Oakcrest senior Ryan Merlino cleared 16 feet to win the Meet of Champions pole vault, but he really won it at 15 feet.
Merlino and Cade Zeolla of West Morris Central locked up in a tight battle Wednesday at Pennsauken, with both clearing 16 feet – 3rd-best in meet history – and then missing three tries at 16-6.
Both cleared 14-6 on their 1st attempt and both cleared 15-6 on their 1st try. But Merlino got over the bar on his 1st attempt at 15-0 and Zeolla made it over on his 3rd attempt. When there’s a tie for 1st, you go back to the last height to break the tie, and because Merlino needed fewer attempts at 15-0, he’s the winner.
Merlino’s only defeat this year came at the Penn Relays, where he placed 4th but 1st among New Jersey vaulters, so he hasn’t lost to a New Jersey athlete all year.
This was Zeolla’s first 16-0 clearance and Merlino’s 3rd. He’s tied for the South Jersey record with Bob Green of Haddon Heights, who cleared 16-0 in 1992.
Merlino is the first South Jersey vaulter to win the Meet of Champions since Delsea’s Jarrod Brovero in 2016 and Oakcrest’s 1st MoC winner since Ishmael Muhammad won the 800 in 1:48.52 in 2014.
Merlino is entered in the pole vault at West Philly Nationals at Frankllin Field at 2 p.m. Saturday, as are Zeolla and Deptford junior Marcus Hood, who cleared 15-3 to win the South Jersey Group 3 meet. That’s No. 11 in South Jersey history.
South Jersey Meet of Champions Pole Vault Winners
Mark Murphy [Haddonfield], 1984 [14-6]
Mark Murphy [Haddonfield], 1985 [15-0]
Marv Forchion [Willingboro], 1986 [14-6]
Jason King [Lenape], 1993 [15-4]
Josh Moline [Gateway], 2000 [14-6]
Michael Hulme [Eastern], 2003 [15-0]
Devon Purves [Haddonfield], 2006 [15-0]
Dan Batdorf [West Deptford], 2007 [14-6]
Jarrod Brovero [Delsea], 2016 [14-6]
Oakcrest Meet of Champions winners
Carnelius Cruz [Oakcrest], 1994 [211-5]
Desmond Powell [Oakcrest], 1994 [14.08]
Oakcrest, 2011 [41.83]
Oakcrest, 2012 [42.09]
Fabian Santiago [Oakcrest], 2012 [10.59]
Fabian Santiago [Oakcrest], 2012 [21.52]
David Jefferson [Oakcrest], 2012 [6-6]
Ishmael Muhammad [Oakcrest], 2014 [1:48.52]
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 