Welcome to the webpage for The Fourteenth Annual Cross Country Cherokee Challenge!

This unusual meet, sponsored by Nike, with its shorter racing distances, class scoring, and unique coed team scoring, provides a great, low-key opportunity for runners to begin the competitive season, and we hope you "took the Challenge" this year!

Last year, 2008, our thirteenth, more than 90 teams were represented -- with almost 2000 athletes finishing their races -- and everything went off without a problem! And, this year, despite a 24-hour deluge that washed out part of the back course, and made the rest of the course muddy and slick, we surpassed that number of teams and athletes, and made it through with only a few stumbles!

Congratulations to the Boys CC team from West Windsor Plainsboro High School South, of Princeton Junction, NJ, and to the Girls CC team from The Tatnall School of Wilmington, Delaware, on winning the team championships for a second straight year; and to the combined squads from The Tatnall School on winning the co-ed championship!

Two years ago, the Cherokee Challenge was named a "Dyestat Featured Meet" and Dyestat founder, John Dye and his wife Donna, reported directly from the meet! Last year, again as a "Dyestat Featured Meet," their Northeastern Regional representative, John Nepolitan, did the same! (See his report on the 2008 meet at: Dyestat on the Cherokee Challenge.) Following that tradition, Dyestat again selected the Cherokee Challenge as a "Dyestat Featured Meet," and you can find John Nepoltitan's report and pictures at: Dyestat, Cherokee Challenge, 2009!

Last year, too, Pat Montferrat, New Jersey high school running guru and then publisher of NJ Runners/Mile Split, also attended and reported directly from the meet! (See his report and pictures from the 2008 meet at: NJ Runners/Mile Split, 2008 Cherokee Challenge.) This year, too, Pat was there again and his 2009 report is at: NJ Runners/Mile Split, 2009 Cherokee Challenge.

We hope your team was at Cherokee this year and were part of the best cross country meet in New Jersey, and we hope to see you again next year!