SPECIAL FORCE: Members of the Wilberforce School girls’ cross country team are all smiles after they placed second in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public B state championship meet at Holmdel Park earlier this month. Junior Laura Sallade placed third individually at the meet to lead the way for the Wolverines. In the team standings, Wilberforce had a team score of 53 with Villa Walsh taking first at 25. Pictured, from left, are Stella Tobey, Sophia Vardeman, Gwen Mersereau, Sallade, Stella Blanchard, and Adeline Edwards. (Photo provided by Lois Szeliga)

By Bill Alden

Heading into the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public B Group championship meet earlier this month, the Wilberforce School girls’ cross country team had extra motivation to excel.

“Having no county meet made a difference, the goal all season was Non-Public B,” said Wilberforce head coach Lois Szeliga, referring to the decision by the Mercer County Tournament Association last spring that it was discontinuing county competitions in favor of Colonial Valley Conference Tournaments which bar local private schools who are not members of the CVC.

“We did see what a powerhouse Villa Walsh was going to be going into that meet. We were watching their team and we realized they were really, really strong all season long.”

The Wolverines gave Villa Walsh a strong battle at the Non-Public meet, placing second to Vikings in the competition which was held at Holmdel Park on November 9.

“We had some phenomenal running, I was really proud of them,” said Szeliga, whose team had a score of 53 with Villa Walsh coming in at 25. “Without the team going to the NJSIAA Meet of Champions (MOC), we got three girls there by qualifying in the top 10. That is a remarkable result.”

Wilberforce junior star Laura Sallade produced a remarkable performance, placing third individually, covering the 5,000-meter course in a time of 19:50.

“Laura had a breakout season,” said Szeliga, noting that Sallade had the highest finish at the Non Public B meet in school history for the Wolverine girls and set the school record for a cross country 5k (18.24.84) at the Bob Kiessling Invitational on November 2.

Having recovered from a leg injury that derailed her late last season, Sallade brought a special intensity to her racing this fall. Sallade went on to finish 37th in the MOC at Holmdel Park on November 16 with a time of 19:45. It was the best finish for a Wilberforce girl at the meet and the best time on the Holmdel course.

“Laura was challenging in every race she went in,” said Szeliga. “Those top runners are more spread out, not in a pack, so that was an adjustment for her. It is a little bit more mentally challenging because sometimes you are not with other people pushing each other. I just saw her own that, that is the price you pay when you are up front. She has embraced that.”

Two senior frontrunners, Adeline Edwards and Gwen Mersereau, excelled at the Non-Public meet. Edwards placed seventh in 20:47 while Mersereau came in 22nd with a time of 24:40.

“When I think about where we were, how those two came on the scene, they really established the team,” said Szeliga. “Their freshman year, that it is when it was like ‘Wilber-who?’ and we won the state championship. Then we won it the next year. Those two girls established our program and put us on the map. They mean more than just as athletes, they have been through all of those experiences as seniors. They are wonderful mentors. They make the atmosphere fun and yet also excellent. They are going to be very missed but I know that they trained the younger generation well.”

A pair of those younger runners, sophomore Stella Blanchard, and freshman Stella Tobey, are following in the footsteps of Edwards and Mersereau. Blanchard took 10th at the Non-Public meet in 22:20 with Tobey finishing 26th in 24:57.

“Stella Blanchard not only stepped up at the No. 3 spot, she just did so well, she killed it,” said Szeliga. “She dropped her best time by over a minute this fall. With Villa Walsh looking so strong, I warned the girls, make sure you try to get into that top 10 so you can automatically make it to the MOC. Stella nabbed that No. 10 spot. I know that meant a lot to her, she really pushed herself. We asked Stella Tobey to run in all of the championship races and she ended up scoring for us in the Group championship. We didn’t beat Gill St Bernard’s by that many points for second. Her performance in that Group championship really meant a lot for us.”

Szeliga got a good performance from her boys’ squad as they placed fifth in the Non-Public B meet. Sophomore Elias Edwards led the way for the Wolverines, taking ninth in 18:21 with sophomore Micah Brox placing 27th in 19:32 and freshman Caed Wilson taking 28th in the same time. Sophomore Henry Jepson finished 42nd in 20:19 with sophomore Aaron Szeliga coming in 53rd with a time of 21:01. Wilberforce had a team score of 147 in the meet won by Princeton Day School at 57.

“We came in with a very young team, with the freshmen you don’t necessarily know what you are going to get,” said Szeliga, who saw a pair of freshmen, Wilson and Luke Young, emerge as strong performers. “The boys knew going into Non Public, that it was going to be a tough race for them. Non Public B boys was very competitive this year. They had great races. Elias qualified for the MOC, he was happy with that. He fought for that No. 9 spot.”

The trio of Edwards, Brox, and Jepson give the Wolverines a strong foundation going forward.

“Elias, Micah and Henry are a really strong top three,” said Szeliga. “They are really close together. They motivate each other, they work well in practice together. They are going to be a great core for building in the future.”

Wilson’s progress this fall is another good sign for the future.

“Caed was a big surprise, he was challenging those top runners by the end of the season,” said Szeliga. “I think every freshman comes into cross country with a little trepidation because it is a 5k. By the end of the season, he was fearless and going for it.”

The Wolverine boys are heading into next fall brimming with confidence.

“The boys ended the season very excited about the future,” said Szeliga. “It was a building year, they are all committed to coming back.”