Freeholders Honor MHS's Blake Udland

Article provided by The Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders

The Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders honored Millburn High School Senior Blake Udland for winning the 2011 Group III Individual Cross Country State Championship during its Wednesday, Dec. 21, meeting at the Hall of Records.

Freeholders Leonard Luciano of West Caldwell and Freeholder Patricia Sebold of Livingston presented the board's commendation to Blake.

Blake Udland won his State Championship on Saturday, Nov. 12, at Holmdel Park when he ran ahead of the competition with the winning time of 15:48, which also earned him a chance to compete in the 2011 Tournament of Champions, where he captured seventh place.

Udland's outstanding season also included the North Jersey, Section 2, Group III Sectional Championship, the championships of the Stewart Memorial and Shore Coaches invitational meets, and the Super Essex Conference Championship. As co-captain of his Cross Country Team, Blake also helped lead his team to the 2011 Essex County Championship, the team’s fourth title in the last five years, for which he also earned All-County 1^st Team honors.

In addition to competing for Millburn High School, Blake also competes individually on a regional and national level.  This year he finished 8^th in the Foot Locker Northeast Regional Championship held at Sunken Meadow State Park in Kings Park, NY, which earned him an invitation to be one of only 40 runners from across the nation, and one of only three from New Jersey, to compete in the Foot Locker Boys Cross Country National Championship Race held in Balboa Park on December 10^th in San Diego, California.

Blake Udland is the youngest of three brothers to have run cross country for Millburn High School, and this year he continued the family tradition of success established by his older brothers Myles (Class of 2007) and Tyler (Class of 2009).  Following his graduation from Millburn High School, Blake will continue his education at Duke University in the fall of 2012.

Blake was accompanied by his parents, Rose and Ken, his oldest brother, Myles, and Millburn High School Athletic Director Dr. Ted D’Alessio.