Timber Creek graduate Jaden Johnson, a freshman at New Jersey Institute of Technology, popped an indoor triple jump PR Friday in the Wagner Invitational at Ocean Breeze and broke the school record for the second time in as many meets.

Johnson jumped 47-3 ¾ and placed second to Malachi Aiken of St. Francis of Brooklyn, who won the event with a 49-2 ¼.

Johnson set an indoor school-record 46-11 ½ last month, also at Ocean Breeze, in his first collegiate triple jump competition.

At Timber Creek, Johnson had an indoor PR of 46-11 ¾ from his 4th-place finish in Nike Indoor Nationals – also at Ocean Breeze – this past March. He set his overall PR of 47-7 ½ in June when he won the state Group 3 title at Pennsauken.

Johnson had a terrific series Friday, with two jumps over 47 feet and three others over 46 feet. He opened with a 47-1 ¼ – his first indoor PR of the day – and then hit 46-7 ½ and 46-9 ½ on his last two jumps of the prelims. After a 45-3 ¾ to open the finals, he hit the 47-3 ¾ and finished with a 46-1 ½.

Johnson’s six legal jumps averaged 46-6 ½ – just five inches shy of his previous indoor lifetime best.

NJIT’s outdoor school record is 45-4 ¼ set by Jason Poppe at the 2014 Collegiate Track Conference Championships in Middletown, Ct.

Whatever he jumped Tuesday was going to be an indoor long jump PR for Christian Langston because he had never competed in an indoor long jump before.

Turned out to be not only a PR but the No. 10 jump in the state this year.

Langston won the long jump at the Rebel Shot / Jump Series No. 1 at the Bubble with a 21-3 ¼, which was a nearly two-foot PR for the Delsea junior.

He had only long jumped three times as a sophomore with a best of 19-6 ¾ at the Red & Black Invitational in East Stroudsburg in April.

He did have a promising season as a quarter-miler, dropping his 400 PR from 55.90 as a freshman to 51.52 for 7th at Group 3 sectionals on his home track. That made him the No. 4 sophomore in South Jersey.

Unfortunately, no series information is available, but Langston won the long jump by more than a foot over Tony Brinson of Central Regional, who placed 2nd at 20-2 ½.

Langston’s 21-3 ¼ is No. 3 among New Jersey underclassmen and trails Egg Harbor senior Ahmad Fogg [22-3 ½] and Mainland senior William Murray [21-10] on the 2023 South Jersey indoor list.

Langston’s mark is No. 11 in Gloucester County indoor history, just three inches outside the top 10:

23-7 ¾ … Anthony Averett [Woodbury], 2012
23-4 ½ … Maurice Hunter [Woodbury], 1983
22-9 ¼ … Shai Mumford [West Deptford], 2013
22-7 ¼ … Keon Grady [Delsea], 2017
22-5 ¾ … Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], 2018
22-2 … Adwon Parker [West Deptford], 2006
22-0 … Damir Lomax [Delsea], 2020
21-8 … Ferrell Cooper [West Deptford], 2011
21-6 ½ … Craig Howard [Washington Twp.], 1998
21-6 ½ … Mel Colvin [Delsea], 1999
21-3 ¼ … Christian Langston [Delsea], 2023
21-2 … Brandon Greene [Washington Twp.], 2019
21-1 ½ … Enis Hutchinson [Glassboro], 2014
21-0 … Raekwon Little-Martin [Williamstown], 2014

Here’s one from last month that I missed: Winslow grad Nylah Perry, now a sophomore at Iowa, ran a PR 38.46 for 300 meters in her season opener.

Perry placed 2nd, just 3-100ths of a second behind teammate Lia Love in the 300 at the Jimmy Grant Invitational in Iowa City.

Love and Perry’s times are fastest in the sporadically contested 300 by Iowa women since

They both fell a little over half a second short of the school record of 37.82 set in 1984 by Elaine Jones. Iowa swept the top five spots in the 300, with four women under 39 seconds.

Perry’s previous 300 PR was a 39.22 at the same meet last year.

Although the 300 isn’t contested in a lot of meets, 38.46 is still a very impressive time, and Love and Perry and teammates Mariel Bruxvoort (38.74) and LaSarah Hargrove (38.83) rank 4th, 5th, 7th and 9th on the current U.S. list.

Perry is also No. 11 on the 2022 world list. The 300 is run mainly in U.S. college meets but also in some international meets.

Perry ran 58.72 for the 400 intermediates last spring at the NCAA West Prelims in Fayetteville.

So far this year, that 300 is Perry’s only race, and Iowa isn’t scheduled to return to action until Jan. 14 at the Hawkeye Invitational, also in Iowa City.

Deptford senior Lathan Brown just missed the Gloucester County 400-meter dash record over the weekend at the Armory High School Holiday Classic in New York.

Brown ran a big indoor PR 49.18 to place 3rd in a fast 400 at the Armory behind outdoor state Group 2 champ Alexander Sadikov of Ocean Township (48.50) and Wesley Noble of Bishop Loughlin in Brooklyn (49.00), who ran 47.14 in June to win the USATF Outdoor Youth National Championship.

Brown’s previous indoor PR was a 50.26 from New Balance Nationals at the Armory in March. He just missed his overall PR of 49.17, which he ran at outdoor sectionals at Delsea in June.

He also just missed the county indoor mark of 49.11 set by Woodbury’s Darrell Bush when he won the 2012 Meet of Champions at the Bubble. His time is No. 22 in South Jersey history.

The versatile Brown ran 1:56.19 for the 800 and 55.22 in the intermediates last spring.

All-Time Gloucester County Indoor 400 Top-10
49.11 … Darrell Bush [Woodbury], 2012
49.13 … Eric Chekemian [Washington Twp.], 2001
49.18 … Lathan Brown [Deptford], 2023
49.26 … Tim Carey [Washington Twp,], 2010
49.65 … Aaron Younger [Delsea], 2007
50.05 … Devon Carter [Washington Twp.], 2010
50.16 … Derrell Manhertz [Kingsway], 2012
50.18 … Shaikyi Hannah [Delsea], 2020
50.22 … Marcus Williams [Delsea], 2012

Eastern senior Johnay Stilley recorded a huge hurdles PR Thursday at Ocean Breeze, winning the 55-meter highs in 8.34.

Stilley’s indoor PR coming into this season was 8.70 from the prelims of the state Group 4 meet at the Bubble this past February. She went on to have a terrific outdoor season, with a PR of 14.76 at sectionals and then a medal finish in 7th place at the Meet of Champions.

She lowered that 8.70 PR to 8.56 in her indoor opener at the Bubble and then to 8.52 leading all qualilfieres in the trials at the Coach Glynn Holiday Carnival at Ocean Breeze on Thursday.

In the final, she ran away from the field, finishing clear of 2nd-place Abigail Dennis of Northern Valley-Old Tappan, who ran 8.50.

Her time is No. 3 in Eastern history behind the Ash sisters. Jailya ran 8.03 to win the 2020 Meet of Champions and Jewel ran 8.15 in a meet at the Bubble in 2020. Jewel is now at Charleston Southern and was Big South Conference champ with a 57.16 in the intermediates last spring. Jailya is at Uconn and ran 13.58 last spring and was Big East runner-up.

Stilley’s time is No. 4 in the state so far this year and No. 1 in South Jersey.

Stilley also placed 4th in the 55-meter dash in 7.56 after a 7.51 in the trials. That’s No. 5 in South Jersey this year. Her previous 55 PR was 7.62 from the trials of indoor sectionals last year at the Bubble.

Here’s a look at the all-time South Jersey top-50 in the 55-meter hurdles!

7.89 … Ste’yce McNeil [Winslow Twp.], 2012
7.89 … Nia Ali [Pleasantville], 2006
7.92 … Carol Lewis [Willingboro], 1981
7.94 … Lenaami Morton [Camden], 2017
7.98 … Nichole Belcher [Woodrow Wilson], 1992
7.98 … Tionna Tobias [Winslow Twp.], 2019
8.01 … Samantha Sharper [Woodrow Wilson], 2008
8.03 … Alethia Jenkins [Pennsauken], 2000
8.03 … Jailya Ash [Eastern], 2020
8.03 … Claudine Smith [Atlantic City], 2018
8.04 … Zonya Cross [Edgewood], 1983
8.05 … Sherese Price [Pleasantville], 1998
8.06 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2006
8.10 … Nichole Hill [Oakcrest], 1997
8.11 … Cidae’a Woods [Winslow Twp.], 2014
8.15 … Jewel Ash [Eastern], 2020
8.17 … Torie Robinson [Winslow Twp.], 2014
8.17 … Aliya Rae Garozzo [Paul VI], 2020
8.18 … Gabrielle Bennett [Winslow Twp.], 2015
8.18 … Te’seanna Harris [Camden], 2019
8.19 … Brittany Preston [Winslow Twp,], 2016
8.21 … Anabella Chin [Rancocas Valley], 2022
8.22 … Jamillah Nock [Wilson], 2004
8.23 … Tierra Hooker [Timber Creek], 2019
8.24 … Malea Broome [Millville], 2019
8.26 … Jane Sharper [Woodrow Wilson], 2006
8.28 … Jasmine Staten [Lenape], 2016
8.29 … Keisha Williams [Camden], 2015
8.29 … Meredith Updike [Cinnaminson], 2020
8.30 … Joshonda Johnson [Absegami],2017
8.31 … Bryanna Craig [Millville], 2020
8.28… Kristina Keegan [Haddonfield], 2003
8.33 … Helen Wilks [Bridgeton], 1994
8.33 … Christine Lavallias [Timber Creek], 2016
8.34 … Johnay Stilley [Eastern], 2023
8.35 … Janiayah Davis-Hines [Timber Creek], 2017
8.35 … Tonya Lee [Rancocas Valley], 1988
8.35 … Kayla Henry [Winslow Twp.], 2008
8.36 … Sonja Bennett [Edgewood], 1985
8.37 … Annie Taft [Bishop Eustace], 2005
8.37 … Nichole Hill [Oakcrest], 1997
8.37 … Delicia Sample [Kingsway], 2004
8.37 … Lexie Fraction [Washington Twp.], 2014
8.38 … Kimberly Allen [Willingboro], 2004
8.34 … Amani Gilliam [Pennsauken],2004
8.39 … Rachell Armstead [Millville], 2016
8.40 … Yvette Murray [Edgewood], 1999
8.40 … Francesca D’Angelo [Holy Spirit], 2008
8.40 … Shevell Higgs [Winslow Twp.], 2020
8.40 … Nylah Perry [Winslow Twp.], 2020

Glassboro junior Clifton Moore, in what appears to be his first indoor track competition ever, moved into 7th place on the all-time Gloucester County indoor triple jump performance list this week.

Moore jumped 43-11 ¾ to win the triple jump at the Armory High School Holiday Classic Thursday in New York.

https://results.armorytrack.com/meets/17437/events/677365/results

That’s an indoor PR for Moore since he had never triple jumped indoors.

Moore won by more than a foot over Jak Kearney of Roman Catholic High School at Broad and Vine in Philadelphia. Kearney placed 2nd with a best jump of 42-7.

Moore broke the school record of 42-0 ½ set by Mike Hall at the 2020 Hispanic Games at the Armory.

He also had the three-best jumps of the competition and averaged 43-0 on his six legal jumps.

Moore opened with a 43-11 and followed with jumps of 42-4 and 42-8 in the trials and 42-10 and 42-4 in the finals before finishing with the 43-11 ¾.

His previous PR was a 43-6 ¼ to place second at the state Group 1 meet last spring at Pennsauken. That made him the No. 4 sophomore in the state last year.

ALL-TIME GLOUCESTER COUNTY INDOOR TRIPLE JUMP LIST
49-1 …..… Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], 2018
48-8 ½ … Tristan Wilson [Delsea], 2014
46-5 …….. Orion Joyner [Kingsway], 2019
46-3 ½ … Keon Grady [Delsea], 2018
45-0 …….. Earnest Daniel [Kingsway], 2017
44-11 … Devon Carter [Washington Twp.], 2010
43-11 ¾ … Clifton Moore [Glassboro], 2023
42-11 … Jose Gonzalez [Deptford], 2014
42-6 ½ … Shayne Paynter [West Deptford], 1978
42-0 ½ … Mike Hall [Glassboro], 2020

In her second career high school race, Pennsauken freshman Sianni Wynn ran the 6th-fastest 300 in state history.

Wynn won the 300-meter dash at the Armory High School Holiday Classic Thursday in New York in 39.17.

The full all-time state list is below, but Wynn’s time is 1-100th of a second off the South Jersey record of 39.16 set by Winslow Township’s Krystal Cantey at the 2006 Stanner Games on the same banked 200-meter track at the 168th Street Armory.

Her time is 2nd-fastest ever by a New Jersey freshman, behind a 38.55 run by Olympic 400-meter hurdles gold medalist and world record holder Sydney McLaughlin, who ran 38.55 as a Union Catholic freshman at the 2013 Bishop Loughlin Games, also at the Armory.

Wynn, who won numerous national age group titles, debuted in a 200 at the Bubble on Tuesday, winning easily in 25.97. Her 39.17 is essentially the same pace as a 25.97 but for an half lap.

Wynn outraced Eyota Bey, a senior at Cheltenham, who ran 40.00 for 2nd place. Bey has run 24.92 and 55.47.

Wynn’s brother, Premier, a Pennsauken senior, won the boys 300 in 34.35, No. 5 in South Jersey history. He beat 2nd-place Junior Grant of Springfield Gardens (N.Y.) High in Queens, who was 2nd in 35.14.

All-Time New Jersey Girls 300-Meter Sub-40 List
36.82 … Sydney McLaughlin [Union Catholic], 2017
37.36 … Athing Mu [Trenton], 2020
38.73 … Olivia Baker [Columbia], 2014
38.79 … Wendy Vereen [Trenton], 1984
39.16 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2006
39.17 … Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], 2023
39.28 … Myasia Jacobs [Paramus Catholic], 2012
39.1h … Janine Davis [Queen of Peace], 2004
39.40 … Arianna Sharpe [Clayton], 2022
39.42 … Aliyah Taylor [Rancocas Valley], 2018
39.44 … Racquel Vassell [East Orange], 2007
39.47 … Mariah Fede [Paramus Catholic], 2020
39.51 … Stephanie Saleem [Neptune], 1985
39.3h … Mikele Barber [Montclair], 1998
39.3h … Tawana Watkins [Paterson Kennedy], 2002
39.85 … Chidumga Nkulume [Union Catholic], 2020
39.9h … Melisa Barber [Montclair], 1998
39.94 … Dominique Booker [Immaculate Conception], 2008
40.13 … Jasmine Still [Woodrow Wilson], 2006
40.14 … Natalie Englese [Cranford], 2010
40.15 … Amirah Sharpe [Clayton], 2021
40.22 … Tia Livingston [Union Catholic], 2016
40.2h … Evelyn Simpson [Camden], 1979
40.2h … Dana Burnett [Williamstown], 1996
40.22 … Nia Ali [Pleasantville], 2006
40.23 … Khamil Evans [Union Catholic], 2018
40.24 … Christiana Nwachuku [Kent Place School], 2022
40.27 … Kiara Lester [Deptford]. 2014
40.31 … Drexel Long [Monmouth Regional], 1991
40.36 … Halimah Bashir [Willingboro], 2003
40.53 … Bridget McNally [Pope John XXIII], 2020
40.5h … Anike Orimongunje [Queen of Peace], 2002
40.5h … Emily Carrollo [Pope John], 2008
40.6h … Yhounic Vassell [Passaic Tech], 2002
40.6h … Janay Mitchell [Teaneck], 2008
40.64 … Celeste Holder [Parsippany], 2004
40.73 … Aleah Williams [Montclair], 1997
40.73 … Sydney Tucker [Union Catholic], 2018
40.73 … Tamara Jones [Camden Eastside], 2007
40.74 … Shakirah Dancy [Winslow Twp.], 2017
40.76 … Janeya Hammond [Winslow Twp.], 2019
40.78 … Flora Ahiarakwe [Winslow Twp.], 2018
40.80 … Tess Darnell [Red Bank Catholic], 2020
40.85 … Sydney Hawkins [Phillipsburg], 2018
40.87 … Leslie Njoku [McNair Academic], 2007
40.90 … Amber Allen [Passaic Tech], 2008
40.93 … Denisha Scott [St. Mary’s-Jersey City], 1996
40.95 … Lauren Princz [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2019
40.97 … Thaila Cooper [Kingsway], 2015
40.98 … Tiffany Grant [Ocean Twp.], 2005

All-Time South Jersey Girls 300-Meter Dash Top-10
39.16 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2006
39.17 … Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], 2023
39.40 … Arianna Sharpe [Clayton], 2022
39.42 … Aliyah Taylor [Rancocas Valley], 2018
40.13 … Jasmine Still [Woodrow Wilson], 2006
40.15 … Amirah Sharpe [Clayton], 2021
40.2h … Evelyn Simpson [Camden], 1979
40.2h … Dana Burnett [Williamstown], 1996
40.22 … Nia Ali [Pleasantville], 2006
40.27 … Kiara Lester [Deptford]. 2014

All-Time South Jersey Boys 300-Meter Dash Top-10
33.79 … Jade Smith [Camden], 2002
33.94 … Amir Brock [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2017
34.04 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1984
34.25 … Dwight Ruff [Camden], 2001
34.35 … Premier Wynn [Pennsauken], 2023
34.39 … Mike Mazero Paul VI], 2022
34.83 … Royce Reed [Bridgeton], 1995
35.08 … Alex Reber [Cherry Hill East], 2011
35.08 … Antonio Tarantino [Paul VI], 2017
35.14 … Dennis Davis [Edgewood], 1999
35.15 … Ahmad Brown [Holy Spirit], 2020

Clearview senior Abigail Waddington opened her senior year with a two-mile PR and the No. 9 time in Gloucester County history.

Waddington placed 2nd in the two-mile at the Ocean Breeze Holiday Festival on Staten Island in 11:07.38, which converts to 11:03.51 for 3,200 meters.

She finished behind only Zariel Macchia of William Floyd High in Mastic Beach, Suffolk County, N.Y. Macchia, who ran 10:33.22, was the Nike Indoor Nationals two-mile champ last winter and the USATF Under-20 cross country champion. She’s run as fast as 10:08.50 outdoors.

Waddington broke her own indoor school record of 11:10.01 from last year’s Group 3 sectionals, where she was 2nd to Northern Burlington’s Liliah Gordon. Her overall PR and the Clearview outdoor school record is 11:00.19 from the Tri-County Conference Championships at Kingsway in May.

All-Time Gloucester County 3,200 Performance List
10:29.90y … Chelsea Ley [Kingsway], 2009
10:40.03 … Dina Iacone [Washington Twp.], 2012
10:43.2y … Michelle Rowen [Washington Twp.], 1983
10:52.05 … Amanda Goetschius [Delsea], 2007
10:52.53 … Allie Pierontoni [Kingsway], 2020
10:59.04 … Maria Ruiz [Williamstown], 2009
10:59.13 … Vickie Ajimoko [Williamstown], 2013
10:59.90 … Aubrey Pierontoni [Kingsway], 2022
11:03.51y … Abigail Waddington [Clearview], 2023
11:03.78 … Rachel Vick [Kingsway], 2017

Mainland’s McKenna Pontari hit 17 feet for the first time and broke the school record, and teammate Emma Crozier-Carole was just a few inches behind in the long jump competition at the Ocean Breeze Holiday Festival in Staten Island.

Pontari and Carole, who are both seniors, placed 1st and 2nd in the long jump at Ocean Breeze and moved into the No. 8 and 9 spots on the all-time Atlantic County indoor performance list.

And they both did it on their final attempts.

Pontari, who missed all of last year with a Lysfranc foot sprain, had a PR of 15-10 ½ from the 2021 Atlantic County Championships at Buena. She matched that in her first indoor meet this winter, the Bishop Loughlin Games, also at Ocean Breeze.

On Tuesday, she PR’d four times – 15-11 ¾ on her first attempt, 16-8 on her second, 16-11 ¼ on her third and then she 17-footer on her final attempt. She also had jumps of 16-0 ¾ and 16-7 ½, so she averaged 16-6 ½ on six legal jumps after bringing a PR of 15-10 into the meet.

Crozier-Carole, a budding heptathlete, has a long jump PR of 17-7 from a dual meet against Holy Spirit in the spring of 2021 and had a big-meet official PR of 16-5 from her 6th-place finish at Group 3 sectionals at Delsea. This is her first season of indoor track and her first season overall since outdoors her sophomore year.

On Tuesday, Crozier-Carole hit 16-0 on her 4th jump and 16-3 ¾ on her 5th before moving up from 5th place to 2nd with her 16-8 on her final attempt.

Another Mainland jumper, senior Paige Bonczek, placed 6th with an indoor PR of 15-11 ½. She has an outdoor 16-7 to her credit from last spring’s Cape-Atlantic Championships at Bridgeton as well as a 17-1 in a dual meet.

Mainland is going to score some serious long jump points this year!

Mainland’s indoor school record before Tuesday belonged to Crozier-Carole, who jumped 16-2 ¼ last week at the Bishop Loughlin Games.

Mainland’s big-meet outdoor school record is 17-5 by Victoria Henry from the 2014 Rowan Invitational. Some schools choose to include dual meet marks in school record lists.

Atlantic County indoor all-time performance list
18-6 ½ … Asia Young [Holy Spirit], 2016
18-5 …… Claudine Smith [Atlantic City], 2019
18-4 ¼ … Gabrielle Germann [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2020
17-11 ¾ … Angela Clyburn [Egg Harbor Twp.], 1991
17-11 ½ … Frances Bundy [Pleasantville], 1998
17-10 ½ … Shameka Marshall [Oakcrest], 2001
17-8 ¼ … Nia Ali [Pleasantville], 2006
17-0 … McKenna Pontari [Mainland Reg.], 2023
16-8 … Emma Crozier-Cartole [Mainland Reg.], 2023
16-5 ¾ … Alex Romanelli [Abegami], 2009

Junior Ryan Merlino broke the Oakcrest pole vault record in his 2022-23 season opener.

Merlino, the top sophomore in the state last spring with a 13-6 at the Atlantic County meet at Buena, cleared 13-7 at the SJTCA Winter Meet #1 at the Bubble.

That broke the school indoor record of 13-6 by one inch. Ray Rodriguez set the mark at 13-6 from an SJTCA Small School meet at the Bubble in 2014 and matched it at an Olympic Conference meet at the Bubble in 2015. Michael Baglivo also cleared 13-6 in 2020.

Merlino’s mark is 3rd-best overall in Oakcrest history, behind two outdoor marks – Tony DeFeo’s 14-6 at 2004 state Group 3 meet at Egg Harbor and Rodriguez’s 14-0 at the 2015 Atlantic County meet at Buena.

It’s also No. 2 this year in the state, behind only the U.S.-leading 16-5 by Brian Sullivan of Hillsborough at the Armory.

All-Time Atlantic County Indoor List
14-6 ¼ … Brandon Kurtz [Absegami], 1991
14-1 … Joshua Cohen [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2019
14-0 … Dan Pope [Hammonton], 2004
13-7 … Ryan Merlino [Oakcrest], 2023
13-6 … Ian Best [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2010
13-6 … Vince Murrey [Buena Reg.], 2011
13-6 … Aidan Skelly [Hammonton], 2013
13-6 … Ray Rodriguez [Oakcrest], 2014
13-6 … Michael Baglivo [Oakcrest], 2020