Sincere Rhea advanced to the quarterfinals in the 110-meter hurdles Wednesday at the NCAA Championships East preliminary meet in Jacksonville.

Rhea, a St. Augustine graduate and Miami junior, ran 13.70, the 2nd-fastest time of his life, at Hodges Stadium on the North Florida campus.

The first three finishers in each of six heats and the next six-fastest hurdlers advanced to Friday’s quarterfinals.

Rhea was 4th in the 3rd heat – which also had the lowest tailwind at 2.4 meters per second – and his 13.70 got him safely through to Friday. The cutoff wound up at 13.76.

His time was the 3rd-fastest small-Q qualifier after his race and nobody in the last three heats who wasn’t 1st, 2nd or 3rd ran faster, so he wound up with the 3rd-fastest small-Q qualifier.

Rhea, who grew up in Maurice River Township, Cumberland County, PR’d with a wind-legal 13.48 in the prelims of the ACC Championships at Raleigh, N.C., two weeks ago and placed 4th in the final. That’s No. 2 in Miami history, No. 35 in the world and No. 12 among Americans this year.

The quarterfinals are scheduled for 6:15 p.m. Friday. Twelve hurdles will advance from Friday to the NCAA Champions June 7-10 in Austin – the top three in each heat and the next-three fastest.

Seniors Mawali Osunniyi of Mainland, Jamil Wilkins of Egg Harbor, Aldrich Doe of Oakcrest and Elijah McCullough of Vineland squared off in an epic triple jump competition Wednesday at the Cape-Atlantic Conference Championships in Bridgeton, and all four PR’d, rewriting the 2023 South Jersey performance list.

Osunniyi won the competition with a 46-6 ¾ on one of only two legal jumps, Wilkins took second with a 45-5 ¼ on his fourth attempt, Doe jumped 44-10 ½ on his first attempt, and McCullough hit 44-8 ½ on his fourth try.

Those four Cape-Atlantic jumpers now rank No. 2, 3, 6 and 9 in South Jersey this year. Full top-10 below.

Osunniyi is now No. 4 in New Jersey this year and No. 1 in Group 3. Osunniyi also won the high jump at 6-6 before taking three shots at a PR 6-9.

Ahmad Fogg of Egg Harbor, who’s No. 1 in South Jersey with his 46-9 from last week’s Atlantic County meet at Stockton, didn’t triple Wednesday.

Osunniyi’s previous PR was a 45-10 at the South Jersey Elite at Delsea, Wilkins’ was 42-11 from the Atlantic County meet, Doe’s was 41-8 from Atlantic County and McCullough was 44-1 from last year’s Woodbury Relays.

Osunniyi broke the meet record of 44-11 set last year at Bridgeton by Fogg, and Wilkins also surpassed it. Doe missed it by half an inch.

Here’s a look at the updated all-time Cape-Atlantic Conference list:

All-Time Cape-Atlantic Triple Jump List
48-1 ½ … Mubeen Momodu [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2019
46-6 ¾ … Mawali Osunniyi [Mainland Reg.], 2023
46-2 ½ Darnell Charles [Oakcrest], 2011
45-11 ¾ Jayden Britt [Oakcrest], 2016
45-11 ¾ Stevenson Cajuste [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2008
45-10 Ladarrell Dixon [Oakcrest], 2013
45-5 ¼ … Jamil Wilkins [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2023

As for McCullough, his mark is best by a Cumberland County triple jumper in at least 18 years. The all-time South Jersey top-50 ends at 45-9 ¼, and the MileSplit database starts in 2006. So it’s possible a Cumberland County triple jumper went between 44-8 ½ and 45-9 ¼ before 2005. But considering the triple jump was rarely contested in South Jersey before about 2001 or 2002, it’s likely that McCullough’s 44-8 ½ is a county record. I’ll work on that.

Eastern senior Rajahn Dixon became only the second sprinter in the meet’s 49-year history to sweep the 100, 200 and 400 Monday at the Olympic Conference Championships.

Dixon won the 100 in 11.01, the 200 in 22.37 and the 400 in 49.76 at Rancocas Valley. The only other triple sprint winner in meet history was Michael Mazero of Paul VI just two years ago at Washington Township. Mazero won the 100 in 11.17, the 200 in 22.56 and the 400 in 49.77. Mazero is scheduled to run a 4-by-4 leg for Cornell at the NCAA East Prelims Friday in Jacksonville.

Edgewood’s Dennis Mitchell, an Olympic gold medalist, could have won the sprint triple in 1983. He set South Jersey records of 10.3 hand-timed in the 100 and 47.0 hand-timed in the 400 but skipped the 200, which was won by Williamstown’s Horace Jackson in 22.0. The 1983 meet was held at what was then Glassboro State College.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dixon topped Lenape sophomore M.J. Lincoln in the 100, Rancocas Valley freshman Thomas Howard Jr. in the 200 and another R.V. freshman, Julian Coppage-Seepersaud, in the 400.

He also anchored Eastern’s 1,600-meter relay team with a 49.60 split, fastest in the race. The Vikings ran 3:29.81 and placed 4th with juniors Landon Jenter and  Owen Karcsh and senior Carlos Oleaga also in the lineup

Dixon has PRs of 10.91 and 21.40 from the Camden County Championships and 49.04 from Fast Times at Cherokee. He’s No. 1 in New Jersey in the 200 and No. 3 in South Jersey in the 100 and No. 6 in the 400.

The Olympic Conference meet was first held in 1974 but wasn’t held in 2020.

Bishop Eustace junior Shawn Brady, who never threw the discus more than 141 feet until last month, popped a huge 166-6 throw Monday to win his first Olympic Conference title.

Brady moved into the No. 8 spot in the state and No. 4 in South Jersey and No. 2 among New jersey underclassmen, behind Bergen Catholic’s Ben Shue, who was 2nd at Franklin Field Nationals last year and is one of six 200-foot throwers in the U.S. so far this spring.

Last year, Brady had a PR of 140-9 from the Meet of Championsl, his last meet of the year. He blew that away with a 152-0 in his 2023 opener at the Don Danser Relays, then PR’d again with a 156-5 at South Jersey Elite and 158-9 at the Camden County Championships before his huge meet Monday.

He opened with a 145-3 before hitting the 166-6 on his second throw. He added throws of 153-5 and 144-2 and won by seven feet over Rancocas Valley senior Devon Brooks, who had two 159-2 throws.

Brady and Brooks are among four 165-foot throwers in South Jersey this year. Penns Grove senior Janier Armstrong had a 177-3 at the Woodbury Relays, Cinnaminson senior Malicah Etienne threw 174-7 at the Burlington County Open and Brooks threw 167-11 at the Deptford Spartan Relays. They’re ranked No. 4, 5, 7 and 8 in the state.

Brady’s throw is 3rd-best ever by a South Jersey non-public thrower, behind Franklin Simms of St. Augustine, who threw 191-11 at last year’s Meet of Champions, and Holy Spirit javelin national runner-up Cade Antonucci, who threw 169-1 at Woodbury in 2017.

He’s the top thrower this year in Parochial B, four feet ahead of Joshua Huisman of St. Rose of Belmar, who threw 162-5 in a meet last month at CBA in Lincroft.

Brady is the second Eustace thrower to win an Olympic Conference discus title. Montel Johnson won in 2017 at Washington Township with a 153-2 throw. Johnson went on to win the 2020 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference weight throw for Monmouth at the Armory and ranks 6th in Monmouth history with a 197-7 in the hammer throw.

Brady also won the shot put with a 49-10 1/2 on his final attempt. His previous PR was a 48-8 1/2 at the Camden County Championships earlier this month at Haddon Township.

Winslow freshman Ma’Syiah Brawner picked up three wins and a 3rd at the Olympic Conference Championships Tuesday.

She’s the first freshman to win three events in meet history.

Brawner won the high jump at 5-4, the long jump at 17-9 and the triple jump at 37-10 at Rancocas Valley. She was also 3rd in the hurdles with a 15.88.

She’s the first athlete to win three events at the Olympic Conference meet since Wilson’s Dennisha Page won the 100 (12.28), 200 (24.80) and 400 (56.73) in 2019.

Brawner is the first Winslow girl to triple in the conference meet in nine years, since Cidae’a Woods recorded a quad win as a senior in 2014: 12.06 in the 100, 14.16 in the hurdle, 19-1 ½ in the long jump and 37-7 ¼ in the triple jump.

Among New Jersey freshmen, Brawner ranks 1st in the hurdles [15.49], long jump [17-10 ½] and triple jump [38-2 ¾] and tied for 1st in the high jump [5-4].

Rancocas Valley senior Kevin Burr popped the three-best javelin throws of his life – all in a row – and solidified the No. 3 spot on the New Jersey javelin rankings.

Burr began the day with a PR of 179-9 from the Burlington County Championships earlier this month at Northern Burlington. And his best throw in the trials Tuesday at the Olympic Conference Championships at the Gertrude C. Folwell Elementary School across the street from Rancocas Valley was a 176-10.

But in the final, he went off.

http://milesplit.live/meets/537984/events/28/results/F/M

Burr PR’d on three straight throws -182-0, 183-4 and 187-7 – to win by more than 25 feet.
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So he’s the only South Jersey thrower to surpass 180 feet this year … and he did it three times in the span of less than 15 minutes.

He fell just five inches off the meet record of 188-0 set by Alexander Georgiou of Timber Creek at the 2017 meet. The only other 180-footer in meet history [with the new javelin] is Bishop Eustace’s John Zimmatore, who threws 180-3 in 2006. The meet record with the old javelin, which was in use through 2002, is 185-5 by Lenape’s Brian Lee in 2000.

Burr is the third R.V. thrower to surpass 185 feet. In 2016 Robert Marks threw 191-6, and in 2018 Nick Mirabelli set a state record of 227-10 to win the Meet of Champions at Northern Burlington.

Burr’s throw is No. 9 in Burlington County history with the current implement.

The R.V. school record with the old javelin is 221-7 by Drew Forbes at the 1978 state Group 4 meet at South Plainfield [he placed 2nd to Scotch Plains’ Dave Farnsworth, who threw 223-6]. That remains and will always remain No. 7 in South Jersey history with the old jav.

All-Time South Jersey Javelin List
[new implement, since 2003]
227-10 … Nick Mirabelli [Rancocas Valley], 2017
224-10 … Curtis Thompson [Florence], 2014
220-11 … Cade Antonucci [Holy Spirit], 2016
216-6 … Chris Mirabelli [Holy Cross], 2014
212-2 … Alexander Georgia [Timber Creek], 2017
209-4 … Steve Jernee [Ocean City], 2017
203-6 … Stephen Benigno [Cherry Hill East], 2014
201-1 … Sean Biehn [Burlington City], 2006
200-8 … Cade Antonucci [Holy Spirit], 2016
199-10 … Kobe Roberts [Mainland Reg.], 2018
196-9 … Terrence Smith [Oakcrest], 2016
195-11 … Joshua Moore [Middle Twp.], 2017
192-6 … Matt Rafferty [Northern Burlington], 2012
192-6 … Chris Reider [Eastern], 2010
192-3 … Shane McDevitt [Cinnaminson], 2014
192-1 … Nick Cando [Eastern], 2004
191-6 … Robert Marks [Rancocas Valley], 2016
191-5 … Andrew Pierce [Cumberland Reg.], 2009
190-0 … Andrew Forbes [Williamstown], 2011
190-2 … Ian Meneswisch [Highland], 2003
189-11 … Tom Carr [Eastern], 2012
189-8 … Alex Christ [Gloucester Catholic], 2010
189-4 … John Zimmatore [Bishop Eustace], 2007
189-4 … Craig Scarpa [Vineland], 2003
188-3 … Felix Roman [Pennsauken], 2007
188-2 … Edward Evans [Timber Creek], 2008
188-2 … Luke Pease [Haddonfield], 2014
187-11 … Javier Garcia [Pleasantville], 2009
187-11 … Jose Ramos [Vineland], 2008
187-8 … Jerry Fusco [Holy Cross], 2016
187-7 … Kevin Burr [Rancocas Valley], 2023
187-6 … Dan Frame [Triton], 2002
187-6 … Lane Owens [Ocean City], 2019
187-7 …
187-0 … Jeremy Wilbur [Moorestown], 2013
186-11 … Brian Owens [Woodstown], 2008
185-3 … Kevin Mosley [Glassboro], 2003

All-Time Burlington County Javelin List
[new implement, since 2003]
227-10 … Nick Mirabelli [Rancocas Valley], 2017
224-10 … Curtis Thompson [Florence], 2014
216-6 … Chris Mirabelli [Holy Cross], 2014
201-1 … Sean Biehn [Burlington City], 2006
192-6 … Matt Rafferty [Northern Burlington], 2012
192-3 … Shane McDevitt [Cinnaminson], 2014
191-6 … Robert Marks [Rancocas Valley], 2016
187-8 … Jerry Fusco [Holy Cross], 2016
187-7 … Kevin Burr Jr. [Rancocas Valley], 2023
187-0 … Jeremy Wilbur [Moorestown], 2013
186-11 … Brian Owens [Woodstown], 2008
185-3 … Kevin Mosley [Glassboro], 2003

Claire Magee ran the 3rd-fastest 400 by a New Jersey freshman this year at the Olympic Conference Championships.

Magee won the 400 in 57.63 at Rancocas Valley in Mount Holly Tuesday, finishing just ahead of junior Guiliana Puglisi of Cherry Hill East, who also PR’d with her 58.35 for 2nd place.

Magee’s fastest previous 400 was a 58.53 at the Camden County Championships earlier this month at Haddon Township. She’s run four open 400s this spring and run sub-59 in each one.

Indoors, Magee ran 1:00.94 to place 5th in the freshman 400 at Virginia Beach Nationals in March.

The only faster freshmen in New Jersey this year are Pennsauken’s Sianni Wynn, who ran 56.69 at the BCSL Championships last weekend on her home track at Pennsauken, and Jael Gaines of the Lawrenceville School, who ran 57.51 at the Mercer County Championships at Robbinsville.

Magee is the 1st Paul VI girl to win the 400 at the Olympic Conference Championships and the first freshman to win it since Brittany Whitehead of Cherry Hill West in 2005 with a time of 56.2.

Overall, Magee is now tied for 6th-fastest 400 runner in South Jersey this year and 5th-fastest in Parochial A.

Her 57.63 is 3rd-fastest in Paul VI history. Aliya Rae Garozzo ran 56.88 at the 2019 Rowan Open. Garozzo now runs for Penn and is part of Penn’s 1,600-meter relay team that ran 3:34.30 this spring and will compete this weekend in the NCAA Division 1 East Preliminaries. And Cheryl Scott ran 57.20 at the 2002 Meet of Champions in South Brunswick.

Magee also placed 6th in the 200 with a personal-best 26.83. It was her first outdoor 200 ever.

Helene Usher became the 8th Haddonfield girl to run sub-11 for 3,200 meters Monday night at Haddonfield Distance Night.

Usher ran 10:59.39 and was the first girl across the line in the mixed 3,200 on her home track. Usher’s previous PR was an 11:03.92 earlier this month at the Camden County Championships at Haddon Township.

Usher and Highland senior Grace Wassell finished half a minute clear of the rest of the field. Wassell ran a lifetime-best 11:00.68. Wassell is primarily an 800-1,600 runner, but her previous best over 3,200 meters was 11:09.63 en route to a 11:13.54 full two-mile indoors in January of 2022 in Virginia Beach.

Haddonfield junior Ava Thomas ran 10:55.73 at the Camden County meet, and this is the first time ever Haddonfield has had two sub-11 two-milers the same season. [In 2014, Shelby Cain went under indoors and Briana Gess outdoors.]

In all, Usher is the 5th South Jersey girl to break 11 minutes this year, along with Northern Burlington sophomore Liliah Gordon [10:49.76], Paul VI junior Shaelan McNally [10:51.98], Thomas and Ocean City sophomore Maeve Smith [10:58.96].

This is the first time in eight years that five South Jersey girls have run sub-11. In 2015, Devon Grisbaum of Ocean City [10:40.35], Timber Creek’s Alyssa Condell [10:52.00], Lenape’s Megan Quimby [10:58.97], Mainland’s Alyssa Aldridge [10:58.99] and Pennsauken’s Amanda Bakley [10:59.56] all did it.

Wassell, Cherokee junior Kerry O’Day [11:01.22] and Clearview senior Abigail Waddington [10:02.35] are all just a second or two away.

Haddonfield all-time sub-11 list
10:28.6h….. Erin Donohue (Haddonfield], 2001 [South Jersey Group 2, Buena]
10:33.85 … Sarah Naticchia [Haddonfield], 2021 [Haddonfield Invitational]
10:37.53 … Vanessa Wright (Haddonfield], 2005 [Nike Outdoor Nationals, Greensboro, N.C.]
10:45.12 … Briana Gess (Haddonfield], 2014 [Group 2 States, Egg Harbor]
10:43.36y… Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2009 [Rowan Open, Glassboro]
10:48.78i … Shelby Cain [Haddonfield], 2014 [Meet of Champions, Toms River]
10:52.75 … Meghan Malloy [Haddonfield], 2013 [Haddonfield Invitational]
10:55.73 … Ava Thomas, 2023 [Camden County Championships, Haddon Township]
10:59.39 … Helene Usher, 2023 [Haddonfield Distance Night]

It was a perfect evening to run fast, and that’s exactly what a whole bunch of half-milers did Monday night at Haddonfield.

Haddon Heights senior Jack Bolling, coming off his PR 4:14.52 on the same track on Wednesday, won a very deep 800 at Haddonfield Distance Night with a PR 1:54.74. His previous PR was 1:56.89 from the Camden County Championships at Haddon Township earlier this month.

Bolling edged Jeremy Sallade of Wilberforce School in Princeton, who was 2nd with a personal-best 1:54.85. If that last name seems familiar, Sallade’s dad Chris ran for Shawnee and was the state Group 1,600 champ in 1990 with a 4:18.57.

Woodbury junior Peyton Shute placed 3rd with a PR 1:55.16, and Bolling and Shute are now No. 1 and No. 2 in South Jersey this year.

In all 14 runners from the last two heats ran sub-2:00 and 29 runners ran faster than 2:03.

Senior Nick Loffredo of Manchester was 4th with a PR 1:55.86 followed by two more South Jersey runners who PR’d – Cinnaminson senior Matt McCarron ran 1:56.11 and Haddon Heights senior Colin Patterson 1:56.63.

Other South Jersey runners under 2:00: Timber Creek junior Robert Wakefield [8th in 1:57.41], Deptford senior Lathan Brown [9th in 1:57.58], Haddon Heights senior Matthew Iuvara [10th in 1:57.87], Washington Township senior Kanye Mills [11th in PR 1:58.45 and 1st in the 2nd-to-last section], Egg Harbor junior Christopher Manzo [12th in PR 1:58.64] and Washington Township junior Aaron Kolosowsky [13th in 1:59.54].

Others under 2:02 were Haddonfield sophomore Bennett Wright [15th in PR 2:00.17 and 1st in 8th of 10 races], Egg Harbor junior Chase Mazur [17th in PR 2:00.38], Highland senior Gavin Gallo [18th in 2:00.39], Haddonfield senior Robert DiMedio [19th in PR 2:00.54], Woodstown sophomore Cole Lucas [20th in 2:00.91], Haddonfield senior Donald Jellig [21st in 2:01.02], Clearview senior Cavon Agatone [22nd in 2:01.19] and Deptford junior Abu Jabbie [23rd in 2:01.24].

Special notice for Cumberland senior Ehtan Turner, who according to MileSplit ran 2:19.10 in his only previous big-meet 800. Turner ran 2:02.88 Monday evening. Haddonfield’s Luke Andresen was the top freshman with a 2:02.88.

In all, 128 boys raced the 800 in 10 sections.

The Rowan men’s track team, ranked No. 3 in NCAA Division 3, leads the local contingent to the NCAA Division 3 Championships Thursday through Saturday at St. John Fisher University in Rochester, N.Y.

Rowan is ranked 3rd behind Wisconsin-LaCrosse and MIT of Cambridge, Mass. The rankings are based on projected points at nationals.

Rowan has a chance to score huge points in the two relays. The Profs are the No. 1 seed in the 400-meter relay at 40.37 and No. 4 in the 4-by-4 with a 3:10.07.

Bridgeton’s Shamar Love, Sterling’s Jah’mere Beasley, Parsippany’s Nana Agyemang and Kingsway’s Evan Corcoran are on the 4-by-1 and Sterling’s Marquise Young, Agyemang, Beasley and Amara Conte of Ferris High in Jersey City are on the 4-by-4.

Young is also the No. 7 seed in the 110-meter hurdles at 14.26 and No. 11 in the intermediate hurdles with hits 52.88, and Beasley is No. 6 seed in the 200 at 20.96. And Edgar Rosa of Paulsboro is the No. 5 seed in the javelin at 213-2.

Rowan qualified four javelin throwers for nationals. Joining Rosa are No. 2 seed Greg Poloso of Wayne Valley, who threw 227-1 this year; Julio Lebron of Memorial of West New York at 198-2; and Kevin Armstrong of Walkill Valley with a 194-0.

Agyemang is the No. 5 seed in the long jump with a 24-5 ¾, and Kwaku Nkrumah of Teaneck (alma mater of your humble From the Backstretch blogge) and Jason Agyemang of North Plainfield will both join Young in the high hurdles, Nkrumah as the No. 8 seed at 14.25 and the top freshman in the field and Agyemang at 14.45 and the No. 3 freshman entered.

The Rowan women are led by Burlington Township’s Jasmine Broadway, Triton’s Navaeh Lorjuste and Pitman’s Emily Galvin.

Broadway, a sophomore, is the No. 6 seed in the 200 with a 24.33, Lorjuste, also a soph, is No. seed in the 400 with her 55.46, and Galvin is No. 7 seed in the hammer at 56.92.

Lorjuste, Broadway, soph Molly Lodge of Woodstown and grad student Promise Fadahunsi of Monroe Township are seeded 11th in the 4-by-1 at 46.76, and senior Kat Pederson of Hillsborough, Broadway, Lodge and Lorjuste are No. 11 seed in the 4-by-4 at 3:49.77

Rutgers-Camden senior Emily Hilt from Kingsway is the No. 12 seed in the hammer at 178-3

Stockton is sending freshman Kayla Kass [2:12.07 in the 800] from Bayonne and senior Shahyan Abraham [44-10 shot put] from Orange to Rochester.

And Ursinus junior Izzy Deal from Washington Township, seeded No. 2 in the javelin, seeks her 3rd straight All-America performance at nationals after placing 8th in 2021 in Greensboro and 6th last year in Geneva, Ohio. She ranks No. 17 in NCAA Division 3 history at 155-0.

Full men’s NCAA Division 3 entries, click here.
Full women’s NCAA Division 3 entries, click here.