And so it begins...

Burlington County Open

The championship portion of the season kicked off in record-breaking fashion at the Burlington County Open. This year’s meet featured a big change — a new 5K course at Crystal Lake Park in Mansfield, NJ, replacing the long-time Millcreek Park layout. The new venue brought its share of challenges for both runners and coaches. The course opened with a gravel stretch before quickly narrowing to an eight-foot-wide path, followed by a series of rolling grassy hills and descents. With little course overlap, it proved difficult for spectators and coaches to navigate — though Coach Viscidy did his best on foot while I made good use of my mountain bike to catch the action.

The meet began with the JV Girls Race, which started just two minutes behind the boys. That meant our girls spent much of the race weaving through the boys’ field — and still managed to dominate. Cherokee swept the top six spots, with our seventh runner finishing 11th. Scoring for the Chiefs were Ava Guarini, Genisa John, Lilly Hazlett, Ella Holloway, and Chloe Burdette — an outstanding display of depth and teamwork.

In the Varsity Race, the girls followed up with a near-perfect performance. Led by Alyssa Suriano (2nd), Maddie Meder (3rd), Sofia Recinto (4th), Maya Kumar (6th), and Erin Healy (8th) — along with freshman Casey Leisse (12th) and Gabby Urban (15th) — the Chiefs claimed their third straight County Title and ninth overall in program history.

Olympic Conference Championship

With a quick turnaround, the girls returned to action for the Olympic Conference Championship. This meet allowed for an expanded varsity field as we continued shaping the lineup for Sectionals. Prioritizing health, we rested Alyssa Suriano and Sofia Recinto to address some minor issues — giving several younger runners a chance to step up.

Maddie Meder led the way with a season-best 19:01 for 6th place, followed closely by Erin Healy (7th), Maya Kumar (9th), Gabby Urban (19th), and Ava Guarini (20th). The team totaled 61 points, placing 3rd overall and 2nd in the division behind Cherry Hill East.

The JV Girls once again showed off their strength and depth — even with several athletes racing varsity. Lilly Hazlett led the team with a 21:34 for 2nd, followed by Chloe Burdette (3rd – 21:45), Sonal Patel (4th – 21:50), Alexa Butler (10th – 21:50), and Elise Barcenas (16th – 24:10). Their efforts earned another team victory, scoring just 35 points.

Haddonfield Invitational

The final tune-up before Sectionals came at the Haddonfield Invitational, back on the familiar grounds of Pennypacker Park. It was the perfect setting for many JV runners to close out their seasons on a high note — and if team scores had been tallied, our girls would have once again come out on top with 38 points.

Ava Guarini led the way with a lifetime best of 19:50 to place 2nd, followed by Genisa John (6th), Lilly Hazlett (7th), Ella Holloway (11th), Sonal Patel (12th), and Chloe Burdette (18th). Nearly every athlete ran a season or lifetime PR — nine total — showing just how far this group has come.

South Jersey Group 4 Sectionals

Finally — Sectionals. With the full lineup back and ready to go, the team set out to defend its title and make it three in a row. The girls delivered a statement race — placing five runners in the top 11 and posting one of the fastest team performances in program history.

Alyssa Suriano led the charge, running 18:22 in her first-ever Dream Park race — the #3 all-time mark on the course. Erin Healy followed with a breakthrough 18:59 (her first sub-19 and #9 all-time), with Maya Kumar (19:07 – #10 AT), Sofia Recinto (19:10 – #11 AT), and Maddie Meder (19:13) rounding out the scoring five.

The Chiefs finished with 39 points, edging Cherry Hill East by eight to capture their third consecutive Sectional Championship, fifth in six years, and seventh overall in program history.

Casey Leisse added a strong 20:02 (24th), while Gabby Urban, battling a rolled ankle early in the race, toughed it out to finish 40th in 21:14. The team’s 1–5 average of 18:58.01 ranks #5 all-time in Dream Park history, the fastest ever by a Cherokee team, and the fastest team average ever recorded in the SJ Group 4 race — with just a 51-second spread between our top five.

Up Next: State Group 4 Championship

Next stop: Holmdel Park for the State Group 4 Championship. With powerhouses Ridgewood and Princeton looming as the top contenders, our Lady Chiefs are locked in, hungry, and ready to chase history once again.

Race time: Saturday, November 8th – 1:30 PM.