HOPEWELL VALLEY INDOOR TRACK
By: Mike Molaro
The uniforms were the same, but the names definitely were different Sunday for Hopewell Valley Central High School at the NJSIAA Indoor Track Meet of Champions at Princeton University’s Jadwin Gymnasium.
Whereas in the past the Bulldogs earned medals by placing in the top six in events, HoVal brought a very young team to Jadwin yet came away with many outstanding performances.
"This was a very unique group as compared to past HoVal teams," head coach Aaron Oldfield said. "We only had two seniors (Miriam Khan and Paul Wagner). We took more freshmen than seniors."
Khan placed ninth in the 55-meter hurdles (8.80) and 16th in the 200-meter dash (26.83) to lead the Lady Bulldog contingent. Freshman Julie Alexander was 19th in the 200 (27.10) and 13th in the 400-meter run (60.17); freshman Claire Buck was 12th in the 3,200-meter run (11:35.40); junior Abby Harris-Shea was 12th in the high jump (5 feet); and the HoVal 4×400 relay team of Alexander, Khan, sophomore Sarah Gustafson and freshman Katelyn Pagano placed 13th (4:16.12).
Junior Megan Fitzpatrick was tripped early in the 3,200-meter run and did not finish the event.
Wagner led the Bulldog boys by placing eighth in the shot put (51-2¾) and junior Matt Hilderbrandt was 14th in the 1,600-meter run (4:33.91).
Despite not bringing home medals, the Bulldogs had a successful afternoon.
"It was a good day for us," added Oldfield. "It was a great learning experience, especially for the younger kids. The entire meet was a very positive learning experience for everyone."
Khan won the 55 hurdles in 8.3 at Saturday’s Ed Poreda Invitational at The Lawrenceville School and Wagner won the shot put with a throw of 50-4½. Seventeen girls teams and 13 boys teams representing three states competed.
In their only dual meet of the year, the Lady Bulldogs topped Lawrenceville 48-38 on Feb. 15, while the boys fell to the Big Red 74-21.
"Because of a lack of facilities, most of the Colonial Valley Conference indoor track teams compete in invitationals and the county and state meets," Oldfield said. "We were privileged to go against Lawrenceville because they have their own facilities."
Khan was a double winner against the Big Red, copping the 55 hurdles in 8.5 and the 200 in 26.0. Other first-place finishers for the Lady Bulldogs were Buck in the 1,600-meter run (5:33), Alexander in the 400 (58.8), Gustafson in the 800 meter run (2:26.4), Fitzpatrick in the 3,200 (11:40) and senior Alison Fletcher in the shot put (32-8).
Hilderbrandt was the lone boys victor by taking the 1,600 in 4:38.
NOTES: The Bulldogs are competing in the Eastern States Championships on Feb. 28 at the 168th Street Armory in New York City. They also will be represented at the Nike Invitational Championships on March 11-12 in Landover, Md.