Preview: Six Flags Wild Safari Invitational

This year's race features teams from 6 states, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York and New Jersey plus Wash DC.  A little over half of 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.

We used pre-season rankings from NJ.milesplit, Tullyrunners, Delaware Online and PA milesplit. Times listed after names are from last spring.

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.

There are no returners from last year's All-Six Flags Wild Safari team (7 fastest of the day).  The watch list on the boy's side include (all 1600/3200 times), Carter Smith (Mifflin County, PA) 4:11, Shane Ethakkan (Nanuet, NY) 9:16, Stephen Barbera (Monroe, NJ) 4:18/9:18, Nate Johnson (Penn Charter, PA) 4:20, Simon Saffayeh (McKee/SI Tech, NY) 4:21, TJ Zwall (Penn Charter, PA) 4:22, Quinn Cataldi (William Tennent, PA) 4:22/9:31, Shravan Pradeep (WWPS, NJ) 9:31, Chase Rosenfeld (William Tennent, PA) 4:22, Alec Jurgaitis (St Mark's, DE) 4:24/9:31, Joseph Friedman (Marlboro, NJ) 9:35, Ryan Macom (Toms River East, NJ) 4:24/9:37, Mason Wassell (Highland, NJ) 4:24/9:38, Dean Solomon (Bishop McNamara, MD) 4:24, Burke Thompson (Hightstown, NJ) 9:39.  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 Penn Charter (#8 PA), .  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 Footlocker National Champs and then 1 more in 2022.  There were none last year but can anyone make it this year?  This year's meet returns three from last year's All-Six Flags team, 3rd placer Zaria Hall (East Meadow, NY) 4:28 1500, 5th placer Jordan Hadfield (AP Schalick, NJ) 5:07/11:03 and 7th placer Brianna Potacki (Ramapo, NJ) 11:22 3200.  Back after making the All-Six Flags team as a frosh and a sophomore, before missing last year's race, is Zariel Macchia (William Floyd, NY) 4:16/9:31 1500/3000.  Others fighting to make the All-Six Flags Team are: Alli Delisi (Penn Charter, PA) 4:46 1600, Mackenzie Skelly (Penn Charter, PA) 4:49 1600, Alexis Tubbs (Conestoga, PA) 10:57 3200, Angelica George (Manasquan, NJ) 5:00, Ashi Bair (Nightingale Bamford, NY) 4:45 1500, Ivy Slavinski (Pt Pleasant Boro, NJ) 5:06/11:01 1600/3200, Dagny Shiffler (Shipley, PA) 5:04/11:14 1600/3200, Caitlin Thomas (Hastings, NY) 10:19 3000, Elizabeth Scarpa (Colts Neck, NJ) 11:05 3200, Samia Ghazaz (Absegami, NJ) 5:06 1600, Isabella Leyton (Poly Prep, NY) 10:25 3000, Natalie Murphy (Poly Prep, NY) 10:25 3000, Bailey Wagner (North Penn, PA) 11:09 3200, Sophia Semo (Cornwall, NY) 10:29 3000.

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

For the girls, here are the teams to watch for the fastest team average.  Conestoga has had the fastest average in the last two years and they come in as (#6 PA).  Others include Cornwall (#12 NY), Colts Neck (#14 NJ), Penn Charter (#20 PA) and several others.

Boys: (all 1600/3200) Carter Smith (Mifflin, PA) 4:11, Stephen Barbera (Monroe, NJ) 4:18/9:18, Simon Saffayeh (McKee/SI Tech, NY) 4:21, Quinn Cataldi (William Tennent, PA) 4:22/9:31, Shravan Pradeep (WWPS, NJ), Chase Rosenfeld (William Tennent, PA) 4:22/9:41, Joseph Friedman (Marlboro, NJ) 9:35, Burke Thompson (Hightstown, NJ) 4:26/9:39, Robel Wolde (Osbourn Park, VA) 9:47, Griffin Spana (Caesar Rodney, DE) 9:48, Kevin Lang (WWPS, NJ) 9:51, Andrew Pratt (William Tennent, PA) 9:54, James Giordano (Monroe, NJ) 9:56, Michael McGinnity (Hackensack, NJ) 9:57

Teams: William Tennent (PA), Caesar Rodney (#4 Div 1, DE), Monroe, NJ

Girls: Zariel Macchia (William Floyd, NY) 4:16/9:31 (1500/3000), Alexis Tubbs (Conestoga, PA) 10:57 (3200), Bailey Wagner (North Penn, PA) 11:09 (3200), Skye Hackley (Osborn Park, VA) 11:45 (3200), Maeve Nawrocki (South Side, NY) 11:05 (3000), Analyse Caskey (Caesar Rodney, DE) 11:48 (3200), Kaylee Russen (Washington, NJ) 11:50 (3200), Lana Jewett (South Side, NY) 11:10 (3000), Sahar Mollah (McKee/SI Tech, NY) 11:11 (3000), Lily Jones (Conestoga, PA) 11:56 (3200), Kayleigh Bender (Conestoga, PA) 11:56 (3200), Yana Chheda (WWPS, NJ) 11:57 (3200), Ava Barone (Sparta, NJ) 11:58 (3200)

Teams: Conestoga (#6 PA), Caesar Rodney (#5 Div 1, DE), Southside (#11 Class B, NY)

Boys: (all 1600/3200) Mason Wassell (Highland, NJ) 4:24/9:38, Preston Neal (Bergen Catholic, NJ) 9:40, Ryan McLea (Garden City, NY) 9:45, Will Nelson (Cherry Hill West, NJ) 4:28, Ethan Worst (Clearview, NJ) 9:54, Logan Wolverton (Charter Wilmington, DE) 10:00, Dominic Bassey (Winslow, NJ) 4:30, Andrew Dopkin (Highland, NJ) 4:31/10:03, Jack O'Leary (Toms River South, NJ) 10:05

Teams: Garden City (#15 Class B NY), Highland, NJ

Girls: Zaria Hall (East Meadow, NY) 4:28/10:43 (1500/3000), Samia Ghazaz (Absegami, NJ) 5:06 (1600), Elizabeth Scarpa (Colts Neck, NJ) 11:05 (3200), Natalie O'Connor (Colts Neck, NJ) 5:10 (1600), Brianna Potacki (Ramapo, NJ) 11:22 (3200), Clara Shingler (Pleasantville, NY) 10:40 (3000), Lyana Gutierrez (Highland, NJ) 11:30 (3200), Julia Flanagan (Holy Cross, NJ) 5:12/11:31 (1600/3200), Elyse Fuller (Polytech, DE) 11:38 (3200), Nikita Lachke (Charter Wilmington, DE) 11:44 (3200), Emerson Guerke (Ursuline Acad, DE) 11:44 (3200), Kyleigh O'Keefe (Ursuline, NY) 11:57 (3000), Anaya Hall (East Meadow, NY) 4:51/11:02 (1500/3000), Lydia Bereznitski (Colts Neck, NJ) 11:54 (3200), Lilah Willis (Randolph, NJ) 5:19 (1600), Brielle Loize (Freehold Boro, NJ) 5:19 (1600), Ava Miller (Winslow, NJ) 5:20 (1600)

Boys: (all 1600/3200) Shane Ethakkan (Nanuet, NY) 9:16, Alec Jurgaitis (St Mark's, DE) 4:24/9:31, Dean Solomon (Bishop McNamara, MD) 4:24, Cody Lusby (Octorara, PA) 9:47, Timothy Claessens (Newark Charter, DE) 9:48, Max Whittle (Notre Dame, NJ) 9:50, Daniel Perez (Holy Ghost Prep, PA) 9:51, William Male (Nanuet, NY) 9:54, Cody Doskocil (St Joseph by the Sea, NY) 9:56, Robert Imparato (St Joseph by the Sea, NY) 9:58, Stephen Heckler (Lansdale Cath, PA) 4:30, Connor Wrinn (St Mark's, DE) 10:01, Louden Heller (Warren Hills, NJ) 10:03, Noah Droz (Cornwall, NY) 10:03 

Teams: St Mark's (#2 Div 2, DE), Newark Charter (#5 Div 2, DE), Cornwall (#11 Class B, NY)

Girls: Angelina George (Manasquan, NJ) 5:00 (1600), Ivy Slavinski (Pt Pleasant Boro, NJ) 5:06/11:01 (1600/3200), Kate Marie Monaco (Ramsey, NJ) 5:08 (1600), Katelyn Kliesch (Notre Dame Acad, NY) 4:49 (1500), Sophia Semo (Cornwall, NY) 4:50/10:29 (1500/3000), Rachel Miller (Mohanasen, NY) 10:36 (3000), Dominique Cameron (Leonia, NJ) 11:22 (3200), Annie Moniz (Lower Moreland, PA) 5:09/11:27 (1600/3200), Hannah Koontz (Notre Dame Prep, MD) 11:46 (3200), Anna Lynch (Ramsey, NJ) 11:48 (3200), Katie Schmid (Nanuet, NY) 11:04 (3000), Mya Trotty (Octotara, PA) 5:17 (1600), Giuliana Collegio (St Joseph by the Sea, NY) 11:06 (3000), Noemi Goitia (Cornwall, NY) 11:11 (3000), Olivia Sobkowicz (Notre Dame Prep, MD) 11:57

Teams: St Mark's (#5 Div 2, DE),Cornwall (#12 NY, #2 Class B), Mohonesen (#21 Class B, NY)

Boys: (all 1600/3200) Nate Johnson (Penn Charter, PA) 4:20, TJ Zwall (Penn Charter, PA) 4:21, Sebastian Bergstrasser (Conrad Sciences, DE) 9:44, Ben Brasfield (Shipley, PA) 4:27, Damian Smutek (Manville, NJ) 9:53, Ryan Organek (Delaware Military, DE) 9:53, Matthew Dunn (Penn Charter, PA) 4:30

Teams: Penn Charter (#8 PA)

Girls: Alli Delisi (Penn Charter, PA) 4:46 (1600), Mackenzie Skelly (Penn Charter, PA) 4:49 (1600), Ashi Bair (Nightingale Bamford, NY) 4:45 (1500), Jordan Hatfield (AP Schalick, NJ) 5:07/11:03 (1600/3200), Caitlin Thomas (Hastings, NY) 4:50/10:19 (1500/3000), Isabella Leyton (Poly Prep, NY) 10:25 (3000), Natalie Murphy (Poly Prep, NY) 10:25 (3000), Dagny Shiffler (Shipley, PA) 5:04/11;14 (1600/3200), Zoe McCullough (Poly Prep, NY) 10:36 (3000), Laureana McCann (Delaware Military, DE) 11:37 (3200), Emma Cappelloni (Schools w/out Walls, DC) 5:16 (1600), Ella Viscardo (Shipley, PA) 11:50 (3200), Nina Letts (Shipley, PA) 11:54 (3200), Sophie Hinman (South Hunterdon, NJ) 12:01 (3200)

Teams: Penn Charter (#20 PA), Poly Prep (#8 CHSAA - PSAL, NY), Pleasantville (#5 Class C NY), Shipley, PA