Montville, Mendham claim team titles at Morris County XC championships

The Morris County cross country championships were held in Parsippany. Mountain Lakes sophomore Ian Johnson experienced an unexpected twist to his race - he had misplaced his race bib, which is used to track runners around the course. Fortunately, a teammate and coach quickly rectified the situation, allowing Johnson to compete without further delay.

Racing with NJAC large-school champion Andrew Ulto, Montville junior Christopher Smith, and Mendham junior Nicholas Leo, Johnson managed to secure a first-place finish with a time of 16:02.97. This marked Johnson's first Morris County title since middle-school races, and he expressed his satisfaction with the victory. Mendham's senior Rafe Dickens edged out Delbarton by just three points to claim the team title, marking their first victory since 2023.

Mendham and Chatham are the only boys teams to win the Morris County cross country titles for the past decade. The championship also featured Mendham's senior Nicholas Leo, who took home the NJAC large-school title with a time of 16:47.97. Junior Jackson Idle and Jon Pejman both set personal bests and placed in the top 20. The Montville girls team, who hadn't won a Morris County team title since 2001-2002, celebrated their first victory in the girls category.

Freshman Gabriella Pelov led the way with a time of 18:32.34, surpassing the school record and matching her older brother's Morris County title win from the previous year.