Some quick notes from the North 1 Sectional Championships.
North 1 Full Results | Video Interviews
- Sophia Knerr - North Warren HS 20:00
- Mountain Lakes HS 80pts (7+8+17+22+26 (35+45)) 2:01 1-5 Split | 22:27 Avg
Group 2 Girls - Indian Hills maintained its stranglehold on the team title, becoming the first repeat winner since Morris Hills in 2010-11. But defending champion Corinne Barney, a senior at Indian Hills, was upset by Lakeland sophomore Angelina Perez, the first Lakeland girl to claim a section title in 38 years. The first and only other Lakeland girl to win was Laura Reibold in 1981.
- Angelina Perez - Lakeland Regional HS 18:31
- Indian Hills HS 68 2+4+16+18+28 2:39 1-5 Split | 20:45 Avg
Group 3 Girls - When senior Lauren Judd won the section title in 19:29, she became the first Ramapo girl to win in 13 years. Kesley Ramsey won N1G3 in 2006.
- Lauren Judd - Ramapo HS 19:29
- Northern Highlands Reg. HS 55pts (2+9+10+11+23 (29+35)) 2:09 1-5 Split | 21:05 Avg
Group 4 Girls - The Ridgewood girls, led by sophomore Camryn Wennersten, are still the team to beat in New Jersey. They put together a North 1 meet-best 19:38 average to repeat as champs. Wennersten was champ in a meet-best 18:25. The Maroons' five-runner compression was 2:05, but take out Wennersten's time and Ridgewood's 2-5 runners present a nearly-unbeatable pack, with a compression of just 52 seconds.
And talk about history. In the meet's 44-year history, Ridgewood has now won 24 titles and Wennersten is the 22nd Ridgewood girl to medal.
- Camryn Wennersten - Ridgewood HS 18:25
- Ridgewood HS 37pts (1+6+7+9+14 (17+19)) 2:05 1-5 Split | 19:38 Avg
Group 1 Boys -- Two lengthy championship droughts came to and end in this race.
Pompton Lakes junior Nathan Armstrong, 16:43, is his school's first boys sectional champ since 1972, when the race was still 2 miles! Stan Gilewicz was your PL champ 47 years ago.
Also, Hasbrouck Heights halted a 45-year dry spell by pushing four guys into the top 15 and easily beating North Warren 51-92.
- Nathan Armstrong - Pompton Lakes HS 16:44
- Hasbrouck Heights HS 51pts (4+7+12+13+15 (27+31)) 0:49 1-5 Split | 17:50 Avg
Group 2 Boys - Lakeland won its first sectional title in 21 years and the second in program history. The first came in North 1, Group 3 in 1998.
- Ethan Billings - High Point Reg. HS 16:29.00
- Lakeland Regional HS 58pts (4+7+8+18+21 (54+76)) 1:21 1-5 Split | 17:25 Avg
Group 3 Boys -- Old Tappan junior Steven Hatano entered the Lou Molino Bergen M of C on Nov. 2 as a contender for the title after winning the Bergen County Group 4 title the previous week. But Hatano took a spill on the course and didn't finish the race. The Old Tappan star entered the sectionals on a mission to show he had the guts to overcome any mishaps which can occur during a race. He did that by winning the sectional title in 16:41 and becoming his school's first boys champion in 35 years. The last was Ralph Nicki in 1984.
- Steven Hatano - NV Old Tappan HS 16:41
- NV - Old Tappan HS 64pts (1+3+17+21+22 (25+30)) 1:11 1-5 Split | 17:26 Avg
Group 4 Boys -- Ridgewood, led by fourth-place finisher Jay Boogaert, won its 10th straight sectional title, extending its own record in North 1. The state sectional record is 16 straight which Haddonfield extended on Saturday in South Jersey (2004-19). The streak would be 21 were it not for Cinnaminson interrupting a four-year Haddonfield run in 2003. And talk about interruptions. Bernards would stand No. 2 on the streak list with a 16-year run, but instead, its two eight-year streaks (1966-73, 1975-82) were split by Delaware Valley in 1974.
- Philmon Mehari - Livingston HS 16:18
- Ridgewood HS 40pts (3+4+7+12+14 (20+21)) 0:35 1-5 Split | 16:49 Avg