Cherry Hill East junior Kervins Mezilus out-raced New Jersey’s top-ranked intermediate hurdler Wednesday, running a huge personal-best 54.45 at the Olympic Conference Championships at Washington Township.

Mezilus lowered his 400-meter intermediate hurdles PR from 55.52 from last year’s state meet by 1.07 seconds.

South Jersey’s fastest intermediate hurdler this year is Winslow Township senior Jamil Adams, who ran 53.51 at the Penn Relays. He was second to Mezilus Wednesday with a 54.90.

Mezilus’s time is fastest at the Olympic Conference meet since Mike Williams of Lenape ran 54.09 in 2013, and he’s Cherry Hill East’s second winner, following Alex Reber, who ran 52.92 in 2012.

Here’s a look at all the 400IH winners at the Olympic Conference meet since 1992:

2017: Kevin Mezilus (Cherry Hill East) 54.45
2016: Not held
2015: Max Dickens (Paul VI) 55.24
2014: Benny Walls (Camden Catholic) 56.84
2013: Michael Williams (Lenape) 54.09
2012: Alex Reber (Cherry Hill East) 52.92
2011: Not held
2010: Barry Bethea (Eastern) 54.64
2009: Saliym Starkey (Timber Creek) 54.29
2008: Tim Carrey (Washington Twp.) 56.44
2007: Sherman Goree (Camden) 54.9
2006: George Eggers (Eastern) 54.2
2005: Devon Burroughs (Camden) 53.8
2004: Reuben McCoy (Winslow) 52.4
2003: Reuben McCoy (Winslow) 53.8
2002: Young (Camden) 54.7
2001: Dwight Ruff (Camden) 52.7
2000: Dwight Ruff (Camden) 53.6
1999: Dwight Ruff (Camden) 53.8
1998: Danyne Brown (Camden) 54.3
1997: Danyne Brown (Camden) 54.3
1996: Jones (Bishop Eustace) 56.1
1995: Dupree (Camden) 55.5
1994: Rodney Briggs (Camden) 55.2
1993: Donovan Darius (Wilson) 54.3
1992: Donovan Darius (Wilson) 55.3

Shakira Dancy ran a pair of New Jersey #1 times Wednesday at the Olympic Conference meet, with a PR 11.89 to win the 100 and a fast 24.16 to win the 200.

Fastest sprint double in meet history!

Dancy’s 200 PR is 23.96 to win states last year, but the 24.16 is her second-fastest time ever, fastest this year and fastest ever this early in the season.

The Winslow junior had a previous 100 PR of 11.94 set in the preliminaries at states last year.

Dancy’s times are both fastest FAT times in meet history. Olympic gold medalist English Gardner of Eastern ran 12.01 in 2010, and Winslow’s Torie Robinson ran 24.65 in 2014.

LaToya Benson of Washington Township ran a hand-timed 11.6 in 2002, but Dancy’s FAT time is close enough to her converted 11.84 that both should be considered as meet records.

The fastest hand time in the 200 is Krystal Cantey’s 24.0 for Winslow back in 2003. Dancy’s 24.16 is faster but again you can’t convert a time into a record, so Cantey and Dancy will both be considered co-meet record holders.

Dancy moved into the No. 13 spot in South Jersey history in the 100, just 5-100ths out of the top 10. She’s already No. 3 in the 200 with her 23.96, behind only two legends — Michele Glover (23.69 for Willingboro in 1981) and Denise Liles (23.90 for Kingsway in 1984).

Here’s the updated all-time South Jersey list:

• 11.61 … Amandi Rhett [Moorestown], 1999
• 11.68 … Bria Mack [Williamstown], 2016
• 11.70 … Assante Johnson [Camden], 2009
• 11.73 … Torie Robinson [Winslow Twp.], 2014
• 11.77 … Aisha Morgan [Schalick], 1999
• 11.78 … Shameka Speed [Bridgeton], 2003
• 11.81 … Denise Liles [Kingsway], 1984
• 11.81 … Audrey Wilson [Deptford], 2008
• 11.82 … Annie Johnson [Shawnee], 2012
• 11.84 … Robin Taylor [Deptford], 1980
• 11.85 … Dana Burnett [Williamstown], 1996
• 11.88 … Denise Mitchell [Edgewood], 1983
• 11.89 … Shakira Dancy [Winslow Twp.], 2017
• 11.94 … Emily Carson [Haddonfield], 2013
• 11.95 … Aliyah Taylor [Rancocas Valley], 2017
• 11.96 … Jamillah Nock [Woodrow Wilson], 2004
• 11.98 … Kiara Lester [Deptford], 2016
• 11.98 … Ciera Ismail [Schalick], 2014

And here are the all-time Olympic Conference meet winners in the 100- and 200-meter dashes:

100-METER DASH
2017: Shakira Dancy (Winslow Twp.) 11.89
2016: Shakira Dancy (Winslow Twp.) 12.51
2015: Ariel Mitchell (Lenape) 12.98
2014: Cidae’a Woods (Winslow Twp.) 12.06
2013: Cidae’a Woods (Winslow Twp.) 12.61
2012: Annie Johnson (Shawnee) 12.32
2011: Not held
2010: English Gardner (Eastern) 12.01
2009: Assante Johnson (Camden) 12.60
2008: English Gardner (Eastern) 12.11
2007: English Gardner (Eastern) 11.7w
2006: Dana Cataldo (Lenape), 12.2
2005: Shatteri Alston (Wilson) 12.0
2004: Christina Smith (Winslow) 12.1
2003: Ariel Brockman (Cherokee)
Jamillah Nock (Wilson), 11.8
2002: LaToya Benson (Washington Twp.) 11.6
2001: LaToya Benson (Washington Twp.) 12.2
2000: LaToya Benson (Washington Twp.) 12.4
1999: Samantha Sweeney (Cherokee) 12.2
1998: Kyline Bines (Highland) 12-6.
1997: Kyline Bines (Highland) 12.1
Spring Harris (Camden) 12.1
1996: Shavon Arline (Pennsauken) 11.9
1995: Shavon Arline (Pennsauken) 12.2
1994: Not available
1993: Medina Salaam (Camden) 12.5
1992: Teneacia Smith (N/A) 12.1

200-METER DASH
2017: Shakira Dancy (Winslow Twp.) 24.16
2016: Shakira Dancy (Winslow Twp.) 25.08
2015: Jasmine Staten (Lenape) 25.21
2014: Torie Robinson (Winslow Twp.) 24.65
2013: Torie Robinson (Winslow Twp.) 25.62
2012: Annie Johnson (Shawnee) 25.31
2011: Not held
2010: Michelle Brown (Seneca) 25.66
2009: Assante Johnson (Camden) 25.54
2008: Fametta Lewis (Woodrow Wilson) 25.32
2007: Not held
2006: Jackie Dim (Washington Twp.) 25.4
2005: Krystal Cantey (Winslow) 24.6
2004: Krystal Cantey (Winslow) 24.9
2003: Krystal Cantey (Winslow) 24.0
2002: Raniyah Walker (Camden) 25.1
Brittany Wright (Eastern) 25.1
2001: LaToya Benson (Washington Twp.) 24.9
2000: Haleema Fisher (Camden) 25.3
1999: Haleema Fisher (Camden) 25.0
1998: Kyline Bines (Highland) 25.6
1997: Salyndia Johnson (Camden) 26.3
1996: Shavon Arline (Pennsauken) 25.2
1995: Shavon Arline (Pennsauken) 24.9
1994: Not Available
1993: Chantel Parks (Camden) 25.7
1992: Coleman (Camden) 25.0

Shawnee senior Mark Miller reduced his 1,600 PR by nearly five seconds Wednesday at the Olympic Conference meet at Washington Township.

And that wasn’t even the biggest improvement in the field.

Miller lowered his PR from 4:21.44 — which he ran two weeks ago at the South Jersey Invitational at Delsea — to 4:16.86, fastest this year by a South Jersey miler

Miller broke Dave Forward’s Shawnee school outdoor record of 4:17.42, set in 2009. Forward ran 4:18.21 indoors at Easterns in 2009, which converts to 4:16.71. But since you can’t convert a time into a record, Miller and Forward will be considered co-Shawnee record holders, at least for the time being.

His time is fastest by a Burlington County runner since Shawn Wilson of Cherokee ran 4:11.69 in 2013 and fastest at the Olympic Conference meet since 2009, when Dave Berger of Cherry Hill East ran 4:16.0, and third-fastest in meet history behind Berger and meet record-holder Murad Campbell of Overbook, who ran 4:14.6 in 1998.

Second-place Kevin Lauer, a Lenape junior, lowered his PR from 4:28.07 to 4:18.96 – a ridiculous 9.1-second improvement – and became No. 3 miler in Lenape history behind two legends – Burlington County record holder Ryan Garvin (4:11.15 in 2009) and Anthony Kelhower (4:15.77 in 2005).

His time is the fastest second-place time in meet history.

As for Miller, he now ranks third in New Jersey this year, behind only Billy Hill of Franklin Township (4:16.35 at the Skyland Conference meet) and Eric Clay of Morristown High (4:16.35 at the Northwest Jersey Conference meet).

A couple lists. First, all the 1,600 winners in the Olympic Conference meet, going back to 1992:

2017: Mark Miller (Shawnee) 4:16.86
2016: Isaiah John-Baptiste (Cherry Hill East) 4:25.12
2015: Dominick Munson (Timber Creek), 4:18.79
2014: Aaron Groff (Cherry Hill East) 4:24.19
2013: Julian Greco (Lenape) 4:23.19
2012: Alex McGrainer (Seneca) 4:27.42
2011: Cancelled
2010: Michael Rankin (Paul VI) 4:21.23
2009: Dave Berger (Cherry Hill East) 4:16.0
2008: Kevin McDonnell (Camden Catholic) 4:19.13
2007: Josh Clark (Seneca), 4:31.7
2006: Rudy Belko (Triton) 4:28.8
2005: Anthony Kelhower (Lenape) 4:23.2
2004: Josh Krowicki (Triton) 4:30.6
2003: Greg Cavella (Washington Twp.) 4:22.2
2002: Marc Pelerin (Cherokee) 4:24.9
2001: Mike Myers (Eastern) 4:26.4
2000: Mike Myers (Eastern) 4:19.8
1999: Nate Miller (Highland) 4:18.6
1998: Murad Campbell (Overbrook) 4:14.6
1997: Earl Wise (Overbrook) 4:24.6
1996: Mike McGowan (Bishop Eustace) 4:25.1
1995: DiGiacomo (PVI) 4:26.9
1994: Not available
1993: Dave Cox (Wilson) 4:25.2
1992: Tom Keefer (Paul VI) 4:17.6

And the updated all-time Burlington County list, with Miller in the No. 12 spot
4:11.15 ….. Ryan Garvin (Lenape), 2009
4:11.69 ….. Shawn Wilson (Cherokee), 2013
4:11.83y … Marc Pelerin (Cherokee), 2002
4:13.0y ..… Rick Jacques (Burlington Twp.), 1968
4:14.60 ..… Matt Poskus (Cinnaminson), 2007
4:14.8y ….. Vance Watson (Willingboro), 1982
4:15.28 ….. Jon Anderson (Cinnaminson), 2004
4:15.44 ….. Brian Tetreault (Cinnaminson), 2007
4:15.49 ….. Steve Burkholder (Cherokee), 2010
4:15.77 ….. Anthony Kelhower (Lenape), 2005
4:16.71y,i .. David Forward (Shawnee), 2009
4:16.86 ….. Mark Miller (Shawnee), 2017
4:16.6y ….. Herb Gordon (Willingboro), 1982
4:16.93 ….. *Ian Waterhouse (Rancocas Valley), 2004
4:17.34 ….. Chris Martin (Northern Burlington), 2015
4:17.39 ….. Chris Sallade (Shawnee), 1990
4:17.4y ….. Bob Mann (Willingboro), 1979
4:17.7y ….. Joe League (Holy Cross), 1972
4:18.43 ….. *Josh Joseph (Cherokee), 2000
4:18.52 ….. *Rob Novak (Bordentown), 2005
4:18.3y ….. Rey Johnson (Willingboro), 1980
4:18.3h ….. Keith O’Brien (Shawnee), 1992
4:18.64 ….. Josh DeJesus (Rancocas Valley), 2016
4:18.6y ….. Bryant Walker (Pemberton), 1983
4:18.7y ….. Mark Strucko (Rancocas Valley), 1979
4:18.91 ….. Steve Unger (Shawnee), 2003
4:18.9y ….. Terry Delaney (Moorestown), 1979
4:18.96 ….. *Kevin Lauer (Lenape), 2017
4:19.01 ….. *Bill Sepich (Delran), 2004

Rowan sophomore Ryan Gebhardt surpassed 200 feet in the javelin for the third straight meet at the NJAC championships, winning with a personal-best 207-11.

Gebhardt’s previous PR was 206-6, when he won the 2015 Meet of Champions as a senior at Walkill Valley High School in Hardyston Township, Sussex County. His previous college PR was a 206-3 at the Oscar Moore Open in Glassboro in April. His best as a Rowan freshman was 193-0.

At the New Jersey Athletic Conference meet, Gebhardt actually opened with a PR of 207-0 on his first throw, then had a 205-6 before what turned out to be the winning 207-11. He threw 203-0 on his fourth attempt before passing on his next two with the win in the bag.

Second place Rob Melillo of Montclair State via Nutley High School was more than 10 feet back at 196-1.

Gebhardt now ranks No. 7 in NCAA Division 3.

It’s not clear what Rowan’s school record is with the new implement. The university’s web sites correctly lists Mike Juskus’s NCAA Division 3-record 273-3 as the school record with the old javelin but lists a 219-4 by Burlington City graduate Mike Boone from 1992 as the record with the new javelin. But the new javelin wasn’t in use until 2000, so it can’t belong to Boone.

(Juskus, by the way, like Gebhardt, hails from Sussex County. He played baseball at Hopatcong and didn’t try the javelin until he was at what was then called Glassboro State College. He wound up winning three Division 3 national titles and one NCAA Division 1 national title back when top Division 3 athletes were allowed to participate in D-1 nationals. He was also a 6-8 high jumper and 22-foot long jumper.)

 

Bordentown graduate Kelly Yanucil of Mount St. Mary’s threw 169-9 to win the Penn Relays. Faith Blamon of Cinnaminson and Monmouth threw 162-7 to win the Metro Atlantic Conference title.

Now that South Jersey duo has some company in the 160-foot club.

Kathryn Johnston, a Rutgers senior out of Haddonfield High, threw 161-1 Sunday to place second in the Big 10 championships at State College.

Her previous PR was 157-4 at the Metropolitans last month.

Johnston threw 152-9 as a senior at Haddonfield in 2012 when she won the state Group 2 title.

Before transferring to Rutgers, Johnston threw the javelin and played soccer at William and Mary. Her best throw there was a 152-1 her sophomore year at the Colonial Athletic Championships at James Madison in Harrisonburg, Va. That ranks No. 2 in school history.

She threw a freshman-record 130-10 in 2013 and her best in 2015 was 144-5

According to the latest rankings, Yanucil, Blamon and Johnston are currently ranked 22nd, 32nd and 37th in all of NCAA Division 1.

Three in the top 37! Not bad for South Jersey!

Jessica Woodard, who threw a personal-best 60-3 to win the shot put Saturday at the Big 12 meet in Lawrence, Kans., added another PR in the discus Sunday.

Woodard placed fourth in the discus with a throw of 179-11 1/2, breaking her previous PR of 178-1, which she just set two weeks ago at the Penn Relays.

Woodard opened with a 165-3 1/4 and improved to 168-9 1/4 on her second throw. She fouled on her third throw but opened the finals with her first PR of the competition, a 178-5 3/4.

After a foul on her fifth attempt, she PR’d again on her final attempt, heaving the shot 179-11 1/2 to move ahead of Ieva Zarankaite of Oklahoma State, from fifth into fourth place.

Shadae Lawrence of Kansas State won with a 205-4 1/4, the best throw by a collegian this year, No. 3 by an American and No. 13 in the world.

Ocean City senior Steve Jernee eclipsed the 180-foot barrier for the first time at the South Jersey Invitational last weekend, and nine days later he eclipsed the 190-foot barrier for the first time.

Jernee broke his own Cape May County record in the javelin Friday with a huge throw of 191-5 at the Cape May County meet at Ocean City.

Before last week, Jernee’s PR was 172-10 from meet of Champions his sophomore year, back in 2015.

The 191-5 is No. 4 in New Jersey this year and No. 3 in South Jersey. It’s also No. 12 on the all-time South Jersey list with the current implement, which went into use in 2002. Interesting that all five of South Jersey’s throwers who have surpassed 201 feet have done it in the last four years.

224-10 … Curtis Thompson [Florence], 2014
216- 6 … Chris Mirabelli [Holy Cross], 2014
206-10 … Cade Antonucci [Holy Spirit], 2016
206- 8 … Nick Mirabelli [Rancocas Valley], 2017
203- 6 … Stephen Benigno [Cherry Hill East], 2014
201- 0 … Sean Biehn [Burlington City], 2006
196- 9 … Terrance Smith (Oakcrest), 2006
192- 6 … Matt Rafferty (Northern Burlington), 2012
192- 6 … Christopher Reider (Eastern), 2010
192- 3 … Shane McDevitt (Cinnaminson), 2014
191- 6 … Robert Marks (Rancocas Valley), 2016
191- 5 … Steve Jernee (Ocean City), 2017
191- 5 … Andrew Pierce (Cumberland Reg.), 2009
190- 0 … Andrew Forbes (Williamstown), 2011

Jernee also won the discus at the Cape May County meet with a throw of 135-0 and the shot with a personal-best 46-3 1/4.

Ocean City outscored second-place Middle Township 167-84 to win the boys team title.

The Ocean City girls also won the team title, defeating Middle by a 185 1/3-86 1/3 margin.

Cherokee graduate Jess Woodard, now a junior three-time All-America at Oklahoma, shattered the 60-foot barrier in the shot put for the first time and won the Big 12 Conference title by more than three feet.

Woodard set a facility record of 60-3 at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence, Kans. Her previous season best was 55-11 when she won the Penn Relays last month. Her previous PR was 58-7 3/4 when she placed third at NCAA nationals in Eugene last June.

Woodard moved up to the No. 3 spot in NCAA Division 1

Woodard threw 53-8 3/4 on her first throw and uncorked the 60-3 bomb on her second to essentially lock up the title. She followed with throws of 57-4 1/2 – also good enough to win the title – and 54-5 3/4 before fouling on her last two attempts.

With the bomb, Woodard moved up to the No. 11 spot on the 2017 IAAF world list and No. 6 American woman.

Her mark is also probably somewhere in the all-time top-25 among college women, but that’s going to take some research because nobody maintains all-time college lists beyond the top 10. But I’ll get right on it!

In her first major race since she won last year’s Meet of Champions 100, Williamstown senior Bria Mack edged Delsea senior Cecelia Gerstenbacher by 4-100ths of a second Thursday to win a loaded Gloucester County Meet 100 over a loaded field at Delsea.

Mack ran 12.01 to Gerstenbacher’s 12.05, with Meet of Champions runner-up Iyana Kollock of Our Lady of Mercy third in 12.44.

The 12.05 was a PR for Gerstenbacher, who had run 12.09 twice — at the Tri-County meet and sectionals in 2015.

The times are No. 2 and 3 in South Jersey so far this year, behind an 11.95 by Aliyah Taylor of Rancocas Valley last month at the Lenape Invitational.

Taylor hasn’t raced since pulling a hamstring in the Penn Relays 4-by-400 but is expected back for the Burlington County Open a week from Saturday.

On Thursday at Delsea, Mack also ran a 400 leg on Williamstown’s third-place 4-by-4. Gerstenbacher ran 24.92 to win the 200 and 58.42 to place second in the 400 behind teammate Toni Glatz, who ran 57.62.

Gerstenbacher’s 58.42 is another PR, breaking her previous mark of 58.50 set indoors at last year’s states in the Bubble.

She’s also undefeated this year at 200 meters and ranked No. 2 in South Jersey at 24.84, 1-100th of a second behind RV’s Taylor.

Meanwhile, Glatz’s 57.62 is also a PR, breaking her previous mark of 58.25 set this past winter at the Bubble at indoor Meet of Champions.

 

Absegami senior Joshonda Johnson, among the best in South Jersey in a variety of events, focused her energy on the 100-meter high hurdles Wednesday at the Atlantic County meet and came through with a near-PR 14.50 for the win, the fastest in South Jersey this year.

Johnson has a PR of 14.47 from last year’s Cape Atlantic Conference championships. Her time supplants a 14.54 from Sarah Jones of Bishop Eustace from the Rowan Invite as fastest by a South Jersey hurdler this spring.

It’s also No. 5 in the state this year.

Johnson is one of the most versatile athletes in South Jersey. She’s long jumped as far as 17-8 3/4 (last week at Rowan), she’s run 56.63 in the 400 (fourth in the Meet of Champions last year), she’s run as fast as 1:01.73 in the intermediates (second at states last year) and she’s even run cross country for Absegami in the fall.

But on Wednesday, she just focused on the highs, took third in the long jump and ran legs on two winning relay teams — the 400-meter team won in 49.06 and the 1,600 ran 4:06.61 at Buena.