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Cross Country

Blythe Dudley of Villa Walsh cruised to her second title at the 2023 Morris County Girls Cross Country Championship.

Dudley cruises to Morris XC title

PARSIPPANY _ Blythe Dudley was upset after losing her St. Mary medal 10 days ago during a training run in Lewis Morris Park. Dudley, a Villa Walsh sophomore, didn't have the chance to retrace her strides so she went without. St. Benedict, however remained on a chain around her neck. In a span of four days, Dudley got a replacement and added another medal, this one a gold one for a top-notch performance at the Morris County Girls Cross Country Championship on Tuesday, Oct. 17. Dudley, a sophomore, turned in a time of 18:22.7 to gain her second consecutive title…
Ivory Piskula was first in the NJAC Large Schools race on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023.

Piskula, Dudley rule at NJAC

PARSIPPANY _ The second-to-last hill on the cross country course at Central Park was in sight and Ivory Piskula was intent on attaining a PR. All runners, of course, have that objective each time they step to the starting line but their minds, bodies or both don't cooperate. Piskula, a Morris Hills senior, had the ultimate PR on Tuesday, Oct. 10 at the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference Large Schools Girls Championship, finishing in 18:54.93 and besting her previous top showing by more than 30 seconds. "Kate Shaw, a girl from Mendham, pushed me along," Piskula said. "When I saw that hill,…
Grace DelGiorno won the NJAC Large Schools Girls Race on Oct. 11, 2022.

DelGiorno, Dudley rule at NJACs

PARSIPPANY _ At the beginning of the pandemic, Grace DelGiorno traversed the streets of Morris Plains in order to stay in shape for lacrosse. DelGiorno, now a senior, was a freshman during the mandated shutdown and didn't want to be unprepared if pratices and games for her No. 1 sport resumed. So she ran and ran and ran, logging six to eight miles several days per week. Little did DelGiorno know that all of the time spent "running a lot of routes around town" would result in her becoming a cross country standout. On Tuesday, Oct. 11, DelGiorno, who dropped…
Mendham, Petitjean nab titles at Morris Championships

Mendham, Petitjean nab titles at Morris Championships

PARSIPPANY _ Since fifth grade, Central Park has provided many fond memories for Mendham's Grace Vives and her teammates. Vives, now a senior, and the Minutemen added one more on Wednesday, Oct. 27, capturing the girls team title at the Morris County Cross Country Championships at Central Park. Vives took second while teammates Ava Augustine, Megan Smith and Madison Orlins finished third, fourth and sixth for Mendham, which had 31 points. Sarah Petitjean of Chatham, the winner of the NJAC Large Schools Race last week, was first in 19:09.79. "Coming in, I knew we had a chance to win it,"…
Chatham senior Sarah Petitjean won the NJAC Large Schools Race on Tuesday, Oct. 19 at Central Park.

Petitjean, Wells reign in NJAC races

PARSIPPANY _ Chatham's Sarah Petitjean is still becoming accustomed to some of the nuances of running cross country. One of those subtleties is being alone. Loneliness Petitjean has learned, though, is a positive on the course because it likely means there's a significant distance between her and the closest competitor. On Tuesday, Oct. 19, Petitjean spent the first mile with Megan Smith of Mendham then went it alone the rest of the way, crossing the finish line in 19:12.27 to capture the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference Large Schools Race at Central Park. The NJAC Small Schools winner was Grace Wills of…
Mendham's Madison Orlins nears the finish line during the NJAC Large Schools Girls Race on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020.

Orlins, Minutemen craft another title

PARSIPPANY _ As a youngster, Madison Orlins was often asked what sports she liked or participated in. Orlins had the same response every time: Arts and crafts. It took awhile for Orlins, a Mendham High School junior, to find a physical activity that suited her. She dabbled in club soccer and swimming before settling on track in sixth grade. Running then became a passion for Orlins, who finished first in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference Girls Large School Cross Country Meet on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at Central Park. Not only did Orlins (18:45.86) take the top spot but teammate Grace…
Jessica Diamond, a Whippany Park freshman, has clocked impressive times this fall.

WP's Diamond shining brightly

PARSIPPANY _ As a sixth grader, Whippany Park's Jessica Diamond joined the cross country team for one reason: Exercise. Diamond didn't enjoy it at first and said she "didn't expect anything from it." Four years later, Diamond, a freshman, appears to be a budding star and is drawing the attention of Morris County coaches and others with her stellar times. In her very first high school meet, she turned in a time of 19:31.70 on the course at Central Park and followed it up with a 19:34.70 five days later. "I was terrible when I started," Diamond said. "I walked…
Third Morris XC title for Rams' Loveys

Third Morris XC title for Rams' Loveys

PARSIPPANY _ Julia Trethaway of West Morris knows the exact point when Randolph's Abby Loveys began seriously widening the gap. "It was after the first mile. Abby went ahead there," said Trethaway, a junior. After that, Loveys remained in Trethaway's sight most of the time but became smaller and smaller as she traversed the course at Central Park on the way to a record-shattering first-place finish at the Morris County Girls Cross Country Championship on Tuesday, Oct. 23. It was exactly what Loveys, the senior who finished in a course and meet record time of 17:07.47, wanted. The title was…
Randolph's Abby Loveys nears the finish line at Central Park.

Loveys repeats at Morris XC Championships

PARSIPPANY _ Mount Olive's Sydney Bradle didn't see Randolph's Abby Loveys after the first mile of the Morris County Girls Cross Country Championships. That's amazing because Bradle finished second to Loveys, who claimed her second consecutive title at Central Park on Wednesday, Oct. 25 with a time of 17:49.65. It didn't take long for Loveys, a junior, to pull away from the pack, become a speck in the distance and, ultimately, disappear. "You think you'll close in on Abby or maybe catch her," said Bradle, who traversed the course in 18:31.08, said. "Then she's gone." Loveys is one of 13…
Villa Walsh took the NJAC Girls Small Schools title on Tuesday, Oct. 17 at Central Park.

Perfect day for Loveys, Randolph

PARSIPPANY _ Randolph’s Abby Loveys named all that was perfect about the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference Championships. “The temperature. No wind. Condition of the course. Everything,” Loveys said. Add to that Lovey’s race. The Rams junior finished in 17:35.48 to take the NJAC Large Schools Race at Central Park on Tuesday, Oct. 17. Randolph, with four runners in the top 10, claimed the NJAC Large Schools title. Morgan Mehmel triumphed in the Small Schools race, leading Villa Walsh to the crown. “It’s a new course so you don’t know what to expect,” Loveys said. “It’s a bad thing but also…
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