PRINCETON: Little Tigers add another track title

By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
   Two weeks after winning their first Mercer County Tournament, the Princeton High School girls track and field went for an encore.
   Six Little Tigers advanced to the Group III meet and scored plenty of big points to add to a Central Jersey Group III championship Saturday at Monmouth.
   ”We really built on the confidence we built in the county meet,” said PHS girls head coach Jim Smirk. “We understood it was going to take everybody. We understood what we were going to have to do.”
   The formula for both of their titles in the last two weeks has been similar. PHS’ top athletes came through, this time for 88 points to outdistance Neptune’s 82 and Jackson Liberty’s 67¾.
   ”We didn’t score points we didn’t think we were going to score,” Smirk said. “We didn’t leave any points on the board. Jackson Liberty and Neptune, they did miss some points where they counted. It goes back to what we said all season, do good things and good things will happen. It was more about our consistency and strength rather than we just had an amazing day, but it was an amazing day.”
   The PHS boys team finished fourth on the strength of double winner Tim Brennan, who won the shot put with a throw of 50-feet-7½, and took the discus with a throw of 143-3. The Little Tigers boys send nine boys to the Group III state meet.
   On the first day, Princeton’s boys advanced three of the top six qualifiers in the mile. Ian McIsaac was fourth in 4:28.52, Conor Donahue was fifth in 4:29.13 and Kevin Ivanov was sixth in 4:32.67. Sabar Dasgupta was sixth in the 400 hurdles in 57.50 seconds.
   On the second day, Bruce Robertson took second in the 800 meters in 1:59.69 and McIsaac was fifth in 2:02.34. Luke Bozich was fourth in the boys 3,200 meters in 9:52.50 and freshman Jacob Rist was fifth in 10:02.51. Robertson, Joe Gray, Dasgupta and McIsaac were fifth in the 4×400 meters in 3:29.83.
   The PHS girls had a good feeling when it saw the way it was competing Friday, the first day of the sectionals. Bryell Wheeler won the triple jump at 38-feet-6½ and Madeline Lea was second in the triple jump at 36-2½.
   ”Going 1-2 in the triple jump (Friday) was huge for us,” Smirk said. “Bryell and Maddie jumped great. Maddie Lea went from second to third in the triple jump, and went back and took second. When I saw that, I said, you’re here to compete. When I saw that, I thought that we’re going to do something here.”
   Wheeler, a senior, went on to win the 100 meters in 12.61 seconds. Lea, also a senior, was second at 16-feet-9 and Wheeler was third at 16-8¾ in the girls long jump.
   In the distance events, Elyssa Gensib won, Jenna Cody was second and Amelia Whaley was fifth in the girls 3,200 meters. Gensib was second in the girls 1,600 in 5:03.97 and fourth in the 800 meters in 2:20.33. Cody, who was back from the illness that cost her the county meet, advanced to a second event as well by finishing fourth in the 1,600 in 5:09.68.
   ”Jenna ran great in the two-mile (Saturday),” Smirk said. “She made a little mistake in the mile. We talked about it. I think it’s the other hallmark for our kids, when they do miss, it’s not a blame game. It’s how do I make it not happen again. She’ll have another chance to run it.”
   In the throws, Michelle Bazile was second in the discus with a throw of 124-8, and she was fifth in the girls shot put. Bazile, a sophomore, and Whaley, a junior, were the only non-seniors to score for the Little Tigers.
   ”Those seniors, they scored a lot of points,” Smirk said. “It’ll be an interesting year next year.”
   The PHS seniors are experienced and have proven to be capable of scoring in multiple events. Lea advanced in the triple jump and long jump, and in dual meets this year, she also competed and scored in the 100-meter dash and high jump.
   ”The few times I did see her jump (at sectionals), it’s what you would expect out of a senior,” Smirk said. “She was confident, calm, focused. It was the whole package.
   ”She’s been a four-year athlete. She carried us last year in the sprints and jumps. I don’t think we’re the team we are today without the contributions she made to us last year and this year.”