Saint James Captures First Ever State Title, Sweeping all 4 Races

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — In a season that was chock full of rainy meets, the stars were aligned for the inaugural New Jersey Catholic Middle School XC Championships, as sunny skies ruled the day.

52 degrees and a cloudless sky - virtually perfect conditions for a XC Championship.

With teams from as far north as Glen Rock, and as far south as Camden, 22 schools from around the State converged in Pleasant Valley Park (PVP) in Basking Ridge for the first-ever New Jersey Catholic Middle School XC Championships.

As most schools finished their league Championships the week before, these were athletes primed for racing at one of the premiere XC courses in the State.

It was a festive mood, not only because of the weather, but because the event coincided with the 4th annual Almost Winter Classic 5K race and Fun Run hosted by Saint James School.

Because it was Veteran’s Day, the event began with a color guard tribute by Boy Scout Troop 555 of Basking Ridge and a beautiful live rendition of the National Anthem sung by Saint James students Sonja Babic, Gwynivere Elefante, and William Jacobs.

Parents of Saint James students who have served in the military were also present, including Lt. Col. Kevin Kilpatrick, his wife, retired Major Kimberly Kilpatrick both who have served in the Air Force, retired Army Major Michael Malloy and retired Lance Corporal, Brian Pfistner who served in the Marines.

Mayor Andrew McNally, who ran in the 5k, gave a brief opening and then they were off to the races.

The racing began with the 5K, which was open to all, and included almost 200 runners.

The 5K was won in 17:44 by high schooler Damian Smutek of Manville. Catherine Smith, a 51 year-old runner from Wayne, captured the women’s title in 22:49. The 5K had its awards ceremony and then things quickly turned toward the Middle School Championships.

The Middle School course at PVP, is one of the more challenging 2400-meter courses in the state, but the athletes navigated it brilliantly, with the course record falling on the day.

The Championship races began with the Middle School Girls JV race where Saint James 5th grader, Julia Daus, went wire to wire, besting Adrianna Ayran of Resurrection Catholic (Cherry Hill) by over 10 seconds. Avery Pfistner, a 5th grader at Saint James, took third, in a race that was dominated by the Saint James girls who won 5 of the top 8 places. Resurrection was also strong in that race capturing the Runner Up title.

Coach Matthew Wizeman of Saint James was captivated by the performance of his JV Girls squad.

"These girls have been running lights-out all season and it is great to see their hard work validated. Julia and Livy (Olivia Battista, 4th place) were running 5K’s all summer and Avery was dealing with injuries and fought her way back to the podium – it was really a special moment. Emiliana Galeone, 6th place, was our surprise transfer this year and she crushed it from the very beginning of the season. And then to see Bella Milelli grab a top 10 at States was just an incredible moment for our team," said Wizeman.

The boys JV race was run at a scorching pace, with Harry Smith of Assumption (Morristown) taking home the title, out-pacing Thomas Dudley of Saint Elizabeth (Bernardsville) by over 30 seconds.

Brady Kostrowski of Saint James took home the final podium slot. Saint James once again had 5 of the top 8, with Will Sheehan, CJ Hummel, Johnny Roberts and Tommy Malloy all breaking into the top 10. Saint E’s had 3 top ten finishers as well including Henry Schlegel and Chris DeLuca, and secured the Runner Up Title.

In Varsity, the girls were led by Catherine Azares of Villa Walsh, Morristown. Azares was followed 10 seconds later by a pair of Saint James athletes, Sophia Battista and Claire Johnson who finished so closely it was ultimately declared a tie.

Saint James had two other top ten finishers (Ava Giafaglione and Lake Heinze) and once again took home the top prize, but it was a steady squad from Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Boonton) led by 4th place finisher Margaret Tyrell, that took the Runner Up trophy.

In the final event of the day, the boys Varsity, it was Dylan Collins of Saint James who stole the show. Collins demolished the course in a blistering 8:09, besting his own course record.

He won by almost 30 seconds over a very talented Robert Dudley of Saint E’s who took second and his Saint James teammate Kaden Pye who took third.

Saint James took the title with two others (Liam Johnson and Patrick DiDomenico), finishing in the top 10. Saint E’s took home their second team trophy of the day capturing the Runner Up title.

Saint James School is a private, Catholic, co-educational school, fully accredited by Cognia. It is a
vital, important ministry of the Church of Saint James and part of the Metuchen Diocesan educational system. To learn more about Saint James School, financial aid, and to schedule a tour, visit www.sjsbr.org.

— Submitted by Saint James School