Timber Creek, which destroyed the South Jersey 400-Meter Relay record Saturday, ran well under the previous record again Sunday and placed 4th in the Championship race at West Philly Nationals.
Chloe Jones, Ryan Jennings, Nyla Jones and Naylah Jones ran 46.43 in Saturday’s semifinals, breaking a 20-year-old South Jersey record of 46.87 set by Eastern’s Brittany Wright, Jennifer Jackson, Kaliyma Barkley and Jenelle Wilson in the trials of the 2003 adidas Outdoor Nationals in Raleigh, N.C. That 46.43 is 6th-fastest in state history.
The Chargers didn’t run quite as fast in Sunday’s final, but they ran fast enough to place 4th and earn All-America honors with a 46.64.
Timber Creek finished behind track factory Bullis School of Potomac, Md. [45.63], Scotlandville High of Baton Rouge, La. [46.46] and Union Catholic [46.56].
√ Mainland senior Mawali Osunniyi cleared 6-6 ¼ on his 2nd attempt and tied for 5th in the Championship high jump to earn All-America honors. Three jumpers had identical ledgers, cleareing 6-2 ¾ and 6-4 ¾ on their first attempt and 6-6 ¼ on their 2nd and missing three attempts at 6-8. They all tied for 5th. Paulsboro senior Jamile Gantt cleared 6-4 ¾.
√ Glassboro junior Cartrell Moore placed 10th in the Rising Stars triple jump with a 45-5 ¼. Moore’s PR going in was 45-1 ½ at the Gloucester County Championships at Deptford last month. The 45-5 ¼ was wind-aided at 2.9, but he also had a wind-legal PR 45-3 ¾ in his series. Moore was the No. 2 junior in South Jersey this year behind Sterling’s Justice Gamble, who hit 46-9 when he placed 5th at the Meet of Champions.
√ Ocean City senior Nick Scarangelli finished his season with a PR mile in the Rising Stars race. Scarangelli ran a full-mile 4:20.19, which converts to 4:18.68 for 1,600 meters. Scarangelli’s previous PR was 4:20.44 at Haddonfield Distance Night. That’s No. 4 in Cape May County history behind a few Ocean City legends – Brett Johnson [4:07.06y in 2008], John Richardson [4:09.20 in 2003] and Miles Schoedler [4:11.46 in 2010].
√ Paul VI junior Shaelan McNally ran 5:06.74 full mile in the Rising Stars race, equivalent of a 5:04.96. McNally PR’d last month with a 5:01.44 and is the No. 2 returning miler in South Jersey behind Northern’s Liliah Gordon, who ran 4:58.91 at the Holmdel Twilight Royal Rumble last month.
√ Audubon’s Riley Fayer ran 2:20.14 in the freshman girls 800, just off her PR of 2:19.44 from sectionals. Cherokee’s Madeline Meder finished one place behind Fayer with a PR 2:20.19.
√ Winslow placed 7th in the Rising Stars 400-Meter Relay final in 43.04 with Jamil Peterson, Jaylen Wall, James Wilson and Cameron Miller.
√ Millville senior Leah Howard wasn’t at her best but still threw 135-4 and placed 10th in the javelin, finishing her brilliant career as the No. 2 javelin thrower in state history with her 163-1 from Woodbury Relays. Howard will compete for Texas Tech starting next year.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 