The Bloomfield High School boys’ cross-country team won the team title at the SEC-Liberty Division Championships after winning the regular-season divisional title with a 9-0 record. Top row from left are Jonathan Baca, Mark Cabrera, Jason Martin, Evan Fitzhenry. Middle row from left, Coach Leo Donaldson, Brandon Copeck, La'Shan White, Adam Mahabub, and Assistant Coach Romano. Bottom center is Enrique Campos.
BLOOMFIELD, NJ – The Bloomfield High School boys’ varsity cross-country team captured the Super Essex Conference-Liberty Division Championships team title on Oct. 5 at Branch Brook Park.
The Bengals, fresh off of their last regular-season victory over Newark Academy which seeded them first in the Liberty Division with a record of 9-0, fully expected a battle with Newark Academy at the SEC division championship meet. After surprising Newark Academy last week by running season-best times, the boys’ team was assured that Newark Academy would be ready to respond. Matthew Lim of Newark Academy led Bloomfield’s number one runner, Adam Mahabub, through the first mile. By Mile 2, Mahabub and Lim had given up ground to Cedar Grove and Glen Ridge’s number 1 runners. Heading into the finish, Brandon Copeck of Bloomfield had taken over the fourth-place spot, finishing in 17:42, with Mahabub right behind in 17:49, and Enrique Campos taking sixth with 17:55.
Then two more Newark Academy runners came in seventh and eighth. La’Shan White finished ninth in 18:12, and an additional three athletes from Newark Academy finished in 10th through 12th. Newark Academy’s score at this point was 39 to Bloomfield’s 24, but Bloomfield’s fifth runner hadn’t crossed yet. Jason Martin finished 13th overall for Bloomfield in 18:41, bringing Bloomfield’s final score to 37 and clinching the Division Championship Meet title for Bloomfield.
“It was a nail-biting race and moment waiting for the results to be announced,” said BHS head coach Leo Donaldson, who thanked all of the parents and others who came out to support the team at the meet. “Assistant Coach Chris Romano and I are so proud of all of our athletes and the hard work that they did so far this season. We look forward to an exciting post-season.”
Additionally, Jonathan Baca and Mark Cabrera rounded out the squad finishing 17th and 20th respectively.
Evan Fitzhenry finished third overall in the Junior Varsity boys’ race, with a time of 18:32, making him the fifth- fastest Bloomfield runner of the day.
The BHS girls cross-country team, led by sophomore Da-Xia Colon, finished fifth in the American Division Championship, also on Oct. 5. Colon ran a 22:01 to set the girls on the right track. Emilia Toscano was the second Bloomfield finisher in 22:11. Veterans sophomore Camrynn Referente and Mackenzie Prezume made returns from injuries to help boost the girls’ team in the standings, finishing third and fifth for the Bengals. Paulina Crespo finished fourth, while sixth and seventh went to Jackie Giunta and Emily Paule respectively.
The freshmen boys’ team finished second overall in the freshmen 2 mile race, led by newcomer D’Isaiah Larrea, who set a new freshman course record for Bloomfield finishing in second place with a time of 11:30.5. Larrea, Dominic Dominguez (eighth; 12:27), Luca Ponticello (19th; 12:47), Rendell Amilcar (23rd; 12:57) and Christopher Kelly (43rd; 14:06) were the top five finishers for the freshmen boys.
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