From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Paul VI senior Giovanna Mantuano dipped under 11 minutes for the first time and Cherry Hill East sophomore Addison Weiss wasn’t far behind in the mixed 3,200 at the SJTCA meet at the Ott Center on Monday.

Mantuano ran a PR 10:59.61 and Weiss was just behind her with a PR 11:03.97.

Mantuano ran 11:07.24 at the Meet of Champions in May 2024 at Pennsauken, and her indoor PR was 11:37.08 from January 2024 in a meet at Ocean Breeze. Weiss didn’t have a previous best as this was the first 3,200 she’s ever run indoors or outdoors.

Their times are No. 4 and 5 in South Jersey this year, behind Holy Cross senior Julia Flanagan [10:38.95], Ocean City sophomore Riley Tolson [10:55.99] and Audubon senior Riley Fayer [10:57.28] . Four South Jersey girls under 11 minutes equals the most ever in one year.

Mantuano fell a fraction of a second shy of the Paul VI indoor record of 10:59.26 from Ocean Breeze in 2024. Weiss’s time is also No. 2 in school history, behind only Theresa Cattuna’s 10:42.42 at the 2007 state Group 4 meet at the Bubble.

Also under 11:30 at the Ott were Cherokee sophomore Erin Healy [11:18.02], Mainland Regional senior Emma Preissman [PR 11:24.56], Cherry Hill East junior Ryleigh Budsock [PR 11:25.87] and Egg Harbor Township junior Meghan Johnson [PR 11:28.92].

All-Time Camden County 3,200-Meter Run List
10:38.11 … Megan Venables [Highland], 2011
10:38.90 … Erin Donohue [Haddonfield], 2001
10:40.80 … Briana Gess [Haddonfield], 2017
10:42.06 … Holly Bischof [Bishop Eustace], 2012
10:42.42 … Theresa Cattuna [Cherry Hill East], 2007
10:48.78 … Shelby Cain [Haddonfield], 2014
10:49.12 … Madison Coppolino [Sterling], 2017
10:49.46 … Alyssa Condell [Timber Creek], 2016
10:53.89y … Sarah Naticchia [Haddonfield], 2020
10:55.29y … Ann Klocke [Bishop Eustace], 1996
10:57.28 … Riley Fayer [Audubon], 2026
10:57.95 … Katy Storti [Bishop Eustace], 2019
10:59.02 … Catherine Van Horn [Triton], 2005
10:59.26 … Shaelan McNally [Paul VI], 2024
10:59.61 … Giovanna Mantuano [Paul VI], 2026
11:02.02 … Jenn Rawls [Highland], 2009
11:03.97 … Addison Weiss [Cherry Hill East], 2026
11:04.46 … Ava Thomas [Haddonfield], 2023
11:06.95 … Sarah Pierce [Cherry Hill East], 2017
11:07.63 … Vanessa Wright [Haddonfield], 2004

Benjamin Andrus’s 4:13.49 anchor led Haddonfield to the 2nd-fastest indoor DMR in South Jersey history Wednesday evening at the Ott Center.

Haddonfield ran 10:10.12 and placed 3rd in a very fast distance medley at the La Salle Winter Series Boys Relay Night.

The race produced the seven-fastest times in the U.S. so far this year according to the MileSplit database, with all seven running sub-10:15.

Senior Peter Simpson led off in 3:08.18 for the 1,200, junior Jack Brand split 50.90 for two laps and senior randon Stoner ran 1:57.56 on the 800 leg setting up Andrus, who was out in 2:07.08 and came back in 2:03.77, closing in 60.33 for his final 400.

North Penn of Towamencin Township, Montgomery County, won the race in 10:08.88, and La Salle College High of Springfield, Montgomery County, was 2nd in 10:08.98 on a 4:09.07 anchor by Justin Landis.

Haddonfield missed the South Jersey and school record by less than half a second. When they won 2009 Armory Nationals, Haddonfield’s Colin Baker, Jordan Harris, Ben Potts and Jonathan Vitez ran 10:09.78.

Haddonfield’s 10:10.12 is No. 19 on the all-time New Jersey DMR list.

Cherokee ran 10:46.36, with junior Ben Realley leading off in 3:15.76, senior Mateo Rosario splitting 52.62, senior Dominic Pileri running 2:07.13 and junior Sean Sooey anchoring in 4:30.85.

Cinnaminson was also sub-11 minutes in 10:53.65 with junior Edward Abu-Adas out in 3:23.54, senior Victor Bastos running 53.14, junior Dylan Burk 2:08.13 and senior Jacob Wickersham anchoring in 4:29.03.

All-Time New Jersey DMR List
9:53.40 … Ridge, 2022
9:55.12 … Union Catholic, 2022
10:01.92 … Westfield, 2024
10:02.99 … Christian Brothers Academy, 2011
10:03.98 … River Dell, 2016
10:04.77 … West Windsor-Plainsboro North, 2011
10:05.21 … Christian Brothers Academy, 2025
10:06.06 … Morris Hills, 2009
10:07.21 … West Windsor-Plainsboro North, 2009
10:07.66 … Colts Neck, 2025
10:07.80 … Westfield, 2025
10:08.58 … Delbarton, 2023
10:08.72 … Bernards, 2025
10:08.80 … Christian Brothers Academy, 2012
10:09.78 … Haddonfield, 2010
10:09.82 … Christian Brothers Academy, 2024
10:10.08 … St. Benedict’s Prep, 2012
10:10.11 … St. Benedict’s Prep, 2011
10:10.12 … Haddonfield, 2026
10:10.20 … Ridge, 2024
10:10.78 … Christian Brothers Academy, 2013
10:10.95 … Don Bosco Prep, 2014
10:11.61 … Haddonfield A, 2025
10:11.61 … Union Catholic, 2023

All-Time South Jersey DMR List
10:09.78 … Haddonfield, 2010
10:10.12 … Haddonfield, 2026
10:11.61 … Haddonfield, 2025
10:12.42 … Haddonfield, 2016
10:16.32 … Cherokee, 2002
10:16.60 … Haddonfield, 2002
10:17.97 … Ocean City, 2011
10:19.24 … Haddonfield, 2009
10:21.11 … Haddonfield, 2011
10:21.38 … Haddon Township, 2015
10:21.80 … Cinnaminson, 2023
10:22.2y … Williamstown, 1974
10:22.85 … Eastern, 2016
10:23.52 … Haddonfield, 2015
10:23.54 … Haddonfield, 2003
10:28.30 … Kingsway, 2020
10:28.59 … Cherokee, 2020
10:29.39 … Bishop Eustace, 2013
10:29.9y … Cherry Hill East, 1975

Audubon senior Riley Fayer, Ocean City sophomore Riley Tolson and Paul VI junior Grace Gutowski ran three of the six-fastest 1,600s in South Jersey this year Monday night at the Ott Center.

Fayer won the race in 5:04.68, an indoor PR, Tolson was 2nd in a lifetiem-best 5:06.40 and Gutowski took 3rd in 5:07.27, a season-best.

They now rank 3rd, 4th and 6th in South Jersey this year.

Fayer ran negative splits of 2:34.37 and 2:30.31, closing in 73.26. Tolson also negatived, out in 2:34.55 and 2:31.85, as did Gutowski, who split 2:34.35 and 2:32.92.

Fayer is No. 2 in New Jersey Group 1 and fastest South Jersey Group 1 miler since Haddonfield Olympian Erin Donohue ran 4:51.15 in Landover, Md., in March 2001.

Tolson is now No. 8 on the all-time Cape May County indoor list, which is also the all-time Ocean City list.

Also under 5:20 were Mainland, who ran a PR 5:11.48 for 4th, Cherokee senior Sofia Recinto PR’d at 5:15.57, closing in 35.45 and 74.59, and Cherokee senior Maya Kumar, who also PR’d with a 5:19.96.

All-Time Cape May County List
4:49.11 … Renee Tomlin [Ocean City], 2005
4:51.57y … Maeve Smith [Ocean City], 2025
4:54.71 … Megan Hartman [Ocean City], 1994
4:55.41 … Brittany Sedberry [Ocean City], 2004
5:02.43y… Bridgett Flynn [Ocean City], 2014
5:03.57y … Devon Grisbaum [Ocean City], 2015
5:04.40 … Carly Godfrey [Ocean City], 2026
5:06.40 … Riley Tolson [Ocean City], 2026
5:08.37 … Chloe Care [Ocean City], 2025

Gutowski is already 9th-fastest in Camden County history with her 5:03.00 from Virginia Beach Nationals last March.

All-Time Camden County List
4:49.46y … Erin Donohue [Haddonfield], 2001
4:51.60 … Briana Gess [Haddonfield], 2016
4:52.11y … Dylan Hosty [Haddonfield], 2026
4:52.90 … Shaelan McNally [Paul VI], 2024
4:55.04y … Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2010
4:56.87 … Macy Huber [Paul VI], 2025
5:01.96 … Grace Wassell [Highland], 2022
5:02.21 … Shelby Cain [Haddonfield], 2014
5:03.00 … Grace Gutowski [Paul VI], 2025
5:03.82 … Allison Colflesh [Haddonfield], 2020

Floyd Whitaker was listed as a senior last year when he placed 2nd in the triple jump at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, so we assumed his college career was over. But he’s back at Oklahoma and has taken his rightful spot once again among the top collegiate triple jumpers and top American jumpers.

Whitaker, a Highland graduate and Minnesota transfer, has jumped at least 53-8 in three of his four meets so far, including an indoor PR 53-9 ¾ in a meet in Norman, Olka.

That makes him No. 13 in the world this year and tied for No. 1 among Americans with teammate and 2024 outdoor NCAA champion Brandon Green, who jumped 53-9 ¾ in the same meet Whitaker did.

The 53-9 ¾ is an indoor PR for Whitaker, topping his previous mark of 52-3 ¼, which he hit in Lubbock in February 2024 and again last January in Norman.

It’s also just half an inch from his lifetime-best 53-10 ¼ from his 2nd-place finish at NCAAs in June.

He finished 2nd at nationals to Green, who has the indoor school record with his 55-3 ½ at SECs last February in College Station.

Whitaker competed indoors in 2022 for Minnesota and in 2023, 2024 and 2025 for Oklahoma, but he only competed in one indoor meet as a true freshman – the Jack Johnson Classic, which he won at 51-5 ½ – and he’s listed as competing unattatched in that meet, so that apparently gave him this year of indoor eligibiity.

Whitaker competed outdoors in 2022 for Minnesota but did not compete at all outdoors in 2023 before resurfacing in Norman for 2024 indoors. So it looks like he used outdoor eligibility seasons in 2022, 2024 and 2025, which should afford him one more year outdoors this spring.

Whitaker’s 53-10 ¼ is the best jump ever by South Jersey athlete, topping a 53-6 ½ by Shawnee graduate Greg Foster Sr. in Flagstaff, Ariz., in May 1988. It’ 3rd among New Jersey jumpers, behind Norm Tate of East Orange, who jumped 54-9 ½ in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1970, and Piscataways Eric Bethea, who jumped 54-7 ½ in Austin in 2019.

Burlington Township senior Laila Fairweather raced into the all-time Burlington County top 10, and Ocean City junior Carly Godfrey broke the Cape May County record in a hot 400-meter dash Monday evening at the SJTCA Meet at the Ott Center.

Fairweather won the race in 57.36 and Godfrey was just behind in 57.58. Fairweather’s time is No. 9 in Burlington County history indoors and a school record. Godfrey broke the Cape May County record of 57.80 set by Ocean City’s Sophia Curtis at 2024 South Jersey Group 3 Sectionals at the Bubble.

Their times are No. 14 and 18 in New Jersey this year and No. 5 and 8 in South Jersey.

Fairweather ran 57.12 outdoors last year when she won the Central Jersey Group 3 sectional race in Jackson. Godfrey had only run one previous 400, a 60.74 a year ago this week at the Bubble. She has PRs of 2:11.08 and 5:04.33 and ran 19:39 at Holmdel. She also owns the Cape May County indoor 800 record with her 2:14.13 at Ocean Breeze last month. Crazy range!

Also under 60 were Haddonfield senior Riley Austin, who was 3rd in 58.81, and Rancocas Valley senior Rhyann Roseboro, who ran 59.41.

Here’s a look at the all-time Burlington County indoor 400 top-10 list:

54.24 … Okechi Ogbuokiri [Willingboro], 2003
55.19 … Michelle Brown [Seneca], 2008
55.21 … Aliyah Taylor [Rancocas Valley], 2017
55.52 … Nester Wea [Willingboro], 2025
56.76 … Simone Thomas [Willingboro], 2003
56.85 … Emily Duffey [Lenape], 2012
57.14 … Danielle Myricks [Willingboro], 2001
57.36 … Shakirah Rutherford [Willingboro], 1999
57.36 … Laila Fairweather [Burlington Twp.], 2026
57.37 … Courtney Foster [Cherokee], 2013

St. Joe’s Crystal Benito is the 2^nd-fastest freshman 400 runner ni the Atlantic 10 after her indoor PR 57.19 Sunday at the Ott Center.

Benito placed 5^th in the 400 at the Penn Invitational in the same race that Washington Township graduate Dylan Giloley ran 56.30 to break the Rider indoor 400 record.

Benito never ran indoor track in high school. She ran 61.91 at the Ott early last month in her first lifetime indoor race, then dropped to 59.09 again at the Ott in her 2^nd indoor race. So that 57.19 was a nearly two-second indoor PR for Benito.

Reagan Garibaldi of Rhode Island leads the Atlantic 10 with a 56.10 from Boston University last month, and she’s the only faster feshman in the conference. Overall, Benito is 8^th-fastest in the A-10 this year.

According to St. Joe’s web site, that 57.19 is 5^th-fastest in St. Joe’s history and fastest in seven years, since Caroline Duffy of Methacton High in Worcester Township, Montgomery County, Pa., set the school-record 54.86 at 2019 ECACs at Boston University.

Benito ran within 2-100ths of a second of the St. Joe’s freshman record of 57.17 set at Ocean Breeze in 2016 by Kelly Liebel of Ephrata, Pa.

Benito ran her outdoor PR 56.50 at Delsea this past May. She won the County Open, placed 2^nd in South Jersey Group 1 Sectionals at Pennsauken and 3^rd at states in Somerest. Benito also ran 2:18.87 at Maple Shade, but she hasn’t run a college 800 yet.

Barone VanKline, a Georgian Court freshman from Florence, ran the 3^rd-fastest 60 in school history Saturday at the PLEX Shootout at Alvernia College in Reading.

After a 7.16 in the prelims, VanKline ran 7.05 in the final, lowering his PR from 7.09, which he initially ran at Ocean Breeze in his first collegiate meet and matched last month in a meet in Lancaster, Pa.

He’s Georgian Court’s fastest sprinter in six years, since Noah Roach from St. Joe’s Metuchen set the school record of 6.86 at the Armory in 2020. The only other sprinter ahead of Vankline on the all-time Georgian Court list is Charles Wolef-Fields from Wildwood Catholic, who ran 6.91 at the Armory in 2019.

TFRRS does not have a Coastal Athletic Conference performance list, but VanKline’s 7.05 ranks 24^th in NCAA Division 2 East Region. But only 5-100ths of a second out of the top 10.

VanKline was Central Jersey Group 1 champ in both the 100 and 200 last spring. He had a high school PR of 7.15 from 2024 Armory Nationals. He also long jumped 20-1 ½ in high school but hasn’t jumped yet at Georgian Court.

I didn’t realize this until just now, but when Cherry Hill East sophomore Addison Weiss ran 5:07.20 at the South Jersey Elite at the Ott Center two weeks ago, she broke a 20-year-old indoor school record.

Weiss ran 5:07.20 and placed 2^nd to Ocean City’s Carly Godfrey, who won the race in 5:04.40.

Weiss broke the school record of 5:07.47 set by Theresa Cattuna when she placed 3^rd behind Danielle Tauro of Southern Regional and Amanda Marino of Jackson at the 2006 state Group 4 meet at Princeton’s Jadwin Gym.

Cattuna holds the Cherry Hill East outdoor record of 4:59.27 from her 6^th-place finish at the 2005 Meet of Champions in South Plainfield.

Another Cherry Hill East runner, junior Ryleigh Budsock, isn’t far behind Weiss. She ran 5:11.14 in the same race at the Ott Center last month that Weiss ran 5:07.20. Weiss and Budsock are currently 3^rd and 7^th in South Jersey this year.

Weiss and Budsock will both be running the 3,200 Monday evening at the Ott Center.

Deptford senior Mason Henry cleared 15-0 for the second time this year Saturday at Ocean Breeze and is New Jersey’s top pole vaulter heading into sectionals.

Henry first cleared 15-0 at Ocean Breeze on Jan. 12 and did it again Saturday to win the Ocean Breeze Invitational. He cleared 13-0, 13-6, 14-0, 14-6 and 15-0 on his 1^st attempts before taking three jumps at 15-2.

Henry is tied for No. 7 in South Jersey history, and tied for No. 6 in Gloucester County history. Of the 10 South Jersey vaulters to clear 15-0 indoors, only three are from outside Gloucester County.

This has been quite a breakthrough season for Henry, who cleared 13-6 once indoors last year, when he placed 4^th at the state Group 3 meet at the Bubble, and then cleared 13-6 twice last spring, both times at Delsea.

He PR’d at the Millrose Trials last month with a 13-9 and then had his 1^st 15-0 clearance on Jan. 12 in a SJTCA meet at Ocean Breeze.

Marcus Hood holds the Deptford school record with a 15-6 at the Bubble this past February and jumped 15-9 outdoors at West Philly Nationals in June.

Henry also PR’d in the high jump with a 6-0 at the state relays, where he teamed with senior Kaden Roane to place 4^th. He’s 10^th in South Jersey in the high jump.

16-0 … Marco Morales [Delsea], 2020
16-0 … Ryan Merlino [Oakcrest], 2024
15-6 … Dan Batdorf [West Deptford], 2008
15-6 … Nico Morales [Delsea Reg.], 2019
15-6 … Marcus Hood [Deptford], 2026
15-1 … Dylan Altland [Kingsway], 2014
15-0 … Mike Rivard [Haddonfield], 2009
15-0 … Noah Kriesman [Cherry Hill East], 2021
15-0 … Henry Cifaloglio [Delsea], 2025
15-0 … Mason Henry [Deptford], 2026

16-0 … Bob Green [Haddon Heights], 1992 [o]
16-0 … Marco Morales [Delsea], 2020 [i]
16-0 … Ryan Merlino [Oakcrest], 2024 [i]
15-7 … Brandon Kurtz [Absegami], 1991 [o]
15-7 … Nico Morales [Delsea Reg.], 2019 [o]
15-6 … Dylan Altland [Kingsway], 2014 [o]
15-5 … Mike Davis [Haddonfield], 2004 [o]
15-5 … Devon Purves [Haddonfield], 2006 [o]
15-4 … Jason King [Lenape], 1993 [o]
15-3 ¼ … Dan Lamp [Willingboro], 1977 [o]
15-6 … Dan Batdorf [West Deptford], 2008 [i]
15-0 ¼ … Mike Hulme [Eastern], 2003 [o]
15-0 … Mason Henry [Deptford], 2026

Haddonfield senior Benjamin Andrus ran the 9^th-fastest 1,600 in South Jersey history Saturday at Ocean Breeze.

Andrus ran 4:14.39 for a full mile at the 11^th annual Ocean Breeze Invitational, and that converts to 4:12.91 for 1,600 meters.

(The event is listed in the schedule and on the heat sheets as a mile but the splits are shown in 200-meter increments, which indicates a 1,600, so I’m not sure exactly how far they ran, but I’m going to assume it’s a full mile and the distances on the splits are incorrect. Correct me if I’m wrong!)

Andrus was out in 65.04 and 64.24 but came back in 62.79 and 60.70 for crazy negative 880 splits of 2:10.91 and 2:03.49. Bobby Franklin of La Salle College High in Springfield, Montgomery County, won the race in 4:13.25.

Andrus’s time is 9^th-fastest in South Jersey history and 3^rd-fastest all-time from Haddonfield, behind Luke Andresen’s 4:10.82 at the Meet of Champions, also at Ocean Breeze, and Greg Pelose’s 4:11.93 converted mile from 2016 Armory Nationals.

It’s fastest in New Jersey this year, just ahead of Kennan Byers of Randolph, who ran 4:14.72 full mile at the Armory last month.

Andrus has an outdoor PR of 4:13.60 from this past June in Lincroft. His previous indoor PR was 4:17.48 from last year’s Meet of Champions, also at Ocean Breeze.

In the same race, Haddonfield senior Peter Simpson ran placed 4^th in 4:18.49, closing in 63.16. That converts to 4:16.99.

All-Time South Jersey Indoor Sub-4:20 list
4:09.37 … Matthew Littlehales [Delsea], 2025
4:09.96y … Miles Schoedler [Ocean City], 2011
4:09.99y … Peyton Shute [Woodbury], 2024
4:10.82 … Luke Andresen [Haddonfield], 2025
4:11.03y … Brett Johnson [Ocean City], 2009
4:11.89y … Luke Petela [Haddon Twp.], 2015
4:11.93y … Greg Pelose [Haddonfield], 2016
4:12.55 … Kyle Rakitis [Kingsway], 2022
4:12.91y … Benjamin Andrus [Haddonfield], 2026 [4:14.39]
4:13.68y … Marc Pelerin [Cherokee], 2002
4:13.87y … Stone Caraccio [Kingsway], 2020
4:14.1y … Marty Ludwikowski [Cherry Hill West], 1975
4:14.92 … Jack Tindall [Cherokee], 2025
4:15.26 … Nick Kuenkel [Cherokee], 2024
4:15.34 … Bobby Poplau [Cherokee], 2024
4:15.2y … Jim Smith [Haddonfield], 1980
4:15.74 … Brody Bogos [Cherry Hill East], 2025
4:16.02 … Erik Johnson [Ocean City], 2011
4:16.0y … Greg Stremmel [Gateway], 1974
4:16.02 … Erik Johnson [Ocean City], 2012
4:16.10 … Bennett Wright [Haddonfield], 2025
4:16.3y … Rich Caton [Woodbury], 1979
4:16.61y … Jon Anderson [Cinnaminson], 2004
4:16.62 … Bill Dolan [Clearview], 2014
4:16.71y … Dave Forward [Shawnee], 2009
4:16.85 … Ben Potts [Haddonfield], 2011
4:16.99 … Peter Simpson [Haddonfield], 2026 [4:18.49]
4:16.9y … Bob Marino [Williamstown], 1974
4:17.1y … Mike Mantini [Gateway], 1978
4:17.33y … Carmen Cavella [Washington Twp.], 2004
4;17.42 … Peyton Shute [Woodbury], 2024
4:17.46 … Ty Blackman [Glassboro], 2025
4:17.51y … Connor Melko [Bishop Eustace], 2019
4:17.57 … Tobias Janssen [Haddonfield], 2021
4:17.67 … Derek Gess [Haddonfield], 2018
4:17.67y … Sebastien Reed [Pitman], 2020
4:17.72 … George Andrus [Haddonfield], 2023
4:17.87 … Bennett Wright [Haddonfield], 2024
4;17.98 … Seth Clevenger [Haddonfield], 2022
4:18.21y … Xavier Fraction [Washington Twp.], 2009
4:18.22 … Jacob Clark [Pleasantville], 2013
4:18.28 … Alexander Boyko [Cinnaminson], 2023
4:18.48 … Justin Kelly [Cherokee], 2018
4:18.50 … Shawn Wilson [Cherokee], 2013
4:18.53y … Chris Platt [Haddonfield], 2001
4:18.4y … Al Harden [Millville], 1979
4:18.4h … Mike Myers [Eastern], 2001
4:18.62 … Brady Shute [Woodbury], 2021
4:18.70y … Ethan Wechsler [Cherokee], 2019
4:18.73 … Jacob Cobb [West Deptford], 2022
4:18.80y … Austin Gabay [Cinnaminson], 2020
4:18.83 … Tyler Jackson [Cherokee], 2020
4:19.02 … Jack Bolling [Haddon Heights], 2023
4:19.03 … Noah Culbreath [Kingsway, 2014
4:19.40 … Justin Branco [Delsea], 2015
4:19.7y … Chris Hageman [Paul VI], 1985
4:19.96 … Robert Rawls [Triton], 2011
4:19.97 … Steve Burkholder [Cherokee], 2010