Phillipsburg Boys Cross Country took to new heights on Saturday, September 27, at the Six Flags Wild Safari Invitational in Jackson, New Jersey. The event drew runners from across Delaware, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.. The Stateliner varsity squad tied for second place in the “B” division, which consisted of twenty-three other schools. Of the ninety competing varsity teams, Phillipsburg clutched a fourth-place overall finish.
The Stateliners saw an overwhelming emergence of best times at the Jackson race. Junior Anthony Pettinelli crossed the finish line first for Phillipsburg with a time of 16:37.20, a new personal record. He placed fifteenth in the Varsity “B” race.
“I always try to get out fast and ahead so that I don’t get bunched in. I think I did a good job at that today,” Pettinelli shared. “Sometimes you get stuck in the middle of the pack, but I was able to get to the outside and stay on the inner side of the course.”
Senior Austin Olexa was next to dash across the finish line, ending in a time of 16:52.90, and ranking twenty-third out of the one hundred runners. The hopeful senior managed to take off twenty-six seconds from the time that he had run the previous week.
“The boys did phenomenal! I got off to a great start. I was with those top kids that first mile. After that, I just set my pace for the whole race, and then I had a very strong finish at the end,” Olexa reported. “I broke seventeen minutes for the first time. I am very proud of myself and my teammates. We all ran really amazingly today.”
The freshmen duo of Conor Tennant and Noah Davis secured third and fourth place in the Stateliner lineup. The two underclassmen show undeniable promise as they navigate through their first varsity season. Tennant completed the race in 16:59.30, with Davis less than a half-second behind in 16:59.60, securing twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth place, respectively.
“I was one of the top runners before this race, and I hope I can move up a couple places by the end of the season, and PR a couple more times. I’m still a freshman, so I have a long time left,” Tennant said.
“The worst part of the race was probably the sand because of the traction, but I stayed with my team, ran hard and fast, and placed,” Davis remarked. “The team had five guys place in the top thirty–that was amazing. Our team is doing great, and we are going to have a pretty good season.”
Senior Ryan Pugsley placed twenty-seventh in 17:04.8, followed by junior Christopher McGuinness in forty-fifth place at 17:38.20, and Sophomore William Taylor finishing in forty-sixth place with a time of 17:38.70.
Even with early success and personal records on Saturday, the Phillipsburg boys still have their eyes set on one particular target–qualifying to run at the NJSIAA Group Championship on November 18, 2025.
“We all ran really great as a team. We have a high chance of going to the Group 4 State Championship Meet at Holmdel Park,” Olexa announced.
The Stateliners will continue to train vigorously with the intent of meeting their goal. Catch the Phillipsburg Boys Cross Country team at their next meet on Saturday, October 4, for the Shore Coaches Invitational in Holmdel, New Jersey!
