It was a busy weekend for Mercer County’s athletes! Almost every school was in action at a half-dozen different meets across the region. Here’s a lengthy recap that still only covers a portion of the noteworthy performances being delivered as the spring season keeps heating up.

(And this doesn’t even include many remarkable results from the Mercer County freshman/sophomore championships — stay tuned for a separate recap on that.)

Raider Twi-lite Meet

Notre Dame, Allentown, Steinert, and Wilberforce went up to Hillsborough for the Raider Twi-lite Meet on Friday.

The 1600m was the final event of the night, and Steinert's Tyler Hurst made it a memorable race under the lights. After mixing it up in the lead pack all race, the senior made his decisive move in the final 100m as he blew through the spectator tunnel, pulling away to win in 4:23.84 — and get mobbed by his teammates. That massive, 10-second PR puts him at NJ #9 this spring. A little further back, Allentown's John O'Leary (4:30.46) and Steinert's William Conway (4:38.14) also had great races to set PRs.

Notre Dame's Aldric Crawford won the 400m in NJ #16 50.04, holding off Hillsborough's Joshua Ogalo (50.57) with a strong final 50m to win by a half-second. That’s an outdoor PR and the 2nd-fastest open 400m of his career. The Notre Dame 4x100 squad ran a season's best of 43.60 for 2nd place, currently #2 in Mercer County.

Steinert's Arlington Michel was the county's fastest in the sprints, posting PRs in both the 100m (11.21, 5th place) and 200m (23.40, 9th place). Wilberforce's Aaron Szeliga also impressed by claiming school records in both events, running 11.38 for 11th in the 100m and 23.69 for 12th in the 200m.

The standout performance on the girls’ side came from Wilberforce's Stella Blanchard, who more than held her own in a heat full of boys to run a 4:56.37 in the mixed 1600m. That’s a school record and makes her NJ #3 this spring. Her teammate Laura Sallade also ran well and clocked a 5:08.23 in the prior heat, good for 3rd place among the meet’s girls and #19 in the state this spring.

Allentown's Maura Goddeyne earned a stunning come-from-behind victory in the girls 800m. The sophomore was 6th at the bell and still just 4th with 200m to go, but she maintained strong form and momentum to blow by everyone and cross the line in a massive, 9-second PR of 2:23.36.

Notre Dame's Maya Dubois PR'd in the 100m to place 2nd overall in 12.15, just 0.03 seconds off the winning time.

Ridge Night of 1600s

Princeton, Princeton Day, and Lawrenceville were well represented at the Ridge Night of 1600s on Friday.

Out of 340 boys in the meet’s marquee 1600m, Lawrenceville's Arunav Sarkar led the county contingent with an 18th-place finish in 4:30.74, a very fast season opener. Not far behind him, Princeton's Lachlan Arnold and Saboor Qureshi teamed up on the last lap to drop big kicks and moved up for 20th-place tie — both boys were credited with PRs of 4:32.66.

In a similarly massive girls race, Princeton's Kajol Karra was the county’s top runner, placing 12th with a season’s best of 5:12.11. Other top finishers included her teammate Phoenix Roth, who posted a season’s best of 5:22.73 for 27th, and Princeton Day's Kayla Peckens, who set an outdoor PR of 5:25.43 for 28th.

It might’ve been a night of 1600s, but some of the biggest moments came in the shorter sideshows.

Princeton's Yi-Tian Xiong won a very fast boys 110mH in 14.79, edging Ridge's William Ligos by just 0.06 seconds. Xiong's time is the 7th-fastest in New Jersey this spring. In the boys 800m, Princeton's Fletcher Harrison placed 6th and edged closer to the 2-minute mark with a PR of 2:00.68.

In a thrilling girls 100mH, Princeton's Johanna Kraft got the best start but Princeton Day's Della Gilligan came on strong over the final hurdles, and the two crossed the line in a dead heat at 15.84. The photo finish eventually went to Kraft, marking the Princeton freshman’s biggest win yet. Gilligan was still rewarded for her huge effort with the Princeton Day school record, and both girls are now tied at NJ #22.

Princeton’s Lena Murray shone in the 800m, running a negative-split 2:21.77 to take 2nd place, just 19 hundredths off the win.

East Brunswick Invitational

Ewing had a big day at East Brunswick on Saturday. The boys 4x200 squad edged Monroe for the win, 1:29.12 to 1:29.37, and also placed 2nd in the 800m SMR in 1:34.79 — both of which are Top 10 in the state this spring. Their distance boys also ran a strong season’s best of 8:25.29 for 3rd in the 4x800m. On the girls side, Ewing took 2nd place in very tight 4x200 — their 1:44.38 fell just 0.03 short of Snyder — while also earning 2nd in the 4x100 in 49.22 and winning the SHR in 1:03.89.

Several Ewing individuals also posted big results. Bryana Mason cleared 5-02 in the high jump for 3rd place, the first time she's reached that height. Jayla Little threw 34-03.25 in the shot put, also good for 3rd place. On the boys side, Marvin Dimanche dipped under 60 seconds for the first time in the 400mH, finishing 7th in 59.04.

As for other schools’ representatives, Hightstown's Jaiden Bosley had a big double in the throws, placing 4th in the shot put (33-08.25) and 4th in the discus with a 10-foot PR of 99-10, and Allentown’s Meara Rabbitt set a pole vault PR of 8-0 for 4th place.

McNamara Mustang Invitational

Lawrenceville traveled the furthest this weekend, but their trip to Maryland was rewarded with some standout PRs and season’s bests.

Corey Woodson turned in the most eye-catching result, running 14.73 in the 110mH for 3rd place. That big PR elevates him to NJ #6 this spring.

Mohamed Mohamed PR'd in the 800m as well, placing 8th in 2:01.85. Hejyule Bae-Robinson set an outdoor 3200m PR of 9:51.35 to place 2nd in an exciting three-way finish.

In the field, Jabralyn Jones was productive in the throws, placing 3rd in the shot put (46-10) and 6th in the discus (108-0).

On the girls side, Jael Gaines had a busy day in the sprints, placing 7th in the 400m with a county-leading 58.64 and 19th in the 200m in 26.54. Sophomore Mara McKithen also ran well the 400m, finishing 18th in a PR of 1:01.93.

Joe Lykes Invitational

Lawrence and Nottingham were in action at the Joe Lykes Invitational in Colts Neck on Saturday.

Lawrence's Alexander Nikolov ran 15.56 in the 110mH for 2nd place in a competitive field. Lawrence's Joshua Wilson cleared 6-0 in the high jump for a tie for 6th — a 4-inch PR. Lawrence's Alden Smith placed 11th in the 1600m in 4:38.25. In the throws, Nottingham's Tylin Douglas threw 146-9 in the discus for 4th, just a foot off his PR, and Stephen Kusi PR'd by two feet in the triple jump with a 2nd-place leap of 41-09.30. The Lawrence 4x100 placed 6th in 44.45.

On the girls side, Lawrence's Samya Jenkins broke 60 seconds in the open 400m for the first time, running 59.22 for 2nd place. Izzy Meth PR'd in the 1600m with a 9th-place finish in 5:14.81. Soraya Parks won her heat and set a PR in the 100mH, running 17.82 for 6th overall. The Lawrence 4x100 won the event in 50.68, with Nottingham right behind in 3rd at 51.28. Nottingham's Ti'Kayla Smith won the javelin with a season's best of 108-3, and Arianna Crusoe Gaye ran 1:02.48 in the 400m for 11th.

Round-up: Hurst, Blanchard, Woodson lead a busy weekend of breakthroughs

Raider Twi-lite Meet

Ridge Night of 1600s

East Brunswick Invitational

McNamara Mustang Invitational

Joe Lykes Invitational

Mercer Coaches Relays Recap