We start out our series of South Jersey county records with Atlantic County’s boys and girls indoor records!

Over the next week or so we’ll be posting indoor county records for the rest of South Jersey – Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties. When that’s done? It’s on to outdoor records!

These marks come from a variety of sources but mostly from my library of old New Jersey Track annuals, which Ed Grant put out from 1966 through 2012 or so, and also from the MileSplit database. Some marks were found in the giant results books I maintained (and fortunately kept) while covering track in the pre-Internet era – from the early 1980s through the late 1990s.

As always, please let me know of any errors and omissions you see in the comment’s section!

ATLANTIC COUNTY
INDOOR
BOYS
55-METER DASH: 6.46 … Darnell Charless [Oakcrest], 2012 [Meet of Champions]
60-METER DASH: 7.06 … Fabian Santiago [Oakcrest], 2012 [New Balance Nationals]
200-METER DASH: 22.04 … A.J. Dawson [Holy Spirit], 2013 [Easterns]
300-METER DASH: 33.94 … Amir Brock [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2017 [Armory Invitational]
300-YARD DASH: 37.80 … Elijah Crouch [Buena Reg.] , 2014 [Pearl River Holiday Festival
400-METER DASH: 48.48 … Amir Brock [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2017 [Easterns]
500-METER RUN: 1:04.89 … Gabriel Moronta [Pleasantville], 2020 [New Balance Games]
600-METER RUN: 1:20.90 … Gabriel Moronta [Pleasantville], 2020 [Ocean Br. Freedom Games]
600-YARD RUN: 1:21.70 … Elijah Crouch [Buena Reg.], 2014 [Pearl River Holiday Festival]
800-METER RUN: 1:51.52 … Jacob Clark [Pleasantville], 2013 [New Balance Nationals]
1,000-METER RUN: 2:27.71 … Jacob Clark [Pleasantville], 2012 [Bishop Loughlin Games]
1,600-METER RUN: 4:18.22 … Jacob Clark [Pleasantville], 2013 [N.J. Group 2]
3,200-METER RUN: 9:17.52 … Lou Corgliano [Hammonton], 2013 [Meet of Champions]
5,000-METER RUN: 15:29.37 … Philip Fanz [St. Augustine], 2010 [New Balance Nationals]
55-METER HURDLES: 7.10 … Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], 2019 [New Balance Nationals]
800-METER RELAY: 1:29.06 … Oakcrest, 2012 [New Balance Invite]
1,600-METER RELAY: 3:18.45 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2017 [New Balance Nationals]
3,200-METER RELAY: 7:45.55 … Pleasantville, 2013 [Easterns]
SPRINT MEDLEY: 3:33.22 … Pleasantville, 2012 [Marine Corps Holiday Classic]
DISTANCE MEDLEY: 10:35.68 … Pleasantville, 2013 [Group 2 State Relays]
SHUTTLE HURDLES: 29.74 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2009 [Large-School Relays]
HIGH JUMP: 6-10 3/4 … Paul Klemic [Mainland Reg.], 2000 [Meet of Champions]
LONG JUMP: 23-2 1/2 … Rich Winstead [Egg Harbor Twp.], 1988 [Easterns]
TRIPLE JUMP: 43-6 … Mubeen Momodu [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2019 [Easterns]
POLE VAULT:14-1 … Joshua Cohen [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2019 [S.J.-4 Sectionals]
SHOT PUT: 59-9 … Kofi Yamoah [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2013 [Easterns]

GIRLS
55-METER DASH: 6.98 … Lauren Princz [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2020 [Meet of Champions]
60-METER DASH: 7.66 … Lauren Princz [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2018 [New Balance Indoors]
200-METER DASH: 24.83 … Lauren Princz [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2020 [Meet of Champions]
300-METER DASH: 40.22 … Nia Ali [Pleasantville], 2006 [N/A]
400-METER DASH: 54.91 … Nijgia Snapp [Oakcrest], 2008 [Easterns]
500-METER RUN: 1:17.31 … Maya Harper [Pleasantville], 2020 [New Balance Games]
600-METER RUN: 1:36.75 … Cierra Farquharson [Pleasantville], 2006 [N/A]
800-METER RUN: 2:18.10 … Nijgia Snapp [Oakcrest], 2008 [S.J. Group 4]
1,000-METER RUN: 3:08.64 … Bridget Flynn [Holy Spirit], 2012 [N.J. Catholic Track Conference]
1,600-METER RUN: 5:01.21 … Juliana Catania [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2016 [N.J. Group 4]
3,000-METER RUN: 10:00.86 … Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Reg.], 2017 [New Balance Nationals]
3,200-METER RUN: 10:33.95y … Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Reg.], 2015 [Bishop Loughlin Games]
5,000-METER RUN: 17:24.43 … Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Reg.], 2016 [New Balance Nationals]
55-METER HURDLES: 7.89 … Nia Ali [Pleasantville], 2006 [Easterns]
800-METER RELAY: 1:42.90 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2018 [Easterns]
1,600-METER RELAY: 3:56.52 … Buena, 1999 [Easterns]
3,200-METER RELAY: 9:21.38 … Buena, 1999 [Easterns]
SPRINT MEDLEY: 4:13.33 … Buena, 1999 [N/A]
DISTANCE MEDLEY:12:11.47 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2016 [NJ Catholic Track Conference]
206-METER SHUTTLE HURDLES: 32.22 … Absegami, 2016 [State Relays]
HIGH JUMP: 5-6 … Marcene Jack [Mainland Reg.], 2004 [Meet of Champions]
5-6 … Natalie Cowan [Hammonton], 2014 [Varsity Classic]
LONG JUMP: 18-6 1/2 … Asia Young [Holy Spirit], 2016 [NJ Catholic Track Conference]
TRIPLE JUMP: 40-1 1/2 … Claudine Smith [Atlantic City], 2019 [New Balance Nationals]
POLE VAULT: 10-7 … Casey Sturts [Buena Reg.], 2013 [S.J. Group 3]
SHOT PUT: 43-10 1/4 … Mercedes Hicks [Atlantic City], 2006 [Easterns]

Yesterday, we looked at the top South Jersey boys from this past indoor season. Today, it’s the girls’ turn!

Here, thanks to the New Jersey MileSplit database, is a look at the top South Jersey freshmen girls this year. Some truly impressive stuff here and some talented athletes to follow over the next few years!

Click here for the boys list!

As always, please let me know of any errors or omissions in the comment’s section and we’ll get ’em fixed right quick!

As we all get through these weeks together, I’ll be posting tons of historical lists on this blog. My project starting Monday will be boys and girls indoor and outdoor county records for every South Jersey county! We’ll start tomorrow with Atlantic County and go through a different county each day!

If there’s anything you’d like to see, leave me a message in the comment’s section and I’ll do my best to put it together!

55-METER DASH: Paul VI’s Briyel Brown ran a personal-best 7.47 at the Millrose Games but had a series of fast 55’s, including a 7.51 for a big win at Ocean Breeze last month. She was No. 15 in South Jersey overall and the No. 5 freshman in New Jersey, and as you’re about to see she showed great range in her first season of high school track.

200-METER DASH: Briyel Brown only ran two 200s, but her 26.41 at the Hispanic Games at the Armory was No. 1 in the state by a freshman, ahead of a 26.60 that Ajanae Thompson of Union Catholic ran at Ocean Breeze. 

300-METER DASH: Janelle Marshall of Cherry Hill West led all South Jersey freshmen at 300 meters with a 43.02 at the Ocean Breeze Freedom Games. She was also No. 2 in the 400 with a 1:00.86, only 4-100ths of a second behind the South Jersey leader (see below). Marshall and Mikayla Surles of Pleasantville were the No. 1 and 2 freshmen in the state, Surles running 43.41 at New Balance. The only faster South Jersey freshman in the last 10 years was Janeya Hammond of Winslow, who ran 41.79 at the 2017 New Balance Games.

400-METER DASH: Once again, it’s Briyel Brown of Paul VI, who led all South Jersey freshmen with a 1:00.82 at the Hispanic Games at the Armory back in early January. That was her last 400 of the indoor season and made her third-fastest in New Jersey, behind only Jenai Berry of Scotch Plains-Fanwood [58.52] and Maameyaa Nyinah of Union Catholic [59.74]. 

600-METER RUN: There aren’t a ton of opportunities to run the 600 and it’s not an easy race to approach, but Kayla McCormick of Burlington Township ran 2:00.90 for the 600 at the Bishop Loughlin Games at Ocean Breeze back before Christmas in her only venture at 600 meters this winter.

800-METER RUN: We wrote about Cherokee’s Kelsey Niglio in our “Five South Jersey performances you might have missed,” which you can find here. Niglio ran 2:18.61 for 13th at the Meet of Champions, capping a terrific season that also saw her place fifth at sectionals and seventh at states. Her time made her No. 4 freshman in the state and No. 7 nationally, according to the MileSplit U.S. database. She’s also No. 3 in Cherokee history, behind only Monica Olkowski [2:12.46 when she won the 1990 Meet of Champions] and Lisa Burkholder [2:17.23 at 2004 Easterns]. Niglio was also No. 4 freshman in the 1,600 at 5:31.15.

1,000-METER RUN: Jocelyn Rodriguez opened her season back in mid-December with a 3:25.05 for 1,000 meters and that stood up as the top South Jersey time all year by a freshman. Rodriguez also No. 7 freshman in the 800 at 2:30.58. 

1,600-METER RUN: Aubrey Pierontoni, the youngest of Kingsway’s three distance-running sisters, PR’d at sectionals with a sixth-place finish in 5:13.7 in a very Deep South Jersey Group 4 race. Pierontoni was also No. 3 in the 800 at 2:24.58 and we’ll get to her 3,200 in a second. Pierontoni was the No. 4 freshman in the state in the 1,600 and No. 21 nationally, according to the MileSplit national database.

MILE: Grace Wassell of Highland ran the full mile at Easterns in 5:13.55, where she was the top freshman in the race, 16-100ths of a second ahead of Sophie Ginsberg, a freshman at White Plains (N.Y.) High School, your writer’s alma mater!

3,200-METER RUN: Aubrey Pierontoni also earned the No. 1 freshman ranking in South Jersey in the 3,200 with her 11:29.19, which was third-fastest in the state among 9th-graders. She ran that 11:29.19 at the stat Group 4 meet.

55-METER HURDLES: Aniya Bush of Williamstown only ran a handful of early-season races, but in her last foray over the 55-meter hurdles she ran a big PR of 9.56, fastest this year among South Jersey freshmen. That came at a SJTCA freshman / novice meet at the BennettcCenter in early February.

HIGH JUMP: Autumn Craig’s high jump PR came as part of her indoor pentathlon at the Marine Corps Holiday Classic at the Armory back in December. Craig cleared 5-0 1/4, and that wound up being No. 3 in the state this year among freshmen, behind only Tenafly’s Norina Khanzada and Howell’s Samantha Strydesky, who both cleared 5-2. Craig was sixth in that pentathlon with 2,497 points, which made her the No. 2 freshman in the country. Paul VI’s Kamryn CIeslik and Mainland’s Emma Crozier-Carole were right behind Craig with 5-0 clearances.

LONG JUMP: Franchesca Richards of Haddonfield had the best long jump mark by a South Jersey freshman girl this winter with her 14-9 at Ocean Breeze back in January. Richards also cleared 4-10 in the high jump at sectionals, which made her tied for No. 4 in South Jersey.

TRIPLE JUMP: Millville’s Craig was also No. 1 in the triple with her 33-5 1/2 at the Archbishop Malloy Stanner Games at the Armory in January in her only triple jump competition of the season. Craig was No. 2 in the state among freshmen in the triple behind Union Catholic’s Alexandra Bonn, who hit 36-7 3/4 at the Meet of Champions.

POLE VAULT: Millville’s Craig, Mainland’s Emma Crozier-Carole and Delsea’s Reese Gebhard all cleared 8-0 to share top freshman honors in South Jersey. Craig hit 8-0 at the Hispanic Games, Gebhard at sectionals  and Crozier-Carole at a SJTCA meet at the Bennett Center in December. As we mentioned above, Craig was also No. 1 in the high jump and triple jump, and Crozier-Carole was tied for No. 2 in the high jump. Those three shared the No. 2 ranking in the state behind Montgomery’s Lauren Cashman, who cleared 10-0 five times, including at the Meet of Champions.

SHOT PUT: An injury unfortunately cut her season short after state relays, but Ciara Demarest of Williamstown threw 38-3 at the first Cherokee Throw Down, No. 2 among throwers of all grades this year in South Jersey behind Zhanye Vines of Burlington Township, who threw 38-4 1/2 at states. Demarest was the top freshman in New Jersey and No. 4 nationally, according to the MileSplit database, despite missing the second half of the season. And a shoutout to South Jersey’s No. 2 freshman, Haddon Heights’ Abigail Lelionis, who threw 32-0 and took 4th at South Jersey Group 1 sectionals and then sixth at states. You can read more about Ciara here.

PENTATHLON: Autumn Craig shows up again! Millville’s Craig placed sixth at the Marine Corps Holiday Classic pentathlon at the Armory in December with 2,497 points, which made her the No. 2 freshman in the country this year, behind only Kiyanni Simas of Milford (Mass.) High, who scored 2,644 points at the MSTCA pentathlon at the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury, Mass., in February.

A look at the top freshmen in South Jersey during the 2020 indoor season shows just how talented Pennsauken’s Class of 2023 is.

But even though Pennsauken athletes dominate this list, there were plenty of other promising freshmen that competed in South Jersey this winter.

Here, with a tip of the hat to the New Jersey MileSplit database, is a look at the top South Jersey freshmen boys this year. We’ll take a look at the girls list tomorrow!

Later in the week, I’ll have the all-time South Jersey freshmen boys and girls lists as well!

As always, please let me know of any errors or omissions in the comment’s section and we’ll get ’em fixed right quick!

55-METER DASH: Pennsauken’s Ejani Shakir ran 6.72 in the finals of the Group 55 at the South Jersey Group 3 sectionals, where he placed third, behind only seniors Caleb Nartey of Hammonton (6.68) and Jaden Stanley of Absegami (6.70). Shakir was also the No. 3 freshman in the state 

200-METER DASH: Shakir was also the top 200 runner in South Jersey and also in the state with his 22.69 for 12th at the Meet of Champions. He’s the only freshman who was under 23 seconds in New Jersey this year, and he was No. 7 in the country according to the MileSplit database. He was also No. 2 overall in South Jersey, behind only Millville junior Elias Rivera, who ran 22.47 and finished two spots ahead of Shakir at the Meet of Champions. That 22.69 is fastest by a South Jersey freshman in at least 10 years.

300-METER DASH: Pleasantville’s Xander Roberts ran 37.35 at the New Balance Games in January, which also made him the top freshman in the 300 in New Jersey. Roberts also ran as fast as 53.74 in the 400

400-METER DASH: More Pennsauken! Bryce Tucker focused on the 800, but he did run a few 400s and went as fast as 52.41 in his only 400 that wasn’t on the Bennett Center track. That came early in the season at the Hispanic Games at the Armory and made him the No. 3 freshman in the state, behind Matthew Griffin of Whippany Park (51.78) and Andre Pearson of North Brunswick (52.18). Williamstown freshman Mark Williams (52.68), Wilson freshman Premier Wynn (52.88) and Tucker’s freshman teammate and classmate, Kahlil Ali (52.96), also ran sub-53.

600-METER RUN: The 600 was once a staple of indoor track meets – back in the 300, 600, 1,000 days —but it’s only run at a few meets anymore. Willingboro’s Rashad Darian put together a good one at the New Balance Games at the Armory, running 1:27.12, fastest in the state this year and No. 3 nationally.

800-METER RUN: You can find more about Bryce Tucker’s remarkable state freshman record of 1:56.75 here [https://sjtrackblog.com/2020/03/10/pennsaukens-bryce-tucker-shatters-n-j-800-freshman-class-record-with-mind-blowing-race-at-meet-of-champions/]. Tucker was the fifth-fastest half-miler in New Jersey and No. 12 in the state and fastest freshman in the country, just ahead of Nathan Cumberbatch of Shorewood (Wisc.) High, who ran 1:56.99 at a meet in Lexington, Ky., in February. 

1,000-METER RUN: Rancocas Valley freshman Ryan Smith ran 3:00.83 at Ocean Breeze in January in his first and only 1,000-meter foray. He also ran 4:53.87 and 10:19.45, and that 10:19.45 – at sectionals – made him No. 2 in the 3,200 among South Jersey freshmen and No. 6 in the state.

1,600-METER RUN: Staying on the familiar Pennsauken theme … Joel Oquendo ran 4:45.47 at Ocean Breeze, earning the top freshman time by a couple seconds over Highland’s Gavin Gallo, who ran 4;47.35. Oquendo ran sub-4:50 the last four times he raced the 1,600. Oquendo also ran 2:05.89, which made him No. 2 to Tucker in South Jersey and No. 5 in the state, and 10:20.38, which was No. 3 in South Jersey and No. 7 in the state.

3,200-METER RUN: Highland’s Gavin Gallo takes top freshman honors in the 3,200 with a 10:14.01 at sectionals. Gallo was coming off a very good XC season where he ran 17:12 for 19th at sectionals and ran 17:40 at Holmdel at states. He also won the freshman race at the South Jersey Open over 3,200 meters at Delsea. Not far behind was R.V.’s Ryan Smith, who ran 10:19.45 at SJ-4 sectionals.

55-METER HURDLES: You thought Tucker was just a middle-distance runner? He ran 8.01 over the 55-meter highs at the Bubble in February and also placed fourth at sectionals before running a near-PR 8.03 at states. He was by far the top freshman hurdler in the state, with Lakewood’s Menzel Thomas No. 2 at 8.36. According to the MileSplit U.S. data base, Tucker was No. 2 freshman in the hurdles behind only Peyton Jones of Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake, Va., who ran 7.79 in a meet in January in Hampton, Va. But that was Jones’ only race under 8 seconds. He’s the fastest South Jersey freshman in at least 10 years.

HIGH JUMP: Three South Jersey freshmen hit 5-6 this winter, including – who else – Pennsauken’s Bryce Tucker. Eastern’s James Heard and Cherry Hill West’s Jacob Carlson. The last South Jersey freshmen over 6-0 were Justyce Pollitt of St. Augustine and Antwan Dickerson of Pennsauken, both in 2010.

LONG JUMP: Top South Jersey freshman in the long jump was St. Augustine’s Dominic Tenuto, who hit 17-6 3/4 at Ocean Breeze last month. Penuto also hurdled, sprinted and ran everything up to the 1,000 this winter, and that 17-6 3/4 came in his only long jump competition of the year.

POLE VAULT: Tough event for freshmen but Xavier Ramos of Vineland was clearly the best this winter, getting over the bar at 9-6 at sectionals, two feet higher than any other South Jersey freshman. He also ran the 55, hurdled and high jumped. That was the best clearance by a South Jersey vaulter since Nico Morales of Delsea hit 10-6 in 2017.

SHOT PUT: Sean Rowand of Delsea hit 35-10 at the Cherokee Throw Down No. 3 in February, earning No. 1 freshman honors by just over a foot over Taiwan Moses Davis of Oakcrest, who threw 34-3 1/2.

A large contingent of South Jersey athletes qualified for NCAA Division 3 National Championships this weekend at the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Those athletes won’t get a chance to compete now, but they certainly deserve some recognition for their achievements during the season.

Let’s take a look:

MEN
AHMIR JOHNSON, ROWAN
Johnson, a sophomore at Rowan, jumped 48-8 1/4 at the All-Atlantic Championships in Rochester to earn the No. 4 seed in the triple jump. Johnson, a graduate of Wissahickon High in Ambler and a transfer from Gwynned Mercy, broke the Rowan school record of 48-2 set in 2018 by Harrison Escoffery.

RAKIM COYLE, ROWAN
Coyle, a graduate of Wildwood Catholic and Rowan sophomore, hit an indoor PR 23-7 1/2 in the long jump to win the All-Atlantic meet. He was the No. 10 seed in the long jump at nationals and one of three Rowan long jumpers to qualify.

FRANCIS RICHARD, ROWANThe junior from Northern Highlands in Allendale also got in at the long jump as the No. 15 seed with a personal-best 23-3 1/4 at AARTF.

JOHN OWENS, ROWAN
Owens, a sophomore from West Windsor-Plainsboro North, got into nationals as the 20th and final seed in the long jump with his season-best 23-2 on his final attempt at the Gotham Cup at Ocean Breeze in January. He’s got a lifetime best of 23-7 1/2 from last year’s AARTF meet in Cortland, N.Y.

1,600-METER RELAY, ROWAN
The all-South Jersey quarter of freshman Jah’mere Beasley from Sterling, freshman Jake Kolodziej from Washington Township, junior Justin Bishop from Mainland Regional and junior Francis Terry from Sterling earned the No. 4 seed in the 1,600-meter relay with a 3:17.02 in Rochester earlier this month.

DISTANCE MEDLEY, ROWAN
Junior Nick Neville from South Brunswick, junior Vincent Delle from Old Bridge, sophomore Joe DeVito of Jackson Liberty and sophomore Kevin Lauren from Lenape ran 10:06.06, only 6 1/2 seconds off the school record set by Nick Nocco of Southern Regional, Bishop, Neville and Kevin Veltre of Brick Memorial at NCAA’s last year.

ROBERT ABRAMS, TCNJ
The Cherry Hill West graduate got the No. 7 seed in the mile with his personal-best 4:13.19 at the AARTFC meet in Rochester earlier this month. That was eight seconds faster than his best time last year.

SAMUEL GERSTENBACHER, ELIZABETHTOWN

Gerstenbacher, an E-town senior from Schalick, was the No. 9 seed in the 3,000 with an 8:26.67 personal-best at the AARTFC Championships two weeks ago. Note that Cherokee graduate Mike Zurzolo, a TCNJ senior, ran 8:31.21 and missed qualifying by 32-100ths of a second.

WOMEN
MYIAH STURDIVANT, ROWAN
Sturdivant, a junior out of Timber Creek, earned the No. 16 seed in the 400 with her 57.44 at a last-chance meet at Ocean Breeze. Sturdivant was on Rowan’s 400-meter relay team that earned All-America honors last spring.

ANGEL ROWE, ROWAN
Rowe, a senior from Passaic County Tech, was also a No. 16 seed, thanks to a huge 38-2 3/4 triple jump at Ocean Breeze. This was going to be her fifth NCAA Championships.

KAILA CARTER, TCNJ
Carter, a senior from Cherokee, had a terrific season, winning titles at both the NJAC and AARTFC meets. Her best time over the 60-meter hurdles was 8.89, but she ran 8.22 over 55 meters, which converts to 8.84 and got her the No. 11 seed. She still would have gotten in with her 8.89 but just as a slightly lower seed.

JESSICA MCRAE, STOCKTON
Jessica McRae, a senior from Carteret, jumped a personal-best 38-11 3/4 at the Fasttrack Invite at Ocean Breeze last month to earn her first career ticket to NCAAs.

Here are the full set of seeds for the men’s meet and the women’s meet. If I missed any South Jersey athletes please let me know in the comment’s section!

The 2020 New Balance National Scholastic Championships, scheduled to begin Friday at the Armory, have been cancelled, according to the National Scholastic Athletics Foundation, which runs the meet.

“Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and out of concern for the safety of all athletes, coaches and families, we’ve decided it’s in the best interest of all parties to cancel the meet,” meet director Jim Spier said on the meet’s web site. “It’s the hardest decision we’ve ever had to make.”

The meet was scheduled to run from Friday through Sunday at the 168th Street Armory in New York.

More than 3,500 athletes from around the country were scheduled to compete this weekend, including those from Haddonfield, Winslow, Pleasantville, Rancocas Valley, Cinnaminson, Kingsway, Cherry Hill East, Deptford, Cherokee, Paul VI, Egg Harbor Township and Millville

A national scholastic indoor meet has been held every year since 1983. From 1999 through 2010 there were two national indoor meets – the National Scholastic Indoors and Nike Invitational.

The New Balance Outdoor Nationals is scheduled for June 18-21 at Aggie Stadium on the campus of North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, N.C.

Earlier today we shared five boys at the Meet of Champions whose impressive performances may have gotten lost in the shuttle.

You can find that here.

Now we have five performances by South Jersey athletes in the girls Meet of Champions that you might have missed.

Jewel Ash, Eastern, 200-, 400-meter runs: Ash, an Eastern senior, quietly had a very strong double Sunday with a PR 25.09 for third in the 200 and another PR 57.59 for fifth in the 400. Her 200 time is fastest by an Eastern girl indoors since Jennifer Jackson ran 24.5 in 2003. Her 400 time is fastest by an Eastern girl indoors since Olympic gold medalist English Gardner ran 56.29 at the 2007 Meet of Champions. Ash was the only girl to place in the top six in both the 200 and 400.

Kelsey Niglio, Cherokee, 800-meter run: The top South Jersey freshman this indoor season in the 800 and No. 2 in the state, behind only Jenai Berry of Scotch Plains, who ran 2:16.92 for fifth at the M-of-C. Niglio took more than five seconds off her PR of 2:23.17 from sectionals with her big M-of-C race. She’s fastest South Jersey freshman since Gabbi Kirsch of Williamstown ran 2:16.60 in 2015 and Cherokee’s fastest indoor 800 runner since Lisa Burkholder ran 2:17.23 at 2004 Easterns.

Hailey Tabar, Clearview, 800-meter run: That 800 was full of PRs. Clearview senior Hailey Tabar lowered her PR from 2:21.14 from last year’s state meet to 2:18.72 at the M-of-C, No. 5 in South Jersey this year and the fastest by a Clearview girl in at least 15 years. I need to look up how fast Carrie Thompson ran in the early 1990s. Time to go through old New Jersey Track annuals in the garage! 

Alilya Rae Garozzo, Paul VI, Meredith Updike, Cinnaminson, 55-meter hurdles: Garozzo and Updike have had some great battles all year, so it shouldn’t have been surprising that they finished 2-100ths of a second apart in the Meet of Champions final. Garozzo took fourth in 8.27 and Updike fifth in 8.29 in a race won by Eastern’s Jailya Ash in 8.03. Garozzo will run collegiately at Penn and Updike at Rutgers.

Karissa Watson, Williamstown, long jump: Watson took fourth in the long jump at the M-of-C with a personal-best 18-2 1/4, the best indoor jump by a Gloucester County girl since Tacquaya Tobias hit 18-5 1/4 at Easterns in 2011. Her jump is No. 4 in Gloucester County history, behind Shelly Bailey of Woodbury [18-7 1/4 in 1982], Tisifinee Taylor of Woodbury [18-6 1/2 in 2002] and Tobias. Watson, also a 5-2 high jumper, has long jumped as far as 18-10 1/2 outdoors at the Rowland Relays, but her 18-2 1/4 surpassed her previous indoor PR of 17-6 1/2 from Ocean Breeze earlier this month.

Considering how remarkable South Jersey athletes performed at the Meet of Champions – from Anthony Vazquez winning the hurdles to Gabriel Moronta winning the 800 to Austin Gabay running 9:00.27 in the 3,200 – it’s easy to miss some remarkable performances.

There was certainly no shortage of them.

So here are five South Jersey performances you may have missed … but shouldn’t have … from Sunday’s 52nd annual Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze!

Coming soon: 5 performances from South Jersey girls at the Meet of Champions you might have missed … but shouldn’t have!

Jayden Greene, Washington Township, 800-meter run: Greene ran 1:55.19 for ninth in the 800 and destroyed his 800 PR of 1:57.2, which he set on the same track last month. He also ran faster than his outdoor PR of 1:55.41, which he set last spring at states. That’s the fastest ninth-place time in Meet of Champions history. The previous record was 1:55.75 et by Marcus Hatchett of Piscataway in the hot 2013 race where Isaac Clark, Derrell Manhertz, Jacob Clark and Ishmael Muhammad gave South Jersey a 1-2-3-4 finish, all between 1:51.72 and 1:53.68. His time was just off the Washington Township school record of 1:54.82, set in 2009 by Xavier Fraction, and No. 6 in Gloucester County history. Also No. 17 in South Jersey indoor history.

Miekel House, Rancocas Valley, 55-meter dash: House, in his first year of indoor track, finished fourth in the 55 in 6.48, ninth-fastest by a South Jersey sprinter in M-of-C history and fastest since Kashif Miller of Haddon Heights ran 6.46 when he won the 2014 race. House was the top South Jersey finisher, and he finished the season with the fastest time by a South Jersey sprinter with his 6.45 at Easterns. His 4th-place finish is the best by a Burlington County sprinter in the Meet of Champions 55 since James Townsend of Holy Cross won the 2002 race in 6.57.

Owen Ritti, Ocean City, 1,600-meter run: Huge PR for Ritti, who placed sixth in the 1,600-meter division of the ill-fated 1,600 in 4:20.43 a month after his PR was 4:41. After a solid XC season – he was 4th at sectionals and ran 16:58 at Holmdel as a soph – he lowered his PR to 4:31.89 at Ocean Breeze , then 4:27.62 at sectionals and 4:24.30 at states before his breakthrough at the M-of-C. According to the MileSplit database Ritti’s time makes him the No. 8 sophomore in the U.S. and he’s the fastest in South Jersey indoors in at least a decade.

Isaiah Lewis, Winslow, 55-meter hurdles: Another massive PR. Lewis had run 7.51 in the 55-meter hurdles trials at Easterns, but he blew that away with a 7.39 for third on Sunday, finishing just 8-100ths of a second behind winner Anthony Vazquez of Egg Harbor Township. In a very fast race, Lewis ran the fastest 3rd-place time in M-of-C history, breaking the record of 7.41 set by Gordan Ferguson of Manchester Township in 2012. His time is No. 12 in South Jersey history (No. 16 if you include converted hand times from the 1970s) and fastest by a Camden County hurdler since Chais Hill of Highland ran 7.34 in 2015.

Pennsauken, 1,600-Meter Relay: Pennsauken ran 3:25.02 for sixth in the Meet of Champions, and they did it with three freshmen and a senior. Pennsauken was the only South Jersey school in the top 10 and their 3:25.02 is fastest this year by a South Jersey school and fastest by any South Jersey school since Haddonfield ran 3:23.54 in 2017. Senior DeVante Greene led off with a 50.7 split, freshman Kahlil Ali ran 51.6, freshman Ejani Shakir 50.6 and freshman Bryce Tucker, who set a state freshman 800 record earlier in the day [read about that race here], anchored in 52.1.

Willingboro senior Nate Robertson joined the 6-8 club Sunday when he placed second in the high jump at the Meet of Champions.

Robertson had cleared 6-6 at seven different meets going back a couple Bubble meets in Toms River last winter. But he finally got over the hump on Sunday, when he placed second to Jamier Wright-Collins of Paterson Kennedy, who cleared 6-10.

Willingboro has quite a high jumper history. Actually, it has quite a history in every event.

Robertson is the third Willingboro high jumper to clear 6-8. Scott Harrison cleared 6-8 in 1984 and national champ Mike Morrison cleared 7-4 1/4 at the Armory in 2003, still No. 7 in U.S. indoor track history. Outdoors, Marc Holland cleared 7-0 in 1977, Pat Collier hit 6-10 in 1983 and Dijon Thomas cleared 6-8 in 2002 when he was second to Morrison in the Meet of Champions.

Robertson is actually the first South Jersey jumper to clear 6-8 indoors in five years. Three did it in 2005 – Williamstown’s Devin Bradham and Delsea’s Ameer Banks both went 6-10 and Tariq Adams of Pleasantville cleared 6-8.

He’s the first Burlington County jumper over the bar at 6-8 indoors or outdoors since Ed Kramer of Cherokee cleared 6-8 indoors and 6-8 1/4 outdoors.

Robertson’s teammate Kameron Smith cleared 6-6 at the Meet of Champions and placed fourth. Smith cleared 6-7 earlier this season at the Bubble.

The versatile Robertson also ran 6.79 this indoor season, placing fourth in the 55 at sectionals, and long jumped only twice but did hit 21-8 1/4 at a meet last month at Ocean Breeze, which was No. 11 in the state this year and No. 5 among South Jersey jumpers.

Here’s a look at the all-time Burlington County indoor high jump list! Some great names on here!

ALL-TIME BURLINGTON COUNTY INDOOR HIGH JUMP LIST
7-4 1/4 … Mike Morrison (Willingboro), 2003
6-11 … Mike Pascuzzo (Lenape), 1980
6- 8 1/4 … Mike Murawski [Holy Cross], 2003
6- 8 … Barry Anderson [Rancocas Valley], 1977
6- 8 … Chris Walsh [Shawnee], 1983
6- 8 … Scott Harrison [Willingboro], 1984
6- 8 … J.C. Slocum [Bordentown], 1989, 1990
6- 8 … Marvin Bass [Palmyra], 1994
6- 8 … Ed Krammer [Cherokee], 2010
6- 8 … Nate Robertson [Willingboro], 2020

Pennsauken’s remarkable Bryce Tucker destroyed the state freshman 800 record Sunday when he ran 1:56.75 at the Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze.

He broke the state freshman mark of 1:57.70 that Myles Plummer of Union Catholic set at last year’s Meet of Champions at the Bubble.

Before Plummer, the mark belonged to Maxwell Bruno of Indian Hills, who ran 1:58.9 in 2005.

According to the MileSplit database, it’s the fastest indoor time by a U.S. freshman in seven years.

Tucker ran his first lifetime high school 800 at the Bubble last MONTH and ran 2:10.49. He quickly got down to 2:02.89 a week later and then PR’d at 2:01.99 at sectionals, 2:00.89 at the Bubble and 2:00.16 at states.

But 1:56.75 is a nearly 3 1/2-second PR and the No. 1 freshman time in the U.S., according to the MileSplit data base. The only other freshman under 1:58 this winter according to MileSplut is Nathan Cumberbatch of Shorewood, Wisc., who ran 1:56.99 at a meet in Lexington, Ky., last month. He was an AAU national age-group champ last spring at 1:59.18.

To put Tucker’s time in perspective, only eight New Jersey seniors have run that fast this winter. Tucker placed 11th in his first Meet of Champions race.

Tucker was out in 28.3 and 58.1 and came back in 30.4 and 58.6.

Incredibly, unless I’m missing someone, his time is No. 5 in Camden County indoor history and less than a second off the county indoor record of 1:55.93, set in 2017 by Haddonfield’s Derek Gess.

Looks like Pennsauken’s previous school record was 1:59.24 by Elijah Swain at the 2011 Meet of Champions.

I went through all my Jack Shepard U.S. High School Track annuals going back to the early 1990s and found only four faster freshman times, although in some years the cut-off for the 800 was faster than 1:56.75, so there are likely missing times out there. If they happened before the MileSplit national data base came into existence, there’s probably no way to find them.

1:55.45 … Andrew Perkins [Watertown (Wisc.)], 2005
1:55.64 … Terrell Jackson [Memphis (Tenn.) University School], 2013
1:56.02 … Lionel Williams [St. Peter’s, Staten Island, N.Y.], 2004
1:56.10 … Obea Moore [Muir, Pasadena, Calif.], 1994

ALL-TIME CAMDEN COUNTY INDOOR 800-METER LIST
1:55.93 … Derek Gess [Haddonfield], 2017
1:56.49 … Greg Pelose [Haddonfield], 2016
1:56.50 … Brian Laskowski [Bishop Eustace], 2008
1;56.60 … Andrew Riviello [Eastern], 2003
1:56.75 … Bryce Tucker [Pennsauken], 2020

It was Olivia Wright’s final triple jump attempt of the season. Until it wasn’t anymore.

Wright, a Winslow Township junior, jumped a lifetime-best 37-4 on her final attempt of the Meet of Champions triple jump trials Sunday at Ocean Breeze and then passed on her final three attempts to focus on her 4-by-400 duties for Winslow.

Wright was actually in the lead until Teja Brown of Pope John in Sparta – who was the final qualifier for the finals at 36-2 1/2 – jumped 38-2 on her final attempt.

But it was still a heck of a performance for Wright, whose 37-4 is No. 6 in South Jersey history and best by any South Jersey underclassman indoors since another great Winslow athlete, Cidae’a Woods, hit 37-10 as a junior in 2013.

It also qualified her for New Balance Nationals this weekend at the Armory, which is why her last attempt of the year guaranteed her more jumps!

Wright’s PR before M-of-C was a 36-8 3/4 at the Varsity Classic at the Armory last month. Wright was also a sectional runner-up in the high jump at 5-0 and is a regular leg on several of Winslow’s relay teams.

She won’t be triple jumping again until outdoors, but she will be in action this weekend at New Balance Nationals at the Armory.

Wright will be joined by sophomore Jaia James and seniors Janeya Hammond and Nylah Perry on Winslow’s team for the Championship 800-meter relay, and she’ll race alongside James, sophomore Kamryn Holness and sophomore Charly Dutton on a 1,600-meter relay team in the Emerging Elite division.

Winslow also has a team in the mixed 4-by-400 (senior Terry McNeill, junior Brandon Greene, Hammond and Perry), and Perry will also race in the Emerging Elite 400 after winning the M-of-C in 56.19.

Greene is also entered in the Emerging Elite 60-meter hurdles.

Here’s a look at the all-time indoor South Jersey triple jump list!

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
37-4 … Olivia Wright [Winslow Twp.], 2020
37-2 1/2 … Kristina Tossas [Rancocas Valley], 2020
37-1 … Ashley Edwards [Northern Burlington], 2015
36-9 1/4 … Jasmin Jones [Kingsway], 2016
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
36-1 1/2 … Chastiney Pearson [Timber Creek], 2020
36-0 1/2 … Taliya Rogers [Rancocas Valley], 2016
36-0 1/2 … Keyanna Meade [Burlington Twp.]. 2018