Boys’ Cross-Country Completes Undefeated Season

Top seven runners on 13-0 squad dominate All-NJAC squad

Kyle Madison, coach of the Dover High School boys’ cross-country team, was exhausted. 

“We had our home meet and senior night tonight, so it was a crazy day,” he says. “Although in good news, the boys defeated Warren Tech to end our regular season 13-0.”

In cross-country, the top seven runners are considered the Varsity team. The top seven runners are:

1. Juan Torres (junior)

2. Christian Oquendo (sophomore) 

3. Nicholas Lombardi (senior and co-captain) 

4. Guillermo Flores (sophomore) 

5. Jim Torres (sophomore) 

6. John Fuentes (freshman)

7. Jose Castellanos Delgado (senior and co-captain)  

The team won the New Jersey Athletic Conference-Colonial Division. They had a big day at the NJAC Championships on October 14, with Juan Torres, Oquendo, Lombardi, and Flores earning first-team All-NJAC honors; Jim Torres, Fuentes, and Castellanos Delgado captured second-team all-NJAC honors. 

“I am super proud of their accomplishments this season and am thrilled to see these athletes get the acclaim they deserve,” says Madison. He also credited two other seniors, Estuardo Calderon and Emanuel Suarez, for their contributions to the team.  

Madison praised the runners’ selfless commitment and discipline for making the season happen. “This season has been two years in the making,” he says. “We had success last year but lost several meets due to inexperience. Going into this season, we were the favorites in our division. With that as motivation, the boys put in a lot of work over the summer to ensure we seized the opportunity for a great season. It never even crossed my mind that we would go undefeated, considering we were facing all the teams in the upper division as well, but that is precisely what happened. Quite frankly, many of the meets were not very close.”

The season unfolded largely as Madison had expected. 

“On paper, it looked like it would be down to us or Lenape Valley for the championship. We defeated them by four points, our closest margin of victory, in our first meet. The boys did not let up at all after the big win,” he says. “They kept their eyes on the prize throughout September as the victories piled up. The strength of our team lies in its depth, from one to seven. Several teams had faster first or second runners, but no one had the depth that we had.”

Madison also credits the team’s willpower. “Cross-country is a very mental sport, in which you run 3.1 miles, mainly out of the view of coaches, so it is just you and your mind out on the course,” he says. “As with most teams, the boys had individually weak races, but they all were able to stay positive and confident and would come out in the next race and run a much better race than the one before. Additionally, each boy stepped up when one of their teammates was having a weak race. Hills are the biggest challenge for cross-country teams, but they are also our biggest strength, and that comes entirely from the boys' mental strength.”

Although the season may have just ended, Madison is already focused on the 2026 campaign. “We are graduating four seniors, but only one is among our top five runners,” he says. “Our sophomore class is strong, and we are looking forward to a talented incoming class of freshmen next year. Overall, this team can be frustrating to coach at times, with their goofiness. But I can always count on the fact that when they toe the starting line, they are one of the most competitively spirited teams I have ever coached. They will not back down to anyone out on the race course.”