There are PRs and then there are PRs.

This one is remarkable.

Tobias Janssen, a Haddonfield junior, ran 4:17.57 to win the 1,600 Saturday at the Cherokee Distance Festival.

Janssen’s previous PR was a 4:31.92 at last year’s indoor sectionals, and his previous outdoor PR? He doesn’t have one. According to the MileSplit database, this was the first outdoor track race of his life. It looks like Janssen didn’t run outdoors as a freshman and of course his sophomore year was wiped out.

You’re going to get a lot of big PRs right now because so many distance runners are competing in good conditions outdoor for the first time in nearly two years.

But 4:32 to 4:17 is remarkable!

Janssen closed in 59.1 after splitting 66.2, 66.4 and 65.8. So that’s out in 2:12.6 and back in 2:04.9! Talk about negative splits! 

Pitman senior Brady Shute ran 4:18.62, a huge PR for him as well. Shute’s previous 1,600 PR was a 4:29.00 at the Haddonfield Invitational in the spring of 2019.

There was a great battle for third, with West Deptford junior Jacob Cobb [4:20.34], Collingswood senior Josh Forrest [4:20.74] and Camden Catholic junior Billy Clewell [4:20.75] all finishing within less than half a second of each other.

Cobb dropped his PR nearly 30 seconds from a 4:49.24 as a freshman at the South Jersey Invitational. Forrest lowered his from 4:38.66 from a meet last year at the Bennett Center. And Clewell also had a previous PR of 4:38, also a 4:38.25 from the Bubble last winter.

That’s five runners under 4:21 in March! 

And Audubon senior Zachary Williams wasn’t far off, with a 4:23.63, a seven-second PR for him as well.

As for Janssen, he’s the 11th Haddonfield runner under 4:18 for 1,600 meters outdoors:  

4:09.30 … Colin Baker, 2009
4:13.26y … Greg Pelose, 2015
4:14.14 … Ben Potts, 2009
4:14.25 … Matt Nussbaum, 2010
4:14.3h … Jim Smith, 1980
4:14.50 … Chris Platt, 2003
4:15.0h … Dan Gough, 1987
4:15.52 … Derek Gess, 2018
4:15.92 … Jon Vitez, 2009
4:17.57 … Tobias Janssen, 2021
4:17.74 … Mike Burke, 200

Delsea senior Carly Nicholson, closing in 70 for her last lap and 2:29 for her last 800, recorded a big win in the 1,600 Saturday at the Cherokee Distance Invitational.

Nicholson ran a PR 5:05.40, lowering her personal best from a 5:08.45 at 2019 sectionals on her home track at Delsea.

Nicholson is within 5 1/2 seconds of becoming Delsea’s fourth sub-5 runner, along with Celine Mazzi [4:56.23 in 2014], Felicia O’Donnell [4:57.48 in 2011] and Amanda Goetschius [4:59.45 in 2007].

Cherokee junior Nicole Clifford ran 5:13.33 for second, lowering her PR from 5:17.37 at the 2019 Rowan Open in Glassboro.

Six other girls ran under 5:23: Paul VI freshman Shaelan McNally [5:19.30], Kingsway sophomore Nicole Lipieta [5:20.33], Ocean City senior Alexa Palmieri [5:20.91, Haddonfield senior Olivia Stoner [5:21.56] and Delsea sophomore Lillie Widmer [5:22.13].

Haddonfield senior Lindsay Colflesh ran away with the 800 at the Cherokee Distance Festival Saturday, clocking a quick 2:15.18.

Colflesh ran less than half a second off her PR of 2:14.87, which she set the last time she ran an official outdoor 800 – at the 2019 state Group 2 meet at Central Regional.

Allentown senior Jessica Lyons, who ran 2:13.98 in winning the outdoor state 3 title the same day on the same track, took the field out in 64.9, with Colflesh half a stride back at the bell lap. But Colflesh ran away from Lyons, winning by 30 meters.

Four other girls ran 2:20 to 2:21: Allentown senior Jessica Lyons [2:20.19], Cherokee sophomore Kelsey Giglio [2:20.19], Paul VI Abigail Lutz [2:21.36] and Ocean City Erin Hanlon [2:21.49].

As a sophomore, Niglio was running her first outdoor track race for Cherokee. 

Hanlon took a big chunk out of her PR of 2:26.32 from last year’s indoor sectionals and her outdoor PR 2:31.82 from 2018 sectionals.

In all, 16 girls ran under 2:30.

What a titanic battle Saturday morning between juniors Kyle Rakitis of Kingsway and Dennis Fortuna of Triton, who both ran 9:20 and change at the Cherokee Distance Invitational.

Rakitis won in 9:20.45 and Fortuna finished a stride back in 9:20.97.

With a lap to go, Fortuna had a slight lead on Rakitis and they both finished strong, but Rakitis closed in 66.9 and Fortuna in 67.6.

These are monster PRs for both two-milers.

Rakitis lowered his PR 23 seconds from an indoor 9:43.46 at a meet at the Bennett Center last indoor season. Fortuna’s previous PR was a 10:03.67, also last year at the Bubble.

Obviously the first outdoor race in nearly two years for both runners and the perfect conditions and great competition resulted in huge performances for both runners.

Rakitis ran within about four seconds of the Kingsway school record of 9:16.39 set two years ago by Stone Caraccio at Holmdel. It looks like Fortuna took down the Triton school record of 9:27.62, set by Rudy Bello at the 2006 state Group 4 meet at Egg Harbor.

In all, 14 runners broke 10 minutes and another five broke 10:10, all of them in the first heat.

Four runners finished between 9:39.68 and 9:41.27: Seniors Matthew Gonzalez of East Brunswick, Dawson Baptiste of Delsea [9:40.08], Aidan Groff of Cherry Hill East [9:40.36] and John Hurly of Haddonfield [9:41.27].

Baptiste PR’d by 36 seconds from a 10:16.92 at the Bubble last February, Groff from a 10:21.71 on the same Cherokee track two years ago and Hurly from a 10:20.12 at Holmdel in the spring of 2019.

Also under 10 minutes were senior Nicolas Valdivieso of Egg Harbor [9:44.75], senior Gabe Rodriguez of Cherry Hill East [9:46.58], junior Liam Tinton of Highland Park [9:46.78], senior Renzo Almedia of Robbinsville [9:53.30], sophomore Patrick Ditmars of Cherokee [9:55.53], senior Mason Brewster of Washington Township [9:57.90], senior Matthew Tiongko of East Brunswick [9:58.27] and senior Justin Whitney of Cherry Hill East [9:59.09].

Watch the race on MileSplit here! https://nj.milesplit.com/videos/468380/boys-3200-finals-section-2

Kingsway sophomore Aubrey Pieronotoni kicked off the Cherokee Distance Invitational in fine fashion Saturday morning, winning the 3,200 in a personal-best 11:06.25.

Pierontoni outran Haddonfield senior Allison Colflesh by 50 meters. Colflesh took second with a huge PR of 11:15.56, and three other runners – Eastern’s Regan Bewley, Collingswood’ Sophie Steidle and Haddonfield’s Helene Usher – ran under 11:30.

All five PR’d.

Pierontoni and Colflesh were together through 2000 meters, Pierontoni in 6:51.9 and Colflesh a step back in 6:52.3. But Pierontoni opened up some space on the sixth lap with a 77 and cruised from there.

Pierontoni lowered her PR from 11:24.31, which she ran indoors at the Bennett Center last month. Her previous outdoor PR was an 11:29.19 as a freshman at states. Pierontoni has shown great range this year, running 2:23.21 for 800 meters, 4:47.40 for 1,500, 5:10.01 for 1,600 and now 11:06 for the 3,200.

Her time is No. 3 in Kingsway history outdoors, behind two of the fastest in state history – Chelsea Ley ran 10:19.31 in 2009 and Rachel Vick 10:29.28 in 2017.

Aubrey ran slightly faster than her sister Allie ran in 2019 at Holmdel – 10:06.98 at the Holmdel Twilight Series.

Colflesh lowered her PR from 11:30.61, which she ran at the 2018 Camden County Championships at Haddon Township.

Bewley, a freshman, ran 11:25.23 in her first-ever outdoor race and her first high school 3,200. She ran 2:33.880 and 5:32.90 indoors.

Steidle, a Collingswood senior, ran 11:25.90, dipping below her PR of 11:27.51 from last year’s indoor Meet of Champions.

And Usher, a sophomore, ran 11:28.35 in her first lifetime outdoor high school race and her first-ever high school 3,200.

Clearview sophomore Abby Waddington and Haddonfield Jess Goode weren’t far back. Waddington ran 11:34.09 for 7th in her first high school race outdoors and Goode, a Haddonfield junior, was just behind in 11:34.66, an enormous PR from her 12:29.39 indoors last winter.

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