From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Ten South Jersey girls and nine boys are on their way to the Penn Relays to compete in individual invitational events later this month.

Interesting that South Jersey has three entrants in two events – the boys discus and the girls discus.

The Penn Relays announced individual entries Tuesday for the 125th annual Penn Relays April 25-27 at Franklin Field on the University of Pennsylvania campus in West Philadelphia.

Acceptances for the invitational 3,200-meter relay and distance medley will be announced next week. Schools have through this coming weekend to qualify in the two invitational relays.

For the complete entry list, click here.

For the order of events, click here.

Here’s a look at all the entries:

GIRLS
*Liliah Gordon, Northern Burlington, 3,000-meter run: Gordon ran 9:57.23 and placed 14th in the 3,000 at last year’s Penn Relays – the 9th-fastest time in South Jersey history – but after a 10:26.49 at Ocean Breeze in the Meet of Champion – which is about 9:47 pace for 3,000 meters – she seems ready to go even faster. For the record, the South Jersey record is 9:40.2 by Olympian Marielle Hall at the 2010 Penn Relays.

Dahlia Beasley, Washington Township, High Jump: The versatile Beasley this winter ran 7.44 for 55 meters, 24.57 for 200, 56.44 for the 400, long jumped 17-1 and high jumped 5-6. There are no high school sprinting events at Penn, so she’ll compete in the high jump.

*Hannah Byrd-Leitner, Moorestown, Pole Vault: She PR’d indoors with a 12-6 in a meet in Conshohocken, Pa., and had seven other meets over at least 12 feet. This will be Byrd-Leitner’s first Penn Relays.

*Rebecca Hoover, Haddonfield, Pole Vault: Hoover cleared a lifetime-best 12-3 ¾ at Boston Nationals indoors. She also had a 12-0 clearance to place 2nd at the Meet of Champions.

Sophia Curtis, Ocean City, Triple Jump: If the Penn Relays hadn’t stupidly eliminated the high school 400-meter hurdles, we could have seen Curtis in what may be her best event. Then again the triple jump may be her best event. She placed 2nd at Penn last year with her lifetime-best 40-10 ¼ and then won the Meet of Champions at 40-7 ½. She won the MoC indoors at 40-9 ¼ and placed 4th at nationals.

**Ma’Syiah Brawner, Winslow Township, Triple Jump: Another incredibly versatile athlete, Brawner has PRs of 5-4 in the high jump, 19-3 ½ in the long jump, 39- 10 ¼ in the triple jump and 8.45 in the 55-meter hurdles. This will be Brawner’s first Penn Relays.

*Brook-lynn Roberts, Winslow Township, Discus: Roberts popped a 137-0 to win South Jersey Group 3 sectionals at Delsea last spring. In events that can’t be contested indoors, athletes can qualify using marks from the previous spring.

Maylisa Bluford, Clayton, Discus: Bluford qualified for Penn with a big 130-3 throw for 3rd place last spring at the Meet of Champions. She had a strong opener this spring with a 125-5 at the Spartan Relays this past Saturday at Deptford.

**Sunsarai Moore, Glassboro, Discus: Moore needed a big throw at the Spartan Relays to punch her ticket to Penn, and she came through with a huge personal-best 125-6 for a one-inch win over Bluford and her first trip to Penn.

Zoe Goldberg, Eastern, Javelin: Goldberg placed 8th in last year’s Penn Relays javelin at 129-1 and went on to take 3rd in the Meet of Champions at 136-3.

BOYS
Peyton Shute, Woodbury, 3,000-meter run: Shute ran 8:36.75 and placed 6th at Penn last year and then ran 9:05.99 indoors at the Meet of Champions, which is about 8:31.9 pace.

Elijah Forrest, Collingswood, 3,000-meter run: Forrest hasn’t run a track 3,000, but he did run 9:12.77 for 3,200 meters, which is about 8:38 pace for 3,000 meters. This will be Forrest’s first Penn Relays.

David Godbolt, Rancocas Valley, High Jump: A couple 6-6 clearances qualified Godbolt for Penn. This is Godbolt’s first Penn Relays. He was indoor Easterns champ as a sophomore and 2nd in the Meet of Champions this past winter. Also a 21-6 ¾ long jumper and 44-3 triple jumper.

Ryan Merlino, Oakcrest, Pole Vault: Merlino earned All-America honors indoors at Armory Nationals when he tied the South Jersey record of 16-0 and placed 5th in the country. Merlino placed 8th at Penn last year at 14-8.

Cartrell Moore, Glassboro, Triple Jump: The multi-talented Moore (49.59 400, 54.60 400IH, 21-8 ¾ long jump, 11.16 100) sailed 46-6 ½ in a meet in January in Collegeville, Pa., to score his first Penn Relays invite.

*Jonathan Harris, Delsea, Shot Put: Harris joined the 60-foot club with a 60-0 ¼ at a meet at Cherokee in February. He’s had five other meets over 58-11. Threw 57-8 at Deptford Saturday in his 2024 debut.

Damere Lassiter, Glassboro, Discus: Lassiter had his choice of events – his 60-1 at Easterns in February would have qualified him in the shot – but he chose the discus, where he bombed a meet-record 184-8 last year at South Jersey Group 1 sectionals at Pennsauken.

Brock Schenck, Bordentown, Discus: After sitting out last year, the only way for Schenck to qualify for Penn was to do it opening weekend, and he threw 162-1 at the Don Danser Relays to make the cut. That was a PR by 24 feet.

Shawn Brady, Bishop Eustace, Discus: Brady had four meets over 160 feet as a junior last year, including a personal-best 169-1 for 6th at the Meet of Champions. He didn’t need to throw far Saturday because he was already in based on that 169-1, but he opened his senior year with a 167-0 at the Don Danser Relays.