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See what other publications are saying about Mercer County’s track & field athletes.
Meet N.J.‘s underrated cross-country runners & unsung heroes in 2025
NJ.com’s reporters Bakari Tice (for boys) and Corey Annan (for girls) shine a light on 8-9 talented runners in each group who have been flying under the radar this season.
The Group 2 boys include John O’Leary (Allentown, Sr.). “O’Leary has built an impressive résumé this season with a string of strong performances across major events.”
The Group 2 girls include Addison Frascella (Allentown, Fr.), along with a nice photo of her at the Six Flags Wild Safari Invitational. “With Allentown graduating its No. 1 runner from last year, having a freshman like Frascella step into that role so quickly has helped keep Allentown competitive.”
The Group 3 girls include Anna Wilson (Hopewell Valley, Jr.). “When Hopewell Valley is healthy, this is one of the better teams in the state. Wilson is a big part of their lineup and showed it on Thursday.”
The Non-Public A/B girls include Kayla Peckens (Princeton Day, Fr.). “Princeton Day should be excited about their future with Peckens leading the lineup.”
Cross country Fab 50 rankings, Oct. 16: Early county/conference results create chaos
From NJ.com’s individual girls rankings:
#4 Allison Lee (WWP North, Sr.)
#19 Sydney Young (Hopewell Valley, Jr.)
#23 Kajol Karra (Princeton, Sr.)
#26 Laura Sallade (Wilberforce, Sr.)
#27 Grace Hegedus (Princeton, Jr.)
From NJ.com’s individual boys rankings:
#13 Agrim Jha (WWP North, So.)
#16 Paul Wittenberg (WWP North, Jr.)
#24 Finnegan Curley (Hopewell Valley, Jr.)
#37 Saboor Qureshi (Princeton, Sr.)
N.J. cross-country Top 20s, Oct. 13: Who’s on top as championship races approach?
From NJ.com’s top 20 girls teams:
#4 Princeton
#18 WWP North
”Under consideration” Hopewell Valley
From NJ.com’s top 20 boys teams:
#12 WWP North
”Under consideration” Princeton
Boys cross-country Top 20, Sept. 22: Rankings shift as season nears midway point
In NJ.com’s boys rankings for September 22nd, WWP North and Princeton are both “Under Consideration,” just outside the top 20.
Girls cross-country Top 20 rankings, Sept. 22: Group 1 team creates a shakeup in order
Three Mercer County girls teams hold steady in NJ.com’s rankings for September 22nd:
#2 Princeton won the Jerry Hart Invitational last week, led by Kajol Karra’s second-place finish.
#11 Hopewell Valley did not compete last week.
#19 WWP North did not compete last week.
N.J. cross-country star breaks county record, runs third-fastest 5K in state history
NJ.com’s Corey Annan gives Blair Bartlett (Lawrenceville, Jr.) a nice write up after Bartlett ran “one of the greatest performances in N.J. cross-country history” in just her second cross country race at the Jerry Hart Invitational.
Girls cross-country Top 20, Sept. 15: N.J.’s best teams make an early statement
Here are the Mercer County girls teams in NJ.com’s latest ranking:
#2 Princeton (no change)
#11 Hopewell Valley (no change)
#18 WWP North (no change)
Boys cross-country Top 20, Sept. 15: Top teams shine in the season’s first two weeks
Three Mercer County boys teams are in NJ.com’s latest rankings:
#18 WWP North (up from #20)
#20 Princeton (down from #18)
Bubble Hopewell Valley (new)
8 takeaways & observations from the first two weeks of the 2025 N.J. XC season
One major takeaway by NJ.com’s Bakari Rice is that the CVC “is shaping up to be very competitive this fall, thanks to strong early-season performances from several top programs.” WWP North averaged 10:23 at Run the Night with a 41-second split. WWP South averaged 10:49 at the Thompson 2 Miler with a 26-second split. Hopewell Valley won the team title at the TCNJ High School XC Invite with a 17:51 average.
Underrated N.J. boys cross-country teams to watch in 2025: Groups 3 & 4
Hopewell Valley is one of five Group 3 boys teams that NJ.com’s Bakari Tice considers underrated this season. They’re led by Silas Allevik and his Holmdel PR of 17:00, and they get crucial depth from Finnegan Curley, Colin Vickery, Mason O’Connor, and James Damron.
Two of the five most underrated Group 4 boys teams hail from Mercer County. Princeton has a tight 1:07 five-man split at Holmdel, which includes Finn Wedmid, Braedyn Capone, Evan Raphael, Felix Yu, and Harrison Knoch. They boast a 17:39 team average. WWP South also makes the list, with a 1:16 split and a 18:25 team average at Holmdel. They’re lead by Sean Mania Aron Zola, Harsh Sharma, and Aradhya Vijay.
Girls cross-country Fab 50 rankings, Sept. 11: New faces join, including frosh
NJ.com’s girls rankings for week 1 include:
#2 Allison Lee (WWP North, Sr.)
#13 Kajol Karra (Princeton, Sr.)
#21 Grace Hegedus (Princeton, Jr.)
#29 Laura Sallade (Wilberforce, Sr.)
#30 Sydney Young (Hopewell Valley, Jr.)
#32 Eowyn Deess (Princeton, Jr.)
Boys cross-country Fab 50, Sept. 11: Week 1 performances spark major ranking changes
NJ.com’s boys rankings for week 1 include:
#44 Agrim Jha (WWP North, So.)
#45 Paul Wittenberg (WWP North, Jr.)
Young stars, team champions headline top N.J. cross-country performances from Week 1
On the boys side, WWP North “showcased its depth and talent at Friday’s Run the Night meet in Manalapan, with sophomore Agrim Jha and junior Paul Wittenberg delivering standout performances.”
Tolson, Young win girls titles at Cherokee Challenge; Flanagan posts N.J.’s fastest time
NJ.com’s Corey Annan highlights Hopewell Valley’s Sydney Young and her“triumphant return to Cherokee.” She talks about be able to build a good base in the preseason without getting injured and about her in-race strategy of picking up the pace in the last half of the two-mile race. The article features two photos of Young’s race.
Girls cross-country preseason Top 20, 2025: No. 1 team looks to extend dynasty run
In NJ.com’s girls preseason rankings, Princeton starts at #2. After returning six of their top seven, including all-state runner Kajol Karra, they have a shot at making NXN, “but they are much more focused on defending their Colonial Valley Conference & Group 4 championships for the time being.”
Hopewell Valley comes in at #11. Led by Sydney Young and Maddie LaChance, they have six girls with Holmdel PRs of at least 21:42.
WWP North makes the preseason rankings at #18. They’ll rely on Allison Lee to be their anchor at CVCs and counties, and her “solid cast of runners behind” — Sara Secora, Juliette Halpin, and Evelyn Yang — boost their chances at a team title.
Boys cross-country preseason Top 20, 2025: Who begins the season atop the rankings?
In NJ.com’s preseason boys rankings, Princeton is #18. The article highlights the sub-18:00 Holmdel PRs of Finn Wedmid, Braedyn Capone, Evan Raphael, and Felix Yu, with Harrison Knoch expected to provide valuable depth.
WWP North also sneaks into the preseason rankings at #20. It has a “promising young core” and is led by Agrim Jha, Paul Wittenberg, Andy Chi, Vibhav Kumar, and Soham Shah.
Girls cross-country preseason Fab 50: N.J.’s individual rankings to begin 2025 season
Here are the Mercer County girls in NJ.com’s preseason rankings:
#2 Allison Lee (WWP North, Sr.)
#12 Kajol Karra (Princeton, Sr.)
#22 Grace Hegedus (Princeton, Jr.)
#33 Laura Sallade (Wilberforce, Sr.)
#34 Sydney Young (Hopewell Valley, Jr.)
#35 Eowyn Deess (Princeton, Jr.)
Boys cross-country preseason Fab 50: N.J.’s top runners to begin the 2025 season
WWP North sophomore Agrim Jha breaks into NJ.com’s preseason rankings at #50.
Cross country preview, 2025: Compelling storylines to watch this season
One of NJ.com’s main girls storylines this fall is “Can Princeton make it to NXN?” The articles is notes that “It’s almost universally agreed upon that Princeton is the best public school team in the state.” Although the program “feel[s] like it still needs to grow more throughout the season to be in a position to qualify for nationals,” it’s on their radar.
When discussing who might challenge Paige Sheppard for the Meet of Champions title this year, WWP North’s Allison Lee “is the first runner that comes to mind.” The article highlights her achievements from last fall, including qualifying for Foot Locker Nationals.
On the boys side, the article asks which “freshman sensations” will be “sophomore standouts.” WWP North’s Agrim Jha is the second runner on that list, given his results at sectionals and groups last fall.
Boys cross country preview, 2025: Who are the championship contenders in Non-Public B?
NJ.com selects Princeton Day as the favorite to win the boys Non-Public B group championship this season, given their “strong returning core and a proven postseason pedigree.” Grayson McLaughlin leads the charge for the defending champions, along with Edward Letko, Alexander Chia, Luke Nolte, and Michael Zhou. (Track Mercer note: Letko will not be returning for Princeton Day this season.)
Wilberforce is one of two teams “Making Their Move” behind Princeton Day. They are led by Elias Edwards, Micah Brox, Cade Wilson, and Henry Jepson.