Fourteen South Jersey athletes made the cut for individual events at the Penn Relays. Acceptances were announced Tuesday.
Remember, qualifying marks must come from the indoor season (or early outdoors) other than the javelin and discus (and formerly the 400 hurdles), which aren’t contested indoors so outdoor marks from last spring can be used.
Here’s a look at the individuals headed to Franklin Field for the 130th running of the Penn Relays April 23-25. Invites for the 4×8 and DMR will be out next week. Click here for the full schedule.
BOYS
Ben Andrus, Haddonfield, mile [5:20 p.m., Friday, April 24]: Andrus has a mile PR of 4:13.60 from last June in Lincroft, but his qualifier was a 4:14.39 at Ocean Breeze on Feb. 1, 9th-fastest in South Jersey history. He hasn’t raced yet outdoors.
Supreme Stradford, Cherry Hill West, high jump [9:30 a.m., Friday, April 4]: Stradford was 3rd in New Jersey indoors with a 6-8 clearance to win the state Group 3 meet at the Bubble.
Mason Henry, Deptford, pole vault [9:30 a.m., Friday, April 4]: Henry was the state leader indoors with a 15-6 to win Easterns at the Armory and then he cleared 15-0 to win the Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze.
Mason Murray, Delsea, pole vault [9:30 a.m., Friday, April 4]: The other Mason pole vaulter from a Gloucester County school starting with “De” is Mason Murray, who had several 14-6 clearances indoors.
GIRLS
Dylan Hosty, Haddonfield, mile [6 p.m., Friday, April 24]: Hosty set a South Jersey freshman mile record of 4:53.67 at the Ott Center, 7th-fastest in the state indoors and 4th-fastest on the all-time South Jersey list.
Egypt Bolan, Lindenwold, high jump [10 a.m., Thursday, April 23]:: Bolan returns to Franklin Field, where she won the national title in June with a 5-10 ¾ clearance. She qualified for Penn with a 5-10 in January at Ocean Breeze.
Phallen Still, Collingswood, high jump [10 a.m., Thursday, April 23]: Still cleared 5-6 when she placed 3rd at the Meet of Champions indoors at Ocean Breeze.
Leeya Joseph, Winslow, long jump [10 a.m., Thursday, April 23]: The versatile Joseph [7.45, 12.29, 58.97, 19-1 ½, 35-1 ¾] goes to Penn in the long jump, which she won at the Meet of Champions indoors at Ocean Breeze with a meet-record 19-foot leap.
Angelina Brown, Rancocas Valley, long jump [10 a.m., Thursday, April 23]: Brown will join Joseph in the long jump after soaring 18-10 to win Easterns at the Armory last month. Brown has already gone 18-5 in her outdoor opener.
Ma’Syiah Brawner, Winslow, triple jump [Noon, Thursday, April 23]: This is Brawner’s 3rd trip to the Penn Relays. She placed 14th as a sophomore with a 37-7 ¾ and 6th last year with a 39-11 ½. Her qualifier this indoor season was a 39-1 ¾ at Millrose at the Armory in February. She surpassed 40 feet twice last spring.
Timia Waters, Williamstown, triple jump [Noon, Thursday, April 23]: Waters, a junior, makes it three South Jersey girls in the triple jump. She jumped 38-8 ¾ indoors at the Armory and went on to place 5th in the Meet of Champions.
Mitra Sampson, Hammonton, shot put: [9:30 a.m., Thursday, April 23] Sampson’s shot qualifier came at the state relays, where she threw 40-11 ¼. She PR’d with a 42-9 ¾ last spring at the state Group 3 Championships in South Plainfield.
Hannah Nuhfer, Delsea, discus [9 a.m., Thursday, April 23]: Like Bolan, Nuhfer returns to the site of her national title. Nuhfer won the discus at West Philly Nationals in June at Franklin Field with a South Jersey-record 178-9. She’s already got a 170-8 in the books this spring. Nuhfer could have entered the shot based on her South Jersey-record 48-0 indoors. Athletes are only allowed to enter one individual event.
Sunsarai Moore, Glassboro, discus [9 a.m., Thursday, April 23]: Moore got her qualifier when she threw 155-2 at Delsea last May. She could have gotten in also in the shot, where she has a 42-1 ½ from Armory Nationals last month in New York.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 