2005 SPRINT MEDLEY RELAY
- mercertrackhall
- Sep 20, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 13
Hopewell Valley -- National Champions
The 2005 Hopewell Valley girls’ indoor and outdoor track teams must be included in any discussion of the best Mercer County girls’ teams of the early 21st Century.
Throughout that magical winter and spring, head coach Aaron Oldfield’s Bulldogs achieved a grand slam of major event victories taking the Group II indoor relays and Group II indoor individual meet at Princeton University’s Jadwin Gym. Bumped up to Group III in the spring, they were Group III Central titlists before traveling down to Egg Harbor Township to capture the Group III outdoor spring title.
It was a magnificent display of talent, camaraderie and depth, a team that could score on the state level in virtually every indoor and outdoor event. But for all these accomplishments there was a day that stood above the rest when the Bulldogs catapulted Mercer County back into the national track spotlight with a brilliance that could not be ignored.
On March 13 at the Nike Indoor Nationals at the Prince Georges Sports & Learning Complex in Landover, Md., the 1600 meter sprint medley relay of senior Natalie Mapp and juniors Jackie Barrett, Miriam Khan and Emily Sherrard dominated the seeded heat to capture the national crown in 4:03.85, 1.99 seconds faster than the second-fastest competitor.
At the time this mark, accomplished against 27 of the best relays in the United States, was the second-fastest indoors in New Jersey history and remains one of the most memorable victories by a Mercer County girls’ team.
