Delsea’s Matthew Littlehales, Cherokee’s Ben Realley, NBC’S Liliah Gordon, Ocean City’s Maeve Smith star as 544 runners race at Cherokee’s Night of 3200s!!!!!!

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Delsea junior Matt Littlehales ran the 6th-fastest 3,200 time in Gloucester County history Thursday night at Cherokee.

Littlehales ran a huge negative-split 9:12.43 in the 23rd and final section at Cherokee’s Night of 3200s and edged junior Brody Watt of Bernards, who ran 9:13.99.

Cherokee sophomore Ben Realley and Haddonfield junior Benjamin Andrus also broke 9:20, Realley with a PR 9:15.93 and Andrus with a PR 9:17.23.

Littlehales fell just about two seconds short of older brother Andrew Littlehales’ school record of 9:10.39, which he ran at 2022 South Jersey Group 3 sectionals at Delsea. The only faster juniors on the all-time Gloucester County list are Peyton Shute of Woodbury [9:11.11 in 2023] and Kyle Rakitis of Kingsway [9:14.93 in 2021].

Littlehales came through 1,600 meters in 4:46.21 but then split 68.39, 69.85 and 68.48 before splitting 59.52 on his final lap to out-kick Watt, a 1:52 half-miler. Watt closed in 61.32.

So Littlehales was out in 4:46.21 and back in 4:26.24!

Realley’s 9:15.93 is fastest by a Burlington County sophomore since Shawnee’s David Forward ran 9:10.28 at the 2008 Meet of Champions at South Plainfield and 3rd-fastest among all South Jersey sophomores. He also had big negative splits – out in 4:45.25, back in 4:30.70, closing in 62.47. And Andrus was out in 4:45.51 and back in 4:31.73, closing in 63.25.

Littlehales’ previous PR was 9:26.75 indoors at the Ott Center in January. Realley’s previous PR was 9:21.01 from last April at Holmdel. That’s the South Jersey freshman record. Andrus’s previous PR was 9:31.31 at Delsea last May.

Other South Jersey runners under 9:30: Haddonfield junior Luke Andressen [9:24.49], Haddonfield junior Peter Simpson [9:26.23], Cinnaminson junior Jacob Wickersham [9:26.79] and Cherokee senior Liam Tindall [9:29.87].

The event produced the 43-fastest times in New Jersey this year.

The top female finisher was Northern Burlington senior and Foot Locker finalist Liliah Gordon, who ran 10:25.86. Ocean City senior Maeve Smith ran a PR 10:39.76, just missing the school and Cape May County record of 10:39.15, set at the 2014 Meet of Champions in South Plainfield. Her time is No. 19 in South Jersey history. Her previous PR was 10:50.72 at this meet last year.

Holy Cross junior Julia Flanagan PR’d with a PR 10:53.75, which is No. 6 in Burlington County history. Flanagan ran 10:57.62 last month at the indoor Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze. Also under 11 were Ocean City senior Chloe Care [10:57.04], Paul VI junior Macy Huber [10:59.94] and Cherokee junior Alyssa Suriano [10:59.99 in her first lifetime 3,200].

There were a total of 544 finishers in 23 races.

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