Red Raiders Shine at Group 3 States, Relay Team Sets Meet Record

Ocean City High School’s girls track and field team continued its incredible season this past weekend with a second-place finish at the NJSIAA Group 3 State Championships. There was no shortage of celebration for what Ocean City accomplished on the track.

Senior Maeve Smith led the way, showcasing her distance talent once again, finishing second in the 1600 meters (5:01.21) and third in the 3200 (10:44.48). Fellow senior Chloe Care finished 5th in the 1600 (5:09.48).

Underclassmen also stepped up for the Red Raiders. Sophomore Ella Miller finished 7th in the 100m (12.54).  Fellow sophomore Carly Godfrey came in third(2:11.25) in a fast and competitive 800m race.  The top three finishers crossed the line within 1 second of each other. Freshman Riley Tolson finished 9th in the 3200m (11:24.73)

The Red Raiders also scored big in the relays. The 4×100 m team ran a season’s best of 48.81 to place second. Finishing less than a second behind powerhouse Winslow Township.

The moment of the meet came when Ocean City’s 4×800-meter relay team delivered a state championship performance for the ages. Seniors Chloe Care and Maeve Smith, freshman Riley Tolson, and sophomore Carly Godfrey combined to post a blazing 9:14.20 — not only good enough for gold, but also a new Group 3 meet record and the fastest time in the state this season. The previous meet record, 9:15.61, was set by the Red Radier in 2014. Godfrey’s anchor leg was a gutsy effort; she erased a five-second deficit on the final leg, powering past Winslow Township down the stretch to secure the title. It was the kind of performance that will be remembered for years to come by Red Raider faithful.

As the team now turns its attention to the Meet of Champions on Thursday, June 4th, in Pennsauken.