Hopewell Valley outdoor track
By: Jim Green
Hopewell Valley Central High School junior track star Emily Sherrard might have been out most of the spring, but she was back and as good as ever when her team needed her most.
Sherrard, who missed six weeks with a stress fracture, gradually has worked her way back to the form that made her one of the breakout stars of the sport last year. This past weekend at the Central Jersey Group III Championships at Monmouth Regional in Tinton Falls, she proved she had regained her spot among the state’s elite athletes by winning the 800-meter run in 2:15.12 and placing second in the 1,600 at 5:05.4. Sherrard qualified for the Group II Championships in both events and helped the Lady Bulldogs capture the sectional title they lost last year by 13 points to Willingboro. Hopewell previously won the Central Jersey Group II sectional titles in 2003, 2001 and 2000.
"Last year, it was a pretty close meet," Sherrard said. "We didn’t quite come out on top in the end. It’s definitely good to come back and win it this year."
For the last two years, Sherrard has been a rock for the Lady Bulldogs in both the winter and spring season. Last spring, she finished second in both the 800 and the 1,600 at the sectional meet to help Hopewell to that second-place finish. This past winter, she won the 800 and placed second in the 1,600 to lead Hopewell to the Group II state team title before going down with her injury.
This spring, she returned just in time to help the Lady Bulldogs retain their place among the state’s best teams.
"It would have been great to have trained the six weeks I was out, but I’ll work with what I have," said Sherrard, who finished second in the 1,600 at the Mercer County Championships on May 14.
The Lady Bulldogs’ sectional title keeps alive their tremendous winning streak during the 2004-05 school year. Hopewell captured the Group II individual, Group II relays and Mercer County Championships titles before winning the sprint medley relay at the Nike Indoor Nationals. This spring, Hopewell won the county title before winning the section with 86 points 24 ahead of second-place Willingboro Friday and Saturday.
On Friday, Sherrard led a charge in the critical 1,600, as Hopewell placed 2-3-4 in the event for 16 big points. Sherrard was followed by sophomore Megan Fitzpatrick and freshman Marissa Greco, respectively.
With their strong run combined with a 3-4 combo by junior Miriam Khan and senior Natalie Mapp in the 100 and junior Meredith Rutledge’s meet-record throw in the javelin, the Lady Bulldogs were feeling confident heading into the second day of competition.
"The 1,600 was huge," Sherrard said. "That set the tone for the rest of the meet. We were pretty confident that if everyone was focused and did their best, we would win the meet."
On Saturday, Sherrard kept the momentum going with her win in the 800, while Fitzpatrick and Greco went 3-4 in the 3,200.
While Sherrard has emerged as an invaluable asset, the team leader continues to be Mapp, who qualified for the Group II Championships in the 100, 200 and 400 in the final sectional meet of her career. The top six finishers in each event qualified for the group meet, which will be held Friday and Saturday at Egg Harbor.
"We definitely want to give Natalie the sweetest goodbye we can," Sherrard said. "Natalie’s done so much for us. I don’t want to think about her leaving yet. She means so much to the team. We just want to do the best we can and go out with a bang."