IMAGES FROM PAST XC CHAMPIONSHIPS

With this being the week of the 2026 CVC Cross-Country Meet, let's take a look back at some memorable photo highlights from the past 63 years of Mercer County/Conference Championships.

1963

1st to the finish. Dave Bradley of Trenton. Inaugural County XC Meet 1963

1964

The 1964 Ewing XC Squad that won the Mercer County Championship.

1965

Trenton celebrates winning both the varsity and JV Mercer County Championships. From L-R are principal William Walker, captain Ed Milligan, Clarence Christie, and coach Jack Ryan.

1966

The Trenton line-up that won the '66 county meet.

1967

Trenton's Jim Lee moments after winning the 1967 County Championship

Post race exhaustion. 1967 Mercer County Championship

1968

Trenton's Wes Hendrix was XC champ in '68

1969

Notre Dame head coach Jim Ungrady prepares his top harriers Pete Antonowicz (center) and Mark Smith for the 1969 county championship race

1970

Members of Notre Dame's County Champion Team prepare to race.

1971

The Hightstown Rams -- 1971 County Champs

1972

The Hopewell boys that won the county in 1972. ( individual champ in '72 Brian Gallagher top row 2nd from left)

1973

Hopewell's Dan Suthers on the way to the county title at the 1973 meet.

1974

Rich Schuder of Hightstown at the '74 county meet navigates the course to a runner-up finish. The team championship was won by Princeton HS.

1975

Royce Flippin of Princeton surges to a big lead into the final stretch to win his 2nd straight Mercer title in 1975

1976

8th grader Tammy Brennan of Reynolds looks back at Notre Dame's Jean Reres. Brennan was allowed to run and finished 1st, but being a middle schooler she did not count for the county standings.

POST-RACE. County winner Paul Shivers of Hopewell is congratulated by runner-up Wes Ruppell of Steinert

1977

Wes Ruppell of Steinert rebounds from the previous year to cross the finish line first in '77

1978

1978 girl's county champion Bobbi Lynch of Steinert receives 1st place trophy with Andre Modica presenting.

1979

Bev Rockhill of Hamilton West during her victorious run in the girls county championship 1979

1980

Kevin Davis County XC Champ 1980

1981

West Windsor's Dave Hall wins the county title 1981

1982

Trenton -- County Champs 1982

1983

Doug Soncrant of the victorious Lawrence HS team congratulates individual winner Mike Glenn of Trenton

1984

Lawrence's Beth Starr as she crosses the line to win the Mercer girls title.

1985

Girl's individual champ Eva Klohnen (left) celebrates Princeton's team victory with teammate Susan Gray

1986

Tim Blake of Trenton leads Princeton's Sean Nyhan at the county championships 1986. Blake won his 2nd straight title.

1987

Karen Swartz of Princeton narrowly edges out teammate Sandra Tignor at the finish line to win 1st place in the county. Washington Crossing Park 1987.

1988

From Left : Hall of fame officials Larry Ivan & Larry Baldassari preside over the finish line as Princeton High's Jarod Nees crosses in 1st place.

1989

Steinert coach Jerry Bleistein and his girls celebrate their win at the Mercer County Championships 1989

1990

The start of the boys race, won by Notre Dame

1991

Boys' winner Justin Geisel of Princeton Day School heads toward his 2nd consecutive Mercer title 1991.

1992

Larry Ivan looks on as Notre Dame's Eric Wills celebrates at the line to claim the 1992 Mercer crown.

1993

Zach Price of Princeton takes the boys title

1994

Kristy Waters of Hamilton West leads the pack on the way to a 1st place finish in 1994.

1995

The relief of the victor. Notre Dame's Kelly McCabe.

1996

1996: Tensai Asfaw of Lawrenceville Prep celebrates with the team championship trophy. Asfaw also won the individual title.

1997

Heading through Vets Park, Laura Kunak of Peddie running to gold in 1997

1998

The Notre Dame boys who won the '98 county championship

1999

Hopewell's Tiffany Rust after breaking the meet record in her win at the county championships in 1999.

2000

Hightstown's Chris Repka talks to the media after winning the 2000 boys county race in Veteran's Park.

2001

Notre Dame's Nicole Kurtian during her winning run at the 2001 Mercer Champs

2002

Carolyn Calhoun of Ewing storms home to win the girls county title.

2003

The Hun School's Morgan Seybert was #1 in the boys race in 2003

2004

Hopewell & WW North battle to the finish for the team title won by the Bulldogs at Vets Park 2004

2005

Boys champion Joe Ennis (WW South) & girls Champ Megan Fitzpatrick (Hopewell) 2005

2006

WW South's Brian Leung on course to win the boys' crown.

2007

Julie Jablonski of the winning Hopewell girls team talks to reporters after the race.

2008

Posing after the race. The 2008 girls champs (West Windsor South) and boys champs (West Windsor North)

2009

In dark jerseys, WW North's pack surrounds WW South's Sam Macalusco. North's Jon Squeri (pictured in 4th) would go on to win 1st place.

IN THE HUDDLE... The team champions from Hopewell gathered to prepare for their eventual winning effort at the county meet 2009.

2010

The individual winner (#719) WW North's Jim Rosa peers over at the WW South pack who won the team championship in 2010.

2011

Matt Bearden of Ewing barrels down the final straightaway to take top honors 2011

Amid the pack, WW South's Caroline Kellner (#615) later emerged with her third title in a row.

2012

Official Larry Baldassari mans the finish line.

Jake Riff of WW South takes the boys individual crown

2013

The start of the boys race won by WW South in 2013

2014

A DOUBLE THREE-PEAT: Grace Dwyer of Nottingham (middle) enroute to her 3rd straight individual title is flanked by West Windsor South's Christina Rancan and Deirdre Casey as they lead the Pirates to their 3rd straight team title. Mercer County Meet 2014.

2015

Tim Bason of WW South for the win in 2015

2016

Robbinsville's Lauren Kroepfl sprinted home to her second straight county title.

A snapshot of Princeton's pack that led them to winning the boys meet 2016

2017

Devon Hoernlein of Allentown celebrates being first to the finish 2017

Boys Champion Will Hare from Princeton speaks with the media after the race.

2018

Charlotte Bednar of Hun charges to the finish on the way to winning the county title.

2019

Defending champ Liam Murphy of Allentown battles WW North's Luke Johnson on the course at Washington Crossing to win his 2nd in a row.

2021

The boys crew from WW North won the team crown in 2021

2022

The victorious Wilberforce girls celebrate with the team championship award.

2023

Caleb Brox of Wilberforce breezes down the final stretch for the win

2024

Allison Lee of WW North (Far Left) on her way to winning the CVC Championship 2024. Photo by trackmercer.com

2025

Last year's CVC Champions. Princeton High wins both the boys AND girls titles.

© 2026 Mercer County Track & Field Hall of Fame

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