From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Senior Nicole Clifford ran the 19th-fastest 800 time in South Jersey history Thursday night and led a 1-2-3-4 Cherokee sweep at the South Jersey Elite meet at Delsea.

Clifford won the race in 2:12.14, shattering her PR of 2:17.39 from last year’s outdoor Meet of Champions at South Plainfield in June.

Junior Kelsey Niglio placed 2nd in 2:15.32, freshman Megan Niglio 3rd in 2:19.45 and sophomore Kerry O’Day 4th in 2:20.57.

Clifford was out in 62.94, with Kelsey Niglio right behind her in 63.24. Megan Niglio was out in 70.34 but closed in 69.12/.

Megan Niglio destroyed her previous 800 PR in what was only her second lifetime 800 and first outdoors. In her previous 800 she ran 2:27.25 indoors at the Bubble in February. O’Day’s previous PR was a 2:23.99 at the Oregon Relays in Eugene last month.

Add their times up and you have 9:07.48 for a hypothetical 3,200-meter relay.

Clifford’s time is No. 3 in the state this year, behind only Lilly Shapiro of Colts Neck, who ran a U.S. No. 7 2:06.94, and Red Bank Catholic’s Kate DeSousa, who ran 2:11.63, both in the Colts Neck Invitational last month.

Clifford’s time is No. 5 in Burlington County history. She just missed the school record of 2:12.09 set in 1990 by Monica Olkowski when she won the Meet of Champions.

Here’s the all-time Burlington County top 10 list:
2:10.55 … Shelby Whetstone [Lenape], 2019
2:11.07 … Miya Johnson [Lenape], 2007
2:11.56 … Mary Bohi [Seneca], 2009
2:11.88 … Kayla Martin [Seneca], 2015
2:12.09 … Monica Olkowski [Cherokee], 1990
2:12.13 … Nicole Clifford [Cherokee], 2022
2:12.78 … Megan Quimby [Lenape], 2015
2:12.93 … Carly Pettipaw [Lenape], 2015
2:13.38 … Julia DeSpirito [Shawnee], 2014
2:13.40 … Kelsey Niglio [Cherokee], 2021
2:14.8 … Michelle DiMuro [Shawnee], 1984
2:14.70 … Kelly Victory [Lenape], 2000

Placing 5th through 7th and also PR’ing Thursday were Mainland sophomore Gillian Lovett [2:21.12], Haddonfield junior Thea Spellmeyer [2:22.50] and Pennsville senior Taylor Burchfield [12:24.55].

Here’s a look at every girl in South Jersey history who’s run sub-2:13:
2:07.33 … Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2009
2:08.87 … Erin Donohue [Haddonfield], 2001
2:09.2h … Katrina Sye [Buena], 1999
2:09.50 … Renee Tomlin [Ocean City], 2005
2:09.84 … Rachel Stremme [Ocean City], 2014
2:10.1h … Michelle Rowen [Washington Twp.], 1982
2:10.55 … Shelby Whetstone [Lenape], 2019
2:10.57 … Nijgia Snapp [Oakcrest], 2009
2:10.79 … Krista Ferrara [Vineland], 1991
2:10.9h … Ruth Lockbaum [Glassboro], 1985
2:11.07 … Miya Johnson [Lenape], 2007
2:11.45 … Sydney Coppolino [Sterling], 2017
2:11.56 … Mary Bohi [Seneca], 2009
2:11.80 … Briana Gess [Haddonfield], 2016
2:11.88 … Kayla Martin [Seneca], 2015
2:11.94 … Bridget Flynn [Ocean City], 2014
2:12.04 … Kami Joi Hickson [Washington Twp.], 2017
2:12.09 … Monica Olkowski [Cherokee], 1990
2:12.13 … Nicole Clifford [Cherokee], 2022
2:12.28 … Rachel Vick [Kingsway], 2017
2:12.61 … Felicia O’Donnell [Delsea], 2009
2:12.63 … Liz Locke [Kingsway], 2010
2:12.77 … Lauren McHale [Ocean City], 1998
2:12.78 … Megan Quimby [Lenape], 2015
2:12.83 … Brooke Kott [Millville], 2008
2:12.85 … Greta Feldman [Haddonfield], 2008
2:12.93 … Carly Pettipaw [Lenape], 2015
2:12.8h … Eva Marie Berardi [Williamstown], 1979