Woodstown’s boys going back to states after third-place finish at sectionals; Schalick also qualifies in boys race
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
LOGAN TWP. – It wasn’t necessarily a drought, but it was a dry spell like this past month of October that Woodstown boys cross country coach Steve New really wanted to end.
It had been three years since the Wolverines’ boys team made it to the state meet, but they ended the dry spell Saturday with a third-place finish in the South Jersey Group I sectional race at DREAM Park.
The Wolverines placed three runners in the top 10 and all five in the top 25 to score 63 points for a solid third behind winner Glassboro and Haddon Twp. Schalick finished fourth and also qualified for next week’s state meet in Holmdel.
“I thought we had a shot (to win), we’d have to have all things line up for us, but I can’t be upset with them,” New said. “That’s the best we’ve finished since I’ve been coaching. My 1 through 7 were all under 18:40. I’ve never had a team do that.”
The Wolverines’ Big 3 – Salem County champion Karson Chew, Jacob Marino and Cole Lucas – finished third, sixth and seventh, respectively, just three seconds apart. They’re other two counters, Jon Farrell and David Farrell, were 24th and 25th, respectively, separated at the wire by one second.
“We told them don’t worry about the clock, worry about people,” New said. “You can’t be worried about your watch, you’ve got to worry about passing people. If you want to go out fast, it’s got to be controlled chaos, settle in to where you think you need to be. They were right where I wanted them to be.”
“This is the first year in a long time our whole team was able to make it to state and it’s the first year in a long time we’ve had a chance at winning (sectionals),” Chew said as he tried calculating team scores as runners crossed the finish line. “It’s a maybe right now, but we’ll figure it out. I’m super happy either way, if we win or not. It was a super good race from everyone. I’m super proud of them, super proud of myself and can’t wait to run in the states.”
Woodstown’s fate was sealed when the fifth counters from Glassboro and Haddon Twp. both finished in the top 17 before the Wolverines’ last two runners crossed the line.
“It was a hard race,” Marino said. “Our whole team fought to the end.”
Glassboro’s Ty Blackman blew the field away winning in 15:42.62. Shaun Maloney of Haddon Twp. was second (16:47.34). Chew was only six seconds behind, just missing a PR, holding off Haddon Twp.’s Manolo Foote and Glassboro’s Jaeden Wesley at the finish.
“My whole thing when I’m racing against Ty, second place becomes first place,” Chew said. “It ends up being a race for second between everybody, just because he’s so much ahead. That way it’s made it easier to not get discouraged or feel bad during the race.”
Schalick scored 123 points. Salvatore Longo was the first Cougars’ runner across the line, coming in 13th (17:19.71). Collin Bittle was 22nd (18:05.06). Six of the Cougars’ runners posted season-best times.
Salem’s Sam Cooke was 27th (18:28.03). The Rams finished eighth as a team.
Pennsville didn’t have enough runners to post a team score, but Logan Brumbaugh and Logan Cowperthwait were the Eagles’ top finishers at 51st and 57th.
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I
BOYS XC CHAMPIONSHIP
TEAM SCORES: Glassboro 42, Haddon Twp. 44, Woodstown 63, Schalick 123, Maple Shade 140, Audubon 177, Pitman 182, Salem 215, Cape May Tech 242, Clayton 282, Riverside 309, Pt. Pleasant Beach 370.
INDIVIDUAL TOP 5: Ty Blackmon, Glassboro, 15:42.62; Shaun Maloney, Haddon Twp. 16:47.34; Karon Chew, Woodstown, 16:53.02; Manolo Foote, Haddon Twp., 16:53.21; Jaeden Wesley, Glassboro, 16:53.50.
Cover photo: Woodstown’s Karson Chew holds off runners from Glassboro and Haddon Twp. to finish third in the South Jersey Group I boys race Saturday.
Riverview Sports News 