Timber Creek senior Jaden Johnson soared 46-5 ¼ to win the triple jump Monday night at the SJTCA meet at Ocean Breeze.

That’s No. 7 in South Jersey history and breaks the Timber Creek school record of 44-9 ½ set at the 2012 Varsity Classic at the Armory.

Johnson’s previous PR was a 45-1 at the Ocean Breeze Freedom Games, where he placed second to Lumberton’s Greg Foster of Lawrenceville School with a 45-1. Foster won the event with a 47-8 ½.

Foster and Johnson rank No. 1 and 2 in New Jersey this year and No. 13 and No. 25 nationally according to the MileSplit U.S. performance list.

This was only Johnson’s second triple jump competition this year. He brought PRs of 46-0 outdoors and 45-1 indoors with him from Sterling, where he competed as a junior.

Johnson fouled on his first jump, then hit 46-5 ¼ and 45-4 ¾ on his next two attempts before fouling on his final jump.

Senior teammate Chace Pearson placed second with a 43-3 ¾ in his first indoor triple jump competition ever. He’s now No. 8 in the state this year and No. 3 in New Jersey. Pearson has an outdoor PR of 45-4.

Johnson also won the high jump at 6-2. He’s cleared either 6-2 or 6-4 in all five meets he’s entered this winter.

All-time South Jersey indoor triple jump list
49- 1 …..… Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], 2018
48- 9 …..… Dominique Irons [Haddon Heights], 2013
48- 8 ½ … Tristan Wilson [Delsea], 2014
48- 1 ¼ … Wayne Walls [Camden], 2009
47- 3 …..… Rhodeni Spence [Woodrow Wilson], 2007
46-10 ¾ … Floyd Whitaker [Highland], 2020
46-5 ¼ … Jaden Johnson [Timber Creek], 2022
46- 5 …….. Orion Joyner [Kingsway], 2019
46- 3 ½ … Keon Grady [Delsea], 2018
45-10 …..… Kevin Kevelier [Collingswood], 2020
45- 3 ½ … Zakiyy Williams [Rancocas Valley], 2015
45- 0 …….. Earnest Daniel [Kingsway], 2017
44-11 … Devon Carter [Washington Twp.], 2010
44-9 ½ … Josh Gray [Timber Creek], 2012
44-9 ¼ … Carl Smith [Camden], 2005
44-6 ¾ … Kyle Bryant [Cherry Hill East], 2013
44-3 … Ebeneezer Edzii [Millville], 2019
44-1 ¾ … Jordan Floyd [Rancocas Valley], 2020
44-0 … Dejon Sullivan [Camden], 2014

All-time New Jersey indoor triple jump list
49- 7 1/2 … Jon Pitt [South Brunswick], 2013
49- 6 1/2 … Craig Halyard [Ridgewood], 1989
49- 6 1/2 … Eric Bethea [Piscataway], 2015
49- 5 1/4 … Dodley Thermitus [Elizabeth], 2017
49-  1 …..… Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], 2018
48-  9 …..… Dominique Irons [Haddon Heights], 2013
48- 8 3/4 … Devon Bond [Trenton], 2007
48-  8 1/2 … Tristan Wilson [Delsea], 2014
48- 7 1/2 … Myles Hartsfield [Sayreville], 2015
48- 6 1/4 … Darius Pemberton [Hackensack], 1992
48- 5 1/4 … Ralston Braithwaite [Trenton], 2008
48- 0 1/2 … Kyle Lindsay [Paterson East Side], 2006
48-  1 1/4 … Wayne Walls [Camden], 2009
47-11 …….. Nadale Buntin [J.P. Stevens], 2018
47-10 …….. Devon Bond [Trenton], 2007
47- 9 …….. Anthony DiCosmo [Paramus Catholic], 1995
47- 7 1/4 … Kevin Johnson [Seton Hall Prep], 1984
47- 6 3/4 … Ed Alston [Hackensack], 1982
47- 5 …….. Jason Katz [Ramapo], 2015
47- 3 …..… Rhodeni Spence [Woodrow Wilson], 2007
47- 2 …….. Tevin Ankle [Glen Rock], 2010
46-10 3/4 … Floyd Whitaker [Highland], 2020
46-10 1/4 … Weston Daniel [Bergenfield], 2002
46-10 …….. Jamal Bunum [Middletown North], 2012
46- 7 …….. Dean Uduh [Columbia], 2014
46- 6 1/2 … Marko Juntunen [Mount Olive], 1984
46- 6 1/4 … Greg Hazell [Don Bosco], 2011
46- 6 …….. Neal Okarter [Westwood], 1998
46- 5 1/2 … John Augustynowicz [Rutherford], 2000
46-5 ¼ … Jaden Johnson [Timber Creek], 2022
46- 5 …….. Orion Joyner [Kingsway], 2019
46- 4 3/4 … Aaron King [Morris Hills], 2007
46-  3 1/2 … Keon Grady [Delsea], 2018
46- 0 1/2 … Chris Thomas [Pope John XXIII], 2008

Ocean City senior Owen Ritti and Deptford junior Lathan Brown became the seventh and eighth half-milers in New Jersey to run sub-1:58 Monday night at Ocean Breeze. Pennsauken junior Joel Oquendo wasn’t far behind.

Ritti won the SJTCA race in 1:57.41, with Brown a step back in 1:57.91. Oquendo, whose PR was just under 2:06 until last week, PR’d again with a 1:58.57. In all, six runners ran faster than 2:01.5, five of them from South Jersey.

For Ritti, the 1:57.41 smashes his indoor PR of 1:58.18, which he just ran two weeks ago at the Armory. Ritti’s lifetime best is an outdoor 1:57.01 at Group 3 states at Pennsauken in June.

Ritti also broke the Ocean City and Atlantic County indoor 800 records of 1:57.59 set in 2011 by Miles Schoedler at Group 3 states at the Bubble.

Brown, who has range from 55 meters up to 800, smashed his indoor PR of 2:00.47 from a meet a couple weeks ago at Ocean Breeze. He also ran faster than his outdoor PR of 1:59.45 from Haddonfield Distance Night this past May.

Brown also equalled a 53-year-old school record, which doesn’t happen too often. In 1969, Deptford’s Wayne Jenkins ran 1:58.3 hand-timed for 880 yards at the Meet of Champions at the Jersey City Armory – which tied the South Jersey record at the time. That performance converts to 1:57.7. Since a 1:57.91 is the equivalent of a 1:57.7 hand-time, Brown and Jenkins will be listed as co-record holders.

Oquendo had a PR of 2:05.89 until a breakthrough 1:59.58 on the same track at Ocean Breeze last week.

Their times are No. 4, No. 6 and No. 11 in the state this year and No. 2, 3 and 4 in South Jersey, behind Pennsauken junior Bryce Tucker, who ran 1:57.38 at Ocean Breeze last week.

Camden Catholic senior Billy Clewell [2:00.17] and Haddon Heights junior Matthew Iuvara [2:01.22] also put down fast times, moving into the No. 8 and 11 spots this year in South Jersey.

Clewell has run faster indoors – 1:58.56 – but he was doubling back after placing second in the 3,200 in 9:47.13 in his first indoor 3,200 ever. He’s run 9:36.28 in June in a meet in Edison.

According to MileSplit, this was Iuvara’s first high school 800 ever and only his third individual race of any kind ever.

Sterling graduate Jah’mere Beasley ran a 47.65 third leg and Rowan annihilated the school record in the 1,600-meter relay Saturday in Boston.

Beasley, a Rowan sophomore, teamed up with Charlie Serrano-Juarez of Matawan, Nana Agyemang of Parsippany and Amara Conte of Ferris High in Jersey City to run 3:12.80 at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational at Boston University.

It’s the fastest indoor 4-by-400 time by an NCAA Division 3 school in 15 years and No. 6 all-time.

The Profs finished second to Division 1 Yale, which ran 3:11.99.

Rowan’s time is No. 1 in NCAA Division 3 this year and fastest since Lincoln (Pa.) ran 3:11.85 at the 2007 IC4A meet on the same track at B.U. Meet of Champions winner Lance Wigfall of East Orange was on that 2007 Lincoln team as was Neptune graduate Corey Wright.

The performance puts Rowan at No. 6 on the all-time NCAA Division 3 list and only two schools have ever run faster.

Here’s a look at the top-10 indoor 4-by-4 times in NCAA Division 3 according to the USTFCCCA [United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches of America]:

3:11.0h … Lincoln, 2004
3:11.75 … Wisconsin-La Crosse, 2004
3:11.85 … Lincoln, 2007
3:12.52 … Lincoln, 2002
3:12.79 … Lincoln, 2004
3:12.80 … Rowan, 2022
3:13.31 … Wheaton, 2006
3:13.48 … Mt. Union, 2014
3:13.56 … Southern Maine, 2014
3:13.68 … Wisconsin-La Crosse, 2003

Rowan’s previous indoor school record was 3:15.00, set by Chris Mesiano of Schalick [49.6], freshman Justin Bishop of Mainland Regional [48.6], sophomore Nick Neville of South Brunswick [49.3] and Francis Terry of Sterling [47.5]at the 2018 NCAA Division 3 championships in Birmingham, Ala.

That 3:15.00 is also the previous fastest indoor 4-by-4 by any New Jersey Athletic Conference school.

Rowan’s previous best time this year was 3:15.19 at the Great Dane Classic at Ocean Breeze with a lineup that included Beasley, Conte, Jake Kolodziej of Washington Township and Treshan Stevenson of Millville.

Serrano led off for Rowan with a 50.34, with Agyemang following with a 47.74 split to move the Profs up into 8^th place and Beasley running 47.65 to pass runners from American International, Harvard, U. Mass Lowell, Northeastern and Davidson and move the Profs into 3^rd place.

Conte then anchored in 47.06, passing the Southern Connecticut State anchor and moving Rowan into second. Conte also ran 48.21, No. 4 in Division 3 this winter.

If you take the fastest splits from Rowan’s various 4-by-4s so far this year, you’d have Kolodziej at 48.32, Agyemang at 47.74, Beasley at 47.65 and Conte’s 47.06, which adds up to 3:10.77 and would put Rowan under the existing NCAA Division 3 record.

Rowan competes Monday in the NJAC Championships at Ocean Breeze.

Jayden Greene, a St. Joe’s freshman from Washington Township, PR’d at 800 meters at the Bruce Lehane Scarlet and White Invitational at Boston university.

Greene ran 1:54.66, an indoor / outdoor lifetime best. His previous indoor PR was a 1:55.19 at the 2020 Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze. He has an outdoor PR of 1:55.41 from the 2019 state Group 4 meet at Franklin Township.

That was only Greene’s second collegiate 800 and his first indoors. He ran one outdoors in April at Franklin Field.

Greene’s time is No. 14 in the Atlantic 10 so far this spring and No. 5 among freshmen.

Greene has also run 1:21.99 for 600 meters this winter. He also ran leadoff on St. Joe’s 7:53.00 3,200-meter relay team back in early December.

We just wrote last week about Eastern graduate Jailya Ash, who’s off to a hot start as a freshman at U. Conn.

We have no choice but to post about her again after her big hurdles race at the Armory.

Ash ran 8.54 over the 60-meter highs at the Rutgers Invitational Saturday and placed 5^th overall but only 1-10 of a second behind winner Icisys Sadler of Rutgers, who won the race in 8.44.

Another South Jersey hurdler, Rutgers freshman Meredith Updike, also made the final, placing 8^th in 8.87 after a PR 8.84 in the prelims.

As for Ash, she lowered her PR from 8.59 from a meet a week earlier also at the Armory.

Ash now ranks 3^rd in the Big East behind Villanova sophomore Jane Livingston [8.25] and Butler senior Niki Ezeh [8.43]

She’s also tied for No. 6 on the unofficial all-time U. Conn performance list which I cobbled together last week in lieu of an actual list on the Huskies’ web site.

All-Time UConn 60-meter dash list

7.26 … Trisha-Ann Hawthorne, 2011
7.40 … Taylor Anderson, 2014
7.41 … Jessie Foreman, 2007
7.43 … Monique Hodges, 2009
7.49 … Deysha Smith-Jenkins, 2014
7.54 … Phylicia George, 2009
7.54 … Jailya Ash, 2022
7.56 … Celina Emerson, 2014
7.58 … Danielle Lynn, 2012
7.59 … Antonia Cadore, 2003

Ash didn’t run the flat 60 this weekend, but she’s already No. 5 all-time at U. Conn in the dash with her 7.60 last weekend. Ash and Phylicia George are the only women ranked in the top 6 in school history in both the hurdles and the dash.

All-Time UConn 60-meter hurdles list
8.24 … Phylicia George, 2010
8.33 … April Garner, 2005
8.45 … Madalayne Smith, 2012
8.55 … Chantal Scott, 2014
8.59 … Jailya Ash, 2022
8.61 … Shavon Briscoe, 2012
8.61 … Tia Strackman, 2018
8.62 … Ashley Wiggins, 2017
8.63 … Toni-Ann Moore, 2015
8.67 … Gillian Flemmings, 2002

 

Eastern senior A.J. Brooks ran another big hurdles PR Friday at sectionals and moved into the all-time South Jersey top-50 list.

Brooks won the South Jersey Group 4 race over the 55-meter highs Friday at the Bubble in 7.54, lowering his PR from 7.69 that he ran at the Bubble late last month.

That’s fastest this year by a South Jersey hurdler and No. 4 in the state. Brooks will race the nation’s top-ranked hurdler, Christopher Serrao of East Brunswick, in the state Group 4 meet Feb. 26 back at the Bubble.

Serrao won the Meet of Champions outdoors last spring and was 6th at Nationals in Eugene, Ore. Serrao ran 7.29 at the Central Jersey Group 4 meet on Saturday. He and Brooks are ranked No. 1 and 2 in Group 4. Brooks is No. 17 nationally on the MileSplit U.S. performance list.

Brooks ran within 5-100ths of a second of the school record of 7.49 set in 1991 by Vince Rawlins when he placed 3rd at Easterns at Princeton’s Jadwin Gym behind Frank Guialdo of DeWitt Clinton in the Bronx [7.45] and John Charley of Morristown [7.49] in a wild three-way finish.

Brooks, who also placed second in the high jump at sectionals, is the nephew of long-time NFL offensive tackle Barrett Brooks, who now works with yours truly at NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Here’s the updated all-time South Jersey 55-meter hurdles list:

7.10 … Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], 2019
7.18 … Sultan Tucker [Delsea], 1996
7.22 … Dwight Ruff [Camden], 2001
7.22 … Isaac Williams [Willingboro], 2012
7.29 … Nate Harley [Pleasantville], 1996
7.29 … Danyne Brown [Camden], 1999
7.29 … Anthony Acklin [Triton], 2001
7.29 … Will Brown [Palmyra], 2006
7.31 … Anthony Vasquez [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2020
7.32 … Jon Dickey [Penns Grove], 1985
7.34 … Chais Hill [Highland], 2015
7.35 … Gerard Reynolds [Willingboro], 1990
7.39 … Rashad Baker [Wilson], 2000
7.39 … Isaiah Lewis [Winslow Twp.], 2020
7.42 … Kevon Brown [West Deptford], 2009
7.42 … Naseem Smith [Deptford], 2019
7.43 … Danyne Brown [Camden], 1999
7.43 … Edwin Alston [Winslow Twp.], 2015
7.44 … Lance Reed [Willingboro], 1983
7.45 … Kevin Hagamin [Timber Creek], 2014
7.46 … Herb Reid [Lenape], 1999
7.46 … Syteek Farrington [Camden], 2010
7.47 … Diandre Chandler [Camden], 1986
7.47 … Darius Holmes [Willingboro], 2012
7.48 … Reuben McCoy [Winslow Twp.], 2004
7.48 … Tyrell Ross [Clearview], 2005
7.49 … Devon Carter [Washington Twp.], 2010
7.49 … Vince Rawlins [Eastern], 1991
7.49 … Chris Nichols [Willingboro], 1991
7.49 … Sam Aviles [Palmyra], 2019
7.49 … Donovan Wright [Burlington Twp.], 2020
7.50 … Darren McCluskey [Cherokee], 2011
7.52 … Don Hickson [Highland], 1990
7.52 … Dwight Ruff [Camden], 2001
7.52 … Matt Dahms [Haddonfield], 2002
7.53 … Matthew Marshall [Camden], 2008
7.54 … Ed Loges [Shawnee], 1992
7.54 … Chase Toliver [Oakcrest], 2013
7.54 … A.J. Brooks [Eastern], 2022
7.55 … Mike Anderson [Edgewood], 1990
7.55 … Mikal Wright [Burlington Twp.], 2016
7.55 … Jamil Adams [Winslow Twp.], 2017
7.56 … Terry James [Willingboro], 1984
7.56 … Dwayne Robinson [Moorestown], 1989
7.56 … Sean David [Highland], 2016
7.56 … Antwan Dickerson [Pennsauken], 2016
7.57 … George Berry [Camden], 1984
7.57 … Eric Frieson [Willingboro], 1985
7.57 … Scot McCray [Camden], 1997
7.57 … Chantz Powell [Cherry Hill East], 2008
7.60 … Jason Stefanski [Penns Grove], 2016
7.60 … Daniel Dayrell [Rancocas Valley], 2020

 

What a bomb Saturday by Elisia Lancaster! 

The Delsea graduate and Southern Illinois senior heaved the 20-pound weight 73-10 1/4 in the Music City Challenge at the Vanderbilt Multipurpose Facility in Nashville, a PR and the No. 7 throw in NCAA Division 1 this year.

Lancaster’s previous PR was a 72-7 last month in another meet at the same facility. She’s thrown 72-7, 70-6 1/2, 71-8 3/4, 69-6 1/4 and 73-10 1/4 in her five meets so far this year.

She moved up to No. 5 in Salukis history, and this is a program that turns out elite throwers every year. In fact, the school record – Brittany Riley’s 183-10 1/2 in 2007 – is the former world record.

Lancaster fouled on her first two attempts before hitting 70-4 1/2 on her third throw and then recording the 73-10 1/4 on her fourth. She closed with a 70-0 and another foul.

The meet produced five of the top eight marks in Division 1 this year.

Alyssa Wilson of Texas State, a graduate of Donovan Catholic in Toms River and transfer from UCLA, is ranked No. 9 in Division 1. Wilson set the national high school indoor shot put record of 57-5 1/2 at 2017 Eastern’s at the Armory and the national outdoor record of 58-1 at Pan American Junior Nationals in Trujillo, Peru in 2017.

Cinnaminson’s Austin Gabay lowered his mile PR to 4:06.70 Saturday in Lynchburg, Va.

Gabay, a freshman at Duke, placed 15^th in the Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational at Liberty University in Lynchburg.

Gabay has run three miles this year and PR’d in each one, first with a 4:10.83 at Virginia Tech in late January, then 4:07.49 last weekend, also in Blacksburg.

After going out in 60.80, Gabay ran his next two 400s in 62.72 and 63.16, coming through the half in 2:03.52 and the three-quarters in 3:06.68. He closed in 60.00 and 28.86 for his final 200.

In the same race, Virginia freshman Jackson Braddock, a Southern Regional graduate, ran a PR 4:03.76. Gabay and Braddock finished 3^rd and 4^th in the Meet of Champions 3,200 at Ocean Breeze two years ago.

Before this indoor season, Gabay’s mile PR was 4:16.02 for the slightly shorter 1,600 meters, when he won the 2019 outdoor state Group 2 title at Central Regional in Bayville. That’s equivalent to 4:17.50 for a full mile. He has run 1,500 meters in 3:46.10 outdoors, which is equivalent to a 4:04.19 full mile.

Huge breakthrough 200 today for Rutgers junior Ajae Alvarez-Tyler from Egg Harbor Township, who destroyed her 200 PR at the Armory.

Alvarez-Tyler placed third in the 200 at the Rutgers Invitational in 24.57, just 13-100ths of a second behind winner Lean Anderson of St. John’s. Teammate Sydney Hawkins from Phillipsburg was second in 24.44.

This was Alvarez-Tyler’s first time ever under 25 seconds indoors, and she ran way under.

Her previous indoor PR was a 25.09 last weekend at the Meyo Invitational at Notre Dame. Her lifetime best is a wind-aided 24.83 at 2018 states at Franklin High. And she ran a legal 24.99 a week later at the Meet of Champions.

Alvarez-Tyler was more of a 400 runner at EHT, and she won the 2018 Easterns at the Armory with a 56.78 and then ran 56.36 at New Balance Nationals in Greensboro. She’s run 56.30 at EHT at the 2010 indoor Big Ten Championships at SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio.

Also in the race were New Jersey Tech senior Sydne Nance of Rancocas Valley[25.67], Rutgers freshman Sheriyah Nutt of Rancocas Valley [25.81] and Rider senior Genesis Walker of Bordentown [25.89].

Rowan junior Kevin Lauer, a Lenape graduate, ran a two-second mile PR Saturday, clocking 4:15.22 at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational at Boston University’s Track and Tennis Center.

Lauer placed 132^nd in an event that saw 87 runners run sub-4:10, 44 run sub-4:05 and 12 dip under 4 minutes.He split 64.20, 62.76, 63.72 and 64.58

Lauer’s time is fastest by a Rowan miler indoors since Kevin Veltre ran 4:12.30 at the 2018 NJAC Championships at Ocean Breeze.

As of a month ago, Lauer’s PR was 4:19.72 from the 2019 NJAC indoor meet at Ocean Breeze. But he’s broken that three times in the last three weeks – 4:19.66 at Ocean Breeze in late January, 4:17.79 also in Staten Island last weekend and now 4:15-low in Boston.

At Lenape, Lauer had a 1,600 PR of 4:18.96 outdoors from the 2017 Olympic Conference Championships at Washington Township, and his fastest time indoors was a 4:22.24 at 2018 sectionals at the Bubble.

His time is No. 22 nationally in NCAA Division 3 and tied for No. 2 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference behind Ramapo’s Chris Aqnderson, who ran 4:12.16 at Ocean Breeze last month. Stockton’s Erik Ackerman from West Morris Central High also ran exactly 4:15.22 at Ocean Breeze.

Rowan’s indoor school record is 4:11.3, set in 1997 by Delsea graduate Sean Mick at the Haverford Last Chance Meet.