This year, fifteen seniors participated on the 2024 Madison Cross Country team. Coached by Nick DeGenarro and Christopher Monaco, these eight girls and seven boys gave this season their all, putting in the hard work and dedication it takes to be a top-tier high school athlete. As the season is over, it’s time to look at the stand-out performances of this season.
Madison Cross Country opened the season on October 22 at Greystone Park, running in the Morris County Championship. The boys placed fourth out of twenty-three overall teams and had two top twenty finishers. Jake Nolan led the charge with an eighth place finish, running 16:07. Leo London came in slightly behind at 16:56 to secure nineteenth place. Ryan Delaney set a season personal record for himself, running 17:13, and placing 27th. The final male senior to finish was John Davidson, running 18:09 and placing fifty-fifth. In this same race, Macey Arnold placed thirty-third with a time of 22:15, and Cloltide Monville finished forty-fifth with a time of 22:15. Overall, the girls placed eighth out of twenty competing teams.
Speaking on breaking his record, Delaney said “I felt electric but not satisfied until I do better next race”.
The seniors also placed in the NJSIAA Sectionals North 2 Group 2 held at Greystone Park on November 2. Jake Nolan claimed second place with a time of 15:44, Leo London claimed eleventh place with a time of 16:38, and John Davidson placed twentieth with a time of 17:22. Overall, the boys placed fourth in this competition out of the fourteen other ranked teams. In this same race, the girls placed fourth out of twelve competing teams. Clotilde Montville claimed sixteenth place with a time of 20:46, and Macey Arnold followed with a time of 21:07, placing her in the twenty-fourth spot.
“My senior year cross country season was a roller coaster, to say the least. Coming off of summer training I started with high hopes. Unfortunately, I broke my ankle early in September which crushed me. I thought I was not gonna be able to race at all this devastating season. Luckily my team supported me immensely and the connections I have built with the girls on the team are truly unimaginable. Running alongside them every day brings us closer together and being able to talk about school and life with someone outside of your usual social circle is refreshing. The bond we have built as a team in such an individualized sport truly speaks to the amount of time we spend together. Having the girls support me through my ankle recovery was really nice” Monville said.
The last race the seniors competed in was the NJSIAA Group Championship held at Holmdel Park on November 9, one of the hardest courses in the nation. In this race, Jake Nolan procured third place with a time of 16:16, Leo London place twenty-third with a time of 17:13, John Davidson claimed sixty-seventh place with a time of 18:13, and Ryan Delaney secured sixty-ninth place with a time of 18:18. In this race, the boys placed fourth out of twenty teams. In this same race, the girls placed tenth against nineteen competing teams. Clotilde Monville claimed forty-sixth place with a time of 21:32, and Macey Arnold was seconds behind at 21:36, placing forty-seventh.
“Even though cross country is competition-oriented, my favorite aspect of it has been running during practices with my teammates. I love talking with other runners and exploring new routes, and I will continue to enjoy running for as long as possible. If I can race competitively in the future, I will definitely also take that opportunity” Arnold said.
The final official race of the season, the Meet of Champions, took place on November 16, 2024, in Holmdel Park. Jake Nolan was the only Madison runner in this meet, as he is the fastest runner from Morris County. He placed sixteenth with a time of 16:11, making him the sixteenth fastest runner in the state.
“The atmosphere at the MOC is so electric that it’s almost unparalleled in New Jersey running. Everybody is supporting one another and congratulating them on making it or running well. There’s always someone there pushing you to be better, and there’s no room for beef between competitors” Nolan said.
After his standout performance in the Meet of Champions, Nolan was invited to the Nike Regionals in Wappingers Falls at Bowdoin Park in New York on November 23, 2024. In this race, Jake placed 89th out of 241 runners, with a time of 17:22.
Aside from these standout seniors, it is safe to say that Madison Cross Country is a machine. But as we look to the future of the team, we are excited to see the underclassmen step up and do their job.