From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Lindenwold senior Egypt Bolan, the outdoor national champion last spring, tied her indoor PR of 5-8 at the Ott Center this week.

Bolan is New Jersey No. 1 and tied for U.S. No. 4 with her 5-8 clearance. She passed through 4-10, cleared 5-0, 5-2, 5-4, 5-6 and 5-8 on her 1^stattempt before missing .

Bolan set her lifetime-best and South Jersey-record 5-10 ¾ at Franklin Field at West Philly Nationals in June. That’s No. 3 in state history.

Indoors, Bolan’s 5-8, which she also cleared four times last year, is tied for 2^nd-best in South Jersey history behind Timber Creek’s Tierra Hooker, who cleared 5-10 at Ocean Breeze in 2018.

Others who have cleared 5-8 indoors include Lenape’s Willingboro’s Carol Lewis in 1981, Moorestown’s Shatich Rivers in 1992, Shawnee’s Abby Campbell in 2002, Lindsey Walsh in 2008, Winslow’s Gabrielle Bennett in 2015 and Clayton’s Alanna Woolfolk in 2023 and 2024.  X`x`

Williamstown junior Ian Israel Jr. and senior Jasiah Gibbons turned in terrific performances Monday at the the 11^th annual Ocean Breeze Holiday Festival.

Israel smashed the Williamstown school record in the 55-meter dash and Gibbons ran the 9^th-fastest 55-meter hurdles time in Gloucester County history.

Israel ran 6.55 in the trials, lowering his PR from 6.58 from a meet on the same track this past January, then he ran 6.51 in the final, breaking the school record of 6.53 set by Cameron Dobbins at 2015 Easterns at the Armory, where he placed 2^nd to Davon Tucker of Sterling, who ran 6.52. Dobbins went on to become an NCAA Division 3 All-America as a sprinter at Rutgers-Camden.

Israel’s time is fastest by a South Jersey sprinter this winter and tied for 3^rd-fastest in New Jersey.

Irael ran 10.91 last spring at the Meet of Champions at Pennsauken. This spring he’ll go after the school record in the 100 of 10.70 by Jared Nichols at 2016 South Jersey Group 4 Sectionals at Egg Harbor.

Israel’s 6.51 is now No. 13 on the all-time Gloucester County list. Of the 15-fastest times all-time, six have come since 2024.

Also on Staten Island Monday, Gibbons placed 3^rd in the 55-meter hurdles in 7.51, 2^nd-fastest so far this winter by a New Jersey hurdler and 2^nd-fastest ever by a Williamstown hurdler. Alexander Hollimon set the school record of 7.36 at the Bubble in 2024. Gibbons’ time is 11^th-fastest on the all-time Gloucester County indoor list.

Gibbons’ previous PR was a 7.64 from earlier this month at the Ott Center. He ran 7.70 in the trials Monday before his PR 7.51 in the final.

All-Time Gloucester County 55-Meter Dash List
6.18 … Ajani Dwyer [Washington Twp.], 2024
6.34 … A.J. Bunton [West Deptford], 2006
6.38 … James Brown [Glassboro], 2009
6.40 … Marquis Taylor [Woodbury], 2025
6.43 … Anthony Averett [Woodbury], 2013
6.44 … Thomas Hampton [Clayton], 2019
6.44 … Yashahya Brown [Washington Twp.], 2024
6.44 … Brysheen Ferguson [Glassboro], 2024
6.46 … John Santos [Washington Twp.], 2025
6.47 … Josh Washington [Woodbury], 2019
6.48 … Clayton Crosse [Washington Twp.]. 2016
6.50 … Shawney Kersey [Woodbury], 2007
6.51 … Dan Israel Jr. [Williamstown], 2026
6.52 … Sean McPherson [Delsea], 2010
6.52 … Shai Mumford [West Deptford], 2014
6.53 … Darrell Bush [Woodbury], 2012
6.53 … Aidan Burns [Clearview], 2018
6.53 … Cameron Dobbins [Williamstown], 2015
6.53 … John Williams [Washington Twp.], 2023

All-Time Gloucester County 55-Meter Hurdles List
7.06 … Yashahya Brown [Washington Twp.], 2024
7.18 … Sultan Tucker [Delsea], 1996
7.36 … Alexander Hollimon [Williamstown], 2024
7.42 … Kevon Brown [West Deptford], 2009
7.42 … Naseem Smith [Deptford], 2019
7.42 … Ryan Sanchez [Deptford], 2025
7.48 … Tyrell Ross [Clearview], 2005
7.49 … Devon Carter [Washington Twp.], 2010
7.51 … Jasiah Gibbons [Williamstown], 2026
7.53 … Kanye Mills [Washington Twp.], 2023
7.62 … Zachary Kotel [Washington Twp.], 2025

Gibbons’ previous PR was a

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1070154271134761/user/1254169527/

Atlantic County Tech sophomore Janiyah Gayle joined junior teammate Brianna Growalt in the rapidly growing 2026 17-foot club over the weekend.

Gayle jumped a PR 17-4 ¾ on her 1^st attempt at the SJTCA meet at the Ott Center Saturday. Her previous PR was 17-2 ½ this past January, also at the Ott Center. Her outdoor PR is a 17-2 at the Cape-Atlantic meet in May at Buena.

Growalt, the state Group 4 hurdles and long jump champ last spring, won the meet with a 17-6 ¼ on her final attempt. After a 16-10 ¾ opener, she had three jumps over 17 feet – 17-1, 17-5 ¼, 17-6 ¼, so she improved with each jump. Growalt PR’d last spring with an 18-9 ¼ at the Atlantic County Championships at Egg Harbor, and her indoor PR is 17-11 from last year’s Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze.

Growalt and Gayle now rank No. 8 and 11 all-time on the Atlantic County indoor list and they’re No. 1 and 3 in South Jersey so far, with Rancocas Valley senior Damanique Johnston 2^nd at 17-6.

Also over 17 feet this winter are Winslow senior Leeya Joseph [17-4 ½], Burlington City junior Nyima Burley [17-2 ½], Willingboro junior Trinity Brapoh [17-2] and Williamstown junior Timia Waters [17-0 ½].

Atlantic County Tech is the first Atlantic County school ever with two 17-footers at the same time.

18-10 ½ … Jaidah Garrett [Absegami], 2025
18-6 ½ … Asia Young [Holy Spirit], 2016`
18-5 …… Claudine Smith [Atlantic City], 2019
18-4 ¼ … Gabrielle Germann [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2020
18-4 … Isabella Alvarez [Pleasantville], 2025
17-11 ¾ … Angela Clyburn [Egg Harbor Twp.], 1991
17-11 ½ … Frances Bundy [Pleasantville], 1998
17-11 .. Brianna Growalt [Atlantic County Tech], 2025
17-10 ½ … Shameka Marshall [Oakcrest], 2001
17-8 ¼ … Nia Ali [Pleasantville], 2006
17-4 ¾ … Janiyah Gayle [Atlantic County Tech], 2026
17-0 … McKenna Pontari [Mainland Reg.], 2022

Glassboro sophomore Moses Robles turned in a record-setting jumps double Saturday at the U.S. Marine Corps Holiday Classic at the Armory.

Robles placed 4th in the long jump at 22-4 ¾ and 3rd in the high jump at 6-6. Both are big lifetime bests and among the top sophomore jumps in South Jersey history. He’s now tied for No. 1 in New Jersey in the high jump and No. 2 in the long jump.

The 22-4 ¾ is No. 2 all-time by a South Jersey sophomore behind a 22-7 ½ by Lenape’s Chase Campbell in a meet at Lehigh in December of 2014. That performance is a little suspect because Campbell never approached that mark again and by his senior year he wasn’t even long jumping. He never came closer than 22 inches away from that jump indoors or outdoors the rest of his career. He ran 21.76 and 48.89 as a senior but never jumped better than 20-8 outdoors.

Anyway, Robles’ mark is No. 6 in Gloucester County history indoors and best in seven years, since former state triple jump record holder Khaliel Burnett of Delsea went 22-5 ¾ at 2018 Easterns at the Armory. Robles hit the 22-4 ¾ on his 2nd jump and also had a 21-4 in his series.

In the high jump, Robles finished 3rd behind twins Ethan and Aaron Rich of Lyman Hall High School in Wallingford, Conn. Ethan jumped 6-8 and Aaron 6-6, taking 2nd because Robles had one miss at 6-4.

His previous PR was 6-2 indoors earlier this month at the Ott Center, and his overall PR was 6-2 ¼ outdoors when he placed 5th in the freshman high jump in June at West Philly Nationals.

The 6-6 is tied for No. 4 in South Jersey indoor history by a sophomore and the best jump by a 10th-grader in 21 years, since Wesley Edwards of Winslow Township went 6-6 at the 2005 state Group 4 Relays at Princeton’s Jadwin Gym.

Robles didn’t triple jump Saturday, but he has already gone 46-4 ½ earlier this month at the Ott Center. That’s No. 4 in New Jersey this year, No. 5 all-time Gloucester County and best ever by a South Jersey sophomore. It’s also only two inches off the indoor school record of 46-6 ½ set two years ago by Cartrell Moore in Collegeville, Pa.

All-Time Gloucester County High Jump List
6-10 … Josh Butler [Delsea], 2006
6-10 … Devin Bradham [Williamstown], 2015
6-10 … Ameer Banks [Delsea], 2015
6-6 … Anthony Averett [Woodbury], 2012
6-6 … Chase Matthews [Kingsway], 2016
6-6 … Craig Howard [Washington Twp.], 1998
6-6 … Moses Robles [Glassboro], 2026
6-4 … Thomas Berryman [Delsea], 2010
6-4 … Amari Sabb [Glasssboro], 2024
6-4 … Carson Thomas [Washington Twp.], 2023

All-Time Gloucester County Long Jump List
23-7 ¾ … Anthony Averett [Woodbury], 2012
23-4 ½ … Maurice Hunter [Woodbury], 1983
22-9 ¼ … Shai Mumford [West Deptford], 2013
22-7 ¼ … Keon Grady [Delsea], 2017
22-5 ¾ … Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], 2018
22-4 ¾ … Moses Robles [Glassboro], 2026
22-2 … Adwon Parker [West Deptford], 2006
22-0 … Damir Lomax [Delsea], 2020
21-9 3/4 … Mark Williams [Williamstown], 2023
21-8 … Ferrell Cooper [West Deptford], 2011

In her first 800 of the indoor season, U.S. champion and state record holder Natalie Dumas of Eastern ran just 5-100ths of a second off her indoor PR in beating a loaded field at the U.S. Marine Corps Holiday Classic at the Armory.

Dumas, who set the South Jersey indoor record of 2:07.68 this past March at Armory Nationals on the same track in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan, won the race in 2:07.73.

Dumas was out in 31.58, took command of the race with a second lap of 30.67, then came back in 32.42 and 33.08.

She finished 20 meters ahead of two runners from an all-star team located in Scotch Plains. A freshman who lives in New York State but competes for the Scotch Plains all-star team was second in 2:11.37. Five girls ran under 2:14.

Dumas set the state outdoor record of 2:00.11 at West Philly Nationals, where she also won the 400-meter hurdles in 55.99 and 400 in 51.14 and anchored Eastern’s 2^nd-place sprint medley team. She’s the only woman in world history to run that fast for those three events.

Dumas’s 2:07.68 from last winter is No. 9 in state history.

Dumas’s time is No. 2 in the U.S. this year, just behind Ellie Barada of Bloomington South High in Indiana, who ran 2:07.19 in a meet in Ypsilanti, Mich., last week. Barada did not compete for a high school in that race, and it looks like a club meet more than anything. But since it was in-season race and she competed against (I think) only high school only competition and she’s currently a high school student, it counts as a high school performance.

In his first 800 since last spring, Woodstown senior Joshua Crawford smashed the Salem County indoor record with the 15^th-fastest indoor time in South Jersey history.

Crawford, the state Group 1 champ outdoors last year, ran 1:54.98 at the SJTCA meet at the Ott Center on the University of Pennsylvania campus in West Philly.

Crawford’s time is fastest by any New Jersey Group 1 runner since Jacob Clark ran 1:51.52 and twin brother Isaac ran 1:51.72 in 2013. Pleasantville was a Group 2 when Gabriel Moronta ran 1:52.46 in 2020 but it was a Group 1 indoors in 2013.

It’s also fastest in New Jersey so far this winter.

Crawford broke his own Salem County indoor record of 1:57.66 that he set at the Meet of Champions in March at Ocean Breeze.

Crawford and Teddy Foster of Haverford quickly broke free of the pack, with Crawford holding a slight lead through 200 meters (27.53 to 27.74), 400 meters (55.89 to 56.10) and 600 meters (1:26.17 to 1:26.28).

Foster closed in 29.62, but Crawford ran his final lap in 28.81 to pull away and win by six meters.

Crawford ran an outdoor-PR 1:53.44 last spring to win the state Group 1 race in Somerset. The Salem County outdoor record is 1:52.97 set by Jaymes Dennison of Penns Grove at the 2013 Meet of Champions in South Plainfield.

Also in the top six Saturday in the 800 were Woodstown senior Karson Chew, Crawford’s teammate on the state Group 1-champion 4-by-8 last year [2:00.54], Delsea senior Matthew Littlehales [2:00.90], Gateway senior Nathaniel Martinez [2:02.01] and Timber Creek junior Timothy Whitaker [PR 2:02.37].

All-Time South Jersey Indoor 800 Top 20
1:51.52 … Jacob Clark [Pleasantville], 2013
1:51.72 … Isaac Clark [Pleasantville], 2013
1:51.80 … Derrell Manhertz [Kingsway], 2013
1:52.46 … Gabriel Moronta [Pleasantville], 2020
1:52.74 … Bobby Poplau [Cherokee], 2024
1:53.51 … Alan Laws [Pleasantville], 2007
1:53.59 … Christian Napoli [Paul VI], 2025
1:53.68 … Ishmael Muhammad [Oakcrest], 2013
1:54.05 … Dominic Bassey [Winslow Twp.], 2025
1:54.53 … Stone Caraccio [Kingsway], 2020
1:54.73 … Chris Manzo [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2024
1:54.80 … Marvin Lewis [Willingboro], 2001
1:54.81 … Bill Dolan [Clearview], 2013
1:54.82 … Xavier Fraction [Washington Twp.], 2009
1:54.98 … Joshua Crawford [Woodstown], 2026
1:55.00 … Steve Butenewicz [Delsea], 2011
1:55.14 … Shannon Sherrer [Vineland], 2002
1:55.14 … Zach McBride [Lenape], 2002
1:55.16 … Joe Lewis [Pleasantville], 1998
1:55.16 … Tivo Rivera [Kingsway], 2009

Salem County record of 1:52.97 set by Jaymes Dennison of Penns Grove at the 2013 Meet of Champions in South Plainfield.

Closing in 61.4, Ocean City senior Erik Preisner won the 1,600 at the SJTCA meet Saturday morning at the Ott Center with the 7^th-fastest indoor 1,600 time in Cape May County history.

Preisner, the South Jersey Group 3 XC champion, ran a lifetime-best 4:22.84, with Highland senior Andrew Dopkin 2^nd in 4:24.59, an indoor-outdoor PR.

Preisner came through 800 in 2:15.17 and 1,200 in 3:21.49 before running his last two laps in 31.00 and 30.36. He big-time negatived 2:15.2 and 2:07.7.

Preisner’s previous indoor PR was 4:30.04 this past January in a meet at the Armory. He’s run 4:21.08 outdoors last spring in a meet at Allentown.

Dopkin’s previous PR was 4:28.10 at Delsea in May. His previous indoor PR was 4:32.67 converted from a full mile in a race in January at the Ott Center.

All-Time Cape May County Indoor 1,600 List
4:09.96y … Miles Schoedler [Ocean City], 2011
4:11.03y … Brett Johnson [Ocean City], 2009
4:16.02 … Erik Johnson [Ocean City], 2012
4:20.43 … Owen Ritti [Ocean City], 2020
4:20.51 … Ryan Birchmeier [Ocean City], 2008
4:20.58y … John Richardson [Ocean City], 2002
4:22.84 … Erik Preisner [Ocean City], 2026

Sianni Wynn out-leaned Brianna Growalt Saturday morning at the SJTCA meet at the Ott Center in a battle of two of New Jersey’s fastest hurdlers.

Wynn, a senior at Pennsauken, won the race in 8.13, 1-100^th of a second ahead of Growalt, a junior at Atlantic County Tech, who ran a lifetime-best 8.14 for 2^nd place.

The times are 3^rd– and 4th-fastest in New Jersey at the moment and 2nd- and 3rd-fastest by South Jersey hurdlers so far this winter.

Wynn ran 7.99 – No. 8 in South Jersey history – this past February at Ocean Breeze. Growalt lowered her PR from 8.23, which she ran when she placed 2^nd to a runner from the Scotch Plains-based all-star team at the Meet of Champions in March, also at Ocean Breeze.

Growalt’s time is No. 18 in South Jersey history and 4^th-fastest all-time in Atlantic County and fastest since Claudine Smith of Atlantic City ran 8.03 when she won the 2019 Meet of Champions at the Bubble.

Just a few minutes later, Wynn won the 55 in 7.08 with teammate Sanaya Dupree 2nd in 7.36 and Growalt 3rd with a lifetime-best 7.37. Dupree missed her PR of 7.35 from last year’s sectionals at the Bubble by 1-100th of a second. Wynn shares the state record of 6.73 with. Michelle Glover.

All-Time South Jersey 55-Meter Hurdles List
7.89 … Ste’yce McNeil [Winslow Twp.], 2012
7.89 … Nia Ali [Pleasantville], 2006
7.92 … Carol Lewis [Willingboro], 1981
7.94 … Lenaami Morton [Camden], 2017
7.97 … Jasmine Jackson [Winslow Twp.], 2025
7.98 … Nichole Belcher [Woodrow Wilson], 1992
7.98 … Tionna Tobias [Winslow Twp.], 2019
7.99 … Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], 2025
8.01 … Samantha Sharper [Woodrow Wilson], 2008
8.03 … Alethia Jenkins [Pennsauken], 2000
8.03 … Jailya Ash [Eastern], 2020
8.03 … Claudine Smith [Atlantic City], 2018
8.04 … Zonya Cross [Edgewood], 1983
8.05 … Sherese Price [Pleasantville], 1998
8.06 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2006
8.10 … Nichole Hill [Oakcrest], 1997
8.11 … Cidae’a Woods [Winslow Twp.], 2014
8.14 … Brianna Growalt [Atlantic County Tech], 2026
8.15 … Jewel Ash [Eastern], 2020
8.16 … Dakota Jones [Washington Twp.], 2025
8.17 … Torie Robinson [Winslow Twp.], 2014
8.17 … Aliya Rae Garozzo [Paul VI], 2020
8.18 … Gabrielle Bennett [Winslow Twp.], 2015
8.18 … Te’seanna Harris [Camden], 2019
8.19 … Brittany Preston [Winslow Twp,], 2016

The SJTCA meet at the Ott Center in West Philly Saturday is still on but will start at 10:30 p.m., two hours later than originally scheduled, thanks to snow and icy conditions on area roads.

Coaches and athletes are permitted to enter the facility at 9:30 a.m.

This meet will have 55-meter hurdles, 55-meter dash, 1,600, 400, 800 and 3,200 on the track with high jump, pole vault, shot put, long jump and triple jump, boys followed by girls

Link to purchase spectator tickets is here.

Link for live results is here.

Ott Center information can be found here.

More info on SJTCA meets is here.

We’re in a track lull right now so let’s catch up on Rowan’s opener at Ocean Breeze earlier this month and Rajahn Dixon’s fast opening 200.

Dixon, a sophomore from Eastern and an All-America as a freshman, ran 21.53 and won the 200 at the Fastrack Season Opener at Ocean Breeze.

That’s 3^rd-fastest in NCAA Division 3 this year. Bethany (W. Va.) junior Caliyph McClinton has the fastest time in Division 3 so far with his 21.42 in a meet at Wittenberg in Springfield, Ohio, and Wisconsin-Oshkosh junior Dylan Doss is No. 2 with his 21.44 in a home meet in Oshkosh.

Dixon finished clear of Bowie State sophomore Dareon Faircloth, who was 2^nd in 21.89.

Dixon set his indoor best of 21.34 – the Rowan indoor school record – in February when he won the 200 at the NJAC Championships at the Ott Center. He ran his lifetime-best 21.13 in the trials at NCAA Championships in Geneva, Ohio, this past May before placing 8^th in the final and earning All-America honors.

Dixon ran 21.40 as a senior at Eastern at the Camden County Championships with no wind guage. His indoor high school PR was 21.92 from February of 2023, also at Ocean Breeze.