Columbia HS boys cross-country team excels at sectional, reach group meet

The Columbia boys cross-country team members are all smiles after finishing in third place at the North Jersey, Section 2 Group 4 Championships at Greystone–Central Park in Morris Plains on Saturday, Nov. 2. The boys team qualified for the Group 4 State Championships at Holmdel Park on Saturday, Nov. 9.
Columbia junior Keira Monagle took third place in the girls sectional meet and also qualified for the group meet.

MORRIS PLAINS, NJ — The Columbia High School boys and girls varsity cross-country teams enjoyed great efforts at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 Championships on Saturday, Nov. 2, at Greystone–Central Park in Morris Plains.

The boys team finished in third place among the 15 schools. Westfield finished first with 52 points, Ridge was second with 74 and Columbia was third with 97.

Leo Klint, a junior, took sixth place out of 108 runners to lead the Cougars. He clocked 16 minutes, 24.33 seconds.

The other CHS runners were junior Christian Caravetta, 16th place, 16:54.68; sophomore Levi Taber-Kewene, 20th, 16:56.52; sophomore Abe Hoffmann, 23rd, 17:09.83; sophomore Julius Marshall, 32nd, 17:29.50; senior Dylan Little, 40th, 17:45.45; and senior Asa Glassman, 46th, 18:01.24.

On the girls’ side, junior Keira Monagle finished in third place out of 90 runners to lead the Cougars. She clocked 19:03.94.

The other CHS runners were junior Gwendolyn Butkus, 21st place, 20:50.22; sophomore Ameli Witherspoon, 38th, 21:37.82; sophomore Elizabeth Poutre, 41st, 21:46.75; junior Kendall Waite, 45th, 22:11.99; sophomore Sydney Kwan, 54th, 22:58.12; and sophomore Elizabeth Leahy, 65th, 24:15.39.

The Cougars finished in seventh place out of 11 schools.

The top five schools and the top 15 individual finishers qualified for the NJSIAA’s Group 4 Championships at Holmdel Park on Saturday, Nov. 9. The CHS boys team qualified for the Group 4 Championships for the first time since 2017.

Photos Courtesy of Columbia High School Cross-Country