Eastern’s Jewel Ash shattered the Charleston Southern intermediate hurdles school record Saturday for the second time this year.

Ash, a Charleston Southern sophomore, lowered her personal best and school record from 59.22 to 58.83 at the Aggie Invitational in Greensboro, N.C. She had run 59.22 at the Raleigh Relays on March 26.

Her time is No. 29 in NCAA Division 1 and it’s 8th-fastest in Big South Conference history.

Ash ran 1:01.46 at Eastern when she placed 6th in the 2019 Meet of Champions at Northern Burlington. She didn’t run any 400IH races in 2020 due to the shutdown and then had a best time of 59.50 last spring in the trials of the Big South Championships in High Point. She went on to win the conference title with a slightly slower time and also placed 2nd in the high hurdles and ran on 1st-place 4-by-1 and 4-by-4 teams.

Because of the 2020 COVID shutdown, this race was only her seventh intermediate hurdles race since the end of the 2019 season.

Her time is fastest by a South Jersey alumni since 2015, when Lenape graduate Evann Thompson and Winslow’s Ste’yce McNeil both ran faster.

Thompson set a Pitt school record of 56.87 at the NCAA East Regionals in Jacksonville, and McNeil, competing for Mississippi State, ran 58.38 at the Starkville (Miss.) Jeace LaCoste Invitational.

The fastest 400IH ever run a South Jersey product is Rancocas Valley graduate Tonya Lee’s 55.78 for Tennessee when she won the 1996 Mt. Sac Relays in Walnut, Calif.

Ash placed first in her race among college hurdlers. She placed second to Akala Garrett, running unattatched, who ran 57.65. Garrett was the national high school champion last year in the intermediates and runner-up in the high hurdles. 

Amirah Sharpe ran the 7th-fastest 400 in South Jersey history Saturday, and twin sister Arianna wasn’t far behind.

The Sharpes raced at the Aggie Invitational at North Carolina A&T University’s Belk Stadium in Greensboro.

Amirah ran 54.19, lowering her previous PR of 55.16 by nearly a second. She ran 55.16 last spring at the Metuchen Relays.

Sharpe’s time is No. 16 in New Jersey and No. 6 in South Jersey history and fastest in 13 years, since Michelle Brown of Seneca ran 52.91 at the 2009 Nike Outdoor Nationals on the same track in Greensboro. It’s fastest by any New Jersey girl since double Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin of Union Catholic ran 51.87 at the 2016 Meet of Champions at Central Regional in Bayville.

If the Sharpes still attend Clayton, Sharpe’s time is No. 2 in Glouester County history and fastest in 26 years, behind only a 53.51 Dana Burnett of Williamstown ran in 1996 at Outdoor Nationals in Raleigh, N.C.

Amirah Sharpe placed 4th in a field of mainly college quarter-milers, and Arianna was 6th in 54.98.

Although the New Jersey MileSplit database hasn’t updated thee marks, Amirah’s time looks like No. 5 in the country so far this year, and Arianna would be No. 16.

Arianna Sharpe’s time is No. 14 in South Jersey history. Her previous PR was a 56.09 last month at Armory Nationals, and her outdoor PR was 56.58 from last year’s state Group 1 meet at Pennsauken, where she was second to Amirah.

Sharpe’s time also hasn’t shown up yet on the IAAF world lists, but it looks like Amirah would be No. 4 on the world Under-20 list (and No. 4 among American women), and Arianna would be No. 8.

The qualifying standard for the women’s 400 at the U.S. Under-20 Championships scheduled for June 23-25 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., is 55.20, so Amirah and Arianna are both eligible. The qualifying window, which opened on June 9 last year, closes June 12.

Results should be here, but they are still showing the heat sheets.

The Sharpe sisters – Amirah, Arianna and Ariel – competed for Paulsboro as freshman and after the 2020 outdoor season was cancelled, they competed for a club team during the 2021 indoor season, then resurfaced at Clayton, leading the Clippers to the state Group 1 title last spring.

But they have competed exclusively unattatched this spring, and it’s not clear what school they actually attend, so their times are now included in our all-time lists but without a school designation. Athletes are eligible for all our lists as long as they’re attending a South Jersey high school, whether or not they’re competing for the school’s track program.

51.87 … Sydney McLoughlin [Union Catholic], 2016
51.98 … Athing Mu [Trenton], 2019
52.46 … Olivia Baker [Columbia], 2014
52.56 … Mikele Barber [Montclair], 1998
52.91 … Michelle Brown [Seneca], 2009
53.0h … Stephanie Saleem [Neptune], 1985
53.51 … Dana Burnett [Williamstown], 1996
53.64 … Nijgia Snapp [Oakcrest], 2008
53.66 … Giselle Harris [Shabazz], 1986
53.84 … Drexel Long [Monmouth], 1991
54.00 … English Gardner [Eastern], 2007
54.04 … Nadia Davy [Bridgeton], 1998
54.04 … Ajee’ Wilson [Neptune], 2012
54.0h … Natalie Jordan [Paterson East Side], 1984
54.19 … Okechi Ogbuokiri [Willingboro], 2003
54.19 … Amirah Sharpe [Unknown], 2022
54.20 … Emile Cowan [Columbia], 2015
54.21 … Jennifer Edobi [Union], 2014
54.1h … Donithy Jones [Montclair], 1981
54.23 … Symone O’Connor [Franklin Twp.]. 2007
54.31 … Tawana Watkins [JFK-Paterson], 2000
54.33 … Victoria Vanriel [Governor Livingston], 2019
54.34 … Tiffany Grant [Ocean Township], 2019
54.36 … Shakira Dancy [Winslow Twp.], 2018
54.41 … Dennisha Page [Woodrow Wilson], 2019
54.23 … Symone O’Connor [Franklin Twp.]. 2007
54.3h … Regina Trotter [Weequahic], 1981
54.48 … Julia Jackson [Scotch Plains-Fanwood], 2021
54.51 … Katrina Sye [Buena], 1998
54.62 … Audrey Wilson [Deptford], 2008
54.75 … Faleesha Dowe [Penns Grove], 2014
54.93 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2004
54.98 … Arianna Sharpe [Unknown], 2022

52.91 … Michelle Brown [Seneca], 2009
53.51 … Dana Burnett [Williamstown], 1996
53.64 … Nijgia Snapp [Oakcrest], 2008
53.00 … English Gardner [Eastern], 2007
54.04 … Nadia Davy [Bridgeton], 1998
54.19 … Okechi Ogbuokiri [Willingboro], 2003
54.19 … Amirah Sharpe [Unknown], 2022
54.36 … Shakira Dancy [Winslow Twp.], 2018
54.41 … Dennisha Page [Woodrow Wilson], 2019
54.51 … Katrina Sye [Buena], 1998
54.62 … Audrey Wilson [Deptford], 2008
54.75 … Faleesha Dowe [Penns Grove], 2014
54.93 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2004
54.98 … Arianna Sharpe [Unknown], 2022

Pennsauken is picking up outdoors right where it left off indoors. With some fast relay work.

Racing at the Deptford Spartan Relays, the Indians won the 800-meter relay with a New Jersey No. 3 1:31.45, won the 1,600-meter relay with a New Jersey No. 5 3:24.60 and also ran 44.53 in the 400-meter relay.

Senior Nadir Paige and juniors Kahlil Ali, Elijah Jennings and Bryce Tucker ran on the 4-by-2, Ali, Paige, junior Joel Oquendo and Tucker ran the 4-by-4, and Ali, Tucker, Jennings and Paige the 4-by-100. The Indians also took 2nd in the DMR, with junior Brian Harrell leading off, sophomore Marquai Chestnut running the 400, Oquendo the 800 and sophomore Jaylam Thach the 1,600.

Tucker also won the open 400-meter hurdles in 54.73 in his first 400IH race since he won the USATF Junior Olympics in Jacksonville in July. Deptford junior Lathan Brown finished second in 56.51, a 2 ½-second PR

Pennsauken also won the two-by-intermediates with Tucker and sophomore Zah’kye Copling, although their individual times were not listed in the results.

Washington Township ran a hot early shuttle hurdles race Saturday at the Husky Relays in Matawan.

Junior Kanye Mills led off, followed byfreshman Nico DiGiacomo,sophmore Yashahya Brown and Senior Tracy Marshall.

The Minutemen ran 1:02.17 and won by 3 ½ seconds over host Matawan, which placed 2nd in 1:05.63.

Township’s time is No. 1 in the state so far through two weeks of the outdoor season.

The time is Washington Township’s fastest in 10 years. The 2012 team set the school record of 1:00.48 at New Balance Outdoors in Greensboro, N.C., and also ran 1:00.74 at the East Coast Relays at Randolph. It’s fastest by a Gloucester County relay since Deptford ran 1:01.18 at the 2018 Willingboro Relays. And according to the MileSplit database, it’s No. 6 nationally.

Also Saturday, Washington Township won the 6,400-meter relay in 18:49.50 and medaled in the 800-meter relay [1:34.76], 4-by-4 [3:35.47], sprint medley [3:42.97], 4-by-8 [8:35.50], distance medley [11.41.90].

Also, junior Kanye Mills won the 400 hurdles [57.52] and senior Alex Diaz won the discus [140-9] and senior Nahmere Graves placed 2nd in the high jump [5-10].

For the Township girls team, sophomore Dahlia Beasley won the high jump at 5-6 and senior Gabby Vetere won the pole vault with a 10-0 clearance.

(Thanks to Kanye Mills for providing the correct Washington Township lineup!)

Pennsville graduate Arianna Smith shattered the one-minute barrier in the intermediate hurdles for the first time Saturday and moved into the No. 6 spot in Princeton history.

Smith ran 59.69 and placed second in the 400-meter intermediates at the Hurricane Alumni Invitational at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla.

Smith’s previous collegiate PR was 1:00.51 two weeks ago at the Raleigh Relays at North Carolina State. Her 59.69 is only 57-100ths of a second out of the No. 2 spot on the all-time Princeton list, currently occupied by Haddonfield graduate Carly Bonnet, who ran 59.12 at 2019 Heps.

Her previous lifetime best was a 1:00.13 from her Meet of Champions win at Northern Burlington in June of 2019.

Smith’s time is No. 2 in the Ivy League this year, behind only Cornell senior Brooke Overholt, who ran 59.12 at the South Florida Invitational Saturday across the state in Tampa.

Princeton did not compete in outdoor track in 2020, and Smith only ran two 400IH races in 2021, so Saturday’s race was only her fourth over the 400IH since the 2019 Meet of Champion 34 months ago.

Although Smith raced a few times last spring, she is officially a freshman.

Sophomore Zoe Goldberg got off to a hot start Saturday with the best javelin throw by an Eastern girl in 20 years.

Goldberg won the javelin at the Lenape Girls Invitational with a big PR throw of 126-6, nearly nine feet beyond her previous PR of 117-10, which she set when placing 15th at last year’s Meet of Champions at South Plainfield as a freshman.

That’s the best throw by an Eastern girl since Caitlin Ciello threw 148-8 to win the 2002 state Group 4 title at Egg Harbor and set a South Jersey record. That was the first year the new impliment was in use, and her mark stood as the new-javelin South Jersey record for 10 years, until Maria Jiminez of Vineland threw 160-8 in 2012.

Her throw is No. 8 in Camden County history with the new jav.

Goldberg, New Jersey’s top freshman javelin thrower last year, opened her series Saturday with a 107-0 before popping the 126-6 on her second attempt. She finished with a 109-6 in her three-throw series.

Her throw is best by a Camden County sophomore since Kathrine Johnston of Haddonfield threw 152-2 at the 2010 Haddonfield Invitational.

152- 9 … Kate Johnston [Haddonfield], 2012
148- 8 … Caitlin Cielo [Eastern], 2002
136- 6 … Danielle Still [Bishop Eustace], 2002
132- 4 … Kelsey Reese [Paul VI], 2011
128-5 … Saraly Gonzalez [Sterling], 2018
127-11 … Pam Watson [Haddon Heights], 2016
127-5 … Bernadette McGowan [Paul VI], 2016
126-6 … Zoe Goldberg [Eastern], 2022
124-5 … Maggie Volente [Audubon], 2006
124-3 … Amanda Porter [Audubon], 2013

Nice way to start the season for the Cinnaminson distance crew with a 10:40.74 distance medley win at the 14th annual Moorestown Invitational.

The results are a mess – the times seem to be listed randomly, with slower times ahead of faster times and no particular rhyme or reason to how they’re presented – but it certainly looks like the Pirates won the race over 2nd-place Shawnee, which ran 11:16.67.

So Cinnaminson ran unopposed, which makes an early time like 10:40.74 on a cool, breezy day even more impressive.

Tyler Schill ran the 1,200-meter leadoff leg for the Pirates, Patrick Storti the 400, Matt McCarron the 800 and Alex Boyko anchored.

It’s Cinnaminson’s 2nd-fastest outdoor DMR time ever and fastest since the Pirates ran 10:35.21 at the 2007 Colts Necks Relays, when they finished just behind Jackson.

Cinnaminson set an indoor school record this past winter season with a 10:50.55 at the Group 2 state relays at the Bubble.

Palmyra junior Kwinten Ives opened his outdoor season with a nearly one-foot long jump PR Saturday at the Moorestown Invitational.

Ives won the long jump with a 21-7 jump, winning by over a foot over sophomore Jamir Brown of Delran, who was second at 20-3 1/4.

Ives’ previous PR was a 20-9 1/2 last spring at South Jersey Group 1 sectionals at Washington Township, good for second place behind Clayton senior Ter’Meir Hill’s 23-6 1/2.

According to the MileSplit database, this was only Ives’ third lifetime major long jump competition.

His jump is best by a Palmyra athlete in 18 years, since Will Allison jumped 22-4 3/4 to win the 2004 state Group 1 title at Egg Harbor.

Freshman Robert McKinney from Highland and junior Jah’mere Beasley from Sterling contributed legs to Rowan’s 400-meter relay team, which ran the fastest time in the country in NCAA Division 3 Friday night.

McKinney and Beasley were joined by senior John Owens of West Windsor-Plainsboro North and sophomore Nana Agyemang of Parsippany at the Temple Invitational.

Racing at the Temple Sports Complex in North Philadelphia, Rowan ran 41.16, leading two other New Jersey schools – Bloomfield and The College of New Jersey – under 42 seconds. Bloomfield placed 3rd in 41.61 and TCNJ was 3rd in 41.98.

Rowan bumped Shenendoah of Winchester, Va., out of the top spot in the 4-by-1. Shenendoah ran 41.33 last weekend at the Battleground Relays in Fredericksburg, Va.

Owens led off for Rowan, handing off to McKinney and then Beasley, with Agyemang anchoring.

Beasley and Agyemang were joined by Camden’s Julian Pratt and Donovan Clement of Deptford on Rowan’s 4-by-100 team last year, when the Profs ran 41.01 in the trials at the NCAA Division 3 Championships before placing 7th overall in 41.22.

Agyemang also ran 10.59 and 21.53 Friday night, both huge PRs. He now ranks No. 3 in NCAA Division 3 in the 100 and No. 8 in the 200.

Beasley ran 10.82 and 21.69, and McKinney ran 10.85 and 21.85. Beasley is ranked 25th in the 100 and 13th in the 200, McKinney 33rd in the 100 and 25th in the 200.

McKinney is off to quite a start at Rowan after runing PRs of 11.06 and 22.04 at Highland, both at Group 3 sectionals last spring.

In that 400 relay, Bloomfield’s relay team included senior MarQuel Davis from Deptford, and TCNJ’s lineup included junior Andrew Lodge from Shawnee.

Another big 800 PR for Lenape graduate and Rutgers sophomore Shelby Whetstone.

Whetstone ran 2:08.02 at the Stanford Invitational, her first time under 2:10 outdoors. Her previous outdoor PR was a 2:10.55 when she won the state Group 4 title for Lenape at Franklin High in the spring of 2019. He previous outdoor Rutgers PR was a 2:12.42 from just a few weeks ago in a meet in Orlando.

Whetstone’s previous lifetime best was 2:09.77 from the Big Ten Indoor Championships in February at SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio.

Whetstone got out in 62.49 and came back in 65.54.

Her 2:08.02 is No. 5 in Rutgers outdoor track history. I wish the Rutgers web site would list details for these marks – when, where, what meet – but I looked ‘em up and included all the information I could find. It would also be nice if they updated their web site, which doesn’t include marks from after 2018.

2:06.59 … Dominique Sanon [Bridgeport (Conn.) Central], NCAA East Regional, Greensboro, N.C., May 26, 2006
2:06.91 … Jenna Sobieski [Old Bridge], Florida Relays, Gainesville, March 28, 2019
2:07.46 … Amonica Phipps [Morse, San Diego], ECAC Championships, Princeton, May 15, 2005
2:07.46 … Jennifer Heggie [Monmouth Regional], unknown, 1994
2:08.02 … Shelby Whetstone [Lenape], Stanford Invitational, Palo Alto, Calif., April 1, 2022
2:08.36 … Sarah Robbie [Cherokee], Big Ten Championships, State College, Pa., May 14, 2017
2:08.98 … Krista Dunbar [Shoreham-Wading River, Shoreham, N.Y.], unknown, 1994
2:09.85 … Elizabeth Graham [unknown], unknown, 2000