Erika Kemp broke 9 minutes in the 3,000 for the first time Saturday, running 8:58.44 at the Dr. Sander Invitational at the 168th Street Armory.

Kemp, a Rancocas Valley graduate, placed fifth in a loaded field that saw five women dip under 9 minutes, including winner Nicole Hutchinson, who ran 8:48.92.

Heidi See (8:52.94), Emily Lipari (8:56.54) and Amy Eloise Neal (8:56.54) also ran sub-9.

Kemp’s previous PR was 9:05.83 in Boston last February.

The first five finishers are the five-fastest U.S. times this year, according to the IAAF web site. They’re also No. 2 through 6 in the world, behind Julie-Anne Staehli of Canada, who ran 8:47.97 on Friday in Boston.

Kemp’s time puts her somewhere around No. 70 on the all-time U.S. indoor list.

The only South Jersey woman to run faster for an indoor 3,000 is Haddonfield graduate Marielle Hall, who is No. 5 in U.S. history at 8:40.20 from 2018.

Other New Jersey natives who have broken 9 minutes include Julie Culley of North Hunterdon (8:55.62), Lindsey Gallo of Howell (8:56.92), Ashley Higginson of Colts Neck (8:57.86) and Sarah Pagano of Immaculate Heart Academy (8:58.42).

Kemp was a six-time track and XC All-America at North Carolina State.

Deptford ran a 2020 South Jersey-best 1:30.15 in the 800-meter relay Saturday at the Ocean Breeze Invitational.

Seniors Donovan Clement and Richeid Fawkes and juniors John Adams and Steven Rios ran for Deptford.

Norristown won the three-team final in 1:30.03, with Deptford and Huntington (1:30.16) a fraction of a second behind.

Deptford’s time is No. 3 in the state this year, behind Nottingham (1:29.48) and St. Benedict’s (1:30.00).

Norristown’s time is No. 13 in the U.S. this year according to the MileSplit national database. Deptford and Huntington are No. 14 and No. 15.

Deptford’s school record is 1:29.92, which the Spartans ran in both 2017 and 2018, both times at the Ocean Breeze Invitational.

Their time Saturday is No. 4 in Gloucester County history, behind the two previous Deptford times and Delsea’s 1:30.12 in 2007. Washington Township had a 1:30.18 in 2012.

In the trials Saturday, Norristown Area ran 1:31.01, Smithtown West of New York 1:31.48, Deptford 1:31.48 and Huntington 1:31.65.

The results don’t make it clear whether Smithtown West dropped the stick, got DQ’d or just didn’t compete in the final.

Haddon Township graduate Luke Petela PR’d in the 3,000 Saturday in Boston with an 8:22.17 at the John Thomas Terrier Classic.

https://www.lancertiming.com/results/winter20/terrier/index.htm

That’s No. 4 on the all-time Vermont Catamounts all-time performance list.

https://uvmathletics.com/documents/2019/5/24//M_All_Time_List.pdf?id=3771

Petela, a Vermont senior, ran the entire race with teammate Neville Caulfield, who passed him on the final lap and ran 8:21.83 — No. 3 in Vermont history.

Petela closed in 31.7, but Caulfield closed in 30.1.

This is a major PR for Petela, whose previous indoor 3,000 PR of 8:34.70 came his freshman year, in February of 2018, at the America East Conference Championships on the same track at Boston University.

Caulfield and Petela now rank No. 4 and No. 5 this year on the America East performance list, behind three Stony Brook runners.

https://www.tfrrs.org/lists/2824/America_East_Indoor_Performance_List/2020/i#event60

Here’s the updated all-time Vermont 3,000-meter list:

8:18.39 … Dan Moroney, 2016
8:21.10 … Connor Jennings, 2011
8:21.83 … Neville Caulfield, 2020
8:22.17 … Luke Petela, 2020
8:25.54 … Doug Maisey, 2010
8:26.29 … Chris Gish, 2017
8:26.60 … Oliver Scofield, 2016
8:27.02 … John Benner, 2019
8:28.42 … Aaron Anderstrom, 2015
8:30.06 … Jamie Carmichael, 2000

Petela is coming off a strong XC season in which he placed 10th in the America East Championships in Albany and raced in the NCAA Division 1 Northeast Regionals in Amherst, N.Y.

Even without one of its top runners, Kingsway ran the fastest 4-by-8 in the nation Saturday, tearing up the Armory track with a blistering 7:52.76 at the Dr. Sander Invitational.

Senior Stone Caraccio uncorked a 1:53.36 anchor after carries by seniors Chris Nelson (2:03.19) and Ethan Bentley (1:58.82) and sophomore Kyle Rakitis (1:57.47) as Kingsway won by 30 meters over West Springfield (Mass.), which was second in 7:57.18.

Nelson was filling in for sophomore Jeff Heineman, who is sick, and did a great job keeping Kingsway in contact with the leaders until the first handoff.

Kingsway, which had run 7:55.30 at the Millrose Trials, moved into the No. 6 spot in South Jersey history and ran with.1 1/2 seconds of the Gloucester County record of 7:51.43, set by Washington Township in 2009 at the National Scholastic Championships on the same Armory track.

Kingsway’s previous indoor school record was that 7:55.30 from earlier this month.

That was No. 1 on the MileSplit U.S. performance list until Richard Montgomery High of Rockville, Md., ran 7:55.06 last weekend at the VA Showcase at the new facility at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va.

ALL-TIME S.J. INDOOR 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
7:52.76 … Kingsway, 2020
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

Egg Harbor senior Anthony Vazquez moved into the all-time No. 3 spot in the 55-meter hurdles in Atlantic County history Saturday with a 7.48 at the Bubble in Toms River.

Vazquez lowered his PR from 7.50, which he ran last month at the Bishop Loughlin Games at Ocean Breeze.

Vazquez was third in the 110-meter highs at the state Group 4 meet in 14.32 and brought na indoor PR of 7.69 into this winter.

He lowered that to 7.63 in the trials at the Loughlin Games before his 7.50 breakthrough in the final.

On Saturday, he ran 7.56 in the trials before his 7.48 in the final, where he won by nearly half a second.

The only faster times recorded by Atlantic County hurdlers are by St. Augustine’s Sincere Rhea, who ran his historic 7.10 last year in the trials at New Balance Nationals, and a 7.29 by Pleasantville’s Nate Harley back in 1996.

Vazquez’s time is No. 1 in South Jersey this year and No. 3 in the state, behind two Essex County hurdlers – Dwight Henry of Irvington (7.31) and Terrel Williams (7.34).

Vazquez also set a 55-meter dash PR of 7.70 on Saturday, which is No. 2 this winter in Atlantic County behind teammate Ahmad Brock’s 6.62 in the same race.

Antonio Tarantino is all the way back!

The Rutgers sophomore, in only his second meet in the last 10 months, beat a field of 194 sprinters Saturday in the 200-meter dash at the John Thomas Terrier Classic in Boston in 21.16.

Tarantino, in only his second meet since last March, wasn’t far off his indoor PR of 21.05 set last March at IC4A’s on the same track.

Tarantino did not compete in the spring. He hasn’t run outside since his senior year at Paul VI, which was the spring of 2018. His outdoor 200 PR is 20.51 from the trials at New Balance, and his wind-legal PR outdoors is 21.07.

In his only previous 200 this winter he ran 21.47 at Vanderbilt earlier this month.

Tarantino ran in the first of 42 sections Saturday and edged LIU’s Kimorie Shearman, who was second in 21.24.

Tarantino’s time is No. 19 in NCAA Division 1 and No. 3 in the Big 10 Conference, behind only Samson Colebrooke of Purdue, who ran 20.88 in Nashville Saturday, and Wayne Lawrence, who ran 21.11.

At Paul VI, Tarantino was Meet of Champions winner in the 200

Freshman Ian Moore was the first collegian finisher in the 1,000 meters Saturday with a monster 2:26.29 at Boston University’s John Thomas Terrier Classic.

https://www.lancertiming.com/results/winter20/terrier/index.htm

That’s only three seconds off the school record of 2:23.15 set by legendary six-time All-America Dylan Capwell at Rutgers in 2015.

Moore, a Rancocas Valley graduate, placed fourth in Boston but was the first collegian, finishing behind Dage Minors of Bermuda (2:24.44), Luciano Fiore running unattached (2:24.64) and post-collegiate Patrick Gregory (2:26.05).

The second collegiate across the line was Vermont’s John Brenner, who ran 2:26.31 in a different section than Moore. There were more than 80 runners in the field.

Moore was seeded in the third section because of his 1,000 PR of 2:31.21 going in. He had run that last month on his home track in West Long Branch.

He won that race and bumped all but the top three in the seeded section and the second section.

Moore split 28.6 / 29.0 / 29.9 / 29.4 / 29.3. He won his section over Erik Ohrling of Western Ontario by 10 meters.

That’s 1:57.0 800 pace with an additional 200-meter lap added at the same pace.

Considering that Moore’s PRs coming into this season were 1:56.43 outdoors at the South Jersey Invitational in 2018 and 1:59.13 indoors last winter at the Armory, this is a remarkable performance.

He ran significantly faster per lap for 1,000 meters than his indoor PR for 800 meters!

Moore had a PR of 2:34.68 for the 1,000 coming into the season from a meet at Ocean Breeze a year ago this month as an R.V. senior.

So far at Monmouth, Moore has run four races at three distances and PR’d in all four – 1:22.09 for 600 meters, 2:31.21 and now 2:26.29 for 1,000 and 4:23.33 last weekend for the full mile.

Moore’s time is fastest by a South Jersey runner since Seneca graduate Alex McGrainer ran 2:25.20 at the 2017 Terrier Classic as a Rhode Island senior.

What’s the South Jersey alumni record for 1,000 meters?

Good question!

Paulsboro grad Fred Sharpe ran 2:23.64 in Boston in 2006, and Ford Palmer of Absegami ran 2:23.65 in 2012. Cinnaminson grad Brian Tetreault ran 2:23.74 in 2011 for Villanova.

Anybody know a faster time? Let’s give Ian something to shoot for!

Martin Riddell ran the fastest two-mile by a South Jersey runner this year Saturday afternoon, running 9:24.45 at the Ocean Breeze Invitational on Staten Island.

Riddell closed in 67.4 and placed third behind Matt Bogdan of Colts Neck (9:20.65) and Andrew Avila of Wilmington Charter in Delaware (9:21.30).

Bogdan and Riddell rank No. 1 and No. 2 in New Jersey so far this year.

Riddell has an indoor PR of 9:18.81 for 3,200 meters from last year’s Meet of Champions at the Bennett Center. That converts to a 9:22.05 for two miles, so Riddell on Saturday was only two seconds off his indoor PR. He’s run as fast as 9:10.75 outdoors.

St. Augustine graduate Sincere Rhea PR’d twice in the 60-meter high hurdles this weekend at the Rod McCravy Memorial Invitational in Lexington, Ky., placing 4th in a loaded field in the final Saturday in 7.86 after a 7.89 in the trials on Friday.

Rhea, a Penn State freshman, edged Caleb Wilt, competing unattached, by 3-1,000ths of a second for fourth place.

Rhea finished behind two seniors and a junior. Iowa’s Jaylan McConico, the defending indoor Big 10 champ, won in 7.72, with Ashland junior Trevor Bassitt second in 7.75 and then Cincinnati senior Arthur Greenlee IV in 7.80.

Rhea, national indoor champ last winter and Meet of Champions 400 winner, entered the weekend with a PR of 7.98 over the 42-inch highs.

With his 7.86, Rhea moves into the No. 2 spot among freshmen on the NCAA Division 1 performance list, behind only Clemson’s Devon Brooks (7.80).

His time is No. 3 in the Big 10 Conference behind McConico (7.66) and Iowa’s Jamal Britt (7.82), who finished behind Rhea on Saturday – 6th in 7.92.

Rutgers freshman Claudine Smith, who’s already broken the Rutgers triple jump school record, ran a PR 8.63 in the 60-meter hurdles Friday.

Smith placed third in the finals of the invitational section of the 60-meter highs at the John Thomas Terrier Classic at Boston University’s Track & Tennis Center.

Smith ran 8.77 in the trials before finishing third in the final behind Olympic hurdler (and bobsledder) Lolo Jones, who won in 8.32, and Jada Harris of the University of Massachusetts, who ran 8.38.

The 8.63 makes Smith the No. 3 performer in Rutgers history behind Shameka Marshall (8.19 at the 2005 ECAC Championships in Boston) and Debra Deutsch (8.48 at the 1980 NCAA Championships at Cobo Hall in Detroit).

Marshall, like Smith, hails from Atlantic County. She graduated from Oakcrest and was a two-time long jump All-America at Rutgers and now coaches at Temple.

Smith’s previous college PR was an 8.78 at the TCNJ Invite at the Armory earlier this month.

Her overall PR over 60 meters was 8.64 from the trials of the New Balance Indoors last March at the Armory.

Smith jumped 41-7 last weekend at the Vanderbilt Indoor Invitational in Nashville to break the school triple jump record.

The previous mark was 41-5 by Bryanna Grant of Cranford at the 2017 ECAC Championships in Boston.

The 41-7 is an indoor PR. Her previous indoor triple jump PR was 40-1 1/2 as last winter as a senior at Atlantic City, when she placed 5th at the New Balance Nationals at the Armory. Her overall triple jump PR is 42-2 from this past June, when she won the Meet of Champions at Northern Burlington Regional in Mansfield Township.

Smith’s 41-7 also makes her the No. 5 freshman triple jumper in NCAA Division 1 and No. 2 jumper in the Big 10 behind Leah Moran of Indiana, who has a 43-1 1/2 to her credit.