HOLMDEL – After winning the Group III state cross country championship last week, the Ocean City High School girls team finished 10th Saturday at the Meet of Champions at Holmdel Park.
The Red Raider boys, who were second in the Group III state meet, finished ninth at the Meet of Champions (MOC).
Making it to the MOC was a goal coach Tim Cook’s girls and coach Matt Purdue’s boys set this season. The meet features all the teams that won state championships, plus wild card entries for teams and individuals.
Riley Tolson, who was third overall at the state meet, finished 16th at the MOC with a time of 19 minutes and 2 seconds. Ocean Township sophomore Leah Starkey was the individual girls champion with her time of 17:15.
Union Catholic High School won the meet, finishing with 39 points. Ridgewood High School was second with 92 and Paul VI third with 135.
Ocean City scored 240 points for the 10th-place finish.
In team finishes, junior Carly Godfrey was 38th in 19:53; junior Lillian Flora 53rd, 20:09; freshman Bella Cera 62nd, 20:23; sophomore Lenna Driscoll 71st, 20:49; freshman Isabella Edwards 79th, 21:11; and junior Peighton Clemens 86th, 21:37.
In addition to ending the 2025 season as state champions, the Ocean City girls also secured their third-straight South Jersey title.
There were 160 girls in the MOC race.
Ocean City boys 9th
Senior Erik Preisner led the Red Raiders to their ninth-place overall finish with his 21st position in a time of 16:19.
Christian Brothers Academy senior Luke Hnatt won the individual title with a time of 15:23 and his school took the team title as well with 25 points. Haddonfield Memorial was second with 90 and Union Catholic third with 125. Ocean City’s boys were ninth with 221 points.
In team finishes, junior Nathan Aschmann was next for Ocean City in 25th place in 16:21; junior Keenan Neuman 40th, 16:49; junior Michael Romano 65th, 17:21; sophomore Benjamin McCarthy 70th, 17:30; sophomore Nevin Millstein 76th, 17:37; and sophomore Hayden Tarves 84th, 17:59.
There were 161 boys in the MOC race.
The Ocean City boys finished the season with their third straight Group III South Jersey title and second-place finish at the Group III state meet.
By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
