Incredible performance by Oakcrest senior Ryan Merlino in the pole vault at Armory Nationals Saturday in New York with a 16-0 clearance, 5th place in the country, a share of the South Jersey record and All-America honors.
Merlino tied the South Jersey indoor record of 16-0 set by Delsea’s Marco Morales in a meet at Ocean Breeze in February 2020, and he tied the South Jersey absolute record shared by Morales and Haddon Heights’ Bob Green, who cleared 16-0 outdoors at the inaugural South Jersey Invitational at Eastern in 1992.
Merlino’s 16-0 clearance is No. 7 in state history indoors and No. 13 in state history including all indoor and outdoor meets.
Merlino, who’s from Mays Landing, had an official high school PR of 14-9 coming into the season from last year’s Boston Nationals, although he had cleared 15-0 in a summer meet on the beach in Atlantic City. He cleared 15-6 for the first time when he won the Meet of Champions last weekend at Ocean Breeze. So he improved a foot in seven days.
On Saturday, Merlino passed opening heights of 13-6 ½ and 14-0 ½ and then got over the bar at 14-6 ¼, 15-0 ¼ and a PR 15-6 ¼ each on his second attempt.
With the bar going up to 16 feet, Merlino was in uncharted waters. But after two misses – and on his 9th jump of the day – he cleared 16-0.
Because only four other jumpers cleared 16 feet, Merlino had 5th place locked up and with the bar going up to 16-4 he called it a day and finished on a high note.
Merlino is only the 6th vaulter from South Jersey to clear 16 feet at any point. Here’s my best attempt at an all-time South Jersey alumni list:
All-Time South Jersey Alumni List
16-10i … Mike Maira [Seneca], March 1, 2014, College Station, Texas
16-9 ½ … Nico Morales [Delsea], April 28, 2023, Philadephia
16-7 ¼ … Noah Kreisman [Cherry Hill East], Feb. 9, 2024, Chicago
16-0 … Marco Morales [Delsea], Feb. 11, 2020, Staten Island, N.Y.
16-0 … Bob Green [Haddon Heights], May 1, 1992, Voorhees, N.J.
16-0 … Ryan Merlino [Oakcrest], March 9, 2024, New York
15-9 … Nick Gilanelli [], April 15, 2006
15-7 … Brandon Kurtz [Absegami], May 25, 1991, Bridgeton, N.J.
15-7 … Noah Kriesman [Cherry Hill East], 2023
15-6 … Matt Mancini [Cinnaminson], April 10, 2020, Princeton, N.J.
15-6i … Dan Batdorf [West Deptford], Feb. 23, 2008, Toms River, N.J.
Victor Olesen of St. Christopher’s High in Richmond, Va., and Kenneth Byrd of East Burk High in Connelly Springs, N.C., both cleared 16-8 Saturday, with Olesen getting the win based on fewer misses at 16-8. Both missed three tries at 17-0.
Interesting to note the meet record is 19-1 by Olympic gold medalist and world record holder Armand Duplantis of Lafayette, La. (and Sweden) from 2017.
Also interesting to note that Seneca’s Mike Maira, who cleared 14-6 in 2009, currently coaches several vaulters on these all-time lists at Rutgers, including Marco Morales, Kevin and Brian O’Sullivan and Noah Kriesman.
All-Time New Jersey Indoor List
17-0 … Bill Lange [Bridgewater-Raritan], 1980
16-10 … Bradley Jelmert [Watchung Hills], 2020
16-6 ¼ … Brian O’Sullivan [Hillsborough], 2023
16-3 ¼ … Adam Sarafian [Ocean Township], 2004
16-2 ¼ … Don Heyburn [Cranford], 1980
16-1 ¼ … Craig Hunter [Robbinsville], 2013
16-0 … Marco Morales [Delsea], 2020
16-0 … Ryan Merlino [Oakcrest], 2024
15-10 … Bill Hartley [Southern Regional], 1976
15-9 … Liam Landau [Pascack Hills], 15-9
15-7 ½ … Cade Zeolla [West Morris Central], 2024
15-6 … Vince Reilly [St. Joe’s-Metuchen], 1977
15-6 … Eric Richard [Bridgewater East], 1981
15-6 … Casey DiCesare [Irvington], 2005
15-6 … Dan Batdorf [West Deptford], 2008
15-6 … Luke Annicharico [Old Tappan], 2014
15-6 … Simon Schenk [Princeton], 2018
15-6 … Brian McSweeney [East Brunswick], 2019
15-6 … Nico Morales [Delsea], 2020
15-6 … Conor Reilly [Union Catholic], 2020
15-6 … Max Zuckerman [Pascack Hills], 2022
15-6 … Connor Munson [Westwood], 2022
All-Time New Jersey Combined List
17-4 ½ … Adam Sarafian [Ocean Township], 2004 [o]
17-0 … Bill Lange [Bridgewater-Raritan], 1980 [i]
16-10 … Bradley Jelmert [Watchung Hills], 2020 [i]
16-6 ½ … Brian O’Sullivan [Hillsborough], 2023 [o]
16-6 … Craig Hunter [Robbinsville], 2013 [o]
16-4 ¾ … Brian McSweeney [East Brunswick], 2021 [o]
16-4 … Will Nesbitt [Millburn], 1980 [o]
16-2 ¼ … Don Heyburn [Cranford], 1980 [i]
16-1 ¼ … Bill Hartley [Southern Regional], 1976 [o]
16-1 … Eric Richard [Bridgewater East], 1981 [o]
16-1 … Jordan Pacheco [Morris Hills], 2013 [o]
16-0 ¼ … Peter Fagan [Westfield], 2013 [o]
16-0 … Andrew Ghizzone [Union Catholic], 2014 [o]
16-0 … Marco Morales [Delsea], 2020 [i]
16-0 … Ryan Merlino [Oakcrest], 2024 [i]
16-0 … Kevin O’Sullivan [Hillsborough], 2022 [o]
16-0 … Max Zuckerman [Pascack Hills], 2022 [o]
All-time S.J. combined indoor/outdoor PV list
16-0 … Bob Green [Haddon Heights], 1992 [o]
16-0 … Marco Morales [Delsea], 2020 [i]
16-0 … Ryan Merlino [Oakcrest], 2024 [i]
15-7 … Brandon Kurtz [Absegami], 1991 [o]
15-7 … Nico Morales [Delsea Reg.], 2019 [o]
15-6 … Dylan Altland [Kingsway], 2014 [o]
15-5 … Mike Davis [Haddonfield], 2004 [o]
15-5 … Devon Purves [Haddonfield], 2006 [o]
15-4 … Jason King [Lenape], 1993 [o]
15-3 ¼ … Dan Lamp [Willingboro], 1977 [o]
15-6 … Dan Batdorf [West Deptford], 2008 [i]
15-0 ¼ … Mike Hulme [Eastern], 2003 [o]
All-Time South Jersey Indoor List
16-0 … Marco Morales [Delsea], 2020
16-0 … Ryan Merlino [Oakcrest], 2024
15-6 … Dan Batdorf [West Deptford], 2008
15-6 … Nico Morales [Delsea Reg.], 2019
15-1 … Dylan Altland [Kingsway], 2014
15-0 … Mike Rivard [Haddonfield], 2009
15-0 … Noah Kriesman [Cherry Hill East], 2021
14-11 ¼ … Tom Jeffers [Triton], 2011
14-7 … Brian Banks [Eastern], 2011
14-6 … Michael Oberg [Ocean City], 2011
14-6 … Jarrod Brovero [Delsea], 2016
14-6 … Kyle Loveland [Moorestown], 2016
14-6 … Mike Davis [Haddonfield], 2004
14-6 … Mike Maira [Seneca], 2009
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 