With spirited fans on the sideline, the boys cross country team won and the girls placed fourth in the Sectional Championships at Greystone Park on Nov. 8. Both teams will move on to the Group 4 State Championship tomorrow at Holmdel Park.
Competitors from the boys team included seniors Matt Russo, Andrew Harting-Smith, William Chandler and Bryan Jackler; juniors Alexander Campbell and Ryan Siegel; and sophomore Gabriel Givelber.
Russo was the first of 107 runners to cross the finish line, coming in with a time of 15:52:30, a new personal and school record. Harting-Smith, Campbell, Siegel and Jackler also beat personal records.
While WHS triumphed, Millburn proved to be tough competition. Said Russo: “As a team, we thought we could win if we executed the game plan. We knew we couldn’t take anything lightly considering last year Millburn upset us by two points.”
Said Head Coach Chris Tafelski: “The guys did a great job. It was a good confidence-builder. We needed the momentum for the championship race.”
The girls team consisted of seniors Charlie O’Brien, Caroline Stocking, Gabrielle Brennan, Natalie Marcotullio and Meghan O’Dwyer, and juniors Julia Meyers and Noelle Blackford. O’Brien, Stocking, Myers, Brennan, Blackford and Marcotullio all beat personal records. O’Brien, with a time of 20:20:80, finished first among the WHS girls and seventeenth in the race.
According to Head Coach Jennifer Buccino, WHS and Millburn were neck-and-neck for third. She said, “It was a tight race, but we’re happy to be moving on to state championships.”