Saint James Varsity Hunts Down Competition At Wild Safari

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — The SJS Varsity boys had a performance for the ages at Great Adventure, with the Orange Crush boys winning their first-ever Wild Safari title, while the girls took second behind the reigning public school State Champion, Thompson Middle School – a school nearly 10 times the size of Saint James.

Coach Matthew Wizeman was really proud of the performances across the board, but noted that the boys having all seven athletes medaling and having two on the podium was truly historic.

"I am not sure how many teams have ever done that at a meet of this magnitude - but seeing the top of our lineup both on the podium and the latter portion of our varsity 7 all medaling was really something special to see," noted the veteran coach.

With Kaden Pye and Liam Johnson making the podium and Johnny Roberts breaking into the top 10, the Orange Crush was able to build enough of anearly lead to hold off the traditional power houses of Haddonfield, Thompson and Princeton middle schools.

In a day of near misses, the Saint James girls were led by Claire Johnson who narrowly missed the podium and Julia Daus who barely missed the top 10 as the teamwas just one slot from gold, falling only to Thompson MS.

Saint James School is a private, Catholic, co-educational institution serving Pre-K through eighth grades. As a vital ministry of the Church of Saint James and part of the Metuchen Diocesan educational system, our mission is to cultivate Christ-centered academic excellence in all our students. The 2024 National Blue Ribbon School recognition underscores our commitment to fostering a nurturing environment rich in faith, love, and learning.

To learn more about Saint James School or to schedule a tour visit www.sjsbr.org.

— Submitted by Saint James School