With a limited number of seniors graduating on both the boy’s and girls’ track teams, the successes this year are seen as part of a building process. As both teams are led by junior athletes, eyes are on the horizon for what the teams will accomplish next year. The girl’s team did not win the divisional title, for the first time in eight years, falling to Delran. The boy’s team, however, after losing the division to Delran last year, came back to beat Delran this year, clinching the number one spot in the Patriot Division.

The boy’s 4×800 meter relay team has had numerous successful performances this year. The team of Juniors TJ Schill, Alex Boyko, Matt McCarron, and Derek Coceano qualified for the Penn Relays, a historic meet dating back to 1895. Additionally, the team of Derek Coceano, Matt McCarron, Josiah Saint Elien, and Tyler Schill won first place at the Woodbury Relays, earning themselves gold watches.

In the NJ Group II rankings, TJ Schill is ranked 5th in the 1600 meter, with Alex Boyko ranked 12th. Schill is ranked 4th for the 3200, with Alex Boyko ranked 6th, and Matt McCarron ranked 13th. Exclusively looking at juniors in Group II, for the 1600 Schill and Boyko move up to 3rd and 7th respectively, with McCarron taking 9th. For the juniors 3200, Schill, Boyko, and McCarron are ranked 3rd, 4th, and 8th, with Dean Clark taking 13th.

Junior Malicah Etienne leads Group 2 South Jersey in the discus and is a close second in the shot put. He credits the success of the team to the work ethic of the boy’s side of the team.

“This year we have put in a lot of effort into each practice whether it came to being in the weight room or being outside,” Etienne said. “And the coaches never took it easy on us, making sure we could be the best we could be.”

Although the team did not get the outcome they had hoped for at the Burlington County Championships hosted by Rancocas Valley Regional High School on May 14, Alex Boyko came in first place in the 3200-meter run. Tyler Schill came in fourth place in the 800-meter run, and Matt McCarron came in fourth place in the 1600-meter run. Overall, the boy’s team placed 5th out of nineteen teams.

The boys graduated three seniors this season: Bobby Blineburry, Edward Arevalo, and CJ White. The girls graduated seven seniors: Taylor Muraresku, Francesca Pilolli, Queen Cooper, Malchiah Blamon, Julianna DeCesare, Grace Coller, and Sarah Guerrier.

The girl’s team is currently led by juniors Stephanie Renouf, Lea Del Grippo, and Kozette Quinn. Renouf comes in at third for Group 2 girls in the 3200 meter. Del Grippo comes in at second for the Group 2 girls’ discus throw. Quinn finished in sixth place at the Burlington County Championships in the 100-meter dash and ninth place in the 200-meter dash.

Although the girls fell to Delran for the division, Del Grippo sees the team beginning to find camaraderie.

“…we’re starting to bond more as a team, and we’re starting to cheer each other on to help improve in our personal events,” Del Grippo said.

Del Grippo is ranked 15th in the state for discus, with Renouf ranked 33rd for the 3200m. Senior Julianna DeCesare is ranked 93rd for pole vault. Quinn won both the 100m and the 200m for the division, with Junior Sam Magin finishing 3rd in both the 100m and the 400m. Freshman Abby Flannery finished 2nd in the division for the 800m, with Renouf and sophomore Anna Marino placing 1st and 2nd respectively in the 1600m. DelGrippo finished 3rd in the 100m hurdles, with Freshman Kellyn Coller placing first in the 400m hurdles. The girls finished off the divisional meet with the 4×4 team of Renouf, Marino, Kellyn Coller, and Grace Coller placing 2nd in the division.

Because the girl’s team is composed of many new high school runners, the girls are looking forward to next season with the hopes that successes will continue to grow.

“I think with us being such a young team will definitely be great to get people to get to experience this year, and will make us much more ready and prepared for upcoming years,” Del Grippo said.

Saturday, May 21 the boys and girls competed at the Burlington County Scholastic League Divisional Championships, hosted by Pennsauken High School. Both the boys and girls track and field teams won the meet, beating the other teams in the division: Pemberton, Delran, and Bordentown.

With one of the longest seasons of the spring sports, the track teams still have a handful of meets left on the schedule, including Haddonfield Distance Night on Tuesday the 31st, and the sectional meet on June 3rd and 4th.