In her first race in a year, Haddonfield’s Sarah Naticchia 3rd for Harvard in dual meet vs. Boston College!!!!!

Haddonfield’s Sarah Naticchia, a sophomore at Harvard, placed 3rd in a dual meet against Boston College Saturday.

The only results I was able to track down are kind of confusing – they show 10 women with the same time placing 2nd through 10th and there’s no indication how long the course was. But Naticchia placed 3rd behind teammates Makena Gates and Marianne Mihas in 20:44 for … who knows how long?

Harvard’s women’s XC web site doesn’t mention the race and actually doesn’t mention much of anything at all. The most recent women’s XC stories are from November.

Boston College’s women’s XC web site hasn’t been updated since March, so no help there either.

All I can tell you is what’s on the single page of results: The race was held at Chestnut Hill Reservoir, which is in Boston, and Harvard won 17-38.

But what’s really important is that Naticchia is healthy and racing again at a high level. She only raced once as a freshman and that was a cross country 3,000 last September at Franklin Park in Boston.

Naticchia ran 2:15.79, 4:54.25 and 10:33.85 at Haddonfield.

Cherokee’s Ethan Wechsler 5th in Harry Lang Invite in Syracuse season opener!!!!!

Cherokee grad Ethan Wechsler, a Syracuse sophomore, placed 5th in the Harry Lang Invitational Saturday at Colgate University’s Harry Lang Course in Hamilton, N.Y.

Wechsler covered the 6,400-meter course in 20:20 and finished just 34 seconds behind overall winner Kevin Robertson, a Syracuse junior. Syracuse won the team title 15-69 over Cornell.

Wechsler was Syracuse’s fourth finisher on a day when the Orangemen packed their five scorers in 48 seconds.

Wechsler ran 14:19.77 on the track for 5,000 meters last year and has an 8,000-meter XC best of 24:46.9 from the ACC Championships.

Syracuse is ranked No. 2 in the NCAA Division 1 Northeast Region by the USTFCCCA, behind only Harvard. The Orange are No. 21 nationally.

Kingsway’s Kylie Anicic of Edinburg gets a win in first XC race in three years!!!!!

Abdalah [far left] and Anicic [far right] with another Edinburg runner in the middle. Photo courtesy Slippery Rock web site.
In her first cross country race in three years, Edinboro junior Kylie Anicic from Kingsway finished first in the Doug Watts Open on her home course in Northwestern Pennsylvania.

Anicic had a record-setting season on the track for Edinboro last spring and was a triple winner at the PSAC Championships in Millersville, but she hadn’t competed in a cross country race since she was a freshman at Towson University. Her last XC race was the NCAA Division 1 Mid-Atlantic Regional on Nov. 15, 2019, at Lehigh’s Goodman campus in Bethlehem, Pa.

Her 2020 season was wiped out because of COVID and Anicic had to sit out last year’s XC season as a double transfer. Anicic began her athletic career playing lacrosse at Temple.

Although Edinboro hasn’t posted any results on its web site, I found them on Slippery Rock’s site. Anicic covered the 6,000-meter course in 23:28, five seconds ahead of Slippery Rock’s Marianne Abdalah, who last year finished 2nd at the NCAA Division 2 Atlantic Region Championships at Lock Haven.

Slippery Rock won the team title 31-35 over Edinboro.

Edinboro was ranked No. 1 this year the preseason NCAA D-2 Atlantic Region, and Slippery Rock was 4th, with Charleston (W. Va.) 2nd and Seton Hill of Greensburg, Pa., 3rd.

After missing most of 2021, Cherokee grad Justin Kelly wins Salisbury Fall Classic!!!!!

Cherokee graduate Justin Kelly, a senior at Rowan, finished first among 97 runners Saturday in the 26th annual Salisbury (Md.) University Fall Classic over 8,000 meters at WinterPlace Park and Equestrian Center just outside Salisbury.

Kelly ran 25:16 and won by 25 meters over Logan Horst of Messiah College in Grantham, Pa., who ran 25:21. It was Kelly’s second straight win in the Salisbury Fall Classic. He only raced twice last year after transferring from Stony Brook (N.Y.) before missing the rest of the season with an illness.

Kelly won the 3,000 at the NJAC indoor meet last February and was second in the 5,000 at the outdoor meet in May.

Rowan, ranked 3rd in the NCAA Division 3 Metro Region by the USTFCCCA (behind Haverford and The College of New Jersey), placed second to Navy by just seven points, 46-53.

The Profs’ No. 2 runner was senior Noah Cziryak from Triton, who placed 11th in 26:09, and their No. 5 runner was Giancarlo Vega, a sophomore from Timber Creek, who ran 15th in 26:21.

Rider transfer Ben Woodard from Highland was Rowan’s 7th runner in his Profs debut, taking 18th in 26:29.

Rowan packed its top five within 65 seconds, with No. 2 through 5 packing in 12 seconds.

In the 6K women’s race, sophomore Anne Sasse from Williamstown, sophomore Cammy Wright from Cherry Hill West and junior Olivia Shafer from Egg Harbor Township were Rowan’s No. 3, 4 and 5 runners, and the Profs placed 4th with 119 points.

Seth Clevenger, Nicole Clifford crush collegiate XC debuts at Mizzou Opener!!!!!

Haddonfield’s Seth Clevenger and Cherokee’s Nicole Clifford, two of New Jersey’s top distance runners last year, enjoyed successful college debuts Friday at the Mizzou XC Opener at Gans Creek XC Course in Columbia, Mo.

Clevenger, a freshman at Iowa State, placed 7th out of 48 runners in the men’s race, covering the 6,000-meter course in 18:15.0, which is 15:12 pace for a 5K course.

Clevenger was the first freshman across the line and was the 6th finisher for Iowa State, ranked 10th in the initial USTFCCA national poll. Iowa State went 1-3-4-5-6-7-8 and won the team title 19-56 over Oklahoma. Iowa State junior Ezekiel Rop of Eldoret, Kenya, was overall winner in 17:54.

Clifford, a freshman at Oklahoma, opened her college career by placing 24th in the women’s race and finishing 6th among freshman. She covered the 5,000-meter course in 18:44 and was Oklahoma’s 6th runner. Dana Feyen of Iowa State won the race in 17:.24. Iowa State won the team title 17-49 over Oklahoma.

Delsea’s Noah Deckert places 11th in Lehigh Invite, 4 other S.J. runners in top 30!!!!!

Delsea’s Noah Deckert, a junior at St. Joe’s, placed 11th out of 159 runners Friday at the season-opening Lehigh Invitational in Bethlehem, Pa.

Deckert covered the 6K course at Lehigh’s Goodman Campus – site of the 1978, 1983 and 1993 NCAA Championships – in 18:12, which is 4:52.9 pace.

Sophomore teammate Aidan Groff of Cherry Hill East was 13 seconds back in 20th place with a time of 18:25, Lehigh senior Connor Melko from Mickleton and Bishop Eustace ran 18:36 for 24th, St. Joe’s junior Matthew Coffey from Pennsauken and Camden Catholic was 27th in 18:37 and Hawks sophomore Colton Johnson, a Southeastern Louisiana transfer from Mantua Township and Paul VI, was 29th in 18:40.

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Billy Clewell, a Rutgers freshman from Camden Catholic, opened his collegiate career in 49th place in 19:03. He was the 10th freshman across the line.

Deckert, Groff, Coffey and Johnson were St. Joe’s No. 2, 4, 5 and 6 runners. Melko was Lehigh’s 5th man, and Clewell was Rutgers’ 5th finisher.

Villanova won the team title with a perfect 15 points, and Temple was 2nd [49] followed by St. Joe’s [75] and Lehigh [117].

Kingsway’s Sydney Watts of Chestnut Hill College records first collegiate XC win at Gwynedd-Mercy’s Griffins Open

Kingsway graduate Sydney Watts, a sophomore at Chestnut Hill College, recorded her first college XC win Thursday when she was first across the line at the season-opening Griffins Open 5K at Gwynedd-Mercy College in Lower Gwynedd Township, Montgomery County, Pa.

Watts ran 22:31 in her 2022 season debut and won by 200 meters over 2nd-place Alyssa Blackmon of Delaware Valley College in Doylestown. Blackmon ran 23:14.

Watts was part of the Kingsway team that won the 2019 South Jersey Group 4 meet and placed 3rd at the state meet and 7th at the Meet of Champions.

Curtis Thompson does it again! Takes 3rd at Spitzen Leichtathletik with 6th-best lifetime throw!!!!!!!!

Curtis Thompson surpassed the 270-foot plateau for the fourth straight meet Tuesday when he placed 3rd Tueaday in the Spitzen Leichtathletik in Luzern, Switzerland.

Thompson, a Florence High School graduate, hit 271-10 on his third attempt and finished behind 2012 Olympic gold medalist Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago [276-7] and Patriks Gailums of Latvia [273-5].

Here’s a look at Thompson’s last four meets:

270-3 – Aug. 6, Kamila Skolimowska Memorial, Stadion Śląski, Chorzów
276-4 – Aug. 20, NACAC Championships, Grand Bahama Sports Complex, Freeport
274-11 – Aug. 26 Athletissima, Stade Olympique de la Pontaise, Lausanne
271-10 – Aug. 30, Spitzen Leichtathletik, Luzern, Switzerland

Before last month, Thompson had thrown 270 feet just twice – at the 2016 Olympic Trials and the 2021 Olympic Trials. He’s now hit 270 feet six times since July 4.

Thompson opened with a 262-3 and a foul before his 271-10. He followed that with a 266-2 and a 262-3 before fouling on his 6th and final attempt.

The 271-10 throw is the 6th-best of his life.

Thompson, a two-time U.S. champ and 2021 Olympian, is ranked No. 8 in the world this year and No. 1 among Americans with his lifetime-best 287-9 throw at the American JavFest in East Stroudsburg last month. He’s also No. 3 in U.S. history.

Here’s a look at all of Thompson’s lifetime 260-foot throws:
287- 9 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022
276-4 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Bahamas, Aug. 20, 2022
274-11 … Athletissima, La Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland, Aug. 26, 2022
273- 4 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022
271-11… Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, July 4, 2016
271-10 … Spitzen Leichtathletik, Luzern, Switzerland, Aug. 30, 2022
271- 7 … Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, June 21, 2021
270- 3 … Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Invitational, Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland, Aug. 6, 2022
269- 7 …American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022
268- 1 … Oregon Relays, Hayward Field, Eugene, April 23, 2022
268- 1 … World Athletics Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, July 21, 2022
267- 4 … World Athletics Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, July 21, 2022
267- 2 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 22, 2021
266- 5 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 21, 2022
266-2 … Spitzen Leichtathletik, Luzern, Switzerland, Aug. 30, 2022
265-10 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 17, 2021
265-10 … Florida State Relays, Mike Long Track, Tallahassee, Fla., March 25, 2016
265- 7 … Victoria Track Classic, Centennial Stadium, Victoria, British Columbia, June 15, 2022
264- 8 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 21, 2022
264- 1 … USATF Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore., June 26, 2022
264-0 … Athletissima, La Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland, Aug. 26, 2022
263-10 … 94th annual Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, Mike A. Myers Stadium, Austin, Texas, March 25, 2022
262-3 … Spitzen Leichtathletik, Luzern, Switzerland, Aug. 30, 2022
261- 6 … Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Invitational, Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland, Aug. 6, 2022
260-11 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 30, 2016
260- 1 … NACAC Under-23, San Salvador, Estadio Jorge “Mágico” González, June 17, 2016
260-1 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Bahamas, Aug. 20, 2022

CURTIS THOMPSON BOMBS 3RD-BEST JAVELIN THROW OF HIS LIFE TO REACH PODIUM AT DIAMOND LEAGUE MEET IN LAUSANNE!!!!!!!!!!

Curtis Thompson reached the podium in the javelin Friday at the Athletissima Diamond League meet in Lausanne, Switzerland, with the 3rd-best throw of his life.

Thompson threw 274-11 and placed third behind 2021 Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra of India (292-3) and 2021 Olympic silver medalist Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic (281-9).

The 2014 Florence High School graduate, a 2021 Olympian and two-time U.S. champion, popped the 274-11 on his first attempt. His next-best throw was a 264-0 on his 5th attempt.

Thompson, No. 3 in U.S. history with his 287-9 at the American JavFest last month, has now thrown 273 feet or better four times in his life – all in the last seven weeks. And 16 of his 21-best throws have been this season.

Thompson finished about a foot and a half ahead of Keshorn Walcott, the 2012 Olympic champion from Trinidad and Tobago. He was 4th at 273-6.

Athletissima, one of the biggest track meets in the world, is held annually inside the sold-out La Pontaise Olympic Stadium in Lausanne, a historic village on the southern tip of Switzerland along Lake Geneva, which separates Switzerland from France.

Thompson also placed 3rd in his previous Diamond League meet – at Chorzów, Poland, on Aug. 6. He now has 12 Diamond League qualifying points, which ranks him 5th with only one Diamond League meet left before the finals at the Weltklasse at Letzigrund in Zürich Sept. 7-8. The top six compete in Zurich.

Thompson is No. 8 in the world this year, No. 1 among American men and No. 50 in world history.

Here’s a look at Thompson’s 24 throws of at least 260 feet:

287- 9 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022
276-4 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Bahamas, Aug. 20, 2022
274-11 ¾ … Athletissima, La Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland, Aug. 26, 2022
273- 4 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022
271-11… Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, July 4, 2016
271- 7 … Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, June 21, 2021
270- 3 … Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Invitational, Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland, Aug. 6, 2022
269- 7 …American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022
268- 1 … Oregon Relays, Hayward Field, Eugene, April 23, 2022
268- 1 … World Athletics Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, July 21, 2022
267- 4 … World Athletics Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, July 21, 2022
267- 2 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 22, 2021
266- 5 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 21, 2022
265-10 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 17, 2021
265-10 … Florida State Relays, Mike Long Track, Tallahassee, Fla., March 25, 2016
265- 7 … Victoria Track Classic, Centennial Stadium, Victoria, British Columbia, June 15, 2022
264- 8 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 21, 2022
264- 1 … USATF Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore., June 26, 2022
264-0 … Athletissima, La Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland, Aug. 26, 2022
263-10 … 94th annual Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, Mike A. Myers Stadium, Austin, Texas, March 25, 2022
261- 6 … Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Invitational, Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland, Aug. 6, 2022
260-11 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 30, 2016
260- 1 … NACAC Under-23, San Salvador, Estadio Jorge “Mágico” González, June 17, 2016
260-1 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Bahamas, Aug. 20, 2022

South Jersey trio headed to Switzerland to face the best in the world at Athletissima Diamond League meet!!!!!!!!

One of the biggest track meets in the world is the Athletissima – the Diamond League meet Friday in Lausanne, Switzerland. And South Jersey will be well represented.

Three South Jersey athletes are headed for Lausanne, where the 11th of 13 Diamond League meets is scheduled to begin at 12:10 p.m. EST – that’s 6:10 p.m. Central European Summer Time.

Lausanne is a spectacular, historic village in the mountainous southern tip of Switzerland across Lake Geneva from eastern France.

And Florence’s Curtis Thompson, Pleasantville’s Nia Ali and Delsea’s Josh Awotunde will all be at Stade olympique de la Pontaise to compete against some of the best athletes in the world. The 15,850-capacity stadium is sold out.

The full schedule of events is listed here.

Let’s take a look!

CURTIS THOMPSON: Thompson, a 2014 Florence High School graduate and 2021 Olympian, thought his season was over after he won the NACAC Championships in the Bahamas Friday with a 276-4, the second-best throw of his life and his fourth 270-foot throw since June after hitting 270 just twice in his life previously (at the 2016 and 2021 Olympic Trials).

This will be his second Diamond League meet. He placed third earlier this month in the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial at Stadion Śląski in Chorzów, Poland, with a 270-3.

Thompson is No. 8 in the world this year, No. 1 among American men, No. 50 in world history and No. 3 in U.S. history with his 287-9 at the American JavFest at East Stroudsburg (Pa.) South High School last month.

The javelin field also includes 2021 Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra of India, 2012 Olympic gold medalist Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago and 2021 Olympic silver medalist Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic. The full javelin field is listed here.

The javelin is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Lausanne, which is 1:30 p.m. EST.

JOSH AWOTUNDE: Awotunde, a 2013 Delsea graduate, continues his breakout season with his second Diamond League appearance of his life and of this month.

Awotunde has competed twice since his monster 3rd-place finish at the World Championships. He placed 3rd with a throw of 70-0 ½ at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial at Stadion Śląski in Chorzów, Poland – his Diamond League debut – and also 69-9 ¾ at the Gyulai István Memorial in the Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix at the Bregyó Athletic Center in Székesfehérvár, Hungary.

At Worlds, Awotunde won the bronze medal behind American teammates Ryan Crouser and Joe Kovacs and recorded the three-best throws of his life – 72-10 ¾, 72-11 ½ and 73-1 ½.

Awotunde has actually only competed in five meets this outdoort season after placing 5th in indoor worlds in Belgrade, Serbia, in March.

The Franklinville native is No. 4 in the world this year, No. 3 American, No. 18 in world history and No. 11 on the U.S. all-time list.

Also in the shot put field Friday are two-time Olympic gold medalist and world record holder Crouser and two-time World Champion and world all-time No. 4 Kovacs – Awotunde’s teammates when the U.S. swept the shot at Worlds – and the New Zealand duo of all-time world No. 6 and 2016 world indoor champion Tom Walsh and two-time Olympic two-10 placer Jacko Gill. The full field is listed here.

The men’s shot put is scheduled for 9 p.m. in Lausanne, which is 3 p.m. here.

NIA ALI: Ali, a 2006 Pleasantville graduate and the 2016 Olympic 100-meter hurdles silver medalist and 2019 World Champion, has raced in two Diamond League meets this year, running 12.76 at Kamila Skolimowska Memorial at Stadion Śląski in Chorzów, Poland, and 12.60 at Gyulai István Memorial in the Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix at the Bregyó Athletic Center in Székesfehérvár, Hungary.

Ali’s fastest time this year was her 12.49 in the semifinals of the World Championships. Later that day she was unable to finish in the final.

Ali is No. 12 in the world this year and No. 5 American. She’s No. 12 in world history with her 12.34 to win the 2019 World Championships at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar, and No. 4 all-time among U.S. women.

Also in the field are Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan, who set the world record of 12.12 at the World Championships earlier this month in Eugene, former world record holder Kendra Harrison, who ran 12.20 in London in 2016, 2021 Olympic gold medalist and all-time world No. 5 Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico and Jamaican Britney Anderson, all-time world No. 9 with her 12.31 last month in the semis at worlds. The full hurdles field is here.

The women’s 100-meter hurdles is scheduled for 9:23 p.m. Friday, which is 3:23 p.m. EST.