Delsea senior Ashley Preston recorded the best pole vault mark by a South Jersey girl in 14 years Thursday when she cleared 12-7 1/2 at the Penn Relays at Franklin Field.

Preston’s mark is tied for third in state history behind Shawnee’s Danielle O’Reilly [13-5 in 2004] and Leah Saifi of Governor Livingston [13-0 1/2 in 2017].

Preston placed third at Penn, behind Alana Carroll of Averill Park (N.Y.) High, who cleared 12-11 1/2, and Kaeli Thompson of Warwick Valley (N.Y.), who also cleared 12-7 1/2. She also extended her own Gloucester County record.

Preston actually missed her first two attempts at the opening height of 10-11 3/4 before clearing on her final attempt to avoid no-heighting.

She then cleared 11-5 3/4, 11-11 3/4, 12-3 1/2 and 12-7 1/2, all on her first attempt, before missing three attempts at 12-11 1/2.

Preston’s previous PR was a 12-7 at an indoor meet at the Bennett Center in January. Her previous outdoor PR was an 11-4 at a meet in West Chester, Pa., earlier this month. Before January, her PR was 11-0 from junior year indoors.

Here’s a look at all the vaulters in New Jersey history who have cleared 12-6 either indoors or outdoors, listed with their best overall mark:

ALL-TIME N.J. POLE VAULT 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 1/2 … Ashley Preston [Delsea], 2018
12-7 1/4 … Nicole Pompei [Hanover Park], 2009 [o]
12-7 1/2 …  Jennifer Holly [Barnegat], 2008 [i]
12-7 … Kelly Burke [Cranford], 2010 [o]
12-6 1/2  … Chelsea Vaughan [Southern Reg.], 2012 [i]
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]
12-6 … 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]

The Rancocas Valley girls on Thursday blazed the second-fastest 400-meter relay time by a New Jersey school this year at the 124th annual Penn Relays at Franklin Field.

R.V. ran a 2018 South Jersey #1 48.06 to win its heat and advance to two featured regional championship races later in the weekend at Penn. The time is No. 24 in South Jersey history, No. 8 in Burlington County history and No. 2 in the state this year.

But the Red Devils will have two more chances to run faster. They qualified for the Northeast Championship race at 2:20 p.m. Friday and the Tri-State Championship race at 1:40 p.m. Saturday.

Sophomores Breacain McClenahan and Kristina Tossas, junior Darynn Minus-Vincent and senior Aliyah Taylor ran for the Red Devils, improving on their previous season-best of 48.67 from the Woodbury Relays last weekend.

The only faster time by a New Jersey school this year is Union Catholic’s 47.42, also at Penn on Thursday.

R.V.’s 48.06 ranks 21st of 637 schools that ran the 400-meter relay Thursday. Of the 20 schools that ran faster, 12 are from Jamaica, one from the Bahamas and five from various states in the U.S. (one each from Virginia, California, Maryland, New York and Nevada) and one each from Washington, D.C., and North Jersey (Union Catholic).

The Egg Harbor girls ran 48.28 and the Winslow girls 48.33 and both also reached the Northeast and Tri-State races.

ALL-TIME S.J. GIRLS 400-METER RELAY LIST
46.87 … Eastern, 2003
46.98 … Winslow Twp., 2017
46.9h … Willingboro, 1980
47.18 … Winslow Twp., 2013
47.27 … Delsea, 2017
47.3h … Willingboro, 1981
47.45 … Willingboro, 1994
47.49 … Rancocas Valley, 2017
47.54 … Winslow Twp., 2003
47.4h … Camden,, 1978
47.4y … Camden, 1979
47.75 … Eastern, 2002
47.76 … Winslow Twp., 2005
47.76 … Winslow Twp., 2012
47.8h … Willingboro, 2003
47.82 … Moorestown, 2000
47.85 … Deptford, 2015
47.87 … Winslow Twp., 2011
47.9h … Willingboro, 1995
47.94 … Camden, 2000
48.0h … Camden, 1995
48.0h … Wilson, 2008
48.03 … Penns Grove, 2014
48.06 … Rancocas Valley, 2018
48.07 … Camden, 2006
48.08 … Winslow Twp., 2004
48.08 … Willingboro, 2009
48.09 … Lakewood, 2000
48.1h … Willingboro, 1979
48.12 … Washington Twp., 2001
48.14 … Camden, 1997
48.14 … Winslow, 2018
48.23 … Wilson, 2006
48.23 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2015
48.24 … Camden, 2008

Seneca’s girls 3,200-meter relay team just missed reaching the Penn Relays Championship of America race but ran sub-9:30 for the third straight year.

The team of Kayla Hay, Carley Tool, Grayce Heinemann and Sydny Warner ran 9:27.36 Thursday at the 124th annual Penn Relays at Franklin Field, finishing fourth in the first of four high school girls 3,200-meter relay heats (two large-school, two small-school).

Seneca finished ninth overall among small schools and 15th overall among the 67 schools that qualified for Penn.

The top 12 schools from the four races advanced to Friday’s Championship of America race. The slowest of those 12 was River Dell, which ran 9:25.11, so Seneca missed advancing by just over two seconds.

Hay led off with a 2:22.70, with Tool [2:22.90], Heinemann [2:22.13] and Warner [2:19.64] following. Seneca’s time is sixth-fastest in New Jersey this year and fastest by a South Jersey school.

 

Jessica Woodard won her second straight college shot put championship Thursday at the 124th annual Penn Relays on the fields adjacent to Franklin Field on the University of Pennsylvania campus in West Philadelphia.

Woodard, a Marlton native, Cherokee High School graduate and senior at Oklahoma, threw 55-7 1/2 to win by three inches over Kayla Dawson of Indiana, who threw 55-4 1/2. Last year Woodard won with a throw of 55-10.

Woodard has a shot put PR of 60-2 3/4 from last year’s Big 12 meet. Her best throw this year is a 57-8 9 last month at a meet in San Diego.

Woodard will throw the discus at Penn at 11:30 a.m. Friday. She’s ranked seventh nationally in the shot put and seventh in the discus at 190-9.

 

 

Junior Lamya Young, freshman Emily McGrath and seniors Sierra Gaines and Bailie Rizzo teamed up to win  the 400- and 800-meter relays, and the Audubon girls sprinted their way to the Woodbury Relays Group 1 title Saturday.

It was the Green Wave’s first Woodbury Relays championship in school history, outscoring second-place Paulsboro 44-34, with Schalick — the three-time defending champion — third with 27 points. Paulsboro hasn’t won since 1995.

Young, McGrath, Gaines and Rizzo won the 400-meter relay in 51.29 and the 800-meter relay in 1:45.80.

Rizzo, Young and McGrath teamed up with sophomore Alivia Stocklin to place second in the sprint medley in 4:27.55, and McGrath joined freshman Sarah Parr, junior Jacqueline Stocklin and senior Rachel Russell to win the shuttle hurdles in 1:11.85.

Audubon also placed second in the 3,200-meter relay, with the team of junior Giavanna Amariles, senior Alesky Kilvington, junior Caitlyn Clarke and freshman Emma Myers running 10:46.96.

 

Audubon’s 1:45.80 is fastest this year by a New Jersey Group 1 school, according to the Milesplit database, and actually fastest since Penns Grove ran 1:43.53 at Woodbury in 2014. The 51.29 is third-fastest by a New Jersey Group 1 school.

Audubon already ranks No. 2 in South Jersey and No. 4 in the state in the SMR with its 4:23.78 from the Jim Camburn Relays earlier this month. The 1:11.85 is No. 2 in South Jersey this year among Group 1 schools in the shuttles, just 1-100th of a second behind Pennsville, which ran 1:11.84 at Woodbury. It’s also No. 3 in the state.

The 3,200-meter relay time is No. 8 in the state this year in Group 1 and No. 3 in South Jersey,.

The 4-by-100 and 4-by-200 times are school records.

 

Stockton University freshman Steve Jernee extended his school record in the javelin to 205-7 this past weekend at the Widener Invitational in Chester, Pa.

Jernee threw 205-7 on his final attempt of the day, which also moved him past Christian Pavlovich of Messiah College and into first.

Going into the final set of throws, Jernee was in the lead with a throw of 200-2 on his second throw, and Pavlovich, a senior at the Grantham, Pa., school, was in second with a 197-4.

But Pavlovich took the lead with a 203-6 on his final throw. Moments later, on the final throw of the competition, Jernee reclaimed the lead and extended the Stockton school record with his 205-7.

Jernee had set the Stockton record with a throw of 204-4 at his first collegiate meet, the Stockton Invitational in Galloway on March 31. That broke the existing record of 203-2 set at the 2013 NJAC meet at Rowan by Jack Stephenson, another Ocean City graduate.

Jernee’s 205-7 ranks ninth-best in NCAA Division 3, according to the Direct Athletics database, and it’s No. 1 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. He’s also the No. 1 freshman nationally, eight inches ahead of Luke Ballard of Birmingham-Southern, who threw 204-11 at the Southern Athletic Association Outdoor Championships in Sewanee, Ga., this past weekend.

Jernee’s PR is his 209-4 from last year’s Meet of Champions. That was his only meet in high school where he hit 190 feet.

Seniors Cade Hindley, Joe Grandizio and Jonathan Connor and junior Kieran Burns teamed up Saturday to run the top distance medley time by a South Jersey school this year and break the Kingsway school record.

Kingsway ran 10:26.74 to win the Group 4 DMR at the 43rd annual Woodbury Relays by about 80 meters over Rancocas Valley.

Kingsway’s previous school record was a 10:31.12 to win the 2014 Woodbury Relays Group 4 DMR.

Kingsway’s time is third-fastest in New Jersey this year, behind Voorhees [10:21.52 at the Metuchen Relays] and North Hunterdon [10:25.26 at the Skyland Conference Relays].

According to the lineup and splits listed with the official results, Hindley led off with a 3:09.3, followed by Grandizio in 54.9, Connor with a 2:00.8 and Burns anchoring in 4:21.9.

Kingsway’s time is 10th-fastest in Woodbury Relays history. Here’s a look at all the sub-10:30 times ever run in the DMR at Woodbury:

• 10:19.90 … Cherry Hill East, 2016 [Group 4]
• 10:20.86 … Toms River South, 1976 [Group 4]
• 10:20.92 … Rancocas Valley, 2015 [Group 4]
• 10:22.62 … Haddon Twp., 2015 [Group 1]
• 10:23.98 … Cherry Hill East, 2015 [Group 4]
• 10:24.40 … Pleasantville, 2013 [Group 2]
• 10:24.4 ….. Eastern, 1985 [Group 3]
• 10:25.31 … Northern Burlington, 2014 [Group 3]
• 10:26.3 ….. Cherokee, 1998 [Group 4]
• 10:26.74 … Kingsway, 2018 [Group 4]
• 10:28.0 ….. Cherokee, 2000 [Group 4]
• 10:28.7 ….. Highland, 1991 [Group 4]
• 10:29.91 … Cherokee, 2002 [Group 4]

Kingsway is the first to win the Group 4 DMR at Woodbury in consecutive seasons in 10 years — since Washington Township won its third straight in 2008.

Here’s a look at every Group 4 DMR winner ever at Woodbury:

• 2018: Kingsway, 10:26.74
• 2017: Kingsway, 10:32.25
• 2016: Cherry Hill East, 10:19.90
• 2015: Rancocas Valley, 10:20.92
• 2014: Kingsway, 10:31.12
• 2013: Rancocas Valley, 10:42.82
• 2012: Vineland, 10:34.88
• 2011: Egg Harbor, 10:49.09
• 2010: Cherokee, 10:38.4
• 2009: Oakcrest, 10:37.7
• 2008: Washington Twp., 10:35.9
• 2007: Washington Twp., 10:44.54
• 2006: Washington Twp., 10:50.1
• 2005: Vineland, 10:59.5
• 2004: Toms River North, 10:32.6
• 2003: Toms River North, 10:41.54
• 2002: Cherokee, 10:29.91
• 2001: Eastern, 10:32.1
• 2000: Cherokee, 10:28.0
• 1999: Washington Twp., 10:35.4
• 1998: Cherokee, 10:26.3
• 1997: Overbrook, 10:49.2
• 1996: Cherokee, 10:44.2
• 1995: Highland, 10:46.7
• 1994: Highland, 10:52.9
• 1993: Shawnee, 10:52.0
• 1992: Shawnee, 10:31.4
• 1991: Highland, 10:28.7
• 1990: Cherokee, 10:33.7
• 1989: Paul VI, 10:30.1
• 1988: Brick Township, 10:51.3
• 1987: Cherry Hill East, 10:47.5

The Winslow girls swept the Group 3 sprint relays at the 46th annual Woodbury Relays Saturday, running two state No. 1 times and three South Jersey No. 1 times.

Here’s a look at the three races.

—> Junior Tionna Tobias, seniors Flora Ahiarakwe and Shakira Dance and sophomore Janeya Hammond won the 400-meter relay in 48.14. That’s the No. 1 time in the state.

—> Tobias, junior Rayven Rouse, sophomore Nylah Perry and Ahiarakwe won the 800-meter relay in 1:41.91. That’s also the No. 1 time in the state.

—> Junior Nicole Hood, Perry, Dancy and Hammond won the 1,600-meter relay in 3:57.99. That’s No. 2 in the state, behind only Woodbridge, who ran 3:57.17 last weekend at the East Brunswick Invitational.

Winslow won the Group 3 team title 34-29 over Paul VI. Winslow also scored in the 3,200-meter relay (fifth) and sprint medley (fifth). The team team title is Winslow’s first since 2015 but sixth in the last eight years.

The Group 3 meet records in all three sprint relays were set in 2012 by Winslow — 47.85, 1:39.59 and 3:52.39. Yikes.

Here are the all-time South Jersey 400-meter and 800-meter relay lists:

ALL-TIME S.J. 400-METER RELAY LIST
46.87 … Eastern, 2003
46.98 … Winslow Twp., 2017
46.9h … Willingboro, 1980
47.18 … Winslow Twp., 2013
47.3h … Willingboro, 1981
47.45 … Willingboro, 1994
47.54 … Winslow Twp., 2003
47.4h … Camden,, 1978
47.4y … Camden, 1979
47.75 … Eastern, 2002
47.76 … Winslow Twp., 2005
47.76 … Winslow Twp., 2012
47.78 … Delsea, 2017
47.8h … Willingboro, 2003
47.82 …Moorestown, 2000
47.83 … Rancocas Valley, 2017
47.85 … Deptford, 2015
47.87 … Winslow Twp., 2011
47.9h … Willingboro, 1995
47.94 … Camden, 2000
48.0h … Camden, 1995
48.0h … Wilson, 2008
48.03 … Penns Grove, 2014
48.07 … Camden, 2006
48.08 … Winslow Twp., 2004
48.08 … Willingboro, 2009
48.09 … Lakewood, 2000
48.1h … Willingboro, 1979
48.12 … Washington Twp., 2001
48.14 … Camden, 1997
48.14 … Winslow, 2018
48.23 … Wilson, 2006
48.23 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2015
48.24 … Camden, 2008

ALL-TIME S.J. 800-METER RELAY LIST
1:39.21 … Eastern, 2003
1:39.59 … Winslow, 2012
1:40.30 … Winslow, 2017
1:40.5 ….. Wilson, 2006
1:40.62 … Winslow, 2003
1:40.91 … Winslow, 2004
1:41.10 … Washington Twp., 1999
1:41.1 ….. Camden, 1995
1:41.20 … Willingboro, 1994
1:41.2 ….. Camden, 2006
1:41.33 … Camden, 2009
1:41.5 ….. Pleasantville, 1995
1:41.40 … Winslow Twp., 2005
1:41.54 … Willingboro, 1999
1:41.56 … Highland, 1998
1:41.59 … Eastern, 2002
1:41.70 … Wilson, 2008
1:41.81 … Willingboro, 1995
1:41.85 … Deptford, 2015
1:41.86 … Willingboro, 2000
1:41.87 … Camden, 2001
1:41.88 … Winslow, 2013
1:41.91 … Winslow, 2018

Oakcrest junior Brielle Smith won the javelin Saturday at the Woodbury Relays and moved into the No. 4 spot in South Jersey history and the No. 1 spot on the 2018 New Jersey javelin list.

Smith improved her PR from 145-0 at last year’s Rowan Invitational to 150-7 at Woodbury. Her throw is the best by a South Jersey girl in six years. She came within 21 inches of the Atlantic County record of 152-4, set in 2009 by Jill Shanner of Egg Harbor Township.

Smith’s throw is also No. 7 in New Jersey history and No. 4 in the U.S. this year. She broke the New Jersey junior class record of 146-5 set in 2003 by Amanda Harmata of Raritan at nationals in Raleigh, N.C., and the South Jersey junior class record of 143-4 set in 2011 by Maria Jimenez of Vineland at Group 4 sectionals.

Here’s the all-time South Jersey list, with the new implement (which went into use in 2002):

• 160-  8 … Maria Jimenez (Vineland), 2012
• 152-  9 … Katherine Johnston (Haddonfield), 2012
• 152-  4 … Jill Shaner (Egg Harbor Twp.), 2009
• 150-  7 … Brielle Smith (Oakcrest), 2018
• 148-  8 … Caitlin Cielo (Eastern), 2002
• 146-  7 … Victoria Imbesi (Our Lady of Mercy), 2008
• 141-  6 … Lindsay Minch (Pennsville), 2010
• 141-  5 … Kelly Yanucil (Bordentown), 2013
• 141-  1 … Tumelo Nwanma (Vineland), 2016
• 141-  0 … Jocelyn McRae (Millville), 2006
• 140-  1 … Caitlin Ciello (Eastern), 2002
• 140-  0 … Melissa Lake (Cherokee), 2011

And here’s the all-time New Jersey 150-foot list, including again only marks made with the new javelin:

• 160-  8 … Maria Jimenez (Vineland), 2012
• 155-  8 … Daina Pucurs (Demarest), 2004
• 155-  0 … Jamie Klein (Paramus Catholic), 2011
• 154-11 … Nia Barnes (West Orange), 2011
• 152-  9 … Katherine Johnston (Haddonfield), 2012
• 152-  4 … Jill Shaner (Egg Harbor Twp.), 2009
• 152-  3 … Shauntierah Douglas (Garfield), 2012
• 150-  7 … Brielle Smith (Oakcrest), 2018

The Clayton quartet of juniors Thomas Hampton and Hilton Smith and freshmen Dominick Bishop and TerMeir Hill won the 800-meter relay at the Woodbury Relays Saturday in 1:31.42, fastest this year by a New Jersey Group 1 school.

Clayton broke the school record of 1:31.83 set last weekend at the Bridgeton Relays. Before this spring, Clayton had never broken 1:32.

The previous-fastest time by a Group 1 school in New Jersey this year was Abraham Clark’s 1:31.70 last weekend at the East Brunswick Invitational.

The fastest time ever run by a South Jersey Group 1 school is 1:30.25 by Penns Grove in 2015, also at the Woodbury Relays.

Hill also won the long jump with a personal-best 21-11 3/4.

Clayton also placed third in the 400-meter relay [44.78] and fifth in the shuttle hurdles and finished tied for fourth in team scoring in Group 1, behind only team champion Bishop Eustace [32] and Pitman and Schalick [19 each].