HOPEWELL VALLEY:Bulldogs get set for counties

By George O'Gorman
For BucksLocalSports

Hightstown's Pat Gray is one of four defending county champs returning for this weekend's Mercer County track meet. Trentonian File Photo
If Mother Nature cooperates and the rain that’s drenched the Delaware Valley since Friday lets up, Mercer County will host two of its biggest track and field meets of the season Saturday.

While all the Colonial Valley Conference boys and girls teams head to Steinert for the annual Mercer County Meet that starts at 9 a.m., the Peddie, Hun and Lawrenceville teams will be in action at Ken Keuffel Field on the L’ville campus for the Middle Atlantic Prep League championships starting at 1 p.m.

The focus at Steinert will be on the Hopewell Valley girls and Trenton boys as they try to defend the team championships they won in convincing fashion last May. Aaron Oldfield’s Hopewell Valley girls are bidding for a sixth consecutive team title, while Al Jennings’ Trenton boys hope to hold off West Windsor North and claim a third straight team title and fifth in seven years.

The host Lawrenceville School teams are the favorites to keep their MAPL titles.

With the Hayes brothers back to try and defend the individual titles they won last year — Leonard the 200 and 400 sprints and Lamar the long jump — John Shilts’ L’ville boys are a heavy favorite to be almost as dominating as they were a year ago when they scored 209 points and won by 83 over host Hill.

Bill Schroeder’s Lawrenceville girls, who won by a 65-point margin with 195 points, also are an experienced squad hoping to have Rebecca Wojciechowicz repeat as pole vault winner and Madeline Smit duplicate her 2008 success in the 400 hurdles.

All but two of the girls who claimed county titles last year are back to defend their titles — HoVal’s Nikki Ferrara (100/200), Clare Buck (1600/3200), Julie Alexander (400/400 hurdles) and Katelyn Pagano (pole vault), Ewing’s Brigita Roemer (high jump/triple jump), Nottingham’s Stephanie Hicks (100 hurdles), Notre Dame’s Jameica Pierce (discus) and Caitlyn Wismer (800) and West Windsor North’s Chelsea Walters (long jump).

On the boys side only four defending champs return —West Windsor North’s Ryan Sleeper (1600), Hightstown’s Pat Gray (pole vault), Notre Dame’s Jaime Gibilisco (800) and Trenton’s Rolston Braithwaite (triple jump).

All four stand an excellent chance of retaining their titles, although for Gray it will be need a strong recovery from the pulled hamstring he suffered as he warmed up for his biggest meet ever — the Penn Relays — two weeks ago.