A ton of incredible performances by South Jersey athletes at this weekend’s David Hemery Valentine Invitational at the Boston University Track & Tennis Center.
Caraccio’s time is No. 3 in Monmouth history, behind Ford Palmer of Absegami, who ran 4:00.46 in 2013, and Chris Marco, who ran 4:03.51 in 2018.
✅ Cherokee graduate Ethan Wechsler, a sophomore at Syracuse, finished just behind Reed in 14:18.79. His previous 5,000 PR was a 14:19.77 outdoors in Raleigh, N.C, in May 2021. His indoor PR was a 14:31.45 at Boston Universitry in December 2021.
✅ Cornell sophomore Brady Shute from Woodbury PR’d in the 800 with a 1:52.06. That’s a two-second indoor PR over his 1:54.13 from a meet last February at the Armory. His previous overall PR was a 1:53.70 last April at Cortland, N.Y.
✅ Monmouth junior Ian Moore from Rancocas Valley also ran an indoor 800 PR with a 1:52.28. That’s No. 7 in Monmouth history indoors. Moore’s previous indoor PR was a 1:52.76 at Ocean Breeze as a freshman. He’s run 1:51.98 outdoors.
✅ In his first collegiate 5,000 and first lifetime indoor 5,000, Delsea graduate Andrew Littlehales, a freshman at Army, ran 14:40.39. Littlehales ran one track 5,000 in high school and ran 15:04.81 at Franklin Field this past June.
✅ Shawnee graduate Andrew Lodge, a senior at The College of New Jersey, ran an indoor PR 48.57. His previous indoor PR was 48.89 at last year’s NJAC meet at Ocean Breeze. Lodge has run 48.49 outdoors at a meet last spring in Bethlehem, Pa.
✅ Ahmir Johnson won the triple jump with an indoor PR 48-11 ¾, the No. 3 mark in NCAA Division 3 this year. He broke his own school record of 48-11 ½ from a meet in March 2022 in Rochester, N.Y.
✅ Monmouth won the distance medley in 9:37.38 with Caraccio leading off on the 1,200 leg, Burlington Township’s Jalen Jones running the 400, Moore the 800 and Louis DiLaurenzio the 1,600 anchor. That’s No. 5 in NCAA Division 3 this year and broke the school record of 9:46.80 set at 2013 IC4As.
✅ Princeton’s Arianna Smith, a junior from Pennsville, ran 55.19 in the 400. She wasn’t far off her indoor (and overall) PR of 55.01, which she ran in Annapolis last month. She also ran a 55.18 third leg on Princeton’s winning 4-by-4, which ran 3:40.89
✅ Nia Holden, a St. John’s senior from Highland and transfer from American, ran an 800 PR of 2:11.03. Her previous PR was a 2:11.90 last month at Ocean Breeze. Before joining St. John’s this season, her 800 PR was a 2:14.43 last year for American in the trials of the Patriot League Championships last year in Lewisburg, Pa.
✅ Shawnee’s Grace Kearns, a junior at Monmouth, finished just behind Holden in a season-best 2:11.45. Kearns ran 2:10.39 last year art IC4A’s in Boston. Lenape’s Shelby Whetstone of Rutgers ran 2:12.38.
✅ Post-grad Kristin Siegle, a Rider graduate from Buena, ran a big personal-best 4:52.64. Her previous PR was 4:55.34 at Boston University in 2020. She has run as fast as 4:22.45 for 1,500 meters outdoors.
✅ Egg Harbor graduate Isabella Leake, a Monmouth junior, ran a mile PR of 4:53.62, No. 6 in Monmouth history. Her previous PR was a 4:54.22 last month at Ocean Breeze.
✅ UConn’s Jailya Ash from Eastern ran an 8.46 to easily lead all qualifiers in the 60-meter hurdles. She false-started in the final but still had the fastest time of the day, including the finals.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 