Two-time javelin Olympian Curtis Thompson closed out his 2023 season Saturday with a win in at the Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile.

Thompson threw 261-3 – matching his 2nd-best throw this year – to win the competition at Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos, the largest stadium in Chile.

Thompson, a Florence native, won by about four feet over Pedro Henrique Rodrigues of Brazil, who placed 2nd with a best throw of 257-4. Series information is not listed in the results.

He’s the first U.S. thrower  to win the Pan Am Games javelin in 36 years, since Duncan Atwood won the 1987 event with a throw of 258-5 at the 1987 Pan Am Games in Indianapolis.

The Pan Am Games have been held every four years since 1951

This was Thompson’s first competition since mid-September and only his second since he competed at the World Championships in Budapest in August. In July, Thompson won his 3rd U.S. Championship with a season-best 265-5 on his final throw. He’s one of only three American men to win three national javelin titles in the last 50 years.

Thompson will finish the 2023 season ranked No. 1 among Americans.

Here’s a look at all of Thompson’s known 260-foot throws [79.248 meters]:
287-9 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022 [2nd throw]
276-4 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Bahamas, Aug. 20, 2022 [3rd throw]
274-11 … Athletissima, La Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland, Aug. 26, 2022 [1st throw]
273-4 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022 [1st throw]
271-11… Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, July 4, 2016 [1st throw]
271-10 … Spitzen Leichtathletik, Luzern, Switzerland, Aug. 30, 2022 [3rd throw]
271-7 … Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, June 21, 2021 [6th throw]
270-3 … Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Invitational, Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland, Aug. 6, 2022 [2nd throw]
269-7 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 9, 2022 [3rd throw]
269-4 … Weltklasse, Letzigrund, Zürich, Switzerland, Sept. 8, 2022 [2nd throw]
268-1 … Oregon Relays, Hayward Field, Eugene, April 23, 2022 [1st throw]
268-1 … World Athletics Championships [qualifying], Hayward Field, Eugene, July 21, 2022 [1st throw]
267-4 … World Athletics Championships [qualifying], Hayward Field, Eugene, July 21, 2022 [2nd throw]
267-2 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 22, 2021 [2nd throw]
266-6 … USATF Throws Festival [2nd], Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 21, 2022 [1st throw]
266-2 … Spitzen Leichtathletik, Luzern, Switzerland, Aug. 30, 2022 [4th throw]
265-10 … American JavFest [2nd], East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 17, 2021 [5th throw]
265-10 … Florida State Relays [1st], Mike Long Track, Tallahassee, Fla., March 25, 2016 [2nd attempt]
265-7 … Victoria Track Classic [1st], Centennial Stadium, Victoria, British Columbia, June 15, 2022 [unknown]
265-5 … U.S. Championships [1st], Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore., July 8, 2023 [6th throw]
264-8 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 21, 2022 [2nd throw]
264-1 … USATF Championships [2nd], Hayward Field, Eugene, Ore., June 26, 2022 [5th throw]
264-0 … Athletissima, La Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland, Aug. 26, 2022 [5th throw]
263-11 … 94th annual Clyde Littlefield Relays, Mike A. Myers Stadium, Austin, Texas, March 25, 2022 [6th throw]
263-7 … Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, June 21, 2021 [1st throw]
262-8 … Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, June 21, 2021 [4th throw]
262-3 … Spitzen Leichtathletik, Luzern, Switzerland, Aug. 30, 2022 [1st throw]
261-6 … Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Invitational, Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland, Aug. 6, 2022 [3rd throw]
261-3 … Kuortane Games, Kuortaneen Keskusurheilukenttä, Kuortane, Finland, June 17, 2023 [4th throw]
261.3 … Pan American Games, Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos, Santiago, Chile, Nov., 4, 2023 [unknown throw]
260-11 … American JavFest, East Stroudsburg [Pa.] South High School, July 30, 2016 [2nd throw]
260-11 … Kuortane Games, Kuortaneen Keskusurheilukenttä, Kuortane, Finland, June 17, 2023 [3rd throw]
260-10 … Mt. SAC Relays, Hilmer Lodge Stadium, Walnut, Calif., April 14, 2023 [4th throw]
260-4 … Kuortane Games, Kuortaneen Keskusurheilukenttä, Kuortane, Finland, June 17, 2023 [6th throw]
260-4 … Olympic Trials, Hayward Field, Eugene, June 21, 2021 [3rd throw]
260-3 … USATF Throws Festival, Roy P. Drachman Stadium, Tucson, Ariz., May 20, 2023 [5th throw]
260-2 … Paavo Nurmi Games, Paavo Nurmi Stadium, Turku, Finland, June 13, 2023 [3rd throw]
260-1 … NACAC Under-23 [1st], San Salvador, Estadio Jorge “Mágico” González, June 17, 2016 [2nd throw]
260-1 … NACAC, Freeport Stadium, Grand Bahamas, Bahamas, Aug. 20, 2022 [2nd throw]
260-1 … 95th annual Clyde Littlefield Relays [3rd], Mike A. Myers Stadium, Austin Texas, April 1, 2023 [2nd throw]

Schalick junior Jordan Hadfield continued her historic season Saturday with an impressive win in the Group 1 race at the state cross country championships at Holmdel County Park.

Hadfield became Schalick’s first state XC champion ever and she recorded the fastest time at Holmdel County Park by a South Jersey Group 1 runner in 24 years.

Hadfield ran 19:20, the 17th-fastest time of the six state championship races Saturday and the fastest at Holmdel by any South Jersey Group 1 runner since Olympian Erin Donohue – during Haddonfield’s brief foray from Group 2 to Group 1 – ran 18:44 at the 1999 Meet of Champions. Haddonfield was back in Group 2 the next year.

The only other South Jersey Group 1 runners with faster times than Hadfield at Holmdel are Glassboro’s Ruth Lockbaum, who ran 19:12 when she placed 2nd in the 1984 state Group 1 meet behind only Karen Ahearn of Bernards; and Jamie Weisgerber of Woodstown, who ran 18:50 to win the state Group 1 race in 1994 in a 1-2 South Jersey finish with Northern Burlington’s Colleen Sunderland, who was 2nd in 19:20.

Hadfield won by 60 meters over Delena Einreinhofer of Walkill Valley, who placed 2nd in 19:34. The first seven finishers were all juniors. Among them was Wildwood’s Macie McCracken, who placed 5th in 20:19.

Next for Hadfield is the Meet of Champions back on the same course on Saturday.

As for Hadfield, a 1st-year cross country runner, she has now won five consecutive major meets since placing 6th at Shore Coaches, where she ran her previous Holmdel best of 20:18. That includes wins in the South Jersey Open, Salem County Championships, Tri-County Showcase, Group 1 sectionals and states.

Hadfield’s 19:20 is the fastest winning time in the state Group 1 meet since 2014, when Metuchen’s Rachel Suss ran 19:05.

Glassboro senior Elijah Whitaker ran away from Audubon senior Aiden Williams to win the state Group 1 title Saturday at Holmdel County Park.

Whitaker ran 16:07, fastest time by a Gloucester County runner at Holmdel in 13 years – Williamstown’s Paul Szulewski ran 15:55 and Washington Township’s Anthony Dentino 16:00, both in 2010 – and fastest winning time in the Group 1 state meet since Walkill Valley’s Craig Corti ran 15:40 in 2014.

Williams placed 2nd in 16:22 and Whitaker’s teammate, Glassboro junior Ty Blackman, made it a 1-2-3 South Jersey finish by placing 3rd in 16:37.

Whitaker ran 16:14 at Shore Coaches in September, which stood as fastest race ever by a Glassboro runner at Holmdel until he broke his own record Saturday.

Whitaker is Glassboro’s third state XC champion and first in 28 years. Tom Horne won the 1993 Group 1 race in 16:28 and Pat Ryan was 1st in the 1995 race in 17:05.

Last spring, Whitaker placed 3rd in the 1,600 and 5th in the 3,200 at the state Group 1 track championships with PRs of 4:29.39 and 9:53.04.

This fall, he’s won four consecutive major weekend invitationals – Gloucester County Championships, Tri-County Showcase, sectionals and states. His time Saturday was 18th-fastest among every runner in the six state championship meets. He’ll race next Saturday back at Holmdel in the Meet of Champions.

Whitaker, Williams and made up the first South Jersey 1-2-3 finish in a state meet since 2019, when Austin Gabay of Cinnaminson won the Group 2 race and Haddonfield’s Martin Riddell and Andrew Gostovich were 2nd and 3rd.

Last time it happened in Group 1 was in 1993 and oddly enough Glassboro runners placed 1st and 3rd in that race as well. Horn won the race, Maple Shade’s Chuck Nolte placed 2nd in 17:10 – leading the Wildcats to the team title – and Glassboro’s Tim Graves took 3rd in 17:22.

Northern Burlington junior Liliah Gordon became the 9th-fastest South Jersey runner ever at Holmdel County Park Saturday in winning her second straight state title.

Gordon won Group 3 last year in 18:57 after placing 2nd to Lilly Shapiro of Colts Neck and currently of North Carolina as a freshman in 2021. On Saturday, she ran 18:14 – 3rd-fastest of all six state championship meets – and won by 60 meters over Middletown South senior Rosemary Shay, the Meet of Champions runner-up last spring at 3,200 meters.

Her time is fastest by a South Jersey girl over the historic 5,000-meter layout in seven years, since Mainland’s Alyssa Aldridge ran 17:55 to win the 2016 Meet of Champions.

The only faster runner ever from Burlington County is Cherokee’s Megan Lacy, whose fastest Holmdel time was a 17:55 at the 2010 state Group 4 meet.

Gordon’s fastest previous time at Holmdel was an 18:18 at Shore Coaches in September. Gordon hasn’t lost to a New Jersey runner this year. Her only defeat came at the Great American XC Festival in Cary, N.C., where she placed 17th in a field of more than 300 of the nation’s top runners.

Freehold Township senior Emma Zawatski, who won Group 4 in 18:00, and Union Catholic freshman Paige Sheppard, who won Parochial A in 18:09, were the only faster girls in the various state meets Saturday.

South Jersey runners took three of the top four spots in the Group 3 race, with Ocean City junior Maeve Smith 3rd in 18:33 and Mainland Regional junior Sofia Day 4th in 19:01.

Smith’s 18:33 makes her 3rd-fastest in Ocean City [and Cape May County] history, behind Brittany Sedberry [18:12 at 2004 Meet of Champions] and Devon Grisbaum [18:20 at 2014 Meet of Champions].

Smith’s time makes her the 18th-fastest performer from South Jersey at Holmdel County Park and 6th-fastest time heading into the Meet of Champions on Saturday.

Gordon is the 10th South Jersey girl to win consecutive state XC championships. Erin Donohue and Vanessa Wright of Haddonfield won four each, and Briana Gess of Haddonfield and Mainland’s Alyssa Aldridge won three apiece (although Gess’s three were not consecutive).

Janet Rue [Pitman], Group 1 [1990, 1991]
Kari Vigerstol [Holy Cross], Parochial A [1993, 1994]
Abby Hartman [Ocean City], Group 3 [1995, 1996]
Erin Donohue [Haddonfield], Group 1 [1997, 1998 in Group 1, 1999, 2000 in Group 2]
Vanessa Wright [Haddonfield], Group 2 [2002, 2003, 2004, 2005]
Brittany Sedberry [Ocean City], Group 3 [2003, 2004]
Megan Lacy [Cherokee], Group 4 [2010, 2011]
Briana Gess [Haddonfield], Group 2 [2013, 2015, 2016]
Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Regional], Group 3 [2015, 2016, 2017]
Liliah Gordon [Northern Burlington], Group 3 [2022, 2023]

All-Time South Jersey holmdel Top-20
17:27.83 … Megan Venables [Highland Reg.], 2010
17:40 … Michelle Rowen [Washington Twp.], 1982
17:44 … Chelsea Ley [Kingsway], 2008
17:45 … Briana Gess [Haddonfield], 2013
17:55 … Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland], 2016
17:55 … Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 2010
18:08 … Holly Bischof [Bishop Eustace], 2010
18:12 … Brittany Sedberry [Ocean City], 2004
18:13 … Liliah Gordon [Northern Burlington], 2023
18:16 … Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2009
18:18 … Theresa Cattuna [Cherry Hill East], 2006
18:20 … Devin Grisbaum [Ocean City], 2014
18:22 … Vanessa Wright [Haddonfield], 2004
18:25 … Briana Gess [Haddonfield], 2015
18:27 … Erin Donohue [Haddonfield], 2000
18:28 … Grace Yoon [Cherry Hill East], 2016
18:29 … Rachel Vick [Kingsway], 2016
18:33 … Maeve Smith [Ocean City], 2023
18:38 … Casey Doyle [Shawnee], 2007
18:40 … Mindy Rowand [Sterling], 1984
18:40 … Dina Iacone [Washington Twp.], 2011

 

Led by senior Liam Dougherty, junior Bennett Wright and sophomore Ryan Gibson all in the top 10, Haddonfield won its 21st state cross country championship – and 6th in a row – Saturday at Holmdel County Park.

Haddonfield packed its five scorers in a ridiculous 18 seconds and raced past Bernards 39-68 in a showdown of the top-two small-school programs in New Jersey history.

Bernards and Haddonfield have won the most state championships by any public schools in state history – 23 for Bernards and now 21 for Haddonfield. Only CBA, with 32 (including the one they’ll win later today), has won more.

Since 2000, Haddonfield has won nearly twice as many state Group 2 titles [15] as every other team combined [8]. The meet wasn’t held in 2020.

Bernards sophomore Brody Watt won the race in 16:19, but Dougherty, Wright and Gibson all finished ahead of Bernards’ 2nd runner.

Sophomore Benjamin Andrus placed 11th in 16:52 and sophomore Luke Andressen 14th in 16:54. Senior 6th man Matthew Sullivan ran 17:13 for 22nd place, and senior Reid Gervasi made it seven Haddonfield runners in the top 35 with a 17:32.

Haddonfield won its first state championship in 1978 and also won Group 2 in 1980 before moving down to Group 1, where the Bulldogs won in 1985, 1987, 1989 and 1990 before returning to Group 2. They’ve since won Group 2 in 2000, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Collingswood senior Elijah Forrest ran 16:22 for 3rd place and was the top South Jersey finisher in the race. Haddon Heights junior Reggie Hernandez finished 19th in 17:03.

Sophomore Riley Austin and seniors Ava Thomas and Riley Slootsky all finished in the top 10 and led the Haddonfield girls to their 3rd straight state Group 2 cross country championship and 12th overall.

Austin ran 19:20 for 3rd place, Thomas 19:49 in 6th and Slootsky 20:03 for 8th in her first race in a month, and Haddonfield Colonial Conference rival Sterling 40-84. More on Sterling a little later.

Only Red Bank Catholic [20] and Bernards [12] have won more state titles than Haddonfield.

Senior Anna Stolarick placed 15th in 20:32, junior Dylan Melcher was 26th in 21:04 and 6th runner Harper Benjamin, a freshman, took 29th in 21:09.

Haddonfield won its first state titles in Group 1 in 1990, 1993 and 1998 before moving up to Group 2 and winning in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2016, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Haddonfield’s 40-point total is 7th-lowest ever recorded in Group 2. Haddonfield is responsible for four of the eight-lowest scores ever recorded in Group 2.

29 … Bernards [Group 2], 1985
33 … Haddonfield [Group 2], 2005
34 … Voorhees [Group 2], 2012
36 … Haddonfield [Group 2], 2022
39 … Moorestown [Group 2], 2001
39 … Hopewell Valley [Group 2], 2002
40 … Haddonfield [Group 2], 2023
44 … Haddonfield [Group 2], 2021

Haddonfield scored 44 points to win Group 2 in 2021 and 36 to win last year. They’re only the second school in the meet’s 47-year history to score 45 or fewer points in three straight meets. Bernards did it six straight years, winning Group 1 from 1981 through 1984 with 28, 15, 23 and 21 points, then Group 2 in 1985 with 29 and 33 back in Group 1 in 1986.

Sterling had junior Jonalee Adames, senior Cara Coppolino and junior Kaysie Luna all in the top 20. Adames ran 19:59 for 7th place, Coppolino 17th in 20:47 and Luna 18th in 20:49.

The Haddonfield-Sterling 1-2 finish was the first by two South Jersey schools at states since Delsea and Haddonfield went 1-2 in Group 2 in 2009, Delsea winning by 81-112.

Also in the top 20 were Cinnaminson senior Anna Marino [13th in 20:25], West Deptford freshman Taylor Siertzega [14th in 20:29] and West Deptford senior Isabella Mackey [20th in 20:51].

Senior Shaelan McNally placed 5th to lead Paul VI to its best team finish in 20 years at the state Parochial A cross country championships.

McNally ran 19:17 at Holmdel County Park and PVI placed 3rd with 126 points. Last time the Eagles placed in the top three at states was 2003, when Liz Kessler, Diana Rankin and Rachel Lively placed 10th, 13th and 14th. The year before Paul VI placed 2nd, just six points behind Red Bank Catholic.

Sophomores Giovanna Mantuano and Macy Huber also placed in the top 20, Mantuano in 19th in 20:20 and Huber 20th in 20:30. Senior Madison Pedicelli ran 21:32 for 35th and freshman Lucy Crothers clinched the 3rd-place team finish in 50th with a 22:35.

Also in the top 20 was Camden Catholic junior Ponnappan, who placed 16th in 20:07.

Edinboro senior Kylie Anicic from Kingsway cruised to her 2nd straight NCAA Division 2 Atlantic Region Championship Saturday with a comfortable win over 6,000 meters in Lock Haven, Pa.

Anicic ran 20:19.2 – not far off her 6,000 all-course PR of 20:13.7 from September on the same course – and won by 75 meters over Julie LaFare of Charleston (W. Va.), who ran 20:34.1. Anicic won the title last year in 21:07.5 in Mansfield, Pa.

Anicic and LaFare gapped the field early in the race. Anicic led by 10 meters a mile into the race, 20 meters by the 3,000 and about 50 meters at the 5,000.

Anicic, a Kingsway graduate, qualified for the NCAA Division 2 Championship race on Nov. 18 on the Tom Rutledge XC Course in Joplin, Mo.

Senior Ryan Gaulrapp, junior Ethan Caprarola and senior Matt Colden were all among the top 11 finishers and Bishop Eustace came out on top in a wild four-team battle to win its 7th state Parochial B title.

Gaulrapp ran 17:28 and placed 2nd behind only Caleb Brox of the Wilberforce School in Princeton. Caprarola ran 17:44 for 5th place and Colden was 11th in 18:40.

Freshman Shane Smith and sophomore Alexander Dietz clinched the team title in 31st and 32nd place, Smith in 19:58 and Dietz in 20:00. With only five runners, Eustace had no margin for error, but all five came through, and the Crusaders finished with 77 points, edging St. Rose of Belmar [80] and Wilberforce School of Princeton [85] with Princeton Day school 4th with 93 points.

Eustace won its first state titles in 1980 and 1982, then won in 2002 before winning more recently in 2010, 2011, 2016 and now 2023.

The only South Jersey schools to win more state titles than Eustace are Haddonfield [20] and Haddon Township [11]. Cherokee and Paul VI have also won seven.

The only parochials with more state XC championships are CBA [32], Pingry [9] and Saint Benedict [9].

Moorestown Friends junior Isaac Linden placed 4th in 17:42, matching the best finish by a Moorestown Friends runner in 14 years. Drew Haines placed 2nd in the 2009 Parochial B race in 17:46.

Senior Nick Kuenkel, junior Liam Tindall, senior Robert Poplau and freshman Benjamin Realley all placed in the top 30 to lead Cherokee to 3rd place in the state Group 4 meet at Holmdel Saturday.

This is the 5th straight year Cherokee has placed in the top 5 and the 19th time in the last 26 years the Chiefs have placed 5th or better.

The race featured the three highest-ranked public schools in the state – Westfield, Ridgewood and Cherokee – and they finished in that order, with Westfield placing all five scorers in the top 20 for 54 points and Ridgewood edging Cherokee 104-110 for 2nd place.

Kuenkel placed 5th in 15:47, Tindall ran 16:15 for 15th, Poplau placed 21st in 16:21 and Realley was 28th in 16:39. Junior Benjamin Weiner was Cherokee’s 5th scorer in 48th with a 17:05.

Since 1996, Cherokee has won Group 4 seven times, placed 2nd three times, 3rd five times, 4th twice and 5th twice.

Williamstown junior Dylan Saber ran 16:14 for 14th place. That makes him the 2nd-fastest Williamstown runner ever at Holmdel. Paul Szulewski ran 15:54 at the 2010 Meet of Champions.

Saber’s time is No. 11 in Gloucester County history at Hollmdel:

15:54 … Mike Mantini [Gateway], 1978
15:54 … Paul Szulewski [Williamstown], 2010
15:59 … Anthony Dentino [Washington Twp.], 2010
16:01 … Peyton Shute [Woodbury], 2022
16:09 … Noah Culbreath [Kingsway], 2014
16:09 … Brady Shute [Woodbury], 2020
16:10 … Nick Pshunder [Delsea], 2014
16:11 … Sebastien Reed [Pitman], 2019
16:12 … Anas Bensaoud [Clearview], 2019
16:13 … Brian Skelly [Washington Twp,], 1999

Kingsway’s Ryan Duffy placed 18th in 16:18.93, which breaks his own South Jersey freshman record at Holmdel. More on Duffy later!