Union Catholic's girls cross-country team delivered a performance for the ages at the Virginia Showcase on Saturday at Pole Green Park in Mechanicsville, Virginia, shattering records and reaffirming their status as one of the best teams in the country.
Ranked No. 1 in New Jersey and No. 3 nationally, the Vikings lit up the course with a historic team average of 17:43 over 5K — the fastest ever recorded by a girls team in New Jersey history. That average eclipses the previous known state-best mark of 18:16, set by Colts Neck at the 2021 Shore Conference Championships on the ultra-fast Ocean County Park course.
Union Catholic's top five runners finished with a score of 92 points to outpace U.S. No. 7 ranked James W. Robinson (113) in a tightly contested battle that saw lead changes throughout. Robinson held a narrow 92–95 lead at 2K, but UC surged to the front by 3K (89–103) and extended its margin to 92–109 at 4K before closing it out strong.
Junior Paige Sheppard led the charge with a stunning runner-up time of 16:44.3 — the third-fastest 5K ever run by a New Jersey girl on any course. Her performance helped set the tone for a day where all seven UC runners set personal bests and placed in the top 70 out of 261 competitors.
Scoring breakdown for Union Catholic:
Top 5 Team Scores:
- Union Catholic – 92
- James W. Robinson (VA) – 113
- South Texas Heat – 207
- Blacksburg (VA) – 221
- Hanover (VA) – 230
This dominant display not only strengthens Union Catholic's grip on the No. 1 ranking in New Jersey, but it also solidifies their position as a legitimate contender to win the Nike Cross Nationals in December in Oregon. With a blend of elite front-running, pack strength, and young talent, the Vikings are shaping up to be one of the greatest teams the state has ever seen.
