GIRLS FIRST TEAM
ALL-NORTH JERSEY XC
Daniella Cameron
Leonia junior
She had a busy season and proved to be equal to the task, placing in the top five in six of the eight major races she finished before being forced to drop out at the State Meet of Champions.
She was second-team selection last fall but really made the transition from middle distance to the 5,000-meter cross-country, taking second at the Season Opener and NJIC Colonial meets, third at the Wild Safari and North 1, Group 2 sectional and fourth at BMOC. She also was 13th at Shore Coaches and 12th in state Group 2.
Dominique Cameron
Leonia junior
Last year’s North Jersey Girls Cross-Country Runner of the Year had an even better season this year until an untimely back injury knocked her out of the State Meet of Champions. She won eight of her first 10 races, including dominant wins at the Season Opener, Wild Safari, NJIC Colonial, and Bergen C meets.
She ran her fastest-ever time at Darlington in a second-place finish at the Bergen Meet of Champs before running the fastest time at Garret Mountain by a Bergen County girl since 2017, tying for the eighth fastest of all-time at the course. She was fifth the following week at the state Group 2 meet as the back injury manifested itself.
Eleanor Jang
Leonia freshman
She was expected to be the best freshman in North Jersey and she delivered. After three dominant races at the freshman level in her first three major meets, and three solid varsity dual-meet tempo races for one of the best teams in the state, she made her major varsity debut with an excellent 20:03 5,000 at Holmdel at the Shore Coaches race.
Third-place finishes in the NJIC Colonial and Bergen C meets followed before she took ninth at BMOC. Perhaps her best race of the year was a fifth-place finish at sectionals to help secure the Lions’ first ever title. She finished 13th in state Group 2 and was 48th at SMOC.
BOYS SECOND TEAM
ALL-NORTH JERSEY XC
Calvin Daou, Leonia senior
Saleem Day, Rutherford senior
BY:
Paul Schwartz
