Rowan senior Kevin Veltre made the trip to Boston to try to get a fast 3,000 time and qualify for NCAAs, and was the trip ever worth it.

Veltre shattered his own Rowan 3,000-meter run record by 10 seconds and recorded the third-fastest time in NCAA Division 3 this year when he placed fifth in a field of Division 1 and post-grad runners in 8:15.29 at the Boston University Last-Chance Qualifier at the B.U. Track and Tennis Center.

That broke the school record and his own PR of 8:25.84, which he ran earlier this month in a meet at Ithaca. Veltre, from Brick Memorial, had never previously run a flat 3,000 as a collegian. And according to the Mile Split database, he never ran a 3,000 in high school, either.

Before Veltre ran 8:25.84, the Rowan school record was 8:30.74, set in 1981 by Greg Rapp. So he’s dropped it nearly 16 seconds.

The top four 3,000 runners in the country going into NCAAs are all between 8:12.42 and 8:15.96. Will McDermott of Widener out of Monsignor Bonner is No. 1, Jeffrey Dover of Christopher Newport in Virginia is No. 2 at 8:14.83, Veltre is No. 3 and Dylan Gearinger of Haverford via Berwick Area High near Wilkes-Barre is No. 4.

Rowan is ranked No. 4 going into the NCAA indoor track championships, which are scheduled for March 9-10 in Birmingham, Ala., at the Birmingham Crossplex. The 3,000 is the last individual event of the meet, scheduled for 4:30 p.m. that Saturday afternoon.

Veltre also set the Rowan mile record earlier this year with a 4:12.30 at the New Jersey Athletic Conferene meet at Ocean Breeze.

Penns Grove graduate Jaymes Dennison continues to establish himself as one of the fastest middle-distance runners in the country.

Racing at the Big 12 Championships this past weekend at the Leid Rec Center in Ames, Iowa, Dennison ran 1:09.51 for second in the rarely contested 600-yard run, finishing just 61-100ths of a second behind Texas Tech’s Vincent Crisp, the NCAA record holder at 600 meters.

Crisp ran 1:08.90 and Dennison 1:09.51. Dennison also joined Rashon Rooms, Eric Fogltanz and Frank Hayes to place third in the 1,600-meter relay in 3:10.07, and he also ran the 800 leg on Iowa State’s third-place distance medley team, which ran 9:50.65. Rooms, Zach Black and Dan Curts also ran for the Cyclones.

Dennison is ranked No. 11 in NCAA history at 600 meters with his 1:16.84 from last year. That’s also No. 37 in world history according to the IAAF and No. 15 in U.S. history. He’s run as fast as 1:17.26 this year, which is No. 10 in the world and No. 5 among Americans.

Dennison, who transferred to Iowa State after beginning his college career at Monroe College in New Rochelle, N.Y., set an indoor PR of 1:48.98 earlier this month for 800 meters. He’s run as fast as 1:47.63 outdoors. He was the Big 12 outdoor champ at 800 meters last spring and the Big 12 indoor champ at 600 yards last year.

Moorestown graduate Brandon Outlaw, a freshman at Virginia, placed third in the 400 at the Atlantic Coast Conference championships with an indoor personal-best time of 47.18 over the weekend at Clemson.

Outlaw’s time is third-fastest in Virginia history and broke his own school freshman record of 47.31 that he set in the trials. The previous Virginia freshman record was 47.64, set in 1988 by Paul Ereng, who later that year won the Olympic gold medal in the 800.

The only faster times in Virginia history were run by Payton Hazzard (46.60 in 2015) and Kellen Blassingame (46.73 in 2006).

Outlaw’s high school indoor PR was 47.90 at last year’s New Balance nationals. He ran 46.82 outdoors at sectionals on his way to the Meet of Champions title last spring. He ran a 46.25 at nationals but was stripped of the performance following a disputed DQ.

Outlaw’s time makes him the No. 8 junior in the world, according to the IAAF performance list. Because he’s only 20, Outlaw is eligible for USATF Junior Championships June 15-17 in Indianapolis, which serves as a qualifier for the IAAF World Juniors, scheduled for July 19-24 in Tampere, Finland.

Outlaw also ran on Virginia’s 1,600-meter relay team, which set a school record of 3:11.76. The previous mark of 3:11.93 set last year.

It’s hard to believe there’s something that Jessica Woodard hadn’t accomplished, but her indoor Big 12 Conference title this weekend in the shot put was indeed her first.

Woodard placed third as a freshman with a 51-4 1/2, third as a sophomore with a 55-7 and second last year with a 54-4. This time, Woodard won easily, throwing 57-3 1/4 to win the conference title at the Leid Rec Center on the Iowa State campus in Ames, Iowa.

Woodard didn’t have the most consistent series but she was plenty good enough to win. She opened with a 51-9 1/2, then fouled, then threw 54-1 1/2. In the finals, she popped her winning throw first, then followed it with a foul and a 54-11 3/4, which would have been good enough to win as well.

Texas sophomore Elena Bruckner took second with a throw of 54-4 3/4.

Woodard threw within about five inches of her season best and lifetime indoor PR of 57-8, which she threw one weekend earlier in Fayetteville, Ark. Her outdoor PR is 60-3, set last year at the outdoor Big 12 meet in Lawrence, Kans., when she won her previous Big 12 title.

Woodard also placed fourth in the weight throw with a lifetime-best 63-10.

Woodard is a four-time NCAA All-America in the shot and has also thrown the discus 185-9.

She’s currently ranked No. 7 in NCAA Division 1, No. 6 among U.S. collegians, No. 11 among American women and No. 23 in the world.

Woodard is off to the NCAAs March 9-10 at the Rhonda and Frosty Gilliam Jr. ’80 Indoor Track Stadium on the Texas A&M campus in College Station, Texas. The women’s shot put is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. EST that Friday, March 9.

 

 

St. Augustine junior Sincere Rhea was only the fifth seed going into the Meet of Champions 55-meter hurdles final, but that didn’t slow him down in the final.

Rhea blew away the field and won the 2018 Meet of Champions title in a personal-best 7.35. He ran his previous PR of 7.42 at the state Parochial A meet but didn’t break 7.60 in any of his three races at Easterns.

But after a 7.65 in the trials, Rhea put everything together in the final, beating second-place Isaiah Greene of Newark West Side by 7-100ths of a second. Greene, who ran 7.32 for second at Easterns, led all qualifiers into the finals at 7.50.

Rhea is St. Augustine’s second Meet of Champions winner in school history and first in 28 years, since Mark Sivieri won the 1,600 outdoors in 4:15.1 in 1990. Sivieri went on to star at Georgetown and run a sub-4 mile.

Rhea’s time is tied for No. 9 in South Jersey history and No. 18 in state history. It’s the second-fastest time ever by an Atlantic County runner, behind only the 7.29 run by Nate Harley of Pleasantville in 1996.

In meet history, only three hurdlers have run faster than Rhea did on Sunday, only one from South Jersey — Isaac Williams of Willingboro, who won the 2012 meet in 7.22.

According to the Mile Split data base, Rhea’s time is No. 4 nationally among juniors.

It looks like Rhea’s time is actually the fastest ever by a South Jersey junior. I need to double check a couple guys from the 1980s, but if not it’s the fastest by a South Jersey junior in a long time.

Rhea has now lowered his PR more than a third of a second since the start of the season. He brought a PR of 7.70 into the 2018 indoor season.

Let’s go to the lists!

Here’s the updated all-time New Jersey 55 hurdles list:
• 7.07 Cory Poole [East Orange Campus], 2017
• 7.18 Sultan Tucker [Delsea], 1996
• 7.19 Jermaine Collier [Trenton], 2012
• 7.22 Dwight Ruff [Camden], 2001
• 7.22 Issac Williams [Willingboro], 2012
• 7.29 Nate Harley [Pleasantville], 1996
• 7.29 Danyne Brown [Camden], 1999
• 7.29 Will Brown [Palmyra], 2006
• 7.31 Akeem Lindo [East Orange Campus], 2018
• 7.32 Stephan Fletcher [Princeton], 1983
• 7.32 Jon Dickey [Penns Grove], 1985
• 7.32 Jeff Porter [Franklin Twp.], 2003
• 7.32 Al-Tariq Dunson [East Orange], 2018
• 7.32 Isaiah Greene [Newark West Side], 2018
• 7.34 Chais Hill [Highland], 2015
• 7.34 Barry McClain [Trenton], 1981
• 7.34 Devon Hill [Trenton], 2008
• 7.35 Todd Walthall [Seton Hall], 1988
• 7.35 Gerard Reynolds [Willingboro], 1990
• 7.35 Darius Pemberton [Hackensack], 1993
• 7.35 Devon Hill [Trenton], 2008
• 7.35 Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], 2018
• 7.36 Tony Davis [Scotch Plains], 1982
• 7.36 Jerome Pemberton [Hackensack], 1986
• 7.36 Chris Stephans [Plainfield], 2001
• 7.36 Christian Boateng [Old Bridge], 2011
• 7.36 Greg Caldwell [West Windsor-Plainsboro North], 2012
• 7.37 Ihmir Marsette [Weequahic], 2017
• 7.37 Benjamin Aidoo [Sayreville], 2016
• 7.37 Basil Campbell [Ewing], 2003
• 7.37 Andrew Aguilera [Governor Livingston], 2017
• 7.38 Mike Wasko [Sayreville], 1982
• 7.39 Rashad Baker [Wilson], 2000

And the all-time Meet of Champions performance list:
7.19 … Jermaine Collier, Trenton 2012 [1]
7.21 … Cory Poole, East Orange, 2017 [1]
7.22 … Isaac Williams, Willingboro, 2012 [2]
7.35 … Sincere Rhea, St. Augustine, 2018 [1]
7.36 … Sultan Tucker, Delsea, 1996 [1]
7.36 … Christian Boateng, Old Bridge, 2011 [1]
7.40 … Josh Evans, Irvington 2009 [1]
7.41 … Jeff Porter, Franklin, 2003 [1]
7.41 … Rolston Braithwaite, Trenton, 2009 [2]
7.41 … Geordan Ferguson, Manchester Twp.,  2012 [3]
7.42 … Anthony Acklin, Triton, 2001 [1]
7.42 … Greg Caldwell, West Windsor North, 2012 [4]
7.42 … Cory Poole, East Orange, 2017 [t]
7.42 … Eric Kahana, Freehold Boro, 2012 [5]
7.42 … Isaiah Greene [West Side], 2018 [2]

Cherokee senior Justin Kelly lowered his 1,600 PR from 4:19.66 to 4:18.48 at the Meet of Champions Sunday at the Bennett Center.

Kelly placed seventh in a very fast race but ran the 11th-fastest time in Meet of Champions history by a South Jersey miler and the fastest by a Cherokee (or Burlington County) miler, 2-100ths of a second faster than Shawn Wilson’s time in 2012.

Kelly moved into the No. 3 spot on the all-time Burlington County indoor list behind Marc Pelerin and Dave Forward. Here’s what that list looks like:

ALL-TIME BURLINGTON COUNTY INDOO 1,600 LIST
4:13.56y  … Marc Pelerin (Cherokee), 2002
4:16.71y … *Dave Forward (Shawnee), 2009
4:19.48 … Justin Kelly [Cherokee], 2018
4:18.50 … *Shawn Wilson (Cherokee), 2012
4:18.91y … Jon Anderson (Cinnaminson), 2004
4:19.97 … Steve Burkholder [Cherokee), 2010
4:20.46y … Brian Tetreault (Cinnaminson), 2007
4:20.93 … *Ryan Garvin (Lenape), 2008
4:21.1h … Eric Lorenz (Holy Cross), 1988
4:22.22y … Rob Novak (Bordentown), 2005

And here are the fastest seventh-place times in meet history:
4:17.05 … Dan Mykityshyn [CBA], 2010
4:18.18 … Dylan Tarpey [Freehold Twp.], 2013
4:18.48 … Justin Kelly [Cherokee], 2018
4:18.84 … Rob Napolitano [Red Bank Catholic], 2011
4:19.15 … Patrik Anderson [Gill St. Bernard’s], 2014

And here’s a list of the all the sub-4:20 South Jersey milers at the indoor Meet of Champions. As you can see 10 of the 13 are since 2010:
4:14.18 … Greg Pelose [Haddonfield], 2016 [3]
4:14.71 … Luke Petela [Haddon Twp.], 2015 [1]
4:16.02 … Erik Johnson [Ocean City], 2011 [1]
4:16.62 … Bill Dolan [Clearview], 2014 [4]
4:16.64 … Chris Platt [Haddonfield], 2003 [1]
4:16.5m … Greg Stremmel [Gateway], 1974 [1]
4:16.68 … Miles Schoedler [Ocean City], 2010 [5]
4:16.85 … Ben Potts [Haddonfield], 2010 [6]
4:16.9m … Bob Marino [Williamstown, 1974 [2]
4:18.17 … Ben Potts [Haddonfield], 2011 [5]
4:18.48 … Justin Kelly [Cherokee], 2018 [7]
4:18.50 … Shawn Wilson [Cherokee], 2012 [9]
4:19.39 … Derek Gess [Haddonfield], 2018 [9]
4:19.97 … Steve Burkholder [Cherokee], 2010 [10]

Finally, here’s my best attempt at an all-time Burlington County combined list of all sub-4:20 milers both indoors and outdoors:

ALL-TIME BURLINGTON COUNTY 1,600 LIST
4:11.15 … Ryan Garvin (Lenape), 2009
4:11.69 … Shawn Wilson [Cherokee], 2013
4:11.83y … Marc Pelerin [Cherokee], 2002
4:13.0y,h … Rick Jacques [Burlington Twp.], 1968
4:14.60 … Matt Poskus [Cinnaminson], 2007
4:14.8y,h … 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
4:16.6y,h … Herb Gordon [Willingboro], 1982
4:16.86 … Mark Miller [Shawnee], 2017
4:16.93 … Ian Waterhouse [Rancocas Valley], 2004
4:17.34 … Chris Martin [Northern Burlington], 2014
4:17.39 … Chris Sallade [Shawnee], 1990
4:17.4y,h … Bob Mann [Willingboro], 1979
4:17.7y,h … Joe League [Holy Cross], 1972
4:18.43 … Josh Joseph [Cherokee], 2000
4:18.48i … Justin Kelly [Cherokee], 2018
4:18.52 … *Rob Novak [Bordentown], 2005
4:18.3y,h … Rey Johnson [Willingboro], 1980
4:18.3 … Keith O’Brien [Shawnee], 1992
4:18.64 … Joshua DeJesus [Rancocas Valley], 2015
4:18.6 … Bryant Walker [Pemberton], 1983
4:18.7y,h … Mark Strucko [Rancocas Valley], 1979
4:18.91 … Steve Unger [Shawnee], 2003
4:19.96 … Kevin Lauer [Lenape], 2017
4:18.9y,h … Terry Delaney [Moorestown], 1979
4:19.01 … *Bill Sepich [Delran], 2004
4:19.36 … Jack Shea [Cherokee], 2017
4:19.83 … Alex McGrainer [Seneca], 2013

 

Woodstown graduate Ta’riq Thomas, a senior at Delaware Valley College, won his second conference title of the weekend and seventh of his collegiate career Saturday when he jumped 47-9 1/2 to win the triple jump at the Middle Atlantic Conference championships at Rauch Fieldhouse on the Lehigh campus in Bethlehem, Pa.

On Friday, Thomas won the long jump with a meet-record 23-10 1/2 jump.

Thomas also won the triple jump at the 2015 indoor meet and 2015, 2016 and 2017 outdoor meets and long jump at the 2016 outdoor meet.

Thomas fouled on his first two attempts of the trials and was in danger of not even advancing to the finals. But he went 47-2 1/2 on his third attempt of the trials and was safely through to the finals.

As it turned out, that 47-2 1/2 would have been good enough to win the title, but Thomas opened the finals with his 47-9 1/2, then followed it with a 45-11 and a 44-10 1/2.

Thomas’s career-best in the triple jump is 48-9 3/4 from a meet last spring at Swarthmore. His indoor PR is 48-7 3/4 from the 2015 ECAC meet at the 168th Street Armory. His best mark so far this year is a 48-0 3/4 from a meet last month at Muhlenberg in Allentown.

Thomas, a three-time NCAA Division 3 All-America, ranks No. 2 in NCAA Division 3 in the long jump and No. 9 in the triple jump, according to the Direct Athletics database.

At Woodstown, had PRs of 22-5 1/2 in the long jump and 45-4 3/4 in the triple jump, both at the Woodbury Relays.

 

Delsea senior Ashley Preston, one of the top pole vaulters in state history, cleared 12-6 Saturday to place second in the Meet of Champions at the Bennett Center in Toms River.

Preston took second to Haley Horvath of Notre Dame on more misses. Both tied the meet record originally set in 2008 by Barnegat’s Jen Holly and matched in 2009 by Montville’s Chrissy Finked and in 2012 by Southern Regional’s Chelsea Vaughan.

Preston’s 12-6 is the top non-winning jump in meet history. The previous best second-place finish was 12-0, achieved three times, most recently by Marlena Sabatini of Hillsborough in 2012.

Preston is the Gloucester County record holder indoors with her 12-7 earlier this at a meet at the Bennett Center in January. The previous Gloucester County record was just 10-6.

Preston ranks No. 4 in state history indoors and No. 5 in state history on the combine indoor and outdoor list. She’s second to Shawnee’s Danielle O’Reilly, the former indoor national champion, on both lists. O’Reilly had clearances of 13-5 indoors and 13-3 outdoors in 2004.

The indoor Meet of Champions PR didn’t start until 2005, so O’Reilly never had a chance to compete indoors in the M-of-C.

Preston’s 12-6 is the best ever by a South Jersey girl in the Meet of Champions pole vault indoors. The previous best was an 11-6 by Melissa Gale of Millville for second place in 2006.

Preston’s PR coming into this season was 11-0.

Preston’s outdoor best is 11-0 from sectionals in 2016. She’s been over 12-6 or higher in four of her last six meets — state relays, a SJTCA  meet at the Bennett Center, sectionals and Meet of Champs. She placed eighth on Tuesday at Easterns with an 11-7 clearance.

13-5 … Danielle O’Reilly [Shawnee], 2004

13-0 1/2 … Leah Saifi [Governor Livingston], 2017

12-7 1/2 … Chrissy Finkel [Monroe Twp.], 2008

12-7 … Ashley Preston [Delsea], 2018

12-6 1/2 … Emily Urciuoli [Clifton], 2010

12-6 1/4 … Melissa Purcell [Pascack Valley], 2018

12-6  … Julianna Toto [Middletown South], 2005

12-7 1/2 …  Jennifer Holly [Barnegat], 2008

12-6  … Chelsea Vaughan [Southern Reg.], 2012

12-6 … Michelle Rubinetti [Northern Valley-Demarest], 2016

12-6  … Haley Horvath [Notre Dame], 2018

12-6 … Francesca Porambo [Bernards], 2018

12-6  … Julia Dannenbaum [Pingry], 2017

13-5 … Danielle O’Reilly [Shawnee], 2004 [i]

13-0 1/2 … Leah Saifi [Governor Livingston], 2017 [i]

12-7 1/2 … Chrissy Finkel [Monroe Twp.], 2008 [i]

12-7 1/4 … Nicole Pompei [Hanover Park], 2009 [o]

12-7 … Ashley Preston [Delsea], 2018 [i]

12-7 … Kelly Burke [Cranford], 2010 [o]

12-6 1/2 … Emily Urciuoli [Clifton], 2010 [i]

12-6 1/2 … Natalie Gengel [Princeton], 2005 [o]

12-6 1/4 … Melissa Purcell [Pascack Valley], 2018 [i]

12-6  … Julianna Toto [Middletown South], 2005 [i], 2008 [o]

12-7 1/2 …  Jennifer Holly [Barnegat], 2008 [i]

12-6 1/2  … Chelsea Vaughan [Southern Reg.], 2012 [i]

12-6 … Michelle Rubinetti [Northern Valley-Demarest], 2016 [i], 2017 [o]

12-6  … Haley Horvath [Notre Dame], 2018 [i]

12-6 … Francesca Porambo [Bernards], 2018 [i]

12-6  … Julia Dannenbaum [Pingry], 2017 [i]

12-6 … Marlena Sabatino [Hillsborough], 2012 [o]

12-6 … Jessica Ippolito [Fair Lawn], 2017 [o]

12-6 … Anna Heim [Moorestown], 2010 [o]

Delsea senior Ashley Preston, one of the top pole vaulters in state history, cleared 12-6 Saturday to place second in the Meet of Champions at the Bennett Center in Toms River.

Preston took second to Haley Horvath of Notre Dame on misses. Both tied the meet record originally set in 2008 by Barnegat’s Jen Holly and matched in 2009 by Montville’s Chrissy Finked and in 2012 by Southern Regional’s Chelsea Vaughan.

Preston’s 12-6 is the top non-winning jump in meet history. The previous best second-place finish was 12-0, achieved three times, most recently by Marlena Sabatini of Hillsborough in 2012.

Preston is the Gloucester County record holder indoors with her 12-7 earlier this at a meet at the Bennett Center in January. The previous Gloucester County record was just 10-6.

Preston ranks No. 4 in state history indoors and No. 5 in state history on the combine indoor and outdoor list. She’s second to Shawnee’s Danielle O’Reilly, the former indoor national champion, on both lists. O’Reilly had clearances of 13-5 indoors and 13-3 outdoors in 2004.

The indoor Meet of Champions PR didn’t start until 2005, so O’Reilly never had a chance to compete indoors in the M-of-C.

Preston’s 12-6 is the best ever by a South Jersey girl in the Meet of Champions pole vault indoors. The previous best was an 11-6 by Melissa Gale of Millville for second place in 2006.

Preston’s PR coming into this season was 11-0.

Preston’s outdoor best is 11-0 from sectionals in 2016. She’s been over 12-6 or higher in four of her last six meets — state relays, a SJTCA  meet at the Bennett Center, sectionals and Meet of Champs. She placed eighth on Tuesday at Easterns with an 11-7 clearance.

She and teammate Madison Mamounis [10-0] set a meet record of 22-6 to win the state Group 2 relays title.

Here’s the all-time state indoor list
13-5 … Danielle O’Reilly [Shawnee], 2004
13-0 1/2 … Leah Saifi [Governor Livingston], 2017
12-7 1/2 … Chrissy Finkel [Monroe Twp.], 2008
12-7 … Ashley Preston [Delsea], 2018
12-6 1/2 … Emily Urciuoli [Clifton], 2010
12-6 1/4 … Melissa Purcell [Pascack Valley], 2018
12-6  … Julianna Toto [Middletown South], 2005
12-6 …  Jennifer Holly [Barnegat], 2008
12-6  … Chelsea Vaughan [Southern Reg.], 2012
12-6 … Michelle Rubinetti [Northern Valley-Demarest], 2016
12-6  … Haley Horvath [Notre Dame], 2018
12-6 … Francesca Porambo [Bernards], 2018
12-6  … Julia Dannenbaum [Pingry], 2017

And the all-time New Jersey combined indoor and outdoor list:
13-5 … Danielle O’Reilly [Shawnee], 2004 [i]
13-0 1/2 … Leah Saifi [Governor Livingston], 2017 [i]
12-7 1/2 … Chrissy Finkel [Monroe Twp.], 2008 [i]
12-7 1/4 … Nicole Pompei [Hanover Park], 2009 [o]
12-7 … Ashley Preston [Delsea], 2018 [i]
12-7 … Kelly Burke [Cranford], 2010 [o]
12-6 1/2 … Emily Urciuoli [Clifton], 2010 [i]
12-6 1/2 … Natalie Gengel [Princeton], 2005 [o]
12-6 1/4 … Melissa Purcell [Pascack Valley], 2018 [i]
12-6  … Julianna Toto [Middletown South], 2005 [i], 2008 [o]
12-7 1/2 …  Jennifer Holly [Barnegat], 2008 [i]
12-6 1/2  … Chelsea Vaughan [Southern Reg.], 2012 [i]
12-6 … Michelle Rubinetti [Northern Valley-Demarest], 2016 [i], 2017 [o]
12-6  … Haley Horvath [Notre Dame], 2018 [i]
12-6 … Francesca Porambo [Bernards], 2018 [i]
12-6  … Julia Dannenbaum [Pingry], 2017 [i]
12-6 … Marlena Sabatino [Hillsborough], 2012 [o]
12-6 … Jessica Ippolito [Fair Lawn], 2017 [o]
12-6 … Anna Heim [Moorestown], 2010 [o]

Villanova’s Sterling Pierce, a Rancocas Valley graduate, ran his fastest 200 in two years and won his section of a two-race final before settling for second place in the Big East indoor championships at the Ocean Breeze facility in Staten Island.

Pierce won his section of the two-race final in 21.53, only to watch Nate Alleyne of Georgetown run 21.51 in the second section and take the title.

Egg Harbor Township’s Amir Brock, a Villanova freshman, was fourth in 21.80.

Pierce’s 21.53 is his fastest 200 since he ran 21.48 at a meet at the University of Miami in April of 2016. It’s his fastest indoor time since he ran 21.45 to place second in the 2016 indoor meet on the same track.

Pierce also placed third in the 60-meter dash in 6.89, which is just 1-100th of a second off his PR of 6.88 set at the Armory last month.

That’s 14 points in two events for Pierce. After 12 events, the Villanova men trailed Marquette by just seven points, 121-114.

Schalick senior Zyra Thomas continued her record-shattering indoor season Saturday with a second-place finish in the shot put at the Meet of Champions at the Bennett Center.

Shelby Bigsby of Montclair, ranked No. 1 in the country at 50-2 from Easterns on Tuesday night, won with a 47-0 throw, but Thomas was next with a bomb of 45-5. That is over a foot beyond her previous PR and Salem County record of 44-2 3/4, which she set at the Bennett Center in January.

Thomas’s throw is the best ever by a South Jersey girl at the indoor Meet of Champions. It’s also the fifth-best non-winning throw in meet history.

According to the MileSplit data base, Thomas is now ranked sixth in the U.S. Her throw is No. 2 by a New Jersey girl this year.

Thomas moved up from No. 4 to No. 2 on the all-time South Jersey indoor list, behind only Najeaya Singleton, who set the South Jersey record of 46-1 1/2 last year.

ALL-TIME S.J. INDOOR SHOT PUT LIST
46-1 1/2 … Najeaya Singleton [Vineland], 2017 [i]
45-6… Zyra Thomas [Schalick], 2018 [i]
45-3 … Nacole Moore [Bridgeton], 2000 [i]
44-6 1/2 … Sylvia Galarza [Millville], 2004 [i]
44-3 1/2 … Jocelyn White [Delsea], 2004 [i]
44-0 1/2 … Melinda Boykin [Bridgeton], 1996 [i]
43-11 3/4 … Stephanie Scaramella [Bishop Eustace], 2007 [i]
43-10 1/4 … Mercedes Hicks [Atlantic City], 2006 [i]
43-10 … Rosetta Hunter [Burlington Twp.], 2015 [i]
43-4 3/4 … Jessica Woodard [Cherokee], 2012 [i]
43-4 1/2 … Victoria Imbesi [Our Lady of Mercy], 2009 [i]
43-3 … Janice Rose [Delsea], 2011 [i]
42-7 3/4 … Typhanie Bates [Williamstown], 1995 [i]
42-5 1/2 … Genevieve Tybicki [Our Lady of Mercy], 2007 [i]
42-4 … Sophia Coleburn [Haddon Heights], 2007 [i]
42-0 1/2 … Lisa Stuto [Winslow Twp.], 2009 [i]
42-0 1/4 … Lola Agabalogun [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2013 [i]
41-10 … Lillian Rivera [Pemberton], 1984 [i]

Thomas’s mark also moved her from No. 14 to No. 5 on the all-time South Jersey list, covering both indoor and outdoor marks.

ALL-TIME S.J. COMBINED SHOT PUT LIST
47-1 1/4 … Jessica Woodard (Cherokee), 2013 [o]
46-4 ……… Janiece Rose (Delsea), 2011 [o]
46-1 1/2 … Najeaya Singleton [Vineland], 2017 [i]
45-7 1/2 … Ronetta Hunter (Burlington Twp.), 2015 [o]
45-6………. Zyra Thomas [Schalick], 2018 [i]
46-1 1/2 … Nacole Moore (Bridgeton), 2000 [o]
45-5 ……… Sylvia Galarza (Millville), 2004 [o]
44-9 ……… Kim Warren (Atlantic City), 2006 [o]
44-9 ……… Lola Agabalogun (Egg Harbor), 2013 [o]
44-5 1/4 …. Melinda Boykin (Bridgeton), 1998 [o]
44-5 ……… Jamine Moton (Delsea), 1997 [o]
44-4 1/4 …. Dana White (Camden), 2000 [o]
44-3 1/2 … Jocelyn White [Delsea], 2004 [i]
44-2 1/2 …. Typhanie Bates (Williamstown), 1995 [o]
44-0 3/4 …. Mercedes Hicks (Atlantic City), 2006 [o]
43-11 3/4 … Stephanie Scaramella [Bishop Eustace], 2007 [i]
43-8 3/4 …. Janet Morris (Kingsway), 1991 [o]
43-7 …..… Shamire Rothmiller (Glassboro), 2008 [o]
43-6 3/4 … Angela Solomon (Overbook), 1989 [o]
43-6 3/4 … Talita Silva (Bridgeton), 2003 [o]

Thomas’s throw surpasses Nacole Moore’s 45-3 winner in 2000 as the top throw in Meet of Champions history by a South Jersey girl. It’s No. 15 in M-of-C history and makes her the No. 12 performer in M-of-C history.

ALL-TIME INDOOR M-OF-C SHOT PUT LIST
53-2 …… Nickolette Dunbar, 2016 (1)
50-0 …… Alyssa Wilson, 2016 (2)
49-9 ¾ …. Nicole Sims, Plainfield 1991 (1)
47-11 ¼ … Nickolette Dunbar, 2015 (1)
47-8 …… Therewsa Picciallo, Immaculate Heart, 2012 (1)
47-7 ………. Sims, 1992 (1)
47-6 ………. Sims, 1993 (1)
47-5 ½ …. Kim Hicks, Plainfield, 1992 (2)
47-2 ¼ …. Jessica Molina, Westwood, 2016 (3)
46-4 ½ …….. Picciallo, 2011 (1)
46-3 …… Taryn O’Connor, Hillsborough, 2007 (1)
46-1 ½ …. DeAnne Hahn, Brick Township, 2008 (1)
45-10 ¾ … Jessica Fazekas, Demarest, 2002 (1)
45-9 ½ …. Jessica Molina, Westwood, 2015 (2)
45-5 …… Zyra Thomas, Schalick, 2018 (2)
45-3 …… Nacole Moore, Bridgeton, 2000 (1)

Thomas, a four-time state Group 1 champ in the shot put, has an outdoor PR of 43-7 1/4 from last year’s Meet of Champions, when she was fifth.

Her indoor PR before this year was 42-8 1/2 from last year’s sectionals. She’s thrown at least 40 feet in every indoor meet she’s entered since the start of her junior year.