On February 15th, 2026, the team traveled to the newly refurbished "Bubble" in Toms River, NJ to compete in the NJSIAA State South Jersey Sectional Championships!
As in the past, Coach Shaklee, volunteering through the Winter Season as no one can replace the expertise that he brings to coaching the distance group, sent a report on how his guys performed!
"The Cherokee boys track team went into the SJ Group 4 Sectional Championships knowing that we weren't at full strength. While we expected to gain points in the 1600, 800 and 3200, with both Jack Tindall and Logan Bromley out, we knew we would not score what we might have. Still, the boys were focused and determined to do what they could!
"The second event of the meet, the 1600, was our first chance to put up some points. Ben Realley was the top seed going in but knew he would face a stiff challenge from Dominic Burgio of Williamstown. With instructions not to lead early, Ben bided his time through a pedestrian first 400 of 72 seconds. On the third lap, Ben took the lead and gradually wound it up. He led the rest of the way with each lap faster than the previous, closing in 29.7 with a big negative split of 2:20.5 - 2:06.9! It was Ben's first sectional championship! It was also the fourth year in a row that a Cherokee athlete won the sectional 1600 (Logan Bromley last year, Bobby Poplau in 2024 and Patrick Ditmars in 2023)! Behind Ben, both Hamza Salahuddin and Leo Vyvyan were having tough days. Hamza finished 11th while Leo was 15th. While both finish the winter season with new PR's in the 1600 and 3200 (set earlier this winter), they are ready for a short break and a good build-up for spring track!
"About an hour later, Ben Realley returned to the line in the 800 and ran another strong race to finish 3rd, one place better than his 4th place finish last year when he ran the event fresh. The other two Cherokee runners, Evan Amato and Dom Pileri, were the victims of a crowded field and a lot of contact. Neither were able to race cleanly and both were disappointed with the outcome. But just like Hamza and Leo in the 1600, Evan and Dom are in good shape coming out of the winter and are ready for a great spring season!
"Finally, the 3200 took to the track. Sean Sooy, Max Harada and Gavin Danielewicz were representing Cherokee and went in as the 1st, 2nd and 7th seeds respectively. Those seeds were somewhat deceiving as Cherry Hill East had their top three athletes who had all run very fast in cross country but had not raced much this winter. Six of the top seven seeded athletes in the race were from Cherokee and CH East. The East trio took the lead from the start with the pack staying pretty tight through the first 1600, reached in around 4:54. The East runners continued to push the pace until Sean Sooy went to the lead with 800 to go. He led until the final 300 when the top East runner went by him, picking up the pace considerably and opening a gap. With 200 to go, he had a 10 meter lead. Max went by Sean at that point and started his own kick, gradually closing on the East athlete. He caught him coming off the last turn and won the sprint to the line to take the victory! His 9:37.01 was a nine second PR for Max as he earned his first ever championship win! Well done! Behind him, Sean was running well but just got nipped at the line to finish in 4th in 9:41.69. Gavin was in a fight with two other runners for the 6th and last state qualifying spot. He finished well to take that spot, with a new PR of 9:49.60, earning his first trip to the indoor Group 4 State Meet!
"The team finished in 5th with 31 points, all of which came from the 1600, 800 and 3200 Meter events. Now the four state qualifiers - Ben Realley, Max Harada, Sean Sooy and Gavin Danielewicz will prepare for next Sunday's Group 4 State Meet back at the Toms River Bubble."
Congratulations to Ben Realley and Max Harada on their championship runs, Ben in the 1600 and Max in the 3200! It seems not-so-great as we immediately push on to the Group Championships but it is A BIG DEAL and will stay in the record books for the two of you to show your children or your friends decades from now! GO BEN! GO MAX!
In addition to the Distance group, Cherokee sent several Sprinters, a Vaulter and one thrower to Sectionals. Among the Sprinters, in the 55m Dash, 10th grader Shreehan Balasundar raced 6.93 to finish 22nd in the 49-man field, while Senior Noah Calderon raced 7.05 and finished 30th/49; and Senior Mateo Rosario raced 7.05 and finished close behind Noah in 32nd/49. In the 55m Hurdles, Junior David Nnawuihe clocked 8.94 and took 25th in the 35-man field, while Junior Connor Staff clocked 9.06 and took 27th/35, and Junior Christian Danquah clocked 9.39 and took 30th/35 overall.
The Vaulter was Junior Justin Cecchetto who cleared the opening height of 9' but finished last in the 11-man field; and the Thrower was 10th grade Shotputter Jacob Cranmer who put the Shot 37' 07" and finished 20th in a field of 40.
Further details at: NJ.MileSplit.
Dennis, our photographer was there but was unable to shoot the Sprinters, Hurdlers and Shotputter. His photographs are available on our Google site. The season photographs, including additional photographs taken by Mr Harkins, the MileSplit photographer, and enhamced by our photographer, are available at: Winter pictures.
On February 25, 2026, Coach Shaklee and his wife (former Coach at the University of Pennsylvania), Cricket Batz Shaklee, traveled to Key Largo, Florida on a week-long "recruiting" trip. The coach heard there was a 4:15 miler who might be interested in training in the "hill country" of South Jersey, and he went down to see if that runner might be interested in attending Cherokee High School! Some suspected the coach's motives but stranger things have happened . . . haven't they?
We requested pictures from the scene, perhaps showing this kid training there in Key Largo, but the only pictures we have so far are of Florida sunsets, supposedly showing how far the coach has gone in his search! (See Google soon.)
On February 26th, 2026, several members of the team traveled to The Bubble for the SJTCA Meet # 20 for a first or final shot at racing and throwing during the Indoor Season!
In the 3200m Run, Junior Jonathan Merkel finished 10th/12 overall and dropped a minute off his 3200m time from outdoors last year, with a PR of 12:27.81. In the other distance run, two Freshmen competed in the 800m: the more-experienced Colton Harbold and the beginner, Gavin Quinn. Colton finished in the same range as two other of his 800's this winter: a slight PR of 2:17.24, finishing 15th/33 overall. Gavin finished 26th/33 in 2:31.92 and, judging from how well he looked on his final lap, he'll be clocking 2:15 outdoors soon!
There were several sprinters/hurdlers in action! In the 55HH, Connor Staff finished 11th/24 overall in 8.75, a PR following eight tries this winter! In the 200m Dash, Junior Noah Sime took 20th/54 overall in a PR 25.15; Sophomore Jack Gallagher took 26th/54 in a full-minute PR of 25.39; and Freshman Anthony Alleva took 33rd/54 in a first-time PR of 25:82! Finally, in the 400m Dash, Freshman Tyreek Maulsby took 14th/44 overall in a second-time PR of 58:10; and Sophomore Tristan Meter took 39/44 in a first-time PR of 63:71.
Among the Throwers, in the Shot Put, Junior Stephen Shultz finished 17th/26 overall when he put the shot 29' 0.25"; Sophomore Evan Bracchi finished 20th/26 when he put the shot a 3-inch PR of 26' 11"; and Sophomore Aaron Shojai followed right behind Evan in 21st/26 when he put the shot an almost 3-foot PR of 26' 10.05"!
Details at: NJ.MileSplit.
Dennis' pictures from this meet available at: Google.
On February 28th, 2026, the snow-delayed NJSIAA State Group 4 Championships were scheduled at The Bubble, and those who qualified at the SJ Sectional Championships raced! That included Cherokee's Ben Realley, Max Harada, Sean Sooy and Gavin Danielewicz!
It's a BIG deal to get there . . . it's even BIGGER to advance to the Meet of Champions!
In the first of the distance races, the 1600m Run, Junior Ben Realley ran off his PR but still took 4th/16 overall in 4:24.83 and advanced! GO BEN! In the following 800m Run, Ben was again featured but, in 21st/23, at 2:06.32, failed to advance.
In the last of the distance races, the 3200m Run, three Cherokee athletes qualified, all Juniors: Maximo Harada, Sean Sooy and Gavin Danielewicz! Max cut over 6 seconds from his recent, Sectional PR, to finish the race in 4th/21 overall in 9:31.90 and advance! GO MAX! Unfortunately, neither Gavin, 18th at 9:58.42 nor Sean, 20th at 10:11.27 was able to advance.
Coach Shaklee sent the following somments on the boys' races:
"The NJ State Group 4 Championship Meet was delayed by a week due to weather and finally took place on Saturday, February 28th at the Bubble.
"First up was the 1600 with Ben Realley. Ben seemed to lose focus a little in the middle of the race but still managed to run well enough to place 4th and advance to the Meet of Champions.
"Max Harada, Sean Sooy and Gavin Danielewicz were all in the 3200. Sean had been sick much of the week and he had a tough time of it. Gavin ran yet another sub-10:00 clocking to finish up a very good indoor season. Max did it again! Every time he has run the 3200 this season, it has resulted in a new PR. This time, he knocked another 6 seconds off his time from Sectionals to finish 4th and, like Ben, advance to the Meet of Champions!"
Further details at: NJ.MileSplit.
Tom Smith, the top MileSplit photographer, took excellent pictures of the various races and his pictures from this meet, gathered by our photographer, are available at our Google address.
The pictures from the entire Winter Season are available at: Winter Season.
On March 8th, 2026, the NJSIAA State Meet of Champions will be held at the Ocean Breeze Track and Field Athletic Complex on Staten Island, NY. and two of Cherokee's athletes will compete! Junior Ben Realley qualified at Groups in the 1600m, finishing 4th/16 overall; and Max Harada qualified at Groups in the 3200m, finishing 4th/21 overall! The competition is insane with Ben ranked 17th in the state in the 1600m and Max ranked 16th in the 3200m! SO WHAT! GO BEN! GO MAX!
Coach Shaklee wrote this about their races:
"At the Meet of Champions, Ben (Realley) was up first in the 1600. It was a strange race that started quickly the first lap and then settled into a slow pace through the 800, which Ben reached in 2:14. When things got going, Ben finished well, running 2:08 on his final 800 and 30 seconds on his last lap to take 9th.
"Max (Harada) ran another strong race in the 3200, covering the moves and staying in position throughout. He didn't have his usual quick last lap, finishing 13th of 27, but he still set yet another PR of 9:30.26!
"It was a good finish to the indoor season for both Max and Ben!"
GO BEN! GO MAX! See you in the Spring!
Further details at: NJ.MileSplit.
Our photographer was unavailable but Tom Smith of NJ.MileSplit sure was! He shot multiple pictures of each of our runners and they're at our: Google Site. GO TOM!