From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Huge 200 race Saturday for Hampton freshman Jayen Poteat from Winslow Township, who finished 1^st of 40 runners at the Penn Classic at the Ott Center.

In just his 2^nd college 200, Poteat PR’d with a 21.25, dropping his PR from 21.52 from a meet two weeks ago in Lynchburg, Va.

Poteat’s time is fastest by a Hampton sprinter in 10 years, since Jasper Savoy ran 21.20 in a meet at Boston University in January 2016. And it’s the fastest by a Hampton freshman in at least 17 years, as far back as TFRRS goes.

At Winslow, Poteat ran 21.48 in June 2024 at the state Group 3 meet at Delsea, but that was win-aided at 2.6 meters per second. His wind-legal high school PR was a 21.67 at 2024 Group 3 sectionals, also at Delsea. His indoor PR was 21.72 in December 2024, also at the Ott Center.

Poteat’s time is No. 3 in the Coastal Athletic Association this year and fastest by a freshman. It’s 8^th-fastest in NCAA Division 1 by a freshman.

Poteat is already No. 1 among CAA freshman with his PR 47.88 last month in Louisville.

Penn State freshman Ajani Dwyer from Washington Township became the fastest indoor sprinter in New Jersey history with a blazing 6.52 for 60 meters on his home track.

Dwyer broke the Penn State school record of 6.54 set by Olympian Cheickna Traore in 2024 Saturday in the prelims of Penn State’s Sykes & Sabock Invitational in State College.

His previous PR was 6.54 in the prelims of the USATF Championships a year ago at Ocean Breeze.

Dwyer’s time is tied for No. 4 in the world this year, according to the World Athletics database and it’s No. 2 among Americans, behind junior Traunard Folson of Tennessee, who ran 6.49 last month at Clemson.

It’s No. 3 in college track behind Folson and his teammate Davonte Howell of the Cayman Islands, who also ran 6.49 at Clemson.

Dwyer’s time is also No. 45 in U.S. history and fastest ever by a New Jersey sprinter, 1-100^thof a second faster than Olympic gold medalist Dennis Mitchell of Edgewood ran in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1994.

Brown did not run in the final.

Also, Egg Harbor and Monmouth graduate Ahmad Brock, competing for Garden State Track Club, ran 6.80 and also reached the final.

Virginia freshman Hannah Byrd-Leitner from Moorestown set a lifetime pole vault best Friday in Blacksburg, Va.

Byrd-Leitner won the vault at the Doc Hale Invitational with a 13-3 clearance on her 1st attempt.

Her previous indoor best was a 13-0 when she won the state Group 3 meet at the Bubble last February and her previous PR was 13-2 from the 2024 outdoor Meet of Champions at Pennsauken.

Her mark is 6th-best in Virginia history and No. 2 in school history by a freshman. Sam Romano leared 13-9 ¼ as a freshman and placed 2nd Friday with a 12-11 clearance.

That also moves her up to 6th on the all-time South Jersey alumni list and No. 12 on the all-time New Jersey list.

Her 13-3 is No. 9 in the ACC this year and No. 2 among freshmen. It’s also No. 12 among all NCAA Division 1 freshmen.

Byrd-Leitner passed 11-5 ¼ and then cleared 11-11 ½ and 12-5 ½ on her 1st attempted before needing all three to get over the bar at 12-11. But she cleared 13-3 on her 1st try before taking three jumps at 13-5 ¼.

Byrd-Leitner was a three-time Meet of Champions winner at Moorestown. Her collegiate best before Friday was a 12-9 ½ in Lynchburg in December. She’s cleared 12-5 ¼ or better in all five meets she’s competed in this winter.

All-Time South Jersey Indoor Pole Vault List
14-4 … Kaitlyn Dermen [Millville], July 6, 2024, Basking Ridge
14-0 ¾ … Stephanie Maugham [Shawnee], April 6, 2002, Fresno, Calif.
13-8 … Anna Heim [Moorestown], May 13, 2010, Springfield, Mass.
13-5 … Danielle O’Reilly [Shawnee], Feb. 9, 2004, New York
13-3 ¾ … Ashley Preston [Delsea], April 17, 2021, Philadelphia
13-3 … Hannah Byrd-Leitner [Moorestown], Feb. 6, 2026, Blacksburg, Va.

All-Time New Jersey Indoor Pole Vault List
14-4 … Kaitlyn Dermen [Millville], July 6, 2024, Basking Ridge
14-0 ¾ … Stephanie Maugham [Shawnee], April 6, 2002, Fresno, Calif.
14-0… Hayley Horvath [Notre Dame], May 1, 2021, Harrisonburg, Va.
13-9 ¾ … Emma Keating [Pompton Lakes], April 26, 2025, Philadelphia
13-8 … Anna Heim [Moorestown], May 13, 2010, Springfield, Mass.
13-7 ¾ … Sydney Woods [Demarest], Feb. 1, 2000, Staten Island
13-7 ¼ … Michelle Favre [Saddle Brook], Jan. 26, 2013, Lewisburg, Pa.
13-5 ¾ … Suzy Lacombe [Hunterdon Central], April 25, 2025, Philadelphia
13-5i … Danielle O’Reilly [Shawnee], Feb. 9, 2004, New York
13-3 ¾ … Ashley Preston [Delsea], April 17, 2021, Philadelphia
13-3 ½ … Natalie Gengel [Princeton], May 2, 2009, Ithaca, N.Y.
133 … Hannah Byrd-Leitner [Moorestown], Feb. 6, 2026, Blacksburg, Va.
13-0 ½ … Leah Saifi [Governor Livingston], Feb. 28, 2017, New York

Tey’ana Ames, a junior from Atlantic County Tech, bombed one of the longest shot put throws in Rutgers history and South Jersey history Friday in New York.

Ames popped a two-foot PR and won the Scarlet Knight Open at the Armory with a monster 52-9 ¼ on her 3rd throw. Three of the top four placers in the meet are from South Jersey and all three PR’d.

For Ames, her 52-9 3/4 surpasses her previous PR of 50-8 ¼ from the Ott Center last month.

Ames’s throw is No. 2 in Rutgers history, behind only a 54-5 ¼ by Jasmine Van Note of Sayreville High at the same meet three years ago.

Ames’ throw is also No. 3 all-time by a South Jersey athlete, behind Cherokee’s Jessica Woodard, whose PR is 63-7 ¾ in Tucson in 2021, and Delsea’s Jamine Moton, who threw 58-6 ¼ in Clemson, S.C., in 2001. South Jersey’s other 50-footer is Cornell’s Victoria Imbesi from Estell Manor and Our Lady of Mercy in Newfield, who threw 50-5 when she won the 2013 indoor Ivy League meet in Cambridge, Mass.

Ames’ high school PR was only 41-2 from the 2022 Meet of Champions in Somerset, and her indoor PR was 39-11 from a meet at the Bubble in December 2021.

Ames’ throw makes her No. 34 in NCAA Division 1 and No. 28 among U.S. women.

Ames opened with a 47-1 and a 47-7 before her big 52-9 ¼. She finished with a foul, a 48-0 ¾ and another foul.

She’s now been over 50 feet in three meets this indoor season after coming into the year with a PR of 47-11 from the 2024 Penn Relays.

The versatile Ames has also cleared 5-7 in the high jump for Rutgers although she hasn’t high jumped since the 2024 outdoor season.

Also Friday, Williamstown graduate Ciara Demarest placed 3rd with a lifetime-best 44-9 ¾ on her final throw. Her previous PR was a 44-8 from the 2023 Tri-County Conference meet at Delsea and her previous collegiate best was a 44-0 ¾ at this meet in 2024.

Demarest bumped Zyra Thomas of Schalick from the No. 10 spot on the all-time Rutgers indoor performance list. Thomas threw 43-9 ¾ in Ann Arbor in 2019.

In 4th place was Rider freshman Kendra Green, who threw a PR 44-3 ¼, on her 2nd attempt, snapping her previous best of 43-6 ½ from last month at Ocean Breeze. That’s No. 7 on the all-time Rider list and No. 1 this year in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

All-TIme New Jersey Alumni 50-Foot List
60-6 ¼ … Jessica Oji [], Jan. 24, 2026, Philadelphia
63-7 ¾ … Jessica Woodard [Cherokee], May 20, 2021, Tucson, Ariz.
62-7 ¾ … Maren Seidler [Governor Livingston], June 11, 1979, Walnut, Calif.
59-5 … Pam Dukes [Freehold Twp.], June 26, 1987, San Jose, Calif.
59-1 ½ … Alyssa Wilson [Donovan Catholic], April 20, 2019, Long Beach, Calif.
58-6 ¼ … Jamine Moton [Delsea], May 13, 2001, Clemson, S.C.
56-6 … Nickolette Dunbar [Whippany Park], May 14, 2021, College Station, Texas
54-8 ¼ … Jasmine Van Note [Sayreville], April 1, 2023, Gainesville, Fla.
53-6 ½ … Jessica Oji [Livingston], Jan. 25, 2025, New York
52-9 ¼ … Teyana Ames [Atlantic Tech], Feb. 6, 2026, New York
52-4 ¾ … Maureen Laffan [Toms River North], Feb. 27, 2010, Blacksburg, Va.
51-11 ½ … Alicia Campbell [Snyder], Feb. 24, 2024, Geneva, Ohio
51-1 … Kelly Fazekas [Northern Valley-Demarest], May 25, 2007, Gainesville, Fla.
50-10 ¾ … Vanessa Wood [Toms River South], April 29, 2025, Piscataway
50-6 ¼ … Shelby Bigsby [Montclair], June 22, 2019, Miramar, Fla.
50-5 … Victoria Imbesi [Our Lady of Mercy], May 6, 2012, Philadelphia
50-2 ¾ … Danielle Notarfrancesco [Jackson Liberty], April 18, 2021, Amherst, Mass.

A week after PR’ing with a 24-9 ¾ at Ocean Breeze, Rowan freshman Anthony Parker did it again, jumping 25 feet for the first time, again at Ocean Breeze.

Brown’s jump is No. 16 in NCAA Division 3 history, according to the records and lists section of the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association web site. https://web4.ustfccca.org/iz/records-lists/atb-lists/9?view=full

Brown’s jump is No. 2 in NCAA Division 3 this year, behind only senior Joshua Rivers of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, who jumped 25-5 ½ in a home meet last month. He broke his own NJAC all-time record set last week.

It’s also No. 12 all-time on the South Jersey alumni list. And it’s the best jump by an NCAA Division 3 freshman in nine years, since Matt Fleming of Benedictine University of Lisle, Ill., jumped 24-10 in a meet in February 2017 in Kenosha, Wisc.
It puts him at No. 26 among all U.S. men this year. Without knowing Parker’s birthday – which isn’t listed on the World Athletics site – there’s no way to know when he turns 20.

But if he’s still 19 at midnight, Dec. 31, he’s eligible for U.S. Under-20 Nationals and could compete for a spot on the U.S. Under-20 team that will compete at World Juniors in Eugene in August. Parker’s jump would be No. 1 among U.S. men in the Under-20 age group and No. 3 in the world if he doesn’t turn 20 in 2026.

Parker broke his own school record and his own New Jersey Athletic Conference record.

Parker had a strong series, opening with a 23-0 ¾, then hitting 24 again with a 24-4 ¼ before his 25-0 on his 3rd attempt. In the finals, he jumped 22-2 ¼ and 23-9 with a foul in between.

Five of the top seven jumpers in the competition are from South Jersey.

Stockton junior Ahmad Fogg from Egg Harbor Township, who is 4th in Division 3 with a 24-0 ¾ at Ocean Breeze last month, was 2nd with a 23-9. Holy Family junior Desi Stroud from Atlantic County Tech, who has jumped 24-3, was 4th with a 23-2 ¾ and Rowan freshman Bright John from Sterling placed 5th with a lifetime-best 23-2 ¾, beating his 23-2 from last year’s outdoor state Group 2 meet at South Plainfield. Finally, Rowan sophomore Chace Pearson of Timber Creek placed 7th with a 22-6 ½, just half an inch off his season best.

All-Time South Jersey Alumni 25-Foot Club
29-1 ¼ … Carl Lewis [Willingboro], Aug. 30, 1991, Tokyo
26-5 ¾ … Greg Foster [Lumberton], Jan. 17, 2026, Philadelphia
26-3 ¼ … Matt Rose [Bordentown], Mary 4, 1991, Knoxville, Tenn.
26-1 ¾ … Chris Gillis [Pennsauken], May 12, 2006, Waco, Texas [0.1]
26-1 ½i … Kerry Vivett [Edgewood], 1991, Track and Field News
26-1 ¼ … Mike Morrison [Willingboro], May 13, 2006, Fayetteville, Ark.
25-8 ¼ … Desmond Hamilton [Pennsauken], May 13, 2007, Princeton
25-7 … Jerome Robinson [Bordentown], July 20, 1991, New York
25-3 ½ … Ahmad Brock [Egg Harbor Twp.], April 19, 2025, Piscataway
25-2 … Paul Klemic [Mainland Reg.], May 26, 2005, Waverly, Iowa
25-0 ¾ … Zach Manorowitz [Pennsville], May 7, 2022, Lawrenceville, N.J.
25-0 … Anthony Parker [Salem], Feb. 6, 2026, Staten Island

Delaware State senior Chris Johnson most likely broke the school record in the shot put Friday with a 55-11 ¼ bomb in the Fastrack Invitational at Ocean Breeze.

Johnson had a previous PR of 55-5 from this past May in the MEAC Outdoor Championships in Norfolk. His indoor PR was 54-4 ½ from a meet in December in Cambridge, Mass.

Delaware State may be the only school I’ve come across that doesn’t list school records on its web site. Forget an all-time top-10 list. That’s truly sports information malpractice. What are we doing here? Get those records on-line! People want to know!

But I went back on the year-by-year TFRRS (Track and Field Results Reporting System) site as far back as it goes, which is 2009, and nobody else from Delaware State is close to Johnson’s 55-11 ¼. It’s possible that somebody before 2019 threw farther but considering the state of the program in those years I strongly doubt it.

Johnson opened with a 52-8 before hitting his 55-11 ¼ on his next throw. He added a 53-5 ¾, a 52-11 ¾ and a 52-10 ¼ in a strong series.

Johnson’s throw makes him No. 1 in the MEAC. He’s also at the top of the conference list in the 20-pound weight throw at 53-3 ½ from a meet last month at the Ott Center. He’s also No. 13 in the shot in NCAA Division 1 Mid-Atlantic Region and No. 21 in the weight.

Former Georgian Court thrower Robbie Babson from Toms River South was 2nd with a 52-1 ¼ but South Jersey took 3rd and 4th place. FDU junior Darien Cade of Timber Creek threw 49-4 ½ for 3rd and Georgian Court junior Malicah Etienne was 4th with a 48-8 ¾.

Jayson Ross of Timber Creek and FDU was 9th with 46-3 and St. Augustine graduate Franklin Simms from Wagner 12th at 45-2 ½.

Haddonfield’s Seth Clevenger, a junior at Rowan, became the 8th South Jersey miler to break four minutes Friday when he ran 3:59.41 at the Fastrack Invitational at Ocean Breeze.

Clevenger became the 4th NCAA Division 3 runner to break 4 minutes, joining Ryan Wilson of MIT [3:55.29 in 2023], Aidan Ryan of Williams [3:56.88 in 2022] and Jeremy Hernandez of Ramapo [3:59.01 in 2018].

He broke his own Rowan school record of 4:02.76 that he set last month on the same track. He’s now No. 4 in D-3 history in the mile and No. 3 in the 3,000 with his 7:54.87 at Ocean Breeze last month.

Clevenger, a transfer from Iowa State, was out in 60.76 for 400 meters, 2:01.14 for 800 and still off the pace through 1,200 with 3:01.17. But he closed in 58.25 for his final 400 and 28.20 for his final 200 to dip under four minutes.

Two post-graduates, Ben Allen from Concordia University in St. Paul, Minn., and Eric Holt from Binghamton, made this a very fast race, finishing 1st and 2nd in 3:53.40 and 3:53.70.

Clevenger is now fastest in NCAA Division 3 this year in both the mile and 3,000. He’s the 37th New Jersey runner to break four minutes.

All-Time South Jersey Sub-4 List
3:56.79i….. Ford Palmer [Absegami HS], Boston, Feb. 14, 2015
3:58.14i …. Rob Novak [Bordentown HS], Boston, Feb. 11, 2012
3:58.62i …. Brett Johnson [Ocean City], Seattle, Feb. 9, 2013
3:59.19i … Austin Gabay [Cinnaminson], Boston, Feb. 14, 2025
3:59.35i …. John Richardson [Ocean City], Lexington, Ky., Feb. 2, 2008
3:59.85i …. Mark Sivieri [St. Augustine Prep], Boston, Jan. 28, 1994
3:59.91i …. Brian Gallagher [Sterling], Boston, Feb. 14, 1998

All-Time New Jersey Sub-4 Milers
3:49.44 … Edward Cheserek [St. Benedict’s], Boston, Feb. 9, 2019
3:52.2h … Marty Liquori [Essex Catholic], Kingston, Jamaica, May 17, 1975
3:53.16 … Robby Andrews [Manalapan], New York, Feb. 20, 2016
3:53.85 … Liam Murphy [Allentown], State College, Pa., Jan. 26, 2025
3:54.28 … Rob Napolitano [Red Bank Catholic], Boston, March 3, 2019
3:54.32 … Damien Dilcher [Brick], Boston, Feb. 14, 2025
3:54.60 … Marco Langon [Bridgewater-Raritan], Philadelphia, Jan. 25, 2025
3:54.92 … Ford Palmer [Absegami], Boston, Feb. 26, 2018
3:55.66 … Jeremy Hernandez [Clifton], Boston, March 3, 2019
3:56.39 … Sean Dolan [Hopewell Valley], Nashville, Feb. 11, 2022
3:56.75 …. Steve Slattery [Mount Olive], New York, March 6, 2006
3:56.9h … Ron Speirs [Paramus], Philadelphia, April 30, 1977
3:57.86…. Travis Mahoney [Old Bridge], Boston, March 3, 2019
3:57.89 … Ray Sellaro [North Hunterdon], State College, Jan. 29, 2022
3:58.00 … Zach Michon [Robbinsville], Boston, Feb. 11, 2023
3:58.02 … Craig Forys [Colts Neck], New York, Feb. 6, 2016
3:58.14 … Rob Novak [Bordentown], Boston, Feb. 11, 2012
3:58.4y … Roger Jones [Ramsey], Boston, Feb. 13, 1982
3:58.62 … Jim McKeon [Millburn], Johnson City, Tenn., Jan. 19, 1985
3:58.62 … Brett Johnson [Ocean City], Seattle, Feb. 9, 2013
3:58.78 … Tim Gorman [Christian Brothers], Seattle, Feb. 11, 2017
3:58.90 … Ben Malone [Pascack Valley], Boston, Feb. 9, 2019
3:59.07 … Collin Boler [Delbarton], Boston, Feb. 14, 2025
3:59.18 … Jeramy Elkaim [Livingston], Seattle, Feb. 23, 2013
3:59.19 … Austin Gabay [Cinnaminson], Boston, Feb. 14, 2025
3:59.21 … Chris Hatler [Pope John XXIII], New York, Feb. 11, 2017
3:59.35 … John Richardson [Ocean City], Lexington, Ky., Feb. 2, 2008
3:59.41 … Seth Clevenger [Haddonfield], Feb. 6, 2026
3:59.43 … Rich Kenah, Fayetteville, Feb. 12, 2000
3:59.2h … Cliff Sheehan, Philadelphia, April 27, 1985
3:59.60 … Mike Kerrigan [Blair Academy], Swarthmore, Pa., May 14, 2007
3:59.74 … Colin Daly [River Dell], Boston, Feb. 15, 2020
3:59.84 … Edwin Klanke [St. Peter’s Prep], Philadelphia, Dec. 7, 2024
3:59.85 …. Mark Sivieri, Boston, Jan. 28, 1994
3:59.6h … Jim Crawford, Modesto, Calif., May 23, 1970
3:59.91 …. Brian Gallagher, Boston, Feb. 14, 1998
3:59.98 …. Christian Gonzalez, Boston, Jan. 27, 2012

In her 2nd race for Bloomsburg after transferring from UMBC, Cherry Hill East graduate Alexis Tepper destroyed the school record in the mile Friday at Ocean Breeze.

Tepper, who had a PR of 4:57.08 at UMBC from last year’s America East Championships at Boston University, ran 4:54.45 at the Fastrack National Invitational.

Tepper broke the school record of 5:00.05 set by Teresa Ortiz of Philly and St. Hubert’s in the Holmdesburg neighborhood at the 2017 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference meet at the Zafirovski Center in Edinboro.

Her time is fastest in the PSAC this year and puts her 28th in NCAA Division 2 so far.

Tepper came through 400 in 73.32 and 800 in 2:26.51. She was 3:39.86 at 1,200 and closed in 74.3 and 36.90.

Lathan Brown of Deptford and Bobby Poplau from Cherokee, both sophomores from Rutgers, ran the 5th- and 8th-fastest 600s in Rutgers history Friday afternoon at the Armory.

Racing at the Scaret Knight Open, Brown placed 2nd in 1:18.73 and Poplau was 4th in 1:19.83. Modou Sanneh of Monroe University won the race in 1:17.56 and Rutgers junior Gabriel Rodriguez was 3rd in 1:19.23.

Brown’s previous PR was 1:19.50 from last year’s Big Ten Championships in Indianapolis. Poplau had never run a 600.

Brown was out in 24.01 and 50.1, closing in 28.64. Poplau came through 200 in 25.14 and 400 in 51.74, running his third lap in 28.01.

Five of the eight fastst 600 times in Rutgers history are from South Jersey runners. Rancocas Valley’s Micah Wood ran No. 2 1:17.65 in Geneva, Ohio, in 2024, Pennsauken’s Bryce Tucker – a current Rutgers junior – is No. 4 1:18.24 last year in Chicago and Delsea’s Aaron Younger is No. 6 at 1:18.91 from 2011.

The No. 1 distance medley performance in the New Jersey Athletic Conference belongs to Rutgers-Camden, which ran 10:39.65 at the NYC Gotham Cup at Ocean Breeze last month.

Although the official results list a lineup of junior Jacob Dinerman from Haddon Township, freshman Jack Wessner of Maple Shade and Paul VI, sophomore Josiah Saint Elien from Cinnaminson and sophomore Kristopher Ewell from Ewing, I’m going to guess that Ewell – a 1:57 half-miler who hasn’t run a mile – led off and Dinerman anchored.

In any case, the Scarlet Raptors are currently 26th-fastest in NCAA Division 3 as well as atop the NJAC performane list.

The splits are messed up in the official results – they combined the 400 and 800 legs – but Ewell led off with a 3:22.38, Wessner and Saint Elien combined to run 2:52.17 so probably something like 51 and change and 2:01 and change – and Dinerman anchored in 4:20.82.

Rutgers-Camden last won the DMR at the conference meet in 2011, with Adam Biner of Scotch Plains-Fanwood, Matt Curtis from West Deptford, Jon Warren of Camden and Haddon Township’s Jason Kendall running 10:26.54.

The school record in the indoor DMR is a speedy 10:08.24 from the 2008 Valentine Invitational at Boston University with Frank Iwanicki of Edgewater Park and Holy Cross, Akeem Lloyd from Atlantic City, Jonathan Salamon from Bridgewater and St. Joe’s Metuchen and Mike Fox from Hainesport and Rancocas Valley.

Rutgers-Camden is scheduled to compete at the Fastrack National Invite Friday at Ocean Breeze.