Cherokee grad and six-time Oklahoma All-America Jessica Woodard threw an indoor shot put PR of 59-0 1/4 over the weekend.

Woodard finished first at the J.D. Martin Invitational at the Mosier Indoor Facility on the Oklahoma campus in Norman, Okla.

Her previous season best was a 58-0 1/2 late last month at a meet in Lubbock, Texas. Her previous indoor PR was 58-8 3/4 last February in Fayetteville.

Woodard’s mark is No. 17 in the world this year and No. 9 among U.S. women.

Incredibly, Woodard fouled five times and recorded only one legal mark at the J.D. Martin Invite. She fouled on her first throw, hit the 59-0 1/4 on her second, then fouled four more times.

Outdoors, Woodard has thrown over 60 feet in each of the last three seasons — 60-2 3/4 in 2017, a PR 61-3 1/2 in 2018 and 60-4 last year.

Woodard is scheduled to throw at the USATF Championships this weekend at the Albuquerque (N.M.) Convention Center. 

The women’s shot put is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Big night Tuesday for Hammonton senior Nate Karl, who bombed a 56-11 PR at the third and final Cherokee Throw Down at Cherokee High.

Karl had just PR’d at 55-7 1/2 one day earlier at the SJTCA meet at Ocean Breeze. Before Sunday his PR was 52-6 from a SJTCA meet at the Bubble just before Christmas.

Karl’s mark is No. 4 in the state this year and No. 2 in South Jersey, behind only Winslow’s John Purvis, who threw 60-0 in December at the Bubble and backed that up with a 59-10 1/2 earlier this month at the Armory.

The Atlantic County indoor record is 59-9 by Kofi Yamoah of Egg Harbor in 2013. 

Last spring, Karl only threw 49-2 1/2 but had terrific success in the discus, winning sectionals, placing third at states and then medaling in the Meet of Champions with a 168-3. He was No. 3 in South Jersey in the discus and the No. 6 junior in the state.

A bunch of South Jersey’s top middle-distance runners finally got together on a fast track, and the result was a parade of 800 PRs.

Delsea’s Noah Deckert, Kingsway’s Jeff Heineman and RV’s Ryan Maggs led the way at the SJTCA meet at Ocean Breeze Monday, taking the first three spots with indoor PRs for all three.

But in all 11 South Jersey runners broke 2:05, and nine of them set indoor PRs.

1:59.69 … Noah Deckert, Delsea: Deckert dipped under two minutes for the first time ever indoors or out. As late as two weeks ago he had an 800 PR of 2:09.51 from the Tri-County outdoor championships last May on his home track. He lowered that to 2:02.64 with a win at a SJTCA meet late last month at the Bubble before his breakthrough race at Ocean Breeze Saturday. Deckert has also PR’d in the 1,600 this month at 4:28.17 after a 3,200 PR a few weeks ago with a 9:40.35.

1:59.94 … **Jeffrey Heineman, Kingsway: Heinemann broke his indoor PR of 2:05.54, which he set a week earlier at Ocean Breeze. He ran slightly faster outdoors as a freshman — 1:59.56 at the South Jersey Invitational. Heineman is the No. 2 sophomore in South Jersey, behind only teammate Kyle Rakitis, who ran 1:58.22 last weekend.

2:01.37 … *Ryan Maggs, Rancocas Valley: In only his second lifetime 800 (unless he ran it in a dual meet) Maggs broke his PR of 2:04.18 by nearly three seconds. R.V. has been an 800 factory (Ian Waterhouse, Isaiah Curbelo, Ian Moore, Micah Wood, Joshua DeJesus, Joel Straker, Jose Colon-Cruz, Jacob Tyndall, etc.), and Maggs, still a newcomer to the event, is now less than half a second from joining the Red Devils’ sizable sub-2:00 club.

2:01.61 … Philip Sedalis, Deptford: Sedalis didn’t quite PR, but his 2:01.61 was second-fastest of his indoor career and not far from his PR of 2:00.75 from the Armory late last month. Sedalis is Deptford’s fastest indoor half-miler since Jonathan McFaul ran 2:00.23 at 2007 states.

2:01.97 … Luke Kramer, Ocean City: Lowered his indoor PR from 2:03.62, which he ran just two weeks ago at the Bubble. Has an outdoor PR of 1:59.53 from Haddonfield Distance Night last year.

2:02.89 … ***Bryce Tucker, Pennsauken: Only the second lifetime 800 for Tucker after a 2:10.49 earlier this month. Not too often you get to PR by 7 1/2 seconds in an 800. Tucker is No. 2 freshman in the state and Pennsauken’s fastest indoor half-miler since Eric Butler ran 2:00.47 in 2013.

2:03.42 … *Joseph DeBeaumont, Highland: How about this for improvement: Beaumont’s fastest 800 last spring was a 2:14.79 at Haddonfield Distance Night. He lowered that PR to 2:05.76 two weeks ago before his big race at Ocean Breeze Monday.

2:03.67 … *Jack Rhoades, Clearview: Lowered his indoor PR from 2:04.78 from sectionals last year and lowered his season-best of 2:05.29.

2:04.25 … Dakota Oyuela, Burlington Twp.: Previous indoor PR was a 2:06.89 on the same track in January of 2019.

2:04.33 … Tyler Greene, Ocean City: Ran within half a second of his PR of 2:03.77 from the Varsity Classic at the Armory a week earlier.

2:04.37 … Grayson Fasolo, Haddonfield: Took more than 3 1/2 seconds off his overall 800 PR of 2:07.94 from a week earlier at the Bubble.

Delsea senior Marco Morales shattered his own South Jersey indoor pole vault record and became South Jersey’s first 16-footer indoors or outdoors in 28 years Monday at the SJTCA meet at Ocean Breeze.

The previous South Jersey indoor record was 15-7, which Morales cleared at Ocean Breeze last month. That broke the mark of 15-6 that he shared with twin brother Nico Morales of Delsea and West Deptford’s Dan Batdorf from back in 2008.

Marco Morales tied the overall South Jersey record of 16-0 set in 1992 by Bob Green of Haddon Heights.

He’s the sixth 16-footer indoors in state history and the seventh in state history indoors or outdoors. He’s No. 16 on the MileSplit U.S. list for the 2020 indoor season and No. 2 in New Jersey behind Bradley Jelmert of Watching Hills, who cleared 16-10 in a meet in Nevada last month.

Nico Morales has only competed in one meet so far this year, early last month at Ocean Breeze, and cleared 15-0.

ALL-TIME N.J. INDOOR POLE VAULT LIST
17-0 … Bill Lange [Bridgewater East], 1980
16-7 1/4 … Bradley Jelmert [Watchung Hills], 2020
16-3 1/4 … Adam Sarafian [Ocean Twp.], 2004
16-2 1/4 … Don Heyburn [Cranford], 1980
16-1 1/4 … Craig Hunter [Robbinsville], 2013
16-0 … Marco Morales [Delsea], 2020
15-10 … Bill Hartley [Southern Reg.], 1976
15-9 … Liam Landau [Pascack Hills], 2019
15-6 … Casey DiCesare [Irvington], 2006
15-6 … Dan Batdorf [West Deptford], 2008
15-6 … Luke Annichiarico [Northern Valley], 2014
15-6 … Nico Morales [Delsea], 2019
15-6 … Vince Reilly [St. Joe’s-Metuchen], 1977
15-6 … Eric Richard [Bridgewater East], 1981
15-6 … Simon Schenk [Princeton], 2019
15-4 … Nick Eckett [Jackson Liberty], 2013
15-3 1/2 … Tyler Hrbek [Northern Valley], 2018
15-3 1/2 … David Bausmith [Hunterdon Central], 2018
15-3 … Eric Geider [Northern Valley], 2013
15-3 … Bruce Wodder [Northern Hunterdon], 1975
15-3 … Dan Bertolami [Woodbridge], 1984

ALL-TIME S.J. OVERALL POLE VAULT LIST
16-0 … Bob Green [Haddon Heights], 1992 [o]
16-0 … Marco Morales [Delsea], 2020 [I]
15-7 … Brandon Kurtz [Absegami], 1991 [o]
15-7 … Nico Morales [Delsea], 2019
15-6 … Dan Batdorf [West Deptford], 2008 [i]
15-6 … Dylan Altland [Kingsway], 2014 [o]
15-5 … Devon Purves [Haddonfield], 2006 [o]
15-5 … Mike Davis [Haddonfield], 2004 [o]
15-4 … Jason King [Lenape], 1993 [o]
15-0 1/2 … Danny Lamp [Willingboro], 1977 [o]
15-0 … Mark Murphy [Haddonfield], 1985 [o]
15-0 … Ricky Clemons [Willingboro], 1989 [o]
15-0 … Dave Murname [West Deptford], 2000 [o]
15-0 … Josh Moline [Gateway], 2000 [o]
15-0 … Mike Hulme [Eastern], 2003 [o]
15-0 … Mike Maira [Seneca], 2010 [o]
15-0 … Mike Rivard [Haddonfield], 2010 [o]
15-0 … James Lynch [Deptford], 2019 [o]

Floyd Whitaker’s first career indoor long jump competition was a mind-blowing success!

The Highland junior, the Meet of Champions winner outdoors, is in his first season of indoor track, and he’s spent the first couple months of the season focusing on sprints, 400s, hurdles and high jump. On Monday night at Ocean Breeze, he long jumped for the first time ever indoors and sailed 23 1/4 for the win at the SJTCA meet.

Whitaker’s outdoor long jump PR is 22-1 from outdoor states last year.

He’s South Jersey’s first indoor 23-foot jumper in six years, since Mikhail Micheaux of Eastern went 23-1 at 2014 Easterns. His jump is No. 21 nationally according to the MileSplit U.S. database.

MileSplit doesn’t list any legal long jump marks by Highland jumpers over the last decade, so tough to tell what the prior school record was.

Whitaker is the 16th indoor 23-foot jumper in South Jersey history. His mark is No. 6 in Camden County history and he’s now the No. 5 junior nationally.

Whitaker won by more than two feet over Connor Wright of Hammonton, who jumped 20-11. Tavion Corbett-Collier of Eastern [20-10], Damir Lomax of Delsea [20-9] and Jalen Blango of Rancocas Valley [20-7] also jumped 20-6 or better.

25-5 1/2 … Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1979
24-6 1/4 … Gerard Reynolds [Willingboro], 1990
24-2 1/2 … Isaac Samuels [Kennedy], 1983
24-0 3/4 … Mike Morrison [Willingboro], 2003
24-0 1/2 … William Spearmon [Wilson], 1996
23-11 1/2 … Kerry Vivett [Edgewood], 1985
23-10 ….. Matt Rose [Bordentown], 1985
23-9 …… Syteek Farrington [Camden], 2009
23-7 3/4 … Anthony Averett [Woodbury], 2012
23-4 1/2 … Maurice Hunter [Woodbury], 1983
23-4 ….. Andrew Athias [Cherry Hill East], 2011
23-3 3/4 … Jamar Byrd [Vineland], 2005
23-2 1/2 … Rich Winstead [Egg Harbor Twp.], 1988
23-1 ….. Mikhail Micheaux [Eastern], 2014
23-0 1/4 ….. Floyd Whitaker [Highland Reg.], 2020
23-0 ….. Derek King [Cumberland Reg.], 1984

Whitaker jumped 50-2 1/2 in the triple last spring to win the Meet of Champions, which was a meet record, a state sophomore record, No. 3 in S.J. history, No. 6 in state history and No. 8 in the U.S. in 2019.

He hasn’t triple jumped indoors yet, but he has high jumped 6-6, so he’s tied for No. 1 in South Jersey with Nate Robertson and Kameron Smith of Willingboro.

So he’s now No. 1 in South Jersey in two events … and neither one is his best event!

Austin Gabay recorded the fastest 3,200 by a South Jersey runner in seven years Monday night at Ocean Breeze.

The Cinnaminson senior ran 9:15.90 in an epic battle with Haddonfield’s Martin Riddell and Cherokee’s Ethan Wechsler. Riddell was second in 9:17.62 and Wechsler third in 9:20.37.

The three seniors ran together the entire way, and with 400 to go, only about a second separated them. Gabay closed in 63.5 and 30.0, Riddell in 64.9 and 31.5 and Wechsler in 66.9 and 32.5.

Those are the three-fastest times in New Jersey this year. Gabay’s time is No. 20 nationally, and Riddell and Wechsler are both in the top 30 according to MileSplit’s U.S. rankings.

Gabay’s previous indoor 3,200 PR was 9:53.17 from last year. He’s run 9:15.13 outdoors.

He broke the Cinnaminson indoor school record of 9:29.21 set by Jon Anderson in 2003.

Gabay’s time is No. 11 in South Jersey history — he missed the top 10 by 8-100ths of a second — and No. 3 in Burlington County history, fastest since Marc Pelerin of Cherokee ran 9:11.86 (converted from two miles) back in 2002.

Riddell lowered his PR from 9:18.81 and Wechsler lowered his from 9:21.02, both from last year’s Meet of Champions at the Bubble.

Riddell’s time is No. 2 in Haddonfield history, behind only Jonathan Vitez’s legendary 8:58.81 to win the 2010 Meet of Champions.

Wechsler’s time is No. 2 in Cherokee history, behind only Pelerin. It’s also No. 5 in Burlington County history.

Here are complete splits for Gabay, Riddell and Wechsler:

Here’s a look at every sub-9:18 indoor time in South Jersey history:

8:58.81 ….. Jonathan Vitez [Haddonfield], 2010
9:11.1y ..… Mike Butynes [Sterling], 1970
9:11.2y ..… Mike Elder [Haddon Twp.], 1974
9:11.86y … Marc Pelerin [Cherokee], 2002
9:11.9y ….. Johnny Englehardt [Willingboro], 1976
9:13.33 ….. Michael Rankin [Paul VI], 2010
9:13.93 ….. Paul Szulewski [Williamstown], 2011
9:14.31 ….. Jimmy Daniels [Sterling], 2013
9:15.8y ….. Mike Mantini [Gateway], 1978
9:15.82y … Kevin Pumphrey [Highland], 1986
9:15.90 ….. Austin Gabay [Cinnaminson], 2020
9:16.09 ….. Aaron Groff [Cherry Hill East], 2016
9:17.52 ….. Lou Corgliano [Hammonton], 2013
9:17.55 ….. Greg Hughes [Mainland Reg.], 2004
9:17.62 … Martin Riddell [Haddonfield], 2020
9:17.71 ….. Dave Forward [Shawnee], 2009

Eastern senior Jewel Ash ran a New Jersey #1 and personal-best 8.15 in the 55-meter hurdles Monday night at the SJTCA meet at Ocean Breeze.

Ash took over the state lead from her sister Jailya, an Eastern junior, who ran 8.20 at the Bubble last month.

Jewel Ash lowered her PR from 8.31, which she ran in the same race her sister ran 8.20.

Jailya’s PR is 8.10, which she set at sectionals last year at the Bennett Center.

Jailya Ash is No. 12 in South Jersey history with her 8.10, and Jewel is now No. 15.

The Ash sisters are No. 1 and No. 2 in New Jersey this year.

Cinnaminson’s Meredith Updike ran 8.46 for second, Timber Creek’s Tierra Hooker was third in 8.51, and Millville soph Leah Ellis ran 8.55 for fourth.

Jewel Ash also PR’d in the 55-meter dash with a 7.26, which is No. 9 in the state this year and No. 3 in South Jersey, and she won the 200 in 25.25, No. 3 in the state and No. 1 in South Jersey this year.

Jailya Ash, the Meet of Champions winner last winter, ranks No. 11 in South Jersey with her 7.06 in that race.

ALL-TIME S.J. 55-METER HURDLES LIST
7.89 … Ste’yce McNeil [Winslow Twp.], 2012
7.89 … Nia Ali [Pleasantville], 2006
7.92 … Carol Lewis [Willingboro], 1981
7.94 … Lenaami Morton [Camden], 2017
7.98 … Nichole Belcher [Woodrow Wilson], 1992
8.01 … Samantha Sharper [Woodrow Wilson], 2008
8.03 … Alethia Jenkins [Pennsauken], 2000
8.03 … Claudine Smith [Atlantic City], 2018
8.04 … Zonya Cross [Edgewood], 1983
8.05 … Sherese Price [Pleasantville], 1998
8.06 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2006
8.10 … Nichole Hill [Oakcrest], 1997
8.10 … Jailya Ash [Eastern], 2019
8.11 … Cidae’a Woods [Winslow Twp.], 2014
8.15 … Jewel Ash [Eastern], 2020
8.17 … Torie Robinson [Winslow Twp.], 2014
8.18 … Gabrielle Bennett [Winslow Twp.], 2015
8.18 … Te’seanna Harris [Camden], 2019
8.19 … Brittany Preston [Winslow Twp,], 2016
8.22 … Jamillah Nock [Wilson], 2004
8.23 … Tierra Hooker [Timber Creek], 2019

Briana Roberts, a University of Maryland Baltimore County senior from Pennsauken, ran a 1,000-meter PR this past weekend on the heels of a big 800 performance just a couple weeks earlier.

Roberts ran 2:59.98 for 1,000 meters at the UAlbany Winter Classic at Ocean Breeze. She placed 10th but was only three seconds behind winner Jacqueline Thorne of Sacred Heart of Fairfield, Ct.

Roberts’ previous 1,000 PR was a 3:01.77 her freshman year at the Great Dane Classic on the same track in Staten Island.

A week earlier, Roberts ran 2:15.44 in the 800 in a meet at Penn State, only about half a second off her indoor PR.

Roberts’ 1,000 time moves her into the all-time UMBC top-10 in the 1,000. She’s already No. 7 with her 800 PR of 2:14.78 from her 5th-place finish at the America East Championships a year ago in Boston. She’s run as fast as 2:13.11 in 2018 last spring at the George Mason Invite in Fairfax, Va., which makes her No. 4 in school history in the outdoor 800.

Roberts ranks No. 9 in the America East in the 800.

UMBC races at the Fasttrack National Invitational this weekend at Ocean Breeze in a final tuneup before the America East Championships in Boston.

At Pennsauken, Roberts won sectional titles in XC and in the 800 and 1,600, was a state medalist in the 800 and placed 9th in the 800 at the M-of-C.

Jessica Woodard warmed up for USATF Nationals later this month in Albuquerque by throwing 58-0 1/2 at the Red Raider Invitational at the Sports Performance Center in Lubbock, Texas.

That’s just eight inches off her lifetime indoor shot put PR.

Woodard, a Cherokee graduate and six-time All-America at Oklahoma now in her second year as a post-collegian, fouled on her first throw then hit 58-0 1/2 on her second. She also had a 57-2 in her series.

The 58-0 1/2 is No. 18 in the world so far this indoor season and No. 9 among U.S. women.

Woodard, who just turned 25 this week, has PRs of 58-8 3/4 indoors from a year ago today in Fayetteville, Ark., and 61-3 1/2 outdoors Eugene, Ore., in the spring of 2018. She ranks No. 24 in U.. history with that 61-3 1/2.

Woodard competes at USATF nationals at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

 

Sterling graduate Sydney Coppolino, in her first open race in a year, annihilated her indoor PR and collegiate PR with a 2:11.94 Saturday in Blacksburg, Va.

Coppolino, a Virginia sophomore, placed 3rd at the Doc Hale Virginia Tech Elite, finishing behind only two Va. Tech runners – Lauren Berman (2:07.50) and Hannah Ballowe (2:11.51) — in the field of 15.

Coppolino’s previous collegiate indoor 800 PR was a 2:15.67 at a meet at Clemson last winter. She had run legs on a 4-by-4 and DMR this winter but this was her first open race in almost exactly one year — since Feb. 8, 2019.

Her time is No. 13 this year in the ACC. She ran 2:11.45 outdoors in high school at the 2017 Meet of Champions at Northern Burlington. Her previous overall indoor PR was a 2:15.06 for Sterling at 2017 Easterns at the Armory.

The race went out fast. Coppolino was out in 31.8 and 31.6 before coming back in 33.5 and 35.0 for 63.4 and 68.5. It’ll be interesting to see how fast she can go in a little bit more evenly paced race!

Virginia has been such a successful track program over the years that a 2:11 doesn’t get you on the Cavalier’s all-time indoor top 10, but we’ll link to it here because it’s just an impressive list, and there are some familiar names through the Virginia all-time lists to South Jersey track fans. See how many you can find!