Another race, another brilliant PR for Norfolk State’s Premier Wynn.

The freshman from Pennsauken ran a big lifetime-best 46.82 Tuesday afternoon and placed 2nd in the MEAC Championships at the Virginia Beach Sports Center.

He finished 2nd to freshman teammate Vincent Bond, who won the race at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference meet in 46.75.

Wynn had just PR’d with a 47.22 in Monday’s trials, which lowered his indoor best from 47.43 from a meet earlier in February at Penn State. So he’s lowered that by three-quarters of a second in less than 24 hours.

Wynn ran 47.39 outdoors in high school and 48.45 indoors.

It looks like Bond and Wynn are the 8th- and 9th-fastest freshmen in the 400 in NCAA Division 1. Their times are 3rd- and 4th-fastest in NCAA Division 1 Southeast Region.

Wynn’s time is No. 13 all-time by a South Jersey high school alum. It’s fastest by a college freshman from South Jersey in 19 years, since Vineland graduate Schefer Sherrer ran 46.66 outdoors as a freshman at Barton Community College in Great Bend, Kansas, at the Cavalier Cup meet at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas.

Wynn got out in an official FAT 21.57 through 200 meters, not far off his 200 PR of 21.43 from last month on the same track. He came back with a 25.25 for the second 200.

Norfolk State’s school record for 400 meters indoors is 46.17 by Trequan Barnes at the 2019 Penn State National in State College, Pa.

Wynn is scheduled to run the 200 later Tuesday afternoon.

All-Time South Jersey 400-Meter Dash Alumni List
44.30 … Lamont Smith [Willingboro], June 19, 1996, Atlanta
45.26 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], April 12, 1986, Tampa, Fla.
45.49 … Darrell Bush [Woodbury], April 11, 2015, Tucson, Ariz.
45.98 … Antonio Abney [Willingboro], May 29, 2010, Charlotte, N.C.
46.05 … Schefer Sherrer [Vineland], May 18, 2005, Levelland, Texas
46.13 … Brandon Outlaw [Moorestown], May 15, 2021, Raleigh, N.C.
46.19 … Maurice Ransome [Vineland], May 23-25, 1990, Naperville, Ill.
46.26 … Marvin Lewis [Willingboro], July 29, 2010, Nairobi, Kenya
46.48 … Reuben McCoy [Winslow], April 1, 2006, Atlanta
46.57 … Royce Reed [Bridgeton], May 19, 1996, Fairfax, Va.               
46.66 … Michael Bolling [Willingboro], May 15, 2004, Atlanta
46.67 … Jamaad Muse [Timber Creek], June 5, 2013, South Plainfield, N.J.
46.82 … Premier Wynn [Pennsauken], Feb. 20, 2024, Virginia Beach

Hammonton’s Khristina Washington and Washington Township’s Isabelle Deal won titles Saturday at the NJAC Championships at Ocean Breeze.

Washington, a senior at Stockton, won her second New Jersey Athletic Conference triple jump title, and Deal, a senior at Rowan, won her first NJAC championship after winning two Centennial Conference titles in the javelin while attending Ursinus.

Washington fouled on four of her six jumps but hit 35-3 ½ on her third attempt and won by less than two inches over sophomore teammate Emma Petrolia, who jumped 35-1 ¾.

Washington won the triple jump at last year’s outdoor NJAC meet in Mahwah with a 36-4 ¾. In both meets, she fouled on her first two jumps. She also placed 6th in the long jump at 16-4 ¼.

Deal, a three-time javelin All-America at Ursinus, is in her first season at Rowan. She threw 42-9 ¾ earlier this month at Haverford, breaking the 9-year-old school record of 42-8 set by Pemberton’s Kyanna Hawkins-Deravin at Jadwin Gym in Princeton in 2015. She extended her record to 44-6 ¼ earlier this month, also at Ocean Breeze. That makes her No. 16 in NCAA Division 3.

On Saturday, she had the four-best throws of the competition, including a 44-0 ½ on her final attempt.

She also PR’d with a 50-0 for 2nd place in the weight throw. Her previous PR was 48-6 ¼, also earlier this month. Her best throw at Ursinus was a 45-6 ¼.

Deal has a javelin PR of 155-0 from a meet in Selinsgrove, Pa., last May.

Since legendary Browning Ross of Woodbury won the mile and William Mitchell of Collingswood won the 60-yard hurdles at the 1943 Easterns – then called the National AAU Interscholastic Track and Field Championships and held at Madison Square Garden – some 134 South Jersey athletes from 48 different high schools have won an Easterns title.

The 88th running of Easterns begins at 4:30 p.m. tonight at the Armory, the meet’s home since it moved from Princeton’s Jadwin Gym in 1997.

Here’s a look at every winner from South Jersey in meet history. Below that is a look at how many Easterns champions every South Jersey high school has had. Willingboro leads the way with 23, followed by Camden [19] and Haddonfield [10], although if you combined Edgewood and Winslow, they have 15.

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

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

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

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
2014 … Benjamin Bonhurst [Smithtown West, N.Y.], 64-7
2002 … Jason Nwosu [Delsea], 61-5

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

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

High Jump
1987 … Erin Halpin [Cherry Hill East], 5- 6
2019 … Bethany Biggi [Rancocas Valley], 5- 6
2023 … Alanna Woolfolk [Clayton], 5-8[

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
None

Pole Vault
2002 … Danielle O’Reilly [Shawnee], 11- 6
2004 … Danielle O’Reilly [Shawnee], 12- 0

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

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

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

Distance Medley
2010 … Lenape, 11:58.92
2013 … Lenape, 11:54.63

Eastern champions from South Jersey
23 … Willingboro
19 … Camden
10 … Haddonfield
8 … Winslow Twp.
7 … Edgewood
7 … Egg Harbor Twp.
7 … Lenape
6 … Camden
6 … Delsea
6 … Pennsauken
6 … Pleasantville
5 … Eastern
5 … Rancocas Valley
4 … Cinnaminson
4 … Millville
4 … Wilson
4 … Woodbury
3 … Cherokee
3 … Deptford
3 … Highland
3 … Shawnee
3 … Washington Twp.
2 … Atlantic City
2 … Bridgeton
2 … Clearview
2 … Cherry Hill East
2 … Cherry Hill West
2 … Kennedy
2 … Oakcrest
2 … Timber Creek
2 … Vineland
1 … Bishop Eustace
1 … Bordentown
1 … Buena
1 … Burlington Twp.
1 … Clayton
1 … Collingswood
1 … Glassboro
1 … Haddon Heights
1 … Holy Spirit
1 … Kingsway
1 … Mainland Reg.
1 … Palmyra
1 … Penns Grove
1 … Sterling
1 … St. Augustine
1 … Triton
1 … West Deptford

Kingsway graduate Damon Dukes, a freshman at New Jersey Institute of Technology, ran a huge 200 PR Monday in the prelims at the America East Conference Championships in Boston.

Dukes, who had never run faster than 22.15 in high school or college, blasted one lap at The TRACK in 21.70, a nearly half second PR.

At Kingsway, Dukes ran 22.60 indoors at Ocean Breeze and 22.20 outdoors at Deptford, ran 22.15 in his only prevoius collegiate 200, a meet at Ocean Breeze last month.

On Monday, his 21.70 was the 2nd-fastest qualifying time going into Tuesday’s final. Junior Shavar Staats Jr. of Albany ran a PR 21.61 in a different semifinal race.

Dukes’ time is fastest by any America East freshman in six years, since Harmodio Cruz III and Garfield Napier, both of Albany, ran 21.54 and 21.67 in 2018.

Dukes will be in Lane 6, just outside Staats Jr., in the second section in the two-race final. The 200 final is scheduled for 2:25 p.m. Tuesday.

 

Sophomore Scott Hubbard from Audubon, junior Joshua Cason from Camden County Vo-Tech and sophomore Shane Vostenak from Bishop Eustace won conference titles Monday at Ocean Breeze, helping Rowan University win its 9th consecutive NJAC championship.

Hubbard and Cason, who are both transfers, won their first NJAC titles, and Vostenak won his 2nd.

Rowan piled up a ridiculous 297 points at Ocean Breeze, which is probably a record but nobody keeps track of this stuff so who knows? It’s a lot of points. Rowan scored 252 in 2018 and I’m guessing that was the highest previous total.

There are 17 events in the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championships, so the Profs averaged 17 ½ points per event. Including relays, where you can only score 10.

Rowan, ranked 7th in NCAA Division 3, scored at least 16 points in every non-relay track event and at least eight in every event other than the weight throw.

Incredibly, only 13 of those 297 points were scored by seniors – Shamir Love from Bridgeton tied for 2nd in the 60 and and Marquise Young from Sterling placed 3rd in the 60-meter hurdles.

And Rowan scored 297 points without doubling anybody other than short sprinters.

Rowan outscored The College of New Jerey by 184 points, winning by a final margin of 297-113. Stockton placed 3rd with 78 points.

60-METER DASH [19 points]: Senior Shamir Love from Bridgeton, sophomore Evan Corcoran from Kingsway and sophomore Masai Byrd from Rancocas Valley went T2-T2-4, Love and Corcoran splitting 14 points with both in 6.88 and Byrd 6.93.

200-METER DASH [25 points]: Corcoran finished just 4-100ths of a second out of 1st, leading a 2-3-4-5-7 Rowan finish. Corcoran ran 21.98, junior Nana Agyemang from Parsippany was 3rd in 21.99, freshman Eli Hendricks from Penns Grove 4th in 22.01, Byrd 5th in 22.29 and Coleman 7th in 22.53.

400-METER DASH [35 points]: Amara Conte from Ferris High in Jersey City won the race in 48.54, with senior Nicholas Razze from Pitman 2nd in 49.06, junior Samuel Milevoix of Union County Vo-Tech 3rd in 49.49, sophomore Jason Agyemang from North Plainfield 4th in 50.28, junior James Coleman from Audubon 5th in 50.43 and sophomore Jarquil Young from Sterling 7th in 50.85.

800-METER RUN [18 points]: Sophomore Scott Hubbard from Audubon won by nearly three seconds with a big lifetime-best 1:53.78, sophomore Tyler Greene of Ocean City was 3rd in 1:57.60 and freshman Teddy Wilson from Toms River North placed 7th in 2:00.26. Hubbard is a little over a second off the school record of 1:52.63 set by South Brunswick’s Nick Neville at the NJAC meet in 2018.

MILE [16 points]: The Profs went 2-4-6 with Jacob Riley of North Warren 2nd [4:17.88], freshman Johannes Rivera from Bergenfield 4th [4:21.39] and freshman Colin Patterson from Haddon Heights 6th [4:24.91].

3,000-METER RUN [19 points]: Junior Joshua Cason from Camden County Vo-Tech ran 8:45.25 and won by a second, with sophomore Cole Kolodziej from Washington Township 3rd in 8:47.00 and junior Dario Epifania from South Brunswick 6th in 9:02.14.

5,000-METER RUN [26 points]: Sophomore Shane Vostenak from Bishop Eustace (not Pennsauken, as Rowan’s web site says), junior Matthew Conway of Haddon Township and junior Giancarlo Vega from Timber Creek swept the top three spots, Vostenak in 15:03.23, Conway 15:09.50 and Vega 15:13.74. Junior Caleb Clevenger of Haddonfield added two points in 7th place in 15:32.14.

60-METER HURDLES [35 points]: You can read all about this historic race here: https://sjtrackblog.com/2024/02/19/rowan-soph-kwaku-nkrumah-runs-9th-fastest-hurdles-time-in-ncaa-division-3-history-shatters-meet-and-school-records-at-njac-meet/

800-METER RELAY [10 points]: Junior Robert McKinney from Highland, Love, Hendricks and Byrd won the 4-by-2 by more than two seconds with a season-best 1:28.13, which is the 8th-fastest time in NCAA Division 3 history (and the 6th-fastest time in school history) and fastest in Division 3 this year. The Profs set the D-3 record last year with four other sprinters (Corcoran, Conte, Nana Agyemang, Jah’mere Beasley).

1,600-METER RELAY [10 points]: Milevoix, Razze, Corcoran and Coleman ran 3:23.78 and won the 4-by-4 with ease to close out the meet. Milevoix led off with a 49.69 to build a 15-meter lead at the first handoff, and the Profs were never challenged after that.

DISTANCE MEDLEY [8 points]: Freshman Ethan Fletcher from Wall Township, freshman Nicholas Garman from Cedar Crest in Lebanon, Pa., sophomore Ethan Wellborn from Haddonfield and freshman Liam O’Donnell from Cape Henlopen, Del., ran 10:31.59 for 2nd place.

LONG JUMP [18 points]: Nana Agyemang and freshman Damarion Potts from South Brunswick went 1-2, Agyemang jumping 22-9 ½ and Potts 22-6, both on their 3rd attempts.

TRIPLE JUMP [8 points]: Two freshmen from Passaic County Tech – Joshua Justin and Mikahi Johnson – placed 3rd and 7th, Justin with a 45-5 ¼ and Johnson 41-8 ¾.

HIGH JUMP [29 points]: The Profs swept the top four spots with four freshmen – Potts won it at 6-8 ¼, Paulsboro’s Jamile Gantt was 2nd with a 6-7 ¼ clearance, Arrington Rhym of Hamilton West 3rd with a 6-4 and Anthony Lanteigne of Williamstown at 6-2.

POLE VAULT [11 points]: Sophomore Tyler Raimondi of Toms River South, junior Jason Tomaino of Randolph and sophomore Luke Gnospelius of Ridgewood all placed, Rainmondi and Tomaino in 4th and 15th, both at 14-1 ¼, and Gnospelius tied for 6th with a 13-7 ½ clearance.

SHOT PUT [10 points]: Freshman Chris Guerrieri from Cherry Hill West, a JUCO national champ in the shot last year, placed 2nd with a 50-2 throw, and sophomore Josh Caudill from Delsea was 7th with a 45-10 ¾.

WEIGHT THROW [0 points]: The only event Rowan didn’t score at least eight points.

The College of New Jersey won 17 consecutive team titles through 2014 and Rowan has won every title since. There was no meet in 2021.

Sophomore Kwaku Nkrumah turned in one of the greatest performances in the storied history of Glassboro / Rowan University track Monday afternoon, running the 9th-fastest hurdles time in NCAA Division 3 history and shattering the meet and school record at the NJAC Championships.

Nkrumah led a 1-2-3-4-5 Rowan sweep, winning in an eye-popping 7.93 at Ocean Breeze in Staten Island. The previous meet record at the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championships was 8.03, set by Rowan’s David Benjamin at the 2017 meet, also at Ocean Breeze.

Nkrumah broke the school record of 7.96, set three weeks ago by Rowan junior Marquise Young of Sterling.

His 7.93 is No. 2 in NCAA Division 3 this year, behind all-time D-3 No. 2 Luke Schroeder of Wisconsin-La Crosse, who ran 7.80 earlier this month on his home track.

Rowan’s 1-2-3-4-5 finish was worth 33 points and put the Profs over the 100-point mark after just four events.

Nkrumah graduated in 2022 from Teaneck (where your trusty From the Backstretch correspondant spent his sophomore year on the track team … go Highwaymen!), ran 8.23 and 14.44 over the 39-inch hurdles and was a medalist in the outdoor Meet of Champions.

He ran 8.21 last winter and was 2nd to Young in the conference meet. He won the 110 highs at the outdoor conference meet and then earned All-America honors with a 4th-place finish at NCAA Division 3 Nationals.

Nkrumah lowered his indoor PR from 8.21 to 8.14 in his indoor opener in December – also at Ocean Breezer – and then down to 8.12 late last month at another meet at Ocean Breeze. Then he PR’d with an 8.11 this past weekend – again, at Ocean Breeze.

Also for Rowan in the hurdles, sophomore Jason Agyemang from North Plainfield was 2nd in 8.16, Young 3rd in 8.17, sophomore Michael Lawrence from South Plainfield 4th with a PR 8.35, sophomore Anaias Hughes from Willingboro 5th in 8.39 and freshman Jacob Kiyler of Toms River North 7th after an 8.07 in the prelims.

In only his 2nd college race, Rowan freshman Jacob Kiyler ran the 4th-fastest 60-meter hurdles time in school history.

Kiyler led all qualifiers into the final later today at the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championships at Ocean Breeze with a mind-blowing 8.07, which is 7th-fastest in NCAA Division 3 this year.

In his only previous college hurdles race, the Toms River North graduate ran 8.20 in the prelims of the Villanova Invitational Jan. 20 on the same track in Staten Island, N.Y. He did not race the final at the Villanova Invite.

So he’s No. 4 in Rowan history but he’s never run a final.

Kiyler had PRs of 7.42 and 13.98 over the 39-inch high school hurdles in high school and also ran 54.49 in the intermediates and long jumped 20-4 ½. He was 2nd in the 55-meter highs at Easterns last year and 4th at the Meet of Champions. Outdoors, he was 4th in the Meet of Champions.

https://milesplit.live/meets/586296/events/2/results/P/M

But 8.07?

The only hurdlers in school history to run faster are three All-Americas – current Rowan junior Marquise Young [7.96 last month], David Benjamin [7.98 in 2017] and Bobby Cooks [8.01 in 2018].

Young is a multiple NCAA Division 3 All-America and is ranked 3rd in D-3 this winter with his school-record 7.96. Benjamin was the NCAA indoor hurdles champ in 2017 and 2nd outdoors. Cooks was 2nd in 2018 NCAAs indoors and 3rd outdoors.

Young ran 8.13 Monday to advance to the hurdles final, and sophomore Anaias Hughes of Willingboro [8.29], sophomore Kwaku Nkrumah of Teaneck [8.25], sophomore Jason Agyemang of North Plainfield [8.39] and sophomore Michael Lawrence of South Plainfield [8.43] also were among the eight-fastest qualifiers and presumably reached the final, although the results don’t indicate who qualified other than the three auto qualifiers.

So presumably, six of the 7-fastest qualifiers are from Rowan.

Agyemang and Nkrumah have both run 8.11 this year and appear to be tied for the No. 5 spot on the all-time Rowan list, although I can’t be positive.

The final is scheduled for 5:25 p.m.

Premier Wynn ran a lifetime-best 47.22 for 400 meters Monday afternoon to lead all qualifiers for the final in the MEAC Championships in Virginia Beach.

Wynn, a Norfolk State freshman from Pennsauken, smashed his indoor PR of 47.43 set earlier this month at Penn State. His high school indoor PR was 48.45, and his previous overall PR was a 47.39 when he won South Jersey Group 3 sectionals last June on his home track.

Wynn and freshman teammate Vincent Bond were the two-fastest qualifiers for the 400 final. Bond ran 47.29 in an earlier heat.

Norfolk State does not list an all-time top-10 on its web site, but according to the TFRRS site Wynn’s 47.22 is fastest by a Norfolk State freshman since at least 2009, as far back as the site goes.

The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference 400 final is scheduled for 1:40 p.m. Tuesday at the Virginia Beach Sports Center. Wynn also ran 21.50 on Sunday to qualify for the 200 final, which will be at 2:50 p.m. Tuesday. Wynn ran an indoor PR 21.43 last month, also in Virginia Beach. That’s an indoor/outdoor overall PR as well.

State leaders Yashahya Brown of Washington Township, Cartrell Moore of Glassboro, Sianni Wynn of Pennsauken and Alanna Woolfolk of Clayton are among the South Jersey contingent headed to New York Tuesday for the 88th annual Easterns.

The meet is scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m. at the Armory in New York.

Brown, New Jersey No. 1 in the 55-meter hurdles at 7.06, is entered in the hurdles as well as the 200; Moore, the state’s top triple jumper at 46-6 ½, is entered in the hurdles and both horizontal jumps; Wynn, No. 1 in New Jersey with her 55.51 for 400 meters, will race the hurdles as well as the 400; and Woolfolk shoots for her 2nd straight Easterns title in the high jump.

Some 26 South Jersey schools are entered in at least one event at Easterns.

Atlantic County: Absegami, Atlantic County Tech, Egg Harbor Township, Hammonton and Mainland Regional,

Burlington County: Cherokee, Lenape, Rancocas Valley and Willingboro.

Camden County: Bishop Eustace, Cherry Hill East, Cherry Hill West, Haddonfield, Pennsauken, Sterling, Timber Creek and Winslow Township.

Gloucester County: Clayton, Clearview, Delsea, Deptford, Gateway, Glasboro, Kingsway, Washington Township and Williamstown.

Click here for the full entry list: Easterns entry list.

Here’s a look at the most recent South Jersey winner in each Easterns event:

55-METER DASH :Devon Tucker [Sterling], 2015 [6.52]
200-METER DASH: A.J. Dawson [Holy Spirit], 2013 [22.04]
400-METER DASH: Bryce Tucker [Pennsauken], 2023 [48.44]
800-METER RUN: Isaac Clark [Pleasantville], 2012 [1:54.34]
MILE RUN: Bill Dolan [Clearview], 2013 [4:21.51]
TWO-MILE RUN: Jonathan Vitez [Haddonfield], 2008 [9:34.38]
55-METER HURDLES Anthony Vazquez [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2020 [7.45]
800-METER RELAY: Rancocas Valley, 2017 [1:29.29]
1,600-METER RELAY: Timber Creek, 2013 [3:22.91]
3,200-METER RELAY: Egg Harbor Twp., 2015 [8:00.39]
DISTANCE MEDLEY: Haddonfield, 2010 [10:10.60]
HIGH JUMP: David Godbolt [Rancocas Valley], 2022 [6-0]
LONG JUMP: Ahmad Fogg [Egg Harbor Twp.], 202 [21-9]
TRIPLE JUMP: Jashad Kersey [Eastern], 2023 [45-11]
POLE VAULT: Dan Batdorf [West Deptford], 2008 [15-6]
SHOT PUT: Jason Nwosu [Delsea], 2022 [61-5]

55-METER DASH:Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], 2023 [7.04]
200-METER DASH: Shakira Dancy [Winslow Twp.], 2017 [24.39]
400-METER DASH: Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], 2023 [56.10]
800-METER RUN: None
MILE RUN: Rachel Vick [Kingsway], 2017 [4:55.96]
TWO-MILE RUN: Grace Wassell [Highland], 2022 [11:31.62]
55-METER HURDLES: Annabella Chin [Rancocas Valley], 2022 [8.21]
800-METER RELAY:Winslow Twp., 2022 [1:43.58]
1,600-METER RELAY: Washington Twp., 2010 [3:58.85]
3,200-METER RELAY: Haddonfield, 2017 [9:31.92]
DISTANCE MEDLEY: Lenape, 2013 [11:54.63]
HIGH JUMP: Alanna Woolfolk [Clayton], 2023 [5-8]
LONG JUMP: Leah Ellis [Millville], 2018 [19-3]
TRIPLE JUMP: None
POLE VAULT: Danielle O’Reilly [Shawnee], 2004 [12-0]
SHOT PUT: Mercedes Hicks [Atlantic City], 2006 [43-10 ¼]

Cinnaminson’s Austin Gabay ran a 2:53.80 leadoff leg and Duke smashed its school record in the distance medley Saturday in Boston.

Duke ran 9:29.20 at the Boston University DMR Challenge with Gabay on the 1,200, Rodriguez splitting 46.61, Drometer 1:49.50 and anchor Wittstadt 3:59.35.

Gabay ran his 200s in 28.80, 29.02, 29.35, 28.77, 28.33 and 29.55, which means he ran his 400s in 57.82, 58.12 and 57.88 and closed in 1:56.00 for his final 800.

Duke’s previous record was 9:34.39 set at the Alex Wilson Invitational in South Bend, Ind., in March 2010.

Gabay has only run two open races this winter – an 8:01.79 3,000 in Boston in January and a school-record 7:58.94 earlier this month.

Next for Gabay and Duke is the ACC Championships next weekend at the The TRACK in Boston. Duke’s DMR is ranked 5th in the ACC.