Junior Olivia Wright jumped 36-8 3/4 and Winslow teammate and classmate Shevell Higgs 36-5 for a 1-2 finish at the Varsity Classic Monday at the Armory. Both are PRs. And sophomore teammate Jordan James wasn’t far behind, placing sixth with a PR of her own!

The Wright and Higgs marks are No. 8 and No. 11 in South Jersey history. They’re No. 1 and 2 in South Jersey this year and No. 6 and 9 state-wide.

Wright’s previous PR was a 36-0 last month at the Hispanic Games, also at the Armory. She jumped 34-11 1/2 at the Woodbury Relays for an official outdoor PR, although she has surpassed 37 feet in summer track.

Higgs’ previous PR was 35-5 1/2, also from the Hispanic Games. Her outdoor triple jump PR is 36-2 1/2 from states last spring.

She also ran a PR 8.51 in the 55-meter hurdles trials Monday before taking 4th in the final at 8.53.

James placed sixth with a jump of 35-7 3/4. Her previous overall PR and indoor PR was a 34-3 1/2 at the Bishop Loughlin Games in December at Ocean Breeze.

Only 17 South Jersey girls have ever jumped 36 feet indoors, and Winslow is now 4 1/4 inches from having three in the same year – and all underclassmen.

Wright, Higgs and James give Winslow three of South Jersey’s top five triple jumpers this winter and three of the top 14 in the state.

Wright and Higgs are the No. 3 and 5 juniors in the state and James is the No. 2 sophomore, behind only Millville’s Leah Ellis (36-0 1/2 last month).

As you can see from the list below, Winslow now has five of the top 13 indoor triple jumpers in South Jersey history, and there’s plenty of season to go!

ALL-TIME S.J. INDOOR TRIPLE JUMP LIST
40-1 1/2 … Claudine Smith [Atlantic City], 2019
38-4 … She’quell Higgs [Winslow Twp.], 2013
38-0 1/2 … Shaya Wilkerson [Lenape], 2012
37-10 … Cidae’a Woods [Winslow Twp.], 2013
37-7 … Elizabeth Montague [Cherokee], 2014
37-1 … Ashley Edwards [Northern Burlington], 2015
36-9 1/4 … Jasmin Jones [Kingsway], 2016
36-8 3/4 … Olivia Wright [Winslow Twp.], 2020
36-8 1/2 … Leah Ellis [Millville], 2019
36-6 1/2 … Maryn Hess [Winslow Twp.], 2017
36-6 1/2 … Janell Rowe [Sterling], 2016
36-6 … Javona Ford [Millville], 2010
36-5 … Shevell Higgs [Winslow Twp.], 2020
36-4 … Rachel Montague [Cherokee], 2008
36-2 3/4 … Kiah Walton [Burlington Twp.], 2014
36-0 1/2 … Taliya Rogers [Rancocas Valley], 2016
36-0 1/2 … Keyanna Meade [Burlington Twp.]. 2018

Haddonfield’s Allison Colflesh, Lindsay Colflesh, Payton Weiner and Sarah Naticchia won the 3,200-meter relay Monday night at the Varsity Classic with a school record and the No. 6 time in South Jersey history.

Haddonfield ran 9:22.18 and won by 25 meters over second-place Cornwell (N.Y.), which ran 9:26.77. Suffern, another New York school, ran 9:27.41 for third.

The time is fastest by a South Jersey school since 2013, when Lenape set the South Jersey record of of 9:04.66. It’s No. 2 in Camden County history, behind only Wilson’s 9:19.35 back in 2002. It’s also No. 2 nationally this year, according to the MileSplit U.S. performance list, behind only Union Catholic’s 9:21.86 at the Millrose Trials last month.

Haddonfield broke its school record of 9:28.90 set last year at the same meet when the same lineup took a close second to Cornwall, which won in 9:28.26. Haddonfield’s overall school record is an outdoor 9:06.30 from 2008. 

Allison Colflesh led off with a 2:22.6, with Lindsay Colflesh splitting 2:20.4, Weiner 2:20.3 and Naticchia anchoring in 2:18.8.

ALL-TIME S.J. INDOOR 4-BY-800 LIST
9:04.66 … Lenape, 2013
9:09.71 … Lenape, 2012
9:11.94 … Lenape, 2008
9:19.01 … Lenape, 2011
9:19.35 … Wilson, 2002
9:22.18 … Haddonfield, 2020
9:22.30 … Lenape, 2010
9:22.38 … Buena, 1999
9:23.71 … Lenape, 2009
9:24.68 … Seneca, 2017
9:26.65 … Kingsway, 2020
9:26.67 … Lenape, 2007
9:27.22 … Lenape, 2014
9:28.7 ….. Willingboro, 2003
9:28.90 … Haddonfield, 2019
9:31.10 … Seneca, 2016
9:31.92 … Shawnee, 2014
9:31.92 … Haddonfield, 2017
9:32.18 … Kingsway, 2017
9:32.95 … Seneca, 2008
9:34.49 … Millville, 2007
9:36.10 … Sterling, 2017
9:36.41 … Seneca, 2009
9:36.50 … Seneca, 2014

ALL-TIME N.J. 4-by-800 LIST
8:54.11 … Southern Regional, 2009
8:56.94 … Red Bank Catholic, 2011
9:00.62 … Freehold Twp., 2014
9:01.64 … Ridge, 2017
9:04.66 … Lenape, 2013
9:05.28 … Red Bank Catholic, 2012
9:05.40 … Columbia, 2014
9:05.97 … Pope John, 2007
9:07.44 … Union Catholic, 2019
9:08.07 … Ridge, 2018
9:08.34 … Columbia, 1997
9:09.14 … Columbia, 1998
9:09.70 … Mount St. Dominic, 2012
9:09.71 … Lenape, 2012
9:10.22 … North Hunterdon, 2016
9:11.69 … Freehold Twp., 2013
9:11.94 … Lenape, 2008
9:12.82 … Roxbury, 2006
9:13.42 … Union Catholic, 2015
9:13.72 … Columbia, 1983
9:13.90 … Union Catholic, 2018
9:13.95 … Ridge, 2015
9:15.05 … Pingry, 2018
9:15.07 … Ridge, 2019
9:15.16 … Hunterdon Central, 2010
9:16.15 … Pope John, 2006
9:16.34 … Immaculate Heart Academy, 2008
9:16.8h … Kearny, 1980
9:17.00 … Union Catholic, 2016
9:18.17 … Middletown South, 2002
9:18.26 … Southern Regional, 2014
9:18.62 … River Dell, 2018
9:18.87 … Red Bank Catholic, 2015
9:19.01 … Lenape, 2011
9:19.20 … Ridge, 2016
9:19.35 … Wilson, 2002
9:19.47 … Voorhees, 2009
9:19.55 … Columbia, 2012
9:19.88 … Pope John, 2008
9:21.00 … Southern Regional, 2010
9:21.74 … West Windsor-Plainsboro South, 2015
9:21.9h … Ridgewood, 1988
9:20.4h … Summit, 1982
9:20.82 … Columbia, 2011
9:21.06 … Hunterdon Central, 2011
9:22.18 … Haddonfield, 2020
9:22.2h … Roxbury, 2008
9:22.28 … Red Bank Catholic, 2014
9:22.30 … Lenape, 2010
9:22.38 … Buena, 1999
9:22.43 … Columbia, 1996
9:22.6h … Bernards, 1984
9:22.63 … Randolph, 2010
9:23.18 … Middletown South, 2003
9:23.27 … Ridgewood, 2012
9:23.4h … Columbia, 1985
9:23.71 … Lenape, 2009
9:24.38 … Woodbridge, 2018
9:24.53 … Northern Highlands, 2015
9:24.57 … Peddie School, 2011
9:24.68 … Seneca, 2017
9:24.92 … Columbia, 2010

Nylah Perry became Winslow’s fastest indoor quarter-miler in eight years Monday night with a blazing PR of 56.85 at the Armory.

Her time is No. 2 in the state this year and No. 6 in Camden County history.

Perry finished second to All-America middle-distance runner Taliltha Diggs of Saucon Valley High School in Hellertown. Diggs, a Florida signee, was the Pennsylvania state champ in the 400 last spring and 5th in the 400 at outdoor Nationals.

But they weren’t in the same section, so we’ll never know what would have happened if they actually got to race each other head to head.

Perry’s previous indoor PR was a 57.59 at the Hispanic Games last month on the same track. She’s run a bit faster outdoors, 56.32 at Group 3 states last spring at Central Regional.

Perry’s time is fastest by a Camden County 400 runner indoors since Ste’yce McNeil ran 56.62 in 2012. Her time is No. 17 in South Jersey history.

The only New Jersey girl who’s run faster than Perry this year is Athing Mu, who attends Trenton High School but competes unattached in open meets. Mu set the American record in the 600 last winter at the U.S. Championships at Ocean Breeze. Mu ran a U.S. No. 1 53.14 at the Armory last month. She’s run as fast as 52.55 indoors and 51.98 outdoors.

Perry’s Winslow teammate Janeya Hammond (59.32), Shawnee’s Amanda Demko (59.41) and Ocean City’s Erin Hanlon (59.78) all also broke 60 seconds.

Those are indoor PRs for both Demko and Hanlon.

There are now 10 South Jersey girls under a minute this winter in the 400:

2020 S.J. 400 LEADERS
56.85 … Nylah Perry [Winslow Twp.]
57.79 … Janeya Hammond [Winslow Twp.]
58.05 … Jewel Ash [Eastern]
59.19 … Maya Harper [Pleasantville]
59.41 … Amanda Demko [Shawnee]
59.54 … Emily Wallace [Collingswood]
59.60 … Jade Pope [Pennsauken]
59.67 … Amirah Sharpe [Paulsboro]
59.78 … Erin Hanlon [Ocean City]
59.88 … Alyssa Leak [Rancocas Valley]

ALL-TIME S.J. INDOOR 400 PERFORMANCE LIST
54.24 … Okechi Ogbuokiri [Willingboro], 2003
54.91 … Nijgia Snapp [Oakcrest], 2008
55.16 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2006
55.19 … Michelle Brown [Seneca], 2008
55.21 … Aliyah Taylor [Rancocas Valley], 2017
55.4h … English Gardner [Eastern], 2008
55.6h … Denise Mitchell [Edgewood], 1984
55.83 … Kiara Lester [Deptford], 2016
56.21 … Dana Burnett [Williamstown], 1997
56.24 … Aliyah Taylor [Rancocas Valley], 2017
56.34 … Katrina Sye [Buena], 1997
56.44 … Avionne Sloan [Camden], 2006
56.62 … Ste’yce McNeil [Winslow Twp.], 2012
56.65 … Britney Kott [Millville], 2009
56.76 … Simone Thomas [Willingboro], 2003
56.78 … Ajae Alvarez [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2018
56.85 … Emily Duffey [Lenape], 2012
56.85 … Nylah Perry [Winslow], 2020
56.88 … Marcene Jack [Mainland Reg.], 2004
56.90 … Nadia Davy [Bridgeton], 1999
56.95 … Aliyah Taylor [Rancocas Valley], 2017

Cherokee ran its fastest indoor DMR in 18 years Monday night.

Ethan Wechsler’s 4:21.0 anchor helped Cherokee run 10:28.59 and place fourth in a loaded field in the invitational DMR at the Varsity Classic at the 168th Street Armory.

Wechsler was set up by a 1:57.8 leg for 800 meters, presumably by Tyler Jackson. It’s likely Chase Miller ran the 1200 and Kevin Hess the 400.

It’s the fastest indoor DMR by Cherokee or any Burlington County school since Cherokee ran 10:16.32 in 2002.

It’s No. 13 in South Jersey history and just off the No. 1 S.J. time this year, Kingsway’s 10:28.30 on the same track. It’s also No. 5 in New Jersey this year.

CBA won the race in 10:17.63 and Ridge also broke 10:20 with a 10:19.39. Those are the two-fastest times in New Jersey this year. Allentown was third in 10:26.79 on Liam Murphy’s 4:11.7 anchor.

10:09.78 … Haddonfield, 2010
10:12.42 … Haddonfield, 2016
10:16.32 … Cherokee, 2002
10:16.60 … Haddonfield, 2002
10:17.97 … Ocean City, 2011
10:19.29 … Haddonfield, 2009
10:21.11 … Haddonfield, 2011
10:21.38 … Haddon Township, 2015
10:21.8y … Williamstown, 1974
10:22.85 … Eastern, 2016
10:23.52 … Haddonfield, 2015
10:28.30 … Kingsway, 2020
10:28.59 … Cherokee, 2020
10:29.39 … Bishop Eustace, 2013

The Paul VI girls became South Jersey’s first sub-4 1,600-meter relay over the weekend with a 3:58.16 win at the NJCTC’s Wayne Letwink Memorial Winter Championship at Ocean Breeze.

The results don’t list who ran on the PVI relay team, but when PVI ran 3:58.54 at the Millrose Games Trials at the Armory last month they used the team of senior Blair Daniel, junior Abigail Lutz, sophomore Sofia Errichetti and senior Aliya Rae Garozzo.

We’re not sure if that 3:58.16 is a school record, but according to MileSplit it’s Paul VI’s fastest in at least the last 14 years.

Paul VI lowered its own South Jersey No. 1 time. Winslow, which ran 4:00.25 at the Millrose Trials, is No. 3 in the state rankings and the only other South Jersey school under 4:05 so far this winter.

Only Union Catholic has run faster than Paul VI this year among New Jersey schools this year than Paul VI. Union Catholic ran 3:56.34 at the Millrose Trials. Union Catholic placed second to PVI in this race with a 3:59.15.

The last South Jersey parochial school to run this fast indoors? It’s been a while. We’re still looking for that!

Robert Abrams, a TCNJ sophomore out of Cherry Hill West, broke 2:00 in the 800 for the first time on Friday.

As well as 1:59.

And 1:58 and 1:57, too.

Abrams, who never broke 2:10 in high school and rarely runs anything as short as the 800, ran 1:56.77 at the TCNJ-Stockton dual meet at Lavino Fieldhouse in Lawrenceville, a 3 1/2-second PR from his 2:00.22 in this dual meet last year.

Those are the only two 800s he’s run since the end of his sophomore year of high school track.

Abrams generally sticks to the longer stuff. He was NJAC 5,000 champ last spring and NJAC XC champ this past fall. He recorded a huge mile PR late last month with a 4:17.04, No. 11 in NCAA Division 3.

Abrams’ 800 time is No. 3 in the NJAC this winter.

At West, Abrams’ 800 PR was a 2:11.42 at outdoor sectionals in 2015, his sophomore year. He didn’t run another 800 until last winter.

Abrams did have an excellent XC career at West, winning the South Jersey Group 3 title at Delsea in the fall of 2016 and running 16:17 at Holmdel for 15th in the Meet of Champions.

Williamstown Quinn Hart, competing Saturday in what appears to be only his third track meet since the end of the 2017 indoor season — a three-year span — matched the fastest 55-meter dash time in South Jersey this year.

Hart ran a PR 6.68 in the dash trials at the Bubble and then won the final in 6.62 in a tight finish with Zaire Clements of Willingboro (6.64) and Semi Robertson of Burlington Township (6.68).

Hart’s 6.62 is fastest by a Williamstown sprinter in five years, since Cameron Dobbins ran 6.53 at Easterns.

Hart played for the Group 5 Regional Championship Williamstown Braves football team this past fall.

Robertson ran 6.64 earlier this month, but Clements’ previous PR was a 6.72 at the Bubble in January. Clements is Willingboro’s fastest in the 55 since George Milton ran a 6.61 at states in 2017. Robertson is Township’s fastest since Andrew Cherry ran 6.57 in 2013.

According to MileSplit, Hart has never run outdoors. He had a full slate of indoor meets as a sophomore in 2017, then only raced once last year — he ran 6.95 in the trials of an early-season meet at the Bubble – and had only raced one this year before Saturday, clocking 6.71 again at the Bubble.

That 6.62 matches Ahmad Brock for the No. 1 spot on the 2020 South Jersey indoor list. Brock ran 6.62 at the Bubble last week.

There are now nine South Jersey sprinters between 6.62 and 6.68 this winter. Look how bunched-together the South Jersey performance list is

6.62 … *Ahmad Brock [Egg Harbor Township]
6.62 … Quinn Hart [Williamstown]
6.63 … Donovan Clement [Deptford]
6.64 … Zaire Clements [Willingboro]
6.64 … James Coleman [Audubon]
6.64 … Semi Robertson [Burlington Twp.]
6.65 … Shaikyi Hannah [Delsea]
6.66 … Miekel House [Rancocas Valley]
6.68 … **Matthew Mazero [Paul VI]

Bryanna Craig needed to run 2:22.0 or faster to win the invitational pentathlon at the Music City Invitational in Nashville Saturday.

She ran a personal-best 2:21.32.

Craig didn’t have her best day ever but still came out on top of a loaded field of high school seniors, thanks to a incredible finish.

After four events, here’s what the top 5 looked like:

2,756 points: Addison Berry, West-Oak High, Westminster, S.C.
2,693 points: Holly Cassels, Dwyer High, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
2,673 points: Kenli Nettles, Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond, Arthur, Ill.
2,669 points: Bryanna Craig, Millville
2,608 points: Sabrina Sokol, Broad Run, Ashburn, Va.

So Craig was in fourth place and 87 points out of first place going into the final event of the five-event competition, the 800.

Patasha Bryan of South Walton High in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., was first across the line in 2:20.36, but Craig was right behind her with a six-second indoor PR and even a PR over her outdoor best of 2:21.44 from last spring, when she set a national freshman record and won the national title at the National Scholastic Championships at the Armory.

Nobody else in the field broke 2:26.

Once Craig crossed the line in 2:21.32 to net 806 points for a final total of 3,475, Berry needed 719 points to score enough points to finish ahead of Craig.

A 2:27.97 would have gotten her exactly 719 points and given her a 1-point win over Craig. But she crossed the line in 2:28,.68, scored 710 points and finished nine points behind Craig.

Here are the final scoring totals:

3,475 points: Bryanna Craig
3,466 points: Addison Berry
3,392 points: Holly Cassels
3,383 points: Patasha Bryant
3,212 points: Sabrina Sokol

Back in December, Craig won the pentathlon at the Marine Corps Holiday Classic at the Armory with 3,570 points, which broke the South Jersey record. So she finished a bit behind that total. But she beat a field of the best multi-event specialists in the country with just one PR and that’s impressive.

Craig scored 891 points in the 60-meter highs with a 9.09 (her PR is 9.01), 663 points with a 17-7 1/4 long jump (PR is 18-1 1/2), 701 points with 5-1 3/4 in the high jump (PR 5-4) and 480 points with a 27-0 in the shot (29-9 3/4 PR).

Brianna Smith of Cheltenham High in Montgomery County is No. 1 nationally this winter at 3,617 points. Craig, Berry, Cassels and Bryant are No. 2 through 5.

Millville sophomore Leah Ellis placed 10th Saturday in Nashville with 2,859 points.

Craig’s third and final indoor pentathlon is scheduled for New Balance Nationals at the Armory in March.

Samuel Gerstenbacher made his 2020 debut Friday night and responded by demolishing his two-year-old mile PR.

Gerstenbacher, in his first track race since he earned All-America honors in the steeplechase at the NCAA Division 3 Championships in May, ran 4:17. 40 and placed third at the NYC Invitational at the 168th Street Armory in New York.

Gerstenbacher, a senior at Elizabethtown, finished behind Nathan Hill of Middlebury (4:14.72) and Declan Hines of Johns Hopkins (4:17.01).

The Schalick graduate was out in 64.1, 65.3 and 65.6 and then closed with a 62.4, including a 30.6 final lap on the Armory’s banked 200-meter track.

He moved up from 6th to 3rd over the final 400 meters.

Gerstenbacher’s previous mile PR was a 4:19.33 at the same meet in 2018. In high school his fastest indoor 1,600 was 4:24.28, and he ran 4:20.31 outdoors at the 2016 Meet of Champions, his final high school race.

With his nearly two-second PR, Gerstenbacher moved up from No. 9 in school history to No. 5. His time was fastest by an Elizabethtown miler indoors since Russell Speiden ran 4:10.24 on the same Armory track in 2011.