From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

I thought it would be fun to put together a list of the top marks in every event by South Jersey athletes in this year’s indoor season.

Am I overlooking anybody? Any errors or omissions? Let me know in the comment section is someone is missing! This will be fun to do again after the outdoor season! Maybe I’ll go three-deep outdoors!

Men
60-Meter Dash: Ajani Dwyer [Washington Twp.], 6.52, Clemson, S.C., Jan. 10
200-Meter Dash: Ajani Dwyer [Washington Twp.], 20.52, Philadelphia, Jan. 23
400-Meter Dash: Alex Osayemi [Clayton], 46.80, Albuquerque, N. Mex., Feb. 7
600-Meter Run: Alex Osayemi [Clayton], 1:21.22, Bloomington, Ind., Jan. 16
800-Meter Run: Austin Gabay [Cinnaminson], 1:50.62, Indianapolis, Feb. 7
Mile Run: Seth Clevenger [Haddonfield], 3:59.41, Staten Island, Feb. 6
3,000-Meter Run: Seth Clevenger [Haddonfield], 7:54.87, New York
5,000-Meter Run: Seth Clevenger [Haddonfield], 13:32.09, Boston
60-Meter Hurdles: Jamir Brown [Riverside], 7.60, Clemson, S.C., Jan. 23
Long Jump: Greg Foster [Lumberton], 27-0 ¼, New York, Feb. 28
Triple Jump: Floyd Whitaker [Highland], 53-11 ¼, College Station, Texas, Feb. 26
High Jump: Jamile Gantt [Paulsboro], 6-10 ¼, New York, Jan. 16
Pole Vault: Nico Morales [Delsea], 17-4 ½, Nashville, Tenn., Jan. 16
Shot Put: Josh Awotunde [Delsea], 65-1 ½, New York, Feb. 1

Women
60-Meter Dash: Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], 7.24, Boston, March 15
200-Meter Dash: Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], 23.10, Boston, March 15
400-Meter Dash: Aliya Garozzo [Paul VI], 52.43, Clemson, S.C.., Feb. 13
600-Meter Run: Natalie Dumas [Eastern], 1:28.10, New York, Feb. 1
800-Meter Run: Natalie Dumas [Eastern], 2:05.30, New York, March 14
Mile Run: Shaelan McNally [Paul VI], 4:49.32, Philadelphia, Feb. 7
3,000-Meter Run: Helene Usher [Haddonfield], 9:45.20, New York, Jan. 23
5,000-Meter Run: Alyssa Condeell [Timber Creek], 16:11.60, Boston, Feb. 14
60-Meter Hurdles: Jailya Ash [Eastern], 8.39, Albuquerque, Feb. 7
Long Jump: Tionna Tobias [Winslow Twp.], 21-5 ½, New York, Feb. 8
Triple Jump: Sophia Curtis [Ocean City], 40-8 ½, Clemson, S.C., Jan. 30
High Jump: Egypt Bolan [Lindenwold], 5-10, Staten Island, Jan. 24
……………………Jenovia Logan [Sterling], 5-10, Philadelphia, Jan. 10
Pole Vault: Hannah Byrd-Leitner, 13-3, Blacksburg, Va., Feb. 6
Shot Put: Jessica Woodard [Cherokee], 59-5 ¼, State College, Pa., Feb. 20

Here’s one I missed last month: Timber Creek graduate Alyssa Condell ran a hot 5,000 PR at Boston University, recording the 8th-fastest time ever by a South Jersey woman.

Easy to miss someone in a meet as massive as B.U.’s annual David Hemery Valentine Invitational. (Now that I’m looking back, Alyssa is actually not listed in the live results, although she is in the *.pdf results that are linked on the main site. So not totally my fault on this one!)

But Condell, who ran collegiately for Penn, graduating in 2021, ran 16:11.60 at B.U. in her only indoor race this year, lowering her PR from 16:29.45, which she ran outdoors at Princeton at the 2024 Larry Ellis Invitational. Her previous indoor PR was 16:31.47 at the Armory this past December.

Condell’s fastest 5,000 at Penn was a 16:56.36 at the 2019 Ivy League Championships, also at Princeton’s Weaver Stadium.

Condell’s 16:11.60 ranked 59th among U.S. women indoors in 2026. She’s fastest 5,000 runner from South Jersey since Olympian Marielle Hall ran 15:31.47 at Icahn Stadium in May 2023, the last time she raced on the track.

All-Time South Jersey Alumni 5,000-Meter Run List
15:02.27 … Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], July 9, 2019, Azusa, Calif.
15:10.10 … Erika Kemp [Rancocas Valley], May 29, 2021, Attleboro, Mass.
15:41.78 … Erin Donohue [Haddonfield], May 1, 2011, Palo Alto, Calif.
15:53.74… Megan McGlinchey [West Deptford], Dec. 7, 2013, Haverford, Pa.
15:56.73 … Mindy Rowand [Sterling], March 9, 1990, Indianapolis
16:03.71 … Laura Mason [Northern Burlington], April 28, 1994, Philadelphia
16:06.92 … Amanda Goetschius [Delsea], March 12, 2020, Fayetteville, Ark.
16:11.60… Alyssa Condell [Timber Creek], Feb. 14, 2026, Boston
16:12.62 … Chelsea Ley [Kingsway], April 7, 2012, Williamsburg, Va.
16:14.07 … Kylie Anicic [Kingsway], April 12, 2024, Azusa, Calif.
16:16.52 … Melody Sye [Ocean City], April 28, 1994, Philadelphia
16:17.67 … Lori Townsend [Kingsway], April 27, 1995, Philadelphia

Amirah Sharpe ran a 200 PR and a fast 400 and twin sister Arianna wasn’t far behind as the former Paulsboro and Clayton sprinters opened their junior outdoor season for Arkansas.

Amirah ran 23.40 and 52.74 and Arianna ran 23.61 and 52.84 at the University of Texans San Antonio Invitational.

Their 400 times are 4th- and 5th-fastest in the SEC through the first week of competition. Amirah has a 400 PR of 52.20 from last April at a meet in Fayetteville and Arianna has run 51.91 last May, also in Fayetteville.

Amirah’s previous 200 PR was 23.43 from a meet in Fayetteville this past May. Her 400 PR is 52.20 from last April in Fayetteville.

Arianna Sharpe wasn’t far off her PRs of 23.14 from Fayetteville last May and 51.91 at the same meet. Amirah and Arianna are both transfers from Auburn.

Tey’ana Ames of Atlantic County Tech opened her outdoor season with the No. 2 shot put mark in Rutgers history.

Ames threw an outdoor-PR 51-11 ¾ at the Hurricane Invitational in Corale Gables, Fla. He previous outdoor best was a 47-10 ¾ at the 2024 Penn Relays.

Ames is now 2nd all-time behind Jasmine Van Note from Sayreville, who threw 53-5 in 2022 at the Big Ten Championships in Minneapolis.

Indoors, Ames PR’d with a 52-9 ½ at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., last month. That’s also No. 2 in Rutgers history, behind Van Note’s 54-5 ¼ at the Armory in 2023.

That’s No. 3 in South Jersey history, behind Jessica Woodard [62-3 12 in Tucson in 2021] and Jamine Moton [58-6 ¼ in Clemson, S.C., in 2001].

Ames only had three legal throws but surpassed 49-6 on all three, with a 49-6 ½, a 49-11 ½ and the 51-11 ¾.

Mystery solved: Clayton’s Alex Osayemi did run on Alabama’s 1,600-meter relay team at NCAAs last weekend in Fayetteville.

Easy to miss considering there are no names listed in either the live results or the *.pdf event results – way to go NCAA and FlashResults! – and he is not listed among the Alabama runners who were scheduled to run before the race began.

According to the official start list, Mouatez Abderrazek Sikiou, Tarsis Gracious Orogot, David Thid and Samuel Ogazi were scheduled to run for Alabama.

But according to Alabama’s web site, Osayemi and not Thid ran the 3^rd leg for the Crimson Tide, who placed 2^nd in 3:03.60. The site says Sikiou and Orogot ran the first two legs, and Samuel Ogazi, the national 400 champ, anchored.

If that is correct, Osayemi split 45.90, handing off to Ogazi at 2:17.95. Ogazi anchored in 45.65.

That 3:03.60 is 4^th-fastest in Alabama history. Alabama had run 3:04.39 earlier in the indoor season at Clemson with Osayemi leading off.

Alabama ran 3:02.29 in February in the Tiger Paw Invitational at Clemson with Sikiou, Orogot, Thid and Ogazi. That time was 4^th-fastest in the world during the indoor season. The 3:03.60 was 14^th-fastest in the world this year but not eligible for the U.S. list because Sikiou is Algerian, Orogot is from Uganda and Ogazi is from Nigeria. All four would have to be from the U.S. to be eligible for the U.S. list, but Alabama used three international runners and one from Clayton.

So Osayemi becomes an All-America in his first season of collegiate track. Osayemi ran 46.80 in Albuquerque in February, which made him the 2^nd-fastest freshman in the SEC this winter. At Clayton, his indoor PR was 48.57 at last year’s Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze. Outdoors he ran 46.08 when he won broke the meet record at the Meet of Champions at Pennsauken. That time is No. 3 in state history behind Clayton Parros of Seton Hall Prep (45.71 in 2009 in Albuqurque) and Dennis Mitchell of Edgewood (46.02 in Elmhurst, Ill., in 1984).

Alabama opens its outdoor season this weekend at the Raleigh Relays.

In his first outdoor meet for Syracuse, Riverside’s Jamir Brown ran the fastest time in NCAA Division 1 on the opening weekend of outdoor track.

Brown ran 13.49 in the trials of the 110-meter high hurdles at the South Florida Alumni Invitational. The wind was 2.0 meters per second, maximum allowable for record and list purposes. Brown did not race in the final.

Brown’s previous PR over the 42-inch highs was 13.60 in the trials of the New Jersey Athletic Conference meet in Ewing last May as a Rowan freshman. That is the NCAA Division 3 record.

His 13.49 is 4^th-fastest all-time by a South Jersey hurdler and fastest in 10 years, since Willingboro’s Isaac Samuels ran 13.43 at the 2016 Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif.

Syracuse is one of the few Division 1 programs in the country that doesn’t have an all-time top-10 performance list in the records section of its web site. I went back as far as I could using TFRRS, and Brown’s time is 4th-fastest since 2010. It’s pretty much impossible to research before that, but hopefully Syracuse’s sports information office gets to work and puts some all-time lists together.

Here’s what I found since 2010, which is as far back as I can go:

13.28 … Jaheem Hayles, 2023, Austin
13.42 … Freddie Crittenden III, 2017, Coral Gables, Fla.
13.44 … Jarret Eaton, 2012, Jacksonville, Fla.
13.49 … Jamir Brown, 2026, Tampa
13.59 … Donald Pollitt II, 2015, Ithaca, N.Y.
13.72 … Andrew Goss, 2018, Coral Gables, Fla.
13.74 … Emanuel Joseph, 2025, Winston-Salem, N.C.
13.84 … Matt Moore, 2018, Coral Gables, Fla.
13.79 … Amadou Gueye, 2013, Princeton
13.92 … David Gilstrap, 2016, Jacksonville, Fla.
13.96 … Richard Floyd, 2019, Charlottesville, Va.
13.98 … Naseem Smith, 2025, Winston-Salem, N.C.

It looks like that 13.49 is tied for 10^th all-time among New Jersey hurdlers

All-Time New Jersey 110-Meter Hurdles List
12.93 … Renaldo Nehemiah [Scotch Plains-Fanwood], Aug. 19, 1981, Zürich
12.94 … Jack Pierce [Woodbury], June 22, 1996, Atlanta
13.08 … Jeff Porter [Franklin Twp.], June 30, 2012, Eugene, Ore.
13.12 … Anwar Moore [Camden], May 5, 2007, Modesto, Calif.
13.25 … Dudley Dorival [Ewing], Aug. 9, 1995, Edmonton, Alberty [Canada]
13.35 … Devin Hill [Trenton], April 21, 2012, Charlottesville, Va.
13.36 … Todd Matthews [Notre Dame], July 12, 2012, Budapest, Hungary
13.43 … Isaac Williams [Willingboro], April 16, 2016, Walnut, Calif.
13.48 … Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], May 12, 2023, Raleigh, N.C.
13.49 … Chris Serrao [East Brunswick], May 30, 2025, Jacksonville
13.49 … Jamir Brown [Riverside], March 20, 2026, Tampa

All-Time South Jersey 110-Meter Hurdles List
12.94 … Jack Pierce [Woodbury], June 22, 1996, Atlanta
13.12 … Anwar Moore [Camden], May 5, 2007, Modesto, Calif.
13.43 … Isaac Williams [Willingboro], April 16, 2016, Walnut, Calif.
13.48 … Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], May 12, 2023, Raleigh, N.C.
13.49 … Jamir Brown [Riverside], March 20, 2026, Tampa
13.51 … Martin Booker [Camden], June 7, 1986, Indianapolis
13.54 … Sultan Tucker [Delsea], May 22, 2004, St-Martin, France
13.49 … Jamir Brown [Riverside], March 20, 2026, Tampa
13.77 … Jeffrey Young [Camden], May 11, 2022, Bloomington, Ind.
13.78 … Greg Foster [Lumberton], May 11, 2025,
13.81 … Anthony Acklin [Triton], May 13, 2005, Cedar Falls, Iowa

In her first outdoor college meet, Virginia freshman Hannah Byrd-Leitner cleared a lifetime-best 13-5 ¼ at the Virginia Opener in Charlottesville.

That ties the No. 4 clearance in school history and is No. 2 among freshmen, behind only Sam Romano’s 14-0 ½ in Raleigh in 2023.

Byrd-Leitner, from Moorestown, had a previous personal-best 13-3 from an indoor meet last month in a meet in Blacksburg, Va. That is No. 6 in school history indoors and No. 2 among freshmen.

On Saturday, Byrd-Leitner opened at 12-3 ½ and cleared on her 1^st attempt. She also cleared 12-9 ½ on her 1^st attempt and then 13-3 ¼ on her 2^nd to clinch the win. She had the bar moved up to 13-5 ¼ and cleared on her 1^st attempt. She also took three attempts at 13-7 ¼.

Her 13-5 ¼ is 4^th-best on the all-time South Jersey performance list. Millville’s Kaitlyn Dermen cleared 14-4 in Basking Ridge in July 2024, Stephanie Maugham of Shawnee cleared 14-0 ¾ in Fresno in April 2002 and Moorestown graduate Anna Heim cleared 13-8 in Springfield, Mass., in May 2010.

Byrd-Leitner is 11^th in NCAA Division 1 after one weekend of the outdoor season and the top freshman in the country.

The qualifying standard for USATF Under-20 Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene in June is 13-7 ¼. Byrd-Leitner would need to turn 21 after Dec. 31 to be eligible if she clears 13-7 ¼ this spring.

Junior Brandon Lamon anchored in 1:55.99 and Eastern placed 2^nd in the sprint medley at Virginia Beach Nationals Sunday with the 8^th-fastest time in South Jersey history.

Sophomore Paul Moore and junior Terry Bradley-Cook ran the 200s for the Vikings, coming through in 46.00, and senior Ashton Gage split 49.30 for 400 meters to move Eastern into 2^nd place. Lamon held that spot, and Eastern finished behind only an unknown, un-identified school that ran 3:30.95. No city or state listed in the results and no runners listed. Weak. If you’re going to call yourself a national meet you’ve got to do better than this.

Anyway, Eastern’s time is 2^nd-fastest on the all-time Camden County list behind only Pennsauken’s 3:29.31 at THE TRACK Nationals in Boston in 2023.

Williamstown won the previous heat in in 3:35.82, good enough to place 4^th overall. Their time is 4^th-fastest all-time in Gloucester County. Senior Brandon Brown and senior Jasiah Gibbons ran the 200s, junior Ian Israel Jr. the 400 and senior Dominic Burgio the 800.

All-Time South Jersey Indoor Sprint Medley List
3:26.14 … Winslow Twp., 2025
3:27.60 … Vineland, 2003
3:29.07 … Washington Twp., 2009
3:29.31 … Pennsauken, 2023
3:30.01 … Cherokee, 2002
3:30.35 … Kingsway, 2022
3:30.45 … Lenape, 2001
3:31.29 … Eastern, 2026
3:31.73 … Vineland, 2004
3:32.36 … Rancocas Valley, 2016
3:32.90 … Washington Twp., 2010
3:33.22 … Pleasantville, 2012
3:33.99 … Pleasantville, 2007
3:34.12 … Absegami, 2010
3:34.42 … Winslow Twp., 2026
3:34.52 … Pleasantville, 2002
3:34.86 … Rancocas Valley, 2017
3:34.88 … Vineland, 2002
3:34.96 … Bordentown, 2005
3:35.0h ….. Edgewood, 1986
3:35.76 … Vineland, 2013
3:35.82 … Wiliamstown, 2026
3:35.86 … Rancocas Valley, 2015

Williamstown senior Jasiah Gibbons placed 4th in the 60-meter hurdles final at Virginia Beach Nationals Sunday afternoon.

Gibbons, racing for the third day in a row after qualifying Friday and semifinals Saturday, ran 8.01 in the final. He PR’d with 7.94 in the semifinals.

Gibbons moved up to 7th-fastest in South Jersey history and 15th-fastest in state history.

All-Time New Jersey 60-Meter Hurdles List
7.63 … Cory Poole [East Orange Campus], 2017
7.64 … Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], 2019
7.65 … Yashahya Brown [Washington Twp.], 2024
7.73 … Sultan Tucker [Delsea], 1997
7.74 … Yashahya Brown [Washington Twp.], 2024
7.79 … Nathaniel Rayan [Scotch Plains-Fanwood], 2023
7.85 … Chris Serrao [East Brunswick], 2022
7.87 … Dwight Ruff [Camden], 2002
7.88 … Yverson Alexandre [Hillside], 2025
7.90 … Corey Nelms [Neptune], 2006
7.90 … Isaac Williams [Willingboro], 2012
7.90 … Essien Plummer [Neptune], 2026
7.92 … Michael Perry [North Brunswick], 2026
7.92 … Elvin Marte Feliz [North Brunswick], 2026
7.94 … Anthony Acklin [Triton], 2001
7.94 … Ihmir Marsette [Weequahic], 2017
7.94 … Akeem Lindo [East Orange Campus], 2017
7.94 … Jasiah Gibbons [Williamstown], 2026
7.95 … Herb Reid [Lenape], 2000
7.95 … Ron Jules [Toms River East], 2003
7.96 … Danyne Brown. [Camden], 1999
7.96 … Joshua Evans [Irvington], 2009
7.96 … Andrew Aguilera [Governor Livingston], 2017
7.97 … Jason Keiser [East Brunswick], 2025
7.97 … Jermaine Collier [Trenton], 2011
7.99 … Zach Gizzone [Union Catholic], 2013
7.99 … Naseem Smith [Deptford], 2019
7.99 … Chais Hill [Highland], 2015

All-Time South Jersey 60-Meter Hurdles List
7.64 … Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], 2019
7.65 … Yashahya Brown [Washington Twp.], 2024
7.73 … Sultan Tucker [Delsea], 1997
7.74 … Yashahya Brown [Washington Twp.], 2023
7.87 … Dwight Ruff [Camden], 2002
7.90 … Isaac Williams [Willingboro], 2012
7.94 … Anthony Acklin [Triton], 2001
7.94 … Jasiah Gibbons [Williamstown], 2026
7.95 … Herb Reid [Lenape], 2000
7.96 … Danyne Brown. [Camden], 1999
7.99 … Naseem Smith [Deptford], 2019
7.99 … Chais Hill [Highland], 2015

Cinnaminson’s Malicah Etienne, a Georgian Court junior from Cinnaminson High and Edgewater Park, started his outdoor season out with a discus win at the Stockton Invitational Saturday.

No series information available, but Etienne threw 163-2 and won by nearly 30 feet.

Etienne threw within about six feet of his PR 169-5 from a meet in April 2024 at Shippensburg.

Etienne also threw 49-10 ¾ for 2nd place in the shot put and 1st among collegiate throwers.

Etienne is 3rd in school history in the shot indoors at 53-9 ¼, 5th in the shot outdoors at 51-5 ½ and 2nd in the discus at 169-5.