Haddon Heights junior Cydney Thomas bombed the discus 135-1 Saturday at the George Rowland Relays at Haddon Township, the best throw in the state this year.

Thomas’s previous PR was a 130-4, good for third place at last year’s Meet of Champions at Northern Burlington.

Thomas’s throw is best by a South Jersey girl since 2016, but no South Jersey girl has hit 140 feet in the disc since 2013, when Jessica Woodard and Tara Daniels both did it.

Thomas popped the 135-1 on her first throw. She had a 122-11 on her second and then fouled on her third. She also won the shot put with a 41-1.

The all-time South Jersey list is interesting because Camden County, South Jersey’s most populous county, had only two 135-foot throwers before Thomas — Camden County record holder Tisha Kerrin of Eastern, who threw 143-6 in 1989, and Gabbriel Harris-Davis of Timber Creek, who threw 136-7 in 2016.

Of the 23 135-foot throwers, seven are from Cumberland County, six from Gloucester County, five from Burlington County, three from Camden County and two from Atlantic County.

All-Time S.J. Girls Discus List
168-10 … Jessica Woodard [Cherokee], 2013
158-  1 … Jocelyn White [Delsea], 2005
153-  2 … Sylvia Galarza [Millville], 2004
149-  3 … Tara Daniels [Kingsway], 2013
147-  1 … Jamine Moton [Delsea], 1996
146-  5 … Kim Warren [Atlantic City], 2006
143-  6 … Tisha Kerrin [Eastern], 1989
143-  3 … Mercedes Hicks [Atlantic City], 2006
143- 2 … Najeaya Singleton [Vineland], 2017
140-  6 … Typhanie Bates [Williamstown], 1995
140-  1 … Melinda Holm [Bridgeton], 1997
140-  0 … Geri Riley [Millville], 1987
139-  8 … Tomara Carmichael [Palmyra], 2016
139-  5 … Taylor Johnson [Kingsway], 2011
139-  1 … Erica Davis [Northern Burlington], 2003
138­-11 … Jen Frank (Delsea], 2006
137- 1 … Melinda Boykin [Bridgeton], 1996
136­-11 … Betsy Kennedy [Delran], 2000
136­- 7 … Gabbriel Harris-Davis [Timber Creek], 2016
136­-0 … Cindy Wilks [Bridgeton], 2000
135-6 … Ashleigh Weems [Millville], 2012
135­-4 … Veronica Myricks [Willingboro], 2005
135-1 … Cydney Thomas [Haddon Heights], 2019

The Rowan men jumped in a fast 1,600 at Penn loaded with Division 1 schools and emerged with one of the fastest times in NCAA Division 3 this year.

The Profs ran 3:16.26, No. 13 in Division 3, after racing Maryland, South Carolina, U. Conn and other Division 1 schools in the heats of the 1,600 relay at Franklin Field Saturday at the 125th annual Penn Relays.

Sophomore Vincent Delle (Old Bridge) and senior Chris Mesiano (Schalick) ran the first two legs, setting up sub-49 legs by freshman Airrion Scott of Ewing, who ran 48.95, and sophomore Justin Bishop, a one-time South Jersey Group 3 400 champ for the Mainland Regional Mustangs, who anchored in 47.34.

Of that quartet, only Bishop and Mesiano remain from the group that ran 3:11 and placed fifth at NCAA Division nationals last spring.

Rowan’s fastest previous 4-by-4 this year was a 3:17.87 earlier this month in a meet at Moravian College in Bethlehem.

Rowan goes into this weekend’s New Jersey Athletic Conference meet at Stockton with the top time in the conference by more than six seconds.

Huge legs by juniors Janeya Hammond and Nylah Perry led Winslow Township to a fast win over Rancocas Valley Saturday in the Philadelphia Area Championship race at the 125th Penn Relays.

Hammond split 56.19, the fastest second leg in the race, and Perry anchored in 55.37, the second-fastest anchor, and Winslow crossed the finish line at Franklin Field in 3:51.70, fastest time by a South Jersey school this year.

Winslow beat Rancocas Valley by two seconds after R.V. had run 3:51.76 to win Thursday’s South Jersey Championship race. Winslow ran 3:56.91 on Thursday for second. R.V. ran 3:53.83 for second on Saturday.

Winslow and R.V. now rank No. 1 and No. 2 in South Jersey this year and No. 2 and 3 in the state, behind Union Catholic’s 3:45.39 that got them in the Championship of America race (where they ran 3:46.55 and placed fifth but were DQ’d).

This is the first time a South Jersey school has won the Philly Area Championship 1,600-Meter Relay in 12 years, since Washington Township ran 3:52.88 to win the race in 2007.

Senior Nicole Hood led off with a 60.17 split for Winslow, followed by Hammond, senior Raven Rouse (59.98) and Perry, whose anchor was second-fastest in the race, behind only Bria Barnes of Cheltenham, who ran 54.42. Barnes was the 2017 New Balance Nationals champion in the intermediate hurdles.

This is the fifth consecutive year Winslow has run sub-3:52 and the ninth straight year they’ve run sub-3:57.

2019 – 3:51.70
2018 – 3:46.67
2017 – 3:47.41
2016 – 3:49.63
2015 – 3:45.06
2014 – 3:56.20
2013 – 3:55.28
2012 – 3:54.53
2011 – 3:56.23

Curtis Thompson popped his best javelin throw in three years over the weekend at the National Relay Championships in Fayetteville, Ark.

Thompson, who won the NCAA title and broke the U.S. Olympic Trials record in 2016 and won the USATF title last year, threw 258-2, placing second to world No. 3 Anderson Peters, his Mississippi State teammate, who threw 265-1.

It was his best throw since his final meet of 2016, when he threw 260-1 to win the NACAC Under-23 Championships at Jorge “El Magico” Gonzalez National Stadium in San Salvador, El Salvador, on July 16, 2016.

Thompson’s PR is 271-11 at the Olympic Trials prior to the meet in El Salvador.

Thompson, a graduate of Florence High School, is ranked No. 2 in the NCAA, behind only Peters, the national record holder of Grenada, and No. 2 among U.S. men, behind only Michael Shuey, who threw 80.25 meters in a meet in Austin in March. Thompson is ranked No. 24 in the world, according to the IAAF web site.

Thompson had a very strong series. He opened with a 242-0 and 237-0 before throwing 252-6, 249-5, 252-0 and 258-2 on his last four throws.

Four of the top 12 throwers in NCAA Division 1 hail from South Jersey:

Thompson is No. 2, Cade Antonucci of Holy Spirit and Auburn is No. 9 (237-5), Chris Mirabelli from Holy Cross and Rutgers is No. 11 (237-2) and younger brother Nick Mirabelli from Rancocas Valley and Texas A&M is No. 12 (236-6).

 

Mays Landing native Cade Antonucci became the second South Jersey athlete in three years to win the Penn Relays javelin Saturday when he threw a personal-best 237-5 on his final attempt.

Antonucci, an Auburn sophomore from Holy Spirit, became Auburn’s first thrower to win a Penn Relays title in 45 years, since Brett Due won the discus in 1974.

Antonucci opened with a 218-11 throw and a foul, but he was in the lead until Marc Pinichello of Penn threw 224-11 on his third throw.

After a 205-9 on his third throw, Antonucci nearly caught Pinichello with a 223-9 on his fifth throw.

He finally moved into the lead with the 237-5 on his final attempt. Minichello, who had passed his second and fourth throws, had one last chance to reclaim the lead, but on the final throw of the competition along the river fields adjacent to the Schuylkill Expressway, he finished with a 214-8, giving Antonucci the title.

Rutgers senior Chris Mirabelli, who won at Penn in 2017 with a 251-6 throw, placed third with a 221-0 throw.

Antonucci is only about two feet from the Auburn school record of 239-7, set in 2014 by Justin Carter.

Antonucci moved into the top-10 in NCAA Division 1 with his 237-5 bomb, and he’s one of four South Jersey throwers in the top 12 nationally — Curtis Thompson of Mississippi State is No. 2 (258-2), Antonucci is No. 9, Mirabelli is No. 11 (237-2) and his younger brother, Texas A&M freshman Nick Mirabelli, is No. 12 (236-6).

All three are also ranked in the top-15 among all U.S. men, according to the latest IAAF rankings.

 

Rutgers senior John Mooers, a graduate of Middle Township, bombed the discus a personal-best 185-2 Saturday to place third in the championship discus at the 125th annual Penn Relays on the river fields outside Franklin Field.

Mooers finished behind only Greg Thompson of Maryland, who threw 215-1, and Roje Stone of Clemson, who threw 196-10.

Mooers had a huge series, with his first four career throws over 180 feet.

Mooers, a native of Dennisville, Cape May County, went into the meet with a PR of 178-5 but opened with a PR 180-11 and followed with another PR of 182-10. After a 163-9, he PR’d again at 183-8 and then recorded his fourth personal-best of the day with a 185-2 on his fifth throw. He closed with a 169-9.

http://pennrelaysonline.com/Results/results.aspx?cy=2019&en=808

Coming into this season, Mooers had a PR of 176-2, but he extended that to 178-4 at the Sam Howell Invite and 178-5 at the Virginia Challenge before surpassing 180 feet four times on Saturday.

Mooers’ 185-2 moves him up to No. 33 nationally and No. 6 in the Big 10. Rutgers’ web site lists an all-time program top-10 for women’s track but not for men’s track, so there’s no way to tell where Mooers’ throw ranks in Rutgers history.

There are PR’s and there are PR’s.

Williamstown junior Karissa Watson destroyed her long jump PR by more than a foot Saturday at the George Rowland Relays at Haddon Township, jumping 18-10 1/2 to win the Division 3 competition.

That’s the best jump in the state this year

Watson’s previous PR was a 17-10 from Group 4 sectionals last spring at Egg Harbor, when she finished second to Atlantic City’s Claudine Smith. She approached that with a 17-9 1/2 at the Woodbury Relays last weekend.

Her mark is No. 4 in Gloucester County history and best in eight years, since another Williamstown runner, Gabrielle Farquharson, went 19-4 3/4 in 2011. The other Gloucester County jumpers ahead of her are Robin Taylor of Deptford, who went 19-2 back in 1980, and Tisifenee Taylor of Woodbury, who jumped 18-11 1/2.

Additionally, her mark is No. 18 in South Jersey history.

Watson opened the competition with a jump of 15-1 1/4 before popping the 18-10 1/2 on her second jump. She finished with a 16-5 on her third attempt.

The next-best jump of the day belonged to Collingswood junior Emily Wallace, who PR’d herself at 17-5 1/2 to win the Division 2 competition.

One oddity about Wallace’s jump: According to the MileSplit database, she’s never long jumped before. That’s hard to believe, but there are no major long jump marks listed in her profile.

In any case, here’s the all-time South Jersey outdoor long jump list:
21­-7 ¾ …… Carol Lewis (Willingboro), 1980
20­-0 ½ ….. Teneacia Smith (Cherry Hill East), 1992
19-11 ½ …. Tionna Tobias (Winslow Twp.), 2018
19-9 ¼ ….. Cidae’a Woods (Winslow Twp.), 2013
19-7 ½ ….. Helen Wilks (Bridgeton), 1993
19-4 ¾ …… Gabrielle Farquharson (Williamstown), 2011
19-4 ………. Emily Carson (Haddonfield), 2012
19-3 ………. Tionna Tobias (Winslow Twp.), 2017
19-2 ¾ …….Asia Young (Holy Spirit), 2016
19-2 ½ ….…Gabrielle Bennett (Winslow Twp.), 2015
19­-2 ………. Robin Taylor (Deptford), 1980
19­-1 ……….. Nena Moore (Cherry Hill West), 1995
19-1 ………. Yvonne Wolef (Middle Twp.), 2012
19-0 ¼ …… Jasmine Staten (Lenape), 2016
18-11 1/2 … Tisifenee Taylor (Woodbury), 2002
18-11 3/4 … Shaytika Bryant (Bridgeton), 1995
18-11 ……… Vashti Hannah (Cumberland Reg.), 2015
18-10 1/2 … Karissa Watson (Williamstown), 2019
18-10 1/4 … Anna Stewart (Glassboro), 1977
18-10 1/4 … Demya Walker (Rancocas Valley), 1984
18-10 1/4 … Shameeka Marshall (Oakcrest), 2001
18-10 …….. Shana Williams (Bridgeton), 1989
18-9 1/2 … Frances Bundy (Pleasantville), 1999
18-9 1/4 … Ashley Edwards (Northern Burlington), 2015
18-9 …….. Shameka Speed (Bridgeton), 2002
18-8 3/4 … Tacqyaya Tobias (Our Lady of Mercy), 2011
18-8 1/2 … Rachel Armstead (Millville), 2015
18-8 1/2 … Tina Walls (Williamstown), 1982
18-8 1/2 … Jessica Bryant (Cherry Hill East), 2016
18-7 1/2 … Sable Loper (Woodrow Wilson), 2005
18-7 …….. Jamie Walker (Haddon Heights), 2007
18-7 …….. Claudine Smith (Atlantic City), 2018
18-6 3/4 … Artrelia Turner (Woodrow Wilson), 1986
18-6 1/2 … Tina Johnson (Burlington Twp.), 1996

If you want to add indoor marks, these would be added to that list, with Speed and Turner replacing lesser marks and Ellis and Bailey added to the list.

19-3 …….. Leah Ellis [Millville], 2019
18-9 …….. Shameka Speed [Bridgeton], 2002
18-8 3/4 … Artrelia Turner [Wilson], 1984
18-7 1/4 … Shelly Bailey [Woodbury], 1982

Kiara Lester is a Penn Relays champion!

Lester, a Penn State junior from Wenonah and Deptford High, ran the first 200-meter leg on the Nittany Lions’ sprint medley team, which won the Championship of America title Friday at the 125th annual Penn Relays at Franklin Field.

Brooke-Lynn Williams, Lester, Alexis Holmes and Danae Rivers teamed up to run a school-record 3:45.25 and beat George Mason by five meters.

The relay title is only the third in Penn State history at the Penn Relays. The Nittany Lions won the 3,200-meter relay in 1978 and the 1,600-meter relay in 2008.

Penn State was third last year in 3:47.80 with Lester and Rivers in the lineup. That was also the old school record. Penn State’s time is No. 3 in the nation this year, behind only Texas A&M (3:42.20) and Texas (3:45.05).

Rutgers placed fourth in 3:48.63 with two South Jersey products on the team — Iyanla Kollock of Our Lady of Mercy and Ajae Alvarez-Tyler of Egg Harbor.

The Haddonfield girls ran really fast on Thursday, and they ran even faster on Friday.

Haddonfield placed fifth in the Championship of America 3,200-Meter Relay Friday at the 125th annual Penn Relays at Franklin Field with the 10th-fastest time in South Jersey history.

As she did on Thursday, Sarah Naticchia got Haddonfield started out of the hole with a sub-2:18 split, and teammates Lindsay Colflesh, Payton Weiner and Allison Colflesh kept the Lady Bulldogs in the race for six more laps.

Haddonfield ran 9:18.37, fastest by a South Jersey school in four years and second-fastest by a New Jersey school this year. Union Catholic rode Leena Morant’s 2:11.80 split to second place Friday in 9:00.36, behind only Edwin Allen of Jamaica, which ran 8:54.02.

Naticchia led off in 2:17.53, Lindsay Colflesh split 2:21.40, Payton Weiner 2:19.48 and Allison Colflesh 2:19.97 for Haddonfield.

Haddonfield ran 9:20.33 on Thursday.

Can Haddonfield run faster?

Consider this: If you add the four runners’ superior split from the two races — 2:17.53 for Naticchia, 2:19.75 for Lindsay Colflesh, 2:19.97 for Weiner and 2:19.50 for Allison Colflesh — it adds up to 9:16.75.

All-Time South Jersey List
9:05.62 … Lenape, 2012
9:05.83 … Lenape, 2008
9:06.30 … Haddonfield, 2008
9:10.32 … Haddonfield, 2000
9:15.61 … Ocean City, 2014
9:15.92 … Haddonfield, 2015
9:16.57 … Seneca, 2017
9:16.79 … Haddonfield, 1999
9:18.22 … Kingsway, 2016
9:18.37 … Haddonfield, 2019
9:18.57 … Seneca, 2018
9:18.71 … Lenape, 2011
9:18.93 … Haddonfield, 2018
9:18.94 … Lenape, 2006
9:19.15 … Wilson, 2002
9:19.68 … Kingsway, 2017
9:20.39 … Sterling, 2017
9:20.39 … Haddonfield, 2014
9:20.55 … Seneca, 2008

Rancocas Valley ran the fastest 3,200-meter relay by a South Jersey school this year Friday morning at Penn and just missed qualifying for the Championship of America.

The team of Vincent Brown, Micah Wood, John Womack and Ian Moore ran 7:56.30 for seventh place in the second of two large-school races in the 125th annual Penn Relays at Franklin Field.

The 12-fastest schools from two small-school races and two large-school races advance to the Championship of America race at 4 p.m. Saturday.

The cutoff this year was 7:55.60, so the Red Devils fell just 7-10ths of a second shy of advancing.

Brown led off with a 2:01.56 split, followed by Wood’s 1:54.44. After Womack’s 2:04.55, Moore anchored in 1:55.77.

R.V. and Calabar were the only schools in the entire event with two legs under 1:56.

Wood’s 1:54.44 was fifth-fastest split of the day from the four races and the second-fastest second leg. Moore’s 1:55.77 was 12th-fastest overall. Wood and Moore had the second- and fourth-fastest legs among New Jersey half-milers.

Here’s a look at the fastest splits in the four races:
1:53.44 … Kyle Durham, Weddington, N.C. [4th]
1:53.51 … Kevroy Venson, Calabar [2nd]
1:53.59 … Blake Ewaskey, Central Bucks West [4th]
1:53.99 … Ryan Lindrud, Ridge [4th]
1:54.44 … Micah Wood, Rancocas Valley [2nd]
1:54.72 … Tarees Rhoden, Kingston College [4th]
1:54.76 … Kimar Farquharson, Calabar [4th]
1:54.87 … Mark Scanlon, Arlington, N.Y. [1st]
1:54.88 … Luis Peralta, Passaic [4th]
1:55.06 … Connor Dickell, Council Rock South [1st]
1:55.27 … Evan Dorenkamp, Manheim Twp. [4th]
1:55.77 … Ian Moore, Rancocas Valley [4th]