From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Millville’s Leah Howard PR’d in the javelin at a recent meet in Waco, Texas, throwing 165-1, which ranks 43rd among U.S. women this year and 26th in the NCAA West Region.

That guarantees her a spot in the NCAA West Region Prelims May 27-30 in Fayetteville, Ark.

Howard’s previous PR was a 164-4, also in Waco, in May of 2024. Her 165-1 ranks 8th all-time on the South Jersey Alumni Performance List and is No. 3 in Texas Tech history.

Howard also placed 5th in the Big 12 Championships in Tucson this past weekend with a 157-5 on her 1st throw.

Delaware junior Kadence Dumas ran the 2nd-fastest 800 in University of Delaware history with a 3rd-place finish at the Conference USA Championships in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Dumas, from Eastern, lowered her PR more than a second – from 2:07.30 to 2:06.29 – in the finals of the 800 after a 2:09.77 in the qualifying round.

Her time is No. 11 on the all-time South Jersey list and No. 2 on the all-time Delaware performance list, behind a 2:04.82 by Holly Manning in the 2021 NCAA Division 1 East Prelims in Jacksonville.

Dumas finished behind only Liberty’s Allie Zealand, who won the race in 2:05.26, and Privilllege Chikara of Middle Tennessee, who was 2nd in 2:05.53.

Dumas is also No. 5 in Delaware history indoors at 500 meters [1:14.92], 2nd in the 600 [1:33.15], 3rd indoors in the 800 [2:11.03], 7th in the 1,000 [2:55.83] and 7th outdoors in the 400 [55.37].

The 3rd-place finish is Dumas’s highest ever in a conference meet. She was 4th in the 800 at the indoor conference meet in Lynchburg.

Rowan sophomore Nyla Jones from Timber Creek, a top-10 seed in both hurdles races, leads the South Jersey contingent heading to the NCAA Division 3 Championships this weekend in Wisconsin.

Jones is the No. 8 seed in the 400-meter hurdles with her 1:00.26 and No. 9 seed in the 100-meter hurdles with a 13.92, both at a meet in Greensboro, N.C., last month. Both are Rowan school records.

Delsea graduate Ava Reardon, a Rowan junior, made the field in the javelin with a PR 138-11 last month in Charlottesville, Va. Rowan junior Gabrella Pagano from Pope John XXIII in Sparta qualified with her 16:34.81 in the 5,000-meter run.

Stockton sophomore Elaina Styer from Ocean City is seeded 4th in the heptathlon with her 5,050 last month in Ewing. She placed 2nd in the pentathlon at the indoor NCAA D-3 Championships in Birmingham in March. She qualified in the 100-meter hurdles with her 14.22 in the heptathlon at the NJAC Championships, No. 15 in Division 3, but will focus only on the heptathlon in La Crosse, Wisc.

Absegami’s Josephine Buxton, a Stockton freshman, is also a No. 4 seed after throwing the javelin 145-2 at the conference meet in Mahwah.

Stockton senior Kayla Kass will race the 800 after qualifyign with a 2:10.43 in a last-chance meet in Cambridge, Mass., last week. Kass is a three-time NCAA All-America in the 800 and has a PR of 2:07.13 from a meet in Chester, Pa., last April.

Also racing for Stockton is New Milford graduate Emma Petrola, who qualified with a 1:00.89 in the intermediates.

Clayton graduate Kelsey Thomas, a junior at TCNJ, is slated to anchor the Lions’ 13th-seeded 400-meter relay team, which has a 46.83 from the NJAC meet in Mahwah earlier this month. Thomas ran 24.83 and 57.31 this year.

Big weekend for senior Aidan Taulane, who became Woodstown’s third double sectional winner with a sweep of the weight throws.

Taulane won the discus at the South Jersey Group 1 Sectionals at Lenape with a 159-2 on his 2nd attempt and he PR’d in the shot, winning with a 53-5 on his 5th attempt. He’s the No. 1 seed in both throws at the state Group 1 meet in Somerset May 29-30.

Taulane became Woodstown’s first double winner at sectionals since 2014, when Ta’riq Thomas won the long jump at 22-4 ¼ and the triple jump at 43-3 ¼ in the South Jersey Group 2 meet at Buena.

Woodstown’s other double winner at sectionals was Brendan McDonough, who won the 800 in 1:58.0 and the 1,600 in 4:23.2 in the 2005 Group 2 meet at Egg Harbor.

Taulane’s discus PR is a 164-7 from the Woodbury Relays. He’s No. 10 in New Jersey in the discus and No. 15 in the shot put.

Looks like Taulane is 5th on the all-time Salem County list in the discus and 6th in the shot put and Woodstown’s school record holder in both.

He’s Woodstown’s first sectional shot put champion since Jaquan Solomon won Group 1 with a 47-9 ¼ in 2016 and appears to be the Wolverine’s first sectional discus winner ever.

Rowan, ranked No. 2 in NCAA Division 3, is sending 24 athletes to compete to compete in 29 events at the men’s NCAA Division 3 Championships this week in La Crosse, Wisc.

Of those 24 athletes, 13 are from South Jersey. Four other South Jersey high school grads will be competing for other schools. We’ll get to that later.

Rowan, who won indoor nationals in Birmingham in March, hasn’t won an outdoor title since it won its 5^thstraight in 1984.

The meet opens Thursday morning at Veterans Memorial Stadium in La Crosse, Wisc., and continues through Saturday.

The top 22 individuals and top 16 relay teams per event qualify for D-3 Nationals.

You’ll notice one prominent name missing. Haddonfield’s Seth Clevenger, who won the 3,000 and 5,000 at indoor Nationals, has been scratched because of injury from the 5,000 and 10,000, the two events he qualified for.

Clevenger set an NCAA Division 3 record in the 5,000 with a 13:32.09 in February in Boston and is No. 4 in Division 3 history in the indoor mile [3:59.41] and No. 3 in the 3,000 [7:54.87]. He was the No. 2 seed for the 10,000 [29:06.90] and No. 15 seed in the 5,000 [14:06.23]. He hasn’t raced since the Penn Relays.

Here’s a look at Rowan’s contingent heading to Wisconsin.

Rowan’s 25 athletes will compete in the 100, 200, 800, 5,000, 10,000, high hurdles, intermediate hurdles, 400-meter relay, 1,600-meter relay, high jump, long jump, triple jump and javelin.

Competition for thet team championship will come from the usual Wisconsin powerhouses, including top-ranked Wisconsin-La Crosse, No. 3 Wisconsin Oshkosh and No. 4 Wisconsin Eau Claire.

Here’s a look at Rowan’s traveling party:

**Rajahn Dixon [Eastern]
9. 100-Meter Dash [10.32]
11. 200-Meter Dash [21.02]
Dixon, a two-time All-America, won the 200 at indoor Nationals with a 20.92. His fastest time outdoors, 21.02, is from the prelims of a meet in Daytona Beach, Fla., the first weekend of April. Dixon hasn’t raced since the middle of April.

Evan Corcoran [Kingsway]
13. 100-Meter Dash [10.39]
16. 200-Meter Dash [21.09]
Corcoran has earned All-America honors twice as part of Rowan’s 400-meter relay team, which placed 2^nd in 2023 and again in 2025. He’s PR’d this spring with his 10.39 in Daytona Beach and his 21.09 last week in Chester, Pa.

Eli Hendricks [Penns Grove]
6. 200-Meter Dash [20.95]
Hendricks ran 20.95, 2^nd-fastest in Rowan history, last week at Widener with a legal 0.1 wind. He’s already a three-time D-3 All-America.

*Dallas Hohney [Glassboro]
6. 800-Meter Run [1:49.26]
In his first outdoor season at Rowan after transferring from Rider, Hohney broke the school 800 record with that 1:49.26 earlier this month when he won the NJAC title in Mahwah.

Teddy Wilson [Toms River North]
10. 800-Meter Run [1:49.80]
Wilson ran his 800 PR racing Hohney in the NJAC meet. He ran on Rowan’s DMR team indoors, but this will be his first individual race at an NCAA meet.

*Blaik Slavinski [Point Pleasant Borough]
19. 800-Meter Run [1:50.25]
Slavinski ran that 800 qualifying time in the NJAC meet along with Hohney and Wilson. Slavinski ran his 1:47.65 PR last indoor season at Clemson before transferring to Rowan for the past indoor season.

Jason Agyemang [North Plainfield]
T3. 110-Meter Hurdles [13.72]
7. 400-Meter Hurdles [52.11]
Agyemang is already a five-time All-America and is a medal threat in both hurdles races this weekend. He was NCAA D-3 champ in the 60-meter highs in the 2025 indoor season.

Kwaku Nkrumah [Teaneck]
T3. 110-Meter Hurdles [13.72]
Nkrumah is also a five-time All-America and former national champ. He won the 110-meter highs at the 2024 outdoor nationals in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Valentin Augustin [Hamilton West]
9. 110-Meter Hurdles [14.09]
Augustin had a PR of 14.59 coming into this season, but has steadily lowered that until he’s now one of the top 10 hurdlers in D-3.

**Eric Foster Jr. [Willingboro]
14.  110-Meter Hurdles [14.15]
Foster’s best time at Rutgers last year was 14.55, but he kept dropping time this spring until he earned a No. 14 ranking in D-3 this spring with his 14.15 last week in Collegeville.

Anaias Hughes [Willingboro]
20.  110-Meter Hurdles [14.22]
Willingboro’s second hurdler to reach Division 3 Nationals, Hughes dropped PR’d with his 14.22 at Widener earlier this month.

**Angel Gonzalez [Triton]
2. 400-Meter Hurdles [51.26]
Gonzalez, still a newcomer to the intermediates, improved tremendously this year, lowering his PR from 55.31 coming into the season down to a big-time 51.26 when he won the NJAC title. Gonzalez just started competing in track as a senior at Triton. His 51.26 is 13^th on the all-time South Jersey alumni list.

*Samuel Agbessi [Sterling]
4. 400-Meter Hurdles [51.70]
Another legit medal hopeful in the intermediates, Agbessi PR’d at the NJAC Championships racing against Gonzalez.

400-Meter Relay
11. Masai Byrd [Rancocas Valley], Evan Corcoran [Kingsway], Eli Hendricks [Penns Grove] and Madaijoudou Diawara [Toms River North], 400-Meter Relay qualified with a 40.82 at the NJAC Championships.

1,600-Meter Relay
1. ***Marquis Taylor [Woodbury], **Samuel Agbessi [Sterling], *Teddy Wilson [Toms River North], *Dallas Hohney [Glassboro], 1,600-Meter Relay are the top seed with a qualifyign time of 3:08.97 from Widener last week.

***David Brown [Edison]
T3. High Jump [7-0 ¼]
Brown was 3^rd at indoor Nationals to earn All-America honors as a true freshman.

**Noah Wampole [Radnor, Pa.]
T3. High Jump [7-0 ¼]
Wampole PR’d with his first 7-foot clearance at the Oscar Moore Invitational in Glassboro last month. He’s already a two-time All-America with 6^th-place finishes last spring and this past indoor season.

**Damarion Potts [South Brunswick]
5. High Jump [6-11]
15. Long Jump [23-11 ¾]
Potts heads out to Wisconsin to compete in two jumps.

*Jamile Gantt [Paulsboro]
6. High Jump [6-10 ¾]
One of four Rowan high jumpers seeded in the top 10, Gantt is already a three-time NCAA Division 3 All-America.

***Christopher Ross [Walkill Valley]
11. Long Jump [24-1 ½]
Ross is off to his first NCAA meet after PR’ing at a home meet in Glassboro in April.

***Anthony Parker [Salem]
12. Long Jump [24-0 ¾]
Parker was top-ranked in D-3 indoors at 25-0 but was injured and unable to compete at nationals, so this will be his first NCAA championships.

***Bright John [Sterling]
16. Long Jump [23-11 ½]
The fourth Rowan long jumper making the trip to Wisconsin, John was 5^th in the long jump indoors, earning All-America honors in his first collegiate season,.

*Joshua Justin [Passaic Tech]
8. Triple Jump [49-3]
Justin placed 2^nd at indoor Nationals, a pivotal result as the Profs won the national title by one point.

*Dametrius Hester [Mahwah]
1. Javelin [240-8]
Hester is No. 1 seed and No. 5 in NCAA Division 3 history with his 240-8 at the NJAC Championships in Mahwah, his hometown.

From Rutgers-Camden and Stockton

Also headed to D-3 Nationals are junior Ahmad Fogg from Egg Harbor and freshman Bryant Nelson of Millville from Stockton and senior Jacob Dinerman from Haddon Township and freshman Jayden DeLeon from Highland of Rutgers-Camden.

Fogg is the No. 4 seed in the long jump at 24-4 ½ after finishing 2^nd at indoor Nationals with a 24-5 ¾. He PR’d at 24-9 at indoor NJACs at the Ott Center.

Nelson is the No. 2 freshman triple jumper in D-3 and seeded 17^th overall after a massive breakthrough season, highlighted by a PR 48-2 ½ at the conference meet earlier this month in Mahway.

For Rutgers-Camden, Dinerman ran a PR 1:49.75 to earn the No. 9 seed in the 800, and DeLeon is the No. 4 freshman in the high jump in D-3 with his 6-9 at Widener earlier this month.

UConn freshman Ella Karp from Washington Township had quite a Big East Conference meet over the weekend, placing 2^nd in the shot put and PR’ing in the discus.

In the shot, Karp threw 44-9 ½ on her 5^th throw and finished 2^nd to Jamora Alves of St. John’s, who won with a 50-8 ¾.

Karp PR’d at 45-9 ¾ indoors in Cambridge, Mass. Her outdoor PR is 45-1 ¼ from last year’s Tri-County Showcase last May at Delsea.

UConn’s track web site is no help on this stuff, so I looked back using TFRRS and Karp’s collegiate best of 45-9 ¾ from a meet in December at Harvard is the best throw by a UConn freshman since at least 2010.

In the discus, Karp placed 6^th with a 142-4 on her 1^st throw of the competition. She was the No. 2 freshman, behind 2^nd-place Lauren Drew of DePaul. Karp’s previous season-best in the disc was 121-2 at a home meet in April. Her previous PR was 133-6 when she won South Jersey Group 4 Sectionals at Pennsauken last May.

Emma Crozier-Carole, a junior from Mainland Regional, recorded the 3^rd-highest heptathlon score in North Carolina Wilmington history this weekend at the CAA Championships in Elon, N.C.

Carole increased her PR from 4,329 points at the 2024 CAA meet, also at Elon, to 4,578 points and placed 6^th in the Coastal Athletic Association meet.

Crozier-Carole’s 4,578-point total is highest by a NCW woman in 11 years, since Shelby Hall scored 4,600 points at the 2015 CAA meet in Williamsburg, Va. Anna Raynor set the school record with 5,222 points in Rock Hill, S.C.

Crozier-Carole ran 14.92 in the opening hurdles for 852 points, then cleared 5-4 ½ in the high jump for 783 points, threw the shot 38-2 ¾ for 638 points and finished Day 1 with a 26.76 in the 200 for  732 points.

On Day 2, Saturday, she started out with a 17-7 to score 660 points, threw the javelin 98-7 for 478 points and ran the 800 in 2:52.83 for 435 points.

Crozier-Carole has a long jump PR of 19-8 with a legal 1.1 wind from a home meet in March. That’s also 3^rd in school history. She also placed 5^th in the long jump at the CAA meet with an 18-8 ½.

Crozier-Carole was a sectional champion in the hurdles and high jump and a state medalist in the high jump and long jump.

It was great to see Isabella Alvarez’s name in the results of the South Jersey Group 2 meet in her first competition in almost a year.

Alvarez, who had a historic freshman season last spring, placed 2^nd in both the javelin and shot put after undergoing knee surgery that wiped out her indoor season and most of her outdoor season. The South Jersey Group 2 meet at Delsea was her first high school competition since the Meet of Champions at Pennsauken last June, although she did compete in some AAU meets after that.

As a freshman last spring, Alvarez was the state Group 2 champion in the hurdles with a 14.56 and shot put with a 38-10 ¾ and placed 2^nd in the high jump at 5-4 and 4^th in the long jump with a 17-6 ¼. She had PRs of 14.41, 39-8, 5-6 and 18-6 ½ as well as 35-5 ¾ in the triple jump and 118-1 in the javelin.

Among New Jersey freshmen last year, she ranked 1^st in the high jump and shot put, 2^nd to Jasmine Jackson in the hurdles, 2^nd in the long jump and 2^nd in the javelin and 5^th in the triple jump.

At sectionals this past weekend, she threw the javelin on Friday and hit 108-0 on her 4^th attempt, which gave her the lead until Middle Township junior Allison Nagle hit 109-9 on her final throw.

In the shot, Alvarez threw a PR 40-3 ½ on her final attempt and finished 1 ½ inches behind Elizabeth Buschiazzo of Barnegat. That’s the best throw ever by an Atlantic County sophomore.

She goes into states as the No. 3 seed in the javelin and No. 2 seed in the shot put.

The Kingsway girls broke 3:50 in the 4-by-4 for the first time in school history Saturday at the South Jersey Group 4 meet at Lenape, and their 3:49.92 is 4^th-fastest in New Jersey this year and 3^rd-fastest in Gloucester County history.

Sophomore Talia Griscom, junior Kenya Nobles, junior Norah Brown and sophomore Noemi Haller placed 2^ndto Sianni Wynn and Pennsauken, who ran 3:43.56, with Griscom leading off in 57.70, Nobles splitting 57.17,, Brown 56.58 and Haller 56.81.

Kingsway’s time was below the previous Group 4 and overall South Jersey sectional meet record of 3:50.27 set by Lenape’s Skyla O’Connor, Shannon Lambert, Megan Quimby and Shelby Whetstone at Egg Harbor in 2017.

The only school to run faster at the 16 sectional meets was Pennsauken, with its overall sectional record.

Kingsway broke its school record of 3:52.50 set last year by Jonelle Lewis, Haller, Brown and Camryn Stanard at the Meet of Champions at Pennsauken.

All-Time Gloucester County Sub-3:57 list
3:44.67 … Clayton, 2022
3:48.7h … Washington Twp., 1999
3:49.92 … Kingsway, 2026
3:52.50 … Kingsway, 2025
3:52.88 … Washington Twp., 2007
3:53.60 … Washington Twp., 2005
3:54.74 … Delea, 2011
3:55.34 … Kingsway, 2013
3:55.54 … Paulsboro, 2018
3:55.76 … Washington Twp., 2006
3:56.44 … Delsea, 2012
3:56.67 … Clayton, 2021
3:56.73 … Williamstown, 2011
3:56.81 … Kingsway, 2015
3:56.86 … Delsea, 2009

3:57.06 … Clearview, 2010
3:57.74 … Paulsboro, 2019
3:57.76 … Delsea, 2014
3:57.99 … Kingsway, 2012

All-Time South Jersey 1,600-Meter Relay List
3:40.64 … Winslow Twp., 2026
3:41.89 … Pennsauken, 2026
3:43.46 … Winslow Twp., 2025
3:43.94 … Willingboro, 2001
3;44.43 … Winslow Twp., 2024
3:44.64 … Willingboro, 2002
3:44.67 … Clayton, 2022
3:45.41 … Camden, 1995
3:45.67 … Willingboro, 1999
3:45.77 … Willingboro, 2026
3:46.04 … Timber Creek, 2024
3:46.13 … Willingboro, 2000
3:46.38 … Timber Creek, 2023
3:46.66 … Timber Creek, 2024
3:46.67 … Winslow Twp., 2018
3:46.85 … Winslow Twp., 2024
3:47.16 … Eastern, 2003
3:47.30 … Willingboro, 2003
3:47.41 … Winslow Twp., 2017
3:47.4h … Camden, 1978
3:47.55 … Camden, 2006
3:48.00 … Wilson, 2001
3:48.17 … Wilson, 2006
3:48.6y … Camden,, 1978
3:48.78 … Lenape, 2014
3:48.7h … Washington Twp., 1999
3:48.87 … Rancocas Valley, 2019
3:48.91 … Penns Grove, 2013
3:49.25 … Lenape, 2015
3:49.2y … Camden, 1979
3:49.30 … Winslow Twp., 2004
3:49.43 … Willingboro, 1997
3:49.53 … Willingboro, 1998
3:49.63 … Winslow Twp., 2016
3:49.01 … Eastern, 2024
3:49.92 … Kingsway, 2026
3:49.93 … Willingboro, 2009

Cinnaminson’s Eddie Frey, posted a pole vault PR Saturday, placed 2^nd in the CAA Championships and broke the Monmouth freshman record.

Frey began the day with a college PR of 14-7 ¼ from an indoor meet at the Ott Center in January after clearing 15-6 three times as a Cinnaminson senior last spring.

At the Coastal Athletic Conference Championships in Elon, N.C., he cleared 15-7 on his 3^rd attempt, moving into the No. 6 spot in Monmouth history and breaking the Monmouth freshman record of 15-5 ½ set by Jacob George of Haddon Township last month at TCNJ.

William & Mary freshman Leighton McGee won the conference title on fewer misses at 15-7. Both missed three attempts at 15-10 ¾.

George placed 5^th at 14-7 ½. George was the state Group 1 champ last year and Frey was Group 2 runner-up.

Here’s my best attempt at an all-time South Jersey alumni pole vault top-10. Note that Nick Gilanelli also vaulted for Monmouth and that 15-9 from 20 years ago was then a school record and is still No. 4 in school history. A

Lemme know who’s missing!

18-0… Nico Morales [Delsea], May 16, 2025, Eugene, Ore.

17-8 ½ … Ryan Merlino [Oakcrest], April 19, 2026, Piscataway

17-3 ½ … Noah Kreisman [Cherry Hill East], April 20, 2024, Columbia, S.C.

16-10 … Mike Maira [Seneca], March 1, 2014, College Station, Texas

16-0 … Marco Morales [Delsea], Feb. 11, 2020, Staten Island, N.Y.

16-0 … Bob Green [Haddon Heights], May 1, 1992, Voorhees

15-9 … Nick Gilanelli [Moorestown], April 15, 2006, Charlottesville

15-7 … Brandon Kurtz [Absegami], May 25, 1991, Bridgeton

15-7 … Eddie Frey [Cinnaminson], May 16, 2026, Elon, N.C.

15-6 … Matt Mancini [Cinnaminson], April 10, 2020, Princeton

15-6 … Dan Batdorf [West Deptford], Feb. 23, 2008, Toms River
15-5 ½ … Jacob George [Haddon Twp.], April 24, 2026, Ewing

Cinnaminson’s Eddie Frey, posted a pole vault PR Saturday, placed 2^nd in the CAA Championships and broke the Monmouth freshman record.

Frey began the day with a college PR of 14-7 ¼ from an indoor meet at the Ott Center in January after clearing 15-6 three times as a Cinnaminson senior last spring.

At the Coastal Athletic Conference Championships in Elon, N.C., he cleared 15-7 on his 3^rd attempt, moving into the No. 6 spot in Monmouth history and breaking the Monmouth freshman record of 15-5 ½ set by Jacob George of Haddon Township last month at TCNJ.

William & Mary freshman Leighton McGee won the conference title on fewer misses at 15-7. Both missed three attempts at 15-10 ¾.

George placed 5^th at 14-7 ½. George was the state Group 1 champ last year and Frey was Group 2 runner-up.

Here’s my best attempt at an all-time South Jersey alumni pole vault top-10. Note that Nick Gilanelli also vaulted for Monmouth and that 15-9 from 20 years ago was then a school record and still No. 4 in school history.

Lemme know who’s missing!

18-0… Nico Morales [Delsea], May 16, 2025, Eugene, Ore.
17-8 ½ … Ryan Merlino [Oakcrest], April 19, 2026, Piscataway
17-3 ½ … Noah Kreisman [Cherry Hill East], April 20, 2024, Columbia, S.C.
16-10 … Mike Maira [Seneca], March 1, 2014, College Station, Texas
16-0 … Marco Morales [Delsea], Feb. 11, 2020, Staten Island, N.Y.
16-0 … Bob Green [Haddon Heights], May 1, 1992, Voorhees
15-9 … Nick Gilanelli [Moorestown], April 15, 2006, Charlottesville
15-7 … Brandon Kurtz [Absegami], May 25, 1991, Bridgeton
15-7 … Eddie Frey [Cinnaminson], May 16, 2026, Elon, N.C.
15-6 … Matt Mancini [Cinnaminson], April 10, 2020, Princeton
15-6 … Dan Batdorf [West Deptford], Feb. 23, 2008, Toms River
15-5 ½ … Jacob George [Haddon Twp.], April 24, 2026, Ewing