Clayton’s Thomas Hampton won the state Group 1 title at 55 meters Friday, and he did it in record-setting fashion.

Hampton blazed the Bennett Center track to the tune of 6.44 seconds, shattering the meet Group 1 mark of 6.54 set last year by Demetrius Lassiter of People’s Prep Charter School of Newark.

Hampton had placed second in his last two state meets — in the 55 last winter and in the 100 this past spring.

Hampton’s previous PR was a 6.47 when he was third at last year’s Meet of Champions. His previous season best was a 6.53 at sectionals, where he placed second.

His time is No. 4 in Gloucester County history behind A.J. Bunton of West Deptford [6.34 in 2006], James Brown of Glassboro [6.38 in 2009] and Anthony Averett of Woodbury [6.43 in 2013].

It’s also No. 3 in New Jersey so far this year and it’s No. 13 in South Jersey history but only 2-100ths of a second off the all-time S.J. top-10 list.

ALL-TIME S.J. 55-METER DASH LIST
6.30 … Jamar Ervin [Camden], 2001
6.31 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1984
6.34 … A.J. Bunton [West Deptford], 2006
6.36 … Kenny Reynolds [Willingboro], 1986
6.37 … Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1979
6.38 … James Brown [Glassboro], 2009
6.39 … Damiere Byrd [Timber Creek], 2009
6.41 … Chris Church [Millville], 2007
6.42 … Thomas Walls [Wilson], 2006
6.42 … Dominique Irons [Haddon Heights], 2013
6.43 … George McKey [Willingboro], 1982
6.43 … Anthony Averett [Woodbury], 2013
6.44 … Thomas Hampton [Clayton], 2019
6.45 … Paul Wheeler [Willingboro], 1983
6.45 … Sherron Bullock [Camden], 2004
6.45 … Rob McGriff [Camden], 2006
6.45 … Antonio Tarantino [Paul VI], 2018
6.46 … Albert Newkirk [Camden], 1996
6.46 … Darnell Charles [Oakcrest], 2012
6.46 … Kashif Miller [Haddon Heights], 2014
6.47 … Anthony Jones [Edgewood], 1982
6.47 … Darren Ford [Vineland], 2004
6.47 … Reggie Morton [Oakcrest], 2012
6.47 … Curtis Fitzpatrick [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2013
6.47 … Jonathan Taylor [Salem], 2016
6.47 … Josh Washington [Woodbury], 2019
6.48 … Gary Gordon [Willingboro], 1995
6.48 … Fabian Santiago [Oakcrest], 2012
6.48 … Caleb Williams [St. Joe’s-Hammonton], 2015
6.48 … Clayton Crosse [Washington Twp.]. 2016
6.49 … Louis Smith [Burlington Twp.], 1997
6.49 … Michael Bolling [Willingboro], 2001
6.49 … Martin Booker [Pennsauken], 2016
6.49 … Ryquell Amstead [Millville], 2014
6.49 … Malachi Melton [Cedar Creek], 2019
6.50 … Jamaal Harris [Palmyra], 2002
6.50 … Zachary Clarke [Camden], 2008
6.50 … Shawney Kersey [Woodbury], 2007
6.50 … Rasheed Grandy [Absegami], 2010
6.50 … Bobby DeMarco [Holy Spirit], 2008
6.51 … Mikhail Micheaux [Eastern], 2013

Jayaire King on Friday joined a long and illustrious list of Willingboro quarter-milers who’ve won state titles.

King, a Willingboro senior, won the state Group 1 400-meter dash in 51.19 at the Bennett Center, beating runner-up Dontae Guest, a Camden junior, by eight meters.

King, a 55-second intermediate hurdler outside, also qualified for the high hurdles final coming up soon. His 7.73 was second-fastest time in the trials, behind only Sam Aviles of Palmyra, who ran a personal-best 7.50, which is No. 8 in Burlington County history.

Here’s a look at all the 400-meter dash state champs in Willingboro history. Most notable in the group is Lamont Smith, who went on to win a gold medal at the 1996 Olympics when he led off the winning U.S. 1,600-meter relay team.

Outdoor
2007
Antonio Abney [Group 3], 47.43
1993
Barry Douglas [Group 4], 47.62
1991
Lamont Smith [Group 4], 47.89
1990
Lamont Smith [Group 4], 48.1h
1988
Sean Scott [Group 3], 49.2h

Indoor
2011
Darius Holmes [Group 2], 50.69
1997
Wayne Riley [Group 4], 51.20
1995
Napolean Davis [Group 4], 52.49
1991
Lamont Smith [Group 4], 48.68
1988
Sean Scott [Group 3], 50.38
1977
Eric Rucker [Group 4], 49.4h,y

PR’ing once wasn’t enough for Deptford senior Naseem Smith at sectionals. So he PR’d twice.

Smith entered sectionals with a PR of 7.54 for the 55-meter highs but ran 7.53 in the trials and 7.46 to win the final, third-fastest in the state this year.

Smith, the outdoor Group 3 high hurdles champ last spring, shoots for another state title this weekend.

Smith and Ola Akande of Rahway, two of the three-fastest hurdlers in the state, will race in the state Group 2 championships. Akande has a 7.40 to his credit this winter. He ran 7.55 to win the Central Jersey Group 2 race.

The state Group 2 meet is scheduled for Saturday morning back at the Bennett Center in Toms River.

Smith’s 7.46 puts him at No. 21 in South Jersey history with states, Meet of Champs, Eastern’s and possibly nationals still to come, the last two on faster tracks.

His time is also No. 3 in Gloucester County history, behind state record holder Sultan Tucker of Delsea and Kevon Brown of West Deptford.

Akande and Smith are No. 2 and No. 3 in the state this year. St. Augustine’s Sincere Rhea is No. 1 with his 7.29, which is No. 5 in state history. He’ll compete in the Parochial a meet Saturday afternoon.

Rhea, Akanda and Smith are No. 3, 10 and 16 on the 2019 U.S. MileSplit list.

ALL-TIME S.J. 55-METER HURDLES LIST
7.18 … Sultan Tucker [Delsea], 1996
7.22 … Dwight Ruff [Camden], 2001
7.22 … Isaac Williams [Willingboro], 2012
7.29 … Nate Harley [Pleasantville], 1996
7.29 … Danyne Brown [Camden], 1999
7.29 … Will Brown [Palmyra], 2006
7.29 … Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], 2019
7.32 … Jon Dickey [Penns Grove], 1985
7.34 … Chais Hill [Highland], 2015
7.1h … Jon Dickey [Penns Grove], 1985
7.1h … Jim Little [Moorestown], 1976
7.1h … Marc Dickerson [Willingboro], 1979
7.1h … George Bland [Penns Grove], 1987
7.35 … Gerard Reynolds [Willingboro], 1990
7.39 … Rashad Baker [Wilson], 2000
7.42 … Kevon Brown [West Deptford], 2009
7.42 … Anthony Acklin [Triton], 2001
7.43 … Danyne Brown [Camden], 1999
7.43 … Edwin Alston [Winslow Twp.], 2015
7.45 … Kevin Hagamin [Timber Creek], 2014
7.46 … Syteek Farrington [Camden], 2010
7.46 … Naseem Smith [Deptford], 2019
7.47 … Darius Holmes [Willingboro], 2012
7.48 … Reuben McCoy [Winslow Twp.], 2004
7.48 … Tyrell Ross [Clearview], 2005
7.49 … Devon Carter [Washington Twp.], 2010
7.49 … Vince Rawlins [Eastern], 1991
7.49 … Chris Nichols [Willingboro], 1991

Josh Awotunde made his pro debut Saturday at Millrose, placing fourth in the shot with a throw of 66-4 1/4 with the 16-pound ball.

Awotunde threw 62-8 on his first attempt and then had three solid throws in a row, with 64-7 3/4, 65-2 1/4 and 66-4 1/4.

Ryan Crouser won with a 2019 world No. 1 73-3 1/4, Joe Kovacs was second with a 68-5 1/4 and Jamaican Ashinia Miller took third with a PR 67-4 3/4.

Awotunde, a Delsea graduate and four-time All-America at South Carolina, has an indoor PR of 69-11 3/4 from last year’s SEC Championships in College Station, Texas, No. 9 in college history and a South Carolina school record. He’s also South Carolina’s outdoor record holder at 68-1 3/4 from the 2018 SEC meet in Knoxville, Tenn.

Awotunde is also an exceptional discus thrower and has a PR of 191-11 from the 2017 Penn Relays.

So far this indoor season, Awotunde’s mark is No. 20 in the world. Awotunde is competing for his native Nigeria.

Haddonfield graduate Carly Bonnet, now a senior at Princeton, PR’d in the 400 Saturday when she ran 57.29 at the Fast Track Invitational at the Ocean Breeze track in Staten Island.

Bonnet’s previous PR was 57.67 last month in a meet on her home track at Jadwin Gym on Princeton’s campus.

Bonnet has run as fast as 56.73 outdoors, last April at the Larry Ellis Invitational at Princeton.

Bonnet is an Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major with a certificate in Global Health and Health Policy.

English Gardner made her return to the track an incredibly successful one Saturday when she won the 60-meter dash at the Millrose Games with one of the 20-fastest times ever by a U.S. woman.

Gardner, a graduate of Eastern High School and the University of Oregon, won the 60 at the 112th annual Millrose Games in 7.10 at the 168th Street Armory track in New York.

Michelle-Lee Ahye of Trinidad and Tobago, now competing for adidas, was second in 7.15.

Gardner was the 2016 U.S. champion at 100 meters and No. 7 in world history at 10.74 and won a gold medal on the U.S. 400-meter relay team.

But she’s been dealing with knee issues the last few years and underwent ACL surgery last year. Her 60 Saturday was her first indoor race in two years and she broke a seven-year-old PR of 7.12 that she set at 2012 indoor nationals in Nampa, Idaho.

Gardner’s time is No. 20 on the all-time U.S. list and No. 2 in the world this year, behind only Ewa Swoboda of Poland, who ran 7.08 in a meet earlier this month in Karlsruhe, Germany.

 

Seniors Naseem Smith, Javon Sanders and Tyriq Bundy ran 1-2-4 in the 55-meter hurdles final and the Spartans also swept the high jump to win their first indoor sectional title Saturday.

The sectional title was the first for Deptford indoors or out in 46 years, since the 1974 team won Group 4 outdoors.

Deptford outscored Haddonfield 87-81 to win the South Jersey Group 2 championship at the Bennett Center in Toms River despite the Bulldogs scoring 56 of a possible 72 points in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200.

In the high hurdles, Smith ran a personal-best 7.46, the No. 3 time in New Jersey this year and third-fastest in Gloucester County history. Sanders was second in 7.75 bouncing back after missing two months with an injury and Bundy fourth in 7.99.

Seniors Marcel Washington [5-10], James Lynch [5-8] and Tyrece Brown [5-8] swept the top three places in the high jump for 24 big points.

Bundy and senior Khion Smith ran 2-3 behind Malachi Melton of Cedar Creek in the 55-meter dash. Melton ran a PR 6.49, fifth-fastest in the state this year and No. 2 among South Jersey sprinters, behind only Joshua Washington of Woodbury, who ran 6.47 last weekend at Group 1 sectionals.

Brown was also fourth in the 400 and 51.12 and sixth in the 55 in 6.85 in addition to his third place in the high jump. Smith also took second in the 400 in 50.96.

Lynch also took third in the pole vault at 13-6, and senior Amadu Jalloh ran fifth in the 800 with a 2:04.23, and Deptford’s relay team — names not listed in the results — took third in 3:29.17.

Haddonfield got wins from seniors Zach Murray in the 400 (49.93) and Derek Gess in the 1,600 (4:26.67) and junior Martin Riddell in the 3,200 (9:49.64).

Gess and senior Ethan Spellmeyer ran second and third in the 800 in 2:00.81 and 2:01.65 behind Pleasantville junior Gabriel Moronta’s 2:00.79.

Senior Greg Eisenhower and Riddell also placed third and fifth in the 1,600 (4:28.52, 4:31.89), and Eisenhower and junior Stephen Kasko took second and third in the 3,200 in 9:50.18 and 9:53.73. The Bulldogs also took a close second in the relay in 3:28.42.

The other Group 2 winner was Delsea senior Kevin Gilliano, who won the shot with a 51-0 1/4, his first indoor 50-footer.