Rowan sophomore Molly Lodge opened her 2023 outdoor season Saturday with a PR in the 400-meter hurdles and the 4th-fastest time so far in NCAA Division 3.

What makes the performance so remarkable is that she’s never run the intermediate hurdles before.

According to New Jersey Milesplit’s database, Lodge never ran the intermediates at Woodstown – she ran the 100 and 200 and did both horizontal jumps – and the DirectAthletics college track database shows her running the 100, 200, 400 and 100 hurdles as well as competing in the high jump and triple jump last spring in her first year of collegiate outdoor track.

Intermediates? Nowhere to be found.

But racing Saturday at the Washington & Lee Carnival in Lexington, Va., Lodge not only ran 1:04.46, she won the race by 20 meters over Amanda Romano of the host Generals, who was 2nd in 1:07.71.

Her time is fastest by a Rowan woman in five years, since Bordentown graduate Jackie Ansong ran 1:02.81 at the 2018 NJAC Championships in Ewing.

This past indoor season, Lodge placed 3rd in both the 60 and 400 at the NJAC Championships at Ocean Breeze and ran a leg on Rowan’s 8th-place 1,600-meter relay team at the NCAA Division 3 Nationals in Birmingham, Ala.

Last spring, she placed in the top eight in the 100, 200, 400 and high jump at the conference meet and ran a leg on the 3rd-place 4-by-4.

Rancocas Valley graduate Kristina Tossas, a Rutgers junior, opened her 2023 outdoor season with a monster 20-5 long jump at the UCF Black and Gold Invitational in Orlando.,

That’s No. 4 in Rutgers outdoor track history behind Shameka Marshall of Oakcrest [21-6 ¾ at the 2005 ECAC Championships at Princeton], Williamstown’s Gabrielle Farquharson [21-5 ½ at the 2016 Seminole Invitational in Tallahassee, Fla.] and Asha Ruth [21- ½ at the 2012 Big East Championships in Tampa].

So three of the top four long jumpers in Rutgers history are from South Jersey. Ruth attended high school in Bowie, Md.

Tossas only managed three legal jumps, but she hit 20-1 ½ and 20-5 on back-to-back jumps in the trials before a 19-3 ½ to open the finals. She fouled on her 1st, 5th and 6th attempts.

Tossas is coming off a monster indoor season that she concluded by winning the Big Ten long jump at SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio, with a 20-9 ¼. That’s No. 3 in Rutgers history indoors and was a PR by more than a foot. It gave her a final U.S. ranking of No. 18 and left her just 2 ½ inches from qualifying for the NCAA Championships in Albuquerque.

Tossas also had a 20-2 ¼ at indoor Big Ten’s as well as a near-miss 19-11 ½. So after entering Big East with a PR of 19-7 ½ she’s now jumped 20 feet plus four times in her last two meets – one indoors and one outdoors.

Before Saturday, her outdoor PR was 19-0 on her only legal jump at the Tennessee Relays last April in Knoxville.

At R.V., Tossas had a PR of 18-7 ½ from the 2019 state Group 4 meet at Franklin High. Her indoor PR was 17-10 from a meet at Ocean Breeze in February, 2020.

Tossas will be in action a little closer to home next weekend when Rutgers competes in the Monmouth Open in West Long Branch

In his first healthy race in a month, Haddonfield senior George Andrus ran an indoor mile PR at Boston Indoor Nationals in Brighton, Mass.

Andrus ran 4:18.48 for a full mile, which converts to 4:16.98 for 1,600 meters, below his previous indoor PR of 4:17.72 set at Group 2 sectionals at the Bubble. That’s fastest by a South Jersey runner this winter.

Andrus was sick at states and wasn’t close to 100 percent and didn’t race again until Nationals.

Last spring, Andrus ran 4:10.97 for 1,600 meters on his home track as well as 9:09.38 for 3,200 meters at states. He was the state Group 2 XC champ this past fall and ran 15:40 at Holmdel when he was 2nd at the Meet of Champions.

The Villanova-bound Andrus got out in 61.68 and 2:06.38 and came back in 2:10.10. His time is No. 4 in Haddonfield history, behind Greg Pelose [4:11.93 in 2016], Jim Smith [4:15.2 in 1980] and Ben Potts [4:16.85 in 2011] and No. 6 in Camden County history.

All-Time South Jersey Indoor 1,600 List
y=converted from yards
4:09.96y … Miles Schoedler [Ocean City], 2011
4:11.03y … Brett Johnson [Ocean City], 2009
4:11.32y … Kyle Rakitis [Kingsway], 2022
4:11.89y … Luke Petela [Haddon Twp.], 2015
4:11.93y … Greg Pelose [Haddonfield], 2016
4:13.68y … Marc Pelerin [Cherokee], 2002
4:13.87y … Stone Caraccio [Kingsway], 2020
4:14.1y … Marty Ludwikowski [C.H. West], 1975
4:15.2y … Jim Smith [Haddonfield], 1980
4:15.52 … Bill Dolan [Clearview], 2014
4:16.0y … Greg Stremmel [Gateway], 1974
4:16.02 … Erik Johnson [Ocean City], 2012
4:16.3y … Rich Caton [Woodbury], 1979
4:16.61y … Jon Anderson [Cinnaminson], 2004
4:16.71y … Dave Forward [Shawnee], 2009
4:16.85 … Ben Potts [Haddonfield], 2011
4:16.98y … George Andrus [Haddonfield], 2023
4:16.9y … Bob Marino [Williamstown], 1974
4:17.1y … Mike Mantini [Gateway], 1978
4:17.33y … Carmen Cavella [Washington Twp.], 2004
4:17.51y … Connor Melko [Bishop Eustace], 2019
4:17.57 … Tobias Janssen [Haddonfield], 2021
4:17.67 … Derek Gess [Haddonfield], 2018
4:17.67y … Sebastien Reed [Pitman], 2020
4:17.98 … Seth Clevenger [Haddonfield], 2022
4:18.21y … Xavier Fraction [Washington Twp.], 2009
4:18.22 … Jacob Clark [Pleasantville], 2013
4:18.28 … Alex Boyko [Cinnaminson], 2023
4:18.48 … Justin Kelly [Cherokee], 2018
4:18.50 … Shawn Wilson [Cherokee], 2013
4:18.53y … Chris Platt [Haddonfield], 2001
4:18.4y … Al Harden [Millville], 1979
4:18.4h … Mike Myers [Eastern], 2001
4:18.62 … Brady Shute [Woodbury], 2021
4:18.70y … Ethan Wechsler [Cherokee], 2019
4:18.73 … Jacob Cobb [West Deptford], 2022
4:18.80y … Austin Gabay [Cinnaminson], 2020
4:18.83 … Tyler Jackson [Cherokee], 2020
4:19.02 … Jack Bolling [Haddon Heights], 2023
4:19.03 … Noah Culbreath [Kingsway, 2014
4:19.07y … Owen Ritti [Ocean City], 2022
4:19.40 … Justin Branco [Delsea], 2015
4:19.7y … Chris Hageman [Paul VI], 1985
4:19.96 … Robert Rawls [Triton], 2011
4:19.97 … Steve Burkholder [Cherokee], 2010

Oakcrest junior Ryan Merlino broke a 32-year-old county record with a 14-9 clearance at Boston Indoor Nationals Saturday in Brighton, Mass.

That’s No. 11 in South Jersey history.

Merlino broke the Atlantic County mark of 14-6 ¼ set in 1991 by Absegami’s Brandon Kurtz.

Merlino placed 3rd in the Rising Stars division of the pole vault and added three inches to his PR of 14-6, which he set at the Meet of Champions a week earlier at Ocean Breeze.

Merlino was one of three vaulters to clear 14-9 but placed 3rd because he had more misses at earlier heights than the two others, Jason Olivera Jr. of St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Tyler Cash of Allatoona High in Acworth, Ga.

After clearing opening height of 13-3 ½ on his second attempt, 13-9 ¼ on his third try and 14-3 ¼ on his second, Merlino was one of six vaulters still alive with the bar moving up to 14-9 in the metric progression.

All six missed their first two attempts, and Olivera, Cash and Merlino cleared on their third try. All three then missed three attempts at 15-1.

The meet capped a tremendous junior year for Merlino, the top underclassman in New Jersey and only the third South Jersey underclassman ever to clear 14-9 or higher, following Nico (15-6) and Marco (15-0) Morales of Delsea in 2019.

All-Time South Jersey Indoor Pole Vault List
16-0 … Marco Morales [Delsea], 2020
15-6 … Dan Batdorf [West Deptford], 2008
15-6 … Nico Morales [Delsea], 2019
15-1 … Dylan Altland [Kinsgway], 2014
15-0 ¼ … Devon Purves [Haddonfield], 2006
15-0 … Mark Murphy [Haddonfield], 1985
15-0 … Mike Davis [Haddonfield], 2004
15-0 … Mike Rivard [Haddonfield], 2009
15-0 … Noah Kriesman [Cherry Hill East], 2021
14-11 ¼ … Tom Jeffers [Triton], 2011
14-9 … Ryan Merlino [Oakcrest], 2023
14-7 … Brian Banks [Eastern], 2011
14-6 ¼ … Brandon Kurtz [Absegami], 1991
14-6 … Mike Maira [Seneca], 2009
14-6 … Michael Oberg [Ocean City],
14-6 … Jarrod Brovero [Delsea], 2016
14-6 … Kyle Loveland [Moorestown], 2016

Three South Jersey women contributed to a huge Rowan school record Saturday in the 1,600-meter relay.

Sophomores Jasmine Broadway of Burlington Township, Molly Lodge of Woodstown and Neveah Lorjuste of Triton – along with senior Kat Pedersen of Hillsborough – ran 3:50.39 at the NCAA Division 3 National Championships in Birmingham, Ala. Rowan placed 8th.

Pedersen led off with a 58.54 split, Broadway ran 57.87, Lodge split 57.71 and Lorjuste anchored in 56.28.

Rowan had qualified with a 3:52.23 in Friday’s trials, with Pedersen [58.84], Broadway [58.46], Lodge [57.75] and Lorjuste [57.18].

The previous school record was 3:50.98 at Ocean Breeze last month with Kat Pedersen, Jasmine Broadway, Molly Lodge and Naveah Lorjuste.

When the year began, Rowan’s 4-by-4 record was 3:54.38 set in 2015 at the ECAC Championships at the Armory by a team that included Pemberton’s Shailah Williams and Cherokee’s Jessalynn Wright. Brianna Angellela from Southern Regional and Melirah Searcy of Edison also ran on that team.

Rowan first broke the school record in February when Pedersen, Broadway, Lodge and Lorjuste ran 3:52.57 at Boston University. Two weeks later, the same quartet ran 3:50.98 at Ocean Breeze to lower the record again.

Rowan’s 3:50.39 moves them into the No. 19 performer spot on the all-time NCAA Division 3 list.

Lorjuste also qualified for nationals in the open 400 and set a PR of 58.06, finishing in 15th place overall.

Pennsauken finished a magical indoor season with 3rd place and All-America honors Sunday in the 1,600-meter relay at Boston Indoor Nationals, the final race of the year.

Freshman KaRon Ali, junior Ladanian McGrath and seniors Premier Wynn and Bryce Tucker ran 3:17.10 and finished behind only Seton Hall Prep of West Orange, which broke its own state record of 3:15.73 with a 3:14.53 – No. 5 in U.S. history – and Cuthbertson High of Waxhaw, N.C., which ran 3:16.27.

They were the 2nd All-America honors of the weekend for Wynn and Tucker.

Pennsauken had run 3:15.83 – No. 11 in U.S. history – in edging Seton Hall Prep at the Meet of Champions last Sunday at Ocean Breeze. Sunday’s 12th and final section of the 4-by-4 featured the four-fastest teams in the country – Montverde (Fla.) Academy [3:15.31], Seton Hall Prep, Pennsauken and IMG Academy of Bradenton, Fla. [3:16.55].

Cuthbertson won the 11th section in 3:16.27, and Seton Hall and Pennsauken went 1-2 in the final race, although Cuthbertson’s time held up for second place. Toms River North placed 4th in 3:17.19, No. 13 in state history and a 1-3-4 New Jersey finish.

Seton Hall Prep was DQ’d when an official ruled that their 3rd runner interfered with Monteverde on the second lap of their 400-meter legs, but the Pirates were reinstated about an hour later after successfully appealing the ruling.

Ali opened with a 51.59 for Pennsauken, followed by McGrant at 50.82. Wynn followed with a 47.42 split and Tucker anchored in 47.27.

All in all, it was a remarkable weekend for Pennsauken.

In the sprint medley, with juniors Elijah Jennings and Bronze Whitmore along with Wynn and Tucker, Pennsauken ran 3:29.31 for 2nd place and No. 3 in South Jersey history an No. 14 in state history and All-America honor for juniors Elijah Jennings and Bronze Whitmore as well as Wynn and Tucker.

In the 800-meter relay, the Indians ran 1:28.77 with Ali, Whitmore, Jennings and Wynn, Pennsauken placed 11th with the 7th-fastest time in South Jersey history and No. 18 in state history.

 

Paul VI junior Shaelan McNally joined the sub-5 club Saturday with a PR performance at the New York Indoor Nationals at the Armory.

McNally ran 5:01.18 for a full mile and placed 2nd in the Emerging Elite division. Her time converts to 4:59,.43 for 1,600 meters and makes her the 17th girl in South Jersey history to go under five minutes indoors.

She’s the fastest miler in South Jersey this winter.

McNally placed 2nd to senior Grace Tyson of Lafayette High in Wildwood, Mo., who won the race in 4:57.61.

Her previous PR was 5:01.74 at last weekend’s Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze, and her outdoor PR is 5:02.10 from Delsea last May.

McNally is the No. 2 junior in New Jersey this indoor season, behind only Freehold Township’s Emma Zawatski, who ran 4:48.71 in Boston last month and won the Meet of Champions in 4:49.53.

McNally doubled back later in the day and ran 18:38.57 for the 5,000.

All-Time South Jersey Indoor 1,600-Meter List
4:41.52y … Michelle Rowen [Washington Twp.], 1983
4:49.46y … Erin Donohue [Haddonfield], 2001
4:51.60 … Briana Gess [Haddonfield], 2016
4:52.33y … Rachel Vick [Kingsway], 2017
4:53.36 … Lindsey Kane [Washington Twp.], 2014
4:53.85 … Nicole Clifford [Cherokee], 2022
4:54.58 … Celine Mazzi [Delsea], 2014
4:55.04y … Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2010
4:56.1h,y … Ruth Lockbaum [Glassboro], 1985
4:57.12 … Megan Quimby [Lenape], 2015
4:57.72 … Caitlin Orr [Lenape], 2010
4:57.77y … Aubrey Pierontoni [Kingsway], 2022
4:58.48 … Natalia Ocasio [Lenape], 2010
4:59.28y … Grace Wassell [Highland], 2022
4:59.29 … Julia Despirito [Shawnee], 2014
4:59.39 … Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 2012
4:59.43y … Shaelan McNally [Paul VI], 2023

Washington Township junior Yashahya Brown advanced easily to the hurdles finals at Boston Indoor Nationals on Sunday morning.

Brown, whose 7.80 in Saturday’s qualifying rounds is 4th-fastest in state history over the 60-meter hurdles, followed that with a 7.82 to win the first of four semifinal races Sunday in Brighton, Mass.

He’ll be the No. 3 seed in the final behind only Abdoul Sy-Savane of Parkview High in Lilburn, Ga. [7.76] and Joshua Mooney of Stonington High in Pawcatuck, Conn. [7.80].

In the final, Brown will line up in Lane 3, Sy-Savane in Lane 4 and Mooney in Lane 5.

The final is scheduled for 12:26 p.m. Sunday.

Northern Burlington sophomore Liliah Gordon ran the 14th-fastest indoor 5,000 in state history Saturday night and earned All-America honors at New York Indoor Nationals.

Gordon, in her first lifetime track 5,000, covered 25 laps at the Armory in 17:26.55 and placed 3rd overall, behind only soph Lillie Bogdan of Frontier High in Hamburg, N.Y., who won the race in 17:01.63, and senior Rose Coats, who attends Brooklyn Prospect Charter School but competes independently and placed 2nd in 17:14.83.

Gordon ran her first 1,600 in 5:26.55 and came through 3,200 meters in 11:01.22. She ran her 15th through 23rd laps between 43.0 and 43.9, closing in 42.2 and 38.1 for a final 400 of 80.3.

Her time is fastest by a New Jersey runner indoors in five years, since Monica Hebner [16:53.91] and Isabel Hebner [17:09.31] of Northern Highlands both ran faster at 2018 Armory Nationals.

Gordon’s time is No. 8 in South Jersey history and fastest since Alyssa Aldridge of Mainland Regional ran 17:22.84 at 2016 Armory Nationals. She’s also No. 8 on the South Jersey all-time indoor and outdoor combined list.

Gordon’s time is 3rd-fastest in state history by a sophomore, behind Chelsea Ley of Kingsway [17:03.79 at 2008 Armory Nationals] and Aldridge [17:24.43 at 2016 Armory Nationals].

The only faster Burlington County runner indoors or out at 5,000 meters is Cherokee’s Megan Lacy, who ran 16:49.00 indoors at 2012 Armory Nationals and 16:50.75 in 2011 at a meet at Princeton’s Palmer Stadium.

Gordon’s fastest cross country 5,000 is a 17:56.10 on the flat New Egypt speedway in the BCSL Liberty Division meet in October.

Gordon is now the fastest sophomore in New Jersey in the 3,200 [10:38.20] and the 2nd-fastest soph nationally in the 5,000 [17:26.55].

All-Time New Jersey Indoor 5,000 List
16:43.02 … Briana Jackucewicz [Colts Neck], 2009
16:49.00 … Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 2012
16:53.91 … Monica Hebner [Northern Highlands], 2018
16:55.69 … Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2010
16:57.99 … Mackenzie Barry [Mendham], 2013
17:02.78 … Sarah DiSanza [High Point Reg.], 2013
17:03.79 … Chelsea Ley [Kingsway], 2008
17:09.31 … Isabel Hebner [Northern Highlands], 2018
17:12.38 … Holly Bischoff [Bishop Eustace], 2012
17:18.03 … Dina Iacone [Washington Twp.], 2012
17:22.84 … Megan Venables [Highland], 2010
17:24.43 … Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Reg.], 2016
17:24.89 … Amy Van Alstine [Midland Park], 2003
17:26.55 … Liliah Gordon [Northern Burlington], 2023
17:31.96 … Lara Shegoski [Montgomery], 2014
17:34.69 … Lindsay Van Alstine [Hawthorne], 2003
17:43.27 … Laura Vigilante [Mendham], 2009
17:45.45 … Kerry Dyke [Mount St. Mary], 2013
17:47.89 … Devon Grisbaum [Ocean City], 2015
17:51.73 … Brennan Sharkey [West Morris Central], 2014
17:53.77 … Jillian Prentice [Montgomery], 2009
17:56.13 … Samantha Ragenklint [Monmouth Reg.], 2019

All-Time South Jersey Combined List
16:49.00 … Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 2012 (i)
16:55.69 … Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2010 (i)
17:03.79 … Chelsea Ley [Kingsway], 2008 (i)
17:08.55 … Holly Bischoff [Bishop Eustace], 2011 (o)
17:18.03 … Dina Iacone [Washington Twp.], 2012 (i)
17:22.84 … Megan Venables [Highland], 2010 (i)
17:24.43 … Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Reg.], 2016 (i)
17:26.55 … Liliah Gordon [Northern Burlington], 2023 (i)
17:31.87 … Amanda Goetschius [Delsea], 2007 (o)
17:40.49 … Megan Malloy [Haddonfield], 2013 (o)
17:47.89 … Devon Grisbaum [Ocean City], 2015 (i)
17:50.26 … Allison Colflesh [Haddonfield], 2020 (o)

Cherokee sophomore Megan Niglio, junior Kerry O’Day, senior Megan Niglio and freshman Kerry O’Day earned All-America honors with a 4th-place finish in the four-mile relay Saturday at Boston Indoor Nationals in Brighton, Mass.

Cherokee ran 20:56.84 – an average of 5:14.21 per mile – to record the 7th-fastest time in state history and fastest in six years.

Megan Niglio led off with a 5:08.72, O’Day ran 5:12.40, Meder 5:22.47 and Kelsey Niglio anchored in 5:13.26.

That’s No. 2 in South Jersey history, behind only Haddonfield’s 20:53.03 with Shelby Cain, Kaitlyn Bonnet, Meg Schroeter Briana Gess.

Cherokee placed 4th in the seeded heat of the 4-mile relay, then had to wait over an hour for several other races to finish before an unseeded section of the race was held to make sure their time held up for 4th. The winning time in the second section was 21:21.61 and Cherokee had its 4th place finish.

Indoor State 4xMile List
20:33.64 … Roxbury, 2008
20:36.41 … Colts Neck, 2007
20:38.43 … Colts Neck, 2006
20:46.30 … Red Bank Regional, 2002
20:51.21 … Pope John XXIII, 2017
20:53.03 … Haddonfield, 2014
20:56.84 … Cherokee, 2023
20:57.64 … Randolph, 2017
20:57.65 … Colts Neck, 2008
20:59.66 … Ridgewood, 2012

South Jersey 4xMile Indoor List
20:53.03 … Haddonfield, 2014
20:56.84 … Cherokee, 2023
21:03.64 … Lenape, 2010
21:15.16 … Lenape, 2012
21:18.28 … Lenape, 2008
21:54.98 … Lenape, 2006
21:57.98 … Bishop Eustace, 2019
21:58.47 … Highland, 2009