GROUP 3
2019 Group 3 Leaders - Sectional Merge Leaders
One of the best team battles of the day is expected to be a backyard brawl between Mercer County rivals Hamilton West, Hamilton North, West Windsor-Plainsboro North, Hamilton West, and Hopewell Valley. All three teams are seeking their first state titles in a meet that could come down to the 4x400.
At the Central Jersey meet last week, Hamilton North, who have run a NJ#1 41.82 in the 4x100, finished first (74), West Windsor-Plainsboro North was second (56.50), Hamilton West was third (54.50), and Hopewell Valley was fourth (54). Hamilton North won the Mercer County title, 88-84 over West Windsor-Plainsboro North.
There is plenty of star-power in this meet.
Villanova-bound Sean Dolan of Hopewell Valley, the New Balance National champ in the mile last June, is scheduled to run the 800, 1,600, and 4x400. Dolan owns PR's of 4:08.86 in the mile and 1:50.74 in the 800.
The 1,600 and 3,200 have the potential to produce very fast times.
In the 1,600, Dolan should get pushed by Princeton-bound Jack Stanley of Mendham, and John McGovern of Somerville. Stanley, the runner-up at the XC Meet of Champions and the Foot Locker Northeast Regional XC champ, ran the fastest times in the state among all the sectionals in the 1,600 (4:14.35) and 3,200 (9:12.12). McGovern, a Nike XC National finalist, has run 4:15.04 this season.
Stanley will also square off with Liam Murphy of Allentown in the 3,200.
Murphy, a junior, won the 3,200 at the indoor Meet of Champions with a PR of 8:54.22 and he has run a NJ#3 9:04.43 this season. Stanley has run a NJ#5 9:05.76
Look out for Monmouth-bound Jason Santa Cruz of Old Tappan. He's NJ#1 in the javelin with a 206- and has his eye on the Group 3 meet record of 201-8 set in 2017 by Dajon Chappell of Morris Hills.
Group Previews
Group 1 | Group 2 |
Group 3 | Group 4 |
Non-Public A | Non-Public B |
