MIT’s Jacob Cobb, a junior from West Deptford, ran the 3^rd-fastest steeplechase ever by a South Jersey high school graduate and qualified for NCAA Division 3 Nationals in a recent last-chance meet in Williamstown, Mass.

Cobb solo’d an 8:53.62 to win the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the F.I.R.E. Meet at Williamson Field. He won the race by 135 meters. F.I.R.E. apparently stands for Farley Inter Regional Extravaganza.

Cobb entered the meet with a lifetime-best and school-record 9:00.17 from a meet on the same track from last May. His season-best was 9:01.16 from a meet in April in Providence, and he also had a 9:01.28 and a 9:05.92 as he tried to get under nine minutes.

With the 8:53.62, Cobb becomes the No. 10 seed at this weekend’s NCAA Division 3 Championships. His 9:01.16 would not have gotten him in.

Shawnee’s Connor Herr set the South Jersey steeplechase record of 8:53.66 at the 2015 Penn Relays. The record then changed hands a few times between San Gerstenbacher of Schalick and Cinnaminson’s Mike Ungvarsky, with Gerstenbacher ultimately holding the mark at 8:38.94 from a meet in New York in May 2022.

Ungbarsky ran 8:46.16 in Durham two days later. Cobb is now 3^rd behind those two, with Herr 4^th. Camden’s Terrance Armstrong is the only other South Jersey steepler under ninte minutes. He ran 8:56.15 in 1994.

New Jersey’s fastest steeplechasers of all-time are Steve Slattery of Mount Olive [8:15.69 in 2007], Travis Mahoney of Old Bridge [8:19.18], Craig Forys of Colts Neck [8:24.09], Mike Roche of Cranford [8:30.17 in 1977] and Colin Daly [8:30.88 in 2024]. Cobb is now No. 15 on that list.

Cobb will race in the 2^nd of two steeplechase semifinals at NCAA Division 3 Champions in Geneva, Ohio. The semifinals are scheduled for 7:10 p.m. Thursday, with 12 advancing – the top four in each race plus the next-four-fastest times. The final is scheduled for the final at 4:40 p.m. on Friday.

Bridgeton senior Zamir Chance broke county, conference and meet triple jump records Saturday at the South Jersey Group 4 meet at Pennsauken.

Chance won his first sectional title with a 48-3 jump on his 5^th attempt, winning the event by more than two feet.

That’s the No. 7 jump in South Jersey history.

Chance broke the Cumberland County record of 47-0 from the Crusader Field Meet in March, the Cape-Atlantic record of 48-1 ½ set by Egg Harbor Township’s Mubeen Momodu at the 2019 Meet of Champions at Northern Burlington and the meet record of 47-4 ¼ set by Zakiyy Williams of Rancocas Valley at the 2015 meet at Egg Harbor.

His mark was best of all the sectional meets state-wide last weekend. The only superior jump by a New Jersey athlete this year is a 48-7 by Newark West Side’s Malik Mohammed at the Essex County Relays last month in Newark. Mohammad this year as a sophomore has also high jumped 6-10 and long jumped 23-8. He won the North 2 Group 3 meet at Warren Hills with a 45-5 ¾.

Chance and Mohammed are the only 48-footers in New Jersey this year going into the state Group 4 meet May 30-31 in Somerset. Chance is the No. 1 seed by a foot and a half over sophomore Quincy Pearson of North Brunswick, who jumped 46-6 ¾ at the Central Jersey Group 4 meet in Hillsborough.

Chance at sectionals also placed 4^th in the long jump with a 21-11. He has a season-best and PR 22-6 ¾ from the Cape-Atlantic Championships earlier this month at Buena.

He’s Bridgeton’s first sectional triple jump champion since current Dallas Cowboy Markqueese Bell jumped 44-2 ½ to win the 2016 Group 3 title.

All-Time South Jersey 47-Foot 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
48-4 ½ … Rece Englehardt [Moorestown], 2024
48-3 ¼ … Ryan Chance [Glassboro], 2009
48-3 … Zamir Chance [Bridgeton], 2025
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
47-2 ¼ … Josiah Williams [Mainland Reg.], 2025
47-0 ½ … Mawali Osunniyi [Mainland Reg.], 2023
47-0 ¼  … Earnest Daniel [Kingsway], 2017

Junior Laila Fairweather became Burlington Township’s fastest 400 runner in 30 years at sectionals Saturday at Jackson Liberty.

Fairweather won the Central Jersey Group 3 race in 57.12, fastest by a Falcon since Tina Johnson ran 56.64 when she place 2^nd at the 1995 state Group 1 meet at South Plainfield. Schalick’s Candyce DeLoatch won that race with the same time and was credited with the win.

(Note that MileSplit lists Nia Hinds with a 56.82, but that was in a summer track meet, not eligible for consideration for high school lists. MileSplit randomly lists some but not all summer track performances. We don’t include any in our lists.)

Fairweather is Township’s first sectional 400 winner since Johnson won the South Jersey Group 1 400 at West Deptford as a senior in 1997 in 58.6.

Fairweather never broke 60 as a sophomore and had a PR of 57.96 going into sectionals. That was from the Burlington County Open the previous weekend at Lenape.

At sectionals, she won by more than a second over Colts Neck junior Mariel Reucroft, who placed 2^nd in 58.25.

She also placed 3^rd in the 200 in a PR 25.97. Her previous best was a 26.34 earlier this month at the BCSL meet at Pennsauken.

Fairweather is the No. 5 seed in the 400 going into the state Group 3 meet May 30-31 at South Plainfield behind Cinniya Robinson [56.24], Skhye Seamon [56.46] and Olivia Okaro [56.91] of Winslow and Ramapo’s Bridget Cannon [56.73].

Junior Isaiah Shockley became Pemberton’s first sectional 800 champ in 48 years this weekend at Delsea.

Shockley ran a PR 1:55.85 to win the 800 at the South Jersey Group 2 meet.

He’s Pemberton’s first half-miler to win a sectional title since 1977, when Tavo Rivera won the Group 4 880 in 1:55.1. Rivera also won as a junior in 1976 in 1:56.5 for the full 880. Both meets were at Pennsauken.

Shockley’s time is fastest by a Pemberton runner since Bryant Walker ran 1:53.4 for 800 meters to place 5^th at the 1983 Meet of Champions at South Plainfield. That was the famed John Carlotti-Vance Watson race.

Shockley came into sectionals with a 1:56.82 PR from his win at the BCSL meet at Pennsauken earlier this month.

Pleasantville’s Melvin Lewis led the field through 400 meters in 58.57, with Shockley coming through in 58.67, Manchester Township’s James Torres in 58.85 and Haddonfield’s Bennett Wright in 58.90.

But Shockley closed fastest, running his 2^nd 400 in 57.18, with Wright closing in 57.24 for 2^nd in 1:56.14. Lewis was 3^rd in 1:57.84 and Simpson 4^th in 1:57.88.

Shockley also PR’d in the 400 with a 49.50 for 4^th place. It was his 1^st time under 50 seconds. His previous PR was 50.71 indoors in March at Boston Nationals. So that’s about a 1.2-second PR, which is huge.

That 49.50 looks like a school record. I don’t see any record of Rivera ever running a 400, and the only other possible faster quarter-miler is Napolean Suarez, who was a 53.8 intermediate hurdler in 1999 but doesn’t seem to have run any open 400s outdoors.

Shockley is the No. 5 seed in the 800 at Group 2 states at South Plainfield May 30-31 and No. 9 in the 400.

Clayton senior Alexander Osayemi continued his historic season at South Jersey Group 1 sectionals at Pennsauken with meet records in the 400 and 400-meter hurdles and a speedy win in the 200.

Osayemi became the only the second Clayton boy to record an individual triple win at sectionals and goes into the state Group 1 meet as the No. 1 seed in the 200 at 21.67, 46.91 in the 400 and 53.14 in the intermediates.

He’s ranked No. 1 in New Jersey in the 400, No. 3 in the intermediates and No. 6 in the 200. Among all the sectionals this past weekend, he had the fastest time in the 200 and 400 and 2^nd-fastest in the intermediates, behind Toms River North senior Mamadi Diawara, who won the South Jersey Group 4 race in 51.98, also at Pennsauken.

Osayemi PR’d in the 200 and intermediates, but he ran a bit faster in the 400 at the Puma East Coast International Showcase in Baltimore earlier this month with a 46.60. That’s No. 2 in South Jersey history behind only Dennis Mitchell’s historic 46.02 at the 1984 International Prep Invitational in Elmhurst, Ill., and it’s 7^th-fastest in state history.

Osayemi’s 46.60 broke the Gloucester County record of 46.95 that Woodbury’s Darrell Bush ran at the 2011 Meet of Champions in Old Bridge. It’s also fastest ever by a New Jersey Group 1 runner. His 400 hurdles time is 6^th-fastest in Gloucester County history.

He broke the South Jersey Group 1 sectional 400 meet record of 47.41 set in 2011 by Bush and the overall sectional Group 1 record of 48.03 set by Florence’s Keith Griffith in 2010.

The meet record in the 400 intermediates is listed as 53.0 by legendary Fred Sharpe of Paulsboro in 1997. The FAT record was 54.08 by Shalick’s Chris Mesiano in 2015. Osayemi’s time should be listed alongside Sharpe’s hand-timed 53.0 because it’s intrinsically faster, but the NJSIAA doesn’t understand the difference between hand times and FAT times and doesn’t list superior FAT times. Oh well. We’re giving Osayemi a share of the 400IH record.

The state Group 1 meet is scheduled for May 30-31 in Somerset. The 400 hurdles are on Friday and the 200 and 400 are both on Saturday.

Senior Dominic Bassey won the 800 and 400-meter hurdles, ran a leg on the 3^rd-place 4-by-4 and took 4^th in the 400 and the Winslow boys won their first sectional title in 19 years this weekend at Delsea.

Winslow won 125-71 over Delsea, with Deptford [60] and Hammonton [40] next. The Eagles scored in 14 of 18 events, everything but the 110 hurdles, 3,200, high jump and pole vault.

Winslow has won 13 South Jersey titles, the first eight as Edgewood High, but this title was the program’s first since the 2006 team outscored Pennsauken 74-54 to win South Jersey Group 4.

In South Jersey history, only Willingboro [17] and Penns Grove [15] have won more sectional titles than Winslow/Edgewood.

As Edgewood, the program won South Jersey Group 3 in 1978, 1979, 1980 and 1990 and SJ-4 in 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986. Winslow, which occupies the same building, previously won South Jersey Group 4 in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006.

Bassey won the 800 in 1:54.91 and the intermediates in 54.61, ran 49.07 for 4^th in the 400 and joined senior Chukwuemeka Ajaegbulemh, junior KaRon Ali and junior Jacoby James to run 3:22.79 on the 3^rd-place 4-by-4.

Ali ran 21.89 for 2^nd in the 200, 48.77 for 3^rd in the 400 and 10.85 for 6^th in the 100 and also led off the winning 4-by-1, which ran 42.42 and also included Chambers, Hammond and junior Nyqir Helton.

Winslow also got wins from Helton, senior Kristopher Jackson and junior Zyaire Rothmiller-McIntosh.

Helton barely made the 100 final – he was 7^th-fastest qualifier with a 10.88 – but came back to win the final in a windy 10.68. He’s the first Winslow sprinter to win a sectional title in the 100 since Antraye Miles in 2003.

Jackson threw what appears to be a 20-foot season-best 168-8 to win the javelin. His previous season best according to MileSplit was a 146-9. He topped his 156-8 PR from last year’s state Group 3 meet by more than 10 feet.

Rothmiller-McIntosh jumped 22-0 ¼ to become Winslow’s first sectional long jump champ since Chad Wright led a 1-2-3 sweep as part of that 2006 team championship.

Junior Vincent Perri, who didn’t break 4:49 last year, PR’d with a 4:28.94 to take 2^nd in the 1,600. He closed in 62.73 and 2:11.06. His previous PR was 4:33.04 last week at the Camden County meet.

Senior Artrill Evans hit an outdoor triple jump PR of 46-1 ½ for 2^nd place. He does have an indoor 46-4 ½ to his credit from Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze.

Senior Malachi Brown placed in both weight throws, taking 3^rd in the discus with PRs of 157-3 and 5^th in the shot put at 51-5. He PR’d by over 20 feet from his 137-2 from the Woodbury Relays.

Junior Elijah Deanley ran 57.87 for 3^rd in the intermediates, and James ran 22.01 for 5^th place in the 200.

In addition, Ajaegbulemh, junior Prince Owusu-Twum, senior Eric Brown and senior David Duran ran 8:09.36 for 2^nd place in the 4-by-8.

Hammonton senior Jake Edwards had a huge weekend with a legal 21.75 to win the 200, a 48.32 to win the 400 and a wind-aided 10.76 for 2^nd to Helton in the 100. Looks like he’s Hammonton’s first sectional double winner since at least 1985, which is as far back as my sectional winner list goes. He goes into states with the fastest time in Group 3 in the 400, 2^nd-fastest in the 200 and 4^th-fastest in the 100.

Deptford senior Ryan Sanchez, the state Group 3 champ over the 55-meter highs indoors, ran a wind-legal 14.31, fastest in South Jersey this year.

Delsea junior Matthew Littlehales ran 4:26.67 closing in 60.92 for his final 400 and 2:07.94 to win the 1,600 and 9:45.25 to win the 3,200 by 120 meters.

Clearview won the 4-by-4 with M. Niedbalski, S. Niedbalski, Pelosi and Ross running 3:21.52, and Delsea was first in the 4-by-8 with Littlehales, Snead-Gray, Snyder-Shellito and Cutter running 8:08.00.

Winners in the field: Hammonton senior Anthony Liakhnovich a PR 183-2 in the discus, No. 16 in South Jersey history; Highland senior high jumper Jayden DeLeon [6-6], Deptford senior Marcus Hood [15-6 pole vault], Delsea senior Jonathan Harris [58-11 ¾ shot] and Mainland senior Josiah Williams [46-5 triple jump].

Delsea graduate Elisia Lancaster recorded the top hammer throw ever by a South Jersey high school alum Saturday at Princeton.

Lancaster, an All-America thrower at Southern Illinois now competing post-collegiately, popped a 222-7 on her final throw of the Princeton Elite Invitational at Weaver Stadium.

It was her 2^nd PR of the day.

Lancaster began the day with a PR of 220-11 from a meet in May of 2024 in Rathdrum, Idaho. She’s been over 67 meters [219-9] four years in a row now.

Lancaster’s collegiate PR was 220-4 when she won the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference meet in Des Moines, Iowa.

According to the World Athletics database, Lancaster is ranked 19^th among U.S. women and 67^thin the world. She’s now No. 66 in U.S. history.

The only New Jersey woman to throw farther than Lancaster is Jackson native Alyssa Wilson of Donovan Catholic in Toms River, who is all-time U.S. No. 11 at 241-11 from a meet in Eugene, Ore., in June 2021.

The other 220-foot thrower from New Jersey is another Delsea graduate, Jamine Moton, who threw 220-6 in Baton Rouge in May 2002.

At Princeton, Lancaster, competing for Shore Athletic Club, opened with a 211-10 and then improved to 212-6, 218-4 and a PR 221-0 on her next three throws. She fouled on her 5^th throw before PR’ing again with her 222-7.

Sophomore Molly Mills won the 1,600 and placed 2^nd in the 800, seniors Dylan Melcher and Rebecca Hoover also picked up wins and the Haddonfield girls swept the three relays on the way to their state-record 23^rd sectional title.

Mills, the only Haddonfield distance runner entered in multiple individual events, won the 1,600 in 5:12.96 and ran 2:23.61 for 2^nd in the 800, and Haddonfield scored 111 points on the way to its 10^th title in the last 14 years.

Haddonfield outscored Barnegat 111-80. Sterling [47] and Haddon Heights [40] scored the 2^nd– and 3^rd-most points among South Jersey schools.

Haddonfield previously won South Jersey Group 1 in 1983, 1984, 1989, 1993, 1994 and 1998 and South Jersey Group 2 in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Teams with the next-most sectional titles are Metuchen [18], Columbia [18], Ridgewood [16] and Winslow [16].

Melcher ran 11:37.10 to win the 3,200 by 30 meters over senior Kaysie Luna of Sterling.

Hoover cleared 10-6 to win her 4^th sectional title. She won the state Group 2 title indoors in 2024 and 2025.

Haddonfield scored a perfect 30 points in the relays, with senior Chloe Williams, Pinkerton, seniors Ava Poliafico and senior Molly Minor winning the 4-by-1 in 50.09, sophomore Penny Davis, junior Edith Green, Minor and sophomore Saya Sood running 4:05.55 to win the 4-by-4 and senior Tylin Regan, senior Caroline Barker, senior Katherine Asher and freshman Natalie Lacroce finishing 1^st in the 4-by-8 in 9:58.86.

Senior Audrey Adams and Minor each picked up 2^nd-place medals, Adams in the hurdles in 15.73 and Minor in the 400 with a lifetime-best 58.66.

Senior Maeve Hurly took 3^rd in the triple jump with a 34-0 and  sophomore Devon Gervasi ran 11:51.43 for 4^th in the 3,200.

Sophomore Madison Kelsey ran 11:59.50 for 5^th in the 3,200, senior Emalie Stanilla placed 5^th in the discus with a 100-9 and senior Nicolette Pinkerton jumped 16-8 ¾ for 5^th in the long jump.

Sood placed 6^th in the intermediates with a PR 1:10.71, junior Elizabeth Pappas ran 5:34.25 for sixth in the 1,600 and sophomore Ansley Kazmarek, a 1^st-year triple jumper, PR’d with a 33-4 for 6^th place.

Amazing Pleasantville freshman Isabella Alvarez swept the long jump at 17-11 ¾, 1 ¼ inches ahead of Cedar Creek senior Daizhae Brown’s PR 17-10 ½, the high hurdles in 14.55 and the shot put at 39-1 ¾.

She’s the first Pleasantville girl to win three individual events at sectionals since Fateen Abdel-Baaith won the Group 2 100, 200 and 400 at the 1995 meet. And she’s the first freshman to triple at South Jersey sectionals since Haddonfield’s Briana Gess won the Group 2 800, 1,600 and 3,200 in 2014.

Haddon Heights senior Jayla Criss swept the short sprints, winning the 100 in 12.12 and the 200 in 25.43. She’s the first Haddon Heights sprinter to win either sprint at sectionals since Jamie Walker won both in 2007.

Lindenwold junior Egypt Bolan, the indoor Meet of Champions winner, cleared 5-8 on her 1^stattempt, tying the Group 2 meet record set in 2012 by West Deptford’s Megan Kirschling. It also ties the overall Group 2 sectional record shared by Kirschling, Morristown’s Jordan Robinson in North 1 Group 2 in 2022, Rutherford’s Jenna Rogers in North 2 Group 2 in 2018 and Freehold Borough jumpers Latasha Keene in 2000 and Deb Vento in 2002 and 2003 in Central Jersey Group 2. Bolan has a PR of 5-8 ¾ from the Penn Relays last month.

Pemberton junior Olivia Serrano ran 57.63 to win the 400. She’s the first Pemberton runner to win a sectional title since Shaila Williams swept the 100, 200 and 400 in South Jersey Group 2 in 2012 and the first to win any event since Kyanna Dervain won the shot put in SJ-2 in 2014.

Other winners were Overbrook junior Rylee Clark [1:08.11 in 400 hurdles], West Deptford senior Kayla Romanoski [2:21.85 in 800], Sterling senior Ashe DeWalt by one inch in the discus [105-7] and Cedar Creek’s Brown [PR 37-1 ½ triple jump].

Eastern graduate Jewel Ash, a Fresno State senior, raced to the Mountain West Conferfence championship and a school record in the 400-meter hurdles Saturday in Clovis, Calif.

Ash ran 59.54 in Thursday’s qualifying and then ran a season-best 57.63 in the final, finishing three meters ahead of 2nd-place Hanna Kiess of New Mexico, who ran 58.03.

The conference title is Ash’s third. While attending Charleston Southern, she won the Big South intermediates in 2021 [1:00.51] and 2022 [57.92 after a PR 57.16 in the prelims].

Ash’s previous best time racing for Fresno was 58.08 last month at Stanford, which was 3rd-fastest in school history. With her race Saturday, she broke the school record of 57.85 set by Kyra Johnson at 2016 NCAA West Preliminaries in Lawrence, Kan.

Her time is No. 20 in the NCAA West Region this year and No. 38 among U.S. women.

Ash also ran a 54.05 leadoff leg on Fresno State’s 1,600-meter relay team, which placed 2nd in 3:37.36, behind only New Mexico’s 3:35.54.The time is Fresno’s 4th-fastest all-time.

Senior Bennett Wright, juniors Benjamin Andrus, Luke Andressen, Ryan Gibson and junior Peter Simpson combined for 60 points in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200, the 4-by-8 team picked up a win and Haddonfield rode those points and 21 others to its first sectional title in nine years this weekend at Delsea.

Wright [4:26.47], Andrus [4:26.75] and Andressen [4:32.33] went 1-2-3 in the 1,600, Andressen [9:37.87], Gibson [9:39.36] and Simpson [9:52.11] went 1-2-3 in the 3,200, and Wright [1:56.14] and Simpson [1:57.88] went 2-4 in the 800 for Haddonfield, which finished with a 91-84 margin of victory over Haddon Heights in the South Jersey Group 2 meet.

Haddonfield’s distance team also won the 4-by-8, with Andrus, senior Case Hurly, freshman Augustan Coley and junior John Leibrandt running 8:06.32.

The title was Haddonfield’s ninth overall but first since the 2016 team won South Jersey Group 2. The Bulldogs also won Group 3 in 1968, Group 1 in 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988 and 1993 an Group 2 in 2015.

Their nine South Jersey sectional championships are tied for 6th-most, behind Willingboro [17], Penns Grove [15], Winslow Township [14], Woodbury [13] and Bridgeton [10].

Senior Brant Nicholls also picked up a win for Haddonfield with a 13-6 clearance in the pole vault, senior sprinter Kai Richards took 3rd in the 100 in 10.97 and 6th in the 200 in 22.38 and sophomore Harrison Berman ran 16.12 for 5th in the 110-meter high hurdles.

Haddonfield also picked up two points in the 1,600-meter relay, which closed out Day 1 of the rescheduled meet. Richards, senior Connor Williams, sophomore Jack Brand and Andressen ran 3:30.72 for 5th place.

Sterling senior Bright John won a wild 100-meter dash that saw the first five finishers all run within 10-100ths of a second of each other. John won 10.94, followed by Haddon Heights junior Kani Golden and Richards, with Haddon Heights senior Daniel Furlong [11.03] 5th.

Golden won the 110-meter hurdles in 14.99 and the 200 in 22.04, so that’s 28 points for the Haddon Heights junior.

Gloucester City senior Ryan James doubled the high jump at 6-4 and triple jump at 44-3 ¼.

Other winners: Gloucester senior Kadon Harris [56.30 400IH], Cedar Creek senior Mandel Pettiford [168-2 discus] and Seneca junior Colin Smith [169-9 javelin]