From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

The Audubon girls, seeking their 3^rd straight sectional championship, piled up 75 points on Day 1 of the South Jersey Group 1 meet at Lenape.

Audubon scored in seven of nine events – all but the shot put and javelin – and leads Glassboro 75-46 after the first day of competition at Lenape. Audubon won its 1^st two sectional titles in 2024 and 2025.

Senior Riley Fayer and freshman Emma Camm ran 1-2 in the 3,200 and 1-4 in the 800 for 32 points, with Fayer running a season-best 2:16.66 in the 800 and and Camm a PR 2:23.98. They ran 11:21.91 and 11:30.82 in the 3,200, with Camm recording her 2^nd PR of the day. Junior Lydia Gravante added a point with a 6^th-place finish in the 3,200 with a PR 12:08.19.

Audubon went 1-3-T4 for 19 more points in the high jump, with senior Julianna Laxton clearing 5-2 for the win, freshman Kathryn Black 4-10 for 3^rd and senior Marissa DeValerio 4-10 for 5^th.

Audubon was 2^nd in the 4-by-1 with junior Kathryn McGuire, junior Sophia Rizzo, senior Kylie Tocco and senior Julianna Laxton running 50.29.

McGuire also ran 12.79 for 2^nd place in the 100, freshman Sabrina Passon ran 1:08.95 in the 400 hurdles for 3^rd place and senior Marissa DeValerio placed 6^th in the triple jump with a 34-0.

At Delsea, Haddonfield leads Barnegat and Lindenwold 45-38 after Day 1 in Group 2 and Winslow already has a ridiculous 92 points with Ocean City 2^nd with 37 as Winslow seeks its 12^th sectional title in the last 13, and in Group 4 at Lenape, Southern is up 53-40 over Cherokee, with Pennsauken at 37 ½ going into Saturday.

Glassboro senior Sunsarai Moore shattered the South Jersey Group 1 sectional shot put record with a PR 44-4 ½ Friday afternoon at Lenape.

Moore had a huge series with a PR 43-8 ½ opener, another PR 43-9 ¼ on her 2^nd attempt, a 44-2 on her 3^rd and then her 4^th PR of her series at 44-4 ½ on her 1^st throw of the finals. She fouled before finishing with a 41-7 ¼.

Moore’s previous PR was a 42-7 ¾ just last week at the Tri-County Showcase at Delsea, so she had the four-best throws of her life on Friday.

Moore broke the meet record of 43-7 set by Schalick’s Zyra Thomas in 2018 at Washington Township.

Her throw is No. 15 in South Jersey history and No. 6 on the all-time Gloucester County list. It’s No. 2 by a South Jersey Group 1 thrower behind Thomas’s 46-0 ½ at 2018 Greensboro Nationals.

Moore is Glassboro’s 1^st sectional shot put champ since Shamere Rothmiller won her 3^rd straight South Jersey Group 2 title in 2008. Moore broke Rothmiller’s school record of 43-7 from the 2008 Woodbury Relays

All-Time South Jersey Shot Put List
47-9 … Hannah Nuhfer [Delsea], 2025
47-1 ¼ … Jessica Woodard [Cherokee], 2013
46-4 ……… Janiece Rose [Delsea], 2011
46-1 ½ … Nacole Moore [Bridgeton], 2000
46-0 ¼ … Zyra Thomas [Schalick], 2018
45-7 ½ … Ronetta Hunter [Burlington Twp.], 2015
45-5 ……… Sylvia Galarza [Millville], 2004
45-1 ¼ … Ella Karp [Washington Twp.], 2025
44-9 ¾ … Najeaya Singleton [Vineland], 2016
44-9 ……… Kim Warren [Atlantic City], 2006
44-9 ……… Lola Agabalogun [Egg Harbor], 2013
44-8 … Ciara Demarest [Williamstown], 2023
44-5 ¼ …. Melinda Boykin [Bridgeton], 1998
44-5 ……… Jamine Moton [Delsea], 1997
44-4 ½ … Sunsarai Moore [Glassboro], 2026
44-4 ¼ …. Dana White [Camden], 2000
44-3 …. Jocelyn White [Delsea], 2004
44-2 ½ …. Typhanie Bates [Williamstown], 1995
44-0 ¾ …. Mercedes Hicks [Atlantic City], 2006

Deptford senior Johann Hernandez, who according to his MileSplit profile had never run a 100-meter dash, ran one of the fastest in South Jersey history Friday.

Hernandez won the South Jersey Group 3 100 in 10.51 with a legal 0.8 wind reading at Delsea. The only Gloucester County sprinters to run faster with or without legal wind are Ajani Dwyer of Washington Township [10.21 in 2024, 10.32 legal] and Glassboro’s James Brown [10.47 no wind reading in 2009].

Although the program shows a hand-timed meet record of 10.2, the actual meet record is 10.36 by Timber Creek’s Damiere Byrd from 2011 at Egg Harbor.

His time is 9^th-fastest in South Jersey history regardless of wind conditions.

Also under 11 seconds in the race were Winslow senior Quayd Hendryx [10.66], Winslow freshman Keyon Ali [10.76], Timber Creek junior Timothy Whitaker [10.89] and Ocean City senior Jude Govern [10.93]

All-Time South Jersey 100-Meter Dash List
10.28 … Malachi James [Burlington City], 2024
10.32 … Ajani Dwyer [Washington Twp.], 2024
10.35 … Jamar Ervin [Camden], 2000
10.36 … Damiere Byrd [Timber Creek], 2010
10.45 … James Townsend [Holy Cross], 2003
10.47 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1983
10.47 … James Brown [Glassboro], 2009
10.49 … Jonathan Taylor [Salem], 2017
10.51 … Johann Hernandez [Deptford], 2026
10.53 … Todd Dutch [Washington Twp.], 2001
10.54 … Fabian Santiago [Oakrest], 2010
10.55 … Todd Dutch [Washington Twp.], 2002
10.55 … Donte Davis [Burlington City], 2025
10.56 … Julian Onesti [St. Augustine], 2025
10.57 … Jamil Benjamin [Cumberland Regional], 2006
10.57 … Tymir Gayle [Cherry Hill East], 2026
10.57 … Yashahya Brown [Washington Twp.], 2024
10.57 … Geoff Navaro [Absegami], 2008
10.58 … Anthony Miles [Winslow Twp.], 2003
10.58 … James Burris [Moorestown], 2022
10.58 … Jaylen Day [Atlantic City], 2026
10.60 … Robert Page [Kingsway], 2008
10.60 … Marquis Bonds [Millville], 2007
10.60 … Shawney Kersey [Woodbury], 2009
10.60 … Thomas Hampton [Clayton], 2019

Winslow senior Ma’Syiah Brawner won her 5^th sectional title Friday afternoon and surpassed the meet record in the triple jump at the South Jersey Group 3 Championships at Delsea.

Brawner jumped 40-5 ½ on her 4^th attempt to break the meet record of 40-4 set by Ocean City’s Sophia Curtis in 2024. There are no wind readings in the results, unfortunately, so it appears there wasn’t a wind gauge at the horizontal jumps at this championship meet. There was no wind gauge at Delsea when Curtis jumped 40-4 so who even knows what the actual official wind-legal meet record is.

Brawner set her PR of 40-6 ¼ at West Philly Nationals in 2024. Her previous best jump this year was a 39-9 ½ at the Penn Relays.

She had the five-best jumps of the competition Friday, with a 39-0 opener, a 39-8 ½,, the 40-5 ½, a 40-2 and a 39-10.

Junior Brooklyn Ezekiel of Cherry Hill West was 2^nd with a season-best 37-9.

Brawner has now won two sectional titles in the high jump, two in the triple jump and one in the long jump.

Pleasantville junior Raliel Wiggins broke the 24-foot plateau in the long jump at South Jersey Group 2 sectionals, but it appears there was no wind gauge at Delsea.

Wiggins, who began the day with a PR of 22-10 ½ from the Atlantic County Championships at Egg Harbor earlier this month, jumped 24-0 ½ on his 6^th attempt after PR’ing on his 1^st attempt with a 23-4 ¼. He also had a 23-2 and 22-7 in his series along with two fouls.

The results do not show any wind readings, which makes the mark ineligible for record consideration and most performance lists.

Overbrook junior Jaiden Mitchell also surpassed 23 feet, taking 2^nd with a PR 23-4 ¼.

Burlington City’s Mike Boone set the meet record of 24-1 ¼ in 1990 in Bridgeton.

Wiggins is the 12^th South Jersey long jumper to surpass 24 feet regardless of wind conditions. His mark is just 3 ¾ inches off the Atlantic County record of 24-4 ¼ set by Egg Harbor Township’s Ahmad Fogg at 2023 West Philly Nationals at Franklin Field.

Wiggins is the first Pleasantville long jumper to win a sectional title in 32 years, since Herb Simon won the 1994 Group 2 title at West Deptford with a 21-2 ¾ in 1994.

All-Time South Jersey 24-Foot Club
26-8 ¼ … Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1979
25-2 ½ …….. Anthony Averett [Woodbury], 2012
25-1 ½ … Gerard Reynolds [Willingboro], 1990
25-0 …….. William Spearman [Woodrow Wilson], 1996
24-8 ….….. Isaac Samuels [Willingboro-Kennedy], 1983
24-11 ¼ … Anthony Miles [Winslow Twp.], 2002
24-5 ….….. Mike Morrison [Willingboro], 2003
24-4 ¼ … Ahmad Fogg [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2023
24-3 ¾ … Mikhail Micheaux [Eastern], 2013
24-1 ½ … Mike Boone [Burlington City], 1990
24-0 ½ … Kerry Vivett [Edgewood], 1984
24-0 ½ … Raliel Wiggins [Pleasantville], 2026

Riverside’s Jamir Brown ran the 7th-fastest 110-meter hurdles time in the world this year in the trials of the ACC Championship Friday in Louisville.

Brown, a Syracuse sophomore, led all qualifiers into the final with a 13.28 made with a legal 1.7 meters-per-second wind.

Brown tied the Sytacuse record of 13.28 set by Jaheen Hayles in 2023 when he placed 3rd in the NCAA Championships in Austin in 2023.

Brown’s time is 6th-fastest ever by a New Jersey native and fastest in 14 years, since Jeff Porter of Franklin ran 13.08 at the 2012 USATF Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene. He’s 6th-fastest American this year and 5th-fastest collegian.

Brown’s previous PR was a 13.39 in Jacksonville in May. He’s the fastest high hurdler from South Jersey since Camden’s Anwar Moore ran 13.12 at the 2007 Modesto [Calif.] Relays..

The final is scheduled for 4:40 p.m. Saturday back at Louisville’s Owsley B. Frazier Cardinal Park.

The South Jersey Group 3 sectionals weren’t even 10 minutes old and Deptford had already broken a meet record. Camden and Pleasantville quickly joined them.

Deptford senior Damon Morton, freshman Liam Brown, junior Xavion Holmes and senior Johann Hernandez won the 400-meter relay at Delsea in 41.76, breaking the South Jersey Group 3 sectional meet record of 42.20 set by Bridgeton in 2018.

Deptford’s time is 5th-fastest in Gloucester County history.

Winslow, with senior KaRon Ali, freshman Keyon Ali, senior Elijah Deanley and senior Quayd Hendryx, was 2nd, also under the old record in 41.93.

Deptford also won sectional 4-by-1 titles in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023. The 4-by-1 was added to the sectional program in 2013.

Deptford’s time is 3rd-fastest in South Jersey sectional history in all groups. Washington Township won Group 4 in 2024 in 41.26 and Toms River North won Group 4 last year in 41.74.

Deptford’s previous best time this year was 41.93 at its own Spartan Relays last month.

Camden in Group 1 and Pleasantville in Group 2 also set meet records in the 4-by-1, Camden at Lenape and Pleasantville at Delsea.. For Camden, senior Jawan Brownlee, senior Christian Braxton, junior Giovanni Marshall-Edwards and senior Jaiden Steele won the Group 2 race in 42.32, breaking the meet record of 42.34 set last year by Schalick, and junior Semaj Dozier, junior Nazir Griffin, junior Raliel Wiggins and senior Jamaal Washington of Pleasantville ran 42.12, breaking the SJ-2 record of 42.30 that Camden set in 2024.

Haddonfield senior Benjamin Andrus moved up to 18th on the all-time South Jersey 3,200-meter run list with a win at A Fourth Night at the Horse Farm in Middletown.

Andrus won the 3,200 in 9:05.74, trimming a fraction of a second off his PR of 9:05.93 that he ran at Holmdel three weeks ago.

Andrus ran the last 800 by himself, winning by 35 meters. He negatived roughly 4:35 and 4:30.

His time is No. 7 in the state this year and 2nd-fastest in South Jersey behind teammate Peter Simpson, who ran 9:04.97 at Holmdel.

All-Time South Jersey 3,200 List
8:54.11 … Peyton Shute [Woodbury], 2024
8:55.43 … Murad Campbell [Overbrook], 1999
8:58.32 … Luke Petela [Haddon Twp.], 2015
8:59.6y … Mike Butynes [Sterling], 1972
8:59.8y … Jason DeJoseph [Paul VI], 1987
9:00.3y … Jim Smith [Haddonfield], 1980
9:00.30 … Jimmy Daniels [Sterling], 2013
9:01.89 … Marc Pelerin [Cherokee], 2002
9:01.9y … Mike Mantini [Gateway], 1979
9:03.1y … Jerry Andrews [Highland], 1979
9:03.65 … Seth Clevenger [Haddonfield], 2022
9:03.7y … Ed Blakeley [Haddon Twp.], 1975
9:03.9h … Mike Elder [Haddon Twp.], 1973
9:04.05 … Shawn Wilson [Cherokee], 2013
9:04.94 … Louis Corgiano [Hammonton], 2014
9:04.97 … Peter Simpson [Haddonfield], 2026
9:05.12 … Sean MacPherson [Sterling], 2015
9:05.74 … Benjamin Andrus [Haddonfield], 2026
9:05.87 … Nick Kuenkel [Cherokee], 2024
9:05.98 … Steve Maine [Highland], 2014
9:06.2y … Greg Stremmel [Gateway], 1974
9:06.47 … Jonathan Vitez [Haddonfield], 2010
9:06.52 … Connor Melko [Bishop Eustace], 2019
9:06.70 … Joshua Clark [Highland], 2016
9:07.03 … Greg Hughes [Mainland], 2004
9:07.2y … Ron Faith [Paul VI], 1985
9:07.2y … Kevin Pumphrey [Highland], 1986
9:07.42 … Aaron Groff [Cherry Hill East], 2016
9:07.79 … Ben Realley [Cherokee], 2025
9:07.84 … Matthew Littlehales [Delsea], 2026
9:07.7y … Marty Ludwikowski [Cherry Hill West], 1975
9:08.22 … Jon Anderson [Cinnaminson], 2004
9:08.27 … Ben Andrus [Haddonfield], 2025
9:09.17 … Bennett Wright [Haddonfield], 2025
9:09.27 … David Forward [Shawnee], 2009
9:09.38 … Kevin Antczak [Mainland Reg.], 2019
9:09.38 … George Andrus [Haddonfield], 2022
9:09.80 … Todd Campbell [Cinnaminson], 2009
9:09.91 … Jack Tindall [Cherokee], 2026

Once again, the NJSIAA sectional / state / Meet of Champions program is riddled with errors and typos. Even though I point them out every year they just don’t think it’s important enough to fix.

I guarantee if it were wrestling or football the mistakes would all be fixed.

Here’s what I found in my first 12 minutes:

-> Mike Pachella of Walkill Valley’s last name is “Puchella”
-> Bruce Bacciocchi of Dumont’s last name is spelled Baceloncchi
-> Lemon Hamilton of Rahwah should be “Lemmon” Hamilton
-> Gabriel Rodriguez of Union’s first name is spelled “Gabrial” in three places
-> Legendary Bernards runner Chris Blanchet’s last name is spelled “Blachet,”
-> Stefone Moore-Green’s name is spelled “Stefone Noore-Green”
-> Kaleb Zuidema from Midland Park has his first name spelled “Zaleb”
-> Isiah Udofia from Montclair Kimberly’s last name is spelled Vdofia”
-> Carlos Hanze’s last name is spelled “Flanze” … seriously, Flanze???
-> Anthony DeFranco’s last name is spelled “DeFanco”
-> Evans Tobler from Trenton’s last name is spelled “Tober”

But worse, all the Parochial A south sectional marks in the record section are wrong other than the 100. Check out the 200, 400, 800, 1,600, 3,200, HH, IH, 4×1, 4×4, 4×8, shot put, discus,, javelin, triple jump and pole vault. Every one is off by one event. Does anybody proof read this stuff? Obviously not.

Inexcusable errors. But it happens every year.

Jim Lambert and I have offered to put together all-new sectional, state and Meet of Champions programs with all-time lists, correct records and all spelling errors corrected, but nobody has taken us up on the offer.

Timber Creek’s Chace Pearson became Rowan’s 5th long jumper to reach 23 feet with legal wind Wednesday in Collegeville, Pa.

Pearson jumped a wind-legal PR 23-1 ¼ with a 0.0 wind reading at the AARTFC Championships at Ursinus.

He joins Salem’s Anthony Parker [25-0 indoors at Ocean Breeze], Christopher Ross of Walkill Valley [24-1 at Ursinus], Sterling’s Bright John [23-11 ½ indoors at the Ott] and South Brunswick’s Damarion Potts [23-5 ¼ in Daytona Beach] in the 23-foot club. Mainland Regional’s Josiah Williams is only a quarter of an inch shy of 23 feet with his 22-11 ¾ at Ursinus last month.

Pearson had a 23-4 ¾ with no wind gauge at the 2022 Woodbury Relays, but his wind-legal PR coming in was 22-8 ½ with a legal 1.3 at a meet in Glassboro last month. At Barton Junior College, his best jump was 22-4 ¼ indoors in Winston-Salem in December 2022.

Parker won the long jump Wednesday with a season-best 24-0 ¾, Potts jumped 23-6 ¾ for 2nd, Ross was 3rd at 23-5 ½, Pearson placed 7th and John was 8th with a 23-0. All were legal except Potts’ 23-6 ¾ on his only jump that got a mark.

Parker, Ross, John and Potts are all among the top 15 in NCAA Division 3.