Preview: Six Flags Wild Safari Invitational 2022

Meet Preview / Division Previews

By Jim Schlentz

The Six Flags Wild Safari Inv enters year 12 only missing 2020 due to the pandemic. We changed the course in 2018 due to construction for the solar panels at Hurricane Harbor.  We will stay with the new course that features more running in front of the spectators and less in the sandy Safari ground.  The course records are now Karrie Baloga (Cornwall, NY) 16:52 for the girls and Sebastien Reed (Pitman, NJ) 15:39 for the boys. The Team Ave records are Colts Neck, NJ girls 18:42 and Colts Neck, NJ boys 16:41.  This year's race features teams from 5 states, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey plus Wash DC.  About half the teams are from out-of-state, as in the previous years, so everyone gets to race against teams they would normally not see.  Remember, the fastest 7 boys and girls (The All-Six Flags Team) and the fastest boys and girls team get special awards in the park and then get a pass to cut the line at the ride of their choice.  There will be no awards ceremony (no one wanted to leave the ride line they were in), instead, teams and individuals can pick up these special awards at the end of the meet near the starting line or in the park, by the fountain, when you first enter, between 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm.

Both the boys and girls races have outstanding individuals.  Many will compete in different races so we will see who gets pushed enough to run the top time of the day.  The top time of the day in each gender will win the Bob Petruski Award, named after our long time Head Referee for this meet.  On the boy's side, we have 1 returner from last year's All-Six Flags team.  Noah Bender (Fox Lane) was 7th fastest at last year's meet.  He ran 9:38 3200 last spring. The fight to make this year's All-Six Flags team will most likely come from the following: Akshay Vadul (Edison, NJ) 9:12 3200, Stephen Kyvelos (Manalapan, NJ) 9:14 3200, Colin Hermack (Lenape Reg, NJ) 9:24 3200, Owen Horevay (Lakeland, NJ) 4:20 1600, Jaden Enis (Monroe, NJ) 4:23 1600, Andrew Krok (Colts Neck, NJ) 4:24, Scott Searle (Pleasantville, NY) 9:46 3200, Ayush Saran (WWPS, NJ) 9:46 3200, John Shapiro (Colts Neck, NJ) 9:46.  There are a host of others within seconds as you will see in the Varsity Division runners/teams to watch.

The fight for the fastest boys team average should be wide open this year but the top could include Monroe (#11 NJ), Manalapan (#15 NJ), Colts Neck, NJ (#16 in NJ), North Rockland, NY (#16 NY).  Will there be a surprise?

In the girls races, 2021 was a fantastic year as 5 of the All - Six Flags Wild Safari team made it to the Eastbay National Champs. This year's meet returns one girl from the last year's All-Six Flags team.  Zariel Macchia (William Floyd, NY) 5th fastest last year and ran 10:17 in the 3200 last spring.  She is currently ranked #6 in the National Milesplit ranking and was 12th at the 2021 National Eastbay XC Champs as a frosh.  Lindsay Hausman (Kent Place, NJ) 10:34 3200, Lily Oliver (Toms River South, NJ) 4:51 1600, Alli DeLisi (Penn Charter, PA) 4:59 1600, Ava Carsley (Valley Central) 4:40 1500, Ava Wilmot (Colts Neck, NJ) 10:55 3200, Brooke Hunter (Phillipsburg, NJ) 10:59 3200, Ava Capone (Deer Park, NY) 4:47 1600, Brianna Braver (Ramapo, NJ) 11:11 3200, Kennedy Korzen (Forest Park, VA) 11:12 3200, Morgan Eigel (Fox Lane, NY) 10:28 3000.  You can see who else is close to this by looking at the Varsity Division runners/teams to watch.

(add 20 secs to 1500 to make 1600 time and 42-45 secs to 3000 to make 3200)

For the girls, we have some great teams.  Kent Place, NJ (#6 NJ), Colts Neck, NJ (#7 NJ) are the teams to watch but there is always the surprise team.

We used NJ MileSplit, Tullyrunners and PA MileSplit for rankings.

Let's look at each race and see the top individuals and teams. The times next to the runners are either their best 2022 spring time or their personal best.

Boys: Akshay Vadul (Edison, NJ) 4:13.91/9:12.49 1600/3200, Stephen Kyvelos (Manalapan, NJ) 9:14 3200, Colin Hermack (Lenape, NJ) 9:24 3200, Maan Patel (Monroe, NJ) 9:26 3200, Jaden Enis (Monroe, NJ) 4:23 1600, Scott Searle (Pleasantville, NY) 9:46 3200, John Hargis (Forest Park, VA) 9:48, Hunter Bostwick (Washington, NJ) 9:48 3200, Andrew Heckman (Phillipsburg, NJ) 4:27 1600, Matt Lucas (Monroe, NJ) 9:51 3200, Colin Keane (Washington, NJ) 9:52 3200, Ryan Tuohy (North Rockland, NY) 9:55 3200, Victor Osiemo (Edison, NJ) 4:29 1600, Sohum Walavalkar (JP Stevens, NJ) 4:29 1600, Eduardo Nava (North Rockland, NY) 4:29 1600

Teams: Monroe, NJ (#11 NJ), North Rockland (#16 NY), Manalapan (#15 NJ)

Girls: Zariel Macchia (William Floyd, NY) 10:17 (3200), Brooke Hunter (Phillipsburg, NJ) 10:59 3200, Kennedy Korzen (Forest Park, VA) 11:12 3200, Amelia Artz (Monroe, NJ) 11:22 3200, Clara Shingler (Pleasantville, NY) 10:58 3000, Arina Varrato (Sussex Tech, DE) 11:44 3200, Loralei Golembiewski (Upper Darby, PA) 5:16 1600, Alexis Tepper (Cherry Hill East, NJ) 5:18 1600, Kaylee Russen (Washington, NJ) 11:59 3200

Teams: North Rockland, NY (NY Class A #27), Phillipsburg, NJ

Boys: Noah Bender (Fox Lane, NY) 9:38 3200, Andrew Krok (Colts Neck, NJ) 4:24 1600, Ayush Saran (WWPS, NJ) 9:46 3200, John Shapiro (Colts Neck, NJ) 9:46 3200, Hunter Celkupa (Colts Neck, NJ 9:48 3200, Tommy Flynn (Iona Prep, NY) 4:27 1600, Jacob McNamara (Colts Neck, NJ) 9:52 3200, Leo Kurtz (Colts Neck, NJ) 9:54 3200, Ryan Macom (Toms River East) 9:57 3200

Teams: Colts Neck, NJ (#16 NJ)

Girls: Lilly Oliver (Toms River South, NJ) 4:51 1600, Ava Carsley (Valley Central, NY) 4:40 1500, Ava Wilmot (Colts Neck, NJ) 5:00/10:55 1600/3200, Morgan Eigel (Fox Lane, NY) 10:28 3000, Liz Scarpa (Colts Neck, NJ) 11:22 3200, Catherine Gobo (WWPS, NJ) 11:29 3200, Olivia Petschauer (Colts Neck, NJ) 5:13 1600, Nina McCloskey (WWPS, NJ) 11:42 3200, Ashley Pavlovsky (Colts Neck, NJ) 5:16 1600, Ananya Devpura (WWPS, NJ) 11:50 3200

Teams: Colts Neck, NJ (#7 NJ); West Windsor Plainsboro South, NJ

Boys: Owen Horevay (Lakeland, NJ) 4:20 1600, Thomas DiVincent (Ramapo, NJ) 4:27 1600, Blaik Slavinski (Pt Pleasant Boro) 4:27 1600, Ethan Fletcher (Wall, NJ) 4:29 1600, Nathan Caldwell (Lakeland, NJ) 10:02 3200, Jozef Callano (Wall, NJ) 10:02 3200

Teams: Lakeland Reg, NJ, Wall, NJ

Girls: Ava Capone (Deer Park, NY) 4:47 1500, Brianna Braver (Ramapo, NJ) 11:11 3200, Alexandra Geosits (Deer Park, NJ) 4:51 1500, Amelia Keogh (Ramapo, NJ) 11:33 3200, Brianna Potacki (Ramapo, NJ) 11:37, Kara Langbaum (Wayne Hills, NJ) 5:14 1600, Jessie Cox (Oxford Area, PA) 11:58 3200

Teams: Ramapo, NJ, Deer Park, NY, Pt Pleasant Boro

Boys: Dylan Doskocil (St Joseph by the Sea, NY) 9:35 3200, Joey Wilson (St Joseph by the Sea, NY) 9:52 3200, Raffi Buchakjian (Indian Hills, NJ) 4:28

Teams: St Joseph by the Sea (NY)

Girls: Lindsay Hausman (Kent Place, NJ) 4:52/10:34 1600/3200, Addison McGoey (Kent Place, NJ) 11:18 3200, Natalie Donaldson (St Marks, DE) 11:22 3200, Malloy Holloway (Conrad, DE) 11:30 3200, Katie Edinger (Tully, NY) 11:00 3000, Caitlin Thomas (Hastings, NY) 10:48 3000, Samantha Dow (Nanuet, NY) 11:21 3000

Teams: Kent Place (#6 NJ), Hastings, NY (#9 Class C NY)

Boys: Ian Zelewski (Verona, NJ) 4:26 1600, Kornel Smith (Briarcliff, NY) 4:27 1600, Brady Koch (Tower Hill, DE) 10:01, Micah Thornton (Wilmington Christian, DE) 10:04 3200, Colby Twyman (Tower Hill, DE) 4:35 1600

Teams: Briarcliff (NY Class B #5), Tully (NY Class D #7), Tower Hill, DE

Girls: Alli DeLisi (Penn Charter, PA) 4:59 1600, Maggie Horn (Montclair Kimberley, NJ) 11:32 3200, Sydney Fradette (Montclair Kimberley, NJ) 11:48 3200, Gabrielle Randazzo (Putnam Valley, NY) 11:28 3000

Teams: Wheatley School, NY (#10 Class C NY)