By James Lambert
The Union Catholic boys and girls cross-country teams celebrated Senior Day on Tuesday by sweeping the Watchung Division titles at the Union County Conference Championships at Oak Ridge Park in Clark.
The UC girls, ranked No. 1 in New Jersey and the nation, placed five runners in the top nine to capture the championship with 26 points and averaged 20:29, while the Vikings’ boys, ranked No. 3 in the state, also claimed the Watchung Division crown with a 23-41 victory over No. 13 ranked Westfield to complete the impressive sweep.
In the girls race, junior Saffa Ellis led the charge for the Vikings, finishing second in 19:23.5, just behind individual champion Reagan Moore of Oak Knoll, who crossed the line in 19:17.9.
Sophomore Jia Jain placed third in 19:59.7, sophomore Myra Sakhuja followed with a fourth-place finish in 20:37.71, giving Union Catholic three of the top four finishers. Senior Kailyn Brown finished eighth in 21:08.20, and junior Jasmine Parran completed the Vikings’ scoring with a ninth-place finish in 21:17.30.
The Vikings also received strong performances from sophomore Anna Block, who placed 16th in 21:58.90, and sophomore Naomi Akakpo, who finished 17th in 22:06.40. Union Catholic’s depth was further displayed by senior Clare Harrington (20th, 22:33.10), senior Aubrey Devers (21st, 22:37.10) and freshman Gabriella Mitchell (23rd, 22:57.80).
The UC boys, led by senior Danny Kuran, who captured the individual championship in 16:27.80, averaged 16:47, had a 1-5 spread of 38 seconds, and put their top seven ahead of Westfield’s No. 5 runner to secure the title. Junior Nathan Simonich finished second in 16:36.0, senior Jayden Aine was fifth in 16:48.60, sophomore Quintin Clemons finished seventh in 16:57.10, and junior Jeremiah Shepherd completed Union Catholic’s scoring five with an eighth-place finish in 17:06.00.
The Vikings also received strong performances from senior Nick Frank, who finished ninth in 17:16.40, and junior Manny Sanchez, who placed 14th in 17:31.60. Sophomore Will Van Etten added a 20th-place finish in 18:04.30.