State Group 4 Championship

Group 4 State Championships Recap

Heading into the State Group 4 meet, we knew it would take a little bit of luck and a near-perfect day to contend for a state title. Ridgewood looked unbeatable, Princeton appeared out of reach, and we were well aware that if we didn’t race well, Cherry Hill East and Freehold Township could be right in the mix. Our main objective was clear: qualify for the Meet of Champions.

For whatever reason, the overall team performance didn’t quite click, despite several athletes running Holmdel PRs. Still, our depth showed through once again with an impressive 48-second 1–5 spread and just a 58-second 1–6 spread.

Alyssa Suriano led the way, running 19:55.53 for 19th place. Erin Healy followed with a Holmdel PR of 20:11.08 for 24th. Maya Kumar continued her breakout season with a lifetime best of 20:33.17 to place 32nd. Maddie Meder was next in 38th at 20:40.41, and Sofia Recinto closed out our scoring five in 39th with a strong 20:44.06.

Freshman Ava Guarini stepped in for Casey Leisse, who was sidelined with an IT band strain. In her first-ever race at Holmdel—after missing the freshman race at Shore Coaches—Ava didn’t flinch. She ran an impressive 20:53.15 for 44th, registering the 6th-fastest Holmdel time by a Cherokee freshman in school history. Gabby Urban rounded out our squad with a 22:37.26.

The team scored 127 points to finish 3rd overall, tying the second-best finish in program history. In the full meet merge, we placed 7th—well within range for a wildcard berth to the Meet of Champions. For those keeping track, MOC qualification has changed over the years: the six state-champion teams automatically advance, are removed from the merge, and the next eight teams earn wildcard bids.

By Sunday afternoon, it became official:The girls are heading to the Meet of Champions—just the 7th time in school history.

This is a tremendous achievement and an opportunity to compete on the biggest stage in New Jersey. We had great support from the team, parents and alumni that showed up to support. We’re also excited for the following week, when we’ll take two teams to the Nike Cross Country Regional meet. Thanks to the support of our Alumni Association, opportunities like this continue to be possible for our athletes. We’re grateful for everyone who contributes to making these moments a reality.