Moments after Peyton Shute won the state Group 1 title in 1:52.05, Winslow junior Dominic Bassey ran 1:52.15 at the state Group 3 meet at Delsea.

They’re the two-fastest times by South Jersey half-milers in 10 years.

Bassey placed 2nd to New Jersey No. 1 Luke Schagelin, a senior at Morris Knolls, who won the race in 1:51.17. Bassey’s previous PR was 1:54.08 last weekend at Group 3 sectionals.

His time is fastest by a Camden County runner in 46 years, since Jeff Boyer ran 1:51.53 in 1978. I’m not sure where. Still looking.

All-Time Camden County 800 List
1;51.53 … Jeff Boyer [Camden], 1978
1:52.15 … Dominic Bassey [Winslow Twp.], 2024
1:53.25 … Greg Pelose [Haddonfield], 2016
1:53.49 … Ben Potts [Haddonfield], 2010
1:53.54y … Frank Romero [Haddon Twp.], 1977
1:53.78 … Luke Petela [Haddon Twp.], 2015
1:53.79 … Mike Shemonsky [Eastern], 1990

Peyton Shute knocked out the first leg of what he hopes is a distance triple at states Friday afternoon with the fastest 800 by a South Jersey runner in 10 years.

Shute won the 800 at the state Group 1 Championships in Somerset in 1:52.05, fastest since Oakcrest’s Ishmael Muhammad set the South Jersey record of 1:48.52 at the 2014 Meet of Champions in South Plainfield.

His time is 4th-fastest ever by a Gloucester County half-miler, behind Rich Caton of Woodbury [1:49.72 in 1979], Paulsboro’s Fred Sharpe [1:49.74 in 1997] and Kingsway’s Derrell Manhertz [1:51.02].

Shute’s previous PR was 1:53.82 last month at Haddonfield Distance Night. He’s also top seed at states in the 1,600 and 3,200. He won the 800 and 3,200 last year in 1:55.90 and 9:25.91.

Shute ran unpressed, winning by 30 meters over Verona senior Ian Zalewski, who was 2nd in 1:56.53. He was out in 54.94 and came back in 57.12.

He’s the first Woodbury boy to win the same event in consecutive years at states since long jumper Keith Washington in 1977 and 1978

Gloucester sophomore Marcus Flagg was 4th in 1:58.94, a two-second PR over his 2:00.95 at the Baker Invitational last month at Haddonfield.

Cherry Hill East’s Johnnie Jackson popped a huge hammer throw PR recently, the best throw ever by a New Jersey athlete, a top-10 U.S. throw this year and an Olympic Trials qualifier.

Jackson, competing at the Tucson Throws Festival at Roy Drachman Stadium at the University of Arizona, bombed a 242-10, surpassing his lifetime-best 237-1 from a meet in April 2021 in Baton Rouge, La.

The Olympic Trials “A” standard is 236-2. Jackson’s throw is No. 10 among U.S. men this year and No. 55 in the world. It’s No. 43 on the all-time U.S. list.

This will be Jackson’s second U.S. Olympic Trials. He placed 10th in 2021 in Eugene with a best throw of 226-4.

After competing at 2022 U.S. Nationals in Eugene in June of 2022, Jackson didn’t compete again for 22 months. He returned at a meet in Ramona, Okla., where he threw 231-10. He improved to 233-7 later in April in a meet in Baton Rouge before his breakthrough in Tucson last month.

In Tucson, Jackson – competing unattatched – opened with a 229-7, 234-2 and 233-4 before a foul and then the PR 242-10 on his 5th attempt. He finished with a 237-11, the 2nd-best throw of his life.

Jackson was the 2017 NCAA champion in the weight throw for LSU and placed 6th in the hammer at NCAAs that spring.

The Olympic Trials are scheduled for June 21-June 30 at Hayward Field in Eugene. The first round of the hammer is scheduled for Friday, June 28, with the final June 30.

The rest of the state will see this weekend just how powerful South Jersey Group 1 is.

Some of the numbers are incredible.

We scored the Group 1 state meet as South Jersey vs. the entire rest of the state – Central, North 1 and North 2 – based on seedings and we came up with this:

South Jersey 403, Rest of the State 155.

In other words, based on the seedings c0ming out of sectionals, South Jersey projects to score 72 percent of the available points when just based on enrollment figures SJ-1 would score 25 percent of the points.

On the track, the disparity is even more pronounced.

Check out the projected points in the 11 track events in the state Group 1 meet based on seedings:

100:South Jersey 31, Everyone else 0 points
200: South Jersey 23, Everyone else 8 points
400: South Jersey 26 points, Everyone else 5 points
800: South Jersey 21 points, Everyone else 10 points
1600: South Jersey 18 points, Everyone else 13 points
3200: South Jersey 26 points, Everyone else 5 points
110HH: South Jersey 30 points, Everyone else 1 point
400IH:South Jersey 29 points, Everyone else 2 points
4×1: South Jersey 31, Everyone else 0 points
4×4: South Jersey 30 points, Everyone else 1 point
4×8: South Jersey 21 points, Everyone else 10 point

That’s absurd.

So based on that, South Jersey outscores the rest of New Jersey Group 1 by a ridiculous 286-55 on the track. That’s 84 percent of the available points, including sweeps or near sweeps in the 100, 110 hurdles, intermediate hurdles, 4-by-1 and 4-by-4.

The numbers aren’t quite as lopsided in the girls Group 1 meet but they still show how deep and talented South Jersey Group 1 is on the girls side.

A state meet projection based on all four sectional meets shows South Jersey girls with 281 points and the three other sectionals combined with 277, so South Jersey gets just over 50 percent of the available points (and 195 of 341 on the track, or 57 percent).

Combining the boys and girls meets, the seeds show South Jersey with 684 of 1,116 points, or just over 61 percent.

Led by standouts like Malachi James, Jamir Brown, Cartrell Moore, Alexander Osayemi and Peyton Shute in the boys meet and Riley Fayer, Sydney Greenidge, Anna Buzby, Alanna Woolfolk and Sunsarai Moore in the girls meet, Group 1 is going to be a blast to watch this weekend in Somerset.

States has almost arrived, and we’ll have you covered throughout the weekend. We’ll start with our annual state track link hub, with direct links to everything you’ll need to enjoy the action.

Groups 1 and 4 are scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Franklin High School in Somerset, Groups 2 and 3 will be held at Delsea and the Parochial A and B meets are scheduled for Stockton University in Galloway Township.

All three meets are scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m. Friday and 10:30 a.m. Saturday. We’ll update the links as we go.

2024 Live Results [links now live]
Group 1 and 4 from Franklin Township, Somerset County: Click here.
Group 2 and 3 from Franklin Township, Gloucester County: Click here.
Parochial A & B from Galloway Township: Click here.

2024 NJSIAA State Track Program [with 29 pages of  ads removed]: Click here.
2024 NJSIAA State Track Program [with ads not removed]: Click here.

Order of Events: Click here

Boys meet records: Click here.
Boys all-time team champions: Click here.
Girls meet records: Click here.
Girls all-time team champions: Click here.

2023 Results
Boys
Group 1: Click here.
Group 2: Click here.
Group 3: Click here.
Group 4: Click here.
Parochial A: Click here.
Parochial B: Click here.
Girls
Group 1: Click here.
Group 2: Click here.
Group 3: Click here.
Group 4: Click here.
Parochial A: Click here.
Parochial B: Click here.

State Championship Performance lists
Boys
Group 1: Click here
Group 2: Click here.
Group 3: Click here.
Group 4: Click here.
Parochial A: Click here.
Parochial B: Click here.

Girls
Group 1: Click here.
Group 2: Click here.
Group 3: Click here.
Group 4: Click here.
Parochial A: Click here.
Parochial B: Click here.

How to order a wind gauge: Click here.

We’ve spoken a lot about records over the past few days and how damanging the absence of a wind gauge can be to sprinters and hurdlers trying to break them.

Jim Lambert of MileSplit wrote a good piece about how the absence of a wind gauge at Pennsauken at sectionals negated several records and how the NJSIAA plans to respond belatedly.

In any case, one of the many races impacted negatively by the absence of a functioning wind gauge was the boys Group 4 200, where Ajani Dwyer won the race in 20.86, which would have been the fastest wind-legal time in state history if there had been a wind gauge and the tailwind was measured at 2.0 meters per second or less.

You may not have noticed who placed 3rd in that race behind Dwyer and Southern Regional junior Cole Isaac Cramer, but it was Rancocas Valley sophomore Thomas Howard Jr., who ran 21.36.

Is that a state sophomore record? It’s a complicated question.

It does appear to be the fastest FAT 200 ever recorded by a New Jersey sophomore. But without a legal wind reading it can’t be considered a state sophomore record.

The fastest legit FAT 200 by a sophomore that I was able to find before this weekend was a 21.41 by the late Mario Heslop of Franklin Township, when he won 2017 Group 4 states at Egg Harbor Township. There was no wind reading in that race, either.

Najee Glass of St. Peter’s Prep was credited with a hand-timed 21.1 at the 2010 Hudson County Championships at Secaucus. Why was anybody still running a meet in 2010 without FAT timing? No idea, but Glass’s fastest FAT 200 that year was a 21.88 at the state Parochial A meet at Egg Harbor. He never ran under 21.48 FAT the rest of his high school career, althoug he did go onto win Armory Nationals at 400 meters with a 46.57 in 2012. He ran as fast as 21.05 as a junior at Florida in a meet in Gainesville in April 2014.

Timber Creek’s Jamaad Muse is credited on MileSplit with a 21.24 at the 2012 Group 3 sectionals at Egg Harbor, but the timing in that whole race was messed up – all six medalists ran about half a second faster than they ever ran before or after, and there was clearly some sort of timing irregularity and we don’t recognize times from that race.

Egg Harbor’s T.J. Johnson is credited on MileSplit with a 21.30 at the 2008 Cape Atlantic Championships at Atlantic City, but that whole meet was actually hand-timed. Johnson’s fastest FAT 200 as a sophomore was a 21.79 at the Meet of Champions at South Plainfield

The fastest legit FAT 200 in New Jersey history by a sophomore with a legal wind reading appears to be a 21.42 by Snyder’s Zamir Thomas at 2009 Greensboro Nationals.

Wind gauge or not, Howard’s 21.36 is very fast. It’s 2nd-fastest in Burlington County history, behind only Malachi James’ 21.13 at the USATF New York Youth Challenge Series Opener in New York in April. That’s the only 200 James has run this year with a wind gauage – there was a legal 1.6 MpS tailwind at Icahn Stadium. And Howard’s time is 6th-fastest in South Jersey history regardless of wind reading.

What’s the fastest FAT time by a South Jersey sprinter with legal wind? It’s probably Dennis Mitchell’s 21.06 at the 1984 Keebler Prep Invitational in Elk Grove, Ill., but there’s no indication in any of the results or stories from that meet whether there actually was a wind gauge. I’m guessing even in 1984 there was a wind gauge at a meet like that, but still working on that.

The fastest 200 by a South Jersey runner that definitely had a legal wind is a 21.07 by Paul VI’s Antonio Tarantino at 2018 Greensboro Nationals. And the fastest wind-legal 200 by a South Jersey soph is Muse’s 21.59 with a 1.7 at the 2012 Meet of Champions at Old Bridge.

Whatever the details, R.V. has an impressive stable of young sprinters. Sophomore Julian Coppage-Seepersaud has run 10.84, 21.99 and 48.22 this spring and qualified for states in the 200 and 400, soph Xavier Bancroft has run 11.02, 22.03 and 50.69 and will race in the 200 at states, junior David Smith has run 10.77 and 22.40 and races at states in the 100 and Howard has run 50.54 in addition to his 21.36. R.V. has run 42.00 and 3:22.71 with all underclassmen.

And the best news of all is that there will be a wind gauge this weekend at states.

We didn’t forget South Jersey’s schools that made the trip to Hillsborough and Jackson for the Central Jersey sectionals this weekend.

So here are 10 highlights from the Central Jersey Group 1 and 4 meets at Hillsborough and the Group 2 and 3 meets at Jackson Liberty.

1. Florence sophomore Leaire Williams won the Central Jersey Group 1 long jump with a lifetime-best 21-4 ¼, which makes him the top sophomore in South Jersey this year and the No. 4 seed in the state Group 1 meet. Williams came into the season with a PR of 19-6 from last spring and has improved nearly two feet in the last month.

2. Florence senior Darien Woody remains unbeaten this year in the triple jump, winning his 2nd straight sectional title at 43-10 ½ – just half an inch off his PR from the Burlington County Open at Northern. Woody also took 2nd to Williams in the long jump at 20-6 ¼ and was 4th in the 100 with a 11.37.

3. Florence junior Barone VanKline won the 100 in 11.06 after a 11.01 in the prelims, placed 2nd in the 200 in 22.48 and anchored Florence’s winning 400-meter relay team, which also included Woody leading off, Elijah Quinn and Damien Ricketts and ran 43.88 in the 1st event of the weekend. With Williams, Woody and VanKline combining for 60 points including the relay, Florence placed 3rd overall with 72 points in Central Jersey Group 1.

4. Bordentown senior Brock Schenck won an outstanding Group 2 discus competition with senior Nate Riello of Point Pleasant Borough, with Schenck winning by four feet with a throw of 173-8. Results don’t show field series, unfortunately. Schenck threw just eight inches off his lifetime-best 174-4 from his win at the County Open. Schenck and Riello are the top two seeds at states this weekend. Schenck, who didn’t throw until junior year, had a PR of 138-2 coming into his senior year.

5. Burlington Township junior Dylan Fitzpatrick won the Central Jersey Group 3 javelin with a big seven-foot lifetime-best 177-4, leading three Falcons in the top five. Senior Dylan Zerillo was 3rd at 159-0 and junior Anthony Barber was 5th at 151-10. Fitzpatrick, who has improved more than 30 feet since last year, is the No. 1 seed at states.

6. Overall, Burlington Township placed 4th in CJ-3 with 52 points, only 18 behind team champion Robbinsville. Other big performances came from senior George Sackie, who placed 2nd in the 110-meter highs in a huge PR 14.45 and is the No. 2 seed at states, sophomore Solomon Wesley, who broke 11 seconds for the first time in the 100 and paced 4th in 10.96, sophomore Quayd Hendryx, who also broke 11 for the first time with a 10.99 in the 100 trials before placing 6th in 11.02, senior Brandon Afrifa, 5th in the high hurdles with a PR 15.03, and the 400-meter relay team of Afrifa, Hendryx, junior Yeator Tappia and Wesley, who placed 2nd in 43.16.

7. Northern Burlington junior Liliah Gordon won the Central Jersey Group 3 1,600 in 5:03.80 and was 2nd in the 3,200 in 10:59.36. She’ll be the No. 2 seed in the 32 and the No. 3 seed in the 16 at states. Gordon has now won eight sectional titles in track and cross country with another full season to go.

8. Gordon also ran on Northern’s winning 3,200-meter relay team along with junior Zoe Chou, junior Kayla Leonhardt and sophomore Emma Price. They ran 9:40.98 – no splits available on the results site but they’re the No. 2 seed at states, behind only Ocean City and 10th-fastest in New Jersey this year. Also, NBC freshman Maryam Fall placed 3rd in the triple jump with a PR 34-2 ½ and senior Amara Campbell placed 3rd in both sprints with a 12.42 and 25.78.

9. Northern senior Chibuike Udodi and junior Edson Raymond placed 3rd and 4th in the CJ-3 long jump, Udodi with a 20-11 and Raymond with 20-9 ¾.

10. For the Florence girls, sophomore Zoe Saunders won the 100-meter hurdles in 15.73 and placed 2nd in the 400-meter hurdles in 1:10.82, both big PRs. According to MileSplit, Saunders did not hurdle as a freshman and didn’t contest the highs until the Burlington County Open on May 11 or the intermediates until the BCSL Championships on May 18.

Winslow junior Jayden Poteat put himself in some elite company this weekend when he won the 100, 200 and 400 at Group 3 sectionals and ran 10.69, 21.67 and 48.44 in his triple.

Poteat became only the 5th South Jersey sprinter ever to run sub-10.70, sub-21.70 and sub-48.50 in his entire high school career, and he did it in the span of about 22 hours at Delsea.

He also became the first to run those times at a sectional meet in 41 years.

The 100-200-400 is not an easy triple.

The other sprinters to run that fast for all three events at any point are Olympic gold medalist Dennis Mitchell of Edgewood in 1983 [11.47 in 1983, 21.06, 46.02], Deptford’s Bruce Owens in 2004 [10.66, 21.56, 48.41], Winslow’s Antraye Miles in 2003 [10.67, 21.58, 47.83] and Pennsauken’s Martin Booker in 2017 [10.67, 21.39, 48.33].

Mitchell swept the three sprints as a junior in the South Jersey Group 4 meet in 1983 at Willingboro with 10.4, 21.3 and 46.9. Although those are hand times, they convert to sub-10.70, 21.70 and 48.50. He recorded the same sweep in 1982 and 1984 but in each case one race was too slow.

At 2003 Group 4 sectionals at Egg Harbor Township – where some events were FAT and some were hand timed – Miles won the 100 in 10.4, the 200 in 22.01 and the 400 in 48.10, so his “slow” 200 disqualifies him from consideration.

A year later in the South Jersey Group 3 meet at Buena, Owens was 2nd in the 100 in a hand-timed 10.7, 3rd in the 200 in 22.08 and 1st in the 400 in 48.73.

Booker competed in 2017 in the Central Jersey Group 3 meet at Bernards but took 2nd in the 100 in 10.76, won the 200 in 21.39 and didn’t contest the 400.

So Mitchell and Poteat are the only South Jersey sprinters ever to run 10.70, 21.70 and 48.50 in the same sectional meet.

Antraye Miles ran 10.67 and 47.83 at the state Group 4 meet in 2003 at Egg Harbor but his winning time in the 200 was 22.01. Owens picked up a 1st and two 2nds at the 2004 state Group 3 meet at EHT but his times don’t quite measure up. Booker ran 10.67 in the 100 trials at the 2017 state Group 3 meet at Northern Burlington and 21.47 to win the 200 but didn’t run the 400. Not surprisingly, none of them tripled at the Meet of Champions.

I checked all their county and conference meets as well, and althought Miles was close at the 2003 Camden County meet at Haddon Township [hand-timed 10.4, 21.4, 48.9] and Olympic Conference meet at Pennsauken [10.4, 21.2, did not run 400], he didn’t quite hit the triple crown.

So Mitchell and Poteat are also the only South Jersey sprinters in history to run sub-10.70, sub-21.70 and sub-48.50 at the same meet.

Poteat is the No. 2 seed at states in the 100 behind only Robbinsville’s Maxim Rychkov [10.61], the No. 1 seed in the 200 and the No. 1 seed in the 400 as well.

How far has Poteat come?

According to Poteat’s MileSplit bio, this is his first year running track, and he didn’t compete outdoors until the Camden County Championships on May 11. He did run indoors and ran 22.09 and 51.05 at Ocean Breeze. But his first lifetime 100 was May 11, as were his first outdoor 200 and 400. In his first indoor meet in December, he only high jumped, and he didn’t run anything longer than the 55 until Feb. 5.

For the record, the last South Jersey sprinter to sweep the 100, 200 and 400 at states was Carl Watson of St. Joe’s-Hammton, who won Parochial B titles in 2011 in 11.00, 22.45 and 50.41. The last public school sprinter to pull off that triple was Damiere Byrd of Timber Creek in the 2010 Group 3 meet in 10.68, 21.80 and 47.88. Byrd is now with the Washington Commanders heading into his 9th NFL season.

Delsea’s sprinters, throwers, hurdlers, jumpers, vaulters and distance runners all contributed to the Crusaders’ 7th consecutive sectional title this weekend at their home facility in Franklinville.

Delsea scored 49 points in the sprints, 26 in the throws, 16 in the jumps, 14 in distance and four in the hurdles on its way to the South Jersey Group 3 Championship.

Talk about a true team effort!

Delsea topped a talented and young Winslow Township team, 109-88.  More on Winslow below.

Delsea’s remarkable streak of seven straight sectional titles is 3rd-longest in South Jersey sectional history and longest in nearly four decades.

Penns Grove won 10 straight titles from 1977 through 1986 (seven in Group 2, three in Group 1) and Woodbury won nine straight from 1969 through 1977 (all in Group 1). State-wide, the only longer streaks belong to Metuchen, who won 16 straight from 1993 through 2008, all in Central Jersey Group 1, and Somerville, who won eight straight in Central Jersey Group 2 from 2001 through 2008, although the final one was a tie with Ewing. So Delsea has the 4th-longest streak in state history of consecutive outright titles. And they almost certainly would have won in 2020 if the season hadn’t been cancelled.

Overall, Delsea has won 10 sectional championships, Group 3 in 2006 and 2007, Group 2 in 2010, Group 3 in 2017 and 2018, Group 2 in 2019 and 2021 and now Group 3 in 2022 and 2023.

For Delsea, senior sprinters Christian Langston and Julian Conigliaro both had big weekends for Delsea. Langston ran 21.73 for 2nd in the 200, placed 2nd in the long jump at 21-8 and ran on Delsea’s winning 4-by-1 relay [42.23] and 2nd-place 4-by-4 [3:19.89]. And Conigliaro ran 10.74 and 21.76 for 2nd in the 100 and 3rd in the 200. (He also may have been on the 4-by-1 but the listed runners are senior Xavier Wyatt, senior Dante McGrenehan, Langston and junior Eric Grant). Wyatt also placed 6th in the 200 in 22.64.

Junior Jonathan Harris bombed a a lifetime-best 63-0 ½ to win the shot. That’s No. 7 in South Jersey history and was the best throw at any of this weekend’s sectional meets. It was the best throw by any South Jersey thrower at any sectional meet since Bridgeton’s Braheme Days Jr. won South Jersey Group 2 with a 64-5 ¾ throw at Buena in 2012. It’s also the best throw by a South Jersey underclassman since Days threw 68-8 ½ at Penn that spring.

Harris also placed 2nd in the discus at 148-10 and senior Greg Masso took 2nd in the shot at 58-4.

All-Time South Jersey Shot Put List
68-8 ½ … Braheme Days Jr. [Bridgeton] 2012
64-10 ½ … Jon Kalnas [Paulsboro], 1997
64-6 ¼ … Ron Dayne [Overbook], 1996
64-5 … Ray Wilks [Bridgeton], 1995
64-4 ¼ … Chris Robinson [Penns Grove], 1990
63-2 ½ … Jason Nwosu [Delsea], 2022
63-0 ½ … Jonathan Harris [Delsea], 2024
63-0 … Lou Gordon [Bridgeton], 1995
62-10 ¼ … Nick Pulli [West Deptford], 2014
62-10 … Anthony Liakhnovich [Hammonton], 2024
61-11 ¾ … Kamron Kobolak [Cinnaminson], 2018

Delsea’s 2nd-place 4-by-4 included Wyatt, McGrenehan, Langston [49.43] and sophomore Matthew Littlehales [49.09].

Littlehales also ran a huge PR in the 800, placing 2nd in 1:54.93, fastest in New Jersey this year by a 10th-grader and 4th-fastest in all of Group 3. It’s also fastest by any South Jersey soph since 2016, when R.V.’s Jacob Tyndale ran 1:54.33 at the state Group 4 meet at Egg Harbor. Littlehales also ran 4:26.54 for 3rd in the 1,600.

McGrenehan ran a PR 48.57 for 2nd place in the 400. That’s No. 12 in Gloucester County history – with three of the top 12 coming this weekend [Alexander Osayemi 47.98, Marquis Taylor 48.33].

Junior Henry Cifaloglio cleared 13-0 and tied for 3rd in the pole vault, and senior Carlos Reyes cleared 12-6 for 6th place.

Sophomore Quincy Matthews placed 4th in the 110-meter hurdles with a big PR of 15.18. His previous best was a 15.42 two weeks ago.

Junior Bonds hit a PR 43-6 on his first attempt in the triple jump and finished in 5th place.

Winslow was led by juniors Jayden Poteat and Dominic Bassey, who ran five races and PR’d in all five.

Poteat recorded a monster triple, winning the 100 in 10.69, the 200 in 21.67 and the 400 in 48.44. He’s the No. 2 seed at states in the 100 and No. 1 in the 200 and 400. More on Poteat later this week.

Bassey won the 800 in a PR 1:54.08 and the 400-meter hurdles in 54.22, also a lifetime best. He’ll be top-seeded in the intermediates and No. 2 in the 800. He also ran on two winning relay teams for four total gold medals.

Winslow also piled up 26 points in the three relays. Freshman Jabril Hammond, senior Kenneth Everett Jr., sophomore Nyqir Helton and senior Darrell Jackson Jr. ran 42.88 in the 4-by-1, junior Chukwuemeka Ajaegbulemh [48.50 split], Bassey, senior Semaj Anderson and Jackson [48.63] ran 3:19.56 to win the 4-by-4, and Ajaegbulemh, Bassey [1:54.19 split], Anderson and junior David Duran ran 8:03.13 to win the 4-by-8. Winslow is top-seeded at states in the two longer relays and 3rd-seeded in the 4-by-1.

Other winners:

☑️ Deptford junior Marcus Hood earned the No. 1 pole vault seed with a lifetime-best 15-3 clearance, the best vault in South Jersey Group 3 in 33 years, since Absegami’s Brandon Kurtz cleared 15-7 in 1991. He’s now No. 11 in South Jersey history and No. 4 in Gloucester County history, behind Delsea’s Nico Morales [15-7 in 2019], Kingsway’x Dylan Altland [15-6 in 2014] and Delsea’s Marco Morales [15-6 in 2019]. Deptford vaulters have won the PV at sectionals five times since 2018: James Lynch in 2018 and 2019, Julian Rodriguez in 2021, Gursharan Singh in 2022 and now Hood.

☑️ Moorestown senior Rece Englehart recorded a big horizontal jump double, winning the long jump at 23-6 and the triple jump with a 47-4 ½. Both are the top marks in Group 3 going into states. Englehart matched the No. 2 triple jump mark in Burlington County history behind Marcos Edgehill of Pemberton, who jumped 47-9 at the 1981 Penn Relays. Rancocas Valley’s Zakiyy Williams also jumped 47-4 ½.

All-Time South Jersey Triple Jump List
50-9 ¼ … Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], 2018
50-6 ¾ …. Dominique Irons [Haddon Heights], 2013
50-2 ½ … Floyd Whitaker [Highland], 2019
48-10 ½ … Larry Russell [Timber Creek], 2015
48-3 ¼ … Ryan Chance [Glassboro], 2009
48-1 ½ … Mubeen Momodu [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2019
48-1 ¼ … Orion Joyner [Kingsway], 2019
48-0 ……. Josh Butler [Delsea], 2006
47-9 ¼ … Marcus Edghilll [Pemberton], 1981
47-7 ½ … Mikhail Micheaux [Eastern], 2014
47-7 ½ … Jaden Johnson [Timber Creek], 2022
47-6 ½ … Chris Roundtree [Haddon Hts.], 2009
47-5 ¼ … Kevin Kevelier [Collingswood], 2019
47-5 ………Steven Brown [Penns Grove], 2009
47-4 ¾ … Cheo King [Woodbury], 2017
47-4 ½ … Zakiyy Williams [Rancocas Valley], 2017
47-4 ½ … Rece Englehart [Moorestown], 2024
47-4 …….. Tristan Wilson [Delsea], 2014
47-3 ¼ … Antwan Dickerson [Pennsauken], 2013
47-3 …….. Mike Baker [Cherry Hill West], 1976
47-0 ½ … Mawali Osunniyi [Mainland Reg.], 2023
47-0 ¼ … Earnest Daniel [Kingsway], 2017

☑️ Ocean City’s Matt Hoffman doubled the 1,600 in 4:24.39 and the 3,200 in 9:27.58. He’s the 5th Ocean City runner to record that 1,600-3,200 double: John Richardson in 2001, Brett Johnson in 2007 and 2008, Miles Schoedler in 2010 and Nick Scarangelli last year.

☑️ Cherry Hill West senior Noah Casa won the high hurdles in 14.57 and is the 3rd seed at states. Casa had a PR of 15.24 before sectionals. Casa is Cherry Hill West’s 1st sectional champion in 14 years, since Jon Smith won the long jump in 2010 at 2-10. Casa also placed 3rd in the 400IH in a PR 55.55 and is the No. 5 seed in the long hurdles at states.

☑️ Highland junior Jayden DeLeon won the high jump with a PR 6-8. He’s the first Highland jumper to clear 6-8 since Reggie Williams hit 7-0 at the 1997 Meet of Champions.

☑️ Hammonton junior Anthony Liakhnovich won the discus with a 172-6 to earn the top seed at states. He also threw 56-10 ¼ for 3rd in the shot, where he’ll be the No. 4 seed in Group 3.

☑️ Camden Eastside junior Elijah Thompson threw a lifetime-best 171-0 to win the javelin. That was a nearly 11-foot PR for the first-year thrower.

Sophomore Ma’Syiah Brawner picked up a win, a 2nd and two 3rds for 30 points and sophomore Olivia Okaro, senior Dominique Clement, junior Brook-lynn Roberts and freshman Cinniya Robinson all made huge contributions as the mighty Winslow Township girls won their 11th sectional title the last 12 times the meet has been contested.

Winslow outscored Timber Creek 129-102 to win the South Jersey Group 3 sectionals this weekend at Delsea in a battle of two of New Jersey’s deepest and most talented teams, with Ocean City 3rd with 80 points.

Winslow won eight straight South Jersey Group 3 titles from 2013 through 2021 – there was no meet in 2020 – before Timber Creek won in 2022. Winslow has now won the last two. The Eagles also won Group 4 in 2004 and 2005, and the school’s former incarnation, Edgewood, won Group 3 in 1979 and Group 4 in 1983 and 1985.

Even without counting the four Edgewood championships, Winslow’s 12 sectional titles are 2nd-most in sectional history behind Haddonfield’s 21.

State-wide, only Haddonfield, Columbia [17], Metuchen [17], Ridgewood [15] and New Providence [14] have won more titles than Winslow. If you include the Edgewood championships, only Haddonfield, Columbia and Metuchen have more.

Brawner won the high jmp at 5-4, tying her PR, placed 2nd in the long jump at 18-10, just 1 ½ inches off her outdoor PR (she’s gone 19-3 ½ indoors), took 3rd in the triple jump at 38-10 and also placed 3rd in the 100-meter hurdles in 15.06, not far from her PR of 14.93.

She’s tied for top seed in the high jump at states, No. 3 seed in both horizontal jumps and No. 7 seed in the hurdles.

Okaro had a huge weekend in the sprints, PR’ing with 12.07 for 3rd in the 100, PR’ing with a 56.30 for 3rd in the 400 and running 25.34 for 4th in the 200. She’s seeded 4th, 7th and 3rd at states.

Clement PR’d with a 14.45 in the hurdles and placed 2nd, took 3rd in the 200 in 25.13 and ran 5th in the intermediates in 1:04.44. She’s seeded 3rd at states in the highs, 4th in the 200 and 7th in the intermediates.

Junior Brook-lynn Roberts won the discus with a PR 147-7, the best South Jersey sectional mark in any group in 11 years, since Cherokee’s Jessica Woodard won Group 4 in 2013 in 168-0. It’s No. 7 in South Jersey history and only 8 ½ feet off the SJ-3 meet record of 156-1 set in 2003 by Delsea’s Jocelyn White. She also placed 3rd in the shot with a 41-2 ¼ throw, also a PR.

Robinson ran a big 400 PR of 55.76 in the 400, which makes her the No. 2 seed at states, and took 4th in the intermediaters in 1:03.16 and will be the No. 5 seed at states. Her 55.76 is No. 3 among all groups and makes her the 4th-fastest freshman in New Jersey in the last 20 years, behind Sianni Wynn [54.01 last year], Olympic gold medalist and 400IH world record holder Sydney McLaughlin [54.08 in 2014] and Columbia’s Olivia Baker [54.96 in 2011]. Her 1:03.16 is fastest by a New Jersey freshman since Rancocas Valley’s Anabella Chin ran 1:03.10 in 2019.

Junior Ava Millner placed 3rd in the 800 with a PR 2:18.86, sophomore Chantina Walker picked up 5ths in both the high jump at 5-0 and triple jump at 36-4, senior Sierra Handy PR’d in the 100 with a 12.70 for 6th and freshman Skyhe Seamon PR’d in the 400 with a 57.83, which makes her the 6th-fastest freshman in New Jersey this year.

Winslow also picked up 24 big points in the relays, with a win in the 4-by-4 in 3:58.16, a 2nd in the 4-by-2 in 48.70 and a 3rd in the 4-by-8 in 9:55.08.

Accoording to lineups listed in the official results, Handy, Seamon, sophomore Jahrya Jackson and Walker ran on the 4-by-1, Clement, senior Djassi Dean, freshman Tristan Hughes and Millner on the 4-by-4 and Dean, Hughes, Millner and Robinson on the 4-by-8.

As we wrote about over the weekend, Timber Creek sprinters junior Ryan Jennings and senior Naylah Jones ran the two-fastest 100-meter dashes in New Jersey history, Jennings winning in 11.33 and Jones 2nd in 11.38. Jones won the 200 in 24.19 and Jennings was 2nd in 24.27. Jones also won the 400 in 55.53.

Timber Creek also shattered the South Jersey record in the 4-by-1, which we wrote about on Friday.

⮕ Absegami junior Jaidah Garrett, who only hit 18 feet for the first time a month ago, became the 16th member of the South Jersey 19-foot club with a 19-2 on her 5th jump, the best jump of any athlete in any group in any sectional meet this weekend.

Garrett is now No. 11 in South Jersey history and only ¾ of an inch off the Atlantic County record of 19-2 ¾, set by Holy Spirit’s Asia Young at 2016 South Jersey Group 3 sectionals at Central Regional in Bayville. She was only half an inch off the Group 3 meet record of 19-2 ½ set in 2015 in Bayville.

⮕ Ocean City senior Sophia Curtis had another big day, winning the triple jump at 40-4, the best mark in New Jersey this year, as well as the 400-meter hurdles in 1:01.28, fastest time in Group 3 this year. She was also 3rd in the long jump with a lifetime-best 17-11 ¾ and 4th in the 400 at 56.69. Curtis will be top seed at states in the triple jump and intermediates, No. 5 seed in the long jump and No. 4 seed in the 400.

⮕ Mainland Regional junior Sofia Day won the 800 with an outdoor-PR 2:13.61, the fastest winning time since Renee Tomlin of Ocean City won the 2005 race in a hand-timed 2:10.5. Absegami soph Samia Ghazaz was 2nd in 2:16.86, a nearly three-second PR.

⮕ Moorestown junior Hannah Byrd-Leitner PR’d in the pole vault, winning with a 12-2, the top mark in Group 3 over the weekend.

⮕ Timber Creek senior Guerlande Pierre won the 100-meter highs in a PR 14.32, fastest winning time in South Jersey Group 3 since Winslow’s Cidae’a Woods ran 14.15 in 2014. Pierre’s 14.32 is fastest of any sectional hurdles race this weekend.

⮕ Ocean City juniors Maeve Smith and Chloe Care went 1-2 in the 3,200 in 11:03.10 and 11:08.50.

⮕ Ocean City, with a listed lineup of Smith, Care, Frankie Ritzel and Carly Godfrey, won the 4-by-8 in 9:28.82, fastest time of all the sectionals this weekend. Godfrey is listed with a 2:18.89 anchor. Ocean City’s time is fastest in New Jersey this year and fastest time by a Cape May school since Ocean City ran 9:23.84 at the 2015 state Group 3 meet at South Plainfield with Devon Grisbaum, Emma Bergman, Michaela Baker and Rachel Stremme.

⮕ Absegami junior Josephine Buxton won the javelin with a 113-8, not far off her PR of 116-4 from South Jersey Elite at Delsea.

All-Time South Jersey Long Jump List
21-7 ¾ …… Carol Lewis [Willingboro], 1980
20-0 ½ ….. Teneacia Smith [Cherry Hill East], 1992
19-11 ½ … Kathy Rankins [Haddon Heights], 1980
19-11 ½ …. Tionna Tobias [Winslow Twp.], 2018
19-9 ¼ ….. Cidae’a Woods [Winslow Twp.], 2013
19-7 ½ ….. Helen Wilks [Bridgeton], 1993
19-4 ¾ …… Gabrielle Farquharson [Williamstown], 2011
19-4 ………. Emily Carson [Haddonfield], 2012
19-2 ¾ …….Asia Young [Holy Spirit], 2016
19-2 ½ ….…Gabrielle Bennett [Winslow Twp.], 2015
19-2 ………. Tierra Hooker [Timber Creek], 2018
19-2 ………. Robin Taylor [Deptford], 1980
19-2 ………. Jaidah Garrett [Absegami], 2024
19-1 ……….. Nena Moore [Cherry Hill West], 1995
19-1 ………. Yvonne Wolef [Middle Twp.], 2012
19-0 ¼ …… Jasmine Staten [Lenape], 2016