No. 2 Christian Brothers Academy NJ Wins Boys Eastern States; Assumption KY Wins Girls Title

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

The second-ranked boys high school cross country team in the U.S. put five scorers between 12:40 and 13:08 on the 2.5-mile course Saturday at Van Cortlandt Park as the Manhattan Invitational turned 50. 

Christian Brothers Academy of Lincroft, N.J. won the Eastern States title, its first since 2017, with 72 points. The five scorers averaged 12:53.2. Nicholas Sullivan led the way for the Colts with an eighth-place finish in 12:40.4. 

Corning-Painted Post NY finsished 20 points ahead of Saint Anthony's NY for second in a head-to-head matchup between to two best teams in New York state. Corning won all five of the matchups and scored 151 points to 171 for Saint Anthony's.

Assumption of Kentucky won the girls race, led by Reagan Gilmore's ninth-place overall finish (eighth in the scoring). The Rockets of Louisville scored 116 points and Bethlehem Central NY (130) and Haddonfield Memorial NJ (161) were second and third.

JOHN NEPOLITAN PHOTOS | RESULTS

Individually, Karrie Baloga from Cornwall Central NY, ranked No. 5, won the Eastern States race for the second year in a row and finished in 13:55.3 for the fifth-fastest performance in meet history. Baloga's time is 16 seconds faster than her winning time last year. 

Baloga's wining margin was 29 seconds. Zariel Macchia of William Floyd NY was second in 14:24.2 and Kate Putnam from Cicero-North Syracuse was third in 14:29.2.

Devan Kipyego from St. Raphael RI won a lettered race last year (Varsity B) and stepped into the big race this time and won it in 12:14.4. 

Less than three seconds behind Kipyego was Antonio Camacho-Bucks of Centennial MD, who was second in 14:17.2. Nathan Lopez of St. John's Prep MA finished third in 14:18.4.