OCEAN CITY — The Ocean City High School boys cross country team is returning the majority of its seven varsity runners after a 2024 campaign that saw the team win the South Jersey sectional meet, take second place at the Group III state meet and compete at the Meet of Champions.
The team lost three seniors, Ethan Buck and Zack Hutchinson, who are now running for Lafayette College and Stockton University, respectively, and Cal Heyman, who was injured at the end of the season but is now on the course for St. Bonaventure University.
Returning are senior Erik Preisner, who won the individual South Jersey title last season, Keeman Neuman, Nathan Aschmann, Michael Romano and Nevin Millstein.
“We have a good crew of varsity runners returning from last year who ran at the state meet and Meet of Champions,” head coach Matt Purdue said. Add to that Ben McCarthy and Hayden Tarves, who joined those other runners to sweep the top seven spots in last week’s meet against Hammonton, a windy affair on the beach and boardwalk.
Even with that much experience, Purdue said, “We’re always cautiously optimistic. The trick always is staying healthy and keeping your lineup fresh through the season.
“We go into every season trying to win the South Jersey title and be competitive at the state meet,” he said. “Last year we got to the state meet and Meet of Champions, so I think it’s another ambition to get back to the Meet of Champions this year.”
The experience of being at those big meets does help.
“It gives you a lot of confidence in cross country because once you’ve been through that, you know what it feels like to run in a really hard, competitive race,” he said. “You get some of that confidence that I think is so important when you step on the line.”
Purdue gives credit to his coaching team, which includes Stephen Hoffman and Anthony Johnson. “Steve is really instrumental in training with the guys and planning workshops. It’s as much his team as mine; I’m the head coach but it’s really a partnership. And Anthony Johnson, the three of us work together as a team.”
So far this season the team has had three meets and won them all — against Hammonton last week and Bridgeton and Millville the week before. On Tuesday, after the Sentinel sports section went to press, the Red Raider runners were hosting St. Augustine Prep and Vineland. They have an invitational meet Sept. 27 at Six Flags Great Adventure, head to Absegami for a double dual meet with Mainland on Sept. 30, at the Shore Coaches Invitational at Holmdel Park on Oct. 4, and then will be at Atlantic City with Cedar Creek and Egg Harbor Township on Oct. 7.
There won’t be any more meets at home this season.
Mustang boys XC
On Sept. 16, the Mainland Regional High School boys cross country team beat Atlantic City 23-36 and Millville 15-48 on the team’s home course in Linwood.
Mainland was 3-1 after the meet.
In the double dual meet, Atlantic City’s Trey Goldstein came in first, with a time of 18:08, then it was three Mustangs in a row for second, third and fourth — Chris Sanchez, Mark Wurzer and Liam Gerhardt. Mainland’s Chase Kern was sixth, Max Brough eighth, Mario DiBartolo 10th and Max Tillou 11th.
– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
