New Jersey teams hold down top three spots in NE

By Adam Kopet of DyeStat

The Northeast Region is difficult to predict. Last season was a down year for the region and, unfortunately, this year does not look much better at the outset. The two Northeast teams at NXN last season finished 20th and 21st.

North Hunterdon NJ appears to be the early favorite to repeat as NXR Northeast champion, despite losing three runners from last year’s team to graduation.

Behind North Hunterdon is two other New Jersey teams, Colts Neck and Middletown South. Middletown South did not even run at NXR Northeast last year, but the Eagles look good on paper. Only time will tell if they are able to maintain their position in the regional rankings.

Rounding out the top five to begin the season are Oakland Catholic PA and Champlain Valley Union VT. Oakland Catholic was eighth at last year’s regional meet while Champlain Valley Union missed qualifying for NXN by four points.

1. North Hunterdon NJ: The Lions return four runners from the team that won NXR Northeast last year and they appear to be the top team again beginning this season. Junior Elena DiMarcello ran 18:12 last year for 5 kilometers, but after a strong track season, she has the potential to go faster this fall.

2. Colts Neck NJ: The Cougars return the top five runners from a lineup that finished 11th at NXR Northeast last year. Junior Coleen Megerle is the top returner, having run 18:19 for 5K.

3. Middletown South NJ: The Eagles did not compete at NXR Northeast last year, after finishing eighth at the New Jersey Meet of Champions. However, they look poised to compete at the regional level this year. They are led by senior Madison Brand, who has run 18:10 for 5K.

4. Oakland Catholic PA: The Eagles return their top five runners from last year’s eighth-place NXR Northeast team. They are led by junior Hanna Schupansky and senior Megan Nagy. Schupansky made big strides in the spring, running 10:43 for 3,200 meters.

5. Champlain Valley Union VT: The Redhawks graduated two runners from last year’s third-place NXR Northeast team. They do not have a distinguished frontrunner, but have one of the tightest packs among the top teams in the region.

Watch list:

Pinkerton Academy NH

Manheim Township PA

Merrimak NH

Milton MA

Spring Ford PA