Cross-country: Highlights from the Morris County championships

The best outdoor runners from across Morris County came to Greystone Park in Morris Plains on Tuesday for the annual Morris County-Cross Country Championships.

A total 17 girls teams and 24 boys teams squared off for a team championship with 300 of the top runners from across the county competing on the varsity level. While it won't be the end of the season for many of them, it capped off a strong season of races in the county at one of the area's more prestigious courses.

Here are some of the highlights from the season finale of cross-country action in Morris County:

Villa Walsh wins first Morris County title

The large trophy given to the county champion in Morris County girls cross country has featured many of the county's top programs over the years. For the first time, Villa Walsh will be etched into its base.

The Vikings hoisted the team title trophy with a combined team score of 52. The program, which has won the Non-Public B state title six times, won its first county title with five runners all finishing in the top 19. Morris Hills finished in second place with a team score of 101.

"It means everything to this school," Villa Walsh coach Dale DeGraw said. "We did it for all of Villa. Our athletic director is here cheering the girls on, it really is special for a small Catholic school to do what those girls did against the teams they have to compete with."

Ines Lemee and Blythe Dudley finished fifth and sixth, respectively, as the top runners from the Vikings. Lemee's fifth-place finish in 19:29.94 was 25.65 seconds behind Emma Bradley of St. Elizabeth, who took first place overall. Victoria Wong finished 11th for Villa Walsh, while Delaney McKee (20:18.61) took 16th and Martha Smart (20:28.04) took 19th.

"I think the key to this team is that they all work together," DeGraw said. "There's no one big standout to stand behind. They're just a well-bonded team."

The Morristown-based, all-girls private school with fewer than 300 students showed talent throughout their years, but were stabilized by seniors Wong and McKee, who are among the four seniors on the team that have provided such a spark this season for the underclassmen.

"The seniors are so motivating and the girls all work so hard for them," DeGraw said. "They're leaders and they show so much pride in the school and the program that it impacts the whole team."

Chatham boys win team title, girls finish third

It was a strong overall day for Chatham cross-country as the Cougars took third place in team competition on the girls side with a score of 103, and the boys took the team title with a score of 61. Chatham edged Delbarton, which scored 64 as a team, for the boys title.

Ryan Beegle finished in third-place as the Cougars' top finisher with a time of 15:46.98. Alexander Krack (16.23.82) and Finn Valli (16:43.87) each finished in the top 12, with Krack taking seventh and Valli finishing 12th. The team title came to Chatham thanks to the efforts of Charles Henne and Leo Valenzuela. Henne's time of 16:48.35 put him in 18th place, while Valenzuela final push resulted in 21st place and a time of 16:51.94.

On the girls side, the Cougars did not have any finishers in the top 10, but used consistency to medal as a team. Lindsey Bresnahan was the top finisher among the Chatham girls, taking 14th with a time of 20:14.81. Teammate Sydney Grossman was right behind in 15th, running at 20:18.53. Lauren Davis soon followed in 17th place with a time of 20:21.19. Kate Mcevoy (20:42.65) took 24th, while Madeline Perez ran a 21:04.74 for 38th place.

Delbarton's Boler brothers finish 1-2 in boys race

Brian and Collin Boler have raced one another through Greystone Park for years now. Tuesday marked the final race for the senior twins on the course. The Boler brothers had all 160 other runners behind them when they each passed the finish line, taking first and second place in the race with more than a 10-second advantage behind both of them.

Collin Boler was all alone when crossing the finish line in first place with a time of 15:03.77. A little less than 33 seconds later, it was Brian's turn to finish. With a time of 15:36.32, Brian finished with his twin brother waiting for him.

The Boler twins provided a strong start for Delbarton, which took runner-up in the boys team standings with a score of 64.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ cross-country: Morris County championship highlights