Eastern graduate Jewel Ash, a junior at Charleston Southern, recorded a fast early performance in the 400-meter hurdles Saturday in a meet in Knoxville, Tenn.

Ash won the hurdles at the Tennessee Invitational in 57.72. She edged Tennessee senior Kyla Robinson-Hubbard, who PR’d at 57.87 for 2nd place.

Ash PR’d with 57.16 last May in High Point, N.C., and also ran 57.43 in Columbia, S.C., and 57.92 in High Point. She made it to the NCAA East Preliminary Round last May in Bloomington, Ind., but fell short of reaching the NCAA Championships.

Ash ranks No. 18 among U.S. women and No. 33 in the world. She finished last year ranked No. 28 among American women.

Ash is No. 1 in the Big South Conference in both the 400IH and the flat 400 with a 55.58 from a meet last month on her home track.

Oddly, Charleston Southern’s web site ran a story this weekend saying Ash had broken the school record in the intermediate Saturdays, although she’s run faster twice, as you can clearly see on her TFRRS page or her World Athletics page.

Even more confusingly, the record book on the school’s own web site lists lists Ash’s 59.50 from two years ago as the school record, although she broke that record more than a year ago, and she’s run faster six separate times now.

 

Devon Brooks broke Rancocas Valley’s discus record for the second time in two meets so far this spring.

Brooks, a senior, threw 163-5 last week in Lincroft and backed that up with a 167-11 Saturday at the Spartan Relays in Deptford.

The previous school record was 161-9, set at the 2018 state Group 4 meet at Franklin by Meet of Champions javelin champ Nick Mirabelli.

Brooks didn’t throw as a freshman and had a PR of just 116-9 as a sophomore. But he surpassed 150 feet five times last spring, including a best of 159-9 when he placed 5th at the state Group 4 meet at Franklin before hitting 163-5 and then 167-11 this year.

Brooks is No. 5 in the state so far and No. 2 in South Jersey. Cinnaminson’s Malicah Etienne leads South Jersey with his 174-5 from CBA’s throws meet last week, No. 2 in the state.

(By the way, on Brooks’ Twitter profile, he lists a 4.4 grade-point average, which is cause for congratulations as much as that 167-11 throw. OK, almost as much!)

Glassboro junior Damere Lassiter had a huge PR 158-6 at Deptford to place 2nd behind Brooks. Lassiter’s previous PR was a 149-5 last June at South Jersey Group 1 sectionals at Buena. That makes him the No. 2 junior in the state and looks like a Glassboro school record.

Also surpassing the 150-foot barrier for the first time Saturday was Bishop Eustace junior Shawn Brady, who threw 152-0 at the Don Danser Relays at Lenape. His previous PR was a 140-9 last June in the Meet of Champions at Franklin High. That puts him within 5 ½ feet of the school-record 157-5 by Montel Johnson at the 2017 state Parochial A meet at Egg Harbor.

Etienne, Brooks, Lassiter and Brady rank No. 2, 5, 7 and 10 in the state so far this spring. Lassiter and Brady are No. 2 and 4 among juniors.

Jasmine Broadway, who had a 200 PR of 25.60 in high school, is now one of the leading 200-meter dash sprinters in NCAA Division 3.

Bradberry, a Rowan sophomore from Burlington Township, ran 24.85 at a meet in Widener with a legal wind – actually racing into a 1.1-meters-per-second wind.

That’s No. 7 in NCAA Division 3 three weeks into the outdoor season and No. 1 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. Nobody else in the NJAC is under 25.16.

Broadway’s previous 200 PR was a 25.16 earlier this spring in a meet in Lexington, Va. She ran 25.19 indoors at the Armory. Her outdoor PR coming into this season was 25.84 last April in a meet in Ewing, so she’s lowered that nearly a full second.

Broadway’s time is fastest by a Rowan woman since Pemberton’s Shailah Williams set the Rowan school record 12.36 with a legal 0.1 wind at the 2015 NJAC meet at Ramapo in Mahwah. Williams was the Division 3 national champ indoors with a 24.41 in 2014 and is also the Rowan 400 record holder with her 54.74 for 3rd at the 2016 outdoor D-3 nationals.

At Burlington Township, Broadway PR’d in the 200 at 2021 Group 3 sectionals at Jackson Liberty, which she won in 25.60.

Nice start for Mainland Regional senior Mawali Osunniyi, who PR’d in the high jump at 6-6 this weekend, the top mark in New Jersey opening weekend of track season.

Osunniyi’s PR was 6-4 from last year’s Group 3 sectionals at Delsea. He also had a 6-2 at the Cape Atlantic Championships, but those were his only clearances of 6-2 or better last year. Osunniyi, who plays basketball and football for Mainland, was a first-year jumper last year.

That 6-6 places Osunniyi at No. 4 on the all-time Mainland Regional performance list.

Paul Klemic set the state record of 7-4 ½ at the 2000 Foot Locker Championships in Raleigh, N.C. His younger brother Matt cleared 6-8 at the 2002 Atlantic County Championships at Buena.

Ryan O’Connell was Mainland’s first great high jumper. He cleared 6-8 at the 1994 state Group 3 meet, also at South Plainfield.

Osunniyi also triple jumped Saturday for the first time in his track career and hit 42-3, the No. 6 mark in the state after the first weekend of the season.

In his first crack at the 42-inch hurdles over 110 meters, Lumberton’s Greg Foster moved into the No. 6 spot in Princeton history.

Foster, a Princeton freshman who prepped at Lawrenceville, ran 14.30 to win the 110 highs at the Oscar Moore Invitational in Glassboro in cold, blustery conditions not condusive to fast times.

In his first lifetime race over the 42s at 110 meters, Foster ran 14.36 in the prelims to lead all qualifiers into the finals. Boys high school hurdles are set at 39 inches. In all open and collegiate competition, the hurdles go up to 42 inches.

Because Foster chose not to compete at U.S. Juniors last summer, he hadn’t raced the 110 hurdles over 42 inches yet, although he did run 7.89 over the 42s for 60 meters indoors at a meet at Harvard in January. That’s No. 3 in school history. Foster remains eligible for U.S. Juniors this summer.

As for the 14.30, Foster is now one of two Princeton freshmen to add his name to the all-time Princeton hurdles list already this spring. Easton Tan ran 14.29 a meet at Navy two weeks ago, so he’s No. 5 in Princeton history and Foster is No. 6 1-100th of a second behind. Tan, from Winchester, Mass., was 2nd Saturday in 14.30.

Foster also won the long jump Saturday with a 24-4 ¼ on his only legal attempt. He fouled five times. He jumped 24-5 ½ at a meet in Austin last month in his only other outdoor long jump competition so far as a collegian. That’s No. 2 in the Ivy League this spring and No. 11 in NCAA Division 1 so far among freshmen.

Indoors, Foster PR’d at 25-9 to break the Ivy League Championships record and post the No. 2 mark in Princeton history (and best in 33 years). His outdoor PR is 25-6 ¼ from his final high school meet, at Franklin Field last June. That’s No. 2 in state history behind Carl Lewis’s 26-8 ¼ in 1979.

Foster also ran on Princeton’s 400-meter relay team Saturday, the first time he’s run on any relay team as a collegiate athlete. The Tigers won the 4-by-1 in 40.56, No. 2 this year in the Ivy League.

Foster hasn’t triple jumped yet this spring. Indoors, he went 50-7 ½ to place 2nd at Heps at Dartmouth in Hanover, N.H. That’s No. 8 in Princeton history indoors. Foster’s outdoor triple jump PR is his state-record 51-0 ¾, also from Franklin Field last June.

World Athletics doesn’t seem to have Foster’s correct age in its database, but he should be in the top 10 in the world in the Under-20 age group in the hurdles and long jump.

Millville’s Leah Howard, one of the top javelin throwers in the country, opened her senior year with a monster throw at the Spartan Relays at Deptford.

Howard threw 146-2, two feet shy of her PR of 148-2 from last year’s state Group 4 meet at Franklin High. That’s No. 6 in South Jersey history and No. 16 in state history.

This time last year, Howard had never thrown farther than 123-3. But she hit 132-10 at Woodbury, 134-10 at the South Jersey Elite at Delsea, 134-7 at the Cape-Atlantic Championships at Bridgeton, 138-6 at Group 4 sectionals at Buena and that 148-2 at states before placing 2nd at the Meet of Champions with a 135-3 and then hitting 141-8 at the American JavFest in East Stroudsburg, Pa.

So her 146-2 is her 2nd-best throw ever. Unfortuantely, the timing company that worked the Spartan Relays did not include field event series in their results, which is ridiculous.

Last year, Howard ranked 16th nationally according to the MileSplit database. Her throw Saturday is No. 14 nationally according to MileSplit.

All-Time South Jersey 140-Foot Javelin List
168- 6 … Brielle Smith [Oakcrest], 2018
160- 8 … Maria Jimenez (Vineland), 2012
152- 9 … Katherine Johnston (Haddonfield), 2012
152- 4 … Jill Shaner (Egg Harbor Twp.), 2009
148- 8 … Caitlin Cielo (Eastern), 2002
148- 2 … Leah Howard [Millville], 2022
146- 7 … Victoria Imbesi (Our Lady of Mercy), 2008
145- 0 … Brielle Smith (Oakcrest), 2017
143-11 … Ayana Culhane (Absegami), 2016
142- 6 … Kaela Schrier (Cherokee), 2016
142- 1 … Alexa Gardner [Hammonton], 2018
141- 6 … Lindsay Minch (Pennsville), 2010
141- 5 … Kelly Yanucil (Bordentown), 2013
141- 1 … Tumelo Nwanma (Vineland), 2016
141- 0 … Jocelyn McRae (Millville), 2006
140- 8 … Julianne Foering (Rancocas Valley), 2016
140- 1 … Caitlin Ciello (Eastern), 2002
140- 0 … Melissa Lake (Cherokee), 2011

Great start for the Timber Creek girls sprint team, which set a school record of 1:41.90 in the 800-meter relay Saturday at the Spartan Relays at Deptford.

That’s the No. 1 time in the state after the first week of competition.

Sophomore Ryan Jennings led off for Timber Creek, followed by sophomore Billie Frazier, Chloe Jones and Naylah Jones.

Timber Creek’s previous school record was 1:42.98, which they ran at the 2015 Woodbury Relays.

The time is No. 29 in South Jersey history, and considering the early date and the cold, blustery conditions, that’s a heck of a performance.

Timber Creek ran unpressed, beating 2nd-place Winslow by about 3 ½ seconds. Winslow ran 1:45.26.

The Chargers also won the 400-meter relay in 48.96 with Jennings, junior Nyla Jones, Chloe Jones and Naylah Jones. That’s also No. 1 in the state.

All-Time South Jersey 800-Meter List

1:38.43 … Winslow Twp., 2018
1:39.21 … Eastern, 2003
1:39.59 … Winslow Twp., 2012
1:39.67 … Winslow Twp., 2019
1:40.25 … Rancocas Valley, 2019
1:40.30 … Winslow Twp., 2017
1:40.46 … Eastern, 2019
1:40.62 … Winslow Twp., 2003
1:40.72 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2018
1:40.5h … Woodrow Wilson, 2006
1:40.91 … Winslow Twp., 2004
1:41.10 … Washington Twp., 1999
1:41.1h …. Camden, 1995
1:41.33 … Camden, 2009
1:41.2h … Willingboro, 1994
1:41.40 … Winslow Twp., 2005
1:41.2h … Camden, 2006
1:41.54 … Willingboro, 1999
1:41.56 … Highland, 1998
1:41.59 … Eastern, 2002
1:41.70 … Paul VI, 2019
1:41.5h … Pleasantville, 1995
1:41.5h … Woodrow Wilson, 2005
1:41.81 … Willingboro, 1995
1:41.7 … Wilson, 2008
1:41.85 … Deptford, 2015
1:41.86 … Willingboro, 2000
1:41.87 … Camden, 2001
1:41.88 … Winslow, 2013
1:41.90 … Timber Creek, 2023
1:41.91 … Winslow, 2018
1:41.97 … Moorestown, 1999
1:41.9h … Willingboro, 2003

Millville graduate Daniel Fenton, a junior at Monmouth, PR’d Saturday in the 400-meter hurdles in a meet at Fairfax, Va.

Fenton placed 2nd in the George Mason Ebanks Invitational in 53.49, shaving more than half a second off his previous PR of 54.04. Fenton ran 54.04 in April of 2021 in a meet on his home track in West Long Branch.

Fenton – seeded 5th – placed 2nd to St. Joe’s senior Kyle Magee from Chalfont, Pa., and Central Bucks South in Warrington. Magee ran 53.13.

His time is No. 3 in the Colonial Athletic Conference, behind Northeastern’s Cory Gaither (51.98) and North Carolina A&T’s Akeem Lindo of East Orange (52.05).

Huge breakthrough race Saturday for St. Augustine’s Sincere Rhea, a Miami junior, who not only ran a big PR with legal wind in the 110-meter hurdles on his home track, he edged three-time Big East champion Terrel Williams of UConn in a matchup of two of the nation’s top hurdlers.

Rhea won the hurdles at the Hurricane Alumni Invitational at Cobb stadium in Coral Gables in 13.74 racing into a 1.2-meters-per-second wind. Williams ran 13.76 for second place.

Rhea’s wind-legal PR was 13.89, which he ran in the trials of the Big Ten Championships in Champaign, Ill., as a Penn State sophomore in May of 2021, and matched in a meet in Baton Rouge, La., last April. He ran a heavily wind-aided 13.72 two weeks ago in Coral Gables – that was with a 4.1 mps tailwind. Anything over 2.0 mps disqualifies a performance in the 100, 200, high hurdles or horizontal junms from record and list consideration.

That 13.74 equals the No. 4 performance in Miami history and is fastest since Artie Burns ran 13.70 at the 2016 NCAA East Preliminary Round meet in Jacksonville. Burns was the Steelers’ 1st-round draft pick in 2016 and has spent the last seven years playing cornerback with the Steelers, Bears and Seahawks.

Of the three athletes ahead of Rhea on the all-time Miami list, two are from New Jersey. Trenton’s Devon Hill set the school record of 13.35 at the 2012 ACC Championships in Charlottesville, and Cory Nelms of Neptune, who ran and played briefly for the Raiders in 2012, ran all-time Miami No. 2 13.65 at the 2010 NCAA East Prelims in Greensboro, N.C.

Rhea’s 13.74 ranks No. 26 in the world this year, according to the World Athletics performance list, and No. 13 in the U.S.

 

Another hanmmer PR for Rutgers-Camden senior Emily Hilt, one of the top throwers in NCAA Division 3.

Hilt, a Kingsway graduate, threw 178-3 (twice) Friday at the Osprey Open in Galloway Township. She hit her previous PR of 178-1 at a meet at Widener two weeks ago.

She improved on her No. 4 ranking in Division 3, only 10 inches behind No. 3 Brooke Buckhannon of Baldwin Wallace.

Hilt had a lifetime best of 172-0 coming into this season from a meet last May in New Haven, Conn. She didn’t throw the hammer as a freshman, and her PR as a sophomore was 155-1, so this is the start of only her third season specializing in the hammer.

Hilt had a very consistent series Friday in poor conditions, with throws of 178-3, 173-1, 167-2, 168-10, 167 and a second 178-3.

She averaged 172-1 on her six throws, good enough to rank among the top 10 throwers in Division 3.