Hopewell Valley outdoor track
By: John E. Powers
It was the fitting end to a memorable team season.
The Hopewell Valley Central High School girls track team won the state Group III team title last weekend with 47 ½ points 10 ½ ahead of second-place Woodrow Wilson at Egg Harbor High School. The Lady Bulldogs won the Group II title in 2003, but this season is a bit different a notch better, according to coach Mike Hammill.
"This year we went 7-0 in dual meets and won the county, and in 2003, we finished second to Trenton at the counties, which went on to win the state Group IV title," Hammill said. "Everybody stepped up this year, and all the pieces fell into place. We scored in every running event except for the hurdle races, and we had Meredith (Rutledge) win the javelin. We’ve just been going with the same formula. We cover a lot of events well with quality kids who do their jobs. The kids really moved mountains."
The Lady Bulldogs put themselves in position to win a state title this year with a strong first-day performance last Friday. Rutledge got the Lady Bulldogs going by winning the javelin with a throw of 121-feet, 10 inches. That gave the Lady Bulldogs 10 big points.
"It did fell good," said Rutledge, a junior who also won the Central Jersey title. "I really wanted to make sure I advanced (to Wednesday’s Meet of Champions at South Plainfield). All of us had the disadvantage (of a driving rain) of the weather. We were all going to be slipping and sliding. I was pretty happy with that throw."
Junior Emily Sherrard took second in the 1,600-meter run with a 5:00.44, lowering her school record, and senior Natalie Mapp was third in the 400 at 58.42 and fourth in the 100 at 12.83. Mapp wound up scoring in four events the 100, 200 (where she tied for fifth to account for Hopewell’s half point at 25.65), the 400 and the 4×400 team. She was joined by juniors Jackie Barrett and Kristen Volpe and Sherrard on the relay team, which was second in 3:56.28, just shy of a school record.
"I was so close to breaking five I would like to do that," Sherrard said. "I made my decision to run my own race. I was smart about it. I went out faster at the sectionals."
Hopewell finished the first day with 28 points, 10 points better than second-place Ocean Township. The second-day performance was sparked by sophomore Meg Fitzpatrick, who was third in the 3,200 at 11:05.44, which dropped 12 seconds off her personal best.
"That was a big performance," Hammill said.
Sherrard came back to place second in the 800 in a personal-best time of 2:14.23, and Mapp tied for fifth in the 200.
"It was pretty much the same as the sectionals," said Sherrard, whose previous best in the 800 was 2:15.23. "I really waited until the second lap to take off. I felt stronger, and the fact that I had an extra week of running helped."
Those who placed in the top six in their events qualified to compete in the Meet of Champions. Mapp qualified for the first time in the 100.
"I’m really happy," she said. "I never made it through the finals in the 100. I don’t consider myself much of a short sprinter. I’m happy to help out the team in more than the 400. Any title we can get, we’ll try to capture it."
NOTES: On the boys side, Odeani McBean placed eighth in the 200 with at 22.63, while Paul Wagner was 14th in the shot put (43-8 ¾) and 15th in the discus (130-4). The Bulldogs 4×400 relay team of McBean, Andrew Freeman, Topher Anuzis and Jared Henrie was ninth at 3:27.38.