Deptford junior Marcus Hood, who hadn’t cleared better than 13-6 until a month ago, on Tuesday became the ninth Gloucester County pole vaulter to clear 15 feet.

Hood cleared 15-0 on his 3rd attempt at the Delsea Crusader Field Meet, becoming only the 4th New Jersey vaulter this year to get over the bar at 15 feet or better.

Oakcrest junior Ryan Merlino cleared 15-8 at the Atlantic County Championships last week at Buena (and 16 feet indoors), West Morris Central junior Cade Zeolla cleared 15-8 in a meet last week in Boonton, and Pompton Lakes junior Owen Keating hit 15-0 two weeks ago in Warwick Valley, N.Y.

Hood tied the school record of 15-0 set by James Lynch at the 2019 Group 3 sectionals in Bayville. His previous PR was

On Tuesday, Hood passed through 12-6, cleared 13-0 and 13-6 on his 2nd attempt and 14-0 on his 3rd. He tied his PR of 14-6 set at the Woodbury Relays last month on his 2nd attempt and then got over the bar on his 3rd try at 15-0. He had the bar raised to 15-3, where he missed three attempts. In all, Hood took 14 jumps.

Clearview senior Daniel Couse and Willingboro senior Jackson Murry both cleared 14-0 on their 1st attempt to tie for 2nd. Couse, the state Group 3 champ last year at 15-0, has a season best of 14-6 from the South Jersey Elite earlier this month. Murry, the three-time Burlington County Open champ, tied his PR of 14-0, which he’s done four times.

All-Time South Jersey Outdoor Pole Vault List
16-0 … Bob Green [Haddon Heights], 1992
15-8 … Ryan Merlino [Oakcrest], 2024
15-7 … Brandon Kurtz [Absegami], 1991
15-7 … Nico Morales [Delsea], 2019
15-6 … Dylan Altland [Kingsway], 2014
15-6 … Marco Morales [Delsea], 2019
15-5 … Mike Davis [Haddonfield], 2004
15-5 … Devon Purves [Haddonfield], 2006
15-4 … Jason King [Lenape], 1993
15-3 ¼ … Dan Lamp [Willingboro], 1977
15-2 … Dan Batdorf [West Deptford], 2008
15-0 ¼ … Mike Hulme [Eastern], 2003
15-0 … Mark Murphy [Haddonfield], 1985
15-0 … Ricky Clemons [Willingboro], 1989
15-0 … Dave Murname [West Deptford], 2000
15-0 … Josh Moline [Gateway], 2000
15-0 … Mike Maira [Seneca], 2010
15-0 … Mike Rivard [Haddonfield], 2010
15-0 … James Lynch [Deptford], 2019
15-0 … Matt Mancini [Cinnaminson], 2006
15-0 … Noah Kriesman [Cherry Hill East], 2022
15-0 … Daniel Couse [Clearview], 2023
15-0 … Marcus Hood [Deptford], 2024

All-Time Gloucester County Outdoor Pole Vault List
15-7 … Nico Morales [Delsea], 2019
15-6 … Dylan Altland [Kingsway], 2014
15-6 … Marco Morales [Delsea], 2019
15-2 … Dan Batdorf [West Deptford], 2008
15-0 … Dave Murname [West Deptford], 2000
15-0 … Josh Moline [Gateway], 2000
15-0 … James Lynch [Deptford], 2019
15-0 … Daniel Couse [Clearview], 2023
15-0 … Marcus Hood [Deptford], 2024
14-7 … Jarrod Brovero [Delsea], 2016

Delsea sophomore Hannah Nuhfer popped a monster discus PR Tuesday. And then she popped another one.

Nuhfer, who came into the Delsea Crusader Field Meet with a PR of 130-3, opened with a 148-9 and followed that up with a 149-2.

She broke the South Jersey sophomore class record of 142-5 set by Cherokee’s Jessica Woodard at the 2011 Meet of Champions at Old Bridge with the No. 14 throw in state history.

Her throw is also No. 7 in South Jersey history and No. 4 in Gloucester County history. It’s the best throw by any New Jersey sophomore since Alyssa Wilson of Donovan Catholic threw 150-6 to win the 2015 Meet of Champions at South Plainfield.

According to the MileSplit U.S. database, it’s the No. 2 throw nationally by a sophomore, behind only a 165-6 by Anna Giannopoulos of Valley Christian in Oshkosh, Wisc., in a meet last month in Juneau, Wisc. (On further review, that 165-6 appears to be a mistake, considering Giannopoulos hasn’t thrown farther than 107-1 in any of her seven other meets listed on MileSplit. That would make Nuhfer the No. 1 soph nationally).

Nuhfer is now No. 2 this year in New Jersey, behind Princeton-bound Old Tappan senior Layla Giordano, who won the Penn Relays with a 167-10. Giordano won the Meet of Champions last year and threw 170-4 to win West Philly Nationals, also at Franklin Field. That’s No. 3 in state history.

Her throw is No. 2 in meet history behind Woodard’s meet-record 160-2 in 2013.

Nuhfer is only listed on MileSplit with one discus competition last year as a freshman, a 113-1 at the same Delsea Crusader Field Meet last May. Her PR as recently as three weeks ago was still 115-3. But she popped a 130-3 at the South Jersey Elite at Delsea earlier this month and on Tuesday added nearly 20 more feet to her PR with a historic performance at her home facility.

Nuhfer finished her series with a 138-3, two fouls and a 132-9. Sunsarai Moore, another Gloucester County sophomore, was 2nd with a 130-4. Delsea senior Morgan Mankoski PR’d at 128-4, and Washington Township junior Ella Karp PR’d at 120-9, giving the meet four girls over 120 feet.

All-Time New Jersey List
182-0 … Alyssa Wilson [Donovan Catholic], 2017
172-2 … Jocelyn White [Delsea], 2004
170-4 … Layla Giordano [Old Tappan], 2023
161-11 … Helene Connell [Jackson], 1977
168-10 … Jessica Woodard [Cherokee], 2013
161-1 … Jamine Moton [Delsea], 1997
155-7 … Jada Puryear [Union Catholic], 2022
153-6 … Tisha Kerrin [Eastern], 1989
153-3 … Deanna Hahn [Brick Twp.], 2008
153-2 … Sylvia Galarza [Millville], 2004
152-4 … Kristen Batts [Marlboro], 2007
149-3 … Karen Anderson [Toms River East], 1983
149-3 … Tara Daniels [Kingsway], 2013
149-2 … Hannah Nuhfer [Delsea], 2024
148-3 … Angela Hudson [Boonton], 1981
148-0 … Sarah Slowikowski [Demarest], 2023
147-11 … Sarah Herskee [Mendham], 1999
147-8 … Lisa Parak [Vernon], 1987
147-2 … Jen Watkins [Hopewell Valley], 1991
147-1 … Brook-lynn Roberts [Winslow Twp.], 2024
146-6 … Rena Antanelis [Randolph], 1980
146-5 … Kim Warren [Atlantic City], 2006
146-0 … Kate Pachuta [Middletown South], 2001
145-10 … Jada Taylor [Neptune], 2015

All-Time South Jersey Discus List
172-2 … Jocelyn White [Delsea], 2004
168-10 … Jessica Woodard [Cherokee], 2013
161-1 … Jamine Moton [Delsea], 1997
153-6 … Tisha Kerrin [Eastern], 1989
153-2 … Sylvia Galarza [Millville], 2004
149-3 … Tara Daniels [Kingsway], 2013
149-2 … Hannah Nuhfer [Delsea], 2024
147-1 … Brook-lynn Roberts [Winslow Twp.], 2024
146-5 … Kim Warren [Atlantic City], 2006
143-3 … Mercedes Hicks [Atlantic City], 2006
143-2 … Najeaya Singleton [Vineland], 2017
140-6 … Typhanie Bates [Williamstown], 1995
140-1 … Melinda Boykin[Bridgeton], 1997
140-0 … Geri Riley [Millville], 1987
139-8 … Tomara Carmichael [Palmyra], 2016
139-7 … Victoria Imbesi [Our Lady of Mercy], 2009
139-5 … Taylor Johnson [Kingsway], 2011
139-1 … Erica Davis [Northern Burlington], 2003
138-11 … Jen Frank [Delsea], 2006
138-3 … Ciara Demarest [Williamstown], 2022
137-1 … Melinda Boykin [Bridgeton], 1996
136-11 … Betsy Kennedy [Delran], 2000
136-11 … Sunsarai Moore [Glassboro], 2024
136-7 … Gabriel Harris-Davis [Timber Creek], 2016
136-3 … Ashleigh Weems [Millville], 2012
136-3 … Cydney Thomas [Haddon Heights], 2019
136-0 … Cindy Wilks [Bridgeton], 2000
135-4 … Veronica Myricks [Willingboro], 2005
134-11 … Nacole Moore [Bridgeton], 1998
134-10 … Stacy Hinson [Lenape], 1987
134-3 … Katherine Johnson [Haddonfield], 2012
134-0 … Lillian Rivera [Pemberton], 1984
133-4 … Cheyenne Lutek [Schalick], 2012
132-3 … Sylvia Galarza [Millville], 2004
132-2 … Sherreta Butler [Camden], 1996
132-1 … Superia Ryan [Schalick], 2015
131-5 … Chelsea Cioffi [Pitman], 2010
131-4 … Jordan Wallace [Sterling], 2016
130-6 … Ravin Hood [Rancocas Valley], 2019
130-3 … Prisca Blamon [Cinnaminson], 2017
130-3 … Hannah Nuhfer [Delsea], 2024
130-1 …Veronica Myricks [Willingboro], 2005

All-Time Gloucester County Discus List
172-2 … Jocelyn White [Delsea], 2004
161-1 … Jamine Moton [Delsea], 1997
149-3 … Tara Daniels [Kingsway], 2013
149-2 … Hannah Nuhfer [Delsea], 2024
140-6 … Typhanie Bates [Williamstown], 1995
139-7 … Victoria Imbesi [Our Lady of Mercy], 2009
139-5 … Taylor Johnson [Kingsway], 2011
138-11 … Jen Frank [Delsea], 2006
138-3 … Ciara Demarest [Williamstown], 2022
136-11 … Sunsarai Moore [Glassboro], 2024
131-5 … Chelsea Cioffi [Pitman], 2010

Some smoking hot 400s Tuesday by Winslow’s young middle-distance runners at the Olympic Conference Championships at Rancocas Valley.

Freshman Cinniya Robinson led a 1-2-3 sweep with a PR 56.43, sophomore Olivia Okaro was 2nd in 56.98 and freshman Skyhe Seamon was 3rd in 58.07.

Robinson lowered her PR from 57.66 at the Camden County Championships last week at Haddon Township. Her time is No. 9 in New Jersey, No. 2 in South Jersey and No. 2 among New Jersey freshmen. Okaro has run slightly faster – 56.90 at South Jersey Elite – but she’s already No. 5 in South Jersey this year. And Seamon dropped her PR from 1:00.16, which she ran indoors at Easterns at the Armory back in February. She’s now the No. 6 freshman in New Jersey.

Robinson, Okaro and Seamon are now No. 2, 3 and 7 in New Jersey Group 3.

Robinson’s 56.43 is the fastest time in the Olympic Conference meet in 15 years, since Seneca’s Michelle Brown – who was inducted into the South Jersey Track Hall of Fame in March – won the 2009 race in 54.91. The only other faster times in meet history belong to Brown in 2008 [55.19] and Highland’s Nichole Bartley in 1992 [56.0].

Ocean City senior Matt Hoffman ran a huge 1,600 PR Monday evening at Haddonfield Distance Night, dropping his PR more than four seconds and running the 4th-fastest time in South Jersey this year.

Hoffman dropped his PR from 4:20.38 from the South Jersey Elite at Delsea earlier this month to 4:16.11 with a huge negative split.

Hoffman was out in 2:09.50 [63.46 / 66.04] and came back in 2:06.61 [63.66 / 62.95], finishing 25 meters ahead of 2nd-place Washington Township senior Daniel Torres, who PR’d at 4:20.11.

The only faster South Jersey times this year are converted from full miles – Peyton Shute of Woodbury ran 4:08.28 [4:06.84 for 1,600 meters], Cherokee’s Robert Poplau 4:13.08 [4:11.61 for 1,600] and Cherokee’s Nick Kuenkel ran 4:18.11 [4:16.61].

Hoffman’s time is No. 4 in Cape May County history and fastest in 14 years, since Miles Schoedler ran 4:11.46 at the 2010 Meet of Champions in South Plainfield.

Torres closed in 60.66 to move up from 4th to 2nd on the final lap. Nate Johnson of Penn Charter was 3rd in 4:20.54, and Williamstown junior Dylan Saber [4:23.31], Ocean City sophomore Erik Preisner [4:23.65] and Highland junior Mason Wassell [4:24.62] all PR’d as well.

Also under 4:30 with PRs: Moorestown sophomore Peter Simpson [4:25.75], Williamstown sophomore Dominic Burgio [4:26.84], Triton senior Ethan Wence [4:27.01], Ocean City junior Kal Heyman [4:28.64], Egg Harbor senior Amir Halim [4:28.69], Haddon Heights senior Jayden Gonzelez [4:29.63] and Ocean City junior Ethan Buck [4:29.66].

So Ocean City went 4:16.11 / 4:23.65 / 4:28.64 / 4:29.66 with a senior, a sophomore and two juniors. Add it up and you have a 17:38 4-by-1,600.

All-Time Cape May County 1,600 List
4:07.07y … Brett Johnson [Ocean City], 2009
4:09.19 … John Richardson [Ocean City], 2003
4:11.46 … Miles Schoedler [Ocean City], 2010
4:16.11 … Matt Hoffman [Ocean City], 2024
4:18.68y … Nick Scarangelli [Ocean City], 2023
4:19.15 … Zeb Hinker [Lower Cape May Regional], 2021
4:20.42 … Louis Paone [Ocean City], 2014
4:23.34 … Erik Johnson [Ocean City], 2010
4:23.65 … Erik Preisner [Ocean City], 2024
4:25.22 … Art Lathers [Middle Township], 1997

[I may be missing a couple times between 4:20 and 4:25 from before 2000 or so. Let me know if you see any omissions! Thanks!]

Thirteen South Jersey athletes – 12 of them from Rowan – are headed to the NCAA Division 3 Championships this week in South Carolina.

Rowan senior Marquis Young from Sterling, already a four-time All-America, leads the way as a qualifier in three events.

The NCAA Division 3 Championships are scheduled for Thursday through Saturday at Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium in Myrtle Beach.

Men
➡️ Young is the No. 3 seed in the 110-meter hurdles with his 14.01 to win the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championships in Galloway earlier this month, and he’s the No. 17 seed in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles with his 52.92 in March in a meet at Widener University in Chester, Pa. He’s also part of Rowan’s top-seeeded 1,600-meter relay team, which ran 3:09.31 last week at Widener.

➡️ Rowan sophomore Anaias Hughes, a Willingboro graduate, is another one of four Rowan qualifiers in the 110-meter hurdles. He qualified with a PR 14.31 at the All-Atlantic Regional Track and Field Championships at Cortland, N.Y., last week.

➡️ Rowan junior Nick Razze shares the No. 17 seed in the 400IH with Young. Razze ran 52.92 in a meet in Ewing in April. His PR is 52.84 from last May at Widener as a sophomore at McDaniel College in Westminster, Md. Razze is also scheduled to run with Young on Rowan’s 4-by-4.

➡️ Rowan’s Eli Hendricks, a true freshman from Penns Grove, didn’t quite qualify in the 200 despite a 21.45 but he will lead off Rowan’s 400-meter relay team, which is seeded 10th at 40.64.

➡️ Shamar Love of Bridgeton, a Rowan junior from Bridgeton, will also run the 400-meter relay. Love ran 10.48 and 21.64 this year. He earned All-America honors last year on Rowan’s 2nd-place 400-meter relay team, which ran 40.14.

➡️ Robert McKinney, a Rowan junior from Highland, makes his 1st career trip to NCAAs as part of the Profs’ 4-by-1. McKinney ran 10.76 and 21.58 this year.

➡️ Jamile Gantt, a Rowan freshman from Paulsboro, cleared 6-9 at the AARTFC Championships, which makes him the No. 16 seed at D-3 Nationals. His PR is 6-10 from last year’s South Jersey Elite at Delsea. Gantt also ran 1:59.30 at Paulsboro but hasn’t run the 800 since 2022.

Women
➡️ Molly Lodge PR’d with a Rowan-record 1:01.33 in the 400-meter intermediates at the AARTFC Championships in Cortland, earning her the No. 7 seed in Myrtle Beach. She’ll also run on Rowan’s No. 11-seed 1,600-meter relay team. Lodge is already a two-time All-America, with legs on Rowan’s 8th-place 4-by-4 indoors in 2022 in Birmingham and 5th-place indoor 4-by-4 in Virginia Beach this past indoor season. She qualified for NCAAs last year in the intermediates and placed 17th in 1:03.43 in her first year in the event.

➡️ Pennsauken’s Jasmine Pope, a transfer from St. Peter’s in Jersey City, is part of Rowan’s 1,600-meter relay team. Pope spent 2022 at St. Peter’s and sat out last year before resurfacing at Rowan.

➡️ Nevaeh Lorjuste, a Rowan junior from Triton, will anchor the Profs’ 1,600-meter relay team. She’s already a two-time All-America from Rowan’s 8th- and 5th-place 4-by-4 teams the last two indoor seasons.

➡️ Washington Township graduate Isabelle Deal, a Rowan junior and transfer from Ursinus, qualified in both the shot put with her Rowan school-record 45-8 and the javelin at 135-8. She’s the No. 14 seed in the shot and No. 16 in the javelin. Deal is a three-time javelin All-America, having placed 8th, 6th and 6th in her three year at Ursinus. She threw her javelin PR of 155-0 at last year’s AARTFC meet in Selinsgrove.

➡️ Deal’s teammate at Ursinus, Stockton junior Michaela Pomatto from Egg Harbor Township, is the No. 11 seed in the discus with her 154-8 at the AARTFC meet. This will be here first trip to NCAAs.

Delsea and Deptford ran the 3rd- and 6th-fastest 400-meter relay times in New Jersey this year Monday evening at the Spartan Sprint Night at Deptford.

Delsea senior Julian Conigliaro, senior Xavier Wyatt, senior Christian Langston and junior Eric Grant ran 42.19, the 2nd-fastest time in school history, and Deptford senior Darryl Wayman, junior Tyaire Randells, senior Ryan Gore and sophomore Kareem Brown ran 42.35, the Spartans’ fastest time since 2019.

The two times are No. 9 and No. 12 in Gloucester County history. Delsea’s 42.19 is No. 3 in New Jersey this year, behind Rancocas Valley’s 42.00 last month at the Penn Relays and a Scotch Plains-based parochial school, which ran 42.02 in a meet at Westfield earlier this month. After Elizabeth [42.28] and Toms River North [42.29], Deptford is No. 6 state-wide.

Pennsauken also ran under 43 seconds, with Jabari Sonnebeyattal, KaRon Ali, Christopher Baisden and Elijah Jennings taking 3rd in a season-best 42.73, fastest this year by a Camden County school. That’s also No. 5 in South Jersey this year.

41.47 … Deptford, 2018
41.55 … Deptford, 2017
41.72 … Deptford, 2018
42.01 … Deptford, 2019
42.11 … Washington Twp., 2023
42.12 … Deptford, 2016
42.15 … Delsea, 2019
42.17 … Deptford, 2013
42.19 … Delsea, 2024
42.20 … Washington Twp., 2022
42.25 … Clayton, 2019
42.35 … Deptford, 2024

Atlantic County Tech and Oakcrest hooked up in a fast 400-meter relay Friday at the Atlantic County Championships at Buena, with both running under 43 seconds.

Atlantic County Tech ran 42.76 to edge Oakcrest, which was a very close 2nd in 42.89. Pleasantville and Mainland weren’t far behind in 43.15 and 43.21.

That’s four teams within less than half a second, all four finishing within four meters of each other.

Sophomore J’Mar Boyer, junior Mahkel Hall, senior Gavin Caracciolo and junior Yamdry Hernandez ran for Atlantic County Tech, seniors Jamaad Richardson Davis, Asad Hunt, Clayton Husta and Samuel Mensah for Oakcrest, senior Yusuf Golden, freshman Semaj Dozier, senior A’shod Hill and senior Brandon St. Martin for Pleasantville and junior Chis Keena, junior Jonathon Perez, freshman Dallas Rowell and freshman Zaki Marcus for Mainland Regional.

Atlantic County Tech and Oakcrest, located just two miles apart in Hamilton Township, are now No. 3 and 5 in South Jersey this year, and Pleasantville and Mainland are No. 7 and 8. So half of the eight-fastest schools in South Jersey are from Atlantic County.

ACT’s 42.76 is a school record, and Oakcrest’s 42.89 is their fastest since Stephen Adkisson, Reginald Morton, Darnell Charles and Fabian Santiago set the Alantic County record of 41.80 at the 2012 Woodbury Relays. The times are No. 12 and 15 in Atlantic County history.

All-Time Atlantic County 400-Meter Relay List
41.80 … Oakcrest, 2012
41.83 … Oakcrest, 2011
41.9h … Pleasantville, 1994
42.10 … Egg Harbor Township, 2023
42.12 … Pleasantville, 1999
42.38 … Pleasantville, 2008
42.43 … Atlantic City, 2018
42.57 … Egg Harbor Township, 2015
42.59 … St. Joe’s-Hammonton, 2015
42.64 … St. Joe’s-Hammonton, 2013
42.72 … Egg Harbor Township, 2019
42.76 … Atlantic County Tech, 2024
42.82 … Egg Harbor Township, 2017
42.83 … Egg Harbor Township, 2013
42.89 … Oakcrest, 2024
42.91 … Pleasantville, 2023
42.94 … Pleasantville, 2019
42.96 … St. Augustine, 2019
42.97 … Holy Spirit, 2013

Egg Harbor won the boys team title 96-85 over Hammonton, with Mainland [69], Oakcrest [62], Atlantic County Tech [62] and Cedar Creek [61] all within eight points.

Mainland won the girls meet 171-100 over Absegami, with Egg Harbort Township [71], Hammonton [60 ½] and Atlantic County Tech [52] also over 50 points.

Audubon’s Riley Fayer is having quite an outdoor season and two weeks before sectionals is No. 1 in New Jersey Group 1 in the 1,600 and No. 2 in the 3,200.

Fayer ran 2:19.44, 5:13.29 and 10:58.45 as a freshman last spring, placing 8th in the Meet of Champions 3,200 with the No. 3 time among New Jersey 9th-graders. She was 3rd at indoor states in the 800 but has focused on the longer races this spring and improved dramatically in the 1,600, with a 5:04.02 at the South Jersey Elite at Delsea and a 5:04.57 at the Nick Baker Invitational at Haddonfield this past weekend.

That 5:04.02 is No. 4 overall in South Jersey, No. 3 among New Jersey sophomores and No. 1 in the state in Group 1. It’s also fastest by any South Jersey Group 1 runner since 1999, when Olympian Erin Donohue of Haddonfield ran 4:55.04 as a sophomore at the 1999 Meet of Champions. Haddonfield moved up to Group 2 in 2000, so when Donohue ran 4:41.16 as a junior she was no longer in Group 1.

Fayer has also run 11:06.06 this spring, which is 2nd-fastest in Group 1 this spring behind Walkill Valley junior Delana Einreinhofer, who ran 11:03.41 earlier this month at a home meet in Hardyston Township, Sussex County. Fayer is the No. 4 sophomore in the state and No. 1 in South Jersey. With her 10:58.45, she’s the fastest South Jersey Group 1 runner 3,200 again since Donohue, who ran 10:43.2 at 1999 sectionals.

Audubon’s last sectional winner in the 1,600 was Molly Furlong, who ran 5:10.20 to win the 2014 race. Audubon hasn’t had a sectional 3,200 winner.

Fayer’s competition at sectionals could likely come from Schalick junior Jordan Hadfield, who won indoor sectional titles at 1,600 and 3,200 meters and has run 5:09.28 and 11:16.06. She’s 3rd in the state Group 1 at 1,600 meters.

English Gardner recorded one of her biggest wins in years Saturday at the USATF Grand Prix at UCLA’s Drake Stadium.

Gardner, a 2010 Eastern graduate and Olympic gold medalist on the U.S. 4-by-1 team in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, ran a wind-legal 11.22 to win the “B” race over 2022 U.S. 200 champ Abby Steiner, 2021 Olympic 200 bronze medalist Gabrielle Thomas and Jamaican relay Olympic gold medalist Briana Williams.

There was an “A” race won by two-time 4-by-1 World Champion Melissa Jefferson but her time was 11.27, slower than Gardner’s winning time.

Last time Gardner won a major meet with this sort of loaded field was on Sept. 2, 2018, when she ran 11.11 to win the Padova Meetin at Citta di Padova in Podoav.

It was her fastest wind-legal time since an 11.13 in May 2023 at the USATF Bermuda Grand Prix at Flora Duffy Stadium at the Bermuda National Sports Center in Devonshire.

Gardner, 32, is No. 10 in world history with her 10.74 to win the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., her home track when she ran for Oregon.

Oakcrest senior Ryan Merlino recorded the best outdoor pole vault by a South Jersey vaulter in 32 years Friday at the Atlantic County Championships at Buena.

Merlino cleared 15-8 on his 2nd attempt, an outdoor PR and the best jump in South Jersey since Haddon Heights’ Bob Green got over the bar at 16-0 at the inaugural South Jersey Invitational at Eastern in 1992.

That’s No. 14 in state history outdoors.

Merlino’s previous outdoor best was a 15-6 earlier this month at the South Jersey Elite – the new name for the South Jersey Invitational – at Delsea. He’s been over 15 feet in every major meet he’s contested this spring.

In March, Merlino placed 5th at Armory Nationals with a 16-foot clearance, a South Jersey indoor record and No. 7 in state history.

At Buena Friday, Merlino passed through 13-6, at which point every other competitor had already been eliminated. Cedar Creek junior Ryan Hassa PR’d with a 13-0 to lead the event until Merlino entered at 14-0.

He cleared 14-0 on his 1st attempt and then had the bar raised to 15-0, which he also cleared on his 1st try. He needed three attempts at 15-4 before clearing and then got over 15-8 on his 2nd try.

Merlino had the bar raised to a South Jersey-record 16-1 but missed three attempts.

Merlino is one of six South Jersey natives who’s cleared 16 feet, including current Rutgers vaulters Noah Kriesman and Nico Maroles, Rutgers pole vault coach Mike Maira from Seneca, former Rutgers vaulter Marco Morales, Green and Merlino.

All-Time South Jersey Outdoor Pole Vault List
16-0 … Bob Green [Haddon Heights], 1992
15-8 … Ryan Merlino [Oakcrest], 2024
15-7 … Brandon Kurtz [Absegami], 1991
15-7 … Nico Morales [Delsea Reg.], 2019
15-6 … Dylan Altland [Kingsway], 2014
15-6 … Marco Morales [Delsea Reg.], 2019
15-5 … Mike Davis [Haddonfield], 2004
15-5 … Devon Purves [Haddonfield], 2006
15-4 … Jason King [Lenape], 1993
15-3 ¼ … Dan Lamp [Willingboro], 1977
15-2 … Dan Batdorf [West Deptford], 2008
15-0 ¼ … Mike Hulme [Eastern], 2003
15-0 … Mark Murphy [Haddonfield], 1985
15-0 … Ricky Clemons [Willingboro], 1989
15-0 … Dave Murname [West Deptford], 2000
15-0 … Josh Moline [Gateway], 2000
15-0 … Mike Maira [Seneca], 2010
15-0 … Mike Rivard [Haddonfield], 2010
15-0 … James Lynch [Deptford], 2019
15-0 … Matt Mancini [Cinnaminson], 2006
15-0 … Noah Kriesman [Cherry Hill East], 2022
15-0 … Daniel Couse [Clearview], 2023

All-Time New Jersey Outdoor Pole Vault List
17-4 ½ … Adam Sarafian [Ocean Township], 2004
16-6 ½ … Brian O’Sullivan [Hillsborough], 2023
16-6 … Craig Hunter [Robbinsville], 2013
16-4 ¾ … Brian McSweeney [East Brunswick], 2021
16-4 … Will Nesbitt [Millburn], 1980
16-3 … Bradley Jelmert [Watchung Hills], 2020
16-1 ¼ … Bill Hartley [Southern Regional], 1976
16-1 … Eric Richard [Bridgewater East], 1981
16-1 … Jordan Pacheco [Morris Hills], 2013
16-0 ¼ … Peter Fagan [Westfield], 2013
16-0 … Andrew Ghizzone [Union Catholic], 2014
16-0 … Kevin O’Sullivan [Hillsborough], 2022
16-0 … Max Zuckerman [Pascack Hills], 2022
15-8 … Cade Zeolla [West Morris Central], 2024
15-8 … Ryan Merlino [Oakcrest], 2024