Sincere Rhea, the national scholastic indoor high hurdles champion for St. Augustine last year, made his collegiate debut for Penn State Saturday with a win on his home track.

Rhea won the 60-meter high hurdles in 7.98 at the Nittany Lion Challenge on the Ashenfelter Indoor Track in State College.

Rhea ran 7.98 to lead all qualifiers in the trials and then repeated the same time in the final, which he won by half a meter over senior Shyheim Wright of Pitt, who was second in 8.07.

I’d love to tell you where Rhea ranks on the all-time Penn State 60-meter hurdles list, but the most recent all-time list on Penn State’s web site is from 2012-13 and only goes five deep.

But it’s a good start for Rhea, whose time is No. 3 in the Big 10 so far — behind Iowa hurdlers Jaylan McConico [7.66] and Josh Braverman [7.97] and No. 2 among all NCAA Division 1 freshmen, behind only Oscar Smith of Kansas State and the Bahamas, who ran 7.87 last month at the K-State Winter Invitational at Ahearn Fieldhouse in Manhattan, Kans.

The No. 6 freshman on that national freshman list is Sam Aviles of Rider, a freshman from Palmyra. He ran 8.11 at the Fastrack Season Opener last month at Ocean Breeze. Rhea and Aviles went 1-4 in the indoor Meet of Champions last year.

Rhea, the Meet of Champions 400 winner last spring, also split 48.3 on Penn State’s all-freshman 1,600-meter relay team, which finished first in 3:13.49, fastest so far this year in the Big 10.

Also on that team were Savion Hebron of Neshaminy High, son of former Eagles and Broncos running back Vaughn Hebron; Philly native Godwin Kabanda of Northeast High; and Karl Johnson, who anchored in 47.70. Don’t know where Karl Johnson is from, since the roster link on Penn State’s web site is broken and there’s no record of him in the MileSplit database.

Cherry Hill East graduate Maya Drayton is off to a fast start as a freshman at Georgetown.

Drayton, who didn’t run indoor track at Cherry Hill East, ran 56.38 Saturday to place 3rd in the 400-meter dash at the Nittany Lion Challenge at State College. She ran 56.77 in her only previous collegiate race, at month ago at Navy, so that’s an indoor PR for Drayton.

Her outdoor PR is 56.00 from second place at last year’s state Group 4 meet at Franklin High, so she’s less than half a second off that early in her first indoor season.

Drayton finished just behind Penn State’s Antoniette Bradley (56.05) and Army’s Call McMullen (56.15).

Just behind Drayton was Winslow grad Flora Ahiarakwe, a Pitt sophomore, who was fourth in a season-best 58.34. Ahiarakwe ran on Pitt’s 3:38.18 1,600-meter relay team that placed third at ACC’s last year.

Winslow graduate Edwin Alston, a senior at Central Connecticut in ran a season-best 8.19 to win the 60-meter hurdles at the Dartmouth Relays at Leverone Fieldhouse in Hanover, N.H.

Alston led all qualifiers with a 8.36 in the trials before running away with the final. Teammate Tyrik Henry took second in 8.38.

Alston, the Central Connecticut indoor school record holder at 7.94, is a three-time indoor and outdoor conference runner-up in the high hurdles.

Alston is undefeated this indoor season. At Winslow, he was the 2015 outdoor Meet of Champions winner

Buena grad and Rider senior Kristin Siegle ran a PR 5:04.33 to win over a field of 46 women in the mile at the Spartan Invite Friday at Ocean Breeze.

Siegle won the first of four sections, winning by 25 meters over Gianna Mastromatteo of Marist College of Poughkeepsie.

Her previous mile PR was a 5:06.21, which she ran last February at the Fastrack National Invite on the same track.

With the 5:04.33, Siegle moves up to No. 6 performer in school history:

4:44.33 … Emily Ritter, 2015
4:58.16 … Heather Giovagnoli, 2012
4:58.66 … Steph Welte, 2016
5:00.58 … Chelsea Callan, 2011
5:03.19 … Meg Elgin, 2012
5:04.33 … Kristin Siegle, 2020
5:04.56 … Meg McGarrity, 2017
5:04.79 … Teagan Schein-Becker, 2019
5:07.40 … Peri Pavicic, 2018
5:07.68 … Jillian Shutt, 2012

Siegle’s time is fastest this year in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. 

She’s run as fast as 4:39.94 for 1,500 meters outdoors, which is No. 5 on Rider’s all-time outdoor list and converts to 5:02 and change for the full mile.

On Friday, Siegle also ran the 800-meter leg on Rider’s winning distance medley team. Mackenzie Greenfield led off, Oliva de la Torre Coca ran the 400 and Pavicic anchored. Rider ran 12:29.72, beating second-place Ithaca by 10-100ths of a second.

At Buena, Siegle had PRs of 5:23.16 indoors and 5:15.98 outdoors for 1,600 meters, so she’s essentially improved by about 21 seconds indoors and 16 seconds outdoors. 

The Kingsway girls took over the No. 1 spot on the 2020 South Jersey performance list in the 3,200-meter relay with a 9:35.90 Wednesday night at the Millrose Trials at the 168th Street Armory.

Ashlynne Burke led off in 2:24.3, Skye Robinson split 2:24.5 and Emily Pierontoni contributed a 2:28.2 split to set up Allison Pierontoni, who anchored in 2:18.9.

Union Catholic won the race with a U.S.-leading 9:21.86 – without a sub-2:19 leg – and North Rockland of Haverstraw, N.Y., was second in 9:30.57. Kingsway’s time is No. 7 in the early going this winter nationally, according to the MileSplit U.S. data base.

Kingsway’s time is No. 2 in Gloucester County history, behind Kingsway’s own 9:32.18 at the 2017 Millrose Trials.

ALL-TIME S.J. INDOOR 4-BY-800 LIST
9:04.66 … Lenape, 2013
9:09.71 … Lenape, 2012
9:11.94 … Lenape, 2008
9:19.35 … Wilson, 2002
9:22.30 … Lenape, 2010
9:22.38 … Buena, 1999
9:23.71 … Lenape, 2009
9:24.68 … Seneca, 2017
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
9:35.90 … Kingsway, 2020
9:36.10 … Sterling, 2017
9:36.41 … Seneca, 2009
9:36.50 … Seneca, 2014

 

Williamstown’s Ciara Demarest PR’d for a third straight meet Thursday, extending her South Jersey No. 1 mark to 38-3.

Demarest threw 38-3 at the Cherokee Thrown Down No. 1 at Cherokee High School in Marlton, winning by about a foot and a half over Millville junior Shan’teri Myrick, who threw 36-7.

Demarest opened her high school career with a 36-1 1/2 at a meet at the Bennett Center just before Christmas, then threw 37-1 at another Bennett Center meet before breakthrough through the 38-foot barrier on Thursday.

Her mark is No. 9 in the state so far this year and No. 1 among freshmen. According to the MileSplit national database, she’s No. 2 nationally among freshmen behind Carlie Weiser of Giddings (Texas) High School, who threw 42-2 while competing unattached at an open meet in Houston. Most Texas schools don’t have actual indoor track programs.

Demarest is nearing the South Jersey freshman class indoor shot put put record of 39-11, set in 2015 by Vineland’s Najeaya Singleton at Group 4 states. Nicole Sims of Plainfield set the state class record of 44-9 1/2 in 1990.

Haddonfield senior Sarah Naticchia ran an indoor 1,600 PR of 5:08.38 at the Millrose Games Trials Wednesday at the Armory in New York.

Her time is No. 1 in South Jersey this season and No. 3 in New Jersey, behind Charlotte Bednar of Lawrenceville, who ran 4:58.91, and Camryn Wennersten of Ridgewood, who ran 5:00.40, both in the same race.

Naticchia placed sixth in a loaded field running splitting 74.7, 76.9, 78.1 and 78.7.

Her previous indoor 1,600 PR was a 5:13.84 from states last year at the Bennett Center. Outdoors she has a 4:55.90 to her credit from outdoor states at Central Regional.

Junior Alison Colflesh was 10th in 5:15.87 and junior Payton Weiner 15th in 5:20.58. Both are season bests. Naticchia, Colflesh and Weiner rank 1-2-4 on this year’s South Jersey list.

Naticchia’s time is 5th-fastest in Haddonfield history indoors:

4:49.46 … Erin Donohue [2001]
4:51.60 … Briana Gess [2016]
5:02.21 … Shelby Cain [2014]
5:04.54 … Mia Spinelli [2010]
5:08.38 … Sarah Naticchia [2020]

The Paul VI girls ran a South Jersey No. 3:58.54 in the Millrose Trials Wednesday night at the Armory, placing second in the Private School trials and qualifying for next month prestigious Millrose Games.

PVI finished second to Union Catholic, which ran a state-leading 3:56.34 on a 56.3 anchor by Chidumga Nkulume.

For Paul VI, Blair Daniel led off with a 60.8 leg, Abigail Lutz ran 59.1 and Sofia Errichetti 60.5 b before Aliya Rae Garozzo anchored in 58.2.

Looks like a school record for PVI, which had never broken four minutes indoors for a 4-by-4. Last year’s team ran 4:02.97 in the same race, placing fifth.

The 113th annual Millrose Games are scheduled for Feb. 8 at the Armory.

The Winslow girls won the Suburban race and will also be in the field along with Paul VI.

The team of Olivia Wright, Janeya Hammond, Jaia James and Nylah Perry ran 4:00.25 to win the Suburban division of the 4-by-4. Bronxville (N.Y.) was second, 25 meters back in 4:03.82.

Hammond also won the 55-meter dash in a personal-best 7.23, so she’ll also be in the open 55 at Millrose.

Wright led off in 61.8, followed by Hammond, whose 58.7 leg gave Winslow the lead. James ran 62.1, setting up Perry’s 57.6 anchor.

Honestly, I assume Paul VI and Winslow qualified, but beyond that I have no idea who qualifies because it’s not explained anywhere. If anybody knows, holla!

Here are the fastest times from the four races.

3:52.85 … Paul Robeson [1st, PSAL]
3:56.34 … Union Catholic [1st, Private]
3:58.54 … Paul VI [2nd, Private]
3:59.69 … Freeport, N.Y. [1st, Long Island]
4:00.25 … Winslow [1st, Suburban]
4:01.45 … Elmont, N.Y. [2nd, Long Island]
4:03.25 … Bronxville, N.Y [2nd Suburban]
4:06.25 … Medger Evers Prep [2nd PSAL]

The Paul VI girls ran a South Jersey No. 3:58.54 in the Millrose Trials Wednesday night at the Armory, placing second in the Private School trials and qualifying for next month prestigious Millrose Games.

PVI finished second to Union Catholic, which ran a state-leading 3:56.34 on a 56.3 anchor by Chidumga Nkulume.

For Paul VI, Blair Daniel led off with a 60.8 leg, Abigail Lutz ran 59.1 and Sofia Errichetti 60.5 b before Aliya Rae Garozzo anchored in 58.2.

Looks like a school record for PVI, which had never broken four minutes indoors for a 4-by-4. Last year’s team ran 4:02.97 in the same race, placing fifth.

The 113th annual Millrose Games are scheduled for Feb. 8 at the Armory.

The Winslow girls won the Suburban race and will also be in the field along with Paul VI.

The team of Olivia Wright, Janeya Hammond, Jaia James and Nylah Perry ran 4:00.25 to win the Suburban division of the 4-by-4. Bronxville (N.Y.) was second, 25 meters back in 4:03.82.

Hammond also won the 55-meter dash in a personal-best 7.23, so she’ll also be in the open 55 at Millrose.

Wright led off in 61.8, followed by Hammond, whose 58.7 leg gave Winslow the lead. James ran 62.1, setting up Perry’s 57.6 anchor.

The top two schools from each of four qualifying races will compete at Millrose:

3:52.85 … Paul Robeson [1st, PSAL]
3:56.34 … Union Catholic [1st, Private]
3:58.54 … Paul VI [2nd, Private]
3:59.69 … Freeport, N.Y. [1st, Long Island]
4:00.25 … Winslow [1st, Suburban]
4:01.45 … Elmont, N.Y. [2nd, Long Island]
4:03.25 … Bronxville, N.Y [2nd Suburban]
4:06.25 … Medger Evers Prep [2nd PSAL]

Stone Caraccio’s 1:54.2 anchor leg led the Kingsway boys to the No. 1 3,200-meter relay time in the country at the Millrose Trials Wednesday night at the Armory.

Kingsway ran 7:55.30, a school record and No. 10 in South Jersey history, to qualify for the scholastic 3,200-meter relay championship race at the historic Millrose Games next month, also at the Armory.

Jeffrey Heidemann led off in 2:03.6, Kyle Rakitis split 1:58.0 to give Kingsway the lead and Ethan Bentley set up Caraccio with a 1:59.5 split.

Bay Shore (N.Y.) ran 8:00.94 and was the only other school in the race under 8:14.

Kingsway and Bay Shore are the two-fastest in the U.S. this year, according to the MileSplit national data base.

Kingsway’s previous school record was a 7:59.84 at the 2014 Easterns on the same track.

The Dragons’ time is No. 2 in Gloucester County history, behind Washington Township’s 7:51.43 at the 2009 National Scholastic Championships, also at the Armory.

ALL-TIME S.J. INDOOR 4X800 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
7:52.77 … Pleasantville, 2006
7:52.95 … Willingboro, 2003
7:53.64 … Willingboro, 2002
7:54.76 … Pleasantville, 2007
7:55.30 … Kingsway, 2020
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