FLYING HIGH: Princeton High boys’ track star Varun Narayan competes in a meet this spring. Last weekend at the New Balance Nationals in Greensboro, N.C., senior star and Carnegie Mellon-bound Narayan posted a mark of 23’ 2.5 in the long jump to finish sixth and earn All-American honors. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

After dominating the New Jersey competition this spring by winning the Mercer County Championships, the Central Jersey Group 4 sectional meet, and the state Group 4 title, the Princeton High boys’ track team excelled on the national stage last weekend.

Competing at the New Balance Nationals in Greensboro, N.C., two of the boys’ entries earned All-America honors.

The boys’ 4xMile relay of senior Will Hare, junior Jackson McCarthy, senior Nick Delaney, and junior Tucker Zullo finished fifth in 17:33.92 to earn All-America status.

In addition, senior jumping star and Carnegie Mellon-bound Varun Narayan leaped 23’ 2.5 in the long jump to finish sixth, also earning All-American status. Narayan is the first PHS jumper to ever earn All-American honors at the New Balance meet.

In other events, the boys’ sprint medley relay (junior Nils Wildberg, sophomore Matt Perello, junior Jack Whetstone,  Delaney) ran 3:31.11 to break the school record by two tenths of a second. 

The girls 4×400 meter relay (senior Jackie Patterson, sophomore Colleen Linko, freshman Gabrielle Goddard, sophomore Raina Williamson) ran 3:54.92 to finish third in the Emerging Elite section. Columbia-bound Patterson closed out her high school career with a personal best split of 56.26 on the anchor leg.

Patterson, Linko, Goddard, and Williamson also qualified for the prestigious Swedish Relay Championship (100/200/300/400) at the New Balance meet, the first time PHS has ever qualified to compete in the event. The quartet posted a time of 2:18.86 to finish in 13th place.