Josh Awotunde made his pro debut Saturday at Millrose, placing fourth in the shot with a throw of 66-4 1/4 with the 16-pound ball.

Awotunde threw 62-8 on his first attempt and then had three solid throws in a row, with 64-7 3/4, 65-2 1/4 and 66-4 1/4.

Ryan Crouser won with a 2019 world No. 1 73-3 1/4, Joe Kovacs was second with a 68-5 1/4 and Jamaican Ashinia Miller took third with a PR 67-4 3/4.

Awotunde, a Delsea graduate and four-time All-America at South Carolina, has an indoor PR of 69-11 3/4 from last year’s SEC Championships in College Station, Texas, No. 9 in college history and a South Carolina school record. He’s also South Carolina’s outdoor record holder at 68-1 3/4 from the 2018 SEC meet in Knoxville, Tenn.

Awotunde is also an exceptional discus thrower and has a PR of 191-11 from the 2017 Penn Relays.

So far this indoor season, Awotunde’s mark is No. 20 in the world. Awotunde is competing for his native Nigeria.

Haddonfield graduate Carly Bonnet, now a senior at Princeton, PR’d in the 400 Saturday when she ran 57.29 at the Fast Track Invitational at the Ocean Breeze track in Staten Island.

Bonnet’s previous PR was 57.67 last month in a meet on her home track at Jadwin Gym on Princeton’s campus.

Bonnet has run as fast as 56.73 outdoors, last April at the Larry Ellis Invitational at Princeton.

Bonnet is an Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major with a certificate in Global Health and Health Policy.

English Gardner made her return to the track an incredibly successful one Saturday when she won the 60-meter dash at the Millrose Games with one of the 20-fastest times ever by a U.S. woman.

Gardner, a graduate of Eastern High School and the University of Oregon, won the 60 at the 112th annual Millrose Games in 7.10 at the 168th Street Armory track in New York.

Michelle-Lee Ahye of Trinidad and Tobago, now competing for adidas, was second in 7.15.

Gardner was the 2016 U.S. champion at 100 meters and No. 7 in world history at 10.74 and won a gold medal on the U.S. 400-meter relay team.

But she’s been dealing with knee issues the last few years and underwent ACL surgery last year. Her 60 Saturday was her first indoor race in two years and she broke a seven-year-old PR of 7.12 that she set at 2012 indoor nationals in Nampa, Idaho.

Gardner’s time is No. 20 on the all-time U.S. list and No. 2 in the world this year, behind only Ewa Swoboda of Poland, who ran 7.08 in a meet earlier this month in Karlsruhe, Germany.

 

Seniors Naseem Smith, Javon Sanders and Tyriq Bundy ran 1-2-4 in the 55-meter hurdles final and the Spartans also swept the high jump to win their first indoor sectional title Saturday.

The sectional title was the first for Deptford indoors or out in 46 years, since the 1974 team won Group 4 outdoors.

Deptford outscored Haddonfield 87-81 to win the South Jersey Group 2 championship at the Bennett Center in Toms River despite the Bulldogs scoring 56 of a possible 72 points in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200.

In the high hurdles, Smith ran a personal-best 7.46, the No. 3 time in New Jersey this year and third-fastest in Gloucester County history. Sanders was second in 7.75 bouncing back after missing two months with an injury and Bundy fourth in 7.99.

Seniors Marcel Washington [5-10], James Lynch [5-8] and Tyrece Brown [5-8] swept the top three places in the high jump for 24 big points.

Bundy and senior Khion Smith ran 2-3 behind Malachi Melton of Cedar Creek in the 55-meter dash. Melton ran a PR 6.49, fifth-fastest in the state this year and No. 2 among South Jersey sprinters, behind only Joshua Washington of Woodbury, who ran 6.47 last weekend at Group 1 sectionals.

Brown was also fourth in the 400 and 51.12 and sixth in the 55 in 6.85 in addition to his third place in the high jump. Smith also took second in the 400 in 50.96.

Lynch also took third in the pole vault at 13-6, and senior Amadu Jalloh ran fifth in the 800 with a 2:04.23, and Deptford’s relay team — names not listed in the results — took third in 3:29.17.

Haddonfield got wins from seniors Zach Murray in the 400 (49.93) and Derek Gess in the 1,600 (4:26.67) and junior Martin Riddell in the 3,200 (9:49.64).

Gess and senior Ethan Spellmeyer ran second and third in the 800 in 2:00.81 and 2:01.65 behind Pleasantville junior Gabriel Moronta’s 2:00.79.

Senior Greg Eisenhower and Riddell also placed third and fifth in the 1,600 (4:28.52, 4:31.89), and Eisenhower and junior Stephen Kasko took second and third in the 3,200 in 9:50.18 and 9:53.73. The Bulldogs also took a close second in the relay in 3:28.42.

The other Group 2 winner was Delsea senior Kevin Gilliano, who won the shot with a 51-0 1/4, his first indoor 50-footer.

 

Paul VI graduate Antonio Tarantino became one of the fastest freshmen in NCAA Division 1 Saturday in his first collegiate 200-meter dash!

Tarantino, a freshman at Rutgers, ran 21.09 to place second at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational at Boston University.

Tarantino wasn’t even seeded in any of the four-fastest sections of the 200 but he easily won the fifth-fastest section, and his time held up for fastest among more than 200 collegians in the race.

The only sprinter to run faster than Tarantino was Winston George, competing for New Balance, who won the fast heat in 20.98.

Tarantino’s only previous open race at Rutgers was a 60 at a meet at the Armory last month.

His time is No. 7 among freshmen in NCAA Division 1 and is only 14-100ths of a second off the Rutgers school record of 20.95 set in 2006 by Rob Waters at IC4A’s in Boston and matched last week by Izaiah Brown at the Metropolitan Championships at Ocean Breeze.

Tarantino’s previous indoor 200 PR was a 21.82 from the trials at New Balance Nationals last year at the Armory. Outdoors, he has a wind-aided (2.8) 20.54 to his credit from the prelims of the outdoor New Balance Nationals last spring. His wind-legal PR is a 21.07 from the finals of the same meet with only a 0.1 meters-per-second wind reading.

 

Tarantino is a Blackwood native.

Senior Darynn Minus-Vincent, sophomore Alyssa Leak, freshman Anabella Chin and senior Brianna Snowden of Rancocas Valley to run the ninth-fastest 4-by-400 time in South Jersey indoor track history  Saturday.

R.V. ran 3:53.97 to place second in the Suburban Girls 4×4 at the 112th annual Millrose Games at the 168th Street Armory in New York.

The Red Devils placed second to Union Catholic, which ran 3:53.40. RV’s time is No. 25 in state history indoors and fastest by a Burlington County school in 16 years, since Willingboro ran 3:45.57 in 2003.

Rancocas Valley’s time is also No. 11 in the U.S. so far this indoor season according to the MileSplit database.

Minus-Vincent ran 59.47 out of the hole, and Leak split 58.4 to set up Chin, who split 57.8. Snowden then anchored in 58.3.

R.V.’s previous school record was a 3:55.28 last year at nationals.

Millville was second with a hot time of its own, with senior Brionah Patterson (59.0), sophomore Zaniah Bowman (58.8), freshman Bryanna Craig (57.5) and senior Raelynne Miller (58.9) running 3:55.04.

ALL-TIME N.J. INDOOR 4×4 LIST
3:40.28 … Union Catholic, 2016
3:42.03 … Columbia, 2013
3:45.57 … Willingboro, 2003
3:46.42 … Columbia, 2014
3:47.03 … Union Catholic, 2015
3:47.95 … Willingboro, 2002
3:48.9h … Plainfield, 1980
3:49.07 … Camden, 1995
3:49.50 … East Orange, 2006
3:49.9h … Plainfield, 1981
3:50.82 … Union Catholic, 2017
3:50.8h … Snyder, 1981
3:51.17 … Columbia, 2015
3:51.37 … Columbia, 2010
3:51.49 … Winslow Twp., 2017
3:52.17 … Winslow Twp., 2017
3:52.37 … Willingboro, 2000
3:52.2h … Columbia, 1982
3:52.48 … Columbia, 2011
3:52.55 … Wilson, 2006
3:53.46 … Columbia, 1995
3:53.51 … Franklin, 2004
3:53.61 … Willingboro, 1998
3:53.6h … Willingboro, 1999
3:53.97 … Rancocas Valley, 2019
3:53.9h … Shabazz, 1986

Here’s a list of all the winners of the Suburban Girls 4×4 since it was introduced at Millrose in 1995:

1995 … Camden (N.J.), 4:01.40
1996 … Columbia (N.J.), 4:04.27

1997 … Columbia (N.J.), 4:01.17

1998 … Willingboro (N.J.), 3:56.66

1999 … Willingboro (N.J.), 3:57.47

2000 … Mount Vernon (N.Y.) 4:02.04
2001 … Lincoln, Yonkers (N.Y.), 4:01.78
2002 … Willingboro (N.J.), 4:01.11

2003 … Willingboro (N.J.), 4:04.19

2004 … Bellport (N.Y.), 4:02.97

2005 … Franklin (N.J.), 3:59.05

2006 … East Orange Campus (N.J.), 3:57.46
2007 … Uniondale (N.Y.), 3:56.14
2008 … Camden (N.J.), 3:59.49
2009 … Seneca (N.J.), 4:03.30
2010 … Newburgh (N.Y.), 4:02.16
2011 … Columbia (N.J.), 4:06.47
2012 … New Rochelle (N.Y.), 3:56.44
2013 … Suffern (N.U.), 3:50.41
2014 … Columbia (N.J.), 3:46.42
2015 … Suffern (N.Y.), 3:50.53
2016 … New Rochelle (N.Y.), 3:55.99
2017 … Winslow Twp. (N.J.), 3:52.17
2018 … Winslow Twp. (N.J.), 3:54.99
2019 … Union Catholic (N.J.), 3:53.40

Former Rancocas Valley star and North Carolina State All-America Erika Kemp ran a 3,000-meter PR Friday night, clocking 9:05.83 at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational at the Boston University Track and Tennis Center.

Kemp races now for the Boston Athletic Association. This was her first post-collegiate race.

Kemp’s previous PR at 3,000 meters was 9:06 .07 at the Husky Classic in Seattle on Feb. 12, 2016.

Her time is No. 27 on the IAAF 2019 international list and No. 9 among U.S. women.

Kemp finished fourth of 182 runners. The race was won by Yolanda Ngarambe of Sweden, who ran 8:53.97.

Here are Kemp’s 200 splits:

200: 33.6
400: 36.4
600: 36.2
800: 35.3
1000: 36.0
1200: 37.0
1400: 37.7
1600: 36.6
1800: 36.6
2000: 36.4
2200: 36.7
2400: 37.3
2600: 37.9
2800: 37.0
3000: 35.2

Derek Gess split 1:54.81 to anchor Haddonfield to the fourth-fastest 4-by-800 time in the country this year.

Greg Eisenhower ran 2:02.71 out of the hole, followed by Ethan Spellmeyer (1:59.64) and Martin Riddell (2:00.42), who set up Gess’s hot anchor leg.

The Bulldogs ran 7:57.56 to finish first at the Varsity Classic at the 168th Street Armory. That’s No. 4 on the 2019 U.S. list according to the MileSplit data base.

The official results don’t list who ran for Haddonfield, but Riddell, Eisenhower, Spellmeyer and Gess were the legs when the Bulldogs ran 8:06.47 to easily win the 4-by-8 at the Group 2 State relays in mid-January.

If anyone can provide us with the order – and the correct lineup if this isn’t it – please step forward because we want to credit someone for the 1:54.8 anchor!

Haddonfield’s time is only two seconds off the indoor school record of 7:55.44 set by the 2010 Haddonfield team.

It appears to be No. 14 on the all-time South Jersey list, although some times from the 1970s and 1980s could be missing.

It’s also No. 2 in New Jersey this year, behind only St. Benedict’s of Newark, which ran a U.S.-leading 7:47.60 at the N.J. Catholic Track Conference Relays at the Armory in December.

Haddonfield was third behind Rahway after the leadoff legs and a close second to Rahway on the second and third handoffs. Rahway wound up second in 8:01.18.

Surprising but it looks Haddonfield’s time is actually No. 4 in Camden County history indoors behind only two Washington Township performances and Haddonfield’s own race in 2010.

ALL-TIME S.J. 3,200-METER RELAY LIST
7:43.64 … Cherokee, 2012
7:45.55 … Pleasantville, 2013
7:48.92 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2017
7:51.43 … Washington Twp., 2009
7:51.78 … Cherokee, 2000
7:52.77 … Pleasantville, 2006
7:52.95 … Willingboro, 2003
7:53.64 … Willingboro, 2002
7:54.76 … Pleasantville, 2007
7:55.40 … Washington Twp., 2008
7:55.44 … Haddonfield, 2010
7:57.28 … Rancocas Valley, 2018
7:57.29 … Oakrest, 2009
7;57.56 … Haddonfield, 2019
7:57.5h … Willingboro, 1983
7:58.08 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2016
7:59.05 … Pleasantville, 2015
7:59.51 … Pleasantville, 2012
7:59.84 … Kingsway, 2014
7:59.91 … Kingsway, 2013

Sophomores Lauren Princz and Jailya Ash locked up in a titanic 55-meter dash battle at Group 4 sectionals, with Princz edging Ash by 1-100th of a second at the Bennett Center.

Princz ran 7.16 and Ash a personal-best 7.17. Princz’s PR is 7.09 from Eastern’s last year and her season-best is 7.12 from the Marine Corps Classic in December at the Armory.

Ash’s previous PR was 7.24, which she ran three times last winter — in the finals at sectionals, in the prelims at states and in the prelims at Easterns.

Princz and Ash now rank No. 1 and No. 5 in the state this year and No. 1 and No. 2 in South Jersey.

Ash has a ways to go for her school record, which is 6.91, set by Olympic gold medalist English Gardner in 2010. Princz is only 2-100ths of a second off the EHT school record of 7.07 set in 1991 by Angela Clyburn.

Here’s the all-time South Jersey list:
6.73 … Michelle Glover (Willingboro), 1981
6.88 … Patti Dunlap (Camden), 1979
6.91 … English Gardner (Eastern), 2010
6.95 … Bria Mack (Williamstown), 2017
6.95 … Torie Robinson (Winslow Twp.), 2014
6.95 … Denise Mitchell (Edgewood), 1983
7.00 … Amandi Rhett (Moorestown), 2000
7.00 … Iyanli Kollock (Our Lady of Mercy), 2017
7.01 … Aliyah Taylor (Rancocas Valley), 2017
7.05 … Dana Burnett (Williamstown), 1996
7.07 … Aliya Harrison (Sterling), 2018
7.07 … Annie Johnson (Shawnee), 2012
7.07 … Audrey Wilson (Deptford), 2009
7.07 … Magenta Taylor (Willingboro), 1999
7.07 … Angela Clyburn (Egg Harbor Twp.), 1991
7.09 … Ste’yce McNeil (Winslow Twp.), 2012
7.09 … Emily Carson (Haddonfield), 2013
7.09 … Lauren Princz (Egg Harbor Twp.), 2018
7.11 … Jamie Walker (Haddon Hts.), 2006
7.12 … Assante Johnson (Camden), 2009
7.14 … Shonda Burroughs (Vineland), 1999
7.16 … Dennisha Page (Woodrow Wilson), 2018
7.17 … Nia Lawrence (Pemberton), 2013
7.17 … Kiara Lester (Deptford), 2014
7.17 … Krystal Cantey (Winslow Twp.), 2006
7.17 … Jailya Ash (Eastern), 2019
7.18 … Sherese Price (Pleasantville), 1997
7.19 … Latoya Benson (Washington Twp.), 2001
7.19 … Adia Starnes (Timber Creek), 2017
7.20 … Medina Salaam (Camden), 1974
7.20 … Nia Ali (Pleasantville), 2006
7.20 … Fametta Lewis (Wilson), 2007
7.20 … Tacquaya Tobias (Our Lady of Mercy), 2010
7.20 … Cidae’a Woods (Winslow Twp.), 2013
7.20 … Gabrielle Farquharson (Williamstown), 2011

Ash was also second by 1-100th of a second in the 55-meter high hurdles in another big PR 8.10, just behind Atlantic City’s Claudine Smith.

Haddon Heights junior Cydney Thomas moved all the way up to No. 3 in South Jersey history in the shot put with a mammoth PR performance at sectionals this weekend.

Thomas extended her PR from 42-4 all the way to 46-1 with her win in the South Jersey Group 1 sectional championships Saturday at the Toms River Intermediate School adjacent to the Bennett Center.

That’s an improvement of three feet, 9 inches, in an event where improvement is generally measured in inches or fractions of an inch.

Thomas broke the Camden County indoor record of 43-11 3/4 set by Bishop Eustace’s Stephanie Scaramella at 2007 states.

Her throw is also best in Camden County history indoors or out. The outdoor county shot put mark was 43-2 1/2 by Lacole Fields of Camden in 1996.

She broke the S.J. Group 1 meet record of 42-11 set last year by Zyra Thomas of Schalick and broke the overall South Jersey indoor sectional record of 44-9 3/4 set in 2017 by Vineland’s Najeaya Singleton.

Including both indoor and outdoor throws, it’s No. 6 in South Jersey history. It’s also No. 3 in the U.S. this year according to the MileSplit database and No. 1 among juniors.

Thomas also just missed the South Jersey junior class record. Vineland’s Singleton threw 46- 1 1/2 at states as a junior in 2017.

ALL-TIME S.J. INDOOR GIRLS SHOT PUT LIST
47-5 3/4 … Zyra Thomas [Schalick], 2018
46-1 1/2 … Najeaya Singleton [Vineland], 2017
46-1 … Cydney Thomas [Haddon Heights], 2019
45-3 … Nacole Moore [Bridgeton], 2000
44-6 1/2 … Sylvia Galarza [Millville], 2004
44-3 1/2 … Jocelyn White [Delsea], 2004
44-0 1/2 … Melinda Boykin [Bridgeton], 1996
43-11 3/4 … Stephanie Scaramella [Bishop Eustace], 2007
43-10 1/4 … Mercedes Hicks [Atlantic City], 2006
43-10 … Rosetta Hunter [Burlington Twp.], 2015
43-4 3/4 … Jessica Woodard [Cherokee], 2012
43-4 1/2 … Victoria Imbesi [Our Lady of Mercy], 2009
43-3 … Janice Rose [Delsea], 2011
42-7 3/4 … Typhanie Bates [Williamstown], 1995
42-5 1/2 … Genevieve Tybicki [Our Lady of Mercy], 2007
42-4 … Sophia Coleburn [Haddon Heights], 2007
42-0 1/2 … Lisa Stuto [Winslow Twp.], 2009
42-0 1/4 … Lola Agabalogun [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2013

Here’s the overall South Jersey list, with every 45-foot thrower either indoors or outdoors:
ALL-TIME S.J. OVERALL LIST
47-5 3/4 … Zyra Thomas [Schalick], 2018 [indoors]
47-1 1/4 … Jessica Woodard [Cherokee], 2013 [outdoors]
46-4 ……… Janiece Rose [Delsea], 2011 [outdoors]
46-1 1/2 … Nacole Moore [Bridgeton], 2000 [outdoors]
46-1 1/2 … Najeaya Singleton [Vineland], 2017 [indoors]
46-1 … Cydney Thomas [Haddon Heights], 2019 [indoors]
45-7 1/2 … Ronetta Hunter [Burlington Twp.], 2015 [outdoors]
45-5 ……… Sylvia Galarza [Millville], 2004 [outdoors]

Thomas is also a 130-foot discus thrower outdoors and was the state Group 1 champ in the discus this past spring.

Her outdoor shot put PR is 39-10 1/4 at sectionals last spring at Washington Township.