By Rich Fisher, Contributing Editor
Fortunately for Joe McLaughlin and his staff, they are better coaches than they are handicappers.
As the Notre Dame High, Lawrenceville, brain trust surveyed the best times and marks of each team competing in the Feb. 1 Colonial Valley Conference Championship in Toms River, defending their title was not on the radar.
“We only graduated a few kids so we definitely thought we could come back and give it a run,” McLaughlin said. “But we thought it would be much closer than it turned out to be, and that West Windsor North or Ewing were going to win it. We had us in third place by single digits.
“But the kids really rose to the occasion.”
Did they ever. The Irish boys amassed 85 team points to easily outdistance Ewing by 38 to claim their third straight CVC title. Besides winning it last winter, they also claimed the 2025 spring crown.
“They have a lot of pride, for them it’s three in a row,” McLaughlin said. “They’re all excited about that. It was neat to see, when we got the plaque at the end of the meet, they were super excited to run the lap where they hold the plaque up and get their picture taken.”
The Irish got five first-place finishes on the day as senior Aldric “AJ” Crawford (51.32.6) and junior Amir Mulkey finished 1-2 in the 400 meters, Mulkey (2:02.98) and junior Simeon Salins were 1-4 in the 800, senior Zamir Jones (7.69) and Crawford were 1-5 in the 55 hurdles, senior Bryce Marsh won high jump (6-feet, 2 inches) and the 4×400 relay team took first in 3:35.09 behind Crawford, Mulkey, junior Matt Ryba and Salins.
“With AJ and Amir, it was crazy what they both had to do,” McLaughlin said. “It was a really hard day for them, and they both came through with flying colors. Jainja (Williams, assistant coach) and I were super impressed with the two of them.
“After the 400, AJ had to get back on the track in less than a half hour to do the hurdles. His legs were dead; he still qualified for the finals and then Amir came back in the 800. It was just crazy. An exciting day.”
There were other contributions as well, as senior Jayden Davis took fifth in the 200 meters and Crawford and Jones finished 2-5 in the long jump.
“Zamir is really coming into his own,” McLaughlin said. “Last year he was really starting to get into track, he qualified for nationals indoor and outdoor. This year he bought into everything Jainja taught him. He’s in hook, line and sinker. He’s really committed to the team and program and doing the best he can and now he’s thinking about running in college.”
The day’s most pleasant surprise was with the shot putters. None were seeded in the top six, and yet seniors AJ Briggs, Dominic Cuniglio and Troy Williams finished 3-5-6.
“We talked to the team on the bus before we got there and we let them know that every point is gonna matter,” McLaughlin said. “We told them you ‘Don’t think your points aren’t gonna matter because you’re fifth or sixth. They are gonna matter, you gotta come through.
“All three of our shot-put guys took it to heart, it was like ‘We want to do this for the team.’”
It’s a team that will take dead aim on a fourth straight CVC title this spring as they try to repeat what they did last year. Williams, a former ND standout, will take over as the outdoor coach for McLaughlin.
“She’s been my right-hand woman,” he said. “She does everything. She and Clarence Baily, my shot-put coach, worked their butts off to get these kids where they’re at. We couldn’t do it without everybody.”
While winter track is basically designed to get the athletes ready for the spring season, McLaughlin feels there should also be a feeling of purpose when it comes to the indoor events.
“It’s gotta be a little combination of both,” the veteran mentor said. “If you don’t put anything towards big meets, championships, qualifying for nationals; I think the kids get stale and what is there to push for?
“If you wait for April for the Penn Relays it gets too far away. The kids can’t focus on just that. You need to put that carrot out in front of them in the winter season.”
The next carrot is Feb. 21 in the Non-Public A championships.
“AJ, Amir and Zamir should all have a shot,” McLaughlin said. “Will they advance (to Meet of Champions)? We’ll see.”