The Bigs! Many of you have worked for months, maybe even worked for years of training and it all begins and ends over the course of a few short weeks! Sectionals . . . Groups . . . and the Meet of Champions! It's all on the line! One misstep, one dropped baton, one unbalanced throw, one poorly-timed jump and it's all over! End it like Champions, with courage and devotion! Or end it like Wimps, unfocused, ineffective and without character. Go Cherokee!
On Friday-Saturday, May 30th-31st, 2025, those who qualified at the State Sectionals two weeks ago, traveled to Franklin High School for the Group IV State Championships and their dreams of advancing to the NJ State Meet of Champions!
Coach Shaklee continues . . . "The Group 4 State Championships was not as positive an experience as the Night Racer Meet had been, but there were still a couple of bright spots! We had athletes in the 800, 1600, 3200 and the 4x800!
"The 3200 and the 4x800 did not go as hoped and no one advanced from those events to the Meet of Champions. However, two athletes - junior, Logan Bromley, and sophomore, Ben Realley, both did get through!
"Running in the first of two heats in the 800, Logan took the lead with 400 to go and ran away from the field to win his heat in a new PR of 1:55.06! That held up for 5th place in Group 4 and was fast enough to earn a wild card entry into the Meet of Champions!
"Ben, doubling back from a disappointing 3200 the day before, ran close to his PR in the 1600 to take 5th in 4:21.76 and also earn a wild card spot in the Meet of Champions!
"While, overall, it wasn't what we had hoped for, it was still good to advance two underclassmen to the State's premier meet! We look forward to having them lead the team in the months to come!" GO CHIEFS!
Details on Groups: NJ.MileSplit.
Our photographer was unavailable but he downloaded and edited (somewhat) the low resolution pictures posted on NJ.MileSplit by Tom Harkins. Thank you, Mr Harkins and MileSplit! Some are posted below and they and others are posted on our Google site.
On Wednesday, June 4th, 2025, the two Cherokee athletes who qualified last weekend at the NJ Group IV Champions, Junior Logan Bromley and Sophomore Ben Realley, returned to Pennsauken High School for the The NJ State Meet of Champions.
Logan, despite a smashing performance at Groups, where he crushed his opponents in the second heat of the 800m and advanced from that heat with a new PR of 1:55.06 . . . Logan failed to muster a similar challenge at the Meet of Champions and finished badly.
Ben, who was disappointed with his first race at Groups, the 3200m, returned the following day and raced the 1600m at close-to PR speed and advanced to the Meet Of Champions! There, too, Ben had a disappointing race, finishing seconds below his best, 15th/23 overall.
Congratulations to both guys! While not having the best days of their young running lives, they were there! They advanced! Next year it will be just as hard but they've "been there, done that!" That experience will be critical! GO LOGAN! GO BEN!
Details at: NJ.MileSplit.
Our photographer was unavailable but Tom Smith of NJ.MileSplit posted the following pictures of Ben. He caught none of Logan. Hurumph!
Mike "Scooze" Pascuzzo, November 8, 1961 -- March 15, 2025
On Friday, June 13th, 2025, hundreds of family and friends met at the Camden County Cooper House to celebrate the life of Mike Pascuzzo, premier jumps coach in South Jersey Track and Field and frequent volunteer staff member at Cherokee High School!
The event began with a "social hour" where invitees mingled, discussing their relationship with and appreciation of Mike: his high school and college friends including those from Lenape High School and the University of Maryland; a half-dozen or so Olympic Trials Champions and Olympians; his coach from Maryland; many New Jersey high school coaches, including Cherokee's Coach Steve Shaklee and former Coach Chris Callinan, as well as many other undefined "family and friends!"
The older coaches at Cherokee knew Mike well and one in particular regularly sharing comments and coaching tips as the athletes performed. Mike often used the same observation on the athletes he trained so well. Opposing coach when one of Mike's athletes failed: "Geeze, Scooze, that kid is perfect, every step, every gesture is perfect!" To which Mike replied with a smile, "But he can't get up!" And when they did, Mike jumped almost as high as they did and yelled in appreciation!
In his own way, he loved every one of them. He especially loved to see them improve and he was usually there when they needed him, even, at one time, from his hospital bed! In their own ways, both the athletes and the older coaches, loved him too, and appreciated what he had to offer, both professionally and, especially, personally.
The next two hours of the event allowed seven close friends of Mike's to speak: family members, college friends (including his college roommate and coach), and coaching friends (including Coach Shaklee). They all spoke warmly of Mike and contributed very much to this "Celebration of Life!" GO MIKE!
On Friday, June 13th, 2025, the team, coaches and families met to enjoy a meal together while reviewing the accomplishments of the team this season and bidding farewell to our graduating seniors. The real highlight of the evening was the Coaches' announcement of the "Most Valuable Player" in the Sprints/Hurdles, Jumps, Distance and Throws!
This year, Coach Hoffman turned over senior-presentation duties to the youngest on the team who did admirable jobs! Their pictures are on the google link.
Best wishes to our Seniors who worked so hard while they were on the team and, now that graduation is here, can take pride in everything they achieved! From our experience, one thing needs repeating each year: many of you have made firm friendships through the season, through the years, and you must not let them disappear! So often, we take those things for granted, and, so often, they just fade away. Many go to different colleges, get jobs away from home, or join the Army or some other form of national service . . . new experiences, new friends . . . but don't let your high school and team friends fade away! Get names and numbers in your phones and join the school's Alumni Association, or our unique Track and CC Alumni Association! Remember the coaches and they'll remember you! Don't disappear!
Francisco Sandoval
Samuel Green
Liam Tindall
Tate Midora
Anthony DiBattista
Robert Weiner
Jordan Stone
Brody Ludman
Jeffrey Calabria
Enzo Corona
Toban Horwath
Evan Bryfogle
Liam McCloskey
Leo Vyvyan
Samuel Wright
Josh Lowery
Murad Campfield
Traditionally, the Coaches' MVP Awards are by far the most important awards of the season because they are given by people who really know the athletes and know the most-deserving of them all! They are selected not simply because they are the fastest runners, the highest or longest jumpers, or the farthest throwers on the team. These factors are important but the coaches also consider their dedication to the team and its values, their leadership, character, self-discipline and self-motivation, sportsmanship, competitiveness, and persistence. Congratulations to the following athletes who were selected to receive the Coaches' MVP Awards:
Jumps: Samuel Green
Distance: Benjamin Realley
Sprints/Hurdles: Davis Walker
Field/Throws: Francisco Sandoval
Rookie of the Year: Jack Tindall
In addition to the intra-team recognition, several of our athletes received awards elsewhere:
Thanks to Coaches Hoffman, Shaklee, Misuraco, Thompson, Viscidy and (volunteer) Pascuzzo for their expertise and dedication this season! Finally, SPECIAL THANKS to the parents who worked the outdoor Snack Bars. sponsored the Awards Banquet and for all the help they gave their sons, the team and coaches throughout the season! GO CHIEFS! . . . GO CHEROKEE!
An unidentified photographer took some pictures at the banquet and Coach Shaklee posted them on our Google site. Our regular photographer was unavailable for the banquet because he is training and looking forward to competing in the Artic Ultra, a 50 mile bare-foot race, if the ice doesn't melt, near the North Pole. GO CLICKS!