Indoor Track Top Returners: Jumps & Throws

Track is back! Team practices are well underway and the first major invitationals are right around the corner. But before the indoor season gets into full swing, let’s see which Mercer County returners had the best marks last winter.

Today we’ll highlight the top returners in the field events — long jump, triple jump, high jump, pole vault, and shot put. Also check out the top returning sprinters and hurdlers and distance runners.

Boys Long Jump

20-4 - Oliver Spagnoli (Princeton, So.) was the #3 freshman in New Jersey last winter. In the spring, he jumped 20-8.5 (top returner outdoors, too) and missed qualifying for groups by just a half-inch.

20-3 - Sullivan Spagnoli (Princeton, So.) had a huge 20-3 jump at a small meet in late January. That was over 18” beyond his other indoor marks, but he matched that PR during outdoor season.

19-9 - Aldric Crawford (Notre Dame, Jr.) took 3rd in the long jump at last winter’s Mercer County Championships. He focused on the 400mH outdoors, but he still won the long jump at the Mercer County Freshman/Sophomore Meet.

19-8.25 - Matin Mahmoud (Lawrence, Sr.) did track for the first time last year, and he jumped this PR in his very first invitational. He was 7th at the indoor Mercer County Championships.

19-6.25 - Ian Borges (Peddie, Sr.) PR’d by over a foot to finish 4th in the long jump at the indoor MAPL Championships. He jumped 19-9 at a summer meet.

Boys Triple Jump

44-1.75 - Ian Borges (Peddie, Sr.) broke 44’ twice last winter, once to win the MAPL Championship and again to take 8th at the Eastern States Championships. He didn’t do spring track but he jumped 44-10.25 at a summer meet.

41-7.25 - Matin Mahmoud (Lawrence, Sr.) only did the triple jump twice last winter, but outdoors he jumped 43’, won the Mercer County Championships, and placed 12th at the Group 3 Championships. He actually already hit a new PR of 44-8 to win the Armory Trials this past October.

41-2.5 - Tristan Jusino Lansing (Lawrence, Sr.) is a hurdler — one of the best in the state — and he only did the triple jump once last winter. But he’s so talented that just once was enough to place him among the best returners in the county.

41-1.25 - Eric Cho (Peddie, Sr.) finished 2nd at the indoor MAPL Championships and 18th at the Eastern States Championships. He broke 40’ again outdoors to win MAPLs.

40-9.5 - Mitchell Shapiro (Robbinsville, Sr.) jumped a nice PR to take 3rd at the indoor Mercer County Championships. He’s also jumped 40-7 outdoors.

Boys High Jump

6-2 - Bryce Marsh (Notre Dame, Jr.) jumped at over a dozen meets last winter, but he timed his peak just right, breaking 6’ for the first time to finish 2nd at the Non-Public A Group Championships. He jumped 6’ again outdoors to place 7th at groups.

5-10 - Dylan Voehl (Allentown, Jr.) qualified for last winter’s Group 3 Championships and placed 14th there. Outdoors, he jumped 6-0 twice and placed 11th at groups. He’s also very good at the javelin.

5-8 - Sullivan Spagnoli (Princeton, So.) jumped 5-8 four times last winter, including to take 4th at the Mercer County Championships.

5-8 - Ishaq Inayat (Princeton, Sr.) only did the high jump at one major meet last year, including outdoors. That was a 5th place finish at the indoor Mercer County Championships.

5-8 - Nolan Schmitz (Notre Dame, Sr.) showed steady improvement throughout the last winter track season, and he jumped his highest at the final meet of the year.

Boys Pole Vault

10-6 - Connor Ahearn (Notre Dame, Jr.) jumped 10-0 or more five times last winter, including to win the NJCTC Championships. He was 2nd at the Mercer County Championships and 9th at the Non-Public A Group Championships.

9-6 - Samuel Rispoli (Robbinsville, Sr.) placed 5th at the Mercer County Championships and 10th at Central Group 2 Sectionals last winter. He jumped 10-6 twice outdoors.

9-0 - Rayyan Shabab (WW-P South, Jr.) was 4th at last winter’s Mercer County Championships. In the spring, he jumped 10-0 to take 2nd at the Mercer County Freshman/Sophomore Meet.

Boys Shot Put

55-5.25 - Sean Wilton (Princeton, Sr.) threw over 55’ to get 24th at New Balance Nationals Indoor, and he’s one of the top returners in the state. Outdoors, he won the Group 4 Championship and then medaled at the Meet of Champions with a big throw of 57-11.5, which broke the Princeton school record.

49-10 - Parker Hamilton (Peddie, Sr.) had a big breakthrough at Prep States last winter, where he got 4th place and broke a PR that had stood for a long time. In the spring, he was 3rd at Prep States, 4th at MAPLs, and 2nd at the Mercer County Championship.

44-8.75 - Shane Tomlinson (Pennington, Sr.) broke 44’ to finish 18th at the Ocean Breeze Invitational last year. He threw 47-7 outdoors to win the PJAA Championships.

41-4.75 - Shine Williams (Trenton, Sr.) threw over 40’ at four meets last winter. He placed 5th at the Mercer County Championships and 13th at Central Group 4 Sectionals.

41-2.25 - Ernest Gaykai (Nottingham, Sr.) placed 4th at last winter’s Mercer County Championships. In the spring, he qualified for the Group 2 Championships with a big throw of 46-10.3 at sectionals.

39-0.5 - Brandon Zambrio (Allentown, Sr.) was 7th at the county championships, 5th at sectionals, and 21st at groups last winter. He broke 40’ in the spring and again qualified for the Group 3 Championships.

38-11.5 - Tyler Carocci (Steinert, Sr.) threw a PR at the indoor Mercer County Championships and went on to get 4th at Central Group 3 Sectionals, qualifying for his first group championship meet. He threw 39-6 in the spring.

38-6.5 - Osbaldo Morales (Princeton, Sr.) set his PR at an early-season Princeton Invitational Series meet. He threw a big PR of 41-5 at an outdoor dual meet.

Girls Long Jump

17-8.75 - Adama Turay (WW-P South, Sr.) took 5th at the Eastern States Championships with a 17-8.75, and then she matched that distance at the indoor Meet of Champions to earn a 7th place medal. Outdoors, she qualified for the Group 4 Championships in the high jump, 200m, and 400m.

17-1 - Sofia Swindell (Lawrenceville, Sr.) hit a big PR last winter to win in a dual meet against Lawrenceville’s big rival, the Hill School.

16-7.5 - Rhianna Scott (Lawrenceville, Sr.) did the long jump at only one invitational last indoor season, but she jumped 18-8 outdoors as a sophomore.

15-4.25 - Isabelle Andre (Allentown, Sr.) did the horizontal jumps at only the Mercer County Championships last winter, but she took 6th in the long jump and 2nd in the triple jump. She went 16-3 outdoors to qualify for the Group 3 Championships.

15-3.5 - Julia Kolker (WW-P North, Sr.) took 7th in the long jump at the indoor Mercer County Championships with a nice PR.

Girls Triple Jump

38-6 - Sofia Swindell (Lawrenceville, Sr.) jumped 38-6 against the Hill School last winter, which ended up being the 3rd best jump in New Jersey that season. During outdoors, she focused more on the sprints and hurdles, but even still she won the triple jump at Prep States, MAPLs, and the Mercer County Championships.

34-8 - Rhianna Scott (Lawrenceville, Sr.) triple jumped just once last winter, but she did well, going 34-8 to take 2nd at the Staten Island Invitational. Her outdoor PR is 36-10.

32-1 - Megan Bommireddy (WW-P South, Jr.) took 3rd at last winter’s Mercer County Championships. Her outdoor PR is 33-3.

Girls High Jump

5-2 - Tessa Hughes (Peddie, Jr.) is primarily a hurdler but also has some great vertical hops. She took 2nd at Prep States last winter, and during outdoors she jumped 5-4 to win the Mercer County Championships. That 5-4 was tied for 11th best in New Jersey last year.

4-10 - Amanda Hoglund (Allentown, Sr.) finished 2nd at Central Group 3 Sectionals last winter. She only jumped at one invitational in the spring, but she still matched her PR there.

4-10 - Anaiss Matos (Steinert, Sr.) was 5th at the Mercer County Championships and 4th at Central Group 3 Sectionals indoors.

4-8 - Sophia Cramer (Notre Dame, Sr.) set her high jump PR to win the CVC Open last January.

4-8 - Morgan Gonser (Robbinsville, Sr.) competed at only a few track meets last school year, but she jumped 4-8 to take 2nd at the CVC Relays indoors.

4-8 - Sophie Tsai (WW-P South, Jr.) took 3rd at the CVC Relays with a PR, and she later took 9th at the indoor Mercer County Championships.

4-8 - Jael Gaines (Lawrenceville, Jr.) jumped 4-8 twice last year, taking 5th at both MAPLs and Prep States.

Girls Pole Vault

11-6 - Audrey Cheng (Lawrenceville, Sr.) took 2nd at the Garden State Invitational, and she won the Mercer County Championship, MAPLs, and Prep States last winter. Outdoors, she cleared 12-0 and won those same three meets.

8-6 - Sophie Trzaskus (Lawrence, Sr.) won the indoor Central Group 3 Sectionals with a PR of 8-6. In the spring, she cleared 9-0 and took 3rd at the Mercer County Championships.

7-11 - Lane Firestone (Lawrenceville, So.) was 3rd at both MAPLs and Prep States as a freshman last winter.

Girls Shot Put

41-10 - Catalina Holliday (Nottingham, Sr.) is one of the best track & field athletes from Mercer County in any event. She went 40-8.5 to win the indoor Group 2 Championship, and then she threw over a foot farther at the Meet of Champions to get 2nd place! In the spring, she again threw over 40’ multiple times and got 6th at the Meet of Champions.

39-1 - Sonjay Baylor-Reeves (Trenton, Sr.) was 2nd at last winter’s Mercer County Championships. Outdoors, she threw a huge PR of 41-8 to get 3rd at the Group 4 Championships, and she also took 10th at the Meet of Champions.

36-11.5 - Afua Apau (WW-P North, Sr.) won Central Group 3 Sectionals and finished 10th at groups. She also qualified for groups outdoors, where she placed 13th.

35-10.5 - Anna Casciano (Hun, Jr.) won numerous meets last winter, including the MAPL Championships and Prep States. She placed 3rd at the Mercer County Championships, both indoors and out.

30-4 - Olivia Allison (Lawrenceville, So.) was 5th at MAPLs and 6th at Prep States as a freshman last winter. She also threw 30’ twice outdoors.

28-9.5 - Danielle Marsh (Notre Dame, Jr.) PR’d at the NJCTC Championships to get 7th place. Outdoors, she broke 30’ in her last meet of the year, taking 10th at the Non-Public A Group Championships.

28-7 - Roseline Langley (Ewing, Jr.) did her first season of track last winter, and she finished 8th in the shot put at Central Group 3 Sectionals.

28-1.5 - Jaiden Bosley (Hightstown, Jr.) was 9th at the indoor Mercer County Championships and 4th at the Ocean Breeze Invitational. Outdoors, she focused more on the discus.

27-11.25 - Ciara Noel (Nottingham, Jr.) placed 10th at last winter’s Mercer County Championships. She threw at only two outdoor invitationals but still broke 28’.