Notre Dame boys track and field hopes winter success continues in the spring
April 11, 2025 at 7:00 a.m.
Joe McLaughlin coached the 2005 Non-Public A state champion Notre Dame spring track and field team, and feels it is “arguably the best boys team,” in the Lawrenceville school’s history.
And while he won’t rank this year’s squad as high as that one, McLaughlin is more psyched about this season than he has been in the past 20 years.
“I don’t know if I’ve been this excited since that team,” McLaughlin said. “This is going to be my last spring season. I’m still doing cross country and winter track, but after 38 years of spring track I’m retiring from it, and to go out with a championship would be really nice.”
The coach is referring to the Colonial Valley Conference championship, which the Irish won during indoor track and looks to do again outdoors with the same nucleus.
“We’ve got a good group of senior boys who have been sticking with it for four years,” McLaughlin said. “Going into the winter we were hoping for big things, the CVC title being one of those. A state title is kind of out of reach going against CBA and Union Catholic. We go against the big dogs every season. We won the CVC title pretty easily and we’re hoping for that in the spring.”
In the winter event, ND was sparked by its 4x400 relay team and jumpers. The relay foursome of Amir Mulkey, Christopher Young, Max Whittle and AJ Crawford ran a first-place time of 3:34.87. ND finished 1-2-3 in the high jump behind Bryce Marsh (5-feet, 10-inches), Nolan Schmitz, and Zamir Jones, while Crawford was second in the long jump.
Crawford added a second in the 200 and sixth in the 55; Young, Jones and Schmitz were second, fifth and seventh in the 55 hurdles; Jeylon Billups and Cameron Bailey finished third and eighth in the shot and Connor Ahearn was fifth in pole vault,
The season climaxed with Young winning the high jump at 6-2 in the Non-Public A-B state finals; and Marsh, Young, Schmitz and Crawford combining for third place in the 4x110 shuttle hurdles at the New Balance Nationals in Boston with a time of 30.45 seconds.
All will be back this spring, sparking the Irish’s optimism.
“Zamir Jones is new to track and has turned into a really solid performer,” McLaughlin said. “The big additions for us were (football players) Bailey and Zamir Jones coming out. Young, Crawford and Marsh will be our three biggest guns.”
The coach is also high on seniors Schmitz and Max Whittle.
“Schmitz is a real quality kid to have on the team, he has a great attitude,” McLaughlin said. “Whittle is our top distance runner and probably the best captain I’ve ever had on my team.”
As for his All-American shuttle hurdle team, McLaughlin said of Crawford, Marsh, Jones and Young, “They bought into the system, they all work hard. They’re all in for the team. You don’t hear them say ‘Me, me, me.’ It’s more ‘Can I do another event?’ They want to do four events in every meet. They get mad if you pull them out of an event. Nowadays kids don’t want to do that 4-by-400 but these guys want to be there for their teammates.”
The CVC athletic directors voted that scores will be kept in dual meets this year, but McLaughlin is gearing more toward the postseason. He hopes the Irish can get a top-three finish in Non-Public A and that Young and the 4x400 team can medal at the Meet of Champs. The 4x400 will be Young, Crawford, transfer Jayden Davis and a runner to be decided.
“We’re not worried about dual meets,” said McLaughlin, whose team will next compete at the Apr. 12 CVC Relays. “We try to spread guys out and get every kid in the meet. If you come to practice every day, you’re gonna get into meets, so we don’t worry about the score.”
As for the girls team, McLaughlin said to keep an eye on ninth-grader Alaina Sabo, who ran a 2:18.80 to take 10th place in the Freshman 800 race at New Balance Nationals.
ND track 1: After celebrating a Colonial Valley Conference championship during the indoor season, the Notre Dame High boys track and field team are looking to repeat that effort in the spring as coach Joe McLaughlin hopes to go out a winner in his final spring season. Courtesy photo
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Joe McLaughlin coached the 2005 Non-Public A state champion Notre Dame spring track and field team, and feels it is “arguably the best boys team,” in the Lawrenceville school’s history.
And while he won’t rank this year’s squad as high as that one, McLaughlin is more psyched about this season than he has been in the past 20 years.
“I don’t know if I’ve been this excited since that team,” McLaughlin said. “This is going to be my last spring season. I’m still doing cross country and winter track, but after 38 years of spring track I’m retiring from it, and to go out with a championship would be really nice.”
The coach is referring to the Colonial Valley Conference championship, which the Irish won during indoor track and looks to do again outdoors with the same nucleus.
“We’ve got a good group of senior boys who have been sticking with it for four years,” McLaughlin said. “Going into the winter we were hoping for big things, the CVC title being one of those. A state title is kind of out of reach going against CBA and Union Catholic. We go against the big dogs every season. We won the CVC title pretty easily and we’re hoping for that in the spring.”
In the winter event, ND was sparked by its 4x400 relay team and jumpers. The relay foursome of Amir Mulkey, Christopher Young, Max Whittle and AJ Crawford ran a first-place time of 3:34.87. ND finished 1-2-3 in the high jump behind Bryce Marsh (5-feet, 10-inches), Nolan Schmitz, and Zamir Jones, while Crawford was second in the long jump.
Crawford added a second in the 200 and sixth in the 55; Young, Jones and Schmitz were second, fifth and seventh in the 55 hurdles; Jeylon Billups and Cameron Bailey finished third and eighth in the shot and Connor Ahearn was fifth in pole vault,
The season climaxed with Young winning the high jump at 6-2 in the Non-Public A-B state finals; and Marsh, Young, Schmitz and Crawford combining for third place in the 4x110 shuttle hurdles at the New Balance Nationals in Boston with a time of 30.45 seconds.
All will be back this spring, sparking the Irish’s optimism.
“Zamir Jones is new to track and has turned into a really solid performer,” McLaughlin said. “The big additions for us were (football players) Bailey and Zamir Jones coming out. Young, Crawford and Marsh will be our three biggest guns.”
The coach is also high on seniors Schmitz and Max Whittle.
“Schmitz is a real quality kid to have on the team, he has a great attitude,” McLaughlin said. “Whittle is our top distance runner and probably the best captain I’ve ever had on my team.”
As for his All-American shuttle hurdle team, McLaughlin said of Crawford, Marsh, Jones and Young, “They bought into the system, they all work hard. They’re all in for the team. You don’t hear them say ‘Me, me, me.’ It’s more ‘Can I do another event?’ They want to do four events in every meet. They get mad if you pull them out of an event. Nowadays kids don’t want to do that 4-by-400 but these guys want to be there for their teammates.”
The CVC athletic directors voted that scores will be kept in dual meets this year, but McLaughlin is gearing more toward the postseason. He hopes the Irish can get a top-three finish in Non-Public A and that Young and the 4x400 team can medal at the Meet of Champs. The 4x400 will be Young, Crawford, transfer Jayden Davis and a runner to be decided.
“We’re not worried about dual meets,” said McLaughlin, whose team will next compete at the Apr. 12 CVC Relays. “We try to spread guys out and get every kid in the meet. If you come to practice every day, you’re gonna get into meets, so we don’t worry about the score.”
As for the girls team, McLaughlin said to keep an eye on ninth-grader Alaina Sabo, who ran a 2:18.80 to take 10th place in the Freshman 800 race at New Balance Nationals.
ND track 1: After celebrating a Colonial Valley Conference championship during the indoor season, the Notre Dame High boys track and field team are looking to repeat that effort in the spring as coach Joe McLaughlin hopes to go out a winner in his final spring season. Courtesy photo