This Month in Mercer X-Country History - Oct 1978
- mercertrackhall
- Oct 24
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 27
With the recent conclusion of this year's 2025 CVC/Mercer Cross Country Championships, let's take a look back at the same meet held in October of 1978.
1978: STEINERT WINS A QUADRUPLE
47 Years ago, at Washington Crossing State Park, Steinert High School's cross country program swept both the girls and boys Mercer County X-Country team titles, as well as both individual titles.
In the girls team standings, Steinert Coach Jerry Bleistein's squad scored 20 points to easily outpace runners-up Hopewell Valley and Princeton--who both scored 83 points.
Leading the Spartans to the team title was Bobbi Lynch-Heydacker. She crossed the finish of the girls race with a winning time of 19:13. Lynch led a 1-2 Steinert finish with her teammate Tammy Brennan coming in 28 seconds behind in 20:06.
Steinert put 5 of its runners in the top 7 on the way to their commanding victory.
In the boy's county championship the Spartans took the team title with 36 points to earn Coach Bleistein a 2nd team trophy for the day. Trenton Central finished in second with 60 and Hightstown HS was 3rd with 69.
The champion Spartans were led by individual winner John Johnson who covered the course in 15:59.
John Kellogg of Princeton High was 2nd,
and Andy Bing of Trenton Central
was 3rd.
In total, Steinert placed 5 runners in the top 20, and its top 3 runners of Johnson, Ken Robbins, and Paul DeLouie finished 1st, 4th and 5th.
For Steinert's girls program, Lynch's individual gold medal was the program's first in their history, and the team win was their first ever as well.
For her extraordinary efforts in the sport, Bobbi Lynch was inducted into the Steinert Athletic Hall of Fame in 2024. She is also currently a board member of the Mercer County Track and Field Hall of Fame.
For the Steinert boys, the 1978 team title was their second in program history until that point--with the first coming in 1976.
John Johnson's gold medal was Steinert's third in program history --with Spartan Chris Brand winning the county crown in 1970, and Wess Rupell winning it in 1977.
In addition to their county championship, the '78 Steinert's boys would go on to win the NJSIAA Sectional Cross Country Championship later that season.
Just like the girls program, the accolades for SHS boys didn't stop in '78.
Spartan Coach Jerry Bleistein, Assistant Coach Doug Martin, John Johnson and the '78 team are all inductees of the Steinert Athletic Hall of Fame.
Bleistein is also an inductee in the Mercer Track and Field Hall of Fame (Class of 2024).
Doug Martin is set to be inducted at the annual Mercer HOF awards banquet which will be held in May of 2026.
© 2025 Mercer County Track & Field Hall of Fame
