By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
The West Windsor-Plainsboro High South track and field program has been tremendously successful throughout its history.
Yet throughout that success, no one had ever done what Christina Rancan accomplished last weekend at the NJSIAA Indoor Meet of Champions. Rancan became the first Pirate to repeat as a champion in an event when she finished first in the 1,600-meter run. Her time was 4:50.85, which was less than one second ahead of Ciara Roche of Freehold Township.
“I was really happy, especially going back to back,” Rancan said. “I was glad all the hard work that I have put in this season and the effort Coach (Kurt) Wayton and Coach (Todd) Smith have put in have helped me. I am so thankful for all the time they have given to help me improve. I am glad it all paid off.”
Winning any title at the Meet of Champions is tough. Repeating and winning that same event again the next year is a feat few accomplish.
“We have only had her and Brian (Leung) win MOC titles,” said Wayton, the Pirates’ cross country and distance coach. “This is the first time in school history we have had someone go back to back in track and field. I think we’ve had swimmers do it, but we have never had a kid repeat in track. It’s a great honor and it showed a tremendous amount of faith and courage day in and day out.
“We haven’t left practice before 6 any night. She has been out there practicing and lifting. We have left no stone unturned. She has been incredibly driven. It’s interesting with some kids. Sometimes the fire burns bright and hot like Brian Leung. Christina has the steady fire that burns day in and day out. She is probably one of the top two three athletes I will ever coach. It’s been an interesting evolution with her. She has always had the talent. She has developed a very specific strength to be consistent day in and day out. She is willing to train with the boys and bought in 100 percent with everything we have done.”
Rancan finished in the top three in three events at the Group IV state meet, winning the 1,600. She carried that momentum into a win at the MOC.
“A few people have asked me what it is like to go back to back and I told them the first one hasn’t sunk in yet so the second surely hasn’t,” Rancan said. “I’m honored to be a part of the South track and cross country legacy. Our coaches always tell us when you put on that uniform you not only represent yourself, your school and your coaches, but you also represent the kids that came before you and the ones that will come after you.”
While Rancan was the only Packet-area winner at the MOC, other area runners enjoyed a success meet as well. On the girls side, Montgomery’s Hannah Taylor finished second in the high jump. Princeton’s Jordan Vine was 17th in the 200 meters and the Little Tigers’ Lou Mailhe was 18th in the 3,200 meters. Julia Hans of Montgomery was 28th in the 3,200 meters. WW-P South’s Kathryn Schoenauer just missed qualifying for the finals in both the 55 dash and 55 hurdles.
For the boys, Alex Roth of Princeton finished fourth in the 3,200 and teammate Will Hare finished 16th. Ajay Sarathy of Montgomery finished 32nd in the event. Patrick Warren of Montgomery finished eighth in the 200 meters, while teammate Michael Simonson was 11th. Warren was also 13th in the high jump. Nicholas Delaney of Princeton was 20th in the 800 meters and Kacper Rzempoluch of WW-P North finished 10th in the pole vault.
The Pirates’ Tim Bason fell and finished 32nd in 1,600. But the senior bounced back a few days later and won his heat in the mile at the Eastern championships.
“He fell at the MOC,” Wayton said. “It has been a rough senior year. I think we got the bad luck out of the way and now we can focus on outdoors and take care of business. He got a real bad virus and when you get a virus that is four or five weeks, even if you feel better and can go to school. He is getting his strength back and made it look easy. He is a guy who can set some all-time marks at the county level this spring. He has that kind of talent and toughness.”
At Easterns, Roth was second in the two mile and Hare was eighth. Mailher was fifth and the Little Tigers’ Chloe Taylor was seventh in the two mile for the girls. WW-P South finished fourth in the 4×800 girls relay, a foursome that included Rancan, Haley Rich, Kelsey Kolbus and Tia Saade.
“It was so exciting,” Rancan said. “We had a couple of really young girls who had not been to the Armory before. The girls did a fantastic job. It speaks to the way out program is structured. Everyone has worked incredibly hard and every year you lose kids to graduation or sickness or they get hurt and the coaches do a fantastic job ensuring everyone is able to step up and contribute to the team, which is one of my favorite things about running for South. I have enjoyed many successes with many different girls. I don’t think I have won a single relay with the same four kids.”
Added Wayton: “We had the top 4×800 team last year and we brought in a sophomore and a freshman and finished fourth at Easterns this year. That speaks volumes to the strength of Todd’s middle distance kids.”
