The Haddonfield girls, led by double winner Ava Thomas, scored the most points in South Jersey sectional history over the weekend, winning their 5th straight Group 2 title and 15th the last 22 times the meet has been contested.
Thomas led a 1-2-3 sweep in the 1,600 and a 1-2 finish in the 3,200, and Haddonfield scored in every event other than the triple jump and shot put, piling up at least 10 points in eight events.
The Bulldogs finished with 154 points, breaking the South Jersey Group record of 148 set by Sterling in 2017 and breaking the all-group mark of 148 ½ set in 2013 by Winslow Township in Group 3.
Haddonfield scored all those points with only Thomas as an individual winner. The Bulldogs averaged 8.6 points per event.
Overall, Haddonfield now has a South Jersey-record 22 sectional titles – 1983, 1984, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1998 and 1999 in Group 1 and every year other than 2002, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016 and 2017. There was no meet in 2020.
Their current streak of five straight titles is 3rd-longest in South Jersey history behind Winslow [eight straight in Group 3 from 2013 through 2021] and Woodbury [seven straight from 1976 through 1982.
Here’s a look at how they did it:
AVA THOMAS: Thomas, a junior, won the 1,600 in 5:07.81 and the 3,200 in 10:59.52. Despite racing unpressed in both, she ran within 3 ½ seconds of her 1,600 PR and four seconds of her 3,200 PR.
CHLOE KAMP: Kamp, also a junior, was very busy, running the 2nd leg on the winning 400-meter relay team, which ran 49.19, placing 3rd in the 400 with a PR 59.12, taking 3rd in the 200 with a PR 25.95 and adding a six points with a 3rd in the 100 with another PR of 12.38.
HELENE USHER: Usher, a senior, took 2nd in the 3,200 in 11:08.97 and 3rd in the 1,600 with a 5:13.48 for 14 points.
AUDREY ADAMS: Adams, another member of Haddonfield’s deep sophomore class, took 4th in the intermediates in 1:06.72, 4th in the high jump with a PR 5-2 and 5th in the high hurdles in 16.86.
THEA SPELLMEYER: One of Haddonfield’s few seniors, Spellmeyer placed 4th in the 800 in 2:23.07, ran 3rd leg on the winning 4-by-8 – they ran 9:55.97 – and the 2nd leg on the 4-by-4, which placed 3rd in 4:11.69.
SABRINA MILLER: Miller, a senior, placed 2nd in the 800 in 2:20.20 and ran led off the 3rd-place 1,600-meter relay team.
RILEY SLOOTSKY: Slootsky, a junior, ran 5:13.07 for 2nd place in the 1,600 behind Thomas.
REBECCA HOOVER: A sophomore, Hoover PR’d at 10-0 for second place in the pole vault.
GRACE MALCARNEY: Malcarney, a senior, placed 3rd in the 400 intermediates in 1:06.70 and ran the 3rd leg on Haddonfield’s 4-by-4.
MOLLY MINOR: Another sophomore, Minor led off the winning 400-meter relay team, which ran 49.19, and anchored the 3rd-place 4-by-4.
NICOLETTE PINKERTON: Pinkerton, also a 10th-grader, anchored the winning 4-by-1 and took 3rd in the long jump with a 16-10 jump.
ANNA STOLARICK: Placed 3rd in the 800 with a 2:20.99 and ran the 2nd leg on the winning 4-by-8 team. Stolarick is a junior.
MOIRA GEIGER: Geiger, another senior, threw 95-8 for 3rd place in the javelin.
SARAH FETTER: A junior, Fetter led off the winning 4-by-800 team.
EMALIE STANILLA: Soph PR’d with a 101-2 for 4th place in the discus.
AVA POLIAFICO: Sophomore ran the 3rd leg on the winning 400-meter relay team.
MAYA CAREY: Carey, a senior, anchored Haddonfield’s winning 4-by-800.
MIA BOMPENSA: Junior vaulter cleared 10-0 for 3rd place.
EMILY TURNAGE: Turnge placed 4th in the javelin with a 92-8 throw.
ALL-TIME S.J. SECTIONAL TEAM SCORING
154 … Haddonfield, 2023
148 ¾ … Winslow Twp., 2013
148 … Sterling, Group 2, 2017
148 … Penns Grove, Group 1, 2013
141 … Sterling, Group 2, 2016
141 … Winslow Twp., Group 3, 2018
140 … Winslow Twp., Group 3, 2014
134 … Haddonfield, Group 2, 2012
133 … Lenape, Group 4, 2015
132 ½ … Woodbury, Group 1, 2007
132 … Haddonfield, Group 2, 2014
131 … Camden, Group 2, 2009
130 … Haddonfield, Group 2, 2022
130 … Haddonfield, Group 2, 2021
129 … Clayton, Group 1, 2022
129 … Haddonfield, Group 2, 2013
128 ½ … Penns Grove, Group 1, 2014
127 … Winslow Twp., Group 3, 2019
127 … Bridgeton, Group 2, 2005
120 … Winslow Twp., Group 3, 2017
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 