From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Just about all of South Jersey’s top boys and girls will be at Franklin Field later this week for West Philly Nationals.

Of 26 boys who placed in an individual event at the Meet of Champions, 18 are entered in either an individual event or a relay. A couple of the others didn’t qualify or qualified too late.

The girls participation is even higher. Of 30 girls who placed in an individual event at the MoC, 26 are entered in an individual event or relay this week.

So a total of 44 of 56 South Jersey Meet of Champions medalists are headed to the University of Pennsylvania to finish their season.

Here’s a look at 10 of the top boys and girls and what their plans are for Franklin Field. We’ll post a look at 10 top girls heading for Franklin Field on Tuesday!

Click here for the full entry list and here for the full meet schedule.

BOYS
BURLINGTON TWP. 400-METER RELAY: After an astonishing 40.75 at the Meet of Champions to break the state record, junior Quayd Hendryx leads the Falcons to nationals where he’ll be joined by speedy teammates senior Yeator Tappia and juniors Gemaus Sackie and Solomon Wesley. With PRs of 10.61 and 21.47, Hendryx is also racing the open 100 and 200.
SCHEDULE: The 400-meter relay prelims are 1:57 p.m. Saturday, with the final at 11:57 a.m. Sunday. The 100 prelims are 1:12 p.m. Thursday, the semis are 2:57 p.m. Thursday and the final is 12:26 P.M. Friday. The 200 prelims are at 11:57 p.m. Saturday with the final at 2:48 p.m. Sunday.

HADDONFIELD FOUR-MILE RELAY: Haddonfield hasn’t run a four-mile relay this year but after three Bulldogs broke 4:15 at CBA on Friday, they’re lining up in great shape with senior Bennett Wright [4:13.28], junior Benjamin Andrus [4:13.60], junior Peter Simpson [4:14.44] and senior Luke Andresen [4:10.82 indoors]. The South Jersey record is shared by Haddon Township in 1973 [17:20.1 hand timed] and 17:20.21 by Haddonfield in 2010.
SCHEDULE: The four-mile relay (not 4-by-1,600) is scheduled for 7:48 p.m. Thursday

ZAMIR CHANCE: After his Meet of Champions win, the Bridgeton junior heads to Nationals with a PR of 48-9 from the state Group 4 meet, No. 5 in South Jersey history.
SCHEDULE: The triple jump final is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday.

DOMINIC BASSEY: Versatile Winslow senior will run the intermediates and anchor the Eagles’ sprint medley and 1,600-meter relay teams. Bassey has run 53.35 in the intermediates and Winslow is No. 1 in South Jersey in the 4-by-4 with its 3:16.12 at the Penn Relays and No. 3 in the sprint med at 3:34.16 at Woodbury. Senior Jayden Poteat and juniors KaRon Ali and Prince Owusu-Twum will join Bassey on the 4-by-4 and Ali, senior Kristopher Jackson and Poteat will also run the sprint medley. Poteat, the state Group 3 400 champ last spring at 48.23, hasn’t run since indoors.
SCHEDULE: The 400 hurdles finals are 11:30 a.m. Friday, the sprint med final is 12:40 p.m. Friday, and the 4-by-4 final is 3:23 p.m. Saturday.

JOSH CRAWFORD: Woodstown junior will run the open 800 and anchor the Wolverines’ 4-by-8. Crawford won the state Group 1 title at 1:53.44 and anchored the winning 4-by-8, which ran a South Jersey-No. 1 7:54.84. Junior Karson Chew, junior Jacob Marino and senior Cole Lucas join Crawford on the 4-by-8.
SCHEDULE: The 4-by-8 final is scheduled for 7:42 p.m. Friday The 800 final is scheduled for 1:27 p.m. Sunday.

ALEXANDER OSAYEMI: Osayemi will finish his brilliant senior season at Clayton in the 400, where he ranks 9th in the U.S. at 46.08 from his Meet of Champions win. He’s within range of Dennis Mitchell’s South Jersey record of 46.02 from the 1984 International Prep Invitational in Elmhurst, Ill., and not that far from the state record of 45.71 set by Seton Hall Prep’s Clayton Parros at the 2009 Great Southwest Invitational in Albuquerque.
SCHEDULE: Osayemi will race at 4:57 p.m. on Saturday.

ANTHONY PARKER: Salem senior competes in the long jump at Penn after leading South Jersey this spring at 23-9 and placing 4th at the Meet of Champions.
SCHEDULE: The long jump championship is scheduled for 10 a.m. Sunday.

RYAN SANCHEZ: Deptford senior ranked 10th in New Jersey this year in the 110-meter highs at 14.31, fastest South Jersey hurdler this year. He’ll hurdle and also join junior Larry Norman, junior Kamaldeep Singh and senior Marcus Hood on the Spartans’ shuttle hurdles team. Hood of course will also pole vault.
Schedule: The shuttle hurdles is the first event on Sunday, kicking off at 9 a.m. The 110-meter hurdles prelims are at 10:59 a.m. Saturday, with the finals at 3:25 p.m. Hood will vault at 2 p.m. Saturday.

ANTHONY LIAKHNOVICH: Hammonton senior, who won Boston Nationals indoors, will throw both the discus and shot this week. He’s got PRs of 66-3 ¾ and 183-2.
SCHEDULE: The discus final is at 1 p.m. Friday and the shot final is 10 a.m. Saturday.

MATTHEW LITTLEHALES: Delsea junior has run 4:11.54 for 1,600 meters and 9:12.23 for 3,200 but chose the 3,200 to race at Penn. It’s scheduled for 4:48 p.m. Friday.