There’ll be a bunch of loaded races that should produce some fast times Saturday at the Cherokee Distance Day event in Marlton!

Click below for the complete entry lists, but some of Central and South Jersey’s fastest runners  will be toeing the line at Cherokee on what looks like a perfect day for running – mid-50s, no wind.

There will be boys and girls races at 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meters.

The boys 800 looks especially loaded, with six seeds under 2:00. Four under 2:20 in the girls 800n and seven at 9:41 or faster in the boys 3,200.

There will be two heats of each race except the girls 800, which will have three sections.

11:00 a.m. Girls 3200, Heat 1
11:15 a.m. Girls 3200, Heat 2
11:40 a.m. Boys 3200, Heat 1
11:55 a.m. Boys 3200, Heat 2
12:35 p.m. Girls 800, Heat 1
12:40 p.m. Girls 800, Heat 2
12:45 p.m. Girls 800, Heat 3
1:05 p.m. Boys 800, Heat 1
1:10 p.m. Boys 800, Heat 2
1:30 p.m. Girls 1600, Heat 1
1:40 p.m. Girls 1600, Heat 2
1:55 p.m. Boys 1600, Heat 1
2:05 p.m. Boys 1600, Heat 2

Follow along with live results courtesy of Tomahawk Timing here.

Cherokee Distance Day entries

Unfortunately, this year’s Meet of Champions is no longer scheduled for Rutgers’ beautiful new track facility in Piscataway.

Because of continued COVID restrictions at Rutgers, the meet has been moved to the track at Frank Jost Field adjacent to John F. Kennedy Elementary School in South Plainfield, its home 27 of the last 36 times it’s been held.

The meet is scheduled for June 16.

Back in August, we wrote about how the NJSIAA had moved the annual meet to Rutgers for the first time since 1983: https://sjtrackblog.com/2020/08/01/outdoor-meet-of-champions-returning-to-rutgers-after-38-years/

The meet was held from its inception in 1969 through 1983 at Rutgers Stadium (now SHI Stadium) two miles away from the new track-only stadium, also in Piscataway.

Rutgers’ new facility has an eight-lane track, two circles for each throwing event, two pole vault runways and four horizontal jump runways. It was the perfect venue for a meet that annually produces some of the top performances in the country and deserves a championship atmosphere.

The ultimate annual track meet in New Jersey hasn’t been held in a true track stadium since it left Rutgers in 1983, and South Plainfield has always been inadequate in terms of bleachers and parking.

The last three editions of the meet – 2017 through 2019 – were held at Northern Burlington Regional High in Mansfield Township.

2020: Not held
2017-2019: Northern Burlington High School, Mansfield Township
2016: Central Regional High School, Berkeley Township
2013-2015: John F. Kennedy Elementary School, South Plainfield
2011-2012: Old Bridge High School
2003-2010: John F. Kennedy Elementary School, South Plainfield
2000-2002: South Brunswick High School
1984-1999: John F. Kennedy Elementary School, South Plainfield
1969-1983: Rutgers Stadium, Piscataway

Delsea senior Joe Metzger popped another shot put PR Tuesday, hitting 56-4 at the Rebel Shot Series #4 at the Bennett Center.

Metzger placed third behind Colts Neck’s Cole Tucker (60-7 1/2) and Tyler Konopka of Toms River South (59-4 1/2).

Tucker, Konopka and Metzger are the three top-ranked shot putters in the state this winter, Tucker with a 63-3 1/4 at the adidas Indoor Nationals in Virginia Beach last month, Konopka with a 60-2 at the Bennett Center last weekend and Metzger with his bomb Tuesday afternoon. 

Metzger’s previous PR was a 55-6 1/4 last week in the Rebel Shot Series #3 event. He’s been over 53 feet in five straight meets.

Here’s a look at the all-time South Jersey indoor top-50, with Metzger moving up from the No. 36 spot to No. 33. He’s No. 9 in Gloucester County history.

70-8 … Braheme Days Jr. [Bridgeton], 2012
63-11 … Ray Wilks [Bridgeton], 1995
63-1 ¾ … Nick Pulli [West Deptford], 2014
61-9 … Lou Gordon [Bridgeton], 1995
62-7 ¾ … Kamron Kobolak [Cinnaminson], 2018
60-3 … Harry Dilks [Pitman], 1971
60-10 ¾ … John Purvis [Winslow Twp.], 2020
60-0 ½ … Ell Ash [Willingboro], 2004
59-9 … Kofi Yamoah [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2013
59-8 … Chris Robinson [Penns Grove], 1990

59-0 … Chris Bolden [Edgewood], 1990
58-10 … James Plummer [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2013
58-9 ½ … Dave Dixon [Mainland Reg.], 1987
58-9 … Greg Ross [Deptford], 1976
58-8 ¾ … Bill Goldsborough [Delsea], 2018
58-5 … Kareem McKenzie [Willingboro], 1997
58-4 ½ .. .Curtis Fitzpatrick [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2013
57-11 … Tavaris Wright [Bridgeton], 2004
57-11 … Kwabena Keene [Washington Twp], 2008
57-10 ½ … Gerald Williams [Rancocas Valley], 2000

57-10-½ … Matthew Huckabee [Timber Creek], 2010
57-9 ½ … Rich Lewis [Williamstown], 1985
57-9 ½ … Dontaye Rivera [Pleasantville], 2011
57-9 … Cade Antonucci [Holy Spirit], 2016
57-8 ½ … John Purvis [Winslow Twp.], 2020
57-8 1/4 … Josh Awotunde [Delsea], 2013
57-3 ½ … Ron Dayne [Overbrook], 1996
57-2 ¾ … Tati White [Willingboro], 1994
57-2 ½ … Gil Winters [Willingboro], 1990
57-0 … Terrin Walker [Bridgeton], 1996

56-11 … Nate Karl [Hammonton], 2020
56-5 ¼ … Chris Pressley [Woodbury], 2003
56-4 … Joe Metzger [Delsea], 2021
55-11 … Russ Willett [Penns Grove], 1985
55-9 ½ … Warren DeShields [Bridgeton], 1991
55-7 ½ … Phil Hatfield [Bishop Eustace], 1995
55-6 … Charles Anderson [Edgewood], 1984
55-6 … Keith Geiger [Middle Twp.], 1998
55-4 ¾ … Ryan Knight [Delsea], 1996
55-3 ½ … Steve Hansen [Holy Spirit], 1982

55-1 … Nigel Walker [Willingboro], 1996
54-11 ½ … Dzigbodi Ababio [Willingboro], 2001
54-9 ¼ … Bob Bohlman [Edgewood], 1993
54-8 … John Clark [Pennsville], 2007
54-7 ½ … Joel Bewley [Moorestown], 1987
54-5 ½ … Eric Harmon [Wilson], 1986
54-5 ½ … Osemwingie Asemota [Timber Creek], 2016
54-4 ¾ … Sam Shinn [Kingsway], 2016
54-4 … Mike Wilson [Willingboro], 1999
54-4 … Anthony Witter [Bridgeton], 2002

Lenape junior Jake Buniva recorded an eight-second 1,600 PR Monday at the Bubble.

In a five-team meet with Lenape, Winslow, Rancocas Valley, Clayton and Cherry Hill East at the Bennett Center in Toms River, Buniva won the 1,600 in 4:34.91, lowering his PR a whopping 8.07 seconds from 4:42.98 in his only previous 1,600 this winter.

Coming into the season, his PR was 4:49.94 from last year’s South Jersey Group 4 sectionals, also at the Bubble.

Buniva’s time is No. 3 in South Jersey this abbreviated indoor season, behind only the 4:17.39 Kingsway junior Kyle Rakitis ran at Ocean Breeze on Saturday and Cherokee senior Brett Shea’s 4:32.37 last month at the Bennett Center.

Lenape’s indoor school record is 4:22.24, set in 2018 by Kevin Lauer at Group 4 sectionals, also at the Bubble. Lenape’s overall 1,600 record is 4:11.15, set at the 2009 Meet of Champions in South Plainfield by Ryan Garvin.

Kingsway sophomore Aubrey Pierontoni continued her outstanding indoor season over the weekend with a 4:47.40 for 1,500 meters at Ocean Breeze.

Pierontoni placed third in the 1,500 Saturday at the Ocean Breeze Elite Invitational in Staten Island, N.Y.

Her time is No. 9 in South Jersey history indoors for 1,500 meters. That roughly converts to about a 5:08.6 for 1,600 meters or 5:10.4 for the full mile. Pierontoni’s 1,600 PR is 5:10.01 from the Bubble last month. Before that it was 5:13.74 from last year’s Group 4 sectionals, also at the Bennett Center.

That 4:47.40 is No. 2 in New Jersey this year behind Lindsay Hausman of Kent Place in Summit, who ran 4:45.09 to finish just head of Pierontoni on Saturday. The converted 5:08.6 would rank her No. 5 in the state in the 1,600 and No. 1 this winter in South Jersey.

Pierontoni, who ran 19:37 at Holmdel in the fall, has run 2:23.21 for 800 meters and 11:24.31 for 3,200 meters this winter.

Interesting that five of the nine-fastest indoor 1,500 times in South Jerey history are from Gloucester County:

4:24.0h … Michelle Rowen [Washington Twp.], 1983
4:31.86 … Erin Donohue [Haddonfield], 2001
4:36.11 … Ruth Lockbaum [Glassboro], 1985
4:36.26 … Rachel Vick [Kingsway], 2017
4:37.31 … Briana Gess [Haddonfield], 2016
4:42.0h … Brittnee Bynoe [Willingboro], 2003
4:47.18 … Lindsey Kane [Washington Twp.], 2014
4:47.03 … Sarah Naticchia [Haddonfield], 2020
4:47.40 … Aubrey Pierontoni [Kingsway], 2021

Delsea senior Joe Metzger recorded another shot put PR this past week with a 55-6 1/4 bomb at the Rebel Shot Series #3 at the Bubble.

Metzger’s previous PR was a 54-8 3/4 from a meet at the Bubble last month. He came into the season with a PR of 54-1 1/4 from last year at the Bubble.

Metzger’s throw is No. 1 in South Jersey this year and No. 2 in the state, behind U.S. No. 2 Cole Tucker of Colts Neck, who threw 63-3 1/4 at adidas Indoor Nationals last month in Virginia Beach.

With his 55-6 1/4, Metzger moved into the No. 9 spot on the all-time Gloucester County indoor shot put list.

63-1 ¾ … Nick Pulli [West Deptford], 2014

60-3 … Harry Dilks [Pitman], 1971

58-9 … Greg Ross [Deptford], 1976

58-8 ¾ … Bill Goldsborough [Delsea], 2018

57-11 … Kwabena Keene [Washington Twp], 2008

57-9 ½ … Rich Lewis [Williamstown], 1985

57-8 1/4 … Josh Awotunde [Delsea], 2013

56-5 ¼ … Chris Pressley [Woodbury], 2003

55-6 1/4 … Joe Metzger [Delsea], 2021

55-4 ¾ … Ryan Knight [Delsea], 1996

54-4 ¾ … Sam Shinn [Kingsway], 2016

Millville graduate Kira Parsons uncorked the No. 9 javelin throw in Towson history on the very first throw of her collegiate career.

Parsons, a Towson freshman, made her collegiate debut earlier this month at the University of North Carolina Wilmington Invitational and threw 131-10 on her first attempt to place third.

It was her first meet in 21 months.

Although Towson hasn’t updated its online media guide in SIX YEARS (come on, Towson, let’s get our act together!), by taking the all-time top-10 list through 2015 – the most recent year it’s available – and going through Towson’s marks on Direct Athletics from 2016 through 2020, we were able to come up with an updated all-time Towson list, and Parsons checks in at No. 9, although she’s only six feet out of the No. 5 spot.

Parsons threw within about two feet of her PR of 134-10, set at the 2019 state Group 4 meet at Franklin High School.

All-Time Towson Javelin Top-10
157-0 … Kelly Robinson, 2006
142-3 … Alexis Appezzato, 2012
147-3 … Ashleigh Stallings, 2016
143-0 … Kayla Thorpe, 2021
137-11 … Skyler Duncan, 2017
135-6 … Tina Shriver, 1984
135-0 … Sydney Stith 2019
132-1 … Melissa Waybrant, 2004
131-10 … Kyra Parsons, 2021
125-7 … Jessica Cooke, 2013

Huge breakthrough race for Kingsway junior Kyle Rakitis Saturday at Ocean Breeze.

Rakitis, in his first competitive 1,600 since last year’s state indoor meet, ran 4:17.39, a 4 1/2-second PR, and placed second at the Ocean Breeze Invitational in Staten Island, N.Y.

Rakitis negative-split 2:09.0 and 2:08.4.

His time is No. 19 in South Jersey history and No. 8 in Gloucester County history. Here’s the all-time Gloucester County indoor sub-4:20 list:

4:13.87y … Stone Caraccio [Kingsway], 2020
4:15.52 … Bill Dolan [Clearview], 2014
4:16.0y … Greg Stremmel [Gateway], 1974
4:16.3y … Rich Caton [Woodbury], 1979
4:16.9y … Bob Marino [Williamstown], 1974
4:17.1y … Mike Mantini [Gateway], 1978
4:17.33y … Carmen Cavella [Washington Twp.], 2004
4:17.39 … Kyle Rakitis [Kingsway], 2021
4:17.67y … Sebastien Reed [Pitman], 2020
<u>4:18.21y … Xavier Fraction [Washington Twp.], 2009</u>
4:19.03 … Noah Culbreath [Kingsway, 2014
4:19.40 … Justin Branco [Delsea], 2015

Rakitis’s time is No. 1 in New Jersey during this curtailed indoor season. It’s No. 29 nationally according to the MileSpliut database and No. 8 by a junior. It’s fastest by a South Jersey underclassman in 10 years, since Ocean City’s Erik Johnson ran 4:16.02 to win the 2011 Meet of Champions at the Bubble.

Rakitis lowered his PR from 4:21.91, when he placed 4th at the state Group 4 meet last February at the Bubble, to 4:17.39.

He placed second to Aidan Puffer of Manchester High in Connecticut, who ran 4:14.34. Puffer’s previous PR was 4:17.04 from the Central Connecticut Conference Championships in February of 2020 in New Haven.

Rakitis ran with the lead group of six runners through 600, but on the fourth lap he and Puffer gapped the field. Rakitis closed with 31.9, 32.6, 32.1 and 31.8.

Kingsway’s overall school record is 4:11.84, which Tom Cooke ran when he placed fifth at the 2012 Meet of Champions at Old Bridge.

Allison Colflesh’s 2:15 anchor led Haddonfield to a 9:12.91 victory in the 3,200-meter relay Saturday at the Ocean Grove Invitational on Staten Island, N.Y.

Lindsay to Payton to Olivia to Allison!

Haddonfield’s time is No. 4 in South Jersey indoor history and fastest in eight years. The only faster teams are three Lenape teams – 9:04.66 at the 2013 New Balance Invitational, 9:09.71 at  2012 Nationals and 9:11.94 at 2008 Eastern’s, all at the Armory. Haddonfield’s previous school record indoors was 9:22.18 last winter at the Varsity Classic at the Armory.

Including outdoor times, Haddonfield is now No. 6 in South Jersey history. Haddonfield has run faster three years outdoors – 9:06.30 in 2008, 9:10.32 in 2000 and 9:12.30 in 2019.

Haddonfield’s time is also No. 3 in the nation this year according to the MileSplit rankings, behind IMG Elite Academy of Bradenton, Fla. (8:56.87) and Boerne Champion of Texas (9:00.86), both at theaAdidas Indoor Nationals in Virginia Beach last month.

Lindsay Colflesh led off with a 2:18.6 split that had Haddonfield a step behind Saratoga Springs of N.Y. going into the first handoff. Payton Weiner split 2:19.0 to give Haddonfield the lead, and Olivia Stoner split 2:20 to give Allison Colflesh the stick just behind Saratoga Springs’ anchor.  

Allison Colflesh then ran the fastest split of the day to blow the race wide open. Saratoga Springs anchor Ella Kurto ran 2:19.5, but Haddonfield won by 25 meters, with Saratoga Springs second in 9:16.97.

All four Haddonfield runners are seniors. Haddonfield did not use senior Sarah Natacchia, who has run 2:15.79 but has not competed this indoor season.

Eastern’s Jailya Ash won both the 55-meter dash and 55-meter hurdles Saturday at the Ocean Breeze Invitational, and she’s now ranked No. 1 in New Jersey in both events.

Although there’s no time schedule available on the meet’s web site, it appears the races were run consecutively. At least the results were posted five minutes apart – the 55 at 12:40 p.m. and the hurdles at 12:45 p.m. Both appear to be finals, with no trials in either event.

In the 55, Ash out-leaned Logan Daley of Holy Trinity High in Hicksville, N.Y., Ash running 7.22 and Daley 7.24.

Ash has a PR of 7.06 from when she won the 2019 Meet of Champions, but during this pandemic-shortened indoor season her time is fastest in New Jersey. Jada Ellis of Manchester ran 7.27 at the Armory back in January.

In the hurdles, Ash won easily in 8.21, well ahead of second-place Ajanae Thompson of Union Catholic, who took second in 8.59.

Ash has run as fast as 8.03 when she won last year’s Meet of Champions, but obviously she ran as fast as she needed to to pull off the challenging double. She ran 8.19 earlier this year at the Bubble, the No. 1 mark in New Jersey this year.