Passaic Tech sweeps boys, girls titles in state tech school cross country championships
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
WOODSTOWN — The Passaic Tech cross country team is finally at full strength and has been taking it out on race trails across North Jersey ever since.
Bulldogs coach Shadi Taha knew he had “something special” brewing this year, but it took a while before he was finally able to turn it loose.
The season started slow with several runners on the mend, including junior ace Mike DeCarlo, but the group he expected to have has been together now for about three weeks and they haven’t been beaten yet.
The Bulldogs made it four races in a row Monday when they won the NJTAC tech schools’ state championship in dominating fashion at windy Salem Tech.
Passaic won the girls team title too, giving the Bulldogs their first sweep since 2015, the last time available records show the girls won it.
DeCarlo won the boys race in 16:43.03. Sussex Tech’s Micah Delelio won the girls race in 19:56.88 after finishing second each of the last two years to Morris Tech’s Maya VanHorn.Passaic and GCIT finished 1-2 in both team races.
The Bulldogs’ boys, the defending race champs, put the first three runners across the line — DeCarlo, Jayell Pallero and Victor Mielnik — all five of their counters in the top nine and seven in the first 13. The girls had two runners in the top five and then places 10, 11 and 12.
DeCarlo didn’t get out as fast as he expected into a stiff wind, but he led wire to wire for his third win. He won by more than 30 seconds.
“It wasn’t my best performance today, but I feel like I bounced back from last year,” he said.
Delelio wasn’t the pacesetter coming out of the gate in her race, but she took the lead as the field made its way through the woods and kept it the rest of the way. She was nearly 45 seconds ahead of GCIT runner-up Jordan Moczydlowski.
NJTAC Championships
| BOYS TEAM SCORES: Passaic Tech 23, GCIT 57, Morris Tech 116, Medford Tech 144, Salem Tech 150, Sussex Tech 179, Camden Vo-Tech 189, Bergen Tech 200, Westhampton Tech 256, Warren Tech 265, Cape May Tech 272, Pennsauken Tech 348, West Caldwell Tech 375, East Brunswick Magnet 410. |
| GIRLS TEAM SCORES: Passaic Tech 38, GCIT 57, Morris Tech 60, Warren Tech 128, Sussex Tech 130, Camden Vo-Tech 166, West Caldwell Tech 188, Medford Tech 210, Salem Tech 219, East Brunswick Magnet 239. |
| BOYS TOP 10 | GIRLS TOP 10 | ||
| Mike DeCarlo, Passaic | 16:43.03 | Micah Dalelio, Sussex | 19:56.68 |
| Jayell Pallero, Passaic | 17:15.35 | Jordan Moczydlowski, GCIT | 20:39.12 |
| Victor Mielnik, Passaic | 17:23.44 | Erisa Ciocoiu, Passaic | 21:17.92 |
| Wyatt Evans, GCIT | 17:33.80 | Cameron Fuerte, Morris | 22:06.41 |
| Chris Davis, Medford | 17:37.36 | Michell Taipe, Passaic | 22:12.26 |
| Matt McQueen, Sussex | 17:55.07 | Siddhee Pathak, Morris | 22:13.78 |
| D Snyder-Shellito, GCIT | 18:05.70 | Isabel Guerra, GCIT | 22:28.17 |
| Bryson Coke, Passaic | 18:12.10 | Olivia Davis, Warren | 22:31.71 |
| Joaquin Vila, Passaic | 18:12.75 | Kirstyn McHale, Cape May | 22:47.83 |
| Ryan Ejjalili, GCIT | 18:20.63 | Elena Urriola, Passaic | 22:58.67 |
SALEM TECH BOYS COUNTERS: (21) Anthony Morano, 19:09.65; (28) Jean-Pierre Pozo, 19:43.90; (29) Levi Seals, 19:45.41; (35) Chase Pompper, 20:18.06; (37) Larry Pompper, 20:34.12.
SALEM TECH GIRLS COUNTERS: (27) Paityn Harrington, 25:35.35; (33) Abigail Vanaman, 27:10.23; (49) Gabrielle Lemke, 32:54.07; (54) Julia Richards, 34:43.57; (56) Carmen Mott, 35:11.45
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