From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

In his final high school meet, Cinnaminson senior Malicah Etienne popped a PR and the 2nd-best discus throw in Burlington County history.

Etienne, who won the shot at Group 2 sectionals and states and PR’d at 55-11 for 7th place in the Thursday at the Meet of Champions, didn’t get a legal mark in the discus at sectionals, but he competed at West Philly Nationals Friday at Franklin Field and placed 7th with a 177-4 on his 3rd throw of the trials.

Etienne’s previous PR was a 176-9 at the Delsea Crusader Field Event Meet last month. The only superior throw in Burlington County history was also by a Cinnaminson thrower – Kamron Kobolak’s 185-6 to win the 2018 Meet of Champions at Northern Burlington.

Etienne plans to continue his track career at Georgian Court in Lakewood, whose coach is one-time Holy Cross high jump state champion Mike Murawski – a Cinnaminson native.

It’s been an incredible year for the discus in South Jersey. A record eight throwers surpassed 160 feet, four went over 170 feet and two over 180.

Here’s a look at all the South Jersey throwers over 175 feet:
216-11 … Ron Dayne [Overbrook], 1996
199- 6 … Braheme Days Jr. [Bridgeton], 2013
197- 0 … James Plummer [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2013
192- 5 … Josh Awotunde [Delsea], 2013
191-11 … Franklin Simms [St. Augustine], 2022
189- 7 … Ray Wilks [Bridgeton], 1995
185-11 … John Mooers [Middle Twp.], 2015
185-10 … Russ Willett [Penns Grove], 1985
185- 7 … Matt Huckabee [Timber Creek], 2010
185- 6 … Kamron Kobolak [Cinnaminson], 2018
185- 5 … Ken Manahan [Deptford], 1976
184-8 … Damere Lassiter [Glassboro], 2023
184- 4 … Adam Hunt [Collingswood], 2017
183-9 … Jason Nwosu [Delsea], 2022
183-4 … Janier Armstead [Penns Grove], 2023
181-10 … Jason Winrow [Cumberland Reg.], 1989
180- 3 … Howard Clark [Pennsauken], 1998
179-11 … Nick Pulli [West Deptford], 2014
179-11 … Will Cioffi [Pitman], 2013
178- 0 … Jim Stites [Millville], 1970
177-4 … Malicah Etienne [Cinnaminson], 2023
174- 9 … John Ridinger [West Deptford], 1982
173-10 … Mark Rifkin [Cherry Hill West], 1978
175- 7 … John Clark [Pennsville], 2007

Other highlights from Franklin Field on Friday:

♦  Pennsauken placed 8th in the Championship 800-meter relay in 1:27.51 with junior Elijah Jennings, senior Bryce Tucker, senior Premier Wynn and freshman KaRon Ali.

♦  Freshman Julian Coppage-Seepersaud’s blazing 48.29 anchor gave Rancocas Valley 3rd place and All-America honors in the 1,000-meter sprint medley – 100, 200, 300 and 400. Sophomore David Smith, freshman Thomas Howard Jr. and senior Jadon Kendrick ran the first three legs for the Red Devils, who finished less than a second behind national champion Oak Park (Mich.), which ran 1:56.48. Coppage-Seepersaud had the fastest anchor leg in the field.

♦  Pennsauken senior Bryce Tucker ran 51.49 for 2nd place in the 400-meter hurdles. He finished 2nd to Kai Evans of Lake Minneola (Fla.) High, who PR’d at 51.44. Deptford senior Lathan Brown also earned All-America honors with a 5th-place finish thanks to his 53.44.

♦  Ocean City junior Sophia Curtis ran 1:01.67 for 6th place and All-America honors in the 400-meter hurdles. She scratched in the triple jump.

♦  Delsea senior Lillie Widmer ran a big outdoor 3,200 PR of 10:54.38, which converts to 10:50.58 for 3,200 meters. She ran 10:39.88 indoors at the Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze, but her outdoor lifetime best and season-best was 11:11.74 (for 3,200 meters). Her time is No. 7 in Gloucester County history and fastest in 11 years. Ocean City sophomore Maeve Smith ran 11:04.59, the 3,200 equivalent of 11:00.74.

10:12.8h … Michelle Rowen (Washington Twp.], 1983
10:19.31 … Chelsea Ley (Kingsway], 2009
10:29.28 … Rachel Vick (Kingsway], 2017
10:30.57 … Dina Iacone (Washington Twp.], 2012
10:35.59 … Amanda Goetschius (Delsea], 2007
10:37.47 … Meghan McGlinchey (West Depford], 2009
10:50.58 … Lillie Widmer [Delsea], 2023
10:54.05 … Maria Ruiz [Williamstown], 2009
10:55.18 … Nicole Lipieta [Kingsway], 2023
10:59.25 … Pam Adams [Gateway], 1976

♦  Delsea’s Matthew Littlehales took 5th in the freshman two-mile in a PR 9:34.12, which would convert to a 9:30.79 for 3,200 meters. That’s 2nd-fastest by a South Jersey freshman in the last 15 years, behind Cherokee’s Nick Kuenkel, who ran 9:27.73 at the 2021 state Group 4 meet at Franklin.

♦  Winslow’s Ma’Syiah Brawner placed 3rd in the freshman long jump with an 18-4 ¼ on her 6th and final jump and 2nd in the freshman high jump with a 5-3 ¼.

♦  Haddon Heights senior Matthew Iuvara won the Rising Stars 400-meter intermediates with a PR 54.62. This is Iuvara’s first year running the 400IH, and this was only the 6th meet that he’s ever competed in the intermediates.

♦. Freshman Sianni Wynn’s 55.49 anchor gave Pennsauken 10th place in the girls 1,000-meter sprint med. Sophomore Nevaeh Lassiter, sophomore Amina Dyer and sophomore Ameenah Rodriguez also ran.

♦. In a race that didn’t begin until after midnight, Mainland junior Gillian Lovett placed 14th in the 2,000-meter steeplechase in 7:03.83. That looks like the fastest time by a South Jersey girl since Pennsauken’s Amanda Bakley ran 6:57.49 at 2015 Greensboro Nationals.

♦  Northern Burlington placed 7th in the Rising Stars 800-meter relay in 1:29.33, with junior Jordan Wilkerson, senior Bryan Carroll, senior Darryl Pitt and senior Samuel Thomas.

♦  Ocean City freshman Callie Duff cleared 5-0 1/4 and placed 5th in the freshman high jump.