Ridge Cross Country Starts Strong At Oak Ridge Invitational

Submitted By Keiko Hou

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — The Ridge cross country team is off to a great start at the Oak Ridge Invitational! While not all of varsity was present, there were still many outstanding performances that prove Ridge cross country has a bright future.

In the 2.09 mile girls’ varsity race, three freshmen, Lily-Josephine Stephen, Catherine Donnelley, and Antonina Kane, ran 14:01, 14:50, and 14:05, respectively.

Keiko Hou, a sophomore, placed top 20 with a time of 13:35, and Junior Daphne Georgiades ran 14:09, an impressive time for a sprinter turned distance runner.

Sophomore Maya Glover and senior Shivika Singla were not far behind with times of 14:14 and 14:59.

In the 2.09 mile boys’ varsity race, junior Patrick Donnelly led Ridge with a 11:19, while Nate Zrebriec followed with a 11:38. A senior, Michael Morano, ran 11:57 with Riley Smith, junior, close behind at 12:00.

The 2.09 mile JV girls’ race had great results as well; freshmen Alex Winderfeldt, Anika Mahesh and Mihaela Mendieta all placed top 15.

Overall, the Ridge cross country team is young but promising. Although the school year hasn’t started yet, it’s exciting to imagine the possibilities for the rest of the season.