Rancocas Valley senior Anabella Chin moved into the No. 1 spot in New Jersey this year in the high hurdles with a near-PR performance Wednesday at the Armory.

Chin won the 55-meter hurdles in 8.45 at the Marine Corps Holiday Classic at the New Balance Armory in Manhattan.

Abigail Jefferies of Archbishop Malloy in Queens, N.Y., led all qualifiers with an 8.47 in the trials, and Chin ran 8.50. But Chin ran away from Jefferies in the final running 8.45 to Jefferies’ 8.65.

Chin came up 1-100th of a second short of her PR of 8.44, which she set on the same track two years ago in the semifinals at Easterns. Chin ranks second in R.V. history in the 55-meter hurdles, behind only legendary Tonya Lee, who ran 8.35 in 1988. Lee went on to become a 400 intermediates All-America at Tennessee and raced twice in the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Chin bumped another South Jersey hurdler, Millville senior Leah Ellis, for the top spot in New Jersey. Ellis ran 8.51 at the Armory earlier this year.

Chin also ran 26.24 for 4th place out of 49 runners in the 200. That’s also 1-100th of a second off her PR. She ran 26.23 at Ocean Breeze two years ago.

Here’s where Chin ranks on the all-time Burlington County 55-meter hurdles list:

7.92 … Carol Lewis [Willingboro], 1981
8.28 … Jasmine Staten [Lenape], 2016
8.29 … Meredith Updike [Cinnaminson], 2020
8.35 … Tonya Lee [Rancocas Valley], 1988
8.38 … Kimberly Allen [Willingboro], 2004
8.42 … Stephanie Maugham [Shawnee], 1995
8.42 … Ashley Edwards [Northern Burlington], 2015
8.44 … Yvette Murry [Cherokee], 1998
8.44 … Anabella Chin [Rancocas Valley], 2020
8.45 … Megenta Taylor [Willingboro], 1999
8.45 … Lindsey Walsh [Lenape], 2008

Cherry Hill East senior Noah Kriesman matched the No. 6 indoor pole vault mark in South Jersey history Wednesday.

Kriesman cleared 15-0 at the South Jersey Track Coaches Association No. 3 meet at the Bubble in Toms River.

Kriesman’s previous lifetime best was 14-0 outdoors when he placed fourth at the Meet of Champions last spring at South Plainfield. His previous indoor PR was 13-6 earlier this month in another meet at the Bubble. That’s a 1 1/2-foot PR in one meet, which is crazy.

Kriesman’s series is not listed in the meet results, but he came up a quarter of an inch short of the Camden County record of 15-0 1/4 set by Devon Purves of Haddonfield at the 2006 Varsity Classic at the Armory.

Early in the indoor season, Kriesman ranks No. 2 in New Jersey b behind Brian O’Sullivan of Hillsborough, who cleared 15-3 earlier this month at the Demarest Invitational at the Bubble.

Here’s a look at the all-time South Jersey indoor 15-foot list:

ALL-TIME S.J. INDOOR POLE VAULT LIST

16-0 … Marco Morales [Delsea], 2020
15-6 … Dan Batdorf [West Deptford], 2008
15-6 … Nico Morales [Delsea], 2019
15-1 … Dylan Altland [Kinsgway], 2014
15-0 ¼ … Devon Purves [Haddonfield], 2006
15-0 … Mark Murphy [Haddonfield], 1985
15-0 … Mike Davis [Haddonfield], 2004
15-0 … Mike Rivard [Haddonfield], 2009
15-0 … Noah Kriesman [Cherry Hill East], 2022

And the all-time South Jersey overall indoor-outdoor combined list:

ALL-TIME S.J. OVERALL POLE VAULT LIST
16-0 … Marco Morales [Delsea], 2020 [in]
16-0 … Bob Green [Haddon Heights], 1992 [out]
15-7 … Brandon Kurtz [Absegami], 1991 [out]
15-7 … Nico Morales [Delsea Reg.], 2019 [out]
15-6 … Dylan Altland [Kingsway], 2014 [out]
15-6 … Dan Batdorf [West Deptford], 2008 [in]
15-5 … Mike Davis [Haddonfield], 2004 [out]
15-5 … Devon Purves [Haddonfield], 2006 [out]
15-4 … Jason King [Lenape], 1993 [out]
15-3 1/4 … Dan Lamp [Willingboro], 1977 [out]
15-0 1/4 … Mike Hulme [Eastern], 2003 [out]
15-0 … Mark Murphy [Haddonfield], 1985 [in, out]
15-0 … Mike Rivard [Haddonfield], 2009 [in, out]
15-0 … Ricky Clemons [Willingboro], 1989
15-0 … Dave Murname [West Deptford], 2000 [out]
15-0 … Josh Moline [Gateway], 2000 [out]
15-0 … Mike Maira [Seneca], 2010 [out]
15-0 … James Lynch [Deptford], 2019 [out]
15-0 … Matt Mancini [Cinnaminson], 2006 [out]
15-0 … Noah Kriesman [Cherry Hill East], 2022 [in]

The Cherokee girls ran the fastest DMR in the country in the early going of the indoor season Wednesday, and they did it on the slowest track around with little competition.

Senior Nicole Clifford, freshman Megan Niglio, junior Kelsey Niglio and sophomore Kerry O’Day ran 12:30.94. According to the MileSplit national database, the previous fastest time in the U.S. (and New Jersey) so far was a 12:36.29 by Kent Place School of Summit at Ocean Breeze on Monday.

Cherokee won the race by nearly a minute and a half at the South Jersey Track Coaches Association No. 3 meet at the Bubble in Toms River.

Clifford led off with a 3:40.6 split for 1,200 meters, Megan Niglio ran 64.7 for the 400, Kelsey Niglio split 2:21.3 on the 800 leg and O’Day anchored in 5:24.3.

The time is No. 4 in Cherokee history indoors, and their fastest since 2011, when the Chiefs ran 12:28.38 at the Group 4 state relays on the same track. 

It’s fastest by any Burlington County DMR indoors since 2017, when Lenape [12:17.40], Shawnee [12:20.11] and Seneca [12:26.75] all ran faster.

Pleasantville junior Xander Roberrts-Bogin became the first South Jersey quarter-miler under 50 seconds this year when he won the 400 at the Ocean Breeze Holiday Festival Monday with a personal-best 49.81.

Roberts-Bogin and Hunterdon Central senior Elisha Bugasch came through the first lap together – Roberts-Bogin in 23.49 and Bugasch in 23.50 – before XRB pulled away from Bugasch on the final lap, winning by two meters. Bugasch ran 50.08 

Roberts-Bogin ranks No. 1 in the state in the early part of the indoor season and No. 8 nationally according to the MileSplit database. He’s the No. 1 junior.

Roberts-Bogin’s previous PR was 49.88, when he won the Atlantic County title last May at Buena. He went on to place third at South Jersey Group 2 sectionals, 6th at states and 14th at the Meet of Champions.

He hadn’t run an indoor 400 since his freshman year, when he ran 53.74 in a meet at Monmouth University in West Long Branch. He finished just behind teammate Gabriel Moronta, the 2020 indoor Meet of Champions winner at 800 meters and now a 1:49 half-miler at Mississippi State.

Roberts-Bogin’s 49.81 is No. 10 in Atlantic County history indoors and 4th-fastest in Pleasantville history, behind Moronta’s 48.79 in 2020, Duke Mack’s 49.24 in 2007 and Isaac Clark’s 49.67 in 2013. Tarence Walker also ran sub-50 for Pleasantville, going 49.89 in 2017. Mike Patterson set the Pleasantville outdoor 400 record of 48.05 at the state Group 2 meet in South Plainfield in 1997, edging Cape-Atlantic rival Curtis Custis of Bridgeton, who was second in 48.90.

Here’s a look at the all-time Atlantic County indoor 400 top-10 list:

48.48 … Amir Brock [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2017
48.79 … Gabriel Moronta [Pleasantville], 2020
49.19 … Amir Brock [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2017
49.24 … Duke Mack [Pleasantville], 2007
49.62 … Alex Dessoye [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2017
49.66 … Matt Kordos [Buena], 1999
49.67 … Isaac Clark [Pleasantville], 2013
49.67 … Ahmad Brown [Holy Spirit], 2020
49.70 … Isaiah Whaley [Atlantic City], 2019
49.81 … Xander Roberts-Bogin [Pleasantville], 2022

Tey’ana Ames, a senior at Atlantic County Tech, opened the season with a PR in the shot put at the SJTCA meet Monday evening at the Bubble.

Ames won the shot put with a 39-11 throw, half an inch better than her 39-10 1/2 that placed second at the outdoor state Group 4 meet at Franklin High in June. Ames went on to place 6th at the Meet of Champions at South Plainfield.

Ames’ previous indoor PR was a 37-0 1/4 at last winter’s state Group 4 meet, when she placed 4th with a 37-0 1/4.

Her throw is the best indoor shot put performance by an Atlantic County girl in seven years, since Nyla Noble of Egg Harbor Township threw 40-10 at the 2014 state Group 4 meet at the Bubble.

Her throw was 3rd-best in the state on the opening weekend of indoor track, behind Jada Mia Puryear of Union Catholic [42-5] and Olivia Prescott of West Orange [40-1 1/2], both at the Essex County Season Opener at Ocean Breeze.

It’s also No. 6 in Atlantic County history indoors.

43-10 ¼ … Mercedes Hicks [Atlantic City], 2006
42-0 ¼ … Lola Agabalogun [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2013
40-10 … Nyla Noble [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2014
40-1 ¾ … Kelly Staten [Atlantic City], 2001
39-11 … Tey’ana Ames [Atlantic County Tech], 2021
39-10 … Ronny Martin [Absegami], 1998

And here’s a look at the all-time Atlantic County indoor / outdoor 40-foot list, which Ames is now just an inch short of:

44-9 ……… Kim Warren [Atlantic City], 2006
44-9 ……… Lola Agabalogun [Egg Harbor], 2013
44-0 ¾ …. Mercedes Hicks [Atlantic City], 2006
42-6 … Dana Hall [Absegami], 1998
41-7 ¼ … Katrina Guerrier [Absegami], 2010
41-5 …… Nyla Noble [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2014
40-11 …… Paula Glass [Atlantic City], 1986
40-9 …… Dana Keister [Absegami], 2008
40-4 1/4 … Kiyanna Thomas [Absegami], 2016
40-1 ¾ … Kelly Staten [Atlantic City], 2001 [indoors]
39-11 … Tey’ana Ames [Atlantic County Tech], 2021

Winslow senior Jaia James ran a 55-meter dash PR and anchored the winning 800-meter relay team at the season-opening Bishop Loughlin Games Saturday at Ocean Breeze in Staten Island.

James, the South Jersey Group 3 champ last spring at 100 meters, came into the season with a 55 PR of 7.33 from the 2020 state meet at the Bubble, where she placed second to teammate Janeya Hammond.

She ran 7.36 in the trials Saturday, then lowered her PR to 7.32 in the final, where she placed second to sophomore Juliana Balon of Padua Academy in Wilmington, Del., who ran 7.23.

James also anchored Winslow’s 800-meter relay team, which won in 1:44.62, fastest of the weekend by any New Jersey 4-by-200 team. Briyel Brown, Janelle Marshall and Kamryn Holness also ran on Winslow’s 4-by-2.

James also ran 43.95 in the 300-meter dash.

Cherry Hill East senior Noah Kriesman shattered his indoor pole vault PR Friday at the Olympic Conference meet at the Bubble.

Kriesman cleared 13-6 in his first indoor competition in two years. As a sophomore, he had an indoor PR of 11-6 from a meet at the Bubble. He cleared 14-0 last spring when he placed fourth at the Meet of Champions in South Plainfield.

The 13-6 clearance ties the Cherry Hill East school record set in 2010 by Remy Kahn and matched two years ago by Lucas Tran.

Kriesman is one of four returning vaulters who placed in the top six at last year’s Meet of Champions.

Cinnaminson graduate Prisca Blamon opened her senior year at Monmouth with an indoor shot put PR.

Blamon threw 45-3 to win the Seahawk Shootout at Ocean Breeze Athletic Center in Staten Island, N.Y., 

Blamon’s previous indoor PR was 43-8 1/2 at the Metro Atlantic Championships in February of 2020 at the Armory (a competition that was won by Burlington Township graduate Ronetta Hunter at 46-4). 

Blamon has an outdoor PR of 45-7 3/4 from the Monmouth Spring Invitational at West Long Branch this past April.

It looks like Blamon’s 45-3 ranks 6th all-time in Monmouth indoor history. (Warning: The list is in metric measurements, which is incredibly annoying since all meet results and other performance lists are in feet and inches.)

Blamon also placed second in the weight throw with a 53-4 1/4. She did not compete indoors last year so this was Blamon’s first indoor meet since the 2020 ECAC meet in Boston 21 months ago (and her first indoor shot competition since February of 2020).

Outdoors, Blamon also has PRs of 131-3 in the discus and 154-3 in the hammer throw.

Her 45-3 ranks No. 2 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference so far this winter, behind only Alexandra Preckajlo of Manhattan, who threw 46-3 1/2 earlier this month at the Bill Ward Invitational, also at Ocean Breeze.

(Note that the Bill Ward Invitational is named after the Bill Ward who coached track at St. John’s for 27 years and NOT the Bill Ward who played drums for Black Sabbath for 28 years.)

Northern Burlington freshman Liliah Gordon wrapped up her first season of high school cross country with a win at the USATF National Junior Olympics.

The 14-year-old Gordon, competing for Shore Athletic Club, ran 19:21 in wet, muddy conditions over 5,000 meters at Bourbon County Park in Paris, Ky., to win the 15-18 age group race. 

Vanessa Alder of Carlisle (Pa.) High, who has run 4:38.86 for 1,500 meters, was second in 19:45. Alder’s mother, Janeth Alder (nee Caizalitín), ran the 3,000 at the 1992 Olympics in B Barcelona representing Ecuador and was a multiple South American junior champion.

Gordon this year won titles at the Shore Coaches and BCSL meets and was second at the County Open, sectionals and state Group 3 meet. She ran 18:29 at Holmdel to place eighth in the Meet of Champions.

Arianna Smith, a Pennsville graduate who’s now a Princeton sophomore, ran two PRs Saturday in her season-opening meet.

Smith placed third in both the 60-meter hurdles and 300-meter dash Saturday at the Joe Handelman Invitational at Jadwin Gym.

In the highs, Smith ran 9.11 in the trials and 8.97 in the final, finishing behind teammates Isabella Hilditch [8.80] and Lily Parris [8.92].

In the 300, Smith ran 40.70 and finished behind Hilditch [39.76] and Temple’s Mary Olayinka Ilelaboye [40.62].

Smith’s previous 60-meter hurdles PR was a 9.06 from a dual meet against Navy in Annapolis in January of 2020. Her previous 300 PR was a 40.87 from a meet in December 2019 at Jadwin.

Smith’s 40.70 equals the No. 10 mark in Princeton history, and her high hurdles time is 15-100ths of a second off Princeton’s all-time top-10.

Princeton did not run any indoor season last year, so this was Smith’s first indoor meet since February of 2020 – 22 months ago. Smith ran only two races last outdoor season.

Smith’s specialty is the 400-meter hurdles. She was the Meet of Champions winner in 2019 with a 1:00.13 but has only raced over the 400 hurdles twice since.