South Jersey will be sending quite a contingent of runners, jumpers and throwers to the NCAA Track and Field Championships.

Seventeen athletes – 10 women, seven men – from 17 different high schools are on their way to the NCAA Eastern and Western Preliminary Meets, scheduled for this weekend. The Preliminary rounds are considered the first two rounds of the NCAA Championships.

Fourteen of the 17 South Jersey athletes are headed to the East Preliminary round at the University of Northern Florida in Jacksonville, and the three others will compete in the West Preliminary at Texas A&M in College Station. Both meets run Wednesday through Saturday.

Seven of the 17 are from Atlantic County, three each from Camden, Burlington and Gloucester County and one from Salem County. The S.J. contingent includes seven freshmen, one sophomore, five juniors and four seniors.

Four of the 17 throw the javelin and two will run the 400. The 11 others will be competing in 11 different events.

The only NCAA events not covered by South Jersey entrants are the 5,000, 10,000, steeplechase, high jump, pole vault and multis.

The top 48 individuals in each event in the East Region and the top 48 in the West 

Region will be competing this weekend. The top 24 placers in each of the two regionals advance to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., June 9-12.

Here’s a rundown of the South Jersey contingent headed to NCAA prelims along with their seed number.

Men
400-Meter Dash: Brandon Outlaw [Moorestown], Jr., Virginia, 46.13, #20 East
800-Meter Run: Gabriel Moronta [Pleasantville], Fr., Mississippi State, 1:49.33, #37 East
110-Meter Hurdles: Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], Fr., Penn State, 13.89, #25 East
Long Jump: Zach Manorowitz [Woodstown], Fr., Rider, 24-4 3/4, #37 East
Shot Put: Lucciano Pizarro [Cherokee], Fr., Penn State, 61-1 1/2, #21 East
Discus: Adam Hunt [Collingswood], Jr., Rutgers, 180-1, #27 East
Javelin: Cade Antonucci [Holy Spirit], Sr., Auburn, 241-0, #9 East

Women
100-Meter Dash: Bria Mack [Williamstown], Sr., Maryland, 11.61, #45 East
200-Meter Dash: Shakira Dancy [Winslow Twp.], Jr., Michigan State, 23.69, #39 East
400-Meter Dash: Kiara Lester [Deptford], Sr., Texas Tech, 53.90, #46 West
1500-Meter Run: Kristin Siegle [Buena], Sr., Rider, 4:22.79, #48 East
400-Meter Hurdles: Jewel Ash [Eastern], Fr., Charleston Southern, 59.50, #34 East
Triple Jump: Claudine Smith [Atlantic City], Fr., Rutgers, 40-11 3/4, #47 East
Javelin: Danielle Steff [Rancocas Valley], Jr., Monmouth, 166-6, #17 East
Javelin: Alexa Gardner [Hammonton], So., Rutgers, 154-3, #40 East
Javelin: Brielle Smith [Oakcrest], Fr., Stanford, 157-5, #37 West
Hammer Throw: Elisia Lancaster [Delsea], Jr., Southern Illinois, 207-11, #19 West

Links to all qualifiers can be found here. Links to live results will also be on that page once the two meets begin on Wednesday.

 

Two days after she PR’d with a throw of 62-3 3/4, Jessica Woodard followed up with the second-best throw of her life.

Woodard, who threw a lifetime-best 62-3 3/4 at the Tucson Elite Classic at the University of Arizona’s Roy Drachman Stadium in Tucson on Friday, won the USATF Throws Fest at the same venue with a throw of 61-10 1/4.

Woodard’s previous PR was a 61-3 1/4 from 2018, so she’s now uncorked the two biggest throws of her life in the past three days.

The Marlton native and Cherokee garduate already ranks 9th in the world and No. 4 among U.S. women with her 62-3 3/4 at the same venue three days ago. She’s No. 17 in U.S. history.

Woodard had just four lifetime 60-foot throws before this month, but she now has four in the last three days and a total of seven this month, including two 60-footers in each of her last three meets.

Here’s a look at all of Woodard’s lifetime 60-foot throws:

60-3 … Big 12 Championships, Lawrence, Kans., May 13, 2017
61-3 1/2 … NCAA Championships, Eugene, Ore., June 7, 2018
60-4 … Goteborg Grand Prix, Goteborg, Sweden, Aug. 16, 2019
60-0 1/2 … Chula Vista High Performance #1, Chula Vista, Calif., April 3, 2021
60-1 1/4 … Chula Vista High Performance #3, Chula Vista, Calif., May 2, 2021
60-9 1/2 … USATF Golden Games, Walnut, Calif., May 9, 2021
60-7 1/4 … USATF Golden Games, Walnut, Calif., May 9, 2021
60-5 3/4 … Tucson Elite Classic, Tucson, Ariz., May 20, 2021
62-3 3/4 … Tucson Elite Classic, Tucson, Ariz., May 20, 2021
61-10 1/4 … USATF Throws Festival, Tucson, Ariz., May 22, 2021
60-4 3/4 … USATF Throws Festival, Tucson, Ariz., May 22, 2021

The Cinnaminson girls program has had plenty of terrific performances at the Burlington County Open over the years going back to Beth Johnson in 1983. Johnson won the long jump and placed fourth in the 200 at the 1983 County Open.

But no Cinnaminson girl has ever done what Shelby Sills did on Saturday at this year’s County Open.

Sills became the third Cinnaminson girl to record a double county win but the first ever to also pick up a second place. And she recorded two of them!

With two firsts and two seconds, Sills’ 36 points are the most ever by a Cinnaminson girl since the girls County Open began in 1978 and among the most points ever scored in meet history.

On Saturday at Rancocas Valley, Sills won the 100 in 12.55 and the high jump at 5-2 and placed second in the 200 in 26.08 and  in the triple jump at 34-9 3/4.

The 100 and 200 times were PRs, the high jump matched her PR and the triple jump was just 2 1/2 inches off her PR of 35-0 1/4, set last weekend at the BCSL meet at Pennsauken.

Sills ranks No. 5 in South Jersey in the 100, No. 9 in the 200, No. 5 in the high jump and No. 8 in the triple jump. In New Jersey Group 2, she’s No. 3 in the 100, No. 6 in the 200, tied for No. 5 in the high jump and No. 4 in the triple jump.

In the 100, Sills was running just behind R.V.’s Sheriyah Nutt when Nutt pulled up with an injury halfway down the track. Sills then held off Shawnee soph Dianna DeMarco (12.67) for the win. She’s the first Cinnaminson girl to ever win a County Open 100.

Sills became the first Cinnaminson girl to win a county high jump title since Kristen Tricocci, who won in 2002 at 5-2 and 2003 at 5-4. Sills previously cleared 5-2 at the 2019 BCSL meet in Willingboro and at four different meets at the Bubble during the 2020 indoor season.

In the 200, Sills lowered her PR from a 26.54 at the Bubble in the winter of 2020, placing second to Burlington Township senior Jasmine Broadway, who ran 25.69.

And in the triple, Sills finished six inches behind Rancocas Valley senior Rachel Satchell, who won the event on her final attempt.

The best previous performance by a Cinnaminson girl at the County Open was two wins and a third. Tricocci did that in 2003 (5-4 HJ win, 17-5 1/4 LJ win, 16.25 for 3rd in HH) and Meredith Updike matched it in 2017 (15.65 HH win, 1:05.77 IH win, 16-6 1/4 3rd in LJ).

 Sills’ 36 individual points would have placed her seventh as a team. As it is, Cinnaminson placed fourth with 57 points, with Sills accounting for 63 percent of the Pirates’ points.

Here’s a look at every Cinnaminson County Open winner:

1983 … Beth Johnson (long jupm) 16-11 ¾
1988 … Laura Flynn (1,600) 5:24.6 
1993 … Tricia Anderson (javelin) 107-  5 
1994 … Tricia Anderson (javelin) 107-  4
2002 … Kristen Tricocci (high jump), 5-2
2003 … Kristen Tricocci (high jump), 5-4
2002 … Kristen Tricocci (long jump) 17- 2
2003 … Kristen Tricocci (long jump) 17- 5 ¼ 
2006 … Allison Vetter (javelin), 128-0
2009 … Jenna Niedermayer (triple jump) 34-31/4
2011 … Meghan Malloy (1,600) 5:17.46
2012 … Faith Blamon (javelin) 131-  1
2017 … Meredith Updike (100 hurdles), 15.65
2017 … Meredith Updike (400 hurdles), 1:05.77
2018 … Meredith Updike (100 hurdles) 15.80
2019 … Meredith Updike (100 hurdles) 14.59 
2021 … Shelby Sills (100), 12.55
2021 … Shelby Sills (high jump), 5-2

Curtis Thompson uncorked his biggest javelin throw in five years Saturday night with a 267-2 at the USATF Throws Festival in Tucson, Ariz.

His throw is No. 17 in the world this year and No. 1 among U.S. men.

Thompson, a Florence graduate, won the event at Roy Drachman Stadium at the University of Arizona by more than five feet over Olympian Riley Dolezal.

It was Thompson’s best throw since he set the Olympic Trials record of 271-10 in Eugene in 2016. He wound up second to Cyrus Hostetler but did not get the opportunity to compete in the Olympics because he didn’t have the Olympic standard.

Thompson threw 258-4 on his first attempt before his 267-2 on his second throw Saturday. 

Thompson was the 2016 NCAA champion for Mississippi State and 2018 USATF national champion. Since his huge 2016 season, he’s had season bests of 249-1 in 2017, 249-4 in 2018 and 258-7 in 2019 as he battled injuries and did not compete in 2020.

Take a look at Thompson’s big throw!

Rancocas Valley doesn’t just win Burlington County Opens.

They dominate.

R.V. recorded its third straight boys and girls County Open sweep Saturday, but considering the 2018 meet was suspended because of rain without a team winner being declared and last year’s meet fell victim to the pandemic, neither Rancocas Valley program has lost a County Open since 2016. And considering how dominating the Red Devils have been since then, it’s fair to assume they would have swept both titles in 2018 and 2020 as well.

Even without the 2018 and 2020 meets, R.V. is the first school to record three straight Open sweeps since Willingboro from 2003 through 2005. In terms of duration, this is the longest stretch ever that one team has won every Open team title. The boys meet dates back to 1929, the girls meet to 1978.

Look at these margins of victory:

2021: Boys 49 points, Girls 30 points, Total 79 points.
2019: Boys 62 points, Girls 109 points, Total 171 points.
2017: Boys 82 points, Girls 13 points, Total 95 points

The boys’ county winning streak goes back to 2014, with wins by 47 points in 2016, 36 in 2015 and 35 points in 2014. Their streak of six straight Open titles is 4th-longest in the meet’s nearly 100-year history behind Willingboro’s 16-year run from 1976 through 1991, Boro’s seven-year streak from 1999 through 2005 and Palmyra’s 10-year stretch from 1941 through 1950.

Cherokee placed second in both meets Saturday in the 82nd annual Open, held again on R.V.’s track in Mount Holly.

The R.V. girls suffered an early blow when senior Sheriyah Nutt – top seed in the 100 and 400 – pulled up with what looked like a hamstring injury in the 100 final and missed the rest of the meet.

But this R.V. team is so deep and covers just about every event, and Nutt’s teammates picked up the slack.

Junior Annabella Chin won both hurdles, freshman Leah Howe won the 400 in a PR 59.39, senior Rachel Satchell won the triple jump with a huge PR of 35-3- 3/4 moving up from third on her final jump, and junior Ravin Hood won the shot put.

R.V. also got big contributions from sophomore Meshona Ogoemesim (3rd in 100), freshman Sabrina Paz (2nd in 1,600), senior Abby Boggs (2nd in PV), junior Anaya Young (3rd in LJ, 5th in TJ), junior Sanai Jenkins (3rd in IH, 6th in HH), junior Jya Marshall (3rd in 400, 6th in 200),  junior Mia Paolone (3rd in PV) and senior Melanie Jimenez (5th in 800).

Sophomore Kennedy Garcia, sophomore Brielle Johnson, freshman Savanna Riddick and sophomore Kasey White won the 4-by-1, Marshall, Howe, White and Ogoemesim won the 4-by-4, and Jenkins, senior Jordan Myers, sophomore Taylor Myers and senior Emily Paulin were second in the 4-by-8. 

They’re not going away anytime soon.

The Red Devil boys rolled up 135 points, their fewest at the last four meets but the 4th-most in meet history. So yeah, their last four performances have produced the four-highest point totals in meet history.

Senior Jalen Blango scored 30 points with a win in the long jump, second in the triple jump and high jump and fourth in the high hurdles, and senior James McGhee added 18 points with seconds in the 200 and 400 and a fifth in the 100.

Senior Kai Deery won the pole vault and senior Gabriel Wilson the triple jump, and R.V. also got big contributions from senior Isaiah Arzu (2nd in 100, 5th in 200), junior Masai Byrd (6th in 100), junior David Murry (3rd in 400, 4th in 200), junior Andre Faigal (2nd in 1,600), sophomore Ryan Smith (5th in 3,200), junior Herbert Quarterman (2nd in HH), senior Emmanuel Ibidapo (5th in IH) and senior Maurice Obanor (4th in HJ).

Also, Byrd, Quarterman, Arzu and sophomore Jadon Kendrick ran 42.11 to win the 400-meter relay, Byrd, junior Denzel Cedeno, Wilson and senior Milton Boyd ran 3:32.97 for second in the 4-by-4 and junior Alex Pratt, Faigal, Cedeno and junior Chris Rooney took fourth in the 4-by-800.

Congrats to boys coach Jeff Dzuranin, girls coach Eric Warren and both Red Devils programs on continued domination on the county stage!

A fast sprint double Saturday at the Burlington County Open for Willingboro’s Malachi James, who won the 100 in 10.81 and the 200 in 21.82, among the fastest times in state history by a freshman.

State class records are shaky and have not been maintained, updated or checked for errors for years.

That said, the fastest 100 time on record by a New Jersey freshman is 10.80 by Rosell’s Josh Fitts at the 2017 Union County Championships in Plainfield. The fastest South Jersey time was 10.83, by Washington Township’s Clayton Crosse at the 2015 South Jersey Group 4 sectionals at Egg Harbor.

Oakcrest’s Wayne Davis is credited with the state freshman 200 record at 21.16 from 2004, but it’s likely he never ran that fast as a freshman (or any other year). The fastest confirmed 200 by a South Jersey freshman is Crosse’s 21.91, also at the 2015 sectionals. ]

Either way, 10.81 and 21.82 has to be the fastest sprint double ever by a New Jersey freshman because no other freshman has ever run that fast for both dashes.

The last Burlington County sprinter in any grade to run faster in both dashes the same year was R.V.’s Sterling Pierce, who ran 10.72 and 21.66 in 2016.

James, coached at Willingboro by the legendary Martin Booker, ran the fastest 100 by a Willingboro sprinter since Michael Bolling’s 10.78 in 2000 and the fastest 200 since Antonio Abney ran 21.75 in 2007.

According to the MileSplit database, James is No. 15 nationally among freshmen in the 100 and No. 12 in the 200.

Overall, he’s now No. 4 in the state in the 100 and No. 2 in South Jersey behind Bridgeton junior Edward Jamison, who ran 10.81 at the Cumberland County Meet earlier this month at Bridgeton. He’s No. 5 in New Jersey in the 200 and tied for the top spot in South Jersey with Pennsauken sophomore Ejani Shakir, who ran 21.82 in the BCSL Meet at Pennsauken.

James, the freshman 60-meter dash national champ, was pushed by R.V. runners in both events. In the 100, senior Isaiah Arzu was second in 11.01, No. 11 in meet history, and in the 200, he finished just ahead of Rancocas Valley junior James McGhee, second with a PR of 21.92, No. 8 in New Jersey this year and No. 6 in meet history.

James is the first to double the 100 and 200 at a County Open since Willingboro’s Isaac Williams ran 11.12 and 22.80 in 2011. His double is the fastest at a County Open since Lamont Smith of Willingboro ran 10.6 and 21.4 at the 1991 County Open.

Here’s a look where James’ times rank in County Open history:

COUNTY OPEN 100-METER DASH ALL-TIME LIST
10.74 … James Townsend [Holy Cross], 2003
10.78 … Todd Lowber [Delran], 2001
10.6h … Lamont Smith [Willingboro], 1991
10.81 … Malachi James [Willingboro], 2021
10.88 …… Townsend, 2002
10.88 … Miekel House [Delran], 2019
10.91 … Jamal Harris [Palmyra], 2002
10.95 … Kamal Steward [Moorestown], 2011
10.96 … Robert Jones [Maple Shade], 2013
10.97 … Purvis Coley [Pemberton], 2000
10.98 ……. Jones, 2014
10.98 … Sterling Pierce [Rancocas Valley], 2015

COUNTY OPEN 100-METER DASH ALL-TIME LIST
21.2 … Rob Gary [Lenape], 1998
21.4 … Lamont Smith [Willingboro], 1991
21.6y … Mackie Lewis [Kennedy], 1972
21.82 … Malachi James [Willingboro], 2021
21.86 … Michael Bolling [Willingboro], 2000
21.92 … James McGhee [Rancocas Valley], 2021
21.93 … Jusson Boyd [Willingboro], 2007
21.7y … Mackie Lewis [Kennedy], 1972
21.7y … Kevin Holloway [Palmyra], 1975
21.98 … Darrin Scott [Willingboro], 2001
22.00 … Antonio Abney [Willingboro], 2007
21.8y … Lee Oldershaw [Moorestown], 1954

Isabelle Deal is on her way to the NCAA Division 3 track championships in the javelin.

Deal, a freshman at Ursinus from Washington Township, qualified with her personal-best 136-6 when she won the Centennial Conference title earlier this month at Muhlenberg College in Allentown.

The cut-off for qualifying for nationals turned out to be 134-5 – the top 19 throwers in the country qualify. Deal is the No. 16 seed. She wound up surpassing that in each of her last three meets.

Until this month, Deal had never thrown 130 feet in the javelin. In her last three meets, she has eight throws of at least 130 feet: 

Centennial Conference, May 2
136-6
135-4
132-2
The College oof New Jersey Last Chance Meet, May 13
134-10
130-10
Salisbury Qualifying Meet, May 18
133-8
131-6

Deal also won the shot put at the Centennial Conference meet at 38-4 and was sixth in the hammer throw with a 111-11.

The school record is listed as 137-9 1/2 by Sandy Wirth in 1983, although javelin throws are not measured in fractions of inches, so we’ll call it a 137-9.

The NCAA Division 3 track championships are scheduled for Thursday and Friday at the Irwin Belk Track on the campus of North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, N.C. The javelin is scheduled for 5 p.m. Thursday.

At Washington Township, Deal had PRs of 126-9 in the javelin, 37-8 in the shot and 93-3 in the discus . The javelin has been her strongest event, and she was the 2019 South Jersey Group 4 champion with that 126-9 and also won the Gloucester County and Olympic Conference titles before placing fifth at states and 13th at the Meet of Champions.

Deptford’s Djassi Dean became the fastest freshman quarter-miler in New Jersey this year Friday at the Tri-County Championships at Kingsway.

Dean won the 400 in 59.06, bumping Timber Creek’s Chloe Jones as the fastest freshman in the state this spring. Jones ran 59.85 at the Camden County Championships last week at Haddon Township. They’re the only freshmen under 60 seconds this year.

There may be a meet missing, but according to the MileSplit database, this is the first official outdoor 400 Dean has ever run. She ran 1:00.49 at the Bubble but appeared to focus on the hurdles and high jump this spring until now.

Dean won the 400 by two meters over Timber Creek senior Colleen Manley, who ran a personal-best of her own with 1:01.74 for second place.

Dean’s time is fastest by a Deptford girl since Kiara Lester ran 57.01 at the 2016 Tri-County Championships at Delsea. Lester now runs for Texas Tech and qualified for this weekend’s NCAA Championshiops Regionals in the 400.

Dean also led off Deptford’s 3rd-place 400-meter relay team [52.26] and ran a 59.9 second leg on the Spartans’ 2nd-place 1,600-meter relay team [4:15.40].

Clayton senior Amirah Sharpe ran the fastest 200 in the state this year Friday and twin sister Arianna Sharpe wasn’t far behind.

Amirah Sharpe won the 200 at the Tri-County Conference Championships at Kingsway in 24.35, the fastest time in the state this year and Arianna was second in 24.43, which is No. 3 in the state this spring, just behind No. 2 Julia Jackson of Scotch Plains-Fanwood, who ran 24.42 last weekend at the Union County Championships. Ariel Sharpe ran 25.82 for fourth.

The 24.35 and 24.43 are both personal bests. Amirah’s previous PR for 200 meters was 24.65 in March at Underhill Field in Maplewood, and Arianna’s previous PR was 24.66, also at Maplewood.

Amirah Sharpe’s 24.35 is 19 in South Jersey history and No. 5 in Gloucester County history. Arianna’s 24.43 is No. 21 in South Jersey history and No. 7 in Gloucester County history.

Arianna Sharpe won the 100 in a huge PR of 12.29, which is New Jersey No. 7 and South Jersey No. 2, behind only Eastern senior Jailya Ash, who ran 12.23 at the Camden County Championships earlier this month at Haddon Township. Her previous 100 PR was 12.70 in March in Maplewood.

Six other girls ran sub 12.90 in a very fast 100 race: Delsea junior Juline Nwosu was second in a PR 12.68, followed by Penns Grove senior [PR 12.71], Deptford senior Olivia Carter [PR 12.72], Timber Creek freshmen Chloe and Naylah Jones [PRs of 12.75 and 12.83] and Clayton senior Ariel Sharpe [12.87].

The three Sharpe sisters along with Kelsey Thomas also won the 400-meter relay in a meet-record 48.72 in a close finish with Delsea, which ran 48.85. Clayton’s time is No. 4 in the state this year. Delsea is already No. 5 with its 48.73 last week at Pennsauken. They’re No. 1 and 2 in South Jersey this year.

Clayton’s 48.72 is fastest by any South Jersey Group 1 school since Penns Grove ran 48.03 for third place at the 2014 Meet of Champions at South Plainfield.

Amirah Sharpe, who has run 55.16 for the 400, 2:15.05 for the 800 and 1:01.74 in the 400 intermediates, did not run any of those events Friday.

Here’s the complete all-time South Jersey 200-meter dash list: https://sjtrackblog.com/2020/05/01/sorting-out-the-s-j-200-meter-dash-record-and-the-entire-all-time-girls-outdoor-200-top-50-list/

Here’s a look at the all-time Gloucester County top-10 in the 100:

ALL-TIME GLOUCESTER COUNTY 100-METER DASH TOP-10
23.90 … Denise Liles [Kingsway], 1984
24.19 … Bria Mack [Williamstown], 2017
24.21 … Audrey Wilson [Deptford], 2006
24.32 … Kiara Lester [Deptford], 2015
24.35 … Amirah Sharpe [Clayton], 2021
24.42 … Dana Burnett [Williamstown], 1996
24.43 … Arianna Sharpe [Clayton], 2021
24.45 … Cecelia Gerstenbacher [Delsea], 2017
24.71 … Jackie Dim [Washington Twp.], 2007
24.85 … Latoya Benson [Washington Twp.], 2001

Deptford senior Juilian Rodriguez swept the hurdles races Friday at the Tri-County Conference Championships at Kingsway, giving him three wins in the two-day conference meet.

After winning the pole vault on Thursday, Rodriguez won both hurdles races on Friday. He recorded PRs in all three events.

In the 400-meter intermediates, he recorded a personal-best 55.72, No. 8 in the state this year and No. 3 in South Jersey, behind Pennsuken sophomore Bryce Tucker, who is N.J. No. 1 at 54.28 from the BCSL meet, and Highland’s Floyd Whitaker, who is No. 2 in the state at 54.85 at the Camden County meet.

Rodriguez’s previous 400IH PR was a 56.15 at the Cherokee Relays earlier this month. Those are the only two major intermediates races he’s run this year. Coming into the season he had a PR of 58.47 from the 2019 South Jersey Relays at Rancocas Valley.

Rodriguez also won the 110-meter high hurdles in 15.05, which is No. 10 in the state this year and tied for No. 2 in South Jersey, behind Woodbury senior Ja’Von Solomon, who ran 14.94 at the Haddonfield Invitational on Thursday night. Eastern junior Aaron Brooks has also run 15.05, last week at the Camden County Championships at Haddon Township.

According to the MileSplit database, Rodriguez had a PR coming in of 16.38 at a Highland freshman meet in April of 2019. Of course, Rodriguez never had a chance to compete last spring, so huge breakthrough days like this are possible.

Rodriguez’s best event may be the pole vault, where he’s No. 5 in the state and No. 1 in South Jersey with a 14-0 clearance at Delsea on Thursday in the field event portion of the Tri-County meet.