Junior Peyton Shute, sophomore Marquis Taylor and senior Jabron Solomon – and a bunch of terrific relay legs – led Woodbury to its 12th state championship Saturday and first since 2011.

Woodbury clinched the team title before the 1,600-meter relay began, then won it anyway, finishing with a 71-60 margin of victory over Walkill Valley, with South Jersey Group 1 champ Glassboro 3rd with 58 points.

Shute – going for a rare one-day distance quad win – dropped out of the 1,600 after one lap as a precautionary measure because of some hamstring soreness, but he told Jim Lambert of MileSplit he should be fine for the 3,200 at the Meet of Champions Wednesday.

Shute won the 800 in 1:55.90 and the 3,200 in 9:25.91 and split 1:59.04 on the 4-by-8, which won in 8:13.09.

Taylor ran a huge PR 22.07 for 2nd in the 200 and 50.67 for 4th in the 400 and also led off the winning 4-by-1, which ran 42.56. His previous 200 PR was 22.56.

And Solomon placed 2nd in the long jump with a 22-0 ¼ and anchored the 4-by-1.

Woodbury’s other individual scorer was junior Jaylen Bailey, who placed 6th in the high jump, clearing 6-2. That’s an outdoor PR, although he did clear 6-2 indoors at Ocean Breeze back in February.

But the key to everything for the Thundering Herd was 30 out of 30 points in the three relays. Woodbury became the first South Jersey school since the 4-by-1 was added to the state series in 2013 to win all three relays at a state championship meet.

Woodbury set a school record with the 42.56, with junior Dante Vicharelli and senior Dorian Dunbar joining Taylor and Solomon.

Taylor, seniors Quincy Harvey and Jayden Johnson and Taylor made up the 4-by-4, with Taylor anchoring in 50.17.

And senior Michael Torelli, Floyd and Johnson set up Shute’s anchor on the 4-by-8.

Woodbury won its first eight state titles between 1969 and 1978. The Herd won in 1969, then won seven straight from 1972 through 1978, tied for 2nd-longest streak in state history (behind Glen Ridge’s nine straight from 1959 through 1967 and tied with Camden’s seven straight from 1995 through 2001).

Woodbury’s 12 total state titles are 5th-most in state history, behind Christian Brothers (27), Montclair (21), Glen Ridge (15) and Willingboro (14).

Remarkable sophomore Nester Wea pulled off a rare state championship quad win at the state Group 2 meet Saturday at Delsea, leading the Willingboro girls to their first state title in more than two decades.

Wea became the first girl in the peerless history of Willingboro track to win three individual events or four total events at a state championship.

Wea ran PRs of 11.96 to win the 100, 24.63 to win the 200 and 56.05 to win the 400 and anchored the winning 400-meter relay team, which ran 48.36.

Willingboro, which lost to Haddonfield by 52 points at sectionals last weekend, outscored Haddonfield 72-61 to win its first state championship since the 2002 team – led by Okechi Ogbuokiri, Halimah Bashir and Kim Allen – edged Red Bank 58-57 to win the state Group 3 title at Egg Harbor.

Wea is the first sophomore from South Jersey to win three individual events at a state meet in 24 years, since Olympian Erin Donohue of Haddonfield won four in 1999 – the 800 [2:16.27], 1,600 [5:00.04], 3,200 [10:54.11] and javelin [132-0].

Wea’s improvement this spring has been unprecedented. She didn’t even place at sectionals in any of her events this indoor season and five weeks ago had PRs of 26.39 in the 200 and 62.26 in the 400 and had never run a 100.

Before sectionals last weekend, she hadn’t run faster than 12.34, 24.99 or 58.83.

Wea is the first South Jersey girl to win a state Group quad – or an individual triple – since Deptford’s Kiera Lester did it at South Plainfield as a junior, winning the 100 [12.41, 12.27 in trials], 200 [24.32] and 400 [55.72] and anchoring the 4-by-1 [48.14].

It had been 13 years since a Willingboro girl even doubled at states. The last to do it was Vanessa Arientyl in the 100 highs [14.38] and intermediates [1:02.54]

But she’s now one of the greatest athletes in Willingboro’s proud history and has two years remaining to add to her burgeoning legacy.

But Wea had plenty of help in Saturday’s condensed one-day meet.

Sophomore Chanel Swain threw 39-1 ½ to become Willingboro’s first state shot put champion in 40 years – since Cheryl Muse won Group 4 with a 39-5 ½ at Rutgers in Piscataway in 1982. Swain also placed 5th in the discus with a 103-3.

And freshman Kaila Speight ran PRs of 24.83 for 2nd place in the 200 and 12.30 for 5th in the 100 to contribute 10 points and also led off the winning 4-by-1 and ran the 3rd leg on the winning 4-by-4, which ran 3:56.18.

Wea, Swain and Speight combined for 52 of Willingboro’s 72 points, and the 20 others came on the two relay wins.

Freshmen Aaliyah Robinson and Jaden Murry joined Speight and Wea on the 4-by-1, and freshman Sunny Oyibo, Robinson and freshman Jaden Murry joined Speight on the 4-by-4.

Willingboro won Group 4 in 1980 and 1981 with legendary Michelle Glover and Carol Lewis, then won Group 3 in 1999 and 2002.

With five total championships, Willingboro now trails only Winslow [8], Haddonfield [8] and Bridgeton [6] for most outdoor state team championships among South Jersey schools. Bishop Eustace, Camden, Paul VI, Williamstown and Woodbury each have four.

This is Willingboro’s first year back in Group 2 after several years in Group 1. Boro is one of the smallest Group 2 schools in the state.

Seniors Bryce Tucker and Premier Wynn, unable to contest all their events because of the revised one-day meet structure, still powered Pennsauken to its 3rd state championship in the last seven years.

With the meet curtailed from two days to one because of air quality concerns on Friday, Tucker had to give up the 400 and Wynn had to give up the 400 hurdles.

But even losing potential huge points, Pennsauken still rode the two brilliant seniors to a 56-53 win over 2nd-place Westfield and the state Group 4 title at Franklin Township.

Pennsauken asserted itself as the best public school team in the state, winning the toughest, deepest and most competitive group by 13 points.

Westfield elbowed its way back into the meet with a 1-2-4 finish in the 1,600, the 22 points pulling the Blue Devils within three points of Pennsauken at 56-53 going into the 4-by-4.

Westfield then ran 3:23.62 in an unseeded heat to put a little pressure on Pennsauken. But the Indians responded with a commanding win in the final section, with Jennings, freshman KaRon Ali, Wynn and Tucker running 3:14.78, Wynn splitting 47.14 and Tucker 47.90.

Tucker easily won his specialty, the 400-meter hurdles, in 52.69, and Wynn easily won his specialty, the flat 400, in 47.68.

Wynn came back to win the 200 in a big PR 21.55, and Tucker ran a high hurdles PR of 13.87 to finish behind New Jersey No. 1 Nathaniel Ryan of Scotch Plains, who won in a state-best 13.45.

So even without Tucker in the 400 or Wynn in the intermediates, Wynn scored 20 points in his two individual races and Tucker added 18.

Tucker or Wynn had a hand in every point Pennsauken scored – other than Jennings’ 4th-place in the 200.

Junior Elijah Jennings also chipped in with four huge points in the 200 with a PR 22.15 out of an unseeded heat.

Jennings, junior Bronze Whitmore, Wynn and senior Robert Bayard ran a season-best 42.15 to give Pennsauken a close win in the 4-by-1 – Livingston finished 7-100ths of a second back – and then Pennsauken wrapped things up by running 3:1

The Indians also won state titles in Group 3 in 2016 and 2021. Pennsauken is the first South Jersey school to win Group 4 since Rancocas Valley in 2015.

Pennsauken won sectionals and states indoors and out this year as well as state relays indoors, an impressive year-long sweep.

Junior Naylah Jones won two events and placed 2nd in another and got plenty of help from a clutch supporting cast Saturday, and the Timber Creek girls raced to the first state championship in school history at Delsea.

Timber Creek fell six points short of Winslow Township last weekend at sectionals, but with big points at the top of several races the Chargers rolled to a 76-42 win over Sophia Curtis and Ocean City in the one-day state Group 4 meet, with Winslow in 3rd with 39 points making it a 1-2-3 South Jersey finish.

Jones won the 100 with a personal-best 11.75 – 9th-fastest in South Jersey history (you can read about that race here) – placed 2nd with a PR 24.22 and took 2nd in the 400 in 56.64 in a historic performance. She no doubt ran on one of the winning relay teams as well.

Sophomore Ryan Jennings PRd in both dashes, taking 2nd in the 100 in 11.92 behind Jones and 3rd in the 200 with 24.63. And Chloe Jones added six points in the 400 with a 3rd place in 57.29.

That’s 48 points in the 100, 200 and 400.

Timber Creek also won the 400-meter relay in 47.70. Unfortunately, the names of the four runners are not available. Timber Creek appears to have won the 4-by-4 also – there are no results of the event, but Timber Creek’s point total increased from 66 to 76 about when the race would have been run.

And the Chargers got a huge lift from junior Guerlande Pierre, the No. 12 seed in the shot put. She threw 38-5 and placed 2nd for eight more huge points. Pierre has unique versatility – she was a medalist at sectionals in the high hurdles and shot put, and she’s also long jumped 17 feet and triple jumped 35 feet this spring.

We’ll add more info on the relays when it comes available.

Audubon’s Leo Davis on Saturday became the first South Jersey sophomore in over 35 years to win an outdoor state pole vaut championship.

State results before the late 1980s did not include class information, so there’s no way to tell exactly when – or if – a South Jersey sophomore won a state title in the vault at any point, but it hasn’t happened since 1988.

The last South Jersey underclassman to win a state pole vault title was Matthew McMahon of Sacred Heart, who won the 2010 Parochial B title at 12-0 at Egg Harbor.

Davis won the competition Saturday at Franklin Township at 13-6, which tied his PR, then had the bar moved up to a PR 13-8 – presumably a school record – which he also cleared. Davis won the indoor state Group 1 title at 13-0.

The official results don’t show height progression, so don’t know where Davis entered the competition, how many misses he had (if any) at earlier heights and whether or not he continued on after clearing 13-8 or called it a day.

Willingboro junior Eric Foster completed the 100-110 hurdles double Saturday at the state Group 2 meet at Delsea.

Foster won the 100 with a 10.94, edging Raritan senior Kieran Falzon, who was 2nd in 11.00 and he came back and won the 110-meter hurdles in a PR 14.04, finishing clear of Demarest senior Jack Attali, 2nd in 14.16.

Foster becomes Willingboro’s first junior double winner at states since Mike Morrison won the Group 3 high jump at 7-0 and long jump at 22-11 ¾ at the 2002 meet in South Plainfield. (Malachi James won the 100 and 200 last year as a freshman.)

Foster is also the first Willingboro boy ever – indoors or out – to win both high hurdles and sprint races at the state championships.

Foster was just 1-100th of a second off his 100 PR of 11.93 from sectionals. His previous 110 highs PR was 14.55 at South Jersey Open, also at Delsea, in May.

Another race, another PR, another state title for Pennsauken freshman Sianni Wynn.

Wynn, who won the 100 earlier Saturday in 11.82, won the 400 in a blazing 53.98 Saturday at Franklin Township.

That’s No. 14 in state history and No. 6 in South Jersey history and brings her within a 5th of a second of the state freshman record of 53.78, set by Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin, who ran 53.78 at the 2014 state Parochial A meet at Egg Harbor.

Wynn finished six meters ahead of of Elizabeth senior Cynthia Boakye, who placed 2nd in 54.71.

Wynn also broke the Camden County record of 54.00 set by another Olympic gold medalist, English Gardner of Eastern, at the 2007 Nike Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, N.C.

All-Time State 400 List
51.87 … Sydney McLoughlin [Union Catholic], 2016
51.98 … Athing Mu [Trenton], 2019
52.46 … Olivia Baker [Columbia], 2014
52.56 … Mikele Barber [Montclair], 1998
52.91 … Michelle Brown [Seneca], 2009
53.12 … Julia Jackson [Scotch Plains-Fanwood], 2022
53.0h … Stephanie Saleem [Neptune], 1985
53.49 … Arianna Sharpe [Clayton], 2022
53.51 … Dana Burnett [Williamstown], 1996
53.60 … Amirah Sharpe [Clayton], 2022
53.64 … Nijgia Snapp [Oakcrest], 2008
53.66 … Giselle Harris [Shabazz], 1986
53.84 … Drexel Long [Monmouth], 1991
53.97 … Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken ], 2023

Timber Creek’s Naylah Jones blasted one of the fastest 100-meter dashes in South Jersey history Saturday at the state Group 3 meet at Delsea.

Jones won her 1st state title in 11.75, the 9th-fastest time in South Jersey. She had PR’d with an 11.79 to win the South Jersey Group 3 title last weekend, also at Delsea.

Her time is fastest in New Jersey this year and makes her top seed in the Meet of Champions Wednesday.

Jones’ time is fastest in the state Group 3 meet in 16 years – since Lakewood’s Shavon Greaves, later an All-America sprinter at Penn State, set the meet record of 11.61 in 2007 at South Plainfield.

Sophomore teammate Ryan Jennings placed 2nd in the race with a PR of her own at 11.92 for 18 huge team points in one race.

Timber Creek also won the 400-meter relay in 47.70 with Samiyah Puckett, Jennings, Nyla Jones and Naylah Jones.

All-Time South Jersey List
11.42 … Michele Glover [Willingboro], 1981
11.49 … English Gardner [Eastern], 2008
11.57 … Patti Dunlap [Camden], 1979
11.58 … Bria Mack [Williamstown], 2017
11.61 … Amandi Rhett [Moorestown], 2000
11.63 … Dennisha Page [Woodrow Wilson], 2019
11.71 … Shakira Dancy [Winslow Twp.], 2017
11.73 … Torie Robinson [Winslow Twp.], 2014
11.75 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 2023
11.77 … Aisha Morgan [Schalick], 1998
11.78 … Shameka Speed [Bridgeton], 2003
11.79 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 2023
11.81 … Denise Liles [Kingsway], 1984
11.81 … Lauren Princz [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2018
11.81 … Audrey Wilson [Deptford], 2008
11.82 … Annie Johnson [Shawnee], 2012
11.82 … Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], 2023
11.84 … Robin Taylor [Deptford], 1980
11.85 … Dana Burnett [Willamstown], 1996
11.88 … Denis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1983
11.89 … Cecelia Gerstenbacher [Delsea], 2017
11.91 … Aliya Harrison [Sterling], 2017
11.94 … Emily Carson [Haddonfield], 2013
11.95 … Aliyah Taylor [Rancocas Valley], 2017
11.96 … Jamillah Nock [Woodrow Wilson], 2004
11.96 … Jailya Ash [Eastern], 2019
11.98 … Jennifer Jackson [Eastern], 2003
11.98 … Ciera Ismail [Schalick], 2013
11.98 … Kiara Lester [Deptford], 2014

All-Time New Jersey 100 List
11.42 … Michele Glover [Willingboro], 1981
11.44 … Myasia Jacobs [Paramus Catholic], 2010
11.49 … English Gardner [Eastern], 2008
11.50 … Wendy Vereen [Trenton], 1984
11.57 … Patti Dunlap [Camden], 1979
11.57 … M’elisa Barber [Montclair], 1998
11.57 … Jada Ellis [Manchester Twp.], 2021
11.58 … Bria Mack [Williamstown], 2017
11.61 … Amandi Rhett [Moorestown], 2000
11.61 … Shavon Greaves [Lakewood], 2007
11.62 … Cathy Crawford [Perth Amboy], 1977
11.63 … Dennisha Page [Woodrow Wilson], 2019
11.64 … Olivia Baker [Columbia], 2013
11.65 … Aleah Williams [Montclair], 1999
11.65 … Ogechi Nwaneri [Columbia], 2008
11.66 … Dennisha Page [Woodrow Wilson], 2019
11.66 … Lauren Princz [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2021
11.68 … Regina Trotter [Weequahic], 1991
11.70 … Lori Dowers [Lawrence], 1979
11.70 … Christiana Nwachuku [Kent Place], 2022
11.71 … Georgina Nembhard [Ocean Twp.], 2007
11.71 … Shakira Dancy [Winslow Twp.], 2017
11.73 … Sydney Hawkins [Phillipsburg], 2018
11.73 … Torie Robinson [Winslow Twp.], 2014
11.74 … Jenna Harris [Franklin Twp.], 2003
11.75 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 2023
11.75 … Bria Saunders [Parsippany], 2014
11.78 … Shameka Speed [Bridgeton], 2003

Eastern senior Kadence Dumas blasted a PR 2:13.02 and won a very fast 800 Saturday in the state Group 4 meet at Franklin Township.

Dumas was in 3rd at the bell lap, coming through in 68.87, but she closed in a crazy 64.16 to hold off Toms River North freshman Jessica Abbott, who closed in 64.55 and finished 2nd in 2:13.55.

Scotch Plains-Fanwood senior Jenai Berry [2:13.76], Cherokee senior Kelsey Niglio [2:14.11] and Toms River North junior Olivia Nickelsen [2:14.61] all ran well under 2:15. Last time five half-milers ran sub-2:15 at the state Group 4 meet was 2007.

Dumas’s previous PR was a 2:13.52 at sectionals. She hasn’t lost an 800 race all year, winning at South Jersey Elite, Camden County, Olympic Conference and Group 4 sectionals.

She’s the first girl from Eastern to win any race on the track of 400 meters or longer in over two decades. The last to do it was Jenelle Wilson, who won the 400 in 57.46 in 2002 at Buena.

It was the fastest state Group 4 race since 2007, when Danielle Tauro [2:09.21] and Jill Smith [2:10.35] of Southern Regional, Kim Standridge of Randolph [2:10.81], Lenape’s Miya Johnson [2:11.95] and Clifton’s Susan Martinez [2:14.76] all broke 2:15 at Egg Harbor.

Pennsauken freshman Sianni Wynn opened up a busy day at the state Group 4 track championships with a historic win in the 100-meter dash.

Wynn ran a personal-best 11.82 at Franklin Township, which is 15th-fastest in South Jersey history. Elizabeth senior Cynthia Boakye – who has an 11.78 PR – was 2nd in 11.91.

Although she’s 15th in South Jersey history, Wynn is only 4-100ths of a second outside the all-time top-10.

She’s the first Pennsauken freshman to win a state title in 24 years, since Alethia Jenkins was first in the 100-meter hurdles in 14.35 in 1999 at South Plainfield.

Wynn’s previous PR was 11.91 to win sectionals last weekend. Because the meet was changed from two days to one day, there were no 100 trials.

Indoors, Wynn won Meet of Champions titles in the 55 and 200 and a Group 3 title in the 400.

Washington Township junior Dylan Giloley placed 3rd in 12.20.

Wynn is also scheduled to race the 200 and 400 and 4-by-400 later Saturday.

All-Time South Jersey List
11.42 … Michele Glover [Willingboro], 1981
11.49 … English Gardner [Eastern], 2008
11.57 … Patti Dunlap [Camden], 1979
11.58 … Bria Mack [Williamstown], 2017
11.61 … Amandi Rhett [Moorestown], 2000
11.63 … Dennisha Page [Woodrow Wilson], 2019
11.71 … Shakira Dancy [Winslow Twp.], 2017
11.73 … Torie Robinson [Winslow Twp.], 2014
11.77 … Aisha Morgan [Schalick], 1998
11.78 … Shameka Speed [Bridgeton], 2003
11.79 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 2023
11.81 … Denise Liles [Kingsway], 1984
11.81 … Lauren Princz [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2018
11.81 … Audrey Wilson [Deptford], 2008
11.82 … Annie Johnson [Shawnee], 2012
11.82 … Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], 2023
11.84 … Robin Taylor [Deptford], 1980
11.85 … Dana Burnett [Willamstown], 1996
11.88 … Denis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1983
11.89 … Cecelia Gerstenbacher [Delsea], 2017
11.91 … Aliya Harrison [Sterling], 2017
11.94 … Emily Carson [Haddonfield], 2013
11.95 … Aliyah Taylor [Rancocas Valley], 2017
11.96 … Jamillah Nock [Woodrow Wilson], 2004
11.96 … Jailya Ash [Eastern], 2019
11.98 … Jennifer Jackson [Eastern], 2003
11.98 … Ciera Ismail [Schalick], 2013
11.98 … Kiara Lester [Deptford], 2014