the big a freshman . races last year . Sophomore Laila Williams OUTLOOK : The highlight of the Golden Eagles ’ raised her own expectations with a promising season was a third - place finish at sectionals , rookie season , and junior Shali Trivedi is anoth - and they hope to carry the momentum from er veteran excited to lower her times . Three that race into the 2025 campaign . newrunners — E’lon Rodwell - Simon , Aliyah Goldberg and Madelyn Lovequist — give the Foxes a full girls team that can score at meets , S H A W N E E which they have not had in quite a few years . RENEGADES OUTLOOK : The Foxes have been training hard RUNNERS TO WATCH : Shawnee had a throughout the preseason and are looking for - senior - dominant lineup last season , ward to continued progress this fall . but that didn’t prevent Kelsey Beer from stepping in and making a dif - P A U L V I ference right away as a freshman . EAGLES She ran sub - 21s at several major meets on her way to 18th place at RUNNERS TO WATCH : the Burlington County Open and 31st at both Almost the entire roster sectionals and the Olympic Conference Cham - returns for Paul VI , pionships . Following the graduation of last includingsenior Macy year’s lone state qualifier — Paige Cline — Beer Huber , who won the has the potential to move into the No . 1 spot Bob Kiessling sectional for the Renegades and hopefully punch a ticket race with a time of 18 : 10 to Holmdel Park . Sophomore Cristina Spring - and took third at states before finishing 41st at field and senior Melissa Gomez will look to theMeet of Champions . Huber was also the keep lowering their times and be big contribu - CamdenCounty champion and took second at tors , and several freshmen with talent and theOlympic Conference Championships and is determination are expected to have an impact poised for a monster final season . The same 5 6 | S O U T H J E R S E Y M A G A Z I N E | F A L L 2 0 2 5 H I G H S C H O O L S P O R T S P R E V I E W | S O U T H J E R S E Y M A G A Z I N E . C O M