From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Delsea senior Jason Nwosu unloaded the 12th-best discus throw in South Jersey history Wednesday.

Nwosu threw 182-7 at the Tri-County Championships at Kingsway, surpassing his previous PR of 177-10 in late April in a meet at East Stroudsburg (Pa.) University.

His mark is No. 3 in Gloucester County history behind Delsea’s Josh Awotunde and Deptford’s Ken Manahan.

Awotunde threw 192-5 at the 2013 state Group 3 meet at South Plainfield and placed 5th in the shot put in March at the IAAF World Indoor Championships at Štark Arena in Belgrade, Serbia. He ranks No. 15 in U.S. history at 72-10.

Manahan threw a then-South Jersey record 185-5 at the 1976 Gloucester County Championships at Woodbury, breaking the S.J. mark of 178-0 set in 1970 by Millville’s Jim Stites at the 1970 Meet of Champions at Highland Park.

Nwosu’s mark is No. 3 in New Jersey this year, behind only Bergen Catholic’s Benjamin Shue, who set a national freshman record of 193-0 at the Penn Relays, and Southern Regional junior Fabian Gonzalez, who threw 184-8 at Penn.

Nwosu also won the shot put at 59-6 ¼, leading a 1-2-3 Delsea sweep. Senior Josh Caudill was 2nd with a PR 55-6 ½ and sophomore Greg Masso 3rd with an outdoor PR of 51-1 ½.

Penns Grove junior Janier Armstead placed second with a monster PR of 165-10, which is No. 9 in New Jersey this year and No. 3 in South Jersey, behind only Nwosu and his Delsea teammate Cade Berardelli, who threw 174-11 at the South Jersey Elite at Delsea earlier this month.

Armstead’s previous PR was 143-11 at the Woodbury Relays, so this was a nearly 22-foot PR. His best throw last year was 105-4, and as recently as April 22 he hadn’t thrown beyond 123-1. Wow!

His throw is No. 3 in Salem County history and best by a Salem County thrower in eight years, since Penns Grove’s Anthony Robertson threw 170-0 at the 2014 Tri-County Conference Championships at Delsea.

Nwosu is the 7th thrower in South Jersey history to hit 60 feet in the shot and 180 feet in the discus:

Ron Dayne [Overbrook]
SHOT: 64-6 ¼, 1996
DISCUS: 216-11, 1996

Braheme Days Jr. [Bridgeton]
SHOT: 68-8 ½, 2012
DISCUS: 199- 6, 2013

Josh Awotunde [Delsea]
SHOT: 61-6, 2013
DISCUS: 192- 5, 2013

Ray Wilks [Bridgeton]
SHOT: 64-5, 1995
DISCUS: 189- 7, 1995

Matt Huckabee [Timber Creek]
SHOT: 61-2 ½, 2010
DISCUS:185-7, 2010

Kamron Kobolak [Cinnaminson]
SHOT: 61-11 ¾, 2018
DISCUS: 185- 6, 2018

Jason Nwosu [Delsea]
SHOT:60-11 ½, 2022
DISCUS:182-7, 2022

South Jersey 180-Foot Club
216-11 … Ron Dayne [Overbrook], 1996
199- 6 … Braheme Days Jr. [Bridgeton], 2013
197- 0 … James Plummer [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2013
192- 5 … Josh Awotunde [Delsea], 2013
189- 7 … Ray Wilks [Bridgeton], 1995
185-11 … John Mooers [Middle Twp.], 2015
185-10 … Russ Willett [Penns Grove], 1985
185- 7 … Matt Huckabee [Timber Creek], 2010
185- 6 … Kamron Kobolak [Cinnaminson], 2018
<u>185- 5 … Ken Manahan [Deptford], 1976</u>
184- 4 … Adam Hunt [Collingswood], 2017
182- 7 … Jason Nwosu [Delsea], 2022
181-10 … Jason Winrow [Cumberland Reg.], 1989
180- 3 … Howard Clark [Pennsauken], 1998