From Franklin to Franklin Field
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2026 Finishing Strong
The 2026 season has finally come to an end. What a journey it was.
Our final stretch featured four championship meets: the State Group 4 Championships, the Meet of Champions, The Winner's Circle at the Farm, and New Balance Outdoor Nationals. Over those final three weeks, the girls delivered some of the best performances in program history and closed their careers with memories that will last forever.
State Group 4 Championships
Franklin High School
Friday
Championship weekend began back at Franklin High School. The weather had turned cold and windy again, but fortunately we found some shelter in a portable dugout near the softball field.
The day started with the shot put, where senior Addie Lore threw 32-7½ to place 18th.
On the track, Maddie Meder and Sofia Recinto competed in the open 800. Maddie ran 2:19.04 to finish 11th, while Sofia delivered a lifetime best of 2:14.62 to place fourth. That performance moved her to #4 all-time in school history.
The 3200 meters featured Erin Healy and Alyssa Suriano. Although neither had their best race, Erin ran 11:10.02 to finish ninth, narrowly missing a Meet of Champions wildcard. Alyssa crossed in 11:31.92 to place 15th.
Saturday
Day two brought more wind and cool temperatures, but much better results.
The highlight was the 4x800 relay. Two legs from the Sectional lineup had been replaced, and I challenged the girls to break 9:40 and give themselves a chance at a state title.
Alyssa Suriano – 2:22.68
Maya Kumar – 2:24.62
Erin Healy – 2:25.41
Maddie Meder – 2:23.73
Maddie brought the baton home in 9:36.40.
Southern Regional had run 9:36 in the earlier heat, and we anxiously awaited the official results. When they finally appeared, the girls had captured the Group 4 State Championship by just .24 seconds.
State champions.
Sofia later added a sixth-place finish in the 1600 meters with a 5:06.60, while Addie finished 17th in the discus with a throw of 104-10. The team placed 12th overall.
Meet of Champions
June 4 – Pennsauken High School
Having MOC at Pennsauken once again made for an easy commute and provided one of the best facilities in the state for championship competition.
The meet began with the 4x800 relay. We returned to the Penn Relays lineup by inserting Sofia Recinto back into the relay and shuffled the order slightly:
The mission was simple: put ourselves in position to do something special.
Alyssa opened with a 2:19.56 split, placing us seventh. Erin moved us to sixth with 2:22.69. Maddie delivered perhaps her best relay leg of the season, splitting 2:19.38 and bringing us into second.
Sofia took the baton with the pressure of the field closing in. After slipping to fifth with one lap remaining, she fought back to chase down two runners and secure third place.
Her split of 2:13.64 was the second-fastest 800-meter split of her career.
The clock stopped at 9:15.27.
Twenty-one seconds faster than what they had run at the State Meet.
Program record at Meet of Champions.
Addie Makes the Podium
Last season, Addie narrowly missed the javelin finals. This year, she wasted no time.
On her first throw she launched the javelin 121-1, putting herself in fifth place. None of the finalists improved, and Addie earned her first Meet of Champions medal while becoming the top South Jersey finisher.
Sofia later doubled back in the open 800 and ran a strong negative-split race, finishing 17th in 2:15.84.
The Winner's Circle at the Horse Farm
June 10 – CBA
With nearly two weeks before Nationals, we headed to CBA for one final tune-up.
The facility was outstanding, although the long walk and porta-potties were…an adventure. Just ask Alyssa.
Freshman Ava Guarini continued her remarkable season, running 2:24.69, her second-fastest 800 ever.
Gabby Urban, still dealing with a bruised knee after an unfortunate collision with a bench in practice, courageously closed out an outstanding junior season.
Addie followed with a winning throw of 123-11 in the javelin, putting an exclamation point on her Cherokee career. She leaves her mark in all three throwing events.
Fast Miles
Maya Kumar continued her tremendous progression, running 5:19.49—far removed from the 5:45 she ran as a sophomore. Maya is a testament to what dedication and hard work can accomplish.
Erin Healy followed with 5:07.21, just .13 seconds off her lifetime best.
In the final heat, Alyssa, Maddie, and Sofia lined up against some of the state's best.
For Sofia, competing in just her fourth outdoor open mile, the smile on her face after crossing the finish line said everything.
4:58.95.
That performance moved her to #3 all-time in school history behind Nikki Clifford and Megan Lacy.
Alyssa ran a season-best 5:05.88, while Maddie clocked 5:13.31, her second-fastest 1600 of the year.
New Balance Outdoor Nationals
Franklin Field – Philadelphia
As we like to say:
It's Gator Season.
This marked the sixth generation of Tub Gators.
The schedule didn't quite cooperate this year. Graduation and Nationals overlapped, and there was even a moment when we joked about loading everyone into my Jeep(waiting in Bill's Lane) immediately after receiving diplomas and head straight to Philadelphia.
Knowing this group, they probably would have done it.
Friday Night: One Last Ride
The four seniors piled into my Jeep for one final trip together as teammates.
In heat four of the Championship 4x800 relay, the team ran 9:16.33, finishing fifth in the heat and 12th overall.
Alyssa Suriano led things off handing off to Erin Healy in 12th place. Erin ran her fastest split ever at 800m moving us up to 8th place. Maddie Meder was our third leg. She had a great finish catching a few more spots moving us up to 5th place. Sofia Recinto anchored and held on to 5th place in our heat. The 9:16.33 is #6 all time outdoors.
Splits:
Alyssa Suriano – 2:21.69
Erin Healy – 2:21.01 (lifetime best split)
Maddie Meder – 2:19.37
Sofia Recinto – 2:14.28
Their 9:16.33(second fastest time this season. ranks #6 all-time outdoors and #3 all-time for a single season.
Father's Day Finale
The girls had the day off on Saturday and then showed up Sunday(Father's Day) to end the 2026 year. We had two things on tap for Sunday. The Championship DMR and the Championship 800m. The DMR was up first running at close to 10:55 am. The weather was near perfect. In a very tight and congested heat with 15 teams, Maddie Meder managed a 3:45.48 lead off leg. She handed the stick off in 7th place. Erin Healy was up next running down in distance to cover the 400m. She split 1:03.85(season best) and fell back just a few spots to 10th place. Sofia Recinto ran a monster 800m leg splitting 2:13.72 to move us into 2nd place and then Alyssa Suriano split 5:13.46 to finish 3rd in our heat and 24th out of the 57 teams that ran. The clocked stopped at 12:16.49 which is #5 all time outdoors. That time also made us the only team in New Jersey to run under 12:20 for the past 5 years.
One Last Race
After a few hours of rest—and a lunch trip to the New Deck with Coach Jarvis, Alyssa, and Erin—it was time for Sofia's final race.
The Championship 800 featured 160 competitors spread across 14 heats.
In Heat 3, Sofia came through the opening lap in 1:07.91, sitting 11th out of 13 runners. Patiently, she began moving through the field. Coming off the final turn, the leader left the inside lane open.
Sofia took it.
She surged from last to first, winning the heat in 2:15.01 with a negative split. As the announcer on the live stream said, she had gone "from last to first."
What a fitting way to close out an incredible high school career.
So as the weekend wrapped up, we ended the season with two top ten all time performances and a heat winning ending. At the SJTCA All South Jersey awards we celebrated our indoor 4x800m relay team of Alyssa Suriano, Erin Healy, Sofia Recinto and Maddie Meder for making the All SJ Team. Addie Lore made the spring All South Jersey team in the javelin and Maddie Meder won the SJTCA Scholar Athlete award for the spring. This year we graduate4 individuals that have cemented their names in the all time list individually as well as relays. Thank you to the athletes, parents and the Alumni Association for the continued support throughout the year as well as the National meets we attended indoors and outdoors.
~ Coach Jarvis
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