Rancocas Valley graduate Erika Kemp became the fastest marathon runner in South Jersey history Monday at the Boston Marathon.

Kemp placed 28th among women and 12th (I think) among American women in her marathon debut in 2:33.57.

The fastest previous marathon by a South Jersey native was Cherokee graduate Megan Lacy’s 2:39.12 in Duluth, Minn., in June of 2019.

Kemp and Lacy overlapped in high school in various Burlington County and South Jersey races.

Kemp, 28, averaged 5:52.6 per mile over the 26.2-mile course from Hopkinton, Mass., into downtown Boston.

It’s tough to figure out how many American women finished ahead of Kemp, since the BAA web site for some reason doesn’t list nationalities in its results.

But from what I can tell:

5 – Emma Bates [2:22.10]
11 – Aliphine Tuliamuk [2:24.37]
17 – Sara Hall [2:25.48]
18 – Desiree Linden [2:27.18]
20 – Annie Frisbee [2:28.45]
22 – Annie Rohrer [2:30.52]
23 – Sydney Devore [2:31.08]
24 – Maggie Montoya [2:31.19]
25 – Anne-Marie Blaney [2:31.32]
26 – Maegan Krifchin [2:32.46]
27 – Dakota Lindwurm [2:33.53]
28 – Erika Kemp [2:33.57]

Kemp ranks 57th in U.S. history with her 15:10.10 for 5,000 meters in Boston in May 2021 and 43rd with 31:35.63 for 10,000 meters in San Juan Capistrano in December 2020. Her 32:18 for a 10K road course is 36th, and she’s 6th on the 20K road course list.

Here’s a look at the fastest marathoners ever from New Jersey I was able to find:

2:31.18 … Anne Marie Lauck, North Hunterdon [1996, Columbia, S.C.]
2:32.05 … Sarag Pagano, Immaculate Heart [2023, Nagoya, Japan]
2:33.57 … Erika Kemp, Rancocas Valley [2023, Boston]
2:35.09 … Amanda Marino, Jackson [2019, Duluth, Minn.]
2:39.06 … Megan Curham, Villa Walsh [2022, Minneapolis]
2:39.12 … Megan Lacy, Cherokee [2019, Duluth, Minn.]

One-time Sterling and St. Joe’s runner Jimmy Daniels broke 30 minutes for 10,000 for the first time Saturday.

Daniels, now running for New Freedom Athletics, ran 29:50.19 at the Bucknell Bison Outdoor Classic at Christy Mathewson Memorial Stadium in Lewisburg, Pa.

Daniels ran very steady and very efficiently, with his first 24 laps all between 1:10.08 and 1:12.96 before a closing 1:07.13.

He ran 4:44.99 for his first 1,600, then 4:44.76, 4:46.87, 4:48.61, 4:49.23 and 4:48.89 1,600s, closing in 2:18.73 for his final 800. His final mile was his fastest – 4:43.20.

Daniels’ previous track 10,000 PR was 30:06.04 at the 2017 Sam Howell Invitational in Princeton as a St. Joe’s senior.

Daniels ran 2:25.42 in his marathon debut in November, placing 20th in the Philadelphia Marathon.

At Sterling, Daniels placed 3rd in the 2013 Meet of Champions in the 3,200 in 9:00.30 and also ran 4:16.53 for 1,600 meters. He ran 14:32.78 for 5,000 meters at St. Joe’s before graduating in the spring of 2017.

Army West Point senior Garrett Gough from Nevada City, Calif., the Patriot League XC champ this past fall, won the race in 29:11.98, a lifetime best.

Seneca graduate Julia Greeley continues to enjoy a breakthrough sophomore season in the pole vault at Lafayette.

Greeley, a sophomore, recorded the 2nd-best jump in Lafayette outdoor track history with a 12-1 ½ clearance at a meet at her home facility in Easton. Only Elise Buffinton has gone higher in school history. She set the school record of 12-5 ½ at the 2013 Penn Relays and matched it in 2014 at a meet at Moravian College in Bethlehem.

Indoors, Greeley also cleared 12-1 ½ at the Patriot League Championships in Annapolis in February. That’s also No. 2 in program history behind Buffinton, whose collegiate best of 12-11 ½ is the overall program record. Buffinton cleared 12-11 ½ to win the 2014 indoor ECAC Championships at Boston University.

On Sunday, Greeley cleared 11-11 ¾ on her 3rd attempt at the Bucknell Bison Outdoor Classic at Christy Mathewson Memorial Stadium in Lewisburg, Pa., before missing three tries at a PR of 12-5 ½.

At Seneca, Greeley won the 2020 indoor state Group 3 title at the Bubble with an 11-0 clearance. She had PRs of 11-0 indoors and 11-9 outdoors from 2021 Group 3 sectionals, which she won at Delsea.

As a Lafayette freshman, Greeley cleared 11-7 ¾ indoors and 11-11 ¼ outdoors. She’s been over 12 feet five times since late January.

Liberty senior Rayshawn Johnson, a graduate of Burlington County Institute of Technology, posted a huge hurdles PR Saturday in a meet in Lynchburg, Va.

Johnson won the 110-meter hurdles at the Dennis Craddock Coaches Classic in 14.67, edging teammate Luke Anderson, who ran 14.71.

His time is No. 4 in the Atlantic Sun Conference, behind teammates Prosper Ekporere [13.83] and Felix Lawrence [14.08] and Makai Williams of Kennesaw (Ga.) State [14.60].

Johnson’s previous best in his first year at Liberty was a 15.41 at a meet in Lynchburg last month. His lifetime best was a 15.08 in April of 2021 while competing for St. Peter’s in a meet in Jersey City.

Johnson competed in high school for Willingboro since BCIT doesn’t have a track team. He was the state Group 1 champ in the 55-meter hurdles in February of 2018 at the Bubble.

Millville senior Leah Howard uncorked one of the top javelin throws in New Jersey history Saturday, breaking the 150-foot plateau for the first time at the Lenape Invitational.

Howard threw 151-10, No. 9 in state history since U.S. high schools went to a new javelin implement in 2002 and No. 5 in South Jersey history.

That’s a qualifier for the USATF Under-20 Championships (formerly U.S. Junior Championships) scheduled for July at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. The standard is 149-3 (45.5 meters).

According to the MileSplit national database, Howard’s throw is No. 11 in the U.S. so far this outdoor season.

Looks like it will rank about No. 26 among U.S. women so far this spring according to the World Athletics U.S. list.

Howard’s previous PR was a 148-2 from her win at the state Group 4 meet last year at Franklin High. She approached that with a 146-2 in her opener last weekend in Deptford before popping her PR on Saturday.

After a foul on her 1st attempt, Howard PR’d with a 149-0 on her 2nd throw before hitting the big throw on her third attempt. She fouled again on her 4th and final throw.

She’s New Jersey’s first 150-footer since Oakcrest’s Brielle Smith set the state record of 163-8 at the 2019 Woodbury Relays.

All-Time South Jersey 140-Foot Javelin List
168- 6 … Brielle Smith [Oakcrest], 2019
160- 8 … Maria Jimenez [Vineland], 2012
152- 9 … Kate Johnston [Haddonfield], 2012
152- 4 … Jill Shaner [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2009
151-10 … Leah Howard [Millville], 2023
148- 8 … Caitlin Cielo [Eastern], 2002
146- 7 … Victoria Imbesi [Our Lady of Mercy], 2008
143-11 … Ayana Culhane [Absegami], 2016
142- 6 … Kaela Schrier [Cherokee], 2016
142- 1 … Alexa Gardner [Hammonton], 2018
141- 6 … Lindsay Minch [Pennsville], 2009
141- 5 … Kelly Yanucil [Bordentown], 2013
141- 1 … Tumelo Nwanma [Vineland], 2016
141- 0 … Jocelyn McRae [Millville], 2006
140- 8 … Julianne Foering [Rancocas Valley], 2017
140- 0 … Melissa Lake [Cherokee], 2011

All-Time New Jersey 150-Foot Javelin List
163- 8 … Brielle Smith (Oakcrest), 2018
160- 8 … Maria Jimenez (Vineland), 2012
155- 8 … Daina Pucurs (Demarest), 2004
155- 0 … Jamie Klein (Paramus Catholic), 2011
154-11 … Nia Barnes (West Orange), 2011
152- 9 … Katherine Johnston (Haddonfield), 2012
152- 4 … Jill Shaner (Egg Harbor Twp.), 2009
152- 3 … Shauntierah Douglas (Garfield), 2012
151-10 … Leah Ellis [Millville], 2023
151- 6 … Nicole Woods [Northern Valley-Demarest], 2022
150- 5 … Alianna Eucker [Bergen Tech], 2019

Before the javelin implement changed, there were only eight 150-foot throwers in New Jersey, including the national record holder and two South Jersey girls.

198-8 … Barbara Friedrich [Manasquan], 1967
159-8 … Amy Krilla [Red Bank Catholic], 2000
156-6 … Audra Corson [Monmouth Reg.], 1985
154-8 … Lynlee Phillips [Shawnee], 1999
152-7 … Emma Painter [Clayton], 1980
152-3 … Rena Antanellis [Randolph], 1980
150-9 … Jen Austin [Garfield], 2000
150-2 … Jill Watts [Morristown], 1978

Speedy senior Samuel Thomas of Northern Burlington hasn’t run an open 100 or 200 yet this spring, but he brought the Greyhounds home with a big school-record in the 400-meter relay Saturday.

Thomas, junior Jordan Wilkerson and senior Bryan Carroll all ran on three winning relay teams at Saturday’s Moorestown Relays.

Thomas joined junior Wilkerson, Carroll and senior Darryl Pitt on Northern’s winning 4-by-1. The Greyhounds ran 1:30.62 and won the large-school race by more than three seconds.

Northern shattered the school record of 1:33.37 set by the 2016 team at the Willingboro Relays. Their time is No. 10 in the state so far this year and No. 2 in South Jersey behind Pennsauken’s state-leading 1:26.74 Saturday at Cherokee.

The Greyhounds also won the sprint medley in 3:45.57 with Wilkerson and Thomas on the 200s, Carroll the 400 and senior Jose Grullon anchoring, and the 400-meter relay in 44.14 with Wilkerson, Carroll, Reynolds and sophomore Andrew Reynolds.

Thomas was runner-up at 55 meters in the state Group 3 indoor meet at the Bubble and his 6.42 ranked No. 2 in New Jersey. He’s the No. 8 returner in the state in the 100 with his 10.78 PR from last year’s BCSL meet at Northern Pennsauken.

With three legs from South Jersey, Rowan ran this year’s fastest 400-meter relay in NCAA Division 3 Saturday at Princeton.

Sophomore Shamar Love from Bridgeton, freshman Evan Corcoran from Kingsway and sophomore Jah’mere Beasley from Sterling were joined by junior anchor Nana Agyemang of Parsippany on the Rowan quartet that ran 40.84 at the Larry Ellis Invitational at Princeton’s Weaver Stadium.

Princeton won the 4-by-1 in 40.31 with Lumberton’s Greg Foster leading off. The meet was cancelled because of bad weather soon after the race.

Rowan came up just 2-100ths of a second shy of the school record of 40.82 run by Ed Fortune from Queens, N.Y., Millville’s Matt Davis, Highland’s Jorge Santiago and Camden’s Tyree Jackson at the 2003 NCAA Division 3 Championships in Canton, N.Y.

Two other Division 3 schools have run under 41 seconds this spring. Redlands (Calif.) ran 40.91 in a meet last weekend in Claremont, Calif., and Shenandoah of Winchster, Va., ran 40.98 Saturday in a meet in Lynchburg, Va.

Rowan is scheduled to compete in two meets next weekend – one at the University of South Carolian and one at Widener.

Stockton sophomore Michaela Pomatto from Egg Harbor Township High School smashed her discus PR Saturday at the Larry Ellis Invitational in Princeton.

In one of the final events before the meet was cancelled because of rain, Pomatto threw 138-5 and placed 5th in a field of mainly NCAA Division 1 throwers.

That’s the top throw in the NJAC by more than 20 feet.

Pomatto’s previous PR was 130-4 in the same meet last year while she was competing for Ursinus College. That remains the Ursinus school record.

This was only Pomatto’s second meet in the past year. She threw 126-10 last weekend in a home meet in Galloway Township in her first meet for the Ospreys.

On Saturday, Pomatto had four throws over 130 feet and two others over 120 feet. In addition to her 138-5 on her second throw, she hit 130-2, 131-3 and 131-7. She averaged 129-7 on her six throws – only nine inches below her previous PR.

Going into this weekend, only 16 throwers in NCAA Division 3 had surpassed 140 feet, so Pomatto will have a pretty high national ranking once all the results from Saturday are compiled and added to the TFRRS database.

Woodbury graduate Brady Shute destroyed his 800 PR Saturday, dipping under 1:50 for the first time in a meet in Ithaca, N.Y.

It was also his first time under 1:52 or 1:51.

Shute, a Cornell sophomore, won the race in 1:49.87, shaving more than two seconds off his 800 PR Saturday in the Transatlantic Series, a meet featuring Penn and Cornell from the Ivy League vs. Oxford and Cambridge at Cornell’s Robert L. Kane Sports Complex.

His previous PR was 1:52.06 from the David Hemery Valentine Invitational at Boston University in February. His outdoor PR was 1:53.70 from the CNY College Challenge in Cortland, N.Y., last April.

Shute’s time is 9th-fastest in Cornell history and fastest in 10 years, since Will Weinlandt set the school record of 1:48.43 at the 2013 George Mason Spring Invitational in Fairfax, Va.

At Woodbury, Shute’s best 800 was a 1:54.58 to win the 2021 state Group 1 meet at Pennsauken.

Shute’s 1:49.87 is No. 3 so far this year in the Ivy League, behind Dartmouth freshman J’Voughnn [1:48.42] and Columbia’s Justin O’Toole [1:48.58].

Shute PR’d indoors with a 4:16.76 mile and ran 3:54.56 for 1,500 meters in Storrs, Conn., two weeks ago, the equivalent of a 4:13.32 mile, an equivalent PR.

 

Juniors Elijah Jennings and Bronze Whitmore and seniors Bryce Tucker and Premier Wynn of Pennsauken smoked the Cherokee track Saturday for the fastest 800-meter relay by a South Jersey school in 19 years.

Pennsauken ran 1:26.74 at Fast Times at Cherokee, No. 16 in state history and No. 5 in South Jersey history.

Since 2006, the only faster times by New Jersey 4-by-200 teams came in 2018, when East Orange and Setonh Hall Prep both ran 1:26.59 (in different meets).

Pennsauken’s time is fastest by a South Jersey 4-by-2 since Camden ran 1:24.90 at the 2004 adidas Outdoor Championships in Raleigh, N.C.

The Indians’ previous best time was a 1:27.68 at the 2016 Willingboro Relay Championships with Marquan Jones, Nahzir Russell, Barheem Whitfield and Martin Booker.

Six other schools ran sub-1:33, led by Kingsway’s 1:30.63 with Benny Liles III, Alex Sims, Mathias Alexander and Damon Dukes Jr.

Delsea [1:31.59], Atlantic County Tech [1:31.84] and Clayton [1:31.91] all ran sub-1:32 and Glassboro [1:32.21] and Timber Creek [1:32.24] broke 1:33.

Delsea, Atlantic Tech, Glassboro and Timber Creek all raced in the 4^th of five sections. Pennsauken, Kingsway and Clayton ran in the 5^th race.

All-Time State 800-Meter Relay List
1:24.49 … Winslow Twp., 2003
1:24.90 … Camden, 2004
1:26.05 … Camden, 2000
1:26.0h … Somerville, 1973
1:26.05 … Camden, 2000
1:26.3h … Weequahic, 1992
1:26.59 … East Orange, 2018
1:26.59 … Seton Hall Prep, 2018
1:26.66 … Irvington, 2005
1:26.68 … Camden, 1997
1:26.5h … Snyder, 1971
1:26.5h … Rahway, 1971
1:26.5h … Montclair, 1984
1:26.5h … Plainfield, 1998
1:26.70 … Teaneck, 2007
1:26.74 … Pennsauken, 2023
1:26.7h … Plainfield, 1980
1:26.93 … St. Peter’s, 2017

All-Time South Jersey 800-Meter Relay List
1:24.49 … Winslow Twp., 2003
1:24.90 … Camden, 2004
1:26.05 … Camden, 2000
1:26.68 … Camden, 1997
1:26.74 … Pennsauken, 2023
1:27.38 … Paul VI, 2016
1:27.52 … Woodrow Wilson, 1996
1:27.66 … Oakcrest, 2011
1:27.68 … Pennsauken, 2016
1:27.69 … Oakcrest, 2012
1:27.74 … Pleasantville, 1994
1:27.75 … Willingboro, 2007
1:27.80 … Pleasantville, 1999
1:27.84 … Winslow Twp., 2002
1:27.90 … Winslow Twp., 2008
1:27.96 … Williamstown, 2015
1:27.98 … Camden, 2002