Timber Creek senior Tierra Hooker showed off her versatility Sunday with a second-place finish in the pentathlon at the Ocean Breeze Invitational.

Hooker, in her first career indoor multi-event competition, placed second to Brianna Smith of Cheltenham High, just across the Philadelphia border in Montgomery County. Smith scored 3,617 points, the No. 1 mark in the U.S. this year, just ahead of Bryanna Craig of Millville, who scored 3,584 last month at the Marine Corps Holiday Classic at the Armory.

On Sunday at Ocean Breeze on Staten Island, Hooker recorded the 4th-highest school in the U.S. this winter according to the MileSplit national database, behind Smith, Craig and Holly Cassel of Dwyer High in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (3,293).

Hooker scored big points in the 55-meter hurdles (879), high jump (818) and long jump (703). She added 439 points in the 800 and 423 in the shot put.

In the highs, Hooker ran 8.63, not far off her indoor PR of 8.50. She long jumped 18-1, best of the competition, an indoor PR and No. 3 in the state this year. And in the high jump the former Meet of Champions winner cleared the bar at 5-5 3/4. She’s already tied for the No. 1 spot in the state at 5-8, No. 4 nationally. Hooker also threw the shot 27-5 1/4 and ran 2:52.40 in the 800.

Her time is No. 5 in South Jersey history and broke the Camden County which appeared to be 2,848 by Jasmine Thompson of Triton in 2009 at the National Scholastic Championships. It’s No. 17 in state history.

3674 … Tia Livingston [Union Catholic], 2016
3584 … Bryanna Craig [Millville], 2020
3570 … Tonya Lee [Rancocas Valley], 1988
3548 … Anne Bansemir [Nutley], 1986
3546 … Amber Williams [Roxbury], 2001
3528 … Josefine Kvist [Ridge], 2006
3521 … Ahsley Newby [Columbia], 2007
3514 … Helen Wilks [Bridgeton], 1994
3511 … Bridgette Ingram [Columbia], 1998
3421 … Jessica Creedon [Ridge], 2017
3378 … Lindsey Walsh [Lenape], 2008
3368 … LaShonda Carter [Rahway], 2006
3344 … Charisse West [Notre Dame], 1985
3329 … Kennedee Cox [Paramus Catholic], 2019
3322 … Shelley Mitchell [Lakewood], 1988
3265 … Aiyanna Burton [Columbia], 1995
3262 … Tierra Hooker [Timber Creek], 2020
3232 … Jamie Lilien [Pascack Valley], 2000
3224 … Brittney Jackson [Columbia], 2010

In her first lifetime indoor two-mile, Haddonfield junior Sarah Naticchia broke 11 minutes at the Ocean Breeze Invitational.

Naticchia ran 10:57.70 and placed 4th in a loaded field that saw Lydia Russell of Friends Central in Philadelphia, Jenna Mulhern of West Chester Henderson and Nicole Garcia of Shoreham-Wading River (N.Y.) all run well under 11 minutes as well.

Her time is No. 17 in South Jersey history.

Russell (10:35.18) and Mulhern (10:35.93) moved into the No. 3 and No. 4 spots on the MileSplit 2020 U.S. database, Garcia moved into the No. 8 position (10:50.66) and Naticchia’s time is No. 16 nationally.

Naticchia is now No. 2 in New Jersey, behind Nicole Vanasse of Pingry School.

Naticchia, who didn’t run track until last year, her sophomore year, has an outdoor PR of 10:48.87 for 3,200 meters from states last year. She’s focused mainly on the 800 and 1,600 in her brief career. 

That 10:48.87 converts to about a 10:52.63 full two-miles, so Naticchia – in her first lifetime indoor two-mile – came within only five seconds of her outdoor PR.

It looks like Naticchia’s time is 4th-fastest in Haddonfield history, behind Olympian Erin Donohue (10:38.90 in 2001), Briana Gess (10:40.80) and Shelby Cain (10:48.78 in 2014).

In addition to her 10:48.87, Naticchia ran 2:15.79 and 4:55.90 last spring.

I put together my best shot at an all-time South Jersey indoor sub-11-minute list. This includes converted two-mile marks, so Naticchia comes in at 10:53.89.

Holla if anybody is missing.

10:19.30 … Brittany Sedberry (Ocean City), 2006
10:31.06 … Megan Lacy (Cherokee), 2012
10:38.11 … Megan Venables (Highland), 2011
10:38.90 … Erin Donohue (Haddonfield), 2001
10:40.03 … Dina Iacone (Washington Twp.), 2012
10:40.70 … Alyssa Aldridge (Mainland Reg.), 2016
10:40.80 … Briana Gess (Haddonfield), 2017
10:42.06 … Holly Bischof (Bishop Eustace), 2012
10:42.42 … Theresa Cattuna (Cherry Hill East), 2007
10:42.71 … Chelsea Ley (Kingsway), 2008
10:45.20 … Devon Grisbaum (Ocean City), 2015
10:46.63 … Erika Kemp (Rancocas Valley), 2013
10:46.9h ….. Michelle Rowen (Washington Twp.), 1983
10:48.78 … Shelby Cain (Haddonfield), 2014
10:52.05 … Amanda Goetschius (Delsea), 2007
10:53.4h … Christin Bettis (Hammonton), 2012
10:53.89 … Sarah Naticchia (Haddonfield), 2020 
10:57.95 … Katy Storti (Bishop Eustace), 2019
10:59.04 … Maria Ruiz (Williamstown), 2009
10:59.13 … Vickie Ajimoko (Williamstown), 2013

Two races, two PRs this winter for Donny Vineyard.

Vineyard, a 2018 graduate of Egg Harbor Township and now a Rider sophomore, ran a personal-best 1:54.19 Friday at the John Thomas Terrier Classic at Boston University.

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

A week earlier he PR’d with 1:55.73 at the NYC Gotham Cup at Ocean Breeze.

Before those two races, he had never broken 1:59 indoors.

Vineyard’s time puts him at No. 5 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference so far this year. He didn’t quite break into Rider’s all-time indoor top 10, but he’s less than half a second away.

Click to access All_Time_Top_10_Indoor_Men.pdf

Vineyard placed fifth in the fifth of 22 sections of the 800 in Boston and wound up placing 33rd out of 178 starters.

Vineyard’s high school PR at Egg Harbor was 1:58.14, which he ran senior year at the Cape Atlantic Meet at Bridgeton, when he placed second to Pleasantville’s Quentin Bundy.

His indoor PR in high school was 2:00.30 senior year at the Meet of Champions at the Bubble in Toms River.

He had a breakthrough as a freshman last spring with a 1:55.23 at the Widener Invitational in April, his first race under 1:58, but his indoor PR coming into this season was 1:59.34 at the same meet last year.

At B.U., Vineyard also ran on Rider’s 3,200-meter relay team, which placed 4th Saturday in 7:46.29, fastest time this year in the MAAC.

Stianche led off in 1:56.6, followed by Vineyard with a 1:56.2, Ruskan in 1:54.8 and Ruskan in 1:58.7. 

That was without their two-fastest half-milers – Mike Mazzei of Bishop Ahr, who ran 1:53.36 Friday, and Kevin Heredia of Clifton, who ran 1:53.53.

Add up their FAT times from this weekend, and you get 7:37.09.

Two other South Jersey runners PR’d in the 800 in Boston Friday: Vineyard’s former teammate, Rutgers junior Eric Barnes, ran 1:53.13, and Rancocas Valley graduate Micah Wood, a freshman at Monmouth, ran 1:53.46. More on them soon!

Yesterday was a huge day for Rowan’s Francis Terry.

He didn’t win and he didn’t PR, but he did something he hasn’t done since 2018.

He raced.

Terry, a two-time All-America middle-distance runner for Rowan out of Sterling High, ended a 20-month layoff by placing second in the 400 at the Coach I Open at the Schnader Field House at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster.

Terry ran 50.51 and finished just behind teammate Justin Bishop from Mainland Regional, who won the race in 50.03. Terry and Bishop are the last two NJAC 400 winners.

Terry ran as fast as 47.55 for Rowan in 2018. He placed 5th in the 400 at NCAAs, he won the NJAC and AARFTFC titles, and he anchored Rowan’s 3:11.99 4-by-4 at Penn and 3rd-place 4-by-4 at nationals (Bishop ran the second leg on both).

It was a heck of a season, especially considering that Terry’s best high school time was 49.37, and he didn’t break 50 seconds during his one year at Neumann University in Aston, Pa.

But after NCAAs wrapped up on May 26, 2018, we never saw Francis’ name again.

Until Saturday.

Rowan’s web site didn’t mention Terry’s layoff in its brief synopsis of the meet, so we’re not sure if he was hurt or just took a year off from track. 

But really it doesn’t matter. We’re just happy he’s back because the world needs more South Jersey 47-point quarter-milers!

Bishop and Terry now rank No. 1 and No. 3 in the NJAC this spring, with Dave Etienne of New Jersey City second at 50.38.

Terry has an indoor PR of 48.76 from the 2018 NJAC indoor meet. Rowan is back in action next Saturday and Sunday at the Bomber Invitational at Ithaca.

 

World champion Nia Ali opened her 2020 season with an electrifying win in the 60-meter hurdles Saturday at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Roxbury, Mass.

Ali, a graduate of Pleasantville High School, ran 7.94 and edged world indoor silver medalist Christina Clemons, who was second in 7.98. Payton Chadwick placed third in 8.07.

It was Ali’s first indoor race in more than two years, since she ran 8.45 at the Pima Aztec Indoor Invitational in Tucson, Ariz., on Jan. 20, 2018. It was only her third indoor meet in the last four years.

“It means a lot to start off the season here,” Ali said in an interview on the IAAF (WorldAthletics) web site. “My family is able to get down and see me and I appreciate that. Especially being from the East coast. I know the crowd is always good to me, so I love it.”

Ali, Clemons and Chadwick have the No. 2, 3 and 4 time in the world this year, according to the IAAF world performance list, behind Tonea Marshall, who ran 7.86 last weekend in Lubbock, Texas.

Ali’s time is her fastest since she ran 7.81 on March 18, 2016, at the Oregon Convention Center. Her PR is 7.80, which she ran in Albuquerque on Feb. 23, 2014. That ranks her No. 20 in world history and No. 8 in U.S. history.

Ali ranks No. 9 in world history and No. 4 in U.S. history with her 12.34 over the 100-meter highs, which she ran when she won the gold medal at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar, in October.

Ali won the silver medal as part of a U.S. sweep at Estádio Olímpico at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2016.

Ali ran 7.99 in the trials earlier Saturday, leading all qualifiers into the final. This was her first meet since she won gold at Worlds in Doha on Oct. 6.

Sebastien Reed solo’d a South Jersey #1 9:27.16 at the Bubble Saturday, an indoor-outdoor PR for the Pitman senior.

That’s fastest by any Gloucester County runner indoors since Nick Costello of Delsea ran 9:24.71 at states in 2012.

Reed broke his overall PR of 9:27.52, which he ran last spring at Middletown North, and lowered his indoor PR from 9:28.59, which he ran last year at the Meet of Champions.

Reed, a two-time state Group 1 XC champion, won the race by 150 meters over Brady Shute of Woodbury, who was second in 9:53.19.

Cherokee junior Brett Shea (9:54.45), Clearview junior Anas Bensaoud and Lenape senior Matt Richardson (9:55.89) also broke 10 minutes.

Reed’s time is fastest by a South Jersey Group 1 runner since Owen Long ran 9:24.21 at states in 2016.

Mike Mantini of Gateway has held the Gloucester County two-mile record of 9:19.0 for 42 years.

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