From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Nico Morales isn’t done with the pole vault just yet.

Morales, the greatest pole vaulter South Jersey has ever produced, competed in his first post-graduate meet recently and vaulted within two inches of his indoor PR.

Morales, competing unattached after graduating from Rutgers in the spring, cleared 17-4 ½ at the Vandervilt Invitational, placing 2^nd to Tennessee senior Blake Sifferlin, who cleared 17-8 ½.

Morales, a Delsea gradaute, has an indoor PR of 17-6 ½ from Boston this past February. His lifetime best is 17-9 in Piscataway this past April.

Morales passed through 16-8 ¾ and cleared 17-0 ¾ on his 1^st attempt and 17-4 ½ on his 2^nd attempt before taking three jumps at 17-8 ½.

South Jersey’s only other 17-footer is Morales’ former teammate, Noah Kriesman of Cherry Hill East, who cleared 17-3 ½ in Columbia, S.C., in April of 2024.

Morales ranks 5^th in state history on the all-time New Jersey alumni list, behind Bradley Jelmert of Watchung Hills, who cleared a state-record 18-10 ¼ in Albuquerque last month; former Rutgers teammate Kevin O’Sullivan of Hillsborough, who cleared 18-2 ½ at the Ott Center last month; and former Rutgers teammate Kevin O’Sullivan, also from Hillsborough, who cleared 18-0 ¾ in Tampa this past April.

Cinnaminson’s Austin Gabay ran a big indoor 800 PR this weekend in Indianapolis. Gabay, a Butler senior, ran 1:50.62 at the Fairgrounds Invitational at Fall Creek Pavilion at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

Gabay hasn’t run many 800s, but his previous indoor PR was 1:52.11 from last January at the same meet. He has a 1:50.41 outdoors from this past April in Allendale, Mich.

Gabay’s time is 7^th-fastest in the Big East Conference so far this season.

Gabay PR’d with a 3:59.19 mile a year ago this month in Boston, and he’s now PR’d in the 800 and 3,000 this winter. He ran 7:56.98 in Boston in December.

Gabay is running a mile in Boston this weekend at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational at Boston University.

Rowan freshman David Brown from Edison took over the NCAA Division 3 high jump lead from teammate Jamile Gantt at Ocean Breeze this past weekend.

Brown became Rowan’s 3^rd 7-footer and 1^st in eight years when he cleared 7-0 ½ at the Fastrack National Invite.

His clearance puts him in a tie for 20^th-best in NCAA Division 3 history. He’s the first Division 3 high jumper over seven feet in nine years, since James Willingham of Louisiana College cleared 7-0 ¼ at a meet in Lake Charles, La., in 2017. He’s the first D-3 freshman to clear 7-0 ½ or better since Rowan’s Jeffrey Jon Tucker from Eastern in a meet in Winston-Salem in February 2015.

Brown had a PR of 6-10 in high school from his win at the state Group 4 meet at the Bubble this past February. He cleared 6-8 ¼ in his first meet for Rowan at Ocean Breeze last month, then PR’d with a 6-11 at the Armory a week later.

At Ocean Breeze on Friday, he cleared 6-6 ¾, 6-8 ¾ and 6-10 ¾ on his first attempt before getting over the bar at 6-0 ½ on his 2^nd attempt. He took three tries at 7-2 ½, which would eclipsed Rowan’s overall program record of 7-2 ¼ set by Tucker at the 2018 Penn Relays.

Note that the official results show Brown clearing 7-0 ¾, but his clearance came at 2.15 meters, which converts to 7.053806 feet, which equals 7 feet and 0.645672 inches, which rounds to half an inch, not three quarters of an inch.

Rowan sophomore Noah Wampole PR’d at 6-10 ¾ for 2^nd place and tied for 2^nd-best in NCAA Division 3 with Rowan junior Jamile Gantt of Paulsboro, who did not compete Friday.

Rowan junior Isaiah Davenport from Pleasantville matched his PR, clearing 6-8 ¾ for the 2^ndstraight meet. He’s now tied for 8^th in Division 3 along with freshman Jayden DeLeon of Rutgers-Camden and Highland.

Another Rowan jumper, junior Arrington Rhym, cleared 6-8 ¾ earlier this season and is also part of that tie for the No. 8 spot.

So overall Rowan is sitting at No. 1, =No. 2, =No. 2, =No. 8, =No. 8 in the high jump. Another Rowan high jumper, Damarion Potts, has a 6-8 ¼ to his credit but not yet this year.

It’s impossible to jump exactly 7-0 in an NCAA Meet because 2.13 meters is 6-11 ¾ and 2.14 meters is 7-0 ¼ and competitors can only have the bar set at metric heights.

7-0 ½ … David Brown [Edison], 2026
7-0 ½ … Jeffrey Jon Tucker [Delsea], 2015
7-0 ¼ … Harrison Escoffery [], 2018

Pennsauken has another sprinter among the state leaders. Senior Sanaya Dupree joined Sianni Wynn in the New Jersey top-10 at 55 meters with a big PR 7.19 Monday night at Ocean Breeze.

Dupree matched her PR of 7.35 in the trials and then dropped to 7.19 in winning the final. That’s 9^th-fastest in New Jersey this year and 3^rd-fastest among South Jersey sprinters, behind Wynn’s U.S. No. 11 6.86 at the Ott Center last month and Winslow senior Olivia Okaro’s 7.12 at Ocean Breeze in December.

Wynn and Dupree will be racing in the 55 and various other events Thursday in the Central Jersey Group 3 meet at the Bubble. Wynn is the meet record holder in the 55 with a 6.93, the 400 at 56.68 and the 55-meter hurdles with 8.10.

Haddonfield ran the 3rd-fastest 3,200-meter relay in New Jersey this year Monday at Ocean Breeze. Unfortunately, the results have disappeared from the live results site, and I only know they ran 7:56.97 because I scribbled the time down after the race. Come on, Ocean Breeze!

So no splits and no other results from the race, but based off the entry list the lineup was seniors Benjamin Andrus, Aaron Keith, Peter Simpson and Brandon Stoner.

The only faster times in New Jersey this year are Scotch Plains All-Star Program’s 7:37.96 and Woodstown’s 7:55.62, both at the Millrose Games last week at the Armory.

Haddonfield’s time is No. 14 in the U.S. this year, according to the MileSplit national databse. Haddonfield is also No. 3 nationally in the DMR with its 10:10.12 at the Ott Center last week.

This is only Haddonfield’s 3rd time under 8:00 indoors along with a 7:55.44 at the Armory in 2010 and a 7:57.56 at the Armory in 2019. The time is No. 14 in South Jersey indoors and 2nd-fastest on the all-time Camden County list behind that 7:55.44 some 16 years ago with Ben Potts, Jonathan Vitez, Matt Nussbaum and Colin Baker.

7:43.64 … Cherokee, 2012
7:45.55 … Pleasantville, 2013
7:47.50 … Kingsway, 2020
7:48.92 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2017
7:51.45 … Washington Twp., 2009
7:51.78 … Cherokee, 2000
7:52.77 … Pleasantville, 2006
7:52.95 … Willingboro, 2003
7:53.64 … Willingboro, 2002
7:54.76 … Pleasantville, 2007
7:55.40 … Washington Twp., 2008
7:55.44 … Haddonfield, 2010
7:55.62 … Woodstown, 2026
7:56.97 … Haddonfield, 2026
7:57.28 … Rancocas Valley, 2018
7:57.29 … Oakrest, 2009
7:57.56 … Haddonfield, 2019
7:58.08 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2016
7:58.5h … Willingboro, 1983
7:59.05 … Pleasantville, 2015
7:59.51 … Pleasantville, 2012
7:59.84 … Kingsway, 2014
7:59.91 … Kingsway, 2013

Nannah Nuhfer, already the South Jersey discus and outdoor shot put record holder, smashed the South Jersey indoor shot put record Monday at Ocean Breeze.

Nuhfer threw 47-6 on her 6th and final throw at the SJTCA meet, breaking the South Jersey record of 47-5 ¾ set in 2018 by Schalick’s Zyra Thomas at Armory Nationals.

Her throw is No. 13 in state history. The only superior throw in New Jersey history is Nuhfer’s South Jersey outdoor record of 47-9 at South Jersey Group 3 Sectionals this past May at Delsea.

Nuhfer started out with throws of 41-7 ½ and 41-9 ½ before a 43-8 ¼ on her final throw of the trials. She went 43-2, 44-7 ½ and 47-6 in the finals.

Her throw is No. 5 in the U.S. this winter, according to the MileSplit national database. She took over the New Jersey lead from Nesta Oji of Livingston, who threw 47-3 ½ at the Armory last month.

Oji’s older sister Jesica is No. 2 in state history with her 57-4 ½ last February at Ocean Breeze. She’s currently a Penn freshman and No. 2 in the NCAA and No. 2 American with a 60-6 ½ at the Ott Center. She’s also No. 1 world junior.

57-5 ½ … Alyssa Wilson [Donovan Catholic], 2017
57-4 ½ … Jessica Oji [Livingston], 2025
54-7 ½ … Nicolette Dunbar [Whippany Park], 2016
51-9 ½ … Nicole Sims [Plainfield], 1991
50-2 … Shelby Bigsby [Montclair], 2018
49-10 … Jessica Molina [Westwood], 2015
48-6 ½ … Kelly Fazekas [Northern Valley], 2003
48-6 ½ … Julia Santos [Toms River South], 2025
48-0 ¾ … Theresa Picciallo [Immaculate Heart], 2012
47-8 ½ … Danielle Notarfrancesco [Jackson Liberty], 2016
47-6 … Taryn O’Connor [Hillsborough], 2007
47-6 … Fidele Jules [Red Bank Catholic], 2016
47-6 … Hannah Nuhfer [Delsea], 2026
47-5 ¾ … Zyra Thomas [Schalick], 2018
47-5 ½ … Kim Hicks [Plainfield], 1992
47-3 ¼ … Nesta Oji [Livingston], 2026
47-2 … DeAnne Hahn [Brick Twp.], 2007
47-0 … Jessica Hudgins [Hightstown], 2001

UConn freshman Jaidah Garrett from Absegami is the top freshman long jumper in the big East after an indoor PR 19-5 ½ in a meet at Harvard’s Gordon Track and Tennis Center in Cambridge, Mass.

Garrett, from Galloway Township, had an indoor PR of 18-10 ½ in high school from her win at the state Group 3 meet at the Bubble this past May. Her lifetime best is 19-7 ¾ with legal wind when she placed 6th at West Philly Nationals in June.

Garrett is 5th overall in the Big East. UConn has six of the top 10 jumpers in the conference, including four freshmen. She’s also 8th overall in the NCAA Division 1 Northeast Regional and No. 1 freshman also in the region.

Only 10 South Jersey women have reached 20 feet in the long jump, so Garrett is 4 ¼ inches from that plateau. Of that group, two are from Atlantic County. Shameka Marshall from Hamilton Township and Oakcrest jumped 22-1 in Des Moines, Iowa, in 2010 and Asia Young from Pleasantville Holy Spirit went 20-6 in Tucson in 2019.

Rider junior Maddie Dischert from Atlantic City is on quite a roll, with PRs in the mile, 3,000 and 5,000 in the last couple weeks and all-time top-10 Rider performances in all three events.

After running 9:53.38 for 3,000 at the Ott Center two weeks ago and 16:59.86 for 5,000 meters in Boston last week, Dischert ran a 4:58.17 mile this weekend at the Armory.

Her PRs before those three races were 10:13.21 at Ocean Breeze in January 2024, 17:45.09 in Boston also in January 2024 and 4:59.54 last month at the Armory.

With her three new PRs, Dischert is now No. 5 in Rider history in the 3,000, No. 3 in the 5,000 and No. 8 in the mile.

Click to access All_Time_Top_10_-_Indoor_WOMEN.pdf

She’s now No. 6 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in the mile, No. 4 in the 3,000 and No. 4 in the 5,000.

The Rider women shoot for their 4th straight team title at the MAAC Championships at the Armory Feb. 21-22.

Big meet Friday for Rowan’s Denirah Jones from Woodbury at the Scarlet Knight Open.

Jones ran a 60 PR of 7.80, 3rd-fastest among NCAA Division 3 freshman and 4th-fastest in Rowan history. She also long jumped 17-11, 9th-best among Division 3 freshmen and one inch off her PR.

She now ranks 2nd in the NJAC in both the 60 and long jump. TCNJ senior Lucia Garcia-Beltran of Hopewell Valley, a Rutgers transfer, ran 7.63 at the Armory earlier this month. Stockton’s Elaina Styer from Ocean City is No. 1 in the long jump with he 18-0 ½ at Ocean Breeze in December.

Jones ran 7.80 in the prelims, lowering her PR from 7.81 from two weeks ago in Lewisburg, Pa. That 7.80 is fastest by a Rowan woman since Aaniyah Robinson from Passaic Tech ran 7.77 when she won the 2018 NJAC Championships at Ocean Breeze.

That 60 was won by Rutgers sophomore Naylah Jones of Timber Creek, who ran 7.56. She’s gone 7.51 this year and has a lifetime best of 7.47 from senior year of high school at 2024 Boston Nationals.

In the long jump, Jones had four jumps over 17 feet, including a 17-8 ¼ and 17-6 ¾ in addition to her indoor PR 17-11.

Jones’ previous college PR was a 16-10 ¾ from Ocean Breeze in December. She had a wind-legal 18-0 at Woodbury at the 2025 Meet of Champions at Pennsauken.

Alabama freshman Alexander Osayemi from Clayton raced to an indoor PR Saturday in Albuquerque, covering 400 meters in 46.80 at the New Mexico Collegiate Classic.

Osayemi’s previous indoor PR was a 47.20 at Clemson two weeks earlier. His high school indoor PR was 48.57 in March at the Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze.

He went on to run 46.08 outdoors and set a Meet of Champions record at Pennsauken. That remains his overall PR.

His time is 10th-fastest in NCAA Division 1 by a freshman and 5th-fastest among SEC freshmen.

Osayemi’s time is well below the B standard of 47.50 for the U.S. Championships at Ocean Breeze Feb. 28-March 1. The A standard is 46.00.

Osayemi’s 46.08 makes him the 8th-fastest 400 runner ever from South Jersey and 2nd-fastest from Gloucester County, behind Woodbury’s Darrell Bush, who ran 45.49 in Tucson in 2015.