OCEAN CITY — The Red Raider girls cross country team is down a few talented runners courtesy of the 2025 graduation, but has a lot of talent back from last year’s team.
“We had a really great year last year,” Ocean City High School head coach Tim Cook said.
The team bid farewell to standouts Maeve Smith and Chloe Care and a strong Zoe Zammit, all of whom helped the team to a South Jersey championship, a third place at the Group III state meet and seventh place overall at the Meet of Champions in 2024.
Not only does the team return a strong group of runners from that team, most of them are young, boding well for this season and beyond.
“We’re retooling a bit, but honestly we’re young but experienced,” Cook said. “We have a few seniors, but the majority of our front group are really sophomores and a freshman and a couple of seniors.
“The girls have really plugged into what we’re doing and coming off last year’s fun and success, they’re kind of motivated to repeat.”
Leading the pack will be junior Carly Godfrey and sophomore Riley Tolson.
“They were kind of brand new to cross country last year and now they’re stepping into more of that leadership role,” Cook said. “A big thing for them last year was being able to learn from Chloe and Maeve. I was really excited they did that because now they’re kind of in the same spot.”
Added to that are returning varsity runners Peighton Clemens and Lillian Flores, both juniors. They have Gabby Henry, whom the coach considers the senior leader, and sophomore Lenna Driscoll.
Henry has been a runner for four years and is the daughter of former cross country coach Trish Henry. Being on the team and with her mom before that, since she was a little kid, “Gabby’s been at more cross country meets than maybe anybody I know,” Cook said. “She knows everywhere we’re going and what to do.”
The coach also has a few more freshmen, including Isabelle Edwards, who he expects will be competing with the front runners. “She really stayed up with the front pack all summer,” he said. “We’re excited to have her.” Cook also cited Sadie Heyman as another varsity runner.
At the Nike Cherokee Challenge on Sept. 6, Tolson won the sophomore race with a time of 11:42.31, about 30 seconds faster than the next finisher, and teammate Driscoll was fifth with a time of 12:37.18.
Overall, Tolson was eighth with runners from all the grades.
Cook noted Tolson won the freshman race at the Cherokee Challenge last year.
The coach has a really big team this year, a fact that was evident at last week’s home meet against Hammonton on the beach and boardwalk in a fierce wind. The Red Raider runners just kept on passing by. They swept the top seven places in the meet.
“We actually have 15 new girls this year; I’m really excited,” Cook said, noting the roster includes six freshmen, the biggest freshman class the team has had in a while, along with athletes from some other sports.
“It’s great to have that many kids. They all get along, which is great, and they all push each other … and nobody runs by themselves. Nobody is stuck solo. Everybody has a group and that makes it more enjoyable.”
On Tuesday, after the Sentinel sports section went to press, it was the girls’ last home meet, facing Vineland. They’re on the road the rest of the season for dual meets, invitationals and then the championship season, which includes the Cape May County Championship on Oct. 16, the Cape-Atlantic League Championship on Oct. 23, sectionals Nov. 1, states Nov. 8 and the Meet of Champions on Nov. 15.
– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
