The Livingston High School girls’ cross country team finished third in the Essex County Championships on Friday, October 21, at Brookdale Park. There the Lady Lancers “continued the impressive racing that led the team to a 20-2 overall record and second place in the Super Essex Conference (SEC) American Division Championships,” noted coach Keith Chaudruc. “The team relied on strong training and pack running strategies to get out in a good position within the 25 team race, which included over 120 athletes.”The Lancers recorded their fastest team average of the season at 21:53, with numerous personal best performances turned in throughout the lineup. The Lancers placed four runners in the top 20 of the county, with Bridget Gulfo finishing 11th in 21:36; Sydney Leigh 12th in 21:40; Taylor Dannis 16th in 21:56; and Sophia Paparsenos, 17th in 21:56. Lila Maru crossed the finish line 22nd overall in 22:26, followed closely by Sophia Wang in 23:22 and Sophia Yan in 23:45. “With the race on the line, each athlete was battling for every spot, as the team places would be separated by just a few seconds over the 3.1 mile course.” said coach Chaudruc.Montclair High School won the meet with just 49 points, followed by Columbia High School with 71 points (low score wins). Livingston was third with 76 points, followed closely by Montclair Kimberley Academy in fourth with 80 points. Caldwell rounded out the top five teams with 107 points.Junior Varsity, Freshman RacesThe Lancers were well represented on the junior varsity level, with Phoebe Liu finishing seventh; Jordyn Fersko, tenth; Carol Flores, 20th; Sofia Calderón, 23rd; Sofia Iskold, 44th; and Esther Chi, 46th, leading the team to a strong fourth place overall finish.On the freshman level, the Lady Lancers were led by Avery Lerman, who finished eighth; Yolanda Cheung, in 13th; Lexis Chen, in 15th; and Emma Xing, in 16th place over the 2.1 mile freshman course.The squad returned to Livingston with a team trophy, numerous medals earned and many lifetime best performances turned in. The Lancers are now gearing up for the North I Group IV State Sectional Championships, to be held at Garret Mountain on Saturday October 29.
