(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski) MAX EFFORT: Princeton High boys’ track star Max Reid races to the tape last week in PHS’s 84-56 win over Hightstown. Senior standout Reid won the 200 and took third in the 400 in the meet, helping PHS improve to 5-0. In upcoming action, the Little Tigers host Nottingham on May 5 before competing in the Mercer County Championships on May 8 at Steinert.

Senior Star Reid Finding His Form as PHS Boys’ Track Keeps Rolling

Bill Alden

This past fall, things went perfectly for Max Reid as he played along the back line for the Princeton High boys’ soccer team.

The speedy, athletic Reid emerged as a star sweeper for a PHS squad that went undefeated on the way to the Group III state title.

This spring, Reid has hit some bumps in the road in his senior season for the Little Tiger boys’ track team.

The star quartermiler was hit with mono early in the season and has recently been dealing with a sore calf.

Last Wednesday in an 84-56 win over Hightstown, Reid showed a little rust as he placed third in the 400 before winning the 200.

“I was a little disappointed with myself in the 400,” said Reid. “I was out there trying to win. I ran out a little too quickly and my finish wasn’t very good. I ran angry in the 200; I was mad at myself for the 400. I wanted to make sure I made up for it by taking the 200.”

Reid acknowledged that his calf problem bothered him in the Hightstown meet.

“It happened at practice recently; I was doing a hard workout and it started cramping up a little bit,” said Reid. “It hurt a little bit toward the end of my 400 but I didn’t really feel it that badly in the 200.”

Looking forward, Reid is confident that the bout with mono and his calf pain won’t keep him from emerging as a force in the 400.

“I was sick for a little while, I had mono so it has taken me a little bit to recover; I am happy that I am improving,” said Reid, who clocked a 51.0 in the 400 and ran a 22.7 200 against Hightstown.

“In my first 400 of the season I ran a 52.4 or something like that; my times are going down so that’s good. My goal this spring and my coach’s goal for me is to run sub-50 so I’m not going to be satisfied until I get to that point.”

Reid’s experience with the soccer team last fall showed that shooting for big goals can pay off.

“It does give me confidence; we didn’t expect to do that,” said Reid. “I guess that shows if you try hard and practice hard; you can achieve anything. It gives me faith that any team can do well. We have high expectations so I hope we meet those.”

PHS head coach John Woodside has plenty of faith in his team. “We have high quality athletes,” asserted Woodside, whose team improved to 5-0 with its win over Hightstown. “Most years you just have one or two, we have six or seven. It is great to be able to write them into the lineup.”

Distance runners Sean Pradhan and Zaid Smart displayed the strength they provide to the PHS lineup in the win over Hightstown as they went 1-2 in both the 1,600 and 3,200 with Pradhan winning the former race and Smart taking the latter.

“They are high quality runners,” asserted Woodside. “They were not pushed today but they did the job. That is what you expect of your leaders and better runners. They have been rocks for us. They always do well; they always take care of business.”

Little Tiger throwing stars Omar Yousef and Drew Reifinger also took care of business in the win over the Rams. Yousef won both the shot put and discus while Reifinger was third in the javelin and second in the shot.

“You don’t take it for granted when they go 1-2,” said Woodside. “They compete hard; it isn’t automatic. They are what you hope for as competitors; they both work very hard and they are very good.”

While Woodside knows that Reid is not yet in top form, he is looking for a very good year from his senior star.

“Max struggled a little bit compared to his standards; he has set the bar very high,” said Woodside, noting that Ajamu Kambon is setting a high standard in the hurdles and high jump.

“He did so well last year; he didn’t lose many races in the 400. Max is a tough kid and no one is a tougher competitor. As long as he stays healthy and keeps progressing, he is going to do well in the big meets.”

Woodside believes his team can do some great things at the big meets. “I saw this team and what the possibilities are but there can be pitfalls,” said Woodside, whose team hosts Nottingham on May 5 before competing in the Mercer County Championships on May 8 at Steinert.

“This year is coming together; we have a very big meet coming up and then we have the counties and the sectionals. With the people we have in a number of events, I am looking at the sectionals as being in play in terms of winning. We would have to compete very, very well.”

Reid, for his part, is primed to compete hard to the end. “This is my last go around; we have to make our last year of track memorable,” said Reid, who is heading to Northwestern this fall.

“We have a lot of seniors; we have five captains. I have never been a part of a team like that with so many captains; that just shows how many leaders we have.”

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