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Trenton Central High School 1964 -- Thrower A 1964 graduate of Trenton High, Elvin "The Bear" Bethea not only played football in the NFL for16 seasons, he was also a phenomenal thrower during his high school years. From 1962 to 1964 Bethea won three straight shot put state titles for Group IV. In the 1964 state meet he was a double champion as he also won the state crown for the discus. Bethea was county champion in the shot and disc in 1964 and he held the county record in both throws until the 1990s. He had personal bests in the shot put of 66ft 4 1/2 inches, and 185ft 8 1/2 inches in the discus. In 1964 he also won the Penn Relays High School Championship in the shot. Bethea and TCHS Coach Bob Callahan Perhaps his greatest high school achievement in track and field was putting the winning shot and tossing the winning discus at the 1964 Golden West Invitational--the national high school championship of his era. Bethea graduated from Trenton Central and attended college at North Carolina A&T where he played football and continued to throw in track and field. At A&T he won both the Shot Put and Discus at three CIAA Championships (1965, '66 and '68) breaking records for that meet multiple times. With the international weighted implements he had personal bests of 60' 5 1/4" with the shot and 181' 0 3/4"" with the discus. At N.C. A&T 1968 After his athletic career at North Carolina A&T he played pro football with the Houston Oilers from 1968 to 1983. In 2003 Bethea was elected into the National Football Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame (2005). MAJOR TITLES 2x Golden West Champion - Shot Put & Discus 1964 4x State Champion Group IV - Shot Put 1962, '63, '64, & Discus 1964 2x Mercer County Champion - Shot Put & Discus 1964 Penn Relays Champion - Shot Put 1964 MORE TRACK PHOTOS OF ELVIN BETHEA Back to Class of 2024

Published 8/7/2026 The Mercer County Track and Field Hall of Fame Committee is pleased to announce its fourth annual induction event featuring the Class of 2027. Inductees will be honored at the upcoming spring awards banquet on Sunday, May 16, 2027. The event will honor the rich athletic history of Mercer County NJ by featuring athletes, teams, coaches, officials, and special contributors who achieved outstanding success in Track and Field and Cross-Country. Congratulations to the following individuals who will be inducted into the athlete category: Charles McKenzie, Trenton 1958 Joe Pluta, Ewing 1967 Al Hicks, Trenton 1968 Tom Matlock, Steinert 1980 Paul Miles, Princeton 1981 Evins Tobler, Trenton 1984 Charisse West, Notre Dame 1985 Cheryl Baker, Trenton 1987 Tara Miluszewski, Hightstown 2008 Katie Kellner, West Windsor South 2009 Emily Kianka, Hopewell Valley, 2010 Stephanie Hicks, Nottingham 2010 Michelle Bazile, Princeton 2014 In the team category, The 1974 Princeton Boys Cross Country Team and the 1982-85 Notre Dame Girl’s Track Teams will be inducted. Additional inductees will be Anthony Genovesi in the coaches category, Larry Baldassari in the officials category, and Andre Modica special contributor. The awards banquet will include the presentation of two scholarships. The George Wah Scholarship will be awarded to one female Mercer County High School senior, and the Larry Ivan Scholarship will be awarded to one male Mercer County High School senior. Student athletes are nominated by their coaches and selected based on their accomplishments both on and off the athletic field. The 2027 banquet will also be the setting for the inaugural presentation of the Martin Trophy for Mercer County's track and field athlete of the year. The venue for the May 16th , 2027 induction banquet will be Mercer Oaks, at 725 Village Rd West, in West Windsor Township NJ. RSVP is required. Anyone wishing to attend the event can learn more HERE on our 2027 banquet page. Anyone wishing to donate to our organization fund may inquire HERE. Back to Articles

Princeton High School -- Thrower Nick Kovalakides helped lead PHS to two consecutive team state championships in 1955 & 1956. He also won 4 individual state titles and set a state record in his high school career. In his sophomore season of 1955 Kovalakides won the Group III Javelin crown and PHS took home the team trophy. He defended his state javelin title the next year in ’56, and PHS again won the team title. In his senior year of 1957 he completed a 3-peat by winning the state title in the javelin again, and in the process he set a state record of 211’ 7 ½”. In the same meet he also won a state championship in Discus with a toss of 146’ 8 5/8” as his PHS team finished runner-up. In sectional competitions Kovalakides also dominated. He won the Central Jersey javelin title as a junior in 1956. As a senior in 1957 he was a double sectional winner by winning both the CJ discus and javelin titles. In the latter he set a new meet record by throwing 206’ 6”. In county competition he was Mercer Champion in all three throws in 1957. After graduating from PHS, Kovalakides attended The University of Maryland. While competing for the Terrapins, he was an All-American nationally, and at the conference level he won 5 ACC Championships—2 in Javelin, 2 in Shot Put, 1 in Discus. He also represented the United States T&F Team at the Pan Am Games in 1963, achieving a silver medal in the javelin. After retiring from his athletic career, Kovalakides moved up to become a track coach at University of Maryland. He coached 10 ACC Championship teams during his tenure. MAJOR TITLES 4x State Group III Champion - Javelin 1955, '56', 57' & Discus 1957 3x CJ Sectional Champion - Javelin 1956 & '57, and Discus 1957 3x Mercer County Champion - Shot Put, Discus, Javelin 1957 Back to Class of 2024

Princeton High School – Hurdler & Jumper Carl Brown helped lead Princeton High School to 3 state team titles from 1953-1955, while scoring massive points and winning multiple individual state titles himself. In 1953 Brown won the 180 Low Hurdles at the Group III State Meet and earned silver in the 120 Hurdles. He also scored by finishing in a three-way tie for the High Jump crown. In 1954 Brown scored in both hurdles at the state meet, as Princeton’s team won the Group III state meet again. In his best season, at the 1955 Group III meet, Brown boosted Princeton to the team title yet again by winning 2 golds and a silver and breaking a state record. He won both the 120 High Hurdles and 180 Low Hurdles. In the latter, he shaved 7 tenths of a second from the old state record. His silver medal came in the High Jump. In both 1953 and 1954, Brown took high hurdles wins at the Mercer County Championships. He won the county low hurdles in '54. At the Central Jersey Championships Brown won the high hurdles for 3 consecutive years from 1953-55. He won the CJ low hurdles in ’54 and ’55, and he won the CJ high jump in ’55. Brown competed collegiately at Winston-Salem in Track and Field. Among his highlights there was winning the 1960 Penn Relays High Hurdles Championship, the Penn Championship of America in the Shuttle Hurdles Relay, and leading his college team to the 1960 NAIA Outdoor National Championship. He reached the semi-finals of the Olympic Trials in 1960. Winston Salem Track and Field Brown is a member of the wall of fame at Penn, inducted in 1995 for Winston Salem's 1959 Shuttle Hurdles Relay Team. MAJOR TITLES WON 3-TIME STATE GROUP III CHAMPION – 180 LH (1953), 120 HH & 180 LH (1955) 1 CO-STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GROUP III HIGH JUMP (1953) 6-TIME CJ SECTIONAL CHAMPION – 120 HH (1953-1955), 180 LH (1954 & 1955), HIGH JUMP (1955) 3-TIME MERCER COUNTY CHAMPION 120 HH (1953 & '54) & 180 LH (19’54) Back to Historical Class

LIST OF NJ STATE CHAMPIONS FROM MERCER COUNTY PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS 1919-1965 1919 Princeton HS, 880 Yard Relay, Class B 1920 Haskett, Princeton HS, High Jump, Class B 1921 Frank Donlon, Trenton HS, 100 Yards, Class A Joe Lenzner, Trenton HS, 440 Yards, Class A 1923 Karl “Beaner” Horton, Trenton HS, 440 Yards, Class A 1924 Karl “Beaner” Horton, Trenton HS, 440 Yards, Class A 1927 Felding, Princeton HS, Discus, Class B 1931 Michael Cifelli, Princeton HS, 440 Yards, Class B Leroy Page, Princeton HS, Discus, Class B Lester Terhune, Princeton HS, Javelin, Class B 1932 Jim Mitchell, Princeton HS, 440 Yards, Class B 1933 Jim Mitchell, Princeton, HS 440 Yards, Group 2 1935 Mose Walker, Princeton HS, 440 Yards, Group 2 Bruce Wright, Princeton HS, 1 Mile Run, Group 2 1936 Mose Walker, Princeton HS, 440 Yards, Group 2 Elwood Pocino, Princeton HS, Javelin Group 2 Joe “Buddy” Olbrys, Trenton HS, 880 Yards, Group 4 1937 Taylor Marrow, Princeton HS, 440 Yards, Group 2 1938 Al Kurlander Trenton HS, 120 yard High Hurdles Group 4 Jack Servis, Princeton HS, (2) Shot & Discus Group 2 Robert Wright, Princeton HS, 120 Yard High Hurdles Group 2 1939 Larry Falwell, Trenton HS, 440 Yards, Group 4 Paul Augustine, Trenton HS, Javelin, Group 4 John Duthie, Princeton HS, Pole Vault, Group 2 Robert Wright, Princeton HS, 120 Yard High Hurdles, Group 2 1940 Johnny Bossman, Trenton HS,, 220 Yads Jack Hunt, Trenton HS, 220 Yard Low Hurdles Group 4 George Odgen, Trenton HS, Javelin Group 4 Roy Lindstrom, Princeton HS, 220 Yard Low Hurdles, Group 2 1941 George Odgen, Trenton HS, Javelin Group 4 1942 Charlie Middleton, Hamilton West, 440 Yards, Group 3 Dick Mckee, Princeton HS, Discus, Group 3 1943 Robert Westover, Trenton HS, 440 Yards, Group 4 Ed Poreda, Trenton HS, 880 Yards, Group 4 1944 Ed Poreda, Trenton HS, 880 Yards, Group 4 Hal Bannister, Trenton HS, 1 Mile Run, Group 4 Walt Antheil, Trenton HS, Javelin, Group 4 Dick Shope, Princeton HS, High Jump, Group 2 1945 Dan Ray Trenton HS, 120 Yard High Hurdles, Group 4 Bill Fischer, Trenton HS, 880 Yards, Group 4 1946 Bill Fischer, Trenton HS, 440 Yards, Group 4 Jack Skokos, Trenton HS, 1 Mile Run, Group 4 1948 Ron Groomes, Trenton HS, Long Jump, Group 4 1950 Leon Green, Princeton HS, High Jump, Group 3 1951 Clyde Thomas, Princeton HS, High Jump (Tied 1st) Group 3 1953 Al Terry, Princeton HS, (2) 100 Yards & 220 Yards, Group 3 Carl Brown, Princeton HS, (2) 180 Yard Low Hurdles & High Jump (Tied 1st) Group 3 1954 Al Terry, Princeton HS, (2) 100 Yards & 220 Yards, Group 3 Douglas Wengel, Princeton HS, 880 Yards, Group 3 1955 Carl Brown, Princeton HS, (2) 120 Yard High Hurdles & 180 Yard Low Hurdles, Group 3 Nick Kovalakides, Princeton HS, Javelin, Group 3 Bob Allen, Trenton HS, Pole Vault, 3-way Tie for 1st, Group 4 1956 Nick Kovalakides, Princeton HS, Javelin, Group 3 1957 Nick Kovalakides, Princeton HS, (2) Javelin & Discus, Group 3 Charles McKenzie, Trenton, 440 Yards, Group 4 1962 Elvin Bethea, Trenton HS, Shot Put, Group 4 1963 Elvin Bethea, Trenton HS, (Tie 1st) Shot Put, Group 4 1964 Elvin Bethea, Trenton HS, (2) Shot Put & Discus, Group 4 Back to Archive Page

Track and Field Official & Special Contributor Fiction writers would not have dared to create a character with a legacy like Larry Ivan as no one would have believed it was true. But in roughly a half-century of excellence on the local and state track scene, Ivan’s resume is one of the most remarkable in Mercer County annals. A graduate of Rahway High School in 1951, Ivan served in the Airborne Division in the Korean Conflict. Think next chapter of Band of Brothers. But his story was only starting as Ivan would return to be a highly respected track official for 46 years, overlapping with a brilliant coaching career. Ivan high jumping for Rahway High School A teacher and coach within the Princeton Regional School District from 1958-99, Ivan led Princeton High to some of the greatest victories in Mercer annals during a magnificent run in the 1970’s. First he coached the 1973 Little Tigers boys’ cross-country team to a 16-0 dual-meet season and the Central Group II sectional title. The next year, Ivan went one better, taking Princeton to the Group II state title. Ivan as Coach of Princeton High School How important and rare was this crown? It was the first state title by a Princeton boys’ cross country team in 46 years (since 1928) and one of only four in their history. It was a dominant effort too with Royce Flippin, Tim Anderson and Rob Cobb all cracking the top 20 as Princeton bested second-place Saddle Brook by 40 points. A basketball official for 51 years and community park pool manager for 50, Ivan also found time to be a church deacon for 25, cementing his legacy as one of the most interesting figures in Mercer County over the last century. The Larry Ivan Scholarship is named in his honor and presented annually by the Mercer County Track and Field Hall of Fame. Back to Class of 2025

& Petrillo wins for HV Published 9/23/2026 Twenty nine years ago on September 23, 1997, Todd Henderson broke the Notre Dame course record en route to leading his Irish Cross Country Team to victory in a dual against Hopewell Valley. Henderson finished in 1st place with a time of 16:20 while covering the 3.1 mile course in Lawrence NJ by over a minute faster than his 2nd place teammate Brian Kotch. Henderson Henderson's new mark beat the old course record of 16:22 which had been set by ND's Eric Wills. In the boys team standings ND's pack nearly swept the meet. Only Oliver Hannay cracked the top 5 for Hopewell. The final score was Notre Dame 18 and Hopewell 44. In the girls race, Hopewell's Laura Petrillo took top honors with a time of 20:24 as HV beat out Notre Dame by a score of 20 to 41. Petrillo The final results of the boys and girls competitions were as follows: Trenton Times, Sep 24, 1997 © 2026 Mercer County Track & Field Hall of Fame Back to Articles & News

West Windsor South -- Distance Mercer County has had so many great boys’ distance runners over the years that it’s easy to forget that for the longest time, winning the New Jersey Meet of Champions in cross country seemed like a feat that no local boy would ever accomplish. In some years, no Mercer boy even qualified for the Meet of Champions and in multiple years no boys’ team advanced beyond the group stage. West Windsor-Plainsboro South High’s Brian Leung broke that streak, capturing the title at Holmdel Park in 2007 (See video below) and in many ways catapulting Mercer County distance running to another level . But he was far from a one-season or even one-year wonder with the Pirates or at Princeton University. Before he graduated from WW-PS, Leung earned two Mercer County cross country titles, qualified for the Foot Locker Nationals (where he earned All-American status by finishing 15th) and set the N.J. indoor record at two miles (8:56.9). That season he earned All-American recognition again. At Princeton, he kept rolling, earning All-American status in cross country (2011) and at 10,000 meters on the track (2012). He gained All-Ivy recognition at 5,000 and 10,000 meters in addition to cross country and appropriately was a team captain in both track and cross country. Leung, more than anything, was a leader and a winner, helping Princeton University win six consecutive Heps titles (in cross country, indoors and outdoors in back-to-back years). MAJOR TITLES NJ Meet of Champions Winner Cross Country 2007 NJ Meet of Champions Winner 3200m (Indoor) 2008 3x Group IV State Champion 3200m (indoor) 2007 & 2008 & Cross Country 2007 CJ Sectional Champion - Cross Country 2007 2x Mercer County Cross Country Champion 2006 & 2007 7x Mercer County Champion (Indoor) 3200m 2007, 1600m & 3200m 2008, (Outdoor) 1600m & 3200m in both 2006 & 07 Watch Leung winning the 2007 cross country NJ Meet of Champs below: Back to Class of 2025

The Lawrenceville School -- Coach It is difficult to quantify the impact that Ed Poreda had on the Mercer County track scene so vast was its scope in both success and time. The first individual to be inducted into the Mercer County Track and Field Hall of Fame twice (as an athlete in 2024 and as a coach in 2025), Poreda is also the first to receive this honor for two different schools: for his alma mater Trenton High and the Lawrenceville School where he coached. Between the two, he was a mainstay on the Mercer track and field and cross country landscapes for roughly 75 years and incredibly that’s not even the most mind-boggling stat on his resume. During his tenure at Lawrenceville, Big Red teams won a whopping 60 NJISAA state team titles, making him one of the most accomplished scholastic track gurus in New Jersey for the 20th Century. Coaching until his death in 2017 at the age of 90, Poreda either competed, officially coached or advised in almost 200 cross country or track seasons, a number that defies time if not logic. Coach Ed Poreda and his 1966 Lawrenceville XC Squad His 1966 boys’ track team is considered one of the best in Mercer County history but Poreda’s legacy goes beyond winning. Over eight different decades in track, this classy gentleman became synonymous with Lavino Fieldhouse (one of New Jersey’s most famous track arenas) and both the Lavino Relays and Ed Poreda Invitational, two star-studded events on the track calendar and landmarks for a brilliant life of service. Poreda was also inducted as a historical member of the hall of fame for his athletic accomplishments while a student at Trenton Central High School in the 1940s. Read his athletic bio here. Back to Class of 2025

Lawrence High School - Mid-Distance The mid- and late-1980s saw a bevy of outstanding girls’ middle and distance runners in Mercer County and one of the most exciting and versatile was Lawrence’s Beth Starr-Conover. When did this Starr shine the brightest? Pretty much anytime she took the track or cross-country turf as she dominated everything from the 400 meters to the 5-K and set a standard of excellence that exists to this day. An All-State cross country runner in 1986 (when she took second at the Group II championships), Starr-Conover won the Group II 800 indoor state title a few months later, leading Lawrence to the team championship. In the spring, she followed that up with one of the great individual performances in Mercer County Championship history when she won the 400, 800 and ran a leg on the winning 4x400. These exploits helped the Cardinals win the team title (erasing memories of their second-place finish indoors) and deservedly earned her Lawrence’s Female Athlete of the Year. At times Starr-Conover seemed like she was from another galaxy, graduating with nine school records in track as well as cross country (including Lawrence’s home course record). But incredibly, if anything, she got better in college. Competing for Rutgers At Rutgers University, Beth earned 11 varsity letters, including the MVP of the 1990 Scarlet Knights’ cross country team. Overall, she was named ECAC All-East recognition five times and continued setting records (like when she set a school course record at the Philadelphia Textile Invitational in Philadelphia in 1988). Induction Class 2025 MAJOR TITLES Mercer County Cross Country Champion 1984 CJ Sectional Cross Country Champion 1984 State Group II Champion - 800m (Indoor) 1987 CJ Champion - 800m 1987 3x Mercer County T&F Champion - 800m (Indoor) 1987, 400m & 800m (Outdoor) 1987 Back to Class of 2025

Princeton High School -- Pole Vault In the annals of Mercer County track and field, few are as synonymous with an individual event as Princeton High’s Natalie Gengel Caruso. Quite simply she was the mother of girls’ pole vault in Mercer County, not just a champion but a willful visionary who took a relatively new event and made it special. During her time at Princeton High, she was a must-watch performer because of her brilliance. That she did this with both class and consistency only made her selection for this honor more of a foregone conclusion. The NJ Indoor and outdoor Meet of Champions victor in 2006, Natalie had a dream year that included a fifth-place finish at the Penn Relays and a fourth-place finish at the Nike Indoor Track and Field Championships, a result that earned her All-American status. Locally, she was virtually unbeatable, winning three straight Mercer County outdoor titles (2004-06), each in a record height. She upped the ante these years by taking three consecutive Central Group III sectional titles as well as both indoor and outdoor Group III state titles. In college, she lit up the Ivy League with a bevy of sensational performances. While at Cornell University, she stayed by finishing third in the NCAA East Regional in 2007, setting school records indoors and outdoors. As a sophomore, she was Ivy League indoor champion in 2008. But she didn’t stop there qualifying for NCAA regionals four times and NCAA Nationals in 2007. Back to Class of 2025

Princeton Preparatory School – World Record Holder Walter Charles Dohm was born in Princeton, in Mercer County NJ in 1869. He attended Princeton Preparatory High School as well as Princeton University, where he competed in football and athletics. Dohm was a champion athlete in several events. He twice won the AAU title in the 440 yard run--an event in which he had a personal record of 49 1/5 seconds. He claimed IC4A titles in the Long Jump and in the quarter mile as well. The half mile was where Dohm was at his best. He won the 880 Yards Run at the IC4A in 1890, and the AAU title at the same distance in 1891. Then in New York City on September 19, 1891 he broke the world record in the 880 yards by running a time of 1 min 54 ½ seconds. Dohm represented the New York Athletic Club (NYAC) from 1890 until his retirement in 1893. Dohm in 1893 Tragically, Dohm passed away from a bout with Tuberculosis in 1894. He was just 25 years old. His world record stood for 4 years. MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS WON 1888 US CHAMPION 440 YDS (AAU) 1889 US CHAMPION 440 YDS (AAU) 1889 IC4A 440 YDS 1889 CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIP 880 YARDS 1890 IC4A LONG JUMP 1890 IC4A 880 YDS 1891 US NATIONAL CHAMPION 880 YDS (AAU) Back to Historical Class