From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

I’m a little behind, but covering a Super Bowl is really demanding and time-consuming! If I missed something I’m sorry, I’ll try to catch up over the next few weeks!

Let’s start with Pennsauken’s performance Monday at the SJTCA #14 meet, the second one over the fast Ocean Breeze track in Staten Island.

✅ Senior Premier Wynn demolished his indoor 400 PR, winning in 48.45, with Timber Creek junior Nasir Ali 2nd in 49.72. Wynn’s previous indoor PR was a 49.66 at last year’s Meet of Champions at the Bubble. He ran 47.86 outdoors last spring to win the state Group 3 title and also ran 54.28 in the intermediates. His 48.45 is No. 3 in the state this year and No. 1 in South Jersey. It’s also No. 5 in South Jersey history and No. 22 in the U.S. this year according to the MileSplit national database. Wynn also placed 5th in the 55 in 6.65. All-time South Jersey list below!

✅ Premier’s younger sister, Sianni, won the 400 in 56.98, fastest by a New Jersey freshman since Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin of Union Catholic ran 56.15 at the 2014 Meet of Champions. Her time is No. 1 in South Jersey this year and No. 2 in the state behind Piscataway senior Brooke’lyn Drakeford, who ran 56.51 in December at Ocean Breeze. It also tied the school record set by Jade Pope at the 2020 state Group 3 meet at the Bubble. All-time South Jersey list below!

✅ Sianni Wynn also won a hot 200 in 24.87, with Timber Creek junior Naylah Jones second with the same time. Wynn is already No. 2 in the state at 24.81 from the Armory last month, and now Jones moves into the No. 3 spot on the state list. Jones’ previous PR was an outdoor 25.46, so that’s a huge breakthrough for her. Wynn and Jones are now No. 10 and No. 13 on the all-time South Jersey list. All-time South Jersey list below!

✅ Senior Bryce Tucker won a fast 800, leading five runners under 2:00, including the top three from South Jersey schools. Tucker ran an indoor PR 1:55.92, Deptford senior Lathan Brown was 2nd in 1:56.51 and Winslow sophomore Dominic Bassey took 3rd in 1:57.63. Those are the top three S.J. times this winter. Two Colts Neck runners also broke 2:00. Tucker’s 1:55.92 is No. 5 in the state this year and No. 1 in South Jersey. Tucker’s previous indoor PR was a 1:56.82 last month at the Bubble. He wasn’t far off his overall PR of 1:55.00 from last May outdoors in a meet at Metuchen. Tucker’s time is No. 22 in South Jersey history. Brown broke his indoor PR of 1:56.71 from last year’s Easterns at the Armory and not far from his overall PR of 1:56.19 from last year’s Haddonfield Distance Night. Bassey’s performance was a huge breakthrough and his first time under 2:01, 2:00, 1:59 and 1:58. His previous indoor or outdoor PR was 2:01.33 indoors at last year’s Group 4 sectionals at the Bubble. His time is No. 1 among all New Jersey sophomores and No. 7 nationally among sophs, according to MileSplit. It’s also fastest by a South Jersey sophomore since Haddonfield’s Derek Gess ran 1:55.93 at 2017 Easterns at the Armory. All-Time South Jersey list below!

✅ Tucker also won the 55-meter high hurdles in 7.66. Tucker already ranks 4th in the state this year at 7.56 from the Armory last month. He ran his PR of 7.53 at last year’s Meet of Champions at the Bubble. Another Pennsauken senior, 2nd-year hurdler Zah’kye Copling, PR’d at 7.92, his first time under 8 seconds.

✅ KaRon Ali ran 50.94 for 4th in the 400, which makes him the 7th-fastest freshman in the country according to MileSplit and the fastest South Jersey freshman since Luke Colehower of Haddonfield ran 49.44 at the 2016 Meet of Champions.

✅ Junior Elijah Jennings was 2nd in the 55 in 6.60, just off his PR 6.58 from sectionals. He’s No. 4 in South Jersey this year.

✅ In the boys meet, Eastern senior Rajahn Dixon won the 200 in a speedy 21.92, No. 2 in New Jersey this year and No. 9 in South Jersey history. He’s the first South Jersey sprinter to dip under 22 seconds since Antonio Tarantino of Paul VI in 2018. Dixon, in his first year of outdoor track, had a previous 22.41 from Ocean Breeze earlier this month. The all-time South Jersey boys 200 list is below.

Other South Jersey winners:

In the boys meet, Timber Creek junior Robert Wakefield won the 1,600 in 4:31.25 with Delsea’s Matthew Littlehales running 4:32.19, No. 15 among U.S. freshmen according to MileSplit, Highland won the 3,200-meter relay in 8:02.08 (names not available), Eastern senior Jashad Kersey won the triple jump at 44-0 ½; and Cinnaminson senior Malicah Etienne won the shot at 49-8.

In the girls meet, Timber Creek’s Jones won the 55 in 7.16, just over her PR of 7.11, which is No. 2 in New Jersey; Winslow freshman Ma’Syiah Brawner won the high jump at 5-2 and the long jump at 17-3 (both No. 1 in New Jersey among freshmen); Delsea senior Reese Gebhard won the pole vault with a 10-0 clearance; Delsea senior Lillie Widmer won the 800 in 2:21.09; Highland senior Grace Wassell was first in the 1,600 in 5:14.36; Delsea’s Reese Gebhard won the pole vault at 10-0; and Willingboro sophomore Chanel Swain was first in the shot put at 35-11 ¼. Also, Haddonfield won the 4-by-8 in 9:47.57 (names not available).

LISTS!

All-Time South Jersey Indoor Girls 200 List
24.38 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2006
24.39 … Shakira Dancy [Winslow Twp.], 2017
24.42 … Dennisha Page [Woodrow Wilson], 2019
24.46 … Amandi Rhett [Moorestown], 2000
24.52 … Cecelia Gerstenbecher [Delsea], 2017
24.61 … Ste’yce McNeil [Winslow Twp.], 2012
24.61 … Aliyah Taylor [Rancocas Valley], 2017
24.5h … Jennifer Jackson [Eastern], 2003
24.78 … Dana Burnett [Williamstown], 1996
24.81 … Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], 2023
24.83 … Kiara Lester [Deptford], 2014
24.83 … Lauren Princz [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2020
24.87 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 2023
24.94 … Shardae Anderson [Paulsboro], 2005
24.96 … Jackie Dim [Washington Twp.], 2008
24.96 … Toni Glatz [Delsea], 2017
24.99 … Aliya Harrison [Sterling], 2018

All-Time South Jersey Indoor Boys 200 List
21.53 … Darrell Bush [Woodbury], 2012
21.62 … Todd Dutch [Washington Twp.], 2002
21.82 … Antonio Tarantino [Paul VI], 2018
21.7h … A.J. Burton [West Deptford], 2006
21.85 … Lamont Smith [Willingboro], 1991
21.86 … Antonio Abney [Willingboro], 2007
21.89 … Reuben McCoy [Winslow Twp.], 2004
21.91 … Sterling Pierce [Rancocas Valley], 2015
21.92 … Rajahn Dixon [Eastern], 2023
21.96 … Mike Bolling [Willingboro], 2001

All-Time South Jersey Indoor Boys 400 List
47.90 … Brandon Outlaw [Moorestown], 2018
48.23 … Bryce Tucker [Pennsauken], 2022
48.27 … Jade Smith [Camden], 2002
48.36 … Mohammad Kanu [Lenape], 2000
48.45 … Premier Wynn [Pennsauken], 2023
48.45 … Xander Roberts-Bogin [Pleasantville], 2021
48.48 … Amir Brock [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2017
48.50 … Alex Reber [Cherry Hill East], 2013
48.55 … Royce Reed [Bridgeton], 1995
48.64 … Keith Griffith [Florence], 2010
48.68 … Lamont Smith [Willingboro], 1991
48.72 … Michael Mazero [Paul VI], 2022
48.74 … John Morris [Camden], 2001
48.75 … Luke Colehower [Haddonfield], 2017
48.79 … Gabriel Moronta [Pleasantville], 2020
48.7h … Curt Mcintyre [Bridgeton], 1992
48.91 … Marlin Gross [Bridgeton], 2001
48.91 … Rob Gary [Lenape], 1998

All-Time South Jersey Indoor Girls 400 List
54.24 … Okechi Ogbuokiri [Willingboro], 2003
54.91 … Nijgia Snapp [Oakcrest], 2008
55.16 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2006
55.19 … Michelle Brown [Seneca], 2008
55.21 … Aliyah Taylor [Rancocas Valley], 2017
55.4h … English Gardner [Eastern], 2008
55.6h … Denise Mitchell [Edgewood], 1984
55.83 … Kiara Lester [Deptford], 2016
56.19 … Nylah Perry [Winslow], 2020
56.21 … Dana Burnett [Williamstown], 1997
56.34 … Katrina Sye [Buena], 1997
56.44 … Avionne Sloan [Camden], 2006
56.62 … Ste’yce McNeil [Winslow Twp.], 2012
56.65 … Britney Kott [Millville], 2009
56.76 … Simone Thomas [Willingboro], 2003
56.78 … Ajae Alvarez-Tyler [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2018
56.85 … Emily Duffey [Lenape], 2012
56.85 … Nylah Perry [Winslow], 2020
56.88 … Marcene Jack [Mainland Reg.], 2004
56.90 … Nadia Davy [Bridgeton], 1999
56.98 … Jade Pope [Pennsauken], 2020
56.98 … Sianna Wynn [Pennsauken], 2023

All-Time South Jersey Indoor Boys 800 List
1:51.52 … Jacob Clark [Pleasantville], 2013
1:51.72 … Isaac Clark [Pleasantville], 2013
1:51.80 … Derrell Manhertz [Kingsway], 2013
1:52.46 … Gabriel Moronta [Pleasantville], 2020
1:53.51 … Alan Laws [Pleasantville], 2007
1:53.68 … Ishmael Muhammad [Oakcrest], 2013
1:54.53 … Stone Caraccio [Kingsway], 2020
1:54.80 … Marvin Lewis [Willingboro], 2001
1:54.81 … Bill Dolan [Clearview], 2013
1:54.82 … Xavier Fraction [Washington Twp.], 2009
1:55.00 … Steve Butenewicz [Delsea], 2011
1:55.14 … Shannon Sherrer [Vineland], 2002
1:55.14 … Zach McBride [Lenape], 2002
1:55.16 … Joe Lewis [Pleasantville], 1998
1:55.16 … Tivo Rivera [Kingsway], 2009
1:55.19 … Isaiah Curbelo [Rancocas Valley], 2016
1:55.19 … Jayden Greene [Washington Twp.], 2020
1:55.42 … Kevin Cianfarino [West Deptford], 2014
1:55.3h … Tony Uzdavines [Williamstown], 1976
1:55.77 … Carmen Cavella [Washington Twp.], 2004
1:55.84 … Matt Poskus [Cinnaminson], 2007
1:55.92 … Bryce Tucker [Pennsauken], 2023
1:55.93 … Derek Gess [Haddonfield], 2017