The 54th annual Meet of Champions gets underway at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Franklin Township High School.

Here are the official MoC performance lists, which I broke up into a boys list and a girls list, since the NJSIAA doesn’t bother with that kind of stuff that can actually help coaches get organized.

Meet of Champions boys performance list: Click here.
Meet of Champions girls performance list: Click here.

A little earlier this morning, we posted our top 10 state championship boys performances you might have missed (click here for that), and as promised here’s the girls list.

Once again, it’s more than 10. Oh well.

As we said in the boys post, we can’t write about everybody, so here’s a quick look in no particular order at some South Jersey girls who turned in exceptional performances at states that we didn’t get to. Apologize in advance, but there are so many deserving runners, jumpers and throwers, we just can’t get to everybody.

Winslow Township junior Dominique Clement had a terrific sprint double, PRing with a 12.37 in the 100 and a 24.84 in the 200 in Group 3. Clement, 1st-year track athlete, is No. 10 seed in the Meet of Champions in the 200.

Cherokee junior Kerry O’Day lowered her PRs to 5:04.38 and 10:56.02 in the state Group 4 meet. She’s seeded 9th in the 3,200 and 11th in the 1,600.

Haddonfield junior Ava Thomas earned the No. 3 seed at MoC with a big PR 10:43.86 for 2nd in Group 2. That’s 4th-fastest in Haddonfield history, behind Erin Donohue [10:28.6h in 2001], Sarah Naticchia [10:33.85 in 2021] and Vanessa Wright [10:37.53 in 2005]. Paul VI junior Shaelan McNally PR’d at 10:48.08 in Parochial A and is the No. 7 seed.

Millville senior Leah Howard is on quite a roll, with four straight meets over 150 feet and a state-leading 163-1 at Woodbury. She was 2nd in the Meet of Champs last year and is No. 5 nationally this year. She’s the top seed Wednesday by nearly 20 feet.

Eastern senior Johnay Stilley PR’d with a 14.58 for 3rd in the Group 4 100-meter hurdles. She’s the No. 5 seed Wednesday and fastest hurdler in South Jersey this year. Burlington City senior Ny’era Hand-Brooks also PR’d at states, winning Group 1 in 14.87 and is No. 12 seed in the MoC.

Deptford junior Djassi Dean – in only her second lifetime 400-meter hurdles race – ran 1:03.33 to place 3rd in Group 3 and earn the No. 7 seed at the Meet of Champions. According to MileSplit’s database, Dean’s first 400IH was at sectionals.

Clayton junior Alanna Woolfolk is the only girl that cleared 5-8 at the six state meets and is the No. 1 seed Wednesday. Woolfolk won Group 2 and the Meet of Champions as a freshman at Delsea, then won Group 1 and the Meet of Champs indoors and Group 1 outdoors for Clayton as a sophomore and Group 1 indoors this past winter. So she’s looking for her third Meet of Champions title after winning her fifth state group title.

Haddonfield 3,200-meter relay team of Sabrina Miller, Anna Stolarik, Thea Spellmeyer and Riley Slootsky is No. 3 seed in the 4-by-8 at 9:39.83, Clearview is No. 4 at 9:39.83 with Abby Kotran, Lilla Porter, Allison Roes and Abby Waddington, Audubon is No. 7 at 9:43.76 with Makenna Ammon, Madelin Carter, Ava Rizzo and Charlie Owens after winning the state Group 1 title, Washington Township is No. 9 at 9:47.53 with Gabriella Maletta, Kaylee Russen, Taylor Stuart and Allyson Wernik, Cinnaminson No. 10 at 9:49.59 with Kellyn Coller, Samantha Magin, Stephanie Renouf and Anna Marino and Ocean City No. 12 at 9:50.90 with Maeve Smith, Chloe Care, Zoe Zmmit and Elaina Styer.

Pennsauken’s 1,600-meter relay team of Amina Dyer, Sanaya Dupree, Ameenah Rodriguez and Sianni Wynn ran 3:52.69 for the No. 2 seed. Eastern was just behind Pennsauken in the Group 4 race, running 3:53.14 with Natalie Dumas, Samantha Osei-Kyei, Makenzie James and Kadence Dumas.

Williamstown senior Ciara Demarest is among the top seeds in both weight throws after a big state meet. Demarest won the Group 4 discus at 134-11 and was 2nd in the shot put at 40-11. She’s No. 2 seed in the shot and No. 3 in the discus.

Williamstown sophomore Addison Inge, whose PR was 5-2 two weeks ago, cleared 5-6 for 3rd place in the Group 4 high jump and shares the No. 3 seed. She’s the top sophomore in the field.

Hammonton senior Emma Peretti won the shot at a PR 39-0 and is the No. 5 seed Wednesday. Teammate Mitra Simpson is No. 10 seed after matching her PR with a 37-9. She’s the top freshman in the field.

Delsea senior Reese Gebhard PR’d with an 11-6 vault for 2nd place in Group 3 and is tied for No. 4 seed in the Meet of Champions. She’s the top South Jersey seed in the pole vault.

The headline says 10 performances you may have missed, but I cheated. There are more than 10!

We can’t write about everybody, so here’s a quick look in no particular order at some South Jersey boys who turned in exceptional performances at states that we didn’t get to. I apologize if you or your athlete isn’t on here. There are so many deserving runners, jumpers and throwers, we just can’t get to everybody.

Girls list coming soon!

Camden sophomore Azir Lee lowered his 200 PR from 21.96 down to 21.78, fastest by a Camden sprinter since Tahshon Reese ran 21.76 in 2012. Lee is the No. 11 seed in the Meet of Champions and No. 2 among sophomores. Lee will also anchor Camden’s 4-by-1.

Pleasantville senior Xander Roberts-Bogin is No. 5 seed in the 400 with a PR 48.17 at the state Group 2 meet. That’s fastest by a Pleasantville quarter-miler since Isaac Clark ran 48.07 in 2013. Roberts-Bogin will also anchor Pleasantville’s 4-by-4 after splitting 47.55 at states. Pleasantville is No. 4 seed with its 3:18.70. Isaiah Davenport, Yusuf Golden and Jermain Nelson are also on the 4-by-4.

Palmyra junior Abdulazeez Iyiola goes into the 400-meter hurdles as the No. 7 seed after his breakthrough 54.53 to win the state Group 1 title. He became Palmyra’s first state champ since Will Brown won both hurdles at the 2006 state Group 1 meet. Glasboro junior Cartrell Moore finished just behind Iyiola and is the No. 8 seed at 54.60. They are the No. 3 and No. 4 underclassmen in the field.

Washington Township’s 400-meter relay team ran 42.53 to earn the No. 3 seed behind Pennsauken [42.15] and Livingston [42.22]. Yashahya Brown, Quasir Robinson, John Santos and John Williams will run for the Minutemen.

Cherokee’s 3,200-meter relay team placed 3rd in the Group 4 race, which produced the top four seeds. Thomas Bromley [2:01.23], Nick Kuenkel [1:57.39], Connor Jacob [1:56.98], Matteo Evola and Robert Poplau 1:56.26 raced for the Chiefs at states, with Patrick Ditmars expected to join the lineup Wednesday.

Penns Grove senior Janier Armstead, the state champ in the discus last year, won the shot put this year with a nearly two-foot PR 55-1, which makes him the No. 6 seed. He’s also the No. 7 seed in the discus.

Glassboro junior Damere Lassiter, Delsea senior Luke Maxwell, Bishop Eustace senior Shawn Brady, Penns Grove senior Janier Armstead, Absegami junior Gabriel Wilkins are the No. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 seeds in the discus. Lassiter is the top junior in the field with his 177-0 to win Group 1, Maxwell PR’d at 166-6 to win Group 3, Brady won Parochial B at 163-4, Armstead was 2nd in Group 1 at 163-3 and Wilkins PR’d with 160-11 for 2nd in Group 3. They’re among a record eight South Jersey throwers who’ve surpassed 160 feet this year.

Timber Creek sophomore Karon Brookins surpassed 22 feet for the first time, PR’ing at 22-2 in the Group 3 meet and earning the No. 8 seed at the Meet of Champions. He’s the No. 2 sophomore in the field, Cinnaminson senior Joel Blamon also went over 22 feet with his 22-0 ¾ in Group 2 and is the No. 9 seed.

Salem sophomore Davi-Yonn Jackson, who had never jumped 43 feet until sectionals, popped a huge PR 45-9 to win Group 1. He’s the first South Jersey soph to win a state triple jump title since Haddon Heights’ Dominique Irons at 45-2 in Group 2 in 2011. Jackson is No. 5 seed in the Meet of Champions and No. 2 soph. Jackson is New Jersey’s top sophomore in Group 1 since David Njoku of Cedar Grove jumped 45-10 ½ in 2012.

Sterling junior Justice Gamble earned the No. 6 seed in the triple jump with a PR 45-7 for 2nd place in Group 2. It was Gamble’s first meet over 45 feet.

Pleasantville senior Isaiah Davenport cleared 6-8 to win the state Group 2 title in the high jump, his first time over 6-8. He shares the No. 1 seed in the Meet of Champions and matched No. 3 in Atlantic County history behind Paul Klemic of Mainland [7-4 ½ in 2000], Egg Harbor’s Marshall Akins [6-10 in 2005] and Oakcrest’s Bob Reid [6-9 in 1977.

Clearview junior Daniel Couse won the state Group 3 title with a huge one-foot PR 15-0 and moved up to tied for No. 5 in Gloucester County history. He shares the top seed at the Meet of Champions.

Timber Creek senior Darien Cade hit a nearly 10-foot javelin PR at 174-7 to take 2nd place in Group 3. He’s the No. 5 seed Wednesday.

Holy Cross senior Blake Wadley had the best day any Holy Cross boy has ever had at a state meet, winning the 200 in 22.26, taking 2nd in the 100 in 11.01 [both PRs], 3rd in the long jump [19-9 ½] and 2nd in the triple jump at 43-7 ½. The last Lancer to place in four events at states was Rich Fisher in 2008 [1st in 400, 2nd in 800, 3rd in 200, 4th in 100], but Wadley’s 32 points beat Fisher’s 28. In 1992, Darrin Sandlin scored 26 for Holy Cross, winning the long jump and 400 and taking 3rd in the 200.

With blazing sprint times of 10.64 and 21.55, Northern Burlington senior Samuel Thomas made a bit of history Saturday at the state Group 3 meet.

First of all, let’s take a look at Thomas’s times.

In the 100, he placed 2nd to Ewing senior Mekhi Stafford, just 2-100ths of a second back. The 10.64 lowered his PR from 10.73, which he ran at Central Jersey Group 3 sectionals a week earlier at Jackson Liberty.

In the 200, he was 2nd to Hamilton West senior Jaci Summers, who ran 21.38. Thomas’s 200 PR coming in was 21.74 from last year’s Lenape Day of Sprints and Hurdles and his season best was 21.92 from the same meet this year, back in April.

The 10.64 ranks Thomas 5th in Burlington County history and 23rd in South Jersey history. The 21.55 is also 5th all-time in Burlington County and No. 25 on the all-time South Jersey list.

But here’s where it gets really interesting.

Only nine other South Jersey sprinters (none from Burlington County) have run both 10.65 or faster AND 21.55 or faster. Here’s that list:

Bill “Peanut” Gaines [Clearview], 1967 [10.2h, 20.9h]
Flipper Anderson [Paulsboro], 1983 [10.4h, 21.1h]
Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1983 [10.47, 21.06]
Todd Dutch [Washington Twp.], 2001 [10.53, 21.40]
Dorian Bryant [Kingsway], 2002 [10.65, 21.43]
Sabli Gonnet [Eastern], 2007 [10.63, 21.46]
Fabian Santiago [Oakrest], 2010 [10.54, 21.52]
Jonathan Taylor [Salem], 2017 [10.49, 21.53]
Ajani Dwyer [Washington Twp.], 2023 [10.60, 21.55]
Samuel Thomas [Northern Burlington], 2023 [10.64, 21.55]

But none of them ever ran that fast in both dashes in the same state meet. Until Saturday, when Thomas did it.

Now, Peanut Gaines probably would have at the 1967 state Group 3 meet at Highland Park. He won the 220 in a hand-timed 20.6, but back then they were still running 100 yards, and he won that in a hand-timed 9.3. That’s the equivalent of a hand-timed 10.2 for 100 meters, which converts to 10.44 for a fat 100. But, alas, that doesn’t count.

The closest any South Jersey sprinter has come to a 10.64 / 21.55 double in the same state meet came just last year, when Willingboro’s Malachi James won a 10.62 / 21.69 double in the state Group 2 meet at Franklin.

Other close calls: in 2002, Kingsway’s Dorian Bryant won the Group 2 100 in 10.68 and the 200 in 21.41 at Egg Harbor, and in 1997, Mainland Regional’s John Stone ran 10.63 and 21.79 at South Plainfield.

Thomas goes into the Meet of Champions Wednesday at Franklin as the No. 2 seed behind Stafford in the 100 and tied for No. 3 in the 200, behind Seton Hall Prep’s Xavier Donaldson [21.25] and Summers [21.38] and tied with Pennsauken’s Premier Wynn [21.55], the indoor Meet of Champions winner.

All-Time South Jersey 100 List
10.35 … Jamar Ervin [Camden], 2000
10.36 … Damiere Byrd [Timber Creek], 2010
10.45 … James Townsend [Holy Cross], 2003
10.47 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1983
10.47 … James Brown [Glassboro], 2009
10.49 … Jonathan Taylor [Salem], 2017
10.53 … Todd Dutch [Washington Twp.], 2001
10.54 … Fabian Santiago [Oakrest], 2010
10.54 … Malachi James [Willingboro], 2022
10.55 … Evan Corcoran [Kingsway], 2022
10.57 … Jamil Benjamin [Cumberland Regional], 2006
10.57 … Geoff Navaro [Absegami], 2008
10.58 … Anthony Miles [Winslow Twp.], 2003
10.58 … James Burrus [Moorestown], 2022
10.60 … Robert Page [Kingsway], 2008
10.60 … Marquis Bonds [Millville], 2007
10.60 … Shawney Kersey [Woodbury], 2009
10.60 … Thomas Hampton [Clayton], 2019
10.60 … Ajani Dwyer [Washington Twp.], 2023
10.62 … Kashif Moore [Burlington Twp.], 2007
10.63 … John Stone [Mainland Reg.], 1997
10.63 … Sabli Gonnet [Eastern], 2007
10.64 … Jeremy Cooper [Mainland Reg.], 1997
10.64 … Samuel Thomas [Northern Burlington], 2023
10.65 … Dominique Irons [Haddon Heights], 2013
10.65 … Rocco Ordille [St. Joe’s-Hammonton], 2015
10.65 … Dorian Bryant [Kingsway], 2003
10.65 … Mar-quel Davis [Deptford], 2017
10.66 … Bobby Orro [Pemberton], 1993
10.67 … Antraye Miles [Winslow Twp.], 2003
10.67 … D.J. Germann [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2022
10.67 … T.J. Johnson [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2009
10.67 … Kashif Miller [Haddon Heights], 2014
10.67 … Martin Booker [Pennsauken], 2017
10.68 … Marquis Bonds [Bridgeton], 2007
10.68 … Tim Athill [Pleasantville], 1998
10.68 … Antonio Tarantino [Paul VI], 2017
10.69 … Robert Darby [Pennsauken], 2006
10.69 … Charles Fields [Wildwood Catholic], 2018
10.69 … Darnell Charles [Oakcrest], 2012

All-Time Burlington County 100 List
10.45 … James Townsend [Holy Cross], 2003
10.54 … Malachi James [Willingboro], 2022
10.58 … James Burrus [Moorestown], 2022
10.62 … Kashif Moore [Burlington Twp.], 2007
10.64 … Samuel Thomas [Northern Burlington], 2023
10.66 … Bobby Orro [Pemberton], 1993
10.72 … Sterling Pierce [Rancocas Valley], 2015
10.73 … Miekel House [Delran], 2019
10.74 … Ken Reynolds [Willingboro], 1986
10.75 … Jamaal Harris (Palmyra), 2002
10.78 … Michael Bolling (Willingboro), 2000
10.78 … Sam Aviles [Palmyra], 2019

All-Time South Jersey 200 list
20.8h… Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1979
21.06 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1983
21.07 … Antonio Tarantino [Paul VI], 2018
21.14 … Reuben McCoy [Winslow Twp.], 2004
21.30 … Jah’mir Beasley [Sterling], 2019
21.39 … Martin Booker Jr. [Pennsauken], 2017
21.40 … Lamont Smith [Willingboro], 1991
21.40 … Rob Gary [Lenape], 1998
21.40 … Todd Dutch [Washington Twp.], 2001
21.40 … Jamaad Muse [Timber Creek], 2012
21.40 … Rajahn Dixon [Eastern], 2023
21.41 … Dorian Bryant [Kingsway], 2002
21.41 … T.J. Johnson [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2010
21.43 … Barry Cephas [Winslow Twp.], 2008
21.46 … Brondon Jenkins [Delran], 1994
21.46 … Sabli Gonnet [Eastern], 2007
21.47 … Curtis McIntyre [Bridgeton], 1992
21.52 … Fabian Santiago [Oakcrest], 2012
21.53 … Robert Hargrove [Vineland], 1996
21.53 … Dennis Davis [Edgewood], 2000
21.53 … A.J. Bunton [West Deptford], 2006
21.53 … Jonathan Taylor [Salem], 2017
21.54 … Derek Ward [Kingsway], 1992
21.55 … Ajani Dywer [Washington Twp.], 2023
21.55 … Samuel Thomas [Northern Burlington], 2023
21.55 … Premier Wynn [Pennsauken], 2023
21.56 … Ron Hillian [Eastern], 2002
21.56 … Bruce Owens [Deptford], 2005
21.56 … Darrell Bush [Woodbury], 2011
21.56 … Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], 2019
21.56 … Amir Brock [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2017
21.57 … Mar-Quel Davis [Deptford], 2017
21.58 … Antraye Miles [Winslow Twp.], 2003
21.59 … John Stone [Mainland Reg.], 1997
21.60 … Juwan Johnson [Glassboro], 2013

All-time Burlington County 200 list
20.8h… Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1979
21.40 … Lamont Smith [Willingboro], 1991
21.40 … Rob Gary [Lenape], 1998
21.46 … Brondon Jenkins [Delran], 1994
21.55 … Samuel Thomas [Northern Burlington], 2023
21.66 … Darrin Scott [Willingboro], 2001
21.66 … Sterling Pierce [Rancocas Valley], 2015
21.67 … Michael Bolling [Willingboro], 2000
21.68 … Daequan Kim [Bordentown], 2009
21.68 … Malachi James [Willingboro], 2022
21.70 … Keith Griffith [Florence], 2010
21.75 … Antonio Abney [Willingboro], 2007
Additional hand times
20.8 … Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1979
21.3y … Kevin Holloway [Palmyra], 1975
21.3y … Dave Wheeler [Kennedy], 1981
21.3 … Barry Douglas [Willingboro], 1993

(You may be wondering about Carl Lewis. As you can see, he did run a hand-timed 20.8 at Willingboro in 1979, but he never really ran a fast 100 in high school – just a 10.5 hand time. Pretty slow for an eight-time Olympic gold medalist!)

(Another note. Washington Township junior Ajani Dwyer ran 10.60 at the Gloucester County meet and 21.55  at the South Jersey Open but did not compete after the Gloucester County meet on May 11 so did not race at sectionals.)

With Willingboro sophomore Nester Wea and Ocean City junior both winning three individual events at states Saturday, we thought it would be fun to look back at all the state championship triple winners South Jersey has ever produced.

No relays here. We looked for all the boys and girls who’ve won three individual events in the same state meet.

The girls state meet began in 1973, but I didn’t find any triple winners before 1980, and I suspect there were rules back then limiting girls to two events. Not sure if there was ever a similar rule for the boys, but the earliest I saw a boy place in three events was 1974.

If you notice anyone missing, please let me know in the comments section!

BOYS
**Brady Shute [Woodbury], Group 1 2022 [800, 1,600, 3,200]
Kenneth Karcher [Maple Shade], Group 1 2017 [200, 400, 400IH]
Ben Mitchell [St. Joe’s-Hammonton], Parochial B 2015 [400IH, LJ, HJ]
Rocco Ordille [St. Joe’s-Hammonton], Parochial B 2014 [100, 200, LJ, TJ]
*Carl Watson [St. Joe’s-Hammonton], Parochial B 2011 [100, 200, 400]
*Damiere Byrd [Timber Creek], Group 3 2010 [100, 200, 400]
Anthony Miles [Winslow Twp.], Group 3 2003 [100, 200, LJ]
Ed Young [Wildwood Catholic], Parochial B 2003 [110HH, 400IH, HJ]
Joe Lewis [Pleasantville], Group 2 1998 [400, 800, 400IH]
Fred Sharpe [Paulsboro], Group 1 1997 [800, 1,600, 400IH]
Royce Reed [Bridgeton], Group 3 1995 [200, 400, 400IH, Jav.]
*Royce Reed [Bridgeton], Group 3 1994 [200, 400, 400IH]
Kevin White [Haddon Heights], Group 2 1992 [100, 200, 400IH]
Gerard Reynolds [Willingboro], Group 3 1989 [110HH, 400IH, LJ]
Jon Dickey [Penns Grove], Group 1 1985 [100, 200, 110HH, LJ]
Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], Group 4 1984 [100, 200, 400]
*Matt Rose [Bordentown], Group 1 1984 [200, 400, LJ]
*Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], Group 4 1983 [100, 200, 400]
Carl Lewis [Willingboro], Group 4 1979 [100, 200, LJ]

GIRLS
**Nester Wea [Willingboro], 2023 Group 2 [100, 200, 400]
*Sophia Curtis [Ocean City], 2023 Group 3 [400, 400IH, TJ]
Arianna Sharpe [Clayton], 2022 Group 1 [100, 200, 400]
Dennisha Page [Wilson], 2019 Group 3 [100, 200, 400]
**Shakirah Dancy [Winslow Twp.], 2016 Group 3 [100, 200, 400]
*Kiera Lester [Deptford], 2015 Group 2 [100, 200, 400]
**Briana Gess [Haddonfield], 2015 Group 2 [800, 1,600, 3,200]
Gabrielle Bennett [Winslow Twp.], 2015 Group 3 [100HH, HJ, LJ]
*Torie Robinson [Winslow Twp.], 2013 Group 3 [100, 200, 100HH, 400IH]
*Torie Robinson [Winslow Twp.], 2012 Group 3 [100, 200, 100HH, 400IH]
Tacquaya Tobias [Our Lady of Mercy], 2011 Parochial B [100, 200, LJ]
Rajeana Marigna [Palmyra], 2008 Group 1 [100, 200, 400]
*Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2005 Group 4 [200, 400, 100HH, 400IH]
Shameka Speed [Bridgeton], 2003 Group 2 [100, 200, 400, LJ]
*Shameka Speed [Bridgeton], 2002 Group 2 [100, 200, 400, LJ]
***Shameka Speed [Bridgeton], 2000 Group 2 [200, 400, LJ]
*Erin Donohue [Haddonfield], 2000 Group 2 [800, 1,600, 3,200, Jav]
**Erin Donohue [Haddonfield],1999 Group 2 [800, 1,600, 3,200, Jav]
***Erin Donohue [Haddonfield],1999 Group 2 [800, 1,600, 3,200]
Candyce DeLoatch [Schalick], 1996 Group 1 [100, 200, 400]
Dana Burnett [Williamstown], 1996 Group 3 [100, 200, 400]
Tamika Nelson [Buena], 1993 Group 2 [100, 200, 400]
Ivy Foster [Haddon Heights], 1991 Group 1 [100, 200, 400]
Tonya Lee [Rancocas Valley], 1987 Group 3 [100HH, 400IH, LJ, HJ]
Kelli James [Bishop Eustace], 1987 Parochial B [100HH, HJ, LJ]
Ruth Lockbaum [Glassboro], 1986 Group 1 [800, 1,600, 3,200]
Dana Roberts [Holy Cross], 1984 Parochial A [100, 200, LJ]
Denise Liles [Kingsway], 1984 Group 1 [100, 200, 100HH]
Lillian Rivera [Pemberton], 1984 Group 4 [SP, Di, Jav]
*Denise Liles [Kingsway], 1983 Group 1 [100, 200, 100HH]
Tina Walls [Williamstown], 1982 [100HH, 400IH, LJ]
Kathy Rankins [Haddon Heights], 1980 [100, 200, LJ]

Mainland Regional senior Mawali Osunniyi had a tremendous state Group 3 meet at Delsea Saturday, winning the high jump with a PR-tying 6-8 and taking 2nd in the triple jump with a PR 47-0 ½.

Both marks are No. 2 in Atlantic County history.

Osunniyi goes into the Meet of Champions Wednesday tied for the No. 1 seed in the high jump with junior Brian Butler of Piscataway, who won Group 4 at 6-8, and Pleasantville senior Isaiah Davenport, who cleared 6-8 for the first time to win Group 2. He’s the No. 2 seed in the triple jump behind Matawan senior Branden Satterwhite, who won Group 2 at 47-9.

Osunniyi has been consistent at 6-8 all year, clearning it in five of his last six major meets. Osunniyi and Davenport – and several others – are tied at No. 2 all-time in Atlantic County history at 6-8 behind Mainland’s Paul Klemic, who cleared a state-record 7-4 ½ at the 2000 Foot Locker Championships in Raleigh, N.C.

The state leader is South Brunswick’s Damarion Potts, who cleared 6-10 ¼ at Central Jersey Group 4 at Hillsborough. He was 2nd to Butler in Group 4 Saturday.

Osunniy’s previous triple jump PR was a 46-6 ¾ to win the Cape-Atlantic League meet at Bridgeton last month. He’s No. 2 in Atlantic County and Cape-Atlantic history in the triple jump behind Egg Harbor’s Mubeen Momodu, who hit 48-1 ½ at the 2019 Meet of Champions at Northern Burlington.

Osunniyi is Mainland’s first state champion since 2018, when Kobe Roberts won the javelin with a 190-2 and first state high jump champ since Klemic cleared 7-0 to win Group 3 at Egg Harbor in 2000.

Also for the Mustangs, sophomore Josiah Williams placed 3rd in the triple jump with a 45-4 3/4 on his final attempt and added a point in the 110 hurdles with a 6th-place finish in 15.37. And senior William Murray hit 21-9 for 3rd in the long jump.

Mainland placed 4th in Group 3 with 31 points, just 12 behind co-champions Deptford and Chatham.

Sophia Curtis has been making history all year and Saturday was certainly no exception.

Curtis became Ocean City’s first triple winner, ran the 7th-fastest intermediate hurdles in the U.S. this year and helped the Red Raiders place 2nd in the state Group 3 meet at Delsea.

It was a monumental one-day performance for Curtis, who won the 400-meter dash in 56.61, ran a PR 1:00.42 to win the intermediates by almost two seconds and used a last-jump 39-5 ¾ to win the triple jump.

The 400-400IH double is hard enough at a two-day meet. For Curtis to pull it off with about two hours between events is truly impressive. She’s the first South Jersey girl to win both the 400 and intermediates at states in 18 years, since Winslow’s Krystal Cantey won both as part of a quad win in Group 3 in 2005 [24.35, 55.52, 14.40, 1:02.93].

Curtis is the first Ocean City girl ever to win three events at states and the first to win two since Renee Tomlin won the 800 [2:11.83] and 1,600 [4:57.55] at Egg Harbor in 2005.

She’s actually the first Ocean City girl to win any individual event at states since Tomlin in the 1,600 [4:56.34] in 2006 in South Plainfield, although the Raiders have won the 4-by-8 twice since then [Cierra Granger, Devon Grisbaum, Rachel Stremme and Bridget Flynn ran 9:15.61 in 2014, and Grisbaum, Emma Bergman, Michaela Baker and Stremme ran 9:23.84 in 2015].

Let’s take a look at Curtis’s afternoon:

400-meter dash: In only her 3rd flat 400 of the spring, Curtis held off Timber Creek junior Naylah Jones, who had edged her at sectionals on the same track a week earlier. Jones won last week by 21-100ths of a second with a PR 55.83, but this time Curtis held Jones off by 3-100ths of a second. It was likely the final 400 of the year for Curtis, who will presumably contest the triple jump and intermediates Wednesday at the Meet of Champions at Franklin High. She would be the 6th seed in the 400 if she did choose to run it. She already holds the Cape May County record of 56.04 from sectionals.

400-meter hurdles: Racing unpressed, Curtis lowered her PR from 1:00.51 from sectionals to 1:00.42, which is 10th-fastest in South Jersey history. She won by nearly two seconds over Kylie Jacoutot of Colts Neck, who was 2nd in 1:02.30. Curtis’s time is No. 7 in the U.S. this year, just behind Morristown’s Aaliyah Murphy, who won the state Group 4 title at Franklin in 1:00.39, so that should be quite a hot Meet of Champions race Wednesday.

Triple Jump: Winslow’s remarkable Ma’Syiah Brawner set the state freshman record of 39-5 ½ at sectionals, finishing just 2 ½ inches behind Curtis. It was just as close this time as the two best triple jumpers in New Jersey squared off again. Brawner opened with a 39-2 to take the lead, and Curtis answered with a 39-0 ½. Neither matched those marks on their 2nd attempts – 37-4 for Brawner, 38-11 for Curtis. Brawner hit 36-6 ½ on her third and final attempt in the curtailed three-jump event, but on her final jump Curtis sailed 39-5 ½ to snag the win by 3 ¾ inches.

Even with a challenging one-day meet, it was a remarkable day for South Jersey Saturday, with 68 runners or relay teams winning state titles at Delsea and Franklin Township.

Incredibly, 32 different high schools went home with 1st-place medals and six – Audubon, Haddonfield, Ocean City, Pennsauken, Willingboro and Winslow –  each won at least one event in both the boys and girls meets.

We only have a few days before the Meet of Champions, and I won’t have time to write about all these athletes – plus the numerous non-winners who put up remarkable performances – so here’s a glance at every South Jersey state champion from this weekend.

Boys
Group 1
*Peyton Shute [Woodbury], 800-Meter Run [1:55.90]
*Peyton Shute [Woodbury], 3,200-Meter Run [9:25.91]
Karl Wayne Rodgers [Maple Shade], 110-Meter Hurdles [15.00]
*Abdulazeez Iyiola [Palmyra], 400-Meter Hurdles [54.53]
Woodbury [**Marquis Taylor, Quincy Harvey, Jayden Johnson, Charlie Floyd], 400-Meter Relay [42.56]
Woodbury [Jayden Johnson, *Dante Vicharelli, Quincy Harvey, **Marquis Taylor,], 1,600-Meter Relay [3:25.29]
Woodbury [Michael Torelli, Charlie Floyd, Jayden Johnson Peyton Shute], 3,200-Meter Relay [8:13.09]
Jamile Gantt [Paulsboro], High Jump [6-4]
**Davi’Yonn Jackson [Salem], Triple Jump [45-9]
**Leo Davis [Audubon], Pole Vault [13-8]
*Damere Lassiter [Glassboro], Discus [177-0]
Janier Armstead [Penns Grove], Shot Put [55-1]

Group 2
*Eric Foster [Willingboro], 100-Meter Dash [10.94]
*Eric Foster [Willingboro], 110-Meter Hurdles 14.04]
Pleasantville [Isaiah Davenport, *Yusuf Golden, **Jermain Nelson, Xander Roberts-Bogin], 1,600-Meter Relay [3:18.70]
Haddon Heights [Matthew Iuvara, Colin Patterson, Jonathan Hastings, Jack Bolling], 3,200-Meter Relay [8:00.10]
Isaiah Davenport [Pleasantville], High Jump [6-8]
Alexander Hurley [Haddonfield], Pole Vault [14-0]
Malicah Etienne [Cinnaminson], Shot Put [54-11 ¼]

Group 3
Lathan Brown [Deptford], 400-Meter Dash [48.80]
Nick Scarangelli [Ocean City], 3,200-Meter Run [9:20.89]
Jaylen Wall [Winslow Twp.],. 110-Meter Hurdles [14.82]
Lathan Brown [Deptford], 400-Meter Hurdles [52.72]
Deptford [Kevin Mosley, *Darryl Wayman, **Kamari Brown and Lathan Brown ], 400-Meter Relay [42.73]
Deptford [Christian Berry, Robert Long, Lathan Brown, *Darryl Wayman], 1,600-Meter Relay [3:20.44]
Mawali Osunniyi [Mainland Reg.], High Jump [6-8]
*Daniel Couse [Clearview], Pole Vault [15-0]
Luke Maxwell [Delsea], Discus [166-6]

Group 4
Premier Wynn [Pennsauken], 200-Meter Dash [21.55]
Premier Wynn [Pennsauken], 400-Meter Dash [47.68]
Bryce Tucker [Pennsauken], 400-Meter Hurdles [52.69]
Pennsauken [*Elijah Jennings, *Bronze Whitmore, Premier Wynn, Robert Bayard], 400-Meter Relay [42.15]
Pennsauken [*Elijah Jennings, ***Ka’Ron Ali, Premier Wynn, Bryce Tucker], 1,600-Meter Relay [3:14.78]
Ahmad Fogg [Egg Harbor Twp.], Long Jump [24-2 ¾]
Kevin Burr Jr. [Rancocas Valley], Javelin [190-7]

Parochial A
None

Parochial B
Blake Wadley [Holy Cross], 200-Meter Dash [22.26]
John Flammer [Holy Spirit], 800-Meter Run [1:59.83]
Jonathan Forrest [Bishop Eustace], 110-Meter Hurdles [16.32]
Bishop Eustace [*Matt Colden, ***Alexander Dietz, **Desmond Carey, *Ryan Gaulrapp], 3,200-Meter Relay [8:55.16]
*Shawn Brady [Bishop Eustace], Discus [163-4]

Girls
Group 1
Ny’era Hand-Brooks [Burlington City], 100-Meter Hurdles [14.87]
Clayton [**Miyana Johnson, ***Deondria Simon, Erica Thomas, Kelsey Thomas], 400-Meter Relay [49.43]
Audubon [**Makenna Ammon, *Madelin Carter, Ava Rizzo, ***Charlie Owens], 3,200-Meter Relay []
Alanna Woolfolk [Clayton], High Jump [5-8]
*Maylisa Bluford [Clayton], Discus [129-3]

Group 2
**Nester Wea [Willingboro], 100-Meter Dash [11.96]
**Nester Wea [Willingboro], 200-Meter Dash [24.63]
**Nester Wea [Willingboro], 400-Meter Dash [56.05]
Willingboro [***Kaila Speight, ***Aaliyah Robinson, ***Jaden Murry, **Nester Wea], 400-Meter Relay [48.36]
Willingboro [**Sunny Oyibo, ***Aaliyah Robinson, ***Kaila Speight, ***Jaden Murry], 1,600-Meter Relay [3:56.18]
Haddonfield [Sabrina Miller, *Anna Stolarick, Thea Spellmeyer, *Riley Slootsky], 3,200-Meter Relay [9:38.49]
**Nicolette Pinkerton [Haddonfield], Long Jump [17-8]
*Chanel Swain [Willingboro], Shot Put [39-1 ½]

Group 3
*Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 100-Meter Dash [11.75]
*Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 200-Meter Dash [24.22]
*Sophia Curtis [Ocean City], 400-Meter Dash [56.61]
**Liliah Gordon [Northern Burlington], 3,200-Meter Run [10:41.81]
*Sophia Curtis [Ocean City], 400-Meter Hurdles [1:00.42]
Timber Creek [***Samiyah Puckett, **Ryan Jennings, *Nyla Jones, **Naylah Jones], 400-Meter Relay [47.70]
Timber Creek [**Billie Frazier, *Chloe Jones, **Adiat Olaogun-Dickson, *Nyla Jones], 1,600-Meter Relay [3:56.16]
***Ma’Syiah Brawner [Winslow Twp.], Long Jump [18-8]
*Sophia Curtis [Ocean City], Triple Jump [39-5 ¾]
Emma Peretti [Hammonton], Shot Put [39-0]

Group 4
***Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], 100-Meter Dash [11.82]
***Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], 400-Meter Dash [53.97]
Kadence Dumas [Eastern], 800-Meter Run [2:13.02]
Ciara Demarest [Williamstown], Discus [134-11]
Leah Howard [Millville], Javelin [151-10]

Parochial A
None

Parochial B
None

Ahmad Fogg had half as many attempts to pop a huge long jump Saturday, but it didn’t matter.

Fogg, a senior at Egg Harbor Township, sailed 24-2 ¾ to win the state Group 4 long jump championship at Franklin and move into a very strong all-time South Jersey top-10.

Fogg, limited to three jumps because of the one-day meet structure, went 22-7 on his first jump and fouled on his 2nd, but he came up huge on his final jump, breaking the Atlantic County record and recording the best jump by a South Jersey athlete in a decade.

Fogg was sitting in 2nd place going into his final jump but passed Hunterdon Central’s Damian Scouloukas [23-1 ¼] to become Egg Harbor’s 1st state long jump champion.

His jump is No. 10 in South Jersey history and best by a South Jersey jumper since Anthony Averett of Woodbury [25-2 ½] and Mikhail Micheaux of Eastern [24-3 ¾] in 2013.

He broke the Atlantic County record of 23-10 set by Atlantic City’s Steve Harper at the 1993 Group 4 sectionals in Bridgeton, and he moved into the No. 21 spot in state history.

It’s been a steady build for Fogg, who jumped 21-8 ½ as a sophomore and then 22-3 ½ as a junior. He improved to 22-8 at the South Jersey Elite at Delsea early last month, then surpassed 23 feet for the first time last weekend to win the Group 4 sectionals at Pennsauken.

Fogg will be the No. 1 seed in Wednesday’s Meet of Champions at Frankin.

Fogg also took 5th in the triple jump at states with a 44-11, just behind senior teammate Jamil Wilkins, who jumped 44-11 ½.

With the horizontal jump points, Mike Simeon’s 4th place in the shot put and senior Chris Griffin’s 5th place in the javelin, Egg Harbor placed 7th in Group 4 with 22 points.

All-Time South Jersey 24-Foot List
26-8 1/4 … Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1979
25-2 ½ … Anthony Averett [Woodbury], 2013
25-0 … William Spearmon [Woodrow Wilson], 1996
24-11 ½ … Anthony Miles [Winslow Twp.], 2002
24-8 ½ … Gerard Reynolds [Willingboro], 1989
24-8 … Isaac Samuels [Willingboro-Kennedy], 1983
24-6 ½ … Anthony Miles [Winslow Twp.], 2003
24-5 … Mike Morrison [Willingboro], 2003
24-3 ¾ … Mikhail Micheaux [Eastern], 2013
24-2 ¾ … Ahmad Fogg [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2023
24-1 … William Spearman [Woodrow Wilson], 1996
24-1 … Zach Bazile [St. Joe’s Montvale], 2014
24-0 ½ … Kerry Vivett [Edgewood], 1984
24-0 … Sherman Gramby [Elizabeth], 1986
24-0 … Donavan Anderson [Bergenfield], 2021

All-Time New Jersey Long Jump List
26-8 1/4 … Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1979
25-6 ¼ … Greg Foster [Lawrenceville School], 2022
25-2 ½ … Anthony Averett [Woodbury], 2013
25-0 ½ … Corey Crawford [Indian Hills], 2010
25-0 … Justes Nance [Blair Academy], 2015
25-0 … William Spearmon [Woodrow Wilson], 1996
24-11 ½ … Renaldo Nehemiah [Scotch Plains], 1977
24-11 ½ … Anthony Miles [Winslow Twp.], 2002
24-11 … Darius Pemberton [Hackensack], 1993
24-8 ½ … Gerard Reynolds [Willingboro], 1989
24-8 … Isaac Samuels [Willingboro-Kennedy], 1983
24-6 ½ … Anthony Miles [Winslow Twp.], 2003
24-5 … Todd Baskerville [Rahway], 1984
24-5 … Brad Mayo [West Orange], 1984
24-5 … Mike Morrison [Willingboro], 2003
24-4 ½ … Eulace Peacock [Union], 1933
24-3 ¾ … Mikhail Micheaux [Eastern], 2013
24-3 ½ … Kaelen Mitchell [Piscataway], 2021
24-3 ¼ …Marcus Hickerson [Delbarton], 1987
24-3 ¼ … Nils Wildberg [Princeton], 2019
24-2 ¾ … Ahmad Fogg [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2023
24-2 ¼ … Ed Ryan [Barringer], 1938
24-1 ¾ … Mark Henry [Plainfield], 1980
24-1 ¾ … Evans Tobler [Trenton], 1984
24-1 ¾ … Ron Lewis [Asbury Park], 1994
24-1 ½ … Richie Cirner [Paramus], 1965
24-1 ½ … Derrick Horner [Don Bosco], 1989
24-1 … Bob Calhoun [Scotch Plains], 1974
24-1 … William Spearman [Woodrow Wilson], 1996
24-1 … Zach Bazile [St. Joe’s Montvale], 2014
24-0 ½ … Kerry Vivett [Edgewood], 1984
24-0 … Sherman Gramby [Elizabeth], 1986
24-0 … Donavan Anderson [Bergenfield], 2021

Deptford senior Lathan Brown took on the challenge of the 400-meter hurdles and flat 400 about 90 minutes apart in a one-day meet and came up huge.

With only the 400-meter relays in between in the revised one-day meet schedule, Brown won both the intermediate hurdles and 400-meter dash to lead Deptford to a share of the state Group 3 championship. He also ran on two winning relay teams for a rare state championship quad win.

Deptford finished in a tie with Chatham with 43 points apiece. The state title is Deptford’s second the last four years the meet has been contested. Deptford also won in 2019. The meet wasn’t held in 2020.

Going into the 4-by-400 – the final event – Chatham led Deptford 37-33 and was the top seed with a 3:23.77 from sectionals. Deptford was seeded 9th and Timber Creek 16th, so they were relegated to an unseeded race.

Deptford won that section in 3:20.44 on Brown’s 47.41 anchor, and Timber Creek (importantly) was 2nd in 3:21.26, with junior Nasir Ali splitting 47.77 chasing Brown.

Chatham did win the seeded race but wasn’t as fast as Deptford or – pivotally – Timber Creek. So Deptford got 10 points for a total of 43 and Chatham – bumped by Timber Creek for 2nd – settled for 3rd despite winning the “fast” race. Had Chatham run 33-100ths of a second faster, they finish ahead of Timber Creek’s time from the previous race and win the state championship outright.

But they didn’t, and Deptford won itself a state title in remarkable fashion.

Brown was phenomenal.

He became the first boy in Deptford history to win two individual events or four (or three) total events at a state championship meet, and he did it in a meet condensed from two days to one.

Brown ran a PR 52.72 to win the intermediates, the 5th-fastest time in Gloucester County history and fastest in 14 years, since Tim Carey of Washington Township ran 52.10 at the 2009 state Group 4 meet at Egg Harbor Township. It’s No. 21 in South Jersey history.

Brown also won the 400 in 48.80 – not far off his PR of 48.76 from sectionals – with Timber Creek junior Nasir Ali 2nd in 49.61.

He also anchored Deptford’s winning 400-meter relay team, with senior Kevin Mosley, junior Darryl Wayman, sophomore Kamari Brown and Lathan Brown running 42.73, and he ran the third leg on that 4-by-4, which also included junior Christian Berry, senior Robert Long and Wayman and ran 3:20.44.

A key event for the Spartans was the high jump, where senior Sammy Sanford tied for 4th at 6-2 with Freehold Borough’s Malakai Pressey. Sanford and Pressey both cleared 5-10, 6-0 and 6-2 without a miss before going out at 6-4. Had Sanford had one miss at any of those earlier heights, Pressey would have placed 4th and Sanford 5th, and Sanford would have scored two points instead of three … and Chatham would have won the meet outright.

South Jersey has dominated the state Group 3 meet. Since 1982, a South Jersey school has either won Group 3 outright or tied for the title 34 times in 41 years.

That curious dominance began when Kennedy won the title in 1982 and 1983. Wilson and Williamstown tied in 1984, then Willingboro won in 1986, 1988 and 1989. Edgewood won in 1990, then Bridgeton won five straight before Wilson won outright in 1996. Camden tied for the 1998 title, then won three straight outright. Willingboro won the next two and Camden won the two after that. Timber Creek won six of seven between 2008 and 2014, with Oakcrest breaking up the streak with a win in 2012. Since 2016, Pennsauken [2016, 2021] and Delsea [2018, 2022] have won twice apiece. Deptford also won in 2019.

The only non-South Jersey schools to win Group 3 since 1982: Rahway in 1985, Lakewood in 1987, Franklin in 1997, Monmouth Regional in 2006 and 2007, River Dell in 2015 and West Windsor-Plainsboro North in 2017.