Kingsway’s Damon Dukes Jr. ran the 7th-fastest 100 in school history and a huge PR Saturday in his first outdoor race since transferring to the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

Dukes won the 100 at the Towson (Md.) Invitational at Johnny Unitas Stadium in 10.62. His previous PR was a 10.89 this past May in the prelims of the America East Championships at UMBC – as a freshman at New Jersey Institute of Technology.

So his NJIT PR was run at UMBC and his UMBC PR was run at Towson.

Either way, that’s a huge drop of more than a quarter of a second, which you just don’t see.

That 10.62 ties Negasi Gerima for 6th-fastest in school history. Gerima ran 10.62 in 2000. Couldn’t find the meet. Disappointed in myself for that.

Anyway, Dukes’ high school PR at Kingsway was 10.92 at Cherokee in May of 2023 as a Kingsway senior. He went on to place 3rd at Group 4 states in Somerset in 10.94.

Dukes actually PR’d with a 10.80 in the trials. He also ran 21.97 in the 200. He PR’d at 21.70 as a NJIT freshman in the America East prelims in Boston in February of 2024. His high school PR was 22.20 at the 2023 Gloucester County Championships at Deptford, where he was 2nd to Washington Township’s Ajani Dwyer.

Indoors, Dukes ran 6.91 and 21.82, 10th on the UMBC indoor all-time performance list. His 6.91 is 3-100ths of a second off the top-10.

Dukes set the NJIT record over 60 meters with a 6.89 in the prelims of the 2024 America Eat meet in Boston last February.

In the 100 at Towson, Lindenwold graduate Fitzgerald Asher, a freshman at Camden County College, ran a PR 11.04 in the prelims and 11.07 in the final. Asher’s high school PR was 11.17 at 2003 South Jersey Group 2 sectionals at Delsea.

 

An auspicious outdoor track debut this weekend for Rider freshman Dylan Giloley from Washington Township.

Giloley won the 100 at the Rider 5-Way meet in Lawrenceville in 12.09 into a 0.8 meters-per-second headwind.

That’s 4th-fastest in Rider history and fastest in 12 years, since freshman La’tazah Coleman of Appoquinimink High in Middletown, Del., set the school record of 11.95 in Richmond in March 2013.

The only other Rider sprinters to go faster are Lillian Laboy of Plainfield [12.01 in 1994] and Mia Riley of Caldwell [12.03 in 2012].

Other South Jersey sprinters on the Rider all-time 100 list are Mariah Stephens of Egg Harbor Township [4th at 12.13], Genesis Walker of Bordentown 5th at 12.15] and Tierra Taylor of Pemberton [tied for 9th at 12.32].

Indoors, Giloley ran 7.66 for 60 meters at the Ott [No. 4 in school history] and 24.89 for 200 meters in Boston [No. 2 in school history]. She placed 4th in the 200 and 7th in the 60 at the MAC Championships at the Armory last month.

Quite an outdoor college track debut for Highland’s Cortland Webb, a true freshman at Rider.

In his first 400-meter hurdles race in college, Webb finished 1st with a lifetime-best 54.99 Saturday at the Rider 5-Way meet in Lawrenceville.

Webb’s previous PR was a 55.27 this past May at the Tri-County Conference Championships at Delsea.

Webb is coming off a promising indoor season, which included a big 800 PR of 1:56.84 at Ocean Breeze last month. His high school PR was 1:58.38, also from Ocean Breeze.

Webb’s time is fastest in the Metro Atlantic Conference so far this outdoor season and fastest by a Rider freshman since Noah Rivera-Sharp ran 53.83 at the 2019 MAC championships in West Long Branch.

Hammonton’s Anthony Liakhnovich got his senior year off to an explosive start with the No. 2 outdoor shot put mark in South Jersey history and the No. 2 discus throw in the state this year.

Liakhhnovich won the shot at 65-1 ¾ and the discus with a 172- 6 at the Delsea Crusader Field Meet Saturday.

Liakhnovich threw 66-3 ¾ when he won Boston Nationals indoors, but his 65-1 ¾ trails only Bridgeton’s Braheme Days Jr. on the all-time South Jersey outdoor list. Days threw 68-8 ½ when he won the 2012 Penn Relays.

Days and Liakhnovich are also No. 1 and 2 in South Jersey history indoors, Days with his 70-8 at 2012 Easterns at the Armory and Liaknovich with his 66-3 ¾ in Boston.

Liakhnovich’s 65-1 ¾ Saturday is No. 20 all-time in New Jersey history outdoors. He’s No. 7 in state history indoors with his 66-3 ¾.

According to the MileSplit national database, Liakhnovich now ranks 3rd in the country in the shot.

Liakhnovich came into the meet with an outdoor PR of 62-10 from the South Jersey Invitational at Delsea last May. He actually surpassed that with a 63-3 ½ on his 1st attempt and a 64-6 ¼ on his 2nd before hitting the 65-1 ¾ on his final attempt.

Senior Jayson Ross of Timber Creek, senior Jayron Lewis of Williamstown and Lionelray Rodriguez of Cumberland Regional also surpassed 53 feet.

Ross threw an outdoor-best 54-11 ½, surpassing his 54-5 ½ from Group 3 sectionals last May at Delsea. He threw 56-6 indoors. Lewis was 3rd with a lifetime-best 54-8. His previous PR was a 54-2 ¼ from indoor Group 4 sectionals at the Bubble last month. His outdoor PR was 53-5 from Group 4 states last June in Somerset. Rodriguez threw 53-5 for 4th, improving his PR from 50-6 ¼ in January at the Bubble. His throw was a 12-foot outdoor PR from his 41-0 ¼ at Group 3 sectionals last spring at Delsea.

Liakhnovich, Ross, Lewis and Rodriguez now rank 1st, 5th, 6th and 7th on the 2025 outdoor state list.

Liakhnovich also won the discus with a 172-6 on his 1st attempt, leading four throwers over 150 feet. Liakhnovich has a PR of 181-3 from last year’s Meet of Champions at Pennsauken.

Also over 150 feet were Millville junior Jamal Wallace and Cinnaminson senior Victor Meira, Wallace in 2nd with a PR 156-3 and Meira 3rd with a 154-1. Braeden Dushkin of Mount St. Joseph School in Springfield Township, Montgomery County, Pa., also surpassed 150 feet, 4th in 152-9.

Wallace’s previous PR was 147-9 from his win at last year’s Cumberland County Championships at Bridgeton. Meira has a PR of 159-10 at Delsea last May.

Liakhnovich, Wallace and Meira rank 2nd, 3rd and 4th in New Jersey so far this year. Benjamin Shue of Bergen Catholic, the defending Meet of Champions winner, threw 183-8 in Austin, Texas,

All-Time South Jersey Outdoor Shot Put List
68-8 ½ … Braheme Days Jr. [Bridgeton] 2012
65-1 ¾ … Anthony Liakhnovich [Hammonton], 2025
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
62-10 ¼ … Nick Pulli [West Deptford], 2014
63-2 ½ … Jason Nwosu [Delsea], 2022
63-0 ½ … Jonathan Harris [Delsea], 2024
63-0 … Lou Gordon [Bridgeton], 1995
61-11 ¾ … Kamron Kobolak [Cinnaminson], 2018
61-10 ½ … Harry Dilks [Pitman], 1971
61-6 … Josh Awotunde [Delsea], 2013
61-4 ½ … Bubba Green [Millville], 1976
61-4 … Kofi Yamoah [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2013
61-3 … Jayden Farmer [Pennsauken], 2024
61-2 ½ … Matthew Huckabee, [Timber Creek], 2010
60-11 ½ … Ryan Knight [Delsea], 1996
60-11 ¼ … Damere Lassiter [Glassboro], 2024
60-11 ……. Lucciano Pizarro [Cherokee], 2019
60-7 1/2 … Ell Ash [Willingboro], 2004
60-6 ½ … Tati White [Willingboro], 1994
60-5 ¼ … Chris Bolden [Edgewood], 1990
60-3 … Dontaye Rivera [Pleasantville], 2012
60-1 … Bill Banks [Wilson], 1973

All-Time New Jersey 65-Foot Club
75-10 ¼ …..Nick Vena [Morristown], 2011
69-8 ¼ …..Kevin DiGiorgio [Bayonne], 1997
69-2 … Benjamin Shue [Bergen Catholic], 2024
68-8 ½ … Braheme Days Jr. [Bridgeton] 2012
68-3 … Andy Papathanassiou [Emerson], 1985
68-0 ¾ …..Luke Grodeska [St. Rose], 2016
68-0 ¼ …..Glenn DiGiorgio [Bayonne], 2002
67-4 ¼ …..Jordan West [Rahway], 2017
67-3 ¾ … Josh Huisman [St. Rose], 2024
66-4 ½ … Elvin Bethea [Trenton], 1964
66-4 …..Rudy Guevara [Essex Catholic], 1971
66-0 ½ … Steve Adams [St. Joe’s-Montvale], 1970
66-0 ¼ … Mike Alleman [Scotch Plains-Fanwood], 2008
65-10 ¼ … Bruce Heide [Springfield], 1975
65-9 … Fabian Gonzalez [Southern Reg.], 2023
65-8 … Vaughn Skidmore [Ocean Twp.], 1976
65-4 ¾ … Cole Tucker [Colts Neck], 2021
65-2 …..Bob Mattia [Union], 1975
65-2 … Aaron Echternacht [Hopewell Valley], 1991
65-1 ¾ … Anthony Liakhnovich [Hammonton], 2025
65-1 ½ … Chris Licata [Gill St. Bernard’s], 2018
65-1 … Ron Klotzer [Union], 1974
65-0 … Bob Mattia [Union], 1975

Quite an auspicious high school track debut for Delsea freshman Adelyn McDonnell, who won the long jump at the Delsea Crusader Field Meet with a 17-5 ½ in her first high school meet.

McDonnell, who didn’t compete indoors, appears to be the Gloucester County freshman record holder after just one meet. Delsea’s Talyah Cox jumped 17-0 ¼ in 2014. She’s also Delsea’s first 17-footer since 2015, when Cox and Cecelia Gerstenbacher [17-5] both surpassed 17 feet.

She’s also the third South Jersey freshman over 17 feet this year. Indoors, Pleasantville’s jumped 18-4 at the Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze and was the 7th-ranked freshman in the country, according to the MileSplit database. And Janiyah Gayle of Atlantic County Tech jumped 17-2 ½ at Ocean Breeze in January.

The South Jersey freshman record is 20-5 ½ set by Willingboro’s Carol Lewis at 1978 AAU Junior Nationals in Bloomington, Ind.

Rowan senior James Coleman from Audubon ran a couple massive PRs Saturday in Chester, Pa.

Racing at the Danny Curran Invitational at Widener, Coleman dropped his 200 PR from 21.90 down to 21.57 and lowered his 400 PR from 49.39 to 48.68.

Let’s start with the 200.

His time is top 20 in NCAA Division 3 so far this year – No. 18 to be exact – and No. 2 in the NJAC, behind TCNJ freshman Maxim Rychkov, a double All-America indoors, who ran 21.40 Saturday in San Antonio, Texas.

Coleman ran 21.90 last May on the same track in Chester, Pa. That was actually his last outdoor meet. He also had a wind-aided [2.3] 21.87 when he placed 4th at the NJAC Championships last May in Galloway Township.

Coleman is the 7th current Rowan sprinter who’s run under 21.70 with legal wind.

Freshman Rajahn Dixon of Eastern ran 21.34 indoors, sophomore Eli Hendricks from Penns Grove ran 21.45 in May, senior Robert McKinney of Highland ran 21.47 in May, junior Evan Corcoran from Kingsway ran 21.59 last April, senior Shamar Love of Bridgeton ran 21.64 in May and senior Nana Agyamang from Parsippany ran 21.68 in May.

Coleman never broke 23 seconds in high school, PR’ing with a 23.09 at an indoor meet at Ocean Breeze. His outdoor PR was 23.79 at 2019 Group 1 sectionals at Washington Township.

He started his college career at Rowan College Gloucester County, where he broke 23 seconds for the first time in the spring of 2022 in a meet at Elizabethtown, Pa. He lowered his PR to 22.41 at Widener in the spring of 2023 and then to a wind-aided 22.15 at JUCO nationals in Utica, N.Y., where he earned his second All-America honor.

Last April, he broke through with two PRs in a meet at Widener, running 22.13 and 49.85, his first time under 50. He broke 22 for the first time when he placed 4th at outdoor NJACs in Galloway Township last May, but that was wind-aided at plus-2.3.

He finally ran wind-legal sub-22 at Widener last May with a 21.90 and that remained his PR until he dropped that 21.57 this weekend.

So he’s now run more than two seconds faster for an outdoor 200 in college than he did in high school. He PR’d at 400 with a 49..39 at the AARTFC Championships in Cortland, N.Y., last May and placed 6th in the 400 at the indoor NJAC meet last month at the Ott Center.

And onto the 400!

Coleman ran 52.17 in high school, PR’ing at indoor states at the Bubble in 2020, in his last race before the shutdown. That remained his PR until he ran 51.72 at that same meet at Elizabethtown in April 2022. He dropped to 51.51 in April of 2023 at a meet in Newark and then 50.93 at Widener a week later. In his final JUCO race, he broke 50 for the first time, running 49.78 at JUCO Nationals in Utica and placing 3rd.

He dropped to 49.50 at TCNJ last April and 49.39 at few weeks later at Cortland, N.Y. That remained his PR until this past weekend.

His 48.68 is No. 1 in the NJAC so far this year, just ahead of teammate freshman teammate Luke Halbruner from Ocean City, who PR’d at 48.73. Halbruner’s previous PR was a 49.46 at Delsea last May.

Also under 50 for the Profs were Jarquil Young of Sterling [49.51] and Nicholas Garmin of Cedar Crest High in Lebanon, Pa. [PR 49.79].

Bridgeton senior Zamir Chance got the outdoor season off to an impressive start by smashing the Cumberland County triple jump record at the Delsea Crusader Field Meet.

Chance popped a more than 1 ½-foot PR on his 6th and final attempt, leaping 47-0 to break the county outdoor record of 45-4 set by Markquese Bell of Bridgton (and the Dallas Cowboys) at the 2016 Cumberland County Championships in Upper Deerfield.

Chance’s previous outdoor PR was a 43-7 ½ last spring at the state Group 4 meet in Somerset, but he did jump 45-4 indoors in January in a meet at Ocean Breeze.

Chance also PR’d in the long jump, winning with a 21-10 ½ on his 5th attempt. That’s a nearly two-foot improvement over his PR of 19-11 PR from South Jersey Group 4 sectionals at Pennsauken last spring. He didn’t long jump at all this indoor season.

Chris Jones of Willingboro was 2nd just 1 ½ inches back with a a lifetime-best 21-9. He jumped 21-4 ¾ at this meet last year.

All-Time South Jersey Triple Jump 47-Foot 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
48-4 ½ … Rece Englehart [Moorestown], 2024
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 ½ … Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], 2017
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 ……… Tristan Wilson [Delsea], 2014
47-3 ¼ … Antwan Dickerson [Pennsauken], 2013
47-3 ……… Mike Baker [Cherry Hill West], 1976
47-0 ½ … Mawali Osunnyi [Mainland Reg.], 2003
47-0 ¼ … Earnest Daniel [Kingsway], 2017
47-0 … Zamir Chance [Bridgeton], 2025

`

In his first outdoor college race, Rutgers freshman Yashahya Brown from Washington Township moved into the all-time Rutgers top-10 in the 110-meter hurdles.

Brown ran 14.13 and placed 3rd at the Hurricane Collegiate Invitational at the University of Miami’s Cobb Stadium in Coral Gables, Fla.

It was Brown’s first-ever outdoor race over the 42-inch barriers.

Brown’s 14.13 is No. 9 in Rutgers history and not far off the fastest time by a South Jersey hurdler at Rutgers. Chais Hill of Highland ran 14.08 at the 2016 Georgia Tech Invitational in Atlanta.

This was Brown’s first outdoor high hurdles race since he won West Philly Nationals in June in 13.52 over the 39-inch hurdles.

He only competed in one meet indoors, running 7.86 for the 60-meter highs at the Armory in early December, 3rd-fastest in Rutgers history. He didn’t race again until last weekend, when he ran a PR 55.91 in the intermediates in a meet in Tampa.

So Saturday was his first shot at his specialty, and his time is 8th-fastest in NCAA Division 1 by a freshman so far this outdoor season. It’s also 7th-fastest in the Big Ten Conference and fastest by a Big Ten freshman.

Rutgers junior Eric Foster Jr. of Willingboro was 6th in the race in 14.83.

Lumberton’s Greg Foster ran a huge hurdles PR and the 2nd-fastest time in Princeton history Saturday at the Monmouth University Season Opener in West Long Branch.

Foster won the 110-meter highs in 13.93, leading a 1-2-3 Princeton sweep with Easton Tan [14.07] and Albert Kruetzer [14.28]. The race was held with a legal 1.5 meters-per-second tailwind.

Foster’s previous PR was a 14.23 at the 2023 Heps at Franklin Field. He missed the outdoor season last year after undergoing ankle surgery, and this was only his 2nd race over the 110 highs since 2023 Heps. He ran 14.44 last week at Franklin Field.

The only faster time in Princeton history is a 13.70 by Joey Daniels in the prelims of the 2019 NCAA Championships in Austin. Daniels went on to run 13.57 in 2021 in a meet at Bloomington, Ind., after transferring to Nebraska. He won the 2022 Canadian championships in Langley, British Columbia.

Foster, who has horizontal jump PRs of 26-1 3/4 and 51-0 1/2, only hurdled this weekend at Monmouth.

Monmouth’s A.J. Brooks from Eastern placed 6th and PR’d with a 14.64, a major drop from his 14.90 at this meet last year. His time is just 1-100th of a second outside the all-time Monmouth top 10. School record of 14.15 was set by Burlington Township’s Jalen Walker at 2015 NCAA East Prelims in Jacksonville.

Here’s a look at every hurdler I could think of from South Jersey who’s run sub-14 over the 42-inch barriers.

12.94 … Jack Pierce [Woodbury], June 22, 1996, Atlanta
13.12 … Anwar Moore [Camden], May 5, 2007, Modesto, Calif.
13.43 … Isaac Williams [Willingboro], April 16, 2016, Walnut, Calif.
13.48 … Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], May 12, 2023, Raleigh, N.C. [+1.2]
13.51 … Martin Booker [Camden], June 7, 1986, Indianapolis
13.54 … Sultan Tucker [Delsea], May 22, 2004, St-Martin, France
13.77 … Jeffrey Young [Camden], May 11, 2022, Bloomington, Ind.
13.81 … Anthony Acklin [Triton], May 13, 2005, Cedar Falls, Iowa [+2.0]
13.82 … John Sease [Willingboro], March 26, 1982, El Paso, Texas
13.84 … Jusson Boyd [Willingboro], April 15, 2011, Greensboro, N.C. [+0.6]
13.90 … Garry Moore [Overbrook], May 29, 1982, Naperville, Ill.
13.90 … Danyne Brown [Camden], May 30, 2003, Fairfax, Va.
13.91 … Devon Carter [Washington Twp.], May 30, 2014, Jacksonville, Fla.
13.92 … Dave Still [Pennsauken], April 1, 1978, Tucson, Ariz.
13.93 … Dwight Ruff [Camden], June 8, 2005, Sacramento, Calif.
13.93 … Greg Foster [Lumberton / Lawrenceville Prep], March 29, West Long Branch [1.5]
13.96 … Stanley Moore [Overbrook], May 26, 1983, Naperville, Ill.
13.97 … Naseem Smith [Deptford], May 10, 2024, Atlanta [+0.01]

Senior Shamar Love from Bridgeton, senior Dominic George from Cheltenham, senior Robert McKinney from Highland and junior Evan Corcoran from Kingsway ran the fastest 400-meter relay in NCAA Division 3 Saturday morning at a meet at Widener University in Chester, Pa.

Rowan ran 40.80 and I’m actually just guessing on the lineup since the horrible “Pioneer Timing” results site doesn’t differentiate between two Rowan teams in the race and doesn’t list runners in the results. Who hired these guys? This is awful.

Anyway, it was the first race since last spring for Love and Corcoran, who did not compete indoors.

Rowan ran within 17-100ths of a second of its fastest time from last year, a 40.63 with Nana Agyemang, Eli Hendricks, Love and McKinney at NCAA Division 3 Nationals in Myrtle Beach.