Girls indoor track preview, 2024-25: Runners to watch for the upcoming season
NJ.com’s list of girl runners to watch this winter includes Tessa Hughes (Peddie), Sofia Swindell (Lawrenceville), Blair Bartlett (Lawrenceville), and Allison Lee (WW-P North).
Boys indoor track preview, 2024-25: Runners to watch for the upcoming season
Lawrence’s Tristan Jusino-Lansing makes NJ.com’s list of boy sprinters to watch this winter. He was “was one of Central Jersey’s best in the hurdles last season.”
Allison Lee making splash as top North girls cross country runner
Allison Lee (WW-P North) speaks with the Community News about her running journey, her racing mindset, and her past XC season, including her race at the Meet of Champions. Coach Deanna Altvater also talks about Lee’s leadership on WW-P North’s girls team.
116. Derrhyl Duncan Jr., Director of Track & Field at The Lawrenceville School
In this podcast from Talking in Ovals, Coach Duncan (Lawrenceville) talks about his running career, how he became a coach, Lawrenceville’s new indoor track, and what it’s like to coach at a prep school like Lawrenceville.
Tyler Hurst’s energy boosts Spartans in cross country
Steinert’s Tyler Hurst talks with the Hamilton Post about his journey from being a young kid in a running club to becoming one of the best XC runners in the CVC.
Times of Trenton boys cross-country postseason honors, 2024
In the Times of Trenton’s boys XC postseason awards, the runner of the year was Shravan Pradeep (WW-P South). Pradeep talked about his dedication to never missing a day and his strategy of going out hard at the Meet of Champions. The team of the year was WW-P North. The coach of the year was Katie Reilly (WW-P South), who credited her team’s success to the runners’ love for the sport and to her fellow coach Stephanie Pegues’s work developing a strong training plan.
The Times’ All-Area team was Felix Farrugia (Princeton), Luke Ferrer (WW-P North), Tyler Hurst (Steinert), Agrim Jha (WW-P North), Tarun Kovoor (Notre Dame), Shravan Pradeep (WW-P South), and Burke Thompson (Hightstown).
Times of Trenton girls cross-country postseason honors, 2024
In the Times of Trenton’s postseason girls XC awards, Princeton was the team of the year and Karen Walker (Hopewell Valley) was the coach of the year. Walker attributed her girls’ success this season to the supportive, fun team culture and to an emphasis on recovery, mental preparation, and positive self talk.
The Times’ all-area team included Zui Chinchalkar (WW-P North), Eowyn Deess (Princeton), Claire Dumont (Hopewell Valley), Liliah Gordon (Northern Burlington), Grace Hegedus (Princeton), Kajol Karra (Princeton), and Allison Lee (WW-P North).
Union Catholic girls XC wins Nike Cross Regionals title, books trip to Nationals
NJ.com’s Corey Annan speaks with coach Jim Smirk following Princeton’s 4th place finish at NXR. Coach Smirk praises the coaching staff’s efforts to prepare the team for the whole season, the girls’ hard work and dedication to train for something that was still hard to imagine back in the summer, and the team’s ability to always have a fifth runner step up and close out races.
PREVIEW: NIKE CROSS REGIONAL NORTHEAST BY THE NUMBERS 2024
DyeStat writes that the Princeton girls, “clearly the second-best New Jersey outfit,” is one of four contenders for the second auto-qualifying spot at NXR Northeast.
Final boys cross country Fab 50 for 2024: MOC confirms No. 1 & leads to major moves
Shravan Pradeep (WW-P South, Sr.) jumps from #22 to #12 in NJ.com’s final ranking of the Top 50 individual boys.
Final girls cross country Fab 50 for 2024: No. 1 stays firm, but major moves follow
Here are the Mercer County girls who made NJ.com’s final ranking of the Top 50 individuals:
#3 Allison Lee (WW-P North, Jr.)
#13 Kajol Karra (Princeton, Jr.)
#14 Zui Chinchalkar (WW-P North, Sr.)
#26 Grace Hegedus (Princeton, So.)
#31 Claire Dumont (Hopewell Valley, Sr.)
#43 Laura Sallade (Wilberforce, Jr.)
#49 Eowyn Deess (Princeton, So.)
Final 2024 boys cross country Top 20: Action-packed MOC solidifies the rankings
The West Windsor-Plainsboro North boys maintain their spot at #20 in NJ.com’s final ranking of XC boys teams.
Final 2024 girls cross country Top 20: MOC brings some twists and surprises
Three CVC girls teams made NJ.com’s final Top 20 XC rankings:
#2 Princeton (no change)
#12 Hopewell Valley (↑ from #13)
#17 West Winsdor-Plainsboro North (↓ from #16)
Meet N.J.’s 12 cross-country state champs and the MVPs who powered their success
NJ.com selected sophomore Eowyn Deess as Princeton’s MVP. She beat her previous Holmdel PR by over a minute and gave Princeton three runners in the Top 20. As the Princeton Day boys’ MVP, NJ.com selected Grayson McLaughlin, who has led Princeton Day all season and continued to do so in the biggest race of the year. He bested his previous Holmdel PR by over 30 seconds.
Villa Walsh repeats Non-Public B Girls Tournament winners; Dudley finishes first
The Villa Walsh girls topped Wilberforce for the Non-Public B title. After the race, Villa Walsh’s top runner, Blythe Dudley, was very complimentary of the Wolverine ladies: “The last few years I’ve been here, it’s been either them for Non-Public B or us. They are such nice girls, always say hi to us, always say good luck to us, but there’s that friendly small-Catholic school rivalry, so we appreciate them.”
Princeton girls XC wins first-ever Group 4 state title; Manalapan duo goes 1-2
NJ .com’s Corey Annan writes about the Princeton girls’ “near-perfect season” after they won the Group 4 championship thanks to their depth, which has been their “calling card” this season. Coach Jim Smirk, Kajol Karra, and Grace Hegedus are quoted about trusting each other, performing under pressure to win, seeing the results of their hard work pay off.
HIGH SCHOOL REGIONAL RANKINGS GIRLS XC 2024 - 11/7
The Princeton girls entered DyeStat’s regional rankings as #3 in the Northeast, after Union Catholic NJ and Cumberland RI. “[E]ver-improving Princeton NJ has also entered the picture and will be put to the test, twice, at Holmdel Park.”
Girls cross-country: Non-Public B championship preview, 2024
NJ.com predicts Villa Walsh to win the Non-Public B girls championship over Wilberforce. They say that the Wolverines’ Laura Sallade (one of four “Runners to Watch”) and Adeline Edwards can challenge Villa Walsh’s top two, but “they’ll need their No. 3 through No. 5 runners to outlast Villa Walsh’s pack, who has been extremely reliable in team competitions this year.”
Boys cross-country: Non-Public B Championship preview, 2024
NJ.com picks Princeton Day to win the Non-Public B boys championship over main contenders Moorestown Friends, Rutgers Prep, St. Rose, Wilberforce. The Grayson McLaughlin and Edward Letko are two of five “Runners to Watch,” and Alexander Chia and Michael Zhou can place in the Top 15.
Girls cross-country: Group 3 championship preview, 2024
Allison Lee (WW-P North), “coming off a historic performance at sectionals,” is one of six Runners to Watch at the Group 3 girls championship.