Hopewell Valley outdoor track
By: Jim Green
The Hopewell Valley Central High School girls track stars are well known and for good reason. Over the last two years, Natalie Mapp, Emily Sherrard, Miriam Khan and others have led the Lady Bulldogs to championship after championship.
But this past weekend, when Hopewell captured its first Group III state championship, it was a field athlete who provided the team with its lone individual title. Junior Meredith Rutledge, one week removed from setting a meet record in the javelin at the Central Jersey Group III sectional meet, continued her terrific postseason run with her first career group title, fighting through pouring rain to win the event with a throw of 121-10 Friday at Egg Harbor.
"It was down-pouring the whole time," she said. "It was windy. It was not very good conditions at all. I knew I was going to be one of the top throwers. I was very pleased I got the win."
Rutledge’s win was good for 10 points, helping the Lady Bulldogs rack up 47 ½ points 10 ½ ahead of defending champ Woodrow Wilson for the school’s first Group III title and first group championship of any kind since winning Group II in 2003. Last year, HoVal finished fifth with 26 points, 18 behind Wilson.
"It feels good," she said. "I’m glad I was part of that and helped contribute to the win."
Rutledge’s javelin title qualified her for the Meet of Champions, which was held Wednesday. Rutledge was joined by teammates Mapp, who qualified in the 100-meter dash, the 200 and the 400, Sherrard, who qualified in the 1,600 and the 3,200, and Fitzpatrick, who qualified in the 3,200. The top six in each event at the group meet qualified for the Meet of Champions.
"All our runners deserve all the recognition they get," Rutledge said. "They’re all really good. It’s nice to get some recognition, too."
Rutledge placed seventh with a distance of 128-7 in a competitive Group III final last season, just missing the Meet of Champions and coming short of scoring key points for the Lady Bulldogs. This year, she was determined to take advantage of the second chance she received after setting a meet record with a throw of 127-3 at the Central Jersey Group III sectional meet May 27.
"I’m reaching the level I was at last year," said Rutledge, who has worked her way back from surgery to repair a knee injury suffered during her sophomore basketball season. "I started a bit slower. Now I’m going to peak at the right time."
She entered the Meet of Champions on Wednesday simply looking to keep improving and knowing that everything else was beyond her control.
"I’m hoping to throw well for myself," she said. "If I place, that would be good, too. I just want to throw well."