Boys’ XC Team Earns the Right to Compete in Saturday’s Group Championship

For the first time since 1997, the Madison High School Boys’ Cross-Country team has qualified for the NJ Group Championships.

The team placed fifth out of 15 teams in the North II Group II Sectional Championships Saturday over the 3.25- mile course at Warinanco Park in Elizabeth, taking the final qualifying berth. Beating out hard-charging Hanover Park, Cliffside Park, Governor Livingston, and Fort Lee, Madison defied pre-race predictions in a year in which the Section is arguably the toughest it has ever been, certainly in years.

Senior Captain Jack Mahoney was the first Dodger across the line, placing third in 16:50, the fastest ever by a Madison athlete. Next came sophomores Pat Hanley in 20th (18:15) and Nick Wilde in 22rd place (18:21). Freshman Connor Riley was the fourth man for Madison, placing 40th in 18:57 (third among the freshmen in the race). Placing 62nd was sophomore Kyle Smith (20:39), closely followed by Eamon Epstein in 67th place (20:58). Rounding out the squad was Austin Steinmetz in 68th place ( 21:13).

The team is coached by Dr. Mark Ladolcetta, an accomplished marathoner and chemistry teacher at the high school, who took over as head coach this year after several seasons as assistant. Cheering on the team was sophomore David Shuckman, who, after barely missing the varsity squad for the meet, came to support his teammates.  He brought the traditional “Champion’s Chalice,” a large cup of Gatorade from which every team member sipped after the race. After the final results were announced, the team dumped a cooler of water on Coach Ladolcetta.

The Dodgers run again today at the Morris County Championships at Greystone Park before traveling south to Holmdel for the State Group II Championships on Saturday, Nov. 12.