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Boys Cross Country
2017 Fall Sports Preview

by Matt Consentino

BISHOP EUSTACE Crusaders

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Nick Hutchison will look to add to his already extensive list of accomplishments in his final season at Bishop Eustace. Last year he repeated as the sectional and Olympic Conference National Division champion. He went on to place sixth at states and ran 16:33 at the Meet of Champions to finish 29th. Junior Connor Melko is another strong competitor who finished right behind Hutchison at sectionals and took third at states. Juniors Andrew Massaro and Brian Hutchison were both in the top 10 at sectionals and top 20 at states, and other talented juniors include Grant Melko, Sean May, Nick Massaro and Zachary Mahaney. Junior Manik Dhawan is a newcomer to the program who could have an immediate impact and be part of the top five.

OUTLOOK: The Crusaders’ fantastic 2016 season was highlighted by a sectional title and their first state championship since 2011. With almost all of their top runners back, expect them to be contenders again this fall.

 

CAMDEN CATHOLIC Fighting Irish

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Junior Richie Castaneda leads a solid pack of runners for Camden Catholic after placing second in the Olympic Conference National Division and fifth in Camden County. He was also the team’s highest finisher at states, as he ran 17:08 to take 24th. Junior Ray Derman clocked a time of 16:52 to finish fourth at sectionals, while senior Craig Cleveland, junior Max Baier and sophomore Matt Denton were also in the top 20. Junior Matt Coffey is another top runner and other returners looking to contribute are junior Miguel Angel Gisone and sophomore Collin Miller.

OUTLOOK: The Irish took third at both the sectional and county meets and placed 11th at states last year. They’ll leave their mark at those races again in 2017.

 

CHEROKEE Chiefs

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Cherokee said goodbye to a pair of sensational runners with the graduation of Nick Falk and Jack Shea. Fortunately, two senior standouts are still around to pace this year’s squad. Justin Kelly put together top-five performances in the Burlington County, Olympic Conference and sectional meets. He went on to place eighth at states with a time of 16:12, and clocked a 16:28 at the Meet of Champions. Brandon Marks was in the top 10 at the county and conference meets, took 12th at sectionals and 29th at states, and he also competed at the MOC. Joe Falk is another senior leader, and sophomores Chris Spisak and Chase Miller will look to build on solid rookie seasons. Other returners who will contend for a spot on the varsity squad are seniors Matt Smith, Jonathan Conn and Mike Iannotta, junior David Jackson and sophomores Ethan Wechsler, Bobby Hackney and Mike Gavio.

OUTLOOK: The Chiefs captured county, conference and sectional titles in 2016, placed second at states and took seventh at the Meet of Champions for the second year in a row. They might not be at the same level without Nick Falk and Shea, but they will still be a presence at the major meets.

 

CHERRY HILL EAST Cougars

PLAYERS TO WATCH: A strong crop of runners graduated last year, including three who were in the top 15 at sectionals. Cherry Hill East will look to rebuild with junior Kyle Krell leading the way. His promising sophomore season included a time of 17:06 at sectionals and a 17:39 at states. Senior Jeremy Helfand is another key returner who will be at the front of the pack. Junior Andy Zhong and sophomore Oliver Adler also hope to jump into the top five.

OUTLOOK: After winning three straight sectional championships from 2013-2015, the Cougars placed fourth last year and went on to take sixth at states. Expectations won’t be as high this season but this is a proven program that will still be competitive.

 

CHERRY HILL WEST Lions

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Cherry Hill West must break in a new No. 1 runner following the graduation of Robert Abrams, who was the sectional and Camden County champion in 2016. One of the candidates to fill the role is senior Kasaan Gary, who clocked a time of 18:39 on the course at Delsea during last year’s sectional meet. Andre DiVito and Austin Cornaglia are other returning seniors and sophomore John Howe will look to build on a solid freshman campaign.

OUTLOOK: After suffering major losses to graduation for the second year in a row, the Lions will look for their young runners to show improvement throughout 2017.

 

CLEARVIEW Pioneers

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Colin Gardina seems to take things up a notch each season of his career and it will be exciting to see what he can accomplish as a senior. Last year he saved his best performance for sectionals, running 16:17.51 to place 10th. He also took fifth at the Gloucester County meet and ninth at the Tri- County Conference meet. Junior Aidan Coakley was injured for most of last season, but could be Clearview’s No. 2 runner if healthy. Senior Colin McCarty is another veteran who the Pioneers will lean heavily on. Senior Colin Gamber and sophomore Ethan Power should also be in the top five, and junior Zachary Cohen is another returner looking to have an impact.

OUTLOOK: The Pioneers hope to have strong showings at the county and conference meets, and Gardina will be a runner to keep an eye on throughout the season.

 

EASTERN Vikings

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Senior Robert Young consistently posted times in the 17-minute range last year and will once again be a top runner for Eastern. Aaron Forsman and Jacob Harley are other seniors who will push for the No. 1 spot on the team. Sophomore John Brodzik showed potential as a rookie and will be counted on as well. Other contributors are seniors Alex Andrews, Ale Shaw, Chris Bracchi and Kyle Kenselaar and sophomore Aaron Arnstein.

OUTLOOK: The Vikings have a solid core returning and will look to improve on their 12th-place finish at sectionals and 10th-place effort in the Olympic Conference.

 

GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC Rams

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Gloucester Catholic has a void in the No. 1 spot following the graduation of Sean Ward. Sophomore Ryan DiGiacomo could be ready for the role after a solid freshman campaign. Adam Stester is another sophomore expected to contribute, and senior Hunter Masters is back with the team after not running the last two seasons. He was the Rams’ No. 3 runner as a freshman. Veteran leadership will come from juniors Travis Finley and Mike Walton and senior Patch Glennan. Other runners hoping to have an impact are juniors Jared Roscioli and John Sullivan and sophomores Jose Reyes, Anthony Polo, John Reimel, Michael Schmid, Jake DiGargorio and Joe Camarillo.

OUTLOOK: Although Ward is a tough loss, the Rams bring back some promising returners and hope to be competitive.

 

HADDONFIELD Bulldawgs

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Haddonfield brings back six of its top seven runners from a year ago, including three who placed in the top 10 at sectionals, so this is shaping up as another banner season. At the front of the pack is junior Derek Gess, who ran 15:54 at sectionals to place third and will be eyeing a South Jersey championship this fall. He was also the Colonial Conference champion, took 13th at states and 32nd at the Meet of Champions. Juniors Greg Eisenhower (sixth) and Griffin Weiner (ninth) were the other top finishers at sectionals, and Eisenhower added a top-20 performance at states. Senior Richie Glennon and juniors Ethan Spellmeyer and Sean Campiglia are other strong competitors who would be in the first or second spot at a lot of other programs. Senior Max Humes and sophomore Martin Riddell will challenge for varsity spots as well.

OUTLOOK: The Bulldawgs went 10-0 in dual meets last year to extend their amazing streak to 192 straight, dating back to 1997. They’ll look to hit the 200 mark this fall. Haddonfield also collected its 13th sectional title in a row and took second at states, and those feats will be within reach again in 2017.

 

KINGSWAY Dragons

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Kingsway is excited about the return of its top seven runners, five of whom placed in the top 20 at sectionals. The leader is senior Joe Grandizio, who repeated as Gloucester County and Tri-County Conference champion and took second at sectionals with a time of 15:47. He also took 17th at states and 42nd at the Meet of Champions and will be a factor atall of the major meets in his final season. Seniors Jon Connor, Brian Mangiaracina and Cade Hindley and junior Kieran Burns were all in the top 20 at sectionals, and Connor and Mangiaracina were also in the top 10 at the county and conference meets. Other key returners are seniors Cole Hindley and Matt Farnese, juniors Gavin Wagner, Danny Reynolds, Stephen Wilkins and Johnny Paolucci and sophomore Stone Caraccio.

OUTLOOK: The Dragons were county champs and runner-ups at the conference and sectional meets. They also placed fourth at states and 10th at the MOC. Grandizio and the rest of the experienced returners are primed to make this another memorable campaign.

 

LENAPE Indians

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Lenape will again be paced by senior Kevin Lauer, who clocked a time of 16:37 to place 17th at sectionals last year. He also took 11th in Burlington County and 10th in the Olympic Conference and should be in store for a big final season. Junior James Vizzard and senior John Civitillo are other top competitors who posted times under 17 minutes at sectionals. Juniors Zaven Kazandjian and Matt Krier and senior Finley Buchanan-Jacobs are other key returners and sophomore Matt Richardson is also expected to contribute.

OUTLOOK: The Indians had top-five performances at the county and conference meets and finished sixth at sectionals in 2016. Look for them to leave their mark at those races this fall.

 

MOORESTOWN Quakers

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Moorestown graduated its top two runners— Kevin Fox and Bavish Gummadi— but juniors Jack West and Jack Farmer look like they’re ready to move to the front of the pack. They often crossed the finish line together in 2016, including top-10 performances at the Burlington County Scholastic League meet and top-20 showings at states. Seniors Jesse Wun and Zack Miller are also key competitors who will provide leadership along with consistent times.

OUTLOOK: The 2016 season brought another BCSL Liberty Division title along with a second at sectionals and a fourth at the Burlington County meet. The Quakers hope to contend at the major races again this fall.

 

MOORESTOWN FRIENDS Foxes

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Moorestown Friends suffered a big loss with the graduation of team MVP Ian Bucci, but the good news is that sophomore Aidan Chick has the talent to take over as the No. 1 runner. He took 24th place at the Friends School League Championships—the best finish on the team—and was second behind Bucci for team-high honors at sectionals and states. Juniors Neal Shah, Jakob Hull, Jack Beard and Eli Gamber will add solid support during dual meets and will look to compete at a high level in the Friends League. Senior Roman Daniel was voted the Foxes’ most improved runner in 2016 and senior Will Kimberly is another veteran presence.

OUTLOOK: The Foxes will clearly miss Bucci’s leadership, but there are some solid returners from a team that finished fifth in the FSL meet and sixth at sectionals.

 

PAUL VI Eagles

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Juniors Matt Slattery and Ryan Tenerelli are ready to lead the way for Paul VI after placing in the top 10 at sectionals last year. Slattery added a top-20 performance at the Camden County Meet and an eighth in the Olympic Conference National Division and it will be interesting to see what he can accomplish as an upperclassman. Sophomore Nate Strobl showed potential as a rookie and will be in the top five as well. Other returners looking to make an impact are senior Chris Rodriguez, junior Ben Jennings and sophomores Xavier Casillas and Colton Johnson.

OUTLOOK: The Eagles’ achievements in 2016 included a runner-up finish at sectionals, a 10th at states and a fifth in the county meet. They hope to make noise at the major races again this fall.

 

SENECA Golden Eagles

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Vincent Malave turned some heads as a rookie and should only get better this season as a sophomore. Among his highlights was a time of 18:00 at sectionals. Junior Billy Hess and senior Brady Moore will join Malave at the front of the pack and provide veteran leadership as well. Seniors Blake Olsen and Mike Pawling, junior Jonah Worrell and sophomore Nathan Roseboro will also look to contribute.

OUTLOOK: The Golden Eagles hope to keep low-ering their times throughout the season and build on last year’s top-10 efforts at the Burlington County and sectional meets. The team is young, and the coaching staff is looking forward to seeing guys step into leadership roles as the season begins.

 

SHAWNEE Renegades

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Shawnee said goodbye to one of the area’s top runners with the graduation of Mark Miller. Junior Sean Keevey, who ran 17:49 at sectionals, will attempt to move into the No. 1 spot. Senior Jacob Malpass and juniors Aiden Dowling and Tim Warren will also be counted on to post consistent times. Senior Jack Ennis and junior Jacob Delancy are back in the fold as well.

OUTLOOK: The Renegades have some promising returners, particularly in the junior class, and hope to show improvement as the season wears on.

 

ST. AUGUSTINE Hermits

PLAYERS TO WATCH: St. Augustine brings back all of its top runners from 2016, including junior Anthony Sofran and senior Nicholas Simila, who both placed in the top 20 at sectionals. Sofran also clocked a 17:11 at the Cape-Atlantic League meet to take 17th. Seniors Will Martini, Justin Wright and Frank Bergamo round out the top five, while other contributors are seniors Steve Schwab and Blaise Collins and sophomore Tim Merighi.

OUTLOOK: The Hermits have the potential to improve on their fourth-place effort at sectionals and fifth-place showing at the Cape-Atlantic League meet with Sofran at the front of the pack.

 

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP Minutemen

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Washington Township graduated several key seniors but is excited to see what Evan Chu can do as a junior following a breakout sophomore campaign. He placed ninth in Gloucester County and 14th in the Olympic Conference and clocked a respectable 17:13 at sectionals. Junior Chris Shaw, a newcomer to cross country, will push Chu after posting the team’s fastest two-mile time (9:53) in the spring. Junior Erick Dearing and seniors Jake Kolodziej and Sean Smithson are other proven veterans, and junior Austin Milou will look to crack the top five as well.

OUTLOOK: The Minutemen’s solid 2016 season featured a second-place finish in the county, a fifth in the conference and an eighth at sectionals. They hope to build on that foundation this season.

 

To see a complete list of our Fall Sports Schedules, click here to go to our digital edition. 

 

Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Family Magazine, Volume 8, Issue 5 (July, 2017). 
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