From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Rutgers senior Nico Morales from Delsea broke his own South Jersey alumni pole vault record Saturday in Piscataway.

Morales, who began the day with a lifetime-best 17-6 ½ from an indoor meet in Cambridge, Mass., in February appears to have cleared 17-7 at the Rutgers Relays, although one section of the results show him clearing 17-9. The results are a train wreck and hopefully they get fixed.

But whether Morales cleared 17-7 or 17-9, it’s still the best jump ever by a South Jersey pole vaulter. Morales’ previous outdoor PR was 17-5 from a meet last month in Tampa.

If he cleared 17-7, it would be the 7th-best jump in state history. If he cleared 17-9, it would be 5th-best.

Morales beat both of the O’Sullivan brothers, who are the top two vaulters in Rutgers history. Nobody has bothered updating the Rutgers all-time list this year but it looks like Morales is now No. 3 in Rutgers history outdoors. At either 17-7 or 17-9, he’s 6th in the Big Ten.

Rutgers junior Noah Kriesman from Cherry Hill East was 4th with an outdoor PR 16-9 ¼ – I think 6th-best on the non-updated all-time Ruters outdoor list – and Rutgers freshman Ryan Merlino from Oakcrest was 6th at 15-9 ¼, two inches off his collegiate-best 15-11 ¼ from last week in Tampa.

18-9 ¼ … Bradley Jelmert [Watchung Hills], Dec. 9, 2023, Pittsburg, Kan.
18-2 … Kevin O’Sullivan [Hillsborough], Jan. 31, 2025, New York
18-1 … Brian O’Sullivan [Hillsborough], April 12, 2025, Tampa
17-10 ½ … Craig Hunter [Robbinsville], June 8, 2016, Eugene, Ore.
17-9 … Kevin McGuire [Lawrenceville], May 26, 1993, Fairfax, Va.
17-8 ½ … Steve Keating [Pompton Lakes], June 12, 1993, Los Gatos, Calif.
17-7 … Nico Morales [Delsea], April 19, 2025, Piscataway
17-6 ½ … Adam Sarafian [Ocean Township], Jan. 28, 2006, Reno, Nev.
17-6 ½ … Nico Morales [Delsea], Feb. 8, 2025, Cambridge, Mass.