It’s been 83 years since legendary Browning Ross became the first South Jersey boy to win an Easterns title. It was at the 1943 meet – then known as the National AAU Interscholastic Track and Field Championships and held at the old Madison Square Garden on 8th Avenue and 50th Street. Brownie won the mile in 4:37. Five years later, he placed 7th in the steeplechase at the 1948 Olympics in London.
Since then, well over 100 South Jersey boys and girls have won titles at the oldest indoor high school track meet, going back to 1934.
The 90th annual Easterns is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Armory, its home since leaving Jadwin Gym in 1997.
Here’s a look at all the South Jersey winners going back more than eight decades! And thanks to the late great Eddie Grant, Mr. New Jersey Track, for helping me fill in some of the blanks on the meet’s early years.
BOYS
55-Meter Dash
1963 … Joe Williams [Haddon Heights], 6.5y
1965 … George Hartsfield [Glassboro], 6.3y
1966 … Bill Gaines [Clearview], 6.4y
1970 … John Boxley [Deptford], 6.5y
1981 … George McKey [Willingboro], 6.44y
1983 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 6.31y
1984 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 6.31y
1996 … Albert Newkirk [Camden], 6.46
1997 … Louis Smith [Burlington Township], 6.49
1998 … Richard Hubbard [Eastern], 6.55
2005 … Thomas Walls [Woodrow Wilson], 6.50 [6.47 semis],
2012 … Anthony Averett [Woodbury], 6.46
2013 … Curtis Fitzpatrick [Egg Harbor Twp.], 6.47
2015 … Davon Tucker [Sterling], 6.52
200-Meter Dash
1997 … Albert Newkirk [Camden], 22.31
2002 … Todd Dutch [Washington Twp.], 21.62
2012 … Darrell Bush [Woodbury], 21.53
2013 … A.J. Dawson [Holy Spirit], 22.04
300-Yard Dash
1991 … Lamont Smith [Willingboro], 31.34
400-Meter Dash
2000 … Mohamad Kanu [Lenape], 48.36
2019 … Daniel Fenton [Millville], 49.63
2023 … Bryce Tucker [Pennsauken], 48.44
600-Yard Dash
None
800-Meter Run
1998 … Joseph Lewis [Pleasantville], 1:56.31
2012 … Isaac Clark [Pleasantville], 1:54.34
1,000-Yard Run
None
One-Mile Run
1943 … Browning Ross [Woodbury], 4:37.5
1951 … Gene Fekete [Camden Regional], 4:28.4
2001 … Chris Platt [Haddonfield], 4:21.54
2004 … Jon Anderson [Cinnaminson], 4:22.71
2007 … Brian Tetreault [Cinnaminson], 4:22.06
2013 … Bill Dolan [Clearview], 4:21.51
2025 … Ty Blackman [Glassboro] 4:19.56
Two-Mile Run
1986 … Kevin Pumphrey [Highland Regional], 9:22.67
1990 … Albert Donawa [Camden], 9:30.02
2008 … Jonathan Vitez [Haddonfield], 9:34.38
2025 … Brody Bogos [Cherry Hill East] 9:32.53
55-Meter Hurdles
1943 … William Mitchell [Collingswood], 7.8y
1985 … Jonathan Dickey [Penns Grove], 7.32y
1989 … Gerard Reynolds [Willingboro], 7.44y
1990 … Gerard Reynolds [Willingboro], 7.35y
1995 … Sultan Tucker [Delsea], 7.47
1996 … Sultan Tucker [Delsea], 7.23
1999 … Danyne Brown [Camden], 7.34
2000 … Rashad Baker [Woodrow Wilson], 7.39
2001 … Anthony Acklin [Triton], 7.29
2002 … Matt Dahms [Haddonfield], 7.52
2006 … Will Brown [Palmyra], 7.29
2010 … Devon Carter [Washington Twp.], 7.49
2019 … Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], 7.20
2020 … Anthony Vasquez [Egg Harbor Twp.], 7.45
2024 … Yashahya Brown [Washington Twp., N.J.] 7.10
High Jump
1961 … Leonard Smith [Edgewood], 6- 6
1986 … Terry Ferguson [Cherry Hill West], 6-10
1987 … Terry Ferguson [Cherry Hill West], 7- 0
1989 … J.C. Slocum [Bordentown], 6- 8
1994 … Desmond Powell [Oakcrest], 6- 4
2002 … Mike Morrison [Willingboro], 7- 0
2003 … Mike Morrison [Willingboro], 7- 2
2012 … A.J. Vance [Egg Harbor], 6- 6
2015 … Ameer Banks [Delsea], 6-10
2023 … David Godbolt [Rancocas Valley], 6-0
Pole Vault
1985 … Mark Murphy [Haddonfield], 14- 6
2008 … Dan Batdorf [West Deptford], 15- 6
Long Jump
1978 … Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 23-11 ¼
1979 … Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 25- 5 ½
1982 … Isaac Samuels [Willingboro-Kennedy], 22-11 ½
1983 … Isaac Samuels [Willingboro-Kennedy, N .J.], 24- 0 ¼
1987 … John Meekins [Cinnaminson], 22- 9 ¾
1988 … Rich Winstead [Egg Harbor Twp.], 23- 1
1990 … Gerard Reynolds [Willingboro], 24- 6 ¼
1991 … Jermaine Jackson [Camden-Wilson], 22- 7
2003 … Mike Morrison [Willingboro], 23- 2
2011 … Andrew Athias [Cherry Hill East], 23- 4
2012 … Anthony Averett [Woodbury], 23- 7 ¾
2013 … Antwan Dickerson [Pennsauken], 22-11 ½
2020 … Floyd Whitaker [Highland], 22- 8
2022 … Ahmad Fogg [Egg Harbor Twp.], 21-9
Triple Jump
2014 … Tristan Wilson [Delsea], 48- 8 ½
2018 … Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], 49- 1
2020 … Floyd Whitaker [Highland], 46-10 ¾
2023 … Jashad Kersey [Eastern Reg.], 45-11
Shot Put
2004 … Ell Ash [Willingboro], 60- 0 ½
2012 … Braheme Days Jr. [Bridgeton], 70-8
2013 … Braheme Days Jr. [Bridgeton], 67-8
2002 … Jason Nwosu [Delsea], 61-5
2024 … Damere Lassiter [Glassboro, N.J.] 60-1
2025 … Jonathan Harris [Delsea, N.J.] 59-3
800-Meter Relay
1988 … Willingboro, 1:31.33y
1995 … Woodrow Wilson, 1:30.87
1996 … Woodrow Wilson, 1:31.17
1999 … Camden, 1:29.61
2000 … Lenape, 1:28.46
2002 … Camden, 1:28.82
2003 … Vineland, 1:29.52
2004 … Camden, 1:26.90
2013 … Timber Creek, 1:29.72
2015 … Deptford, 1:30.51
2016 … Pennsauken, 1:29.74
2017 … Rancocas Valley, 1:29.29
1,600-Meter Relay
1985 … Edgewood, 3:23.94y
1996 … Camden, 3:24.91
1997 … Camden, 3:22.89
2001 … Camden, 3:15.78
2002 … Camden, 3:19.61
2003 … Vineland, 3:16.5
2007 … Pleasantville, 3:18.90
2013 … Timber Creek, 3:22.91
3,200-Meter Relay
2000 … Cherokee, 7:51.78
2002 … Willingboro, 7:53.64
2003 … Willingboro, 7:52.95
2013 … Pleasantville, 7:45.55
2016 … Egg Harbor Township, 8:00.39
Distance Medley
2002 … Haddonfield, 10:16.84
2010 … Haddonfield, 10:10.60
GIRLS
55-Meter Dash
1980 … Michelle Glover [Willingboro], 6.5y
1983 … Denise Mitchell [Edgewood], 6.95y
1984 … Denise Mitchell [Edgewood], 7.02y
1998 … Amandi Rhett [Moorestown], 7.15
1999 … Amandi Rhett [Moorestown], 7.05
2000 … Amandi Rhett [Moorestown], 7.00
2007 … English Gardner [Eastern], 7.04
2008 … English Gardner [Eastern], 6.92
2010 … English Gardner [Eastern], 6.91
2012 … Annie Johnson [Shawnee], 7.07
2013 … Emily Carson [Haddonfield], 7.09
2014 … Torie Robinson [Winslow], 7.00
2023 … Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], 7.04
2025 … Olivia Okaro [Winslow Twp., N.J.] 7.08
200-Meter Dash
2004 … Avionne Sloan [Camden], 25.11
2012 … Ste’cye McNeil [Winslow], 24.65
2017 … Shakira Dancy [Winslow Twp.], 24.39
300-Yard Dash
None
400-Meter Dash
2003 … Okechi Ogbuokiri [Willingboro], 55.14
2008 … Nijgia Snapp [Oakcrest], 54.91
2017 … Aliyah Taylor [Rancocas Valley], 55.21
2018 … Ajae Alvarez [Egg Harbor Twp.], 56.78
2023 … Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], 56.10
600-Yard Run
None
800-Meter Run
None
1,000-Yard Run
1990 … Monica Olkowski [Cherokee], 2:34.63
One-Mile Run
2001 … Erin Donohue [Haddonfield], 4:54.73
2012 … Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 5:05.88
2015 … Briana Gess [Haddonfield], 4:59.25
2017 … Rachel Vick [Kingsway], 4:55.96
Two-Mile Run
1996 … Ann Klocke [Bishop Eustace], 11:05.44
2011 … Meghan Malloy [Cinnaminson], 11:10.61
2018 … Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Reg.], 11:17.28
55-Meter Hurdles
1983 … Zonya Cross [Edgewood], 8.04y
1998 … Sherese Price [Pleasantville], 8.06
2000 … Alethia Jenkins [Pennsauken], 8.03
2006 … Nia Ali [Pleasantville], 7.89
2008 … Samantha Sharper [Woodrow Wilson], 8.01
2012 … Ste’cye McNeil [Winslow], 7.89
2014 … Cidae’a Woods [Winslow], 8.12
2018 … Claudine Smith [Atlantic City], 8.05
2025 … Jasmine Jackson [Winslow Twp., N.J.] 7.97
High Jump
1987 … Erin Halpin [Cherry Hill East], 5- 6
2019 … Bethany Biggi [Rancocas Valley], 5- 6
2023 … Alanna Woolfolk [Clayton], 5-8[
2024 … Alanna Woolfolk [Clayton [N.J.] 5-6
Long Jump
1980 … Carol Lewis [Willingboro], 20- 6 ¼
1988 … Tonya Lee [Rancocas Valley], 18- 4 ¾
1995 … Selina Burton [Willingboro], 17- 3
2008 … Lindsey Walsh [Lenape], 18- 5 ¾
2013 … Cidae’a Woods [Winslow Twp.], 19- 8
2018 … Tionna Tobias [Winslow Twp.], 19- 8 ¼
2019 … Leah Ellis [Millville], 19- 3
Triple Jump
2024 … Lauren Fadairo [Rancocas Valley, N.J.] 38-1 ½
Pole Vault
2002 … Danielle O’Reilly [Shawnee], 11- 6
2004 … Danielle O’Reilly [Shawnee], 12- 0
2024 … Rebecca Hoover [Haddonfield, N.J.] 11-6
Shot Put
2000 … Dana White [Camden], 41- 6 ½
2006 … Mercedes Hicks [Atlantic City], 43-10 ¼
800-Meter Relay
2000 … Moorestown, 1:40.77
2008 … Camden, 1:41.19
2009 … Camden, 1:41.98
2018 … Winslow Twp., 1:39.75
2024 … Willingboro, N.J. 1:41.70
1,600-Meter Relay
1993 … Camden, 4:00.68y
1995 … Camden, 3:50.17y
2000 … Willingboro,N.J., 3:56.62
2002 … Willingboro,N.J., 3:52.76
2003 … Willingboro,N.J., 3:49.27
2006 … Woodrow Wilson, 3:52.55
2008 … Millville, 3:54.82
2009 … Millville, 3:57.67
2010 … Washington Township, 3:58.85
2024 … Willingboro, N.J. 4:05.50
3,200-Meter Relay
1999 … Buena, 9:21.38
2002 … Woodrow Wilson, 9:25.81
2008 … Lenape, 9:11.94
2012 … Lenape, 9:11.37
2017 … Haddonfield, 9:31.92
2025 … Cherokee, N.J. 9:21.64
Distance Medley
2010 … Lenape, 11:58.92
2013 … Lenape, 11:54.63
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 