Mercer's 1st State XC Champs: Princeton HS 1928
Published 9/15/2026
As the 2026 cross country season gets underway, let's take a look back at the first consequential public school program in Mercer County history: The Princeton High School team of 1928.
98 years ago Princeton High School's Charles Wooding became the first ever individual from a Mercer County school to win a state XC title, and Princeton became the first program in county history to win a state team crown. The squad was coached by hall of fame coach Irwin Weiss.
At the 1928 NJSIAA meet held at Weequahic Park in Newark NJ, Princeton's XC squad scored 25 points to win the inaugural Class B state division. They beat out 2nd place Union who scored 30.
Finishing in 1st place, Charles "Charley" Wooding of PHS covered the 2 & 3/4 mile course in 13:15. He led a 1-2-3 sweep, with his teammates Michael Cifelli (13:17) and John Fischer (13:20) finishing 2nd and 3rd. Rounding out the top 5 for the Little Tigers were Briggs and Hahn who came in 9th and 10th.
The course was originally slated to be 2 1/4 miles, but a judge's error resulted in all runners in the Class B competition covering a half mile farther.
It would be 46 years later until another Princeton High team would win a state crown--the 1974 team who won Group II. The '74 team will be inducted at the upcoming Mercer County Track and Field Hall of Fame's 4th annual induction and awards banquet in May of 2027.
© 2026 Mercer County Track & Field Hall of Fame
