The girls race at the 2025 Meet of Champions was everything that it was hyped up to be.

In an epic finish, Leah Starkey and Paige Sheppard came down the homestretch of Holmdel Park’s course neck and neck. Though it looked like Sheppard had pulled ahead with less than 100 meters to go, Starkey unleashed a legendary kick to win the race by just two seconds. Both Starkey (17:15) and Sheppard (17:17) are now No. 3 and No. 4 all-time at Holmdel Park.

That wasn’t the only standout girls performance at the Meet of Champions. Cayleigh Kaiser also ran one of the fastest times ever at Holmdel Park , while Amelia Pattwell broke a school record that had stood for about 27 years.

After such a memorable race, it’s the perfect time to evaluate the 50 top cross-country runners in New Jersey this fall

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