Hopewell Valley indoor track
By: Jim Green
After his team pulled out a tie for the team title at the Group II state relay championships, Hopewell Valley Central High School girls indoor track coach Aaron Oldfield had difficulty describing his feelings.
"It’s something we’ve thought about since Day 1," he said. "I don’t know if relief is the right word, or ecstatic, because it was such an emotional meet."
By tying former Group III powerhouse Woodrow Wilson which won the Group III title in 2001 for first place with 34 team points Sunday at Princeton University’s Jadwin Gymnasium, the Lady Bulldogs earned a share of their fourth straight Group II state relay championship. And they did so in dramatic fashion, winning the last two races and edging out Woodrow Wilson in the finale the 4×400 to claim a share of the title.
"When you win the state championship, you always want to win the 4-by-4, because that’s the hallmark at the end," Oldfield said. "We pulled that out, and we broke a state meet record."
Senior Natalie Mapp and juniors Miriam Khan, Emily Sherrard and Kristen Volpe teamed to win the 4×400 in a meet record 4:06.71, topping Wilson, which came in second at 4:10.84. The Lady Bulldogs’ rally began the previous event, when Mapp, Khan and Sherrard were joined by junior Jackie Barrett on the winning 1,600 sprint medley team. That group also notched a meet record by finishing in 4:14.56, breaking the previous mark set by Hopewell three years ago.
"They’ve all been through the wars so many times," Oldfield said. "They’ve been in that position before, and they’ve had that pressure before.
"It was exciting. You know they’re going to leave it all on the track. They’re so competitive, and they love relays, because they’re running for the team. Everyone on our team thinks about the team first."
The Lady Bulldogs’ comeback was reminiscent of their 2001-02 title, when then-junior Jessie Pall led Hopewell back from a 24-point deficit to defeat Bridgeton for its second straight title.
"Each championship is special different people, different events we’re going after," Oldfield said. "These girls work tremendously hard, and they realize how hard it is."
The Lady Bulldogs’ 4×200 team of Khan, Barrett, Mapp and Volpe came in second at 1:48.35, and the distance medley group of sophomore Megan Fitzpatrick, Mapp, freshman Sarah Gustafson and Sherrard took third at 12:49.59. The 4×800 squad of Fitzpatrick, sophomore Kait Gregory, Gustafson and freshman Kelsey Smith took 15th at 10:59.50, while junior Cathy Bigelow and sophomore Abby Harris-Shea tied for 29th in the high jump at 4-6. In the shot put, junior Alison Fletcher was 19th at 30-0, and junior Laura Solia was 53rd at 23-8.
For Mapp, this season’s title gives her four state relay championships in four years, and seven team state championships overall. As a freshman in 2002, Mapp helped the Lady Bulldogs claim the first of their four straight Group II titles.
"She knew we had three straight, and we talked about how we wanted to win the fourth," Oldfield said.
Mapp’s seven team championships tie her with former team leader Kate Willever, who graduated in 2003, for the program record. A great deal of credit also must go to Sherrard, who has helped the Lady Bulldog track program make an almost seamless transition after the loss of Willever and Pall to graduation two years ago.
"She (Sherrard) is just a gutsy kid who doesn’t take no for an answer," Oldfield said. "The first half of her 400, she was stride-for-stride with the girl (Janee Sharper) from Woodrow Wilson. She wasn’t going to let that girl past her."
Oldfield, who also serves as an assistant coach in the spring and head girls cross country coach in the fall, now has garnered 11 total championships as a coach at Hopewell.
"As they say, you need the horses," Oldfield said. "We have a great group of girls that work tremendously hard. We ask a lot of them, and they’re willing to perform."
NOTES: The Hopewell boys 1,600 sprint medley team of senior Dan Petty and Andrew Freeman and freshmen Rob Alicea and Brandon Thompson came in 16th at 3:57.48, and the distance medley team of Freeman, Alicea, Petty and senior Michael Batanian was 13th at 11:33.83. In the shot put, junior Paul Wagner was 13th at 43-5.5, while senior Brian Mil recorded a 37-5.25.

