By Bill Alden

The Princeton High boys’ cross country team may have a target on its back this fall but it isn’t running scared.

Last fall, PHS produced a season for the ages, winning the county meet, the Central Jersey Group 4 sectional crown, and the state Group 4 title before culminating 2016 by winning the Meet of Champions for the first time in the program’s history.

In reflecting on his 2017 squad, PHS head coach Jim Smirk said his runners believe there is room for improvement.

“Last year we spent a lot of time, having to convince ourselves that we could be in the conversation,” said Smirk.

“This year, we are spending a lot more time having conversations about how doing what we did last year but better. We had a great season last year but there were things that if we had paid attention to or if we had known, we could have done better. That is a lot of our conversation and we are working towards that.”

Last Saturday, PHS put in some good work, taking fourth in the Varsity 2 race at the Bowdoin Cross Country Classic in Wappingers Falls, N.Y. 

Senior star Will Hare led the way for the Little Tigers, placing first individually in a time of 16:25.30 over the 5,000-meter course. Senior Alex Ackerman placed eighth in 17:03.20 with Jackson Donahue coming in 10th in 17:10.50. 

“Will and Alex [Roth] worked really well together as teammates and he has learned his lessons really well and he is applying them,” said Smirk, referring to graduated star Roth who is now competing for the Penn men’s cross country team. 

“He is taking ownership of his own success and ultimately the success of the team bonding as well. He is a good leader. He is a captain for us as well as Alex Ackerman and Nick Delaney.”

The trio of seniors has set a positive tone for PHS. “We are really happy with them, they are good voices, and they have formed a belief about what they are doing and how they are doing it,” said Smirk.

“Their goal is to be the best they can be without sacrificing their own ideas about how to do that. I am thrilled to see them continue to grow as athletes. They are strong and their experience is going to help us after what we accomplished last year.”

A fourth senior, Donahue, has displayed a strong will to improve. “Jackson is an example of that. He dedicated himself to being a better athlete and it shows,” said Smirk.

“His opening race was great (a seventh place finish in the Colonial Valley Conference opener), he solved a lot of challenges himself. It wasn’t a wholesale re-do, it is how do I do what I know I can do best.”

Junior Tucker Zullo, who took 28th at the Bowdoin race, is also benefitting from an increased level of dedication.

“A work in progress is Tucker Zullo, he was sitting in the 8th to 11th spot last year on the varsity B; he would have been varsity somewhere else,” said Smirk, noting that star junior Acasio Pinheiro will be joining the lineup soon after getting a late start on the 2017 campaign.

“He worked really hard over the summer and put together a great summer training season and some good hard work. He opened really well.”

Smirk, for his part, believes that staying internal will help his runners produce another great season.

“Our program has always been focused on doing what we are doing to the best of our abilities,” said Smirk, whose team is next in action when it runs against Hopewell Valley, Lawrence, and Nottingham on October 3 at Washington Crossing Park.

“I don’t think that has really changed, the guys have good heads on their shoulders.”