From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

I put together a list of top-10 seeds from South Jersey for this year’s state meet. These are unofficial lists based on MileSplit’s sectional merges.

Boys list is first, and I’ll post the girls list later today.

Both meets start at 2:30 p.m. Friday and 10:30 a.m. Saturday, with  Groups 1 and 4 inSomerset and Groups 2 and 3 in Mansfield.

Errors or omissions, you know the routine! Let me know in the comment section!

BOYS
Group 1
100-Meter Dash
1. Jaiden Steele [Camden], 10.74
2. Jawan Brownlee [Camden], 10.85
6. Christian Braxton [Camden], 11.01

200-METER DASH
2. Christian Braxton [Camden] 22.22
9. Jawan Brownlee [Camden] 22.64
10. Jaiden Steele [Camden] 22.65

400-METER DASH
1. *David Stewart [Schalick] 48.64
4. Karson Chew [Woodstown] 49.70
5. Kylee Goodson [Penns Grove] 49.81
7. Josh Crawford [Woodstown] 49.84
9. Yandel Montandez [Buena] 50.15

800-METER RUN
1. Josh Crawford [Woodstown] 1:54.31
2. **Zacchaeus Harrigan [Glassboro] 1:55.06
6. Karson Chew [Woodstown] 1:57.94
7. Nathanial Martinez [Gateway] 1:58.20
8. Shaun Maloney [Haddon Twp.] 1:58.39
10. **Aaron Johnson [Glassboro] 1:59.19

1,600-METER RUN
3. **Joe Saicic [Glassboro] 4:27.87
6. Jaeden Wesley [Glassboro] 4:28.87
8. Shaun Maloney [Haddon Twp.] 4:29.83
9. **Wyatt Evans [Clayton] 4:30.21

3,200-METER RUN
1. Jaeden Wesley [Glassboro] 9:34.67
2. **Joe Saicic [Glassboro] 9:37.34
3. James Clauson [Haddon Twp.] 9:41.30
9. David Hauck [Gateway] 9:48.43

110-METER HURDLES
3. Bryan Garlic [Penns Grove] 15.05
T6. Wasi Muhammad [Camden] 15.29
T9. Timothy Gregory [Salem] 15:52

400-METER HURDLES
1. *David Stewart [Schalick] 55.33
5. **Zacchaeus Harrigan [Glassboro] 58.24
7. *Malik Smith [Buena] 58.60
8. Gradin Buzby [Salem] 59.09
9. Jasir Brown [Woodbury] 59.11

HIGH JUMP
T2. **Moses Robles [Glassboro] 6-2
T7. Tommy White [Penns Grove] 6-0
T7. Elijah Young [Woodbury] 6-0
T7. Donovan Weathers [Salem] 6-0

LONG JUMP
2. *David Stewart [Schalick] 22-8 ½
4. *William Roy [Penns Grove] 22-0 ¼
T7. Moses Robles [Glassboro] 21-8 ½

TRIPLE JUMP
1. *David Stewart [Schalick] 48-7 ¼
2. **Moses Robles [Glassboro] 47-5
5. *Jerry Seals [Salem] 43-9 ½
9. **Andrew White [Woodstown] 43-0
10. *Marley Crowl [Glassboro] 42-11 ½

POLE VAULT
2. Salvatore Longo [Schalick] 13-0
T3. *Bobby McIlvaine [Haddon Twp.] 12-6
T6. *Logan Toledo [Glassboro] 12-0
T8. Zack Smith [Maple Shade] 11-6

SHOT PUT
1. Aidan Taulane [Woodstown] 53-5
2. Jack Robinson [Maple Shade] 49-11
4. *Kyle Stephens [Haddon Twp.] 49-5 ¼
5. Connor Wariwanchik [Pennsville] 48-9 ¼
6. **Ja’Kai Ingram [Penns Grove] 48-7 ¼
8. Ethan McLean [Schalick] 46-11 ½
10. Jailon Fletcher-Wilson [Salem] 46-9

DISCUS
1. Aidan Taulane [Woodstown] 159-2
2. Ethan McLean [Schalick] 151-9
7. ***Gabriel Tarasevich [Glassboro] 137-5
8. *Joseph Lelecca [Glassboro] 131-9
9. *Brayner Pimentel [Gateway] 128-7

JAVELIN
3. *Gary Simonini [Schalick] 176-8
8. Jack O’Connell [Glassboro] 156-10
10. *Kyle Stephens [Haddon Twp.] 151-10

400-METER RELAY
1. Camden 42.32
4. Clayton 43.59
6. Burlington City 43.81
7. Glassboro 43.97
8. Salem 43.98
9. Woodbury 44.36

1,600-METER RELAY
1. Camden 3:23.15
2. Penns Grove 3;25.42
3. Woodstown 3:25.99
4. Maple Shade 3:26.48
5. Woodbury 3:26.72
7. Audubon 3:27.63

3,200-METER RELAY
1. Woodbury 8:09.42
2. Glassboro 8:20.01
4. Woodstown 8:24.10
6. Haddon Twp. 8:26.83
8. Audubon 8:29.88

Group 2
100-Meter Dash
2. Jaden Goins [Pemberton] 10.66
3. Christopher Jones [Willingboro] 10.74
4. Gabriel Smith [Cedar Creek] 10.86
8. *Raliel Wiggins [Pleasantville] 10.95
9. *Nazir Griffin [Pleasantville] 10.97
10. *Semaj Dozier [Pleasantville] 11.00

200-METER DASH
3. Jaden Goins [Pemberton] 21.84
4. *John Froehlich [Overbrook] 21.87
5. *Semaj Dozier [Pleasantville] 21.89

400-METER DASH
2. *John Froehlich [Overbrook] 48.48

800-METER RUN
6. Brandon Stoner [Haddonfield] 1:56.30

1,600-METER RUN
3. Peter Simpson [Haddonfield] 4:20.19
4. Benjamin Andrus [Haddonfield] 4:20.96

3,200-METER RUN
1. Peter Simpson [Haddonfield] 9:25.55
2. Ryan Gibson [Haddonfield] 9:30.80
3. Benjamin Andrus [Haddonfield] 9:31.11
10. Jacob Wickersham [Cinnaminson] 9:36.92

110-METER HURDLES
8. *Bradley Cooper [Seneca] 14.73
9. *Ryder Bozine [Haddonfield] 14.75

400-METER HURDLES
4. *Ryder Bozine [Haddonfield] 56.50
8. Ziheim Howard [Haddon Hts.] 57.27

HIGH JUMP
T4. Brandon Cox [Willingboro] 6-2

LONG JUMP
2. *Raliel Wiggins [Pleasantville] 24-0 ½
3. *Jaiden Mitchell [Overbrook] 23-4 ¼
4. Christopher Jones [Willingboro] 22-11
9. **Alexy Torres [Cedar Creek] 22-0 ½

TRIPLE JUMP
5. **Alexy Torres [Cedar Creek] 42-10

POLE VAULT
2. Max Frey [Cinnaminson] 14-0

SHOT PUT
None

DISCUS
1. *John Wright [Middle Twp.] 161-1
7. Anthony Lim [Willingboro] 146-0
T10. ***Joshua Dixon [Pemberton] 143-1

JAVELIN
2. *Samir Walker [Willingboro] 168-0
4. *Chase Horner [Seneca] 164-6
6. Dayron Neal [Willingboro] 160-10
8. *Leland Locke [Cinnaminson] 156-8
9. *Evan Turner [Haddon Hts.] 152-6

400-METER RELAY
1. Pleasantville 42.12
3. Overbrook 43.08

1,600-METER RELAY
2. Pleasantville 3:23.57
9. Haddonfield 3:29.07
10. Sterling 3:30.07

3,200-METER RELAY
2. Haddonfield 8:08.06
3. Sterling 8:13.28
7. Cinnaminson 8:18.16

Group 3
100-Meter Dash
1. Johann Hernandez [Deptford] 10.51
2. Quayd Hendryx [Winslow Twp.] 10.66
3. ***Keyon Ali [Winslow Twp.] 10.76
6. *Timothy Whitaker [Timber Creek] 10.89
7. Jude Govern [Ocean City] 10.90

200-METER DASH
1. Quayd Hendryx [Winslow Twp.] 21.44
2. Johann Hernandez [Deptford] 21.72
3. Prince Owusu-Twum [Winslow Twp.] 21.85
6. *Timothy Whitaker [Timber Creek] 22.04
9. Jude Govern [Ocean City] 22.19
10. *Xavion Holmes [Deptford] 22.22

400-METER DASH
2. Prince Owusu-Twum [Winslow Twp.] 48.12
3. **Elijah Capra [Highland] 48.54
4. *Timothy Whitaker [Timber Creek] 48.62
5. Sean Sobin [Moorestown] 48.77
8. Justin Travaglini [Triton] 49.22
10. Solomon Wesley [Burlington Twp.] 49.29

800-METER RUN
4. Matthew Littlehales [Delsea] 1:55.41

1,600-METER RUN
5. Matthew Littlehales [Delsea] 4:20.55
8. Erik Preisner [Ocean City] 4:23.76
9. *Keenan Neuman [Ocean City] 4:25.35

3,200-METER RUN
3. Matthew Littlehales [Delsea] 9:26.79
5. Erik Preisner [Ocean City] 9:29.62
9. *Nathan Aschmann [Ocean City] 9:33.74
10. **Nevin Millstein [Ocean City] 9:34.91

110-METER HURDLES
1. Kareem Brown [Deptford] 14.00
3. Larry Norman [Deptford] 14.34
10. Quincy Matthews [Delsea] 14.74

400-METER HURDLES
1. Kareem Brown [Deptford] 53.81
4. Larry Norman [Deptford] 55.11
T5. Elijah Deanley [Winslow Twp.] 55.72

HIGH JUMP
T2. **Devin Perry [Timber Creek] 6-4
T4. *Jabari Woodard [Camden Tech] 6-2
T4. **Supreme Stratford [Cherry Hill West] 6-2
T10. *Cayden Hester [Winslow Twp.] 6-0
T10. *Andrew Kratee [Winslow Twp.] 6-0
T10. Gavin Seaver [Clearview] 6-0

LONG JUMP
1. *Andrew Kratee [Winslow Twp.] 24-1 ½
2. *Ka’Ron Ceasar [Winslow Twp.] 24-1
4. Rothmiller-McIntosh [Winslow Twp.] 23-1
5. *Dallas Rowell [Mainland Reg.] 23-0 ½
7. Matthew McIlhenny [Shawnee] 22-7

TRIPLE JUMP
3. *Jabari Woodard [Camden Tech] 45-11
4. *Ka’Ron Ceasar [Winslow Twp.] 45-10
7. Quadir Epps [Absegami] 45-0 ½
8. Lhann David [Delsea] 44-11
9. Damon Morton [Deptford] 44-10

POLE VAULT
2. Mason Henry [Deptford] 14-0
3. Mason Murray [Delsea] 13-6
T8. Jackson Larimer [Mainland Reg.] 12-0
T8. Kamaldeep Singh [Deptford] 12-0
T8. Nicolas Fierro [Moorestown] 12-0
T8. Dominic DiPietro [Deptford] 12-0

SHOT PUT
4. *Sheldon Goldsborough [Delsea] 53-6 ¼
6. **Eneas Tavella [Delsea] 52-1 ¾

DISCUS
2. Zion Josia Brockenbrough [Highland] 166-3

JAVELIN
2. Richard Pierce [Cumberland Reg.] 175-7
4. Kaden Roane [Deptford] 169-8
7. **Terrance Washington [Winslow Twp.] 159-9
8. Garrett Sampson [Ocean City] 159-0

400-METER RELAY
1. Deptford 41.76
2. Winslow Twp. 41.93
5. Burlington Twp. 42.54
6. Cherry Hill West 42.59

1,600-METER RELAY
1. Deptford 3:20.15
2. Burlington Twp. 3:20.61
5. Winslow Twp. 3:24.02
7. Triton 3:24.33

3,200-METER RELAY
1. Ocean City 7:56.84
2. Deptford 7:59.13
6. Moorestown 8:05.35
10. Highland 8:11.11

Group 4
100-Meter Dash
3. *Joshua George-Oyewole [Williamstown] 10.74
5. Tymir Gayle [Cherry Hill East] 10.79
7. Jaylen Day [Atlantic City] 10.86
9. Ashton Gage [Eastern] 10.92
10. *Judah Jones [Millville] 10.95

200-METER DASH
4. Ashton Gage [Eastern] 22.15
7. *Joshua George-Oyewole [Williamstown] 22.34

400-METER DASH
4. Tymir Gayle [Cherry Hill East] 48.42
5. Ashton Gage [Eastern] 48.49
6. **Paul Moore [Eastern] 48.75

800-METER RUN
5. Brandon Lamon [Eastern] 1:55.92

1,600-METER RUN
4. Jack Tindall [Cherokee] 4:19.40
7. Dominic Burgio [Williamstown] 4:23.64

3,200-METER RUN
3. *Cian Sherlock [Cherry Hill East] 9:21.79
4. *Maximo Harada [Cherokee] 9:22.98
6. Milo Poerner [Cherry Hill East] 9:24.20

110-METER HURDLES
6. Ari Bell [Egg Harbor Twp.] 14.63
8. Jasiah Gibbons [Williamstown] 14.65

400-METER HURDLES
9. *Xavier Aucule [Egg Harbor Twp.] 55.75
10. *Keshawn Townsend [Eastern] 55.76

HIGH JUMP
T4. Jaki Youmans [Vineland] 6-4
T4. Jonathan Smith [Rancocas Valley] 6-4

LONG JUMP
T6. Jeremiah Russell [Bridgeton] 22-5
10. Michael Carr [Millville] 21-11

TRIPLE JUMP
7. Dante Howell [Bridgeton] 44-5
8. Daniel Rivers-King [Rancocas Valley] 44-3
10. Michael Carr [Millville] 44-1

POLE VAULT
T4. Sawyer Schmidt [Egg Harbor Twp.] 13-0
T9. *Calvin Cogdill [Millville] 12-6

SHOT PUT
2. Humbrto Cuellar [Eastern] 55-4 ¼
3. *Kwmae Ford [Millville] 52-1
8. Jack Stetser [Egg Harbor Twp.] 50-9 ¾

DISCUS
None

JAVELIN
4. *Kristofer Oesterle [Rancocas Valley] 175-2
9. Zachary Cohen [Cherry Hill East] 160-0

400-METER RELAY
2. Williamstown 42.45
7. Washington Twp. 43.11
8. Rancocas Valley 43.13

1,600-METER RELAY
5. Eastern 3:21.39
8. Cherry Hill East 3:23.88

3,200-METER RELAY
2. Eastern 7:57.45
8. Egg Harbor Twp. 8:05.44

Princeton freshman Anthony Liakhnovich from Hammonton joined the South Jersey 60-foot club Wednesday with a big PR shot put throw at the NCAA East Prelims in Lexington, Ky.

Liakhnovich increaed his PR with the 16-pound ball from 58-5 ¾ from last week at the Ivy League Championships in Princeton to 60-3 ¾.

He was the 3^rd freshman in the competition and missed advancing to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., by just 13 ½ inches.

The top 12 adance to nationals at Hayward Field. Liakhnovich finished 16^th.

Liakhnovich’s 60-3 ¾ ranks 9^th in Princeton history but only four inches out of 6^th.

Liakhnovich actually PR’d on his first throw with a 59-10 ¼ before his second PR of 60-3 ¾. He fouled on his 3^rd and final throw.

Here’s a look at all the known 60-foot throwers from South Jersey:

73-1 ½ … Josh Olayinka Awotunde [Delsea], July 17, Eugene, Ore.
66-3 ½ … Braheme Days [Bridgeton], April 23, 2016, La Jolla, Calif.
66-2 ¾ … Jon Kalnas [Paulsboro], May 2, 2008, Princeton
65-0 ¾ … Lucciano Pizarro [Cherokee], May 15, 2023, Bloomington, Ind.
61-8 ¼ … Steve Muse [Kennedy], March 28, 1987, Fresno, Calif.
60-11 … Ray Wilks [Bridgeton], May 15, 1999, Chapel Hill, N.C.
60-3 ¾ … Anthony Liakhnovich [Hammonton], May 27, 2026, Lexington, Ky.

Riverside’s Jamir Brown, a Syracuse sophomore, cruised through the first round of the 110-meter hurdles at the NCAA East Prelims in Lexington, Ky., and Lumberton’s Greg Foster, a Princeton junior,, joined him advancing to the hurdles quarterfinals and also qualified in the long jump.

Brown, whose 13.25 last week in Louisville is No. 13 in the world, earned a Large-Q qualifier by winning the 3^rd of six heats in the hurdles. The top 24 advance to Saturday, and the top 12 Saturday from the East and West regionals advance to the NCAA Championships next month in Eugene.

Foster ran 13.80 and advanced to Saturday with a small Q after placing 6^th in the 2^nd heat. The top three in each semi plus the next six-fastest advance to the national quarterfinals, scheduled for 6:15 p.m. Friday.

Hampton sophomore Yashahya Brown from Washington Township came up 8-100ths of a second shy of advancing in the hurdles after running 13.90.

Foster was the 4^th qualifier in the long jump with a 25-10 ¾ on his 2^nd jump with a legal 0.7 win. The long jump is a national quarterfinal, so the top 12 from the East and the top 12 from the West advance to Eugene.

Foster ranks 8^th in NCAA Division 1 with a 26-5 ½ at the Ivy League Championships at Princeton last week.

Washington Township’s Ajani Dwyer became the 13^th-fastest sprinter in the world this year with a historic sub-10 in the 100 with legal wind Wednesday evening in Lexington, Ky.

He ran into a 0.2 headwind, making this a legal result.

Dwyer, a Penn State sophomore, won his heat in the first round at the NCAA Division 1 East Prelims in 9.98, 5^th-fastest among American men this year.

Dwyer’s previous wind-legal PR was a 10.04 to win the Big Ten Championships last week in Lincoln, Neb. He also ran 9.93 in the Big Ten trials with a 5.6 tailwind.

Auburn junior Kanyinsola Ajayi, a Nigerian Olympian and the NCAA 60-meter dash winner indoors, was the only faster qualifier for the second round. Ajayi ran a legal 9.90.

The 24 fastest advance to the NCAA quarterfinals at 6:35 p.m. Friday. The top 12 finishers from the East prelims and the top 12 from the West prelims advance to the NCAA Championships next month at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

Dwyer is the 3^rd New Jersey sprinter to run sub-10 for 100 meters. Carl Lewis had a PR of 9.86 and Dennis Mitchell ran 9.91.

Pennsauken’s Rai’ana Rucker ran a huge 800 PR Tuesday and became the 9^th-fastest sophomore in New Jersey.

Racing at the Cherokee Night Racer #2, Rucker dropped her PR from 2:22.12 to 2:17.98.

That’s more than a four-second PR for Rucker, who just ran that 2:22.12 two weeks ago at the Camden County Showcase at Haddon Township. As recently as May 1, her PR was 2:26.09 from last year. So she’s dropped more than eight seconds just this month.

Rucker’s 2:17.98 made her the No. 2 girl in the mixed race, behind only national champion Natalie Dumas of Eastern, who ran 2:06.46 in her final tune-up before states this weekend.

The only South Jersey sophomores to run faster than Rucker are Winslow’s Amariah Arango, who ran 2:13.32 earlier this month in Baltimore, and Moorestown’s Peyton Derer, who ran 2:14.44 last month in Yeadon, Pa.

She’s Pennsauken’s 2^nd-fastest half-miler ever, behind only Briana Roberts, who ran 2:13.74 at 2016 Group 3 states at Northern Burlington.

Also under 2:20 was senior Savannah Freeland [2:18.68 PR, down from 2:19.24].

Maple Shade junior Ciani Floyd won the state Group 1 high hurdles title last year and is the top seed heading into this year’s state meet as well.

Floyd ran 15.69 to win the state title last year in Somerset and ran 15.48 at Group 1 sectionals this year at Lenape, earning the No. 1 seed. She’s the first Maple Shade girl to win a sectional title in the hurdles since Patrick Farquharson in 2011 and the first Maple Shade girl to win a state title in any event since Farquharson won the hurdles in 2011. She won states last spring by 4-100ths of a second over a junior who has not competed this year.

Earlier this month, Floyd PR’d with a 15.15 at the Burlington County Open, which is the fastest New Jersey Group 1 time this year by nearly half a second. That was fastest by a South Jersey Group 1 girl since Ny’era Hand-Brooks of Burlington ran 14.87 to win the 2023 state title in Somerset.

Floyd’s top competition at states will come from No. 2 seed Claire Sittig of Pequannock, the only other girl in the field who ran sub-15.70 at sectionals. Sittig ran a PR 15.63 to win North 1 Group 1 in Livington.

Also under 15.70 this year are Lore Hicks of Walkill Valley, who ran 15.62 at the Sussex County Invitational in Stanhope earlier this month, and Casey Birdwell of Haddon Township, who ran a PR 15.66 at the Camden County Championships on her home track earlier this month.

The state Group 1 meet back at Somerset is scheduled for May 29-30.

Former Iowa All-America Tionna Tobias from Winslow Township won the long jump Saturday night at the Pure Athletics Sprint Elite Meet at the National Training Center in Clermont, Fla.

Tobias had four quality jumps, opening with a wind-aided 21-0 [3.6] before a legal 21-5 ½ [0.7] and after a foul and a pass she finished with 20-11 ¼ and 21-1 ½, both also with legal wind.

That 21-5 ½ is her 2^nd-best jump this year and not far off her season-best of 21-10 ½ from a meet in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, last month. That makes her No. 8 among U.S. women and No. 33 in the world.

Tobias is No. 22 in U.S. history with her 22-9 ¼ in Gainesville in July of 2024.

Tobias also ran in the 100 and ran a PR 10.49 but with an excessive wind of 3.4 meters per second.

Tobias will compete in the USATF Championships July 23-26 at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island in Manhattan.

See if you notice a pattern here:

Glassboro’s Zacchaeus Harrigan is the top Group 1 sophomore in both the 800 at 1:55.06 and the 400-meter hurdles at 56.44. Glassboro’s Joe Saicic is the top Group 1 sophomore in the 1,600 with a 4:22.44 and also in the 3,200 with a 9:26.37. Glassboro’s Moses Robles is the top Group 1 sophomore in the high hurdles at 15.53, the high jump at 6-4, the long jump with a 23-0 ¼ and the triple jump with a 47-5.

Additionally, Aaron Johnson is the No. 2 Group 1 sophomore with a 1:59.19 and No. 5 in the 1,600 with a 4:35.12, Saicic is No. 4 with a 2:01.60, Alex Adeleye is No. 4 in the 100 at 11.38, No. 2 in the 200 with 22.91 and No. 5 with a 20-6 ½ long jump, Harrigan is No. 2 in the 400 at 51.23, the 1,600 with a 4:23.60 and the 3,200 at 9:47.65. And Gavin Rakitis is No. 4 in the 1,600 at 4:33.17 and No. 3 in the 3,200 with a 9:56.59.

You want more?

Tyler Santiago and Chance Perino are the 4^th– and 6^th-ranked Group 1 sophomores in the 110-meter hurdles, Perino and Rakitis are 3^rd and 5^th in the intermediates behind Harrigan, Miles Taylor is 4^th in the high jump, Dylan Adams is No. 5 in the pole vault.

It’s rare for a program to have one sophomore who can make an impact on the state championship level. Glassboro has a parade of them.

Thanks in large part to its ridiculous Class of 2028, Glassboro is one of New Jersey’s top Group 1 programs and earlier this month won its 4^th straight South Jersey Group 1 championship. Next weekend, the Bulldogs shoot for their 3^rd state title after winning Group 1 in 1967 and 2009.

If they win, it’s going to be largely on the strength of their unprecedented sophomore class. If they don’t, they’re not going away and they’ll be back with an unprecedented junior class next year.

Glassboro has the potential to score close to 60 points at states, perhaps closer to 70 if a few things go right.

Saicic is the No. 2 seed in the 3,200 and No. 3 in the 1,600, senior Jaeden Wesley is top seed in the 3,200 and No. 6 in the 1,600, Harrigan is seeded No. 2 in the 800 and No. 5 in the intermediates, Robles is No. 2 in the high jump and triple jump and the 4-by-8 team of Johnson, Rakitis, junior Ryan Ejalili and senior Jason Martin is also a No. 2 seed.

And Robles may be seeded just 7^th in the long jump, but he also had an off day at sectionals and is overall ranked No. 2 in Group 1 with his 23-0 ¼ earlier this month at Delsea, so he’s certainly capable of out-scoring his seed.

The state Group 1 championships are scheduled for Friday and Saturday in Somerset, with Friday’s action starting at 2 p.m. Friday and 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

South Jersey schools have won six consecutive state Group 1 titles – Willingboro in 2019, no meet in 2020, Clayton in 2021, Audubon in 2022, Woodbury in 2023 and 2024 and Camden last year.

Delsea’s Ava Reardon and Absegami’s Josephine Buxton both threw well in the javelin at the NCAA Division 3 Championships Saturday, although they both fell just a bit short of earning 1^st-team All-America honors.

Reardon placed 10^th with a 138-10 and Buxton was 13^th at 135-9 at Veterans Memorial Stadium in La Crosse, Wisc.

The top eight finishers earn 1^st-team All-America honors, and 8^th place was 141-3.

Reardon threw within an inch of her PR of 138-11, which she set in Charlottesville last month. She had three solid throws, opening at 133-6, then 136-7 and then the 138-10.

Buxton opened with a 130-6 and followed with her 135-9 before fouling on her 3^rd attempt. The cutoff for qualifying for the final and three more throws was 139-5, so both were very close.

Reardon, a transfer from Georgian Court in Lakewood, is a junior and Buxton is a freshman, and they finished 5^th and 7^th among returning throwers. Buxton, who PR’d with a 145-2 in the NJAC Championships in Mahwah earlier this month, was the top freshman at NCAAs and the top freshman in Division 3 this year.

Big throw by Curtis Thompson late Saturday night at the USATF Throws Fetsival in Tucson.

Thompson won the javelin against a strong field with a 272-1 on his 1^st throw of the competition.

That is his 16^th-best throw all-time, his 24^rd lifetime throw of at least 270 feet and his 4^th-best 1^st throw of a competition. His two-best throws this year have come on his 1^st throw. He bombed a 279-11 – No. 3 in the world this year – at the Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational in Ramona, Okla., last month.

Thompson has thrown over 270 feet in each of his last three meets.

Thompson, a five-time U.S. champion and two-time Olympian, graduated from Florence High in 2014.

Thompson ranks 3^rd in U.S. history with his PR 287-11 at last year’s Texas Relays in Austin. That’s the best throw by an American since Breaux Greer’s 299-6 in Indianapolis in 2007.

Former Penn (and Georgia) NCAA champion Marc Anthony Minichello, the No. 7 all-time American with a 275-11 last month in Des Moines, Iowa, placed 2^nd with a 266-7 on his 2^nd throw. Minichello, who attended Wyoming Area High School in Exeter Borough, outside Scranton, is world No. 6 and U.S. No. 2 behind Thompson with his 275-11.

Thompson has a 20-6 all-time record in head-to-head matchups with Minichello.

279-11

Curtis Thompson All-Time 270-Foot Throws
287-11 … Texas Relays, Austin, Texas, March 28, 2025 [2^nd throw]
287-9 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022 [2^ndthrow]
286-2 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Freeport, Bahamas, Aug. 17, 2025 [2^nd throw]
284-4 … World Championships, Tokyo, Sept. 18, 2025 [1^st throw]
282-8 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Bahamas, Aug. 20, 2025 [3^rd throw]
279-11 … Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational, Ramona, Okla., April 10, 2026 [1^stthrow]
279-10 … World Championships, Tokyo, Sept. 18, 2025 [3^rd throw]
277-11 … World Championships qualifying, Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 17, 2025 [2^nd throw]
277-8 … Drake Relays, Drake Stadium, Des Moines, Idaho, April 23, 2026 [5^th throw]
276-11 … Texas Relays, Austin, Texas, March 28, 2025 [3^rd throw]
276-4 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Bahamas, Aug. 20, 2022 [3^rd throw]
275-2 … USATF Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 31, 2025 [4^th throw]
274-11 … Athletissima, La Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland, Aug. 26, 2022 [1^st throw]
273-4 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022 [1^stthrow]
272-5 … Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, June 23, 2024 [1^st throw]
272-1 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 23, 2026 [1^st throw]
271-11… Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, July 4, 2016 [1^st throw]
271-10 … Spitzen Leichtathletik, Luzern, Switzerland, Aug. 30, 2022 [3^rd throw]
271-9 … Texas Relays, Austin, Texas, March 28, 2025 [4^th throw]
271-7 … Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, June 21, 2021 [6th throw]
271-0 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 13, 2024 [1st throw]
270-6 … USATF Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 31, 2025 [6th throw]
270-3 … Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Invitational, Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland, Aug. 6, 2022 [2nd throw]