Times of Trenton boys, girls winter track and field Athletes to Watch, 2018-19

Athletes to Watch
Vedang Lad, Sr., WW-P North
Lad's best event last year was the 3200, where the cross-country standout made it all the way to the NJSIAA Meet of Champions and finished third in 9:17.38. That followed a Group 3 title in 9:20.57, a third-place sectional finish in 9:34.27, and a runner-up finish at the Mercer County Championships in 9:28.53.

Simon Schenk, Jr., Princeton
Schenk hit 15 feet at the Eastern States Championships between a Group 4 title at 14-0 and a fifth-place finish at the M of C, also at 14 feet. He was a sectional runner-up at 14-6 and won the Mercer County title at 14-6.

Liam Murphy, Jr., Allentown
Coming off a third-place finish at this fall's NJSIAA cross-country M of C, Murphy will enter the winter season having finished eighth in the 3200 at the indoor M of C last year in 9:30.40. That followed a fifth-place finish in 9:29.37 at the Group 3 meet, a fifth-place finish at the sectional meet in 9:37.03, and a ninth-place finish at the Mercer meet in 10:04.04.

Sean Dolan, Sr., Hopewell Valley
Dolan is the defending Mercer County champion in the 800, winning that last year in 1:57.57. He clipped nearly six seconds off that time more than a month later when he finished fourth at the New Balance Nationals meet in 1:51.77.

Christian O'Neal, Sr., Trenton
O'Neal competed at the Mercer County Championships in three events last year, the 55, 200 and high jump, turning in his best finish in the jump. Finishing third in the county at 6-0, O'Neal went on to register a runner-up sectional finish, a sixth-place Group finish, and a ninth-place finish at the M of C, all at 6-2.

Chelsea Manto, Sr., Robbinsville
A softball standout come springtime, Manto is a sprinter and jumper in the winter, registering point-scoring finishes in the Mercer meet in the 55 (7.45, fourth), the 400 (59.40, third), and the high jump (5-0, fifth). She advanced to the M of C in the 400, running 1:01.22 there after a fourth-place finish in 59.78 at the Group 2 meet.

Abrianna Barrett, Sr., Montgomery
Barrett took seventh at the M of C in the high jump at 5-4 last year after winning the Group 4 meet at that height and the sectional meet at 5-2. She topped out indoors last year at 5-6 at the Eastern States meet. Barrett also advanced as far as the group meet in the 55 hurdles after taking fourth in the section in that event in 8.84 seconds.

Ruby Avila, Sr., Peddie
Avila returns as the Mercer County champ in both the 55 (7.33) and the 200 (25.93). She went on to win the Mid-Atlantic Prep League title in the 55 in 7.50 seconds.

Samira van der Laan, Sr., Hightstown
Van der Laan won the Mercer County title last year in the shot put with a 37-7 throw. She went on to finish runner-up at the sectional meet at 37-0 ¼, fifth in the Group 3 meet at 35-0 ¾, and 17th at the M of C at 36-0 ¾.

Emma Faivre, Sr., WW-P North
Faivre scored points at the Mercer County meet last year in the 55, 200 and 400, winning the 400 in 58.74 seconds, finishing second in the 200 in 26.70, and taking fifth in the 55 in 7.52. During the NJSIAA postseason, Faivre advanced the furthest in the 400, winning the sectional title in 59.24 before taking 13th at the Group 3 meet in 1:01.03.

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