CBA Dominates at NJSIAA Group Championships
---
Christian Brothers Academy, ranked No. 2 in the U.S. and No. 1 in N.J., produced yet another performance for the ages at the NJSIAA Group Championships on Saturday at Holmdel Park.
CBA broke its own course record average with a 15:50.0, became the first team in New Jersey state history to put five runners under 15:55 in the same race at Holmdel, and not only did it also throw down a perfect score of 15, but the Colts swept the first seven places on the way to their third straight Non-Public A State title and New Jersey record 33rd overall. Joe Barrett won his second straight title at the meet.
| 1 |  Joe Barrett | 12 | CBA | 15:35.00 | |
| 2 | Alex Mastroly | 12 | CBA | 15:54.00 | |
| 3 | Luke Hnatt | 11 | CBA | 15:54.00 | |
| 4 | Ryan Schmitt | 12 | CBA | 15:54.00 | |
| 5 | Gavin Schmitt | 10 | CBA | 15:55.00 | |
| 6 | Ryan Collins | 11 | CBA | 16:16.00 | |
| 7 | Wyatt Falkowski | 11 | CBA | 16:22.00 |
Other Group Championships highlights include: Metuchen and Colts Neck pulled off impressive sweeps, winning both the boys' and girls' titles in their respective groups. This marked the second consecutive year for Metuchen, as they secured the Group 1 championships with the boys' team narrowly defeating Indian Hills and the girls' team dominating Shore. Colts Neck's boys' team, led by Jay Adimala and Hunter Celkupa, secured a victory in Group 3 over ranked teams Ocean City and Chatham. Meanwhile, their girls' team took down rival Middletown South to reclaim the Group 3 crown, showcasing depth that allowed them to pick up crucial points late in the race.
In Group 4, the boys' race lived up to the hype with a nail-biting finish between Cherokee and Cherry Hill East. Cherokee, trailing mid-race, surged ahead in the final stretch thanks to sophomore Sean Sooy, clinching a 73-75 win. The individual competition saw Luke Pash of Ridgewood make a powerful move to win in 15:52, narrowly edging out top contenders. Liliah Gordon of Northern Burlington also made headlines by capturing her third straight Group 3 title, clocking a personal best of 17:58 at Holmdel.
The Group Championships also witnessed historic wins for the Princeton girls and Princeton Day boys, each claiming their first-ever state group titles. Princeton's depth proved vital as they outperformed Ridgewood, with Phoenix Roth finishing far ahead of Ridgewood's fifth runner to secure victory. In Non-Public B, Princeton Day's boys' team delivered a strong performance to win over Rutgers Prep, further highlighting the weekend's memorable achievements.