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Christian Brothers Academy, running with heavy hearts and fueled by added motivation and inspiration, honored the legacy of their late teammate Alex Kemp with an emotionally charged victory in the Eastern States Championship race at the 53rd Manhattan Invitational on Saturday at historic Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.
In a race that meet officials dedicated and named after Kemp, a former star at CBA who was tragically killed in a skiing accident last January, CBA blitzed the loaded field with a 4-8-18-23-25 finish for 78 points, posted a 1-5 compression of just 39.4 seconds, and dropped a red hot 12:41.5 five-man average - the third-fastest ever recorded on Vanny's iconic 2.5-mile layout, which has hosted championship meets since 1957.
After CBA's heartfelt and electrifying victory, the winning pack proudly hoisted the championship plaque, which read "2025 Alex Kemp Memorial Eastern States Team Championship,'' and posed for several photos that included Kemp's parents and brother (Max), and CBA coaches. Max Kemp honored the memory of his brother by finishing fourth in the sophomore race!
Kemp (pictured below), a 2024 CBA graduate, was a key member of the Colts' 2022 and 2023 Eastern States championship squads. He placed ninth as a senior at the NJSIAA Cross-Country Meet of Champions, helping lead CBA to the team title, and went on to become the Non-Public A 3200m state champion and placed 14th at the Indoor Meet of Champions. As a freshman at Williams College, he quickly made his mark, finishing 63rd overall and first among freshmen at the 2024 NCAA Division III Cross-Country Championship.
On Saturday, CBA, ranked No. 1 in NJ and No. 6 in the country, honored Kemp's spirit the best way they knew how - by running for him. The Colts delivered one of the greatest performances in meet history, capturing their fourth straight Eastern States title and 21st overall in dominant fashion. Ten of CBA's 21 Eastern Championships have come since 2009.
Senior Luke Hnatt led the way for the Colts with a fourth-place finish in 12:19.6, followed by junior Gavin Schmitt (8th, 12:28.3), senior Sean Galvin (18th, 12:44.8), senior Wyatt Falkowski (23rd, 12:57.2), and senior Ryan Collins (25th, 12:59.0). Senior Matt McInerney (42nd, 13:12.6) and sophomore Liam Schmitt (78th, 13:43.4) rounded out CBA's lineup as the Colts outscored runner-up Bishop Hendricken of Rhode Island (125) in one of the most prestigious high school cross-country races in the nation.
The 12:41.5 average by CBA is third all-time behind the 12:32.76 run by Fayetteville-Manlius of NY in 2014, who went on to win the Nike National title later that season, and the 12:41.5 run by a CBA team last year that many consider the greatest NJ pack ever! For CBA, Saturday's victory wasn't just another championship - it was a race filled with emotion, unity, and remembrance. The Colts ran for a former teammate whose competitive spirit and selflessness continue to inspire them and whose legacy will never be forgotten.
