Notre Dame boys track wins inaugural CVC Championship Meet
May 16, 2025 at 6:02 a.m.
The first Colonial Valley Conference Championship meet coincided with the last season Joe McLaughlin will be a head coach in outdoor track & field. The fact they intersected produced a memorable day for Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville.
The Irish amassed 104 points to easily outdistance Princeton in the inaugural meet at Robbinsville High School May 10. ND scored points in 12 different events which included five firsts, five seconds and four thirds.
It was a great way to go out after 38 years as a spring outdoor coach; McLaughlin will, however, still coach cross country and indoor track.
“I was very impressed with them, I was very excited,” McLaughlin said. “We thought we had a chance going in. We knew it was going to be tough. We figured Allentown and Princeton and the two West Windsors would be right up there.
“Plus, it was windy, we didn’t know what to expect,” the coach added. “Everybody’s running in the same wind, but it could mess one kid up and you just hope it’s not your kid.”
Although there were four field events still being contested, Notre Dame clinched the event by winning the 4x400 in 3:29.64 behind Amir Mulkey, AJ Crawford, Chris Young and anchorman Jayden Davis.
It capped a big day for Young, who ran anchor on the second-place 4x100 team, took first in the 110 hurdles in 14.09 (second fastest time in ND history) and was second in the 400 meters (school record 49.04). McLaughlin praised the senior as being a throwback to the days when the late Joe Wroblewski was Irish coach.
“He’s your typical old school Notre Dame kid that Joe ‘Wrobo’ would love,” McLaughlin said. “He’s always helping the younger kids; he’s a great student. He’s going to Columbia for track and field. He’s just a great asset to have on the team. Having him is like having another assistant coach out there.”
Crawford ran the third leg of the 4x100 and also won the 400 hurdles (54.70, third fastest time in ND history). He did all that while battling an injury.
“He was running with a sore hamstring and we kind of had to nurse him through it,” McLaughlin said. “Otherwise, he would have been in the long jump too.”
Davis and Zamir Jones rounded out the 4x100 team, Jones took third in the 110 hurdles and Matt Ryba was second in the 400 hurdles.
Bryce Marsh won the high jump at 6-0, giving him gold medals in both indoor and outdoor in that event. He also picked up a team point in the 110 hurdles with a sixth-place finish.
“He had a rough time in the high hurdles,” McLaughlin said. “He ran awesome in trials; was the number two seed. He crushed the fifth hurdle in the finals, almost went down to the ground but held his balance and took sixth.”
In the throws, Cameron Bailey was outstanding, taking second in the javelin and third in the shot and discus. Max Whittle, who McLaughlin called “a great senior leader,” ran a strong first leg of the 4x800 relay and finished sixth in the open 800.
Other top-six place winners were Amir Mulkey (fifth, 800), Zamir Jones (third, 110 hurdles), Kendrick Mullen (second, high jump) and Connor Ahearn (fifth, pole vault).
It was a total team effort and it was necessary for, as McLaughlin noted, “Our county is awesome in track so it’s never a cake walk.”
The Irish are not only strong athletically, they are also faith-driven as assistant coach Sean Clancy – who runs Notre Dame’s Catholic Athletes for Christ chapter – estimates 90 percent of the boys team are part of his organization.
As an overall group, chemistry developed through the winter and spring seasons and has helped make a difference.
“I’d say we’ve definitely become a close-knit bunch from the beginning of March until now,” McLaughlin said. “Even (assistant) coach John Jay told me ‘This is the closest I’ve seen this team all season.’ Everybody stayed until the end of the meet, everybody was cheering everybody on. That means a lot to the kids.
“When you’re running in 20-mile-an-hour winds and you’re in that backstretch and the wind’s in your face – and then boom! There’re 20 Notre Dame kids cheering for you. It helps.”
On the girls side, Notre Dame freshman Alaina Sabo won the 800 meters in 2:16.33, the second fastest time in school history.
“She’s awesome,” McLaughlin said. “The girl doesn’t have a bad race. She PRs every meet. I don’t know where the end is for her. She just keeps getting faster and faster every time we put her in an event.”
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The first Colonial Valley Conference Championship meet coincided with the last season Joe McLaughlin will be a head coach in outdoor track & field. The fact they intersected produced a memorable day for Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville.
The Irish amassed 104 points to easily outdistance Princeton in the inaugural meet at Robbinsville High School May 10. ND scored points in 12 different events which included five firsts, five seconds and four thirds.
It was a great way to go out after 38 years as a spring outdoor coach; McLaughlin will, however, still coach cross country and indoor track.
“I was very impressed with them, I was very excited,” McLaughlin said. “We thought we had a chance going in. We knew it was going to be tough. We figured Allentown and Princeton and the two West Windsors would be right up there.
“Plus, it was windy, we didn’t know what to expect,” the coach added. “Everybody’s running in the same wind, but it could mess one kid up and you just hope it’s not your kid.”
Although there were four field events still being contested, Notre Dame clinched the event by winning the 4x400 in 3:29.64 behind Amir Mulkey, AJ Crawford, Chris Young and anchorman Jayden Davis.
It capped a big day for Young, who ran anchor on the second-place 4x100 team, took first in the 110 hurdles in 14.09 (second fastest time in ND history) and was second in the 400 meters (school record 49.04). McLaughlin praised the senior as being a throwback to the days when the late Joe Wroblewski was Irish coach.
“He’s your typical old school Notre Dame kid that Joe ‘Wrobo’ would love,” McLaughlin said. “He’s always helping the younger kids; he’s a great student. He’s going to Columbia for track and field. He’s just a great asset to have on the team. Having him is like having another assistant coach out there.”
Crawford ran the third leg of the 4x100 and also won the 400 hurdles (54.70, third fastest time in ND history). He did all that while battling an injury.
“He was running with a sore hamstring and we kind of had to nurse him through it,” McLaughlin said. “Otherwise, he would have been in the long jump too.”
Davis and Zamir Jones rounded out the 4x100 team, Jones took third in the 110 hurdles and Matt Ryba was second in the 400 hurdles.
Bryce Marsh won the high jump at 6-0, giving him gold medals in both indoor and outdoor in that event. He also picked up a team point in the 110 hurdles with a sixth-place finish.
“He had a rough time in the high hurdles,” McLaughlin said. “He ran awesome in trials; was the number two seed. He crushed the fifth hurdle in the finals, almost went down to the ground but held his balance and took sixth.”
In the throws, Cameron Bailey was outstanding, taking second in the javelin and third in the shot and discus. Max Whittle, who McLaughlin called “a great senior leader,” ran a strong first leg of the 4x800 relay and finished sixth in the open 800.
Other top-six place winners were Amir Mulkey (fifth, 800), Zamir Jones (third, 110 hurdles), Kendrick Mullen (second, high jump) and Connor Ahearn (fifth, pole vault).
It was a total team effort and it was necessary for, as McLaughlin noted, “Our county is awesome in track so it’s never a cake walk.”
The Irish are not only strong athletically, they are also faith-driven as assistant coach Sean Clancy – who runs Notre Dame’s Catholic Athletes for Christ chapter – estimates 90 percent of the boys team are part of his organization.
As an overall group, chemistry developed through the winter and spring seasons and has helped make a difference.
“I’d say we’ve definitely become a close-knit bunch from the beginning of March until now,” McLaughlin said. “Even (assistant) coach John Jay told me ‘This is the closest I’ve seen this team all season.’ Everybody stayed until the end of the meet, everybody was cheering everybody on. That means a lot to the kids.
“When you’re running in 20-mile-an-hour winds and you’re in that backstretch and the wind’s in your face – and then boom! There’re 20 Notre Dame kids cheering for you. It helps.”
On the girls side, Notre Dame freshman Alaina Sabo won the 800 meters in 2:16.33, the second fastest time in school history.
“She’s awesome,” McLaughlin said. “The girl doesn’t have a bad race. She PRs every meet. I don’t know where the end is for her. She just keeps getting faster and faster every time we put her in an event.”
The Church needs quality Catholic journalism now more than ever. Please consider supporting this work by signing up for a SUBSCRIPTION (click HERE) or making a DONATION to The Monitor (click HERE). Thank you for your support.