The Lady Raiders have done it again. The girls finished fifth in the Northeast Regional Championship meet on Nov. 28. This renowned meet was held in Wappinger Falls, New York, and included competitors from eight states, including New Jersey. This meet in the cross country world is pretty much on the same level as the meet of champs.

Although, coach Richard Refi said, “It depends on how you view it.”

By this, he meant that people view both meets in different ways. Some people see the Meet of Champs (M of C) just the same as the regional championship. Others feel it carries more prestige than the M of C.

“It’s a meet you’re welcome to race in,” Refi said.

Although, there is one significant result that makes this a tiny bit more interesting than MC. The top two teams get to go compete at the National Championship in Oregon. And the best part of that, all expenses are paid for by the recruiters of the meet who invite each team in the meet to attend. Unfortunately, the team has never quite made it to that point. The closest they’ve come is the third place spot.

“We’ve had individuals who have made it,” Refi noted.

The good news is that the team gets a plaque as a result of placing in the top five. Overall, being in the top five this year is still an amazing feat.

“The girls were very excited to have the opportunity race at the meet,” Refi said. “It’s a very prestigious race.”

Of course team spirit is very important when motivating runners to make it through any meet but the drive to succeed might be the most important factor.

Having a strong desire to be the best is what makes Refi’s team a powerhouse lineup year after year. As a result, the girls team has qualified for this prestigious competition every year since 2009. 

Speaking of accomplishments, the runners who participated in the race were all top seven runners on the team. The lineup included sophomore Chloe Wong, senior Stephanie Mauer, junior Peri Bongiovanni, as well as seniors Paige Novak, Olivia DeLorenzo, Kelly Cianciola and junior Courtney Skikus. Despite losing a majority of these runners, one can only hope that the trio of Wong, Bongiovanni, and Skikus will continue to make us proud in the coming years.