XC Preseason Watchlist: Girls Individuals

We’re still a few days away from the first official meets of the 2025 XC season, but it’s not too early to start speculating on who the top runners in Mercer County will be this fall! Here are a few names you should get familiar with, because you’ll be seeing them towards the top of results.

These runners are loosely ranked into tiers based on last year’s XC results and recent track performances, especially in the 3200m. That said, preseason rankings don’t mean too much – wait until real results start rolling before judging who’s the best. Plus, Mercer County is flooded with talent on the girls side, so several “second team” girls would be first team in most other counties.

Also, these lists don’t account for new freshmen or transfers (or converted soccer players?) who will arrive and shake up the rankings. And, as always, there will be girls who were underestimated or who have breakout seasons. Stay tuned for a more informed set of rankings in a few weeks.

Finally, get used to these names, because you’ll be seeing them around for another couple of years. Almost all of Mercer County’s top distance girls are still only sophomores or juniors!

Runners within each team are listed in alphabetical order.

First Team

Blair Bartlett (Lawrenceville, Jr.) has never officially raced anything on grass, with hills, or longer than two miles, but with ridiculous track PRs – 4:37 1600m, 9:13 3000m, 9:55 3200m – and her confidence to run at the front against literally anyone in the country, there’s no reason to doubt that the results in her debut XC season will be otherworldly.

Eowyn Deess (Princeton, Jr.) was the biggest breakthrough of the 2024 season. After a modest regular season, her incredible postseason included a 19:11 at Thompson Park for 6th place at sectionals, a 19:49 at Holmdel for 39th place at the Meet of Champions, and – most impressively of all – a 19:42 at Bowdoin Park for 34th at NXR NE.

Grace Hegedus (Princeton, Jr.) was a consistent low-stick for Princeton all season long, including down the homestretch: she took 10th at the Group 4 Championships, 26th at the Meet of Champions, and 30th at NXN NE Regional. She ran some very impressive PRs at Thompson Park (18:49, #7 returner in the state) and Holmdel (19:27, #22 returner in the state). This spring, she lowered her track PRs to 5:15 and 11:10.

Kajol Karra (Princeton, Sr.) entered the very top tier of New Jersey distance running last fall, highlighted by getting 12th place at the Meet of Champions (19:03 on Holmdel) and 19th place at NXR NE (19:19 on Bowdoin). That XC fitness carried over nicely onto the track, where she ran 10:47 for 7th place at the indoor Meet of Champions 3200m. Outdoors, she ran 11:01 three times and PR’d in the 1600m with a 5:05.

Allison Lee (WWP North, Sr.) is one of the best XC runners in Mercer County history. Last year, she shattered the course records at Robbinsville (17:28) and Thompson Park (17:46), placed 3rd at the Meet of Champions with an 18:27, and qualified for Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego. This past spring, she ran PRs of 4:51/10:27, placed 2nd in the Meet of Champions 3200m, and crushed a 16:38 5000m at NBNO. She’ll have her eyes on more history this year.

Laura Sallade (Wilberforce, Sr.) might be considered a mid-distance expert – she scored two silver medals and two impressive PRs in the 800m (2:15) and 1600m (5:04) at groups this spring – but she’s just as good at the 5K. Last fall, she placed 37th at the Meet of Champions with a Holmdel PR of 19:45, and she also blitzed an all-conditions PR of 18:24 at DREAM Park.

Sydney Young (Hopewell Valley, Jr.) missed most of the last XC season but returned just in time to place 11th at groups – in a big Holmdel PR of 19:47 – and help carry her team to the Meet of Champions. Her Thompson Park PR of 19:54 from her freshman year is also one of the best in the area. She’s never raced the 3200m on the track, but she capped off this past spring with an elite 1600m PR of 4:58.

Second Team

Maddie LaChance (Hopewell Valley, Sr.) delivered some big performances last fall to send the Bulldogs to the Meet of Champions. At sectionals, she finished 14th with a 20:03 at Thompson Park. A week later, she placed 18th in the entire group with a massive Holmdel PR of 20:10. In the winter, in her first-ever season of track, she qualified for groups in the 3200m with a PR of 11:40.

Izzy Meth (Lawrence, Jr.) has run especially strong at Thompson Park (19:18 PR) and Holmdel (19:53 PR). She dealt with an injury last fall – and still broke 20:00 at Thompson/Holmdel four times – but made a nice comeback during track season to qualify for the Meet of Champions 3200m indoors and run a PR of 10:59 outdoors, which is #17 among all returners in New Jersey.

Siena Rivera (Hightstown, So.) started her XC career by taking 1st or 2nd in all four of her freshman two-mile races, and her transition to the full 5K was just as impressive – she took 4th in her CVC divisional race (19:15 at Robbinsville) and then placed 9th in the full CVC championship (20:01 at Thompson Park). During winter track, she ran 11:56 in the 3200m and 5:20 in the 1600m.

Phoenix Roth (Princeton, Jr.) had a superb sophomore XC season, highlighted by taking 15th at sectionals in 19:44 – the #7 Thompson Park time among returners – and then getting 64th at the Meet of Champions in 20:09. In the spring, she ran 5:14 and 11:24, both of which were Top 10 in the county. For another indicator of her strength, she ran a great 2000m steeplechase of 7:18, which is the 8th-fastest time by a New Jersey girl in the past ten years.

Alaina Sabo (Notre Dame, So.) had huge success in the 800m her freshman year, winning CVCs and qualifying for the Meet of Champions with a PR of 2:15. She was also one of just eight Mercer County girls to go sub-5:10 in the 1600m. She also has excellent 5K strength: last fall, she placed 3rd at CVC divisionals — with a 19:02 at Robbinsville — 12th at CVCs, 2nd at NJCTCs, and 15th at the Non-Public A group championship.

Sara Secora (WWP North, Jr.) gave the Knights an immediate boost when she made her XC debut last fall at the CVC divisional meet, where she ran 19:48 for 5th place. She went on to get 16th at CVCs, 23rd at sectionals, and 41st at groups. This past spring, she ran great PRs of 2:22, 5:15, and 11:43 – each of which were #11 in Mercer County.

Rosemary Warren (Princeton, So.) was already having an excellent freshman XC season last fall, including running 19:52 at Thompson Park for 8th at CVCs, before her breakthrough race at the Meet of Champions. Her huge Holmdel PR of 20:04 for 58th place played a key role in Princeton securing the 2nd-place finish. She also has quick track PRs of 5:27 and 11:44.

There is too much talent in Mercer County to stop at fourteen girls, so here are seven more to keep on your radar.

Third Team

Essie Chafin (Lawrenceville, Sr.) has long been one of the Big Red’s best distance runners, and this past year she ran 20:28 on Lawrenceville’s XC course plus 5:28 and 12:14 on the track.

Yana Chheda (WWP South, Jr.) finished 19th at the CVC championships last fall and ran a 3200m PR of 11:48 in the spring.

Juliette Halpin (WWP North, So.) took 22nd at Group 3 sectionals last year in 20:34, which is #14 among returners at Thompson Park.

Sevanne Knoch (Princeton, So.) ran 20:07 at Thompson Park last year to crack the Top 10 at the CVC championships.

Sophia Pellegrino (Hopewell Valley, So.) finished 20th at the CVC championships last year and ran a Thompson Park PR of 20:56 at sectionals.

Elsie Rey-de-Castro (Hopewell Valley, Jr.) has qualified for winter track groups in the 3200m each of the past two years, with a PR of 11:33. 

Anna Wilson (Hopewell Valley, Jr.) was 10th in last fall’s CVC divisionals merge with a 19:49, and she ran PRs of 5:25 and 11:47 on the track.