At the Greystone Invitational, the OP JV XC team had an impressive showing, with a significant number of runners earning medals in the top 75. Leading the JV squad was junior Tristan Knight, who delivered an excellent performance securing 3rd place with a time of 18:55. Junior Aidan Wizeman followed closely, narrowly missing the top 5 with an impressive personal record of 19:20.
The following meet was the Union County Conferences held at Oak Ridge, one of the most popular and well-liked cross-country courses in the state. Many JV runners had strong races, with 11 athletes finishing in under 21 minutes and 3 under 22. Junior James Milton emerged as a standout performer, achieving a breakout race with a time of 19:06. His 14th place finish bolstered the JV team’s ranking. Connor Heffernan and Wizeman followed, with Heffernan running a 19:17 and Wizeman coming behind at 19:38.
Following two successful JV meets, the team aimed to build on its momentum. At the Union County Championships, held at the Warinanco course, which included an additional 150 meters. The team secured 5th place out of 12 teams, with many JV runners performing very well. There were few PRs on this challenging course partially due to its extended length. Leading the JV squad were Tristan Knight with a time of 19:08, and James Milton who once again delivered a strong performance with a time of 19:22. Connor Heffernan finished with a 19:38, capping off another strong performance in his senior year campaign. The team after this race looked to bounce back, after failing to run to the best of their abilities.
Despite this, the JV team has one final opportunity at Greystone on the 28th at the NJ Catholic Championship. Given the team’s experience at Greystone this year and its vast depth, there’s a possibility of witnessing one of the strongest meets in a long time. Many JV runners are looking to break the 19-minute and 20-minute marks, and I believe we’ll see a great finale and a promising finish, providing a solid foundation to build on for the team’s next season with some potential breakout races along the way.
