Rancocas Valley stayed at home for the Meet of Champions instead of racing at New Balance Nationals, and the Red Devils emerged with a triumph in the 800-meter relay.

Seniors Anabella Chin, Jya Marshall and Olivia Smith and junior Kasey White ran 49.86 and won by 1-100th of a second over North Hunterdon.

North Hunterdon ran 49.87 in the second of three sections, and R.V. ran in the final race and crossed the line 1-100th of a second faster.

It was R.V.’s first Meet of Champions win in the 400-meter relay and second MoC relay title. The Red Devils won the 4-by-4 in 2019.

R.V. ran a season-best 48.65 to win Group 4 states last weekend.

It was a tricky race for the Rancocas Valley girls because they knew they had to run faster than 49.87, but they were in a race with nobody to push them.

The Red Devils won the “seeded” race by over a second.

Rancocas Valley is the first South Jersey school to win the Meet of Champions 4-by-100 since Winslow Township in 2016 and the first Burlington County school since Michelle Glover and Willingboro won it in 1980. (It wasn’t held from 1981 through 2009.)

Bryce Tucker won his second straight Meet of Champions intermediate hurdles title Saturday one day after earning All-America honors in the event.

Tucker, a Pennsauken junior, ran 53.57 to win the 400IH at the 53rd annual Meet of Champions at Franklin High one day after running 53.01 for 4th place at the New Balance Nationals at Franklin Field.

Tucker won by six meters over senior Daniel Jakubowski-Lewis, who placed 2nd in 54.28.

Tucker is the first to win the Meet of Champions intermediate hurdles in back-to-back seasons since East Orange’s Cory Poole in 2015 and 2016 and the first South Jersey runner since ever.

He’s only the 20th South Jersey athlete in the meet’s more than half a century to win the same event in consecutive years. In 2023, he’ll have the opportunity to join Murad Campbell as South Jersey’s only three-time winner of the same event in Meet of Champions history. Campbell won the 3,200 for Overbrook in 1997, 1998 and 1999.

Isaac Samuelos [Kennedy], Long Jump [1982, 1983]
Mark Murphy [Haddonfield], Pole Vault [1984, 1985]
Ken Reynolds [Willingboro], 100-Meter Dash [1985, 1986]
Russ Willett [Penns Grove], Discus [1985, 1986]
Gerard Reynolds [Willingboro], 110-Meter Hurdles [1989, 1990]
Gerard Reynolds [Willingboro], Long Jump [1989, 1990]
Lamont Smith [Willingboro], 400-Meter Dash [1990, 1991]
Dwayne Robinson [Bridgeton], High Jump [1991, 1992]
Ray Wilks [Bridgeton], Shot Put [1994, 1995]
Ron Dayne [Overbrook], Discus [1995, 1996]
William Spearman [Wilson], Long Jump [1995, 1996]
Murad Campbell [Overbrook], 3,200-Meter Run [1997, 1998, 1999]
Robert Jordan [Millville], High Jump [1998, 1999]
Anthony Miles [Winslow Twp.], Long Jump [2002, 2003]
Mike Morrison [Willingboro], High Jump [2002, 2003]
Anthony Averett [Woodbury], Long Jump [2011, 2012]
Cade Antonucci [Holy Spirit], Javelin [2016, 2017]
Jonathan Taylor [Salem], 100-Meter Dash [2016, 2017]
Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], Triple Jump [2017, 2018]
Floyd Whitaker [Highland], Triple Jump [2019, 2021*]
* – no meet in 2020

Tucker is also the No. 1 seed going into the 110-meter hurdles final later Saturday after running a lifetime-best 14.22 in the trials.

Cherokee opened the Meet of Champions with its first win in the 3,200-meter relay.

On a very windy day that rendered fast times impossible, junior Conor Jacob, sophomore Nick Kuenkel, sophomore Robert Poplau and junior Patrick Ditmars ran 7:54.34 and won by 50 meters at the 53rd annual Meet of Champions at Franklin High School.

Cherokee led by more than 1 ½ seconds at the first handoff, 3 ½ seconds 400 meters into Kuenkel’s leg and by over 50 meters when Ditmars got the stick.

Cherokee had run 7:50.53 at the state Group 4 meet last weekend on the same track without 1:55 half-miler Patrick Ditmars.

But with nobody else running fast, Cherokee won easily, finishing more than six seconds ahead of 2nd-place Chatham, which ranked 8:00.63.

Jacob led off with a 1:57.63 split, Kuenkel ran 1:58.05, Poplau split 1:58.93 and Ditmars – in his first race since May 19 – split 1:59.73.

The Meet of Champions title is the 3rd for Cherokee. Marc Pelerin won the 3,200 at South Brunswick in 2002 and Luciano Pizarro won the shot put in 2019 at Northern Burlington.

Cherokee is the 4th South Jersey school to win the 4-by-8 since it was added to the state program in 2010. Vineland won in 2012, Kingsway in 2013 and Delsea in 2018.

 

Pennsauken earned All-America honors Friday with the fastest 800-meter relay by a South Jersey school this year.

Senior Nadir Paige, junior Bryce Tucker, sophomore Elijah Jennings and junior Premier Wynn ran 1:28.28 and placed 8th at the New Balance Nationals at Franklin Field.

That’s No. 2 in the state this year, just 10-100ths of a second behind the 1:28.18 East Brunswick ran at the Middlesex County Relays last month at South Brunswick.

It’s also fastest by a South Jersey school in six years, since Paul VI ran 1:27.38 at the Woodbury Relays.

Pennsauken’s best previous time this year was a 1:28.84 at the Woodbury Relays. Their school record is 1:27.68 at the 2016 Willingboro Relays.

Tucker is now a five-time All-America before the end of his junior year.

He also earned All-America honors with a 4th-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles on Friday. He ran a season-best 53.01, his fastest time since he won last year’s Meet of Champions in 52.17. He’ll be back on the track Saturday to defend his M-of-C title.

Tucker also earned All-America honors with a 4th-place finish in the 400 indoors at Ocean Breeze Nationals this past winter as well as on Pennsauken’s 800- and 1,600-meter relay teams.

All-Time South Jersey 800-Meter Relay List
1:24.49 … Winslow Twp., 2003
1:24.90 … Camden, 2004
1:26.05 … Camden, 2000
1:26.68 … Camden, 1997
1:27.38 … Paul VI, 2016
1:27.52 … Woodrow Wilson, 1996
1:27.66 … Oakcrest, 2011
1:27.68 … Pennsauken, 2016
1:27.69 … Oakcrest, 2012
1:27.74 … Pleasantville, 1994
1:27.75 … Willingboro, 2007
1:27.80 … Pleasantville, 1999
1:27.84 … Winslow Twp., 2002
1:27.90 … Winslow Twp., 2008
1:27.96 … Williamstown, 2015
1:27.98 … Camden, 2002
1:28.01 … Camden, 1999
1:28.02 … Edgewood, 2000
1:27.9 ….. Edgewood, 1985
1:27.9 ….. Winslow Twp., 2008
1:28.23 … Rancocas Valley, 2015
1:28.0h … Willingboro, 1979
1:28.0h … Edgewood, 1984
1:28.0h … Edgewood, 1985
1:28.0h … Camden, 2001
1:28.0h … Winslow Twp., 2004
1:28.28 … Pennsauken, 2022
1:28.29 … Cherry Hill East, 2012
1:28.35 … Timber Creek, 2014
1:28.37 … Camden, 2005
1:28.38 … Paul VI, 2018
1:28.40 … Cherokee, 2008
1:28.42 … Pennsauken, 2005
1:28.2h … Cumberland Regional, 1981
1:28.44 … Lenape, 1996
1:28.47 … Pennsauken
1:28.52 … Timber Creek, 2013
1:28.57 … Deptford, 2017
1:28.62 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2017
1:28.62 … Delsea, 2010
1:28.64 … Rancocas Valley, 2014
1:28.4h … Woodrow Wilson, 1986
1:28.4h … Edgewood, 2001
1:28.65 … Camden, 2000
1:28.70 … Paul VI, 2021
1:28.79 … Willingboro, 1999
1:28.82 … Buena, 2000
1:28.6h … Willingboro, 1982
1:28.6h … Willingboro, 1990
1:28.6h … Vineland, 2002
1:28.90 … Delsea, 2008
1:28.7h … Willingboro, 1977
1:28.7h … Edgewood, 1982
1:28.7h … Edgewood, 1982
1:28.96 … Deptford, 2015
1:28.96 … Egg Harbor Twp.,2015
`

Lumberton’s Greg Foster shattered the state triple jump record Thursday at New Balance Nationals.

Foster, a senior at Lawrenceville School, had three jumps over 50 feet including a state-record 51-0 ¾ on his final jump at Franklin Field.

https://results.nbnationalsout.com

Foster broke the state record of 50-9 ¼ set in 2018 by Khaliel Burnett of Delsea at the state Group 3 meet at Central Regional in Bayville.

Foster entered competition Thursday with a PR of 49-9 ¼ from Ocean Breeze Nationals in March.

Although he jumped 47-9 ½ last July at the USATF Junior Olympic Championships in Jacksonville, his official high school outdoor PR was 43-11 ¼ from a meet last month in Pottstown, Pa.

Foster’s father, also Greg, graduated from Shawnee and had a triple jump PR of 53-6 ½ set in a meet in Flagstaff, Ariz., in May of 1988. He competed later that summer at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Indianapolis.

The national schoolboy title is Foster’s 4th. Indoors, he won long jump at 25-4 ½ at Ocean Breeze Nationals, the triple jump with that 49-9 ¼ and the 60-meter hurdles in 7.43. He shoots for No. 5 Sunday back at Franklin Field in the long jump.

On Thursday, Foster opened with a 50-6 and a 50-2 ¾ – his first two lifetime 50-foot jumps – before fouling on his 3rd attempt. He opened the finals at 49-7 ¾ and a foul before nailing the record-setting jump on his 6th and final attempt.

Ryan John of Valley Stream, N.Y., placed 2nd at 50-1 ¼ , so Foster had the three-best jumps of the competition.

His four legal jumps averaged 50-4 ¼ – enough to win the meet.

Foster, who has signed with Princeton, broke the Mercer County record of 50-0 1/4 set in 2007 by Devon Bond of Trenton.

Timber Creek senior Jaden Johnson jumped 46-10 and placed 8th, earning All-America honors. He set his PR of 47-7 ½ last weekend at the state Group 3 meet at Pennsauken. That’s No. 8 in South Jersey history.

ALL-TIME N.J TRIPLE JUMP LIST
51-0 ¾ … Greg Foster [Lawrenceville School], 2022
50-9 1/4 … Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], 2018
50-6 3/4 … Dominique Irons [Haddon Heights], 2013
50-5 … Chris Phipps [Lodi], 2008
50-3 1/4 … Dodley Thermitus [Elizabeth], 2016
50-2 1/2 … Eric Bethea [Piscataway], 2015
50-2 ½ … Floyd Whitaker [Highland], 2019
50-1 1/2 … Myles Hartsfield [Sayreville], 2014
50-0 1/4 … Devon Bond [Trenton], 2007
49-11 1/2 … Devin Jones [Boonton], 2010
49-5 … Jon Pitt [South Brunswick], 2013
49-4 3/4 … Tiquan Underwood [Notre Dame], 2005
49-1 1/4 … Rolston Braithwaite [Trenton], 2008
49-0 1/2 … Anthony DiCosmo [Paramus Catholic], 1995
49-0 … Nadale Buntin [J.P. Stevens], 2018
48-10 1/2 … Larry Russell [Timber Creek], 2015
48-10 … Adam Bergo [Westfield], 2008
48-9 1/4 … Richmond Shasha [Hamilton West], 2019
48-9 … Jayhlen Washington [North Brunswick], 2017
48-7 … A.J. McKay [Mount Olive], 2021
48-6 … Joseph Oduro [South Plainfield], 2022
48-3 ½ … Stephon Kelley-Gordon [Carteret], 2018
48-3 1/4 … Ryan Chance [Glassboro], 2009
48-3 … Barden Adams [West Orange], 2014
48-2 1/2 … Kyle Lindsey [Paterson], 2006
48-2 1/2 … Tyrell Judson [Piscataway], 2013
48-2 1/4 … Bernard Hoover [Hasbrouck Heights], 2004
48-2 … Craig Halyard [Ridgewood], 1989
48-2 … Emeke Eze [Sayreville], 2012
48-1 1/2 … Sean Wimbush [Teaneck], 2011
48-1 1/2 … Malik Snead [Hamilton West], 2015
48-1 ½ … Mubeen Momodu [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2019
48-1 ¼ … Orion Joyner [Kingsway], 2019
48-1 1/4 … Aaron King [Morris Hills], 2007
48-0 1/4 … Gerald Spears [Teaneck], 1989
48-0 1/4 … Darius Pemberton [Hackensack], 1992
48-0 … Josh Butler [Delsea], 2006
48-0 … Kevin Bostick [Bergen Catholic], 2008
48-0 … Dean Uduh [Columbia], 2015

Delsea’s Andrew Littlehales finished his fabulous senior year with the 10th-fastest 5,000 time in South Jersey history.

Littlehales, who ran 9:10.39 and 4:17.71 this year, ran 15:04.81 Thursday night at the New Balance Nationals at Franklin Field, placing 12th in the country and first among New Jersey runners.

https://results.nbnationalsout.com

In his only previous track 5,000, Littlehales ran 15:31.60 at a meet in Edison in September 2020.

Littlehales’ time is No. 2 in Gloucester County history, behind only the 14:51.35 Woodbury’s Brady Shute ran in Edison last April.

14:38.37 … Marc Pelerin [Cherokee], 2002
14:42.2h ….. Jerry Andrews [Highland], 1979
14:45.49 … Jimmy Daniels [Sterling], 2013
14:47.53 … Connor Melko [Bishop Eustace], 2019
14:48.20 … Aaron Groff [Cherry Hill East], 2016
14:51.0h … Jim Smith [Haddonfield], 1980
14:51.35 … Brady Shute [Woodbury], 2021
15:01.01 … Kevin McDonnell [Camden Catholic], 2008
15:01.04 … Paul Szulewski [Williamstown], 2011
15:03.49 … Aiden Groff [Cherry Hill East], 2021
15:04.81 … Andrew Littlehales [Delsea], 2022
15:05.56 … Anthony Dentino [Washington Twp.], 2011
15:06.22 … Jacob Cobb [West Deptford], 2021
15:11.78 … Michael Ungvarsky [Cinnaminson], 2016
15:23.65 … Josh Forrest [Collingswood], 2020
15:27.93 … Michael Rankin [Paul VI], 2010
15:29.53 … Sean Mulroy [Lenape], 2012
15:30.85 … Jon Vitez [Haddonfield], 2008

Curtis Thompson bombed one of the 10-best throws of his life late Thursday night in Western Canada.

Thompson, a Florence graduate, won the javelin at the Victoria Track Classic at Centennial Stadium in British Columbia with a throw of 265-7.

That’s only 2 ½ feet shy of his best throw this year – 268-1 at the Oregon Relays in Eugene in April – and only six feet from his PR of 271-11 that set the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene in 2016.

Thompson, a 2021 Olympian, competes next at the U.S. Championships – also in Eugene. The javelin is scheduled for 12:35 p.m. June 26 at Hayward Field.

Incredibly, the results from Victoria do not include Thompson’s full series. Curtis, if you’re reading this – and I know you will – please let me know what your five other throws looked like!

Thompson ranks No. 3 in the U.S. and 26^th in the world this year with his 268-1.

The top two finishers at U.S. Nationals make the U.S. team for World Championships in July, also at Hayward Field.

Thompson’s three-best lifetime throws have been recorded at Hayward Field. The 265-7 Thursday night was his best throw ever outside the U.S. He also won the 2014 U.S. Junior National Championship at that facility.

Thompson has competed at U.S. Nationals the last six times it was held and has placed 6^th or better every time, winning in 2018 and 2021.

2015: 6th, 72.45 [Eugene]
2016*: 2nd, 82.88 [Eugene]
2017: 6th, 72.74 [Sacramento]
2018: 1st, 75.99 [Des Moines, Iowa]
2019: 4th, 76.56 [Des Moines, Iowa]
2020: Not held
2021*: 1st, 82.78 [Eugene]
* – Olympic Trials

Here’s a look at all of Thompson’s 260-foot throws [not including possible additional throws last night]
271-11… Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, July 4, 2016
271-7 … Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, June 21, 2021
268-1 … Oregon Relays, Hayward Field, Eugene, April 23, 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 Stadiumn, Victoria, British Columbia, June 15, 2022
264-8 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 21, 2022
263-10 … 94th annual Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, Mike A. Myers Stadium, Austin, Texas, March 25, 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

The Cherokee girls shattered the South Jersey record in the 4-mile relay Thursday night at New Balance Nationals.

Junior Kelsey Niglio, sophomore Kerry O’Day, freshman Megan Niglio and senior Nicole Clifford ran 20:42.80, breaking the South Jersey record of 20:48.7 set by Haddonfield’s Mary Mulholland, Erin O’Donnell, Holly Cosnett and Erin Donohue at the 2000 Ike Willis Open at Rowan University in Glassboro

Cherokee’s time is No. 6 in state history.

Pioneer High of Ann Arbor, Mich., won the race at Franklin Field in 20:08.62, and Cherokee was 2nd.

Kelsey Niglio led off in 5:08.6, and O’Day split 5:10.2. Megan Niglio, at this point running alone, split 5:17.6, and Clifford anchored in 5:06.1. All the splits are for a full mile.

Haddonfield had two teams earn All-America honors in the same race – that’s eight All-America milers for the Bulldogs. Sophomore Audrey Naticchia, sophomore Riley Slootsky, sophomore Sarah Fetter and junior Elizabeth DiMichele placed 4th in 21:10.42, and sophomore Ava Thomas, junior Sabrina Miller, junior Helene Usher and senior Jess Goode took 6th in 21:37.83. Those times are No. 4 and No. 9 in South Jersey history.

Cherokee broke its school record of 21:24.1 set in 2000 by Lauren Jones, Erin Chiarulli, Melissa Razo and Michelle Bilick in the same race in Glassboro that Haddonfield ran 20:48.7.

All-Time State List
19:50.87 … Roxbury, 2006
20:22.61 … Randolph, 2010
20:27.2h … Ridgewood, 1983
20:37.26 … North Hunterdon, 2017
20:41.78 … Ridgewood, 2019
20:42.80 … Cherokee, 2022
20:44.18 … Red Bank, 2002
20:44.98 … Randolph, 2007
20:44.50 … Randolph, 2013
20:46.9h … North Hunterdon, 1984
20:48.38 … Randolph, 2017
20:48.70 … Haddonfield, 2000
20:50.76 … Roxbury, 2008
20:50.80 … Southern Regional, 2002
20:52.62 … Columbia, 1998
20:53.99 … Montclair, 2015
20:55.47 … Red Bank, 2003
20:55.99 … Pope John XXIII, 2017
20:56.80 … Red Bank Catholic, 2015
20:58.46 … Freehold Twp., 2013

All-Time South Jersey list
20:42.80 … Cherokee, 2022
20:48.7h … Haddonfield, 2000
21:07.81y … Shawnee, 2014
21:24.1h … Cherokee, 2000
21:24.30y … Bishop Eustace, 2010
21:32.24 … Woodrow Wilson, 2001
21:35.0h … Lenape, 2012
21:36.25 … Haddonfield, 2007
21:43.9h … Woodrow Wilson, 2000
21:44.25 … Kingsway, 2019
21:44.7h … Cherry Hill East, 2006

The Meet of Champions won’t be quite the same this year, thanks to the unnecessary and unfortunate scheduling conflict with New Balance Nationals at Franklin Field.

But the show must go on, even with a watered-down field.

So here’s our link hub for the 53rd annual edition of the Meet of Champions, scheduled for noon Saturday at Franklin High School.

If you’re at Franklin Field all day Saturday, this might be your best way to follow along!

Live results: Click here [link will be live Saturday morning]
Boys Meet of Champions All-Time Performance List: Click here,
Girls Meet of Champions All-Time Performance List: Click here.
Meet of Champions records: Click here [why are girls records not in the program?]
Meet of Champions All-Time Winners: Click here
Meet of Champions Complete program [it’s awful]: Click here
Order of events: here [why is this not in the program?]
Ticket link: Click here [will presumably be live soon].
MileSplit Live Stream [subscription required]: Click here:
Previous results: Click here.

In a perfect world, the NJSIAA would actually post the Meet of Champions performance lists on its web site. But they don’t. So we grabbed them from our pals at MileSplit. Which is all good because we grab stuff from each other all the time!

The 53rd annual Meet of Champions is scheduled for noon Saturday at South Plainfield. It’s the wrong time, the wrong day of the week and the wrong venue, but other than that it should be a great meet. Even with a good chunk of the field at Franklin Field for New Blanace Nationals.

Wouldn’t it be great if the NJSIAA ran the Meet of Champions the same way schools like Delsea, Haddonfield and Cherokee run their evening meets during the season? With the best interest of the kids in mind? To create an atmosphere where athletes can get the most out of their ability and really flourish? To truly promote the sport?

OK, [/rant]. Even with all its drawbacks, there’s still guaranteed to be a ton of terrific marks at the M-of-C Saturday.

Anyway, for the official boys and girls Meet of Champions performance lists, click HERE.