Sports
Cross-Country Teams Hope to Continue Success
After dominating 2010 seasons for both the boys' and girls' programs, the Quakers look to continue their strong tradition of winning.
Moorestown cross-country, both boys' and girls', is one of the most successful and premier programs in not only South Jersey, but the entire state.
The boys team went 15-0 in 2010 and returned 10 letter winners this season, while the girls program is coming off its 14th consecutive Liberty Division title in the Burlington County Scholastic League (BCSL).
The strong point for the boys' team is its youthful potential and size. There were 65 boys who signed up and reported for the first official team practice back in August.
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“Within all those boys, there are some kids who could be really good runners. We return a senior class full of running experience, but due to injuries and unfulfilled potential, have not yet had hoped-for breakout performances,” head coach Lorenzo Eagles said. “They are working hard to make sure they have a great final season. We also had a strong freshman class last year as well, who we hope will take significant strides as competitive runners this year.”
Each year the boys' program battles with Northern Burlington for the division title, which the Quakers have won the past five seasons. Aside from Northern Burlington, the Quakers have had superb rivalries with Haddonfield, Cherokee and Ocean City in recent years.
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“Coming into the season, I still considered us a Top 20 program in the region, again ready to duke it out with Northern in the local league," said Eagles, "and, hopefully, ready to qualify out of the Group III South Jersey sectional meet for the Group III Championships."
The runners to watch in the boys program are Jack Inglis, Kevin Horten, Luke Howard, Evan Nece, Joe Inglis and a host of others vying for spots in the top seven on varsity.
The girls' program at Moorestown has become one of the premier running programs in the entire state of New Jersey over the past 20 years. The team is led by head coach John Denning, who avoids putting pressure on his runners as much as possible.
The girls suffered their first defeat—a dual meet—since 1998 last year, snapping a string of 145 consecutive meets without a loss. They lost to Cinnaminson, which went on to win the BCSL Freedom Division title. After the loss, the Quakers did not lose another BCSL meet the remainder of the season.
The girls’ main rivals, especially at the Burlington County Open, are the four Lenape schools (Cherokee, Lenape, Shawnee and Seneca). The Quakers are hoping for huge seasons from senior Tara Monihan, juniors Emily and Alexis Juliano, junior Elizabeth Calhoun, and freshman Natalie Cooper. They will be challenged in the top seven by junior Kayla Bodine, sophomore Lizzy Gorman and junior Scout Brisson.
The girls' 2010 season ended with a South Jersey Group III championship, a third place finish in the Group III meet, and an appearance in the Meet of Champions. After such a successful end to the 2010 season, the Quakers are looking to build on that success and repeat as BCSL Liberty Division and South Jersey Group III champions again in 2011.
