SETTING THE PACE: Princeton High girls’ cross country star Chloe Taylor shows her form in a 2015 race. This fall, junior star Taylor has been at the front of the pack for PHS, which recently placed second of 23 teams in the Varsity C race in the prestigious Shore Coaches Invitational at Holmdel Park. PHS has its sights set on contending for the title at the upcoming Mercer County Championships on October 28 at Thompson Park in Jamesburg. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

For the Princeton High girls’ cross country team, competing in the prestigious Shore Coaches Invitational was a chance to make a statement.

Proving that it is an elite team, PHS placed second of 23 teams in the Varsity C race at the event.

Junior star Chloe Taylor set the pace for the Little Tigers, taking seventh individually, covering the 5,000-meter course at Holmdel Park in 19:57.00. Senior Anne Walker took ninth with senior Izzy Trenholm coming in 10th, senior AnneFleur Hartmanshenn finishing 15th, and junior Lauren Cleary placing 44th.

PHS head coach Jim Smirk saw the performance as a coming out party for a team that had been flying under the radar.

“It was awesome, we were thrilled,” said Smirk. “We have been unranked for a majority of the season thus far and we just got ranked in the top 20 in the state after the Shore Coaches. I won’t say that we felt wronged but I guess we were surprised that we were ranked behind teams that we thought we could race with.”

Taylor has been proving this fall that she can race with anyone. “Chloe was away for most of the summer but was able to manage her training really well,” said Smirk.

“She showed a lot of maturity there and has really taken on a deep understanding that it is not just the miles, she is doing a lot of those other things to help her be successful. She is really calm in those competitive moments and I think she is letting that show a little more.”

Trenholm showed her competitiveness at the Shore Coaches meet. “Izzy has been on varsity for a long time but never had that race where she was really in there and really had to fight for it and she did that at Shore,” said Smirk.

Walker’s emergence as a solid racer has been a key factor for the Little Tigers. “Annie Walker was always super talented but couldn’t stay healthy,” said Smirk.

“She is a kid who is passionate about running but had an injury issue and it took her forever to get over it. She is healthy and ready to go, so we are excited to have her.”

Smirk is particularly excited about the progress made by Hartmanshenn over her career.

“I think the real Cinderella story here is AnneFleur Hartmanshenn,” said Smirk.

“She is a kid who came in as a freshman and she was an OK runner. She didn’t run on varsity consistently her freshman year; she had some moments here or there. Now we are really seeing her wrap her head around the idea that wait a minute here, I am a senior, I have done a lot of work and I want that work to pay off. It is paying off in spades. I am thrilled with her as an athlete as well as a captain.”

Hard work has also been paying off for Cleary. “I would say our fifth runner, Lauren Cleary, is a kid who I don’t think was on anybody’s radar, other than maybe mine because every day I see her practice,” said Smirk.

“She was eventually going to put it together and I was really excited because our team has been really patient in letting her grow into becoming a better runner. Her training is top notch, she is focused, she is driven. She is definitely always in. When the training gets harder, she is right there grinding away at it and finding a way to be better. We are seeing that in her racing as well.”

With the Mercer County Championships coming up on October 28 at Thompson Park in Jamesburg, Smirk believes his runners will be focused.

“There is a lot of racing at a high level, so it is get healthy and get ready,” said Smirk. “I think there is a little bit of a confidence piece there.”