The sun wasn’t the only thing shining at Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville, April 25. Nearly 150 young athletes from six schools/parishes including: Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony, Hamilton; Trenton Catholic Academy, Hamilton; Incarnation-St. James, Ewing; St. Ann, Lawrenceville; St. Paul, Princeton and St. Gregory the Great, Hamilton Square, competed in the 48th annual Mercer County CYO Track and Field Meet.

The team from Trenton Catholic Academy took the first place trophy with a combined score of 89 points with the teams from St. Ann placing second with 86 points and St. Gregory the Great finishing third with 70 points. Running events included the 50-, 75-, 100- and 400-meter dash; the 200-, 400-, 600- and 800-meter run, the 4 by 50 shuttle relay and the 400-meter relay. The field events included the long jump, the shot put, a soccer kick, and a softball, baseball and football throw.

Jarius Prather, a seventh grader at Trenton Catholic Academy, set a new Mercer County CYO record with a distance of 169 feet and 7 inches in the football throw in the Boys Varsity Division. Prather also broke the previously held record of 240 feet in the baseball throw recording a distance of 260 feet and 7 inches.

"I am very happy and excited to hold the new CYO records. My mom is going to be so proud," Prather said, after throwing a perfect spiral. He was surrounded by his TCA team mates who cheered him on. Prather hopes to play football in high school.

Eighth grader, Caoimhe O’Sullivan Roche, from St. Ann placed first in the shot put in the Girls Varsity Division. She contributes her success to the long practices with her coaches, Orla O’Sullivan Roche and Timothy Biesiadecki.

"I guess it is the constant support from my family that has always driven me to do my best. The funny thing is my father, Sean Roche, also competed in shot put in his youth and even claims to have broken a record in Ireland. He says I probably got my ability from him,” said O’Sullivan Roche smiling.

Wally Nance, an eighth grader from Incarnation-St. James School, Ewing, took first place in the shot put event in the Boys Varsity Division, throwing a distance of 39 feet. Nance said it was his first year competing in the track meet.

"I’ve been working with Coach John McKenna from Notre Dame High School and we focused on fundamentals and technique. It was very exciting to take part in the day’s events."

The Junior Varsity Girls Team from St. Ann placed first in the 400-meter relay. Team members included: Gina DeSanctis, fifth grade; Lauren McBride, fifth grade; Reneé Fortier, sixth grade and Alexa Del Monte, sixth grade.

"It is a very fun and exciting day. I can’t wait until next year," DeSanctis added just after crossing the finishing line.