From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Junior Samuel Agbessi from Sterling and sophomore Angel Gonzalez from Triton had big 400-meter hurdles races for Rowan at different meets on Saturday.

Agbessi ran 52.93 at the Embry Riddle Invitational in Daytona Beach, Fla., just off his lifetime-best 52.82 from a meet in Chester, Pa., last May. His high school PR at Sterling was a 55.06 when he placed 2^nd at the state 2023 Group 2 meet at Delsea.

Agbessi’s time makes him No. 8 in NCAA Division 3 so far this year. This was his first 400 hurldes race since he ran that 52.82.

At the Ursinus Springfest in Collegeville, Pa., Gonzalez dropped a PR 54.02, lowering his collegiate PR nearly 1 ½ seconds from a 55.47 from a meet last year in Collegeville. He’s now No. 17 in NCAA Division 3. Gonzalez did run a 55.31 at Triton in a meet at Delsea in May 2024.

Another Rowan sophomore, Jordan Lawton of Passaic County Tech, ran 54.90 at Ursinus. His PR is 54.08 from a meet last April in Atlanta, and freshman Ashraf Maklache from Cherry Hill East ran 55.23 at Ursinus in his first college race.

Agbessi, Gonzalez and Lawton are ranked 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th in the NJAC and Maklache is 6^th and the No. 1 freshman. TCNJ’s Nate Adams from Middlesex High ran 52.55 in Atlanta two weeks ago.

Alabama freshman Alexander Osayemi from Clayton ran a 45.47 anchor leg for Alabama on the 3rd-fastest 4-by-4 in college track this year.

Alabama placed 3rd at the Battle on the Bayou in Baton Rouge Saturday in 3:01.64 behind LSU’s 3:01.43 and Texas A&M’s 3:01.62. Those are the three-fastest times in college track this year, and they came out of the same race.

Mouatez Sikiou from Algeria, Tarsis Orogot from Uganda and David Thid from Sweden ran the first three legs for Alabama, setting up Osayemi’s anchor leg.

Because only Osayemi is American, the performance is not eligible for 2026 or all-time U.S. performance lists. It is No. 8 in the world this year on the World Athletics performance list. LSU and Texas A&M are 4th and 7th in the world.

The 3:01.64 is No. 8 in Alabama history. Unfortunately, Alabama is not scheduled to race at the Penn Relays.

On Friday, Osayemi ran a lifetime-best 51.09 in the 400-meter hurdles, fastest by a Crimson Tide freshman in at least 17 years. You can read about that performance here.

 

Elexis Swen, who had a high school 400 PR of 61.77 at Highland, is now No. 1 on the JUCO Division 3 performance list.

Swen, a sophomore at Camden County College in Gloucester Township, ran a big PR 59.07 at the Osprey Invitational in Galloway Township Saturday. She placed 2nd overall but 1st among current college athletes. Former Temple runner Chidumga Nkulume from Union won the race in 58.61.

Swen’s previous PR was a 59.67 a week earlier at Widener and that was her first time under a minute. Her fastest time as a freshman was 1:00.67 in Newark, Del., last April. She went on to earn NJCAA All-America honors at the Division 3 Nationals in Utica, N.Y.

Daniel Givens of Ocean City, a Lehigh senior, hit a big triple jump PR of 47-4 ¼ Saturday in Princeton.

Givens placed 3rd at the Sam Howell Invitational at Weaver Stadium, eclipsing his previous PR of 46-0 ½ from a dual meet last April in Easton. Givens’ 47-4 ¼ was aided by a 2.2 meters-per-second wind, so not eligible for records or all-time lists. He also had a 46-0 ¾ that was wind-aided and a 45-10 ¾ that was legal.

The TFRRS performance lists include all marks, and Givens is ranked 3rd in the Patriot League and only 1 ½ inches behind conference co-leaders Brayden Irhuegbae of Boston University and Caleb Simbiri of Bucknell, who both jumped 47-5 ¾ last weekend, Irhugegbae in San Marcos, Texas, Simbiri in Raleigh, N.C.

Givens had a high school PR of 43-9 from 2022 South Jersey Group 3 sectionals at Delsea.

Givens has a long jump PR of 22-2 ¼ from a meet at the Armory in February 2023. He jumped a wind-aided 22-0 ¾ at Shippensburg last month.

Big day in the shot at Weaver Stadium Saturday for Princeton freshman Anthony Liakhnovich of Hammonton and Rider sophomore Damere Lassiter from Glassboro.

Liakhnovich placed 2nd in the shot at the Sam Howell Invitational with an outdoor PR 57-0, not far off his lifetime-best 58-5 ¼ from the Ott Center in February. His previous outdoor best throw was a 54-4 ½ last weekend, also at Princeton.

And Lassiter threw 52-6 ¾, the top mark in the Metro Atlantic Conference so far this outdoor season. Lassiter was also not far off his PR of 52-10 last April at the Penn Relays.

In the discus, Liakhnovich placed 5th with a 161-0, U. Mass Lowell grad student Ian Camerato of Lenape was 6th at 158-11, inches off his PR of 159-3 from a home meet in Lowell last April – that’s 3rd-best in school history – and Lassiter PR’d at 141-11.

Lassiter is No. 5 in Rider history with his 52-10 outdoors, and he’s No. 6 indoors at 52-9 ¼.

Huge breakthrough performance for Rutgers sophomore Ryan Merlino of Oakcrest in winning the pole vault at the Sam Howell Invitational at Princeton’s Weaver Stadium.

Merlino, who had just PR’d at 16-8 ¼ last week in Orlando, cleared 17-7 ¼ on his 1st attempt, Saturday, a wild 11-inch personal best.

That’s the 2nd-best clearance ever by a South Jersey vaulter, behind only his former Rutgers teammate, Delsea’s Nico Morales, who cleared 18-0 at the Big Ten Championships in Eugene last May.

Merlino is now 4th in Rutgers outdoor history behind the Sullivan brothers of Hillsborough – Brian at 18-2 ½ from two weeks ago in Tampa and Kevin 18-1 from last April in Tampa – and Morales at 18-0.

He’s also now No. 8 in state history in the all-time New Jersey alumni list I put togther. If you see anybody missing who’s cleared 17-0 and attended high school in New Jersey let me know!

Noah Kriesman of Cherry Hill East is 5th on that all-time Rutgers list at 17-3 ½ from Columbia, S.C., in April 2024. He hasn’t competed since Jan. 30, at the Ott Center but hopefully he’s back soon.

Including indoor marks, Kevin Sullivan is No. 1 in Rutgers history at 18-6 ½ from Fayetteville this past February, Brian Sullivan is No. 2 at 18-5 ½ from the Armory in February, Morales is 3rd and Merlino 4th.

At Princeton Saturday, Merlino entered at 15-11 ¾ and cleared on his 1st try, then had a miss at 16-3 ½ before 1st-jump clearances at 16-7 ½, 16-11 ½, 17-1 ½, 17-5 ½ and 17-7 ¼. He took three jumps at 17-9 ¼, which would have broken the meet record of 17-8 ½ set in 2016 by Princeton’s Adam Bragg from El Toro, Calif.

The clearances at 16-11 ½, 17-1 ½, 17-5 ½ and 17-7 ¼ were all personal bests.

Merlino is now No. 19 in NCAA Division 1. He’s No. 5 in the Big Ten Conference.

All-Time New Jersey Alumni Pole Vault List
18-10 ¼ … Bradley Jelmert [Watchung Hills], Jan. 24, 2026, Albuquerque
18-6 ½ … Kevin O’Sullivan [Hillsborough], Feb. 13, 2026, Fayetteville, Ark.
18-5 ½ … Brian O’Sullivan [Hillsborough], Feb. 28, 2026, Indianapolis, Ind.
18-0 … Nico Morales [Delsea], May 16, 2025, Eugene, Ore.
17-10 ½ … Craig Hunter [Robbinsville], June 8, 2016, Eugene, Ore.
17-9 … Kevin McGuire [Lawrenceville], May 26, 1993, Fairfax, Va.
17-8 ½ … Steve Keating [Pompton Lakes], June 12, 1993, Los Gatos, Calif.
17-7 ¼ … Ryan Merlino [Oakcrest], April 4, 2026, Princeton
17-6 ½ … Adam Sarafian [Ocean Township], Jan. 28, 2006, Reno, Nev.
17-4 ½ … Ed Keefe [St. John Vianney], Feb. 17, 2002, Syracuse
17-3 ½ … Noah Kriesman [Cherry Hill East], Columbia, S.C., 2024
17-2 ½ … Christian Mazza [Toms River East], Feb. 23, 2003, Syracuse
17-0 ¾ … Chris Wykoff [Toms River East], May 25, 2013, Greensboro, N.C.
17-0 … Bill Lange [Bridgewater East], 1980, Hanover, N.H.

Jabari Woodard, a junior at Camden County Tech, turned in an unthinkable four-foot triple jump PR Saturday at the College of New Jersey Open in Ewing.

Woodard jumped 47-1 to win the triple jump by more than 5 ½ feet.

His previous PR was 43-1 ½ this past May at South Jersey Group 3 Sectionals at Delsea. He did not compete indoors, so this was his first meet since June, when he high jumped only at West Philly Nationals.

Woodard’s 47-1 is No. 2 in New Jersey so far this year, behind only junior Brendan Alef of Demarest, who jumped 47-10 ½ last week in a meet in Hasbrouck Heights.

Just like that Woodard is No. 24 in South Jersey history and No. 10 in Camden County history with the best jump by a Camden County athlete in four years, since Timber Creek’s Jaden Johnson jumped 47-7 ½.

Woodard began his three-jump series with a PR 46-9 and after a 44-10 1/2 he hit his 47-1 on his final jump. He averaged 46-4 1/2 per jump, more than three feet beyond his previous PR.

Woodard also cleared 6-0 in the high jump. He PR’d with a 6-2 at Lenape Field Day last April.

All-Time South Jersey Triple Jump List
50- 9 ¼ … Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], 2018
50- 6 ¾ …. Dominique Irons [Haddon Heights], 2013
50- 2 ½ … Floyd Whitaker [Highland], 2019
48-10 ½ … Larry Russell [Timber Creek], 2015
48-9 … Zamir Chance [Bridgeton], 2025
48-4 ½ … Rece Englehart [Moorestown], 2024
48- 3 ¼ … Ryan Chance [Glassboro], 2009
48- 1 ½ … Mubeen Momodu [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2019
48- 1 ¼ ……Orion Joyner [Kingsway], 2019
48- 0 ………. Josh Butler [Delsea], 2006
47- 9 ¼ … Marcus Edghilll [Pemberton], 1981
47- 7 ½ … Mikhail Micheaux [Eastern], 2014
47-7 ½ … Jaden Johnson [Timber Creek], 2022
47- 6 ½ … Chris Roundtree [Haddon Hts.], 2009
47- 5 ½ … Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], 2017
47- 5 ¼ … Kevin Kevelier [Collingswood], 2019
47- 5 ……… Steven Brown [Penns Grove], 2009
47- 4 ¾ … Cheo King [Woodbury], 2017
47- 4 ½ … Zakiyy Williams [Rancocas Valley], 2017
47- 4 ……… Tristan Wilson [Delsea], 2014
47- 3 ¼ … Antwan Dickerson [Pennsauken], 2013
47- 3 ……… Mike Baker [Cherry Hill West], 1976
47-2 ½ ……. Josiah Williams [Mainland Reg.], 2025
47-1 ………. Jabari Woodard [Camden Tech], 2026
47-0 ………. Mawali Osunniyi [Mainland Reg.], 2023
47- 0 ¼ … Earnest Daniel [Kingsway], 2017

Pennsauken sophomore Hope Edwards, competing for Haiti, placed 2nd in the 400-meter hurdles Sunday in the Under-17 age group at the CARIFTA Games at Kirani James Stadium in St. George’s, Grenada.

CARIFTA, the Caribbean Free Trade Association Games, is an annual junior track championships featuring athletes from – or with parents from – various Caribbean countries.

Edwards won the 1st of two sections of the 400-meter hurdles in 1:02.48. She was bumped for the title by Jamaica’s Alyssa Carty, who ran 1:01.84 in the second section.

Edwards was the No. 3 freshman in the country last year while attending Moorestown with a 1:00.32 at West Philly Nationals. Her 1:02.48 is 2nd-fastest all-time at Pennsauken, behind Sianni Wynn’s 1:01.55 at the 2024 BCSL meet at Pennsauken.

This was Edwards’ first outdoor race this year and her first 400 hurdles race since her 1:00.32 at West Philly Nationals in June.

Her time is 4th-fastest in New Jersey this year behind Eastern senior Natalie Dumas [59.96], Atlantic County Tech junior Brianna Growalt [1:01.83] and Winslow sophomore Jasmine Jackson [1:02.37], who placed 1st through 3rd at the Spartan Relays Saturday in Deptford.

Big horizontal jumps double for Glassboro sophomore Moses Robles to open the outdoor season.

Robles jumped 22-1 and 45-11 ½ at the Deptford Spartan Relays, the top marks in both jumps by South Jersey athletes so far this spring. State-wide, Robles ranks 5th in the long jump and 3rd in the triple jump and 1st in both among sophomores.

Robles had a 44-10, a 45-7 ½ and a 45-11 ½ in his triple jump series and a 21-7 in addition to his 22-1 in his long jump series.

Robles jumped 21-3 ¼ and 44-5 ½ last spring and then improved to 23-4 and 46-4 ½ indoors, the 23-4 when he won Easterns and set a South Jersey sophomore record at the Armory and the 46-4 ½ at the Ott Center. He is No. 3 in Gloucester County history indoors in the long jump and No. 5 in the triple jump.

Last weekend, freshman Dakota Jones from Washington Township lowered the NJIT hurdles record from 14.78 down to 14.69. On Saturday, she dropped it another half second.

Jones ran a huge PR of 14.16 in the trials of the 100-meter hurdles at the Sam Howell Invitational at Princeton’s Weaver Stadium with a legal tailwind of 1.7 meters per second.

So she’s now lowered the school record 62-100ths of a second in the span of a week.

That’s No. 3 in the America East Conference behind two women from UMBC.

Jones placed 5th in the final in 14.27.

The 14.16 was also a lifetime best. Jones’ PR at Washington Township was 14.41, which she ran this past May at South Jersey Group 4 Sectionals at Pennsauken, where she placed 4th.