Cinnaminson graduate Kamron Kobolak, a junior at Rutgers, recorded a huge shot put PR over the weekend at a meet in Boston.

Kobolak threw 54-7 1/2 at the Battle of Beantown at Boston University.

His previous indoor PR was 52-6 at the Wagner Invitational at Ocean Breeze earlier last month, and his lifetime best was a 52-11 at an outdoor meet at the University of Maryland in College Park this past March.

Coming into this indoor season, Kobolak’s PR with the 16-pound ball was 52-4 3/4 from last year’s Big Ten Championships at SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio.

Kobolak’s throw in Boston is No. 5 in Rutgers indoor history.

Kobolak also has a PR of 160-10- 3/4 in the discus from a meet in Jacksonville last April.

Remember when we wrote earlier this month about Eastern graduate Jewel Ash running a 400 PR in her first race of the indoor season? https://sjtrackblog.com/2022/01/26/eastern-grad-jewel-ash-runs-huge-400-pr-and-2-all-time-for-charleston-southern/

That PR did not last long.

Ash, a freshman at Charleston Southern, destroyed her PR for the second time in two weeks on Saturday when she ran 55.04 at the Bob Pollock Invitational at Clemson.

Two weeks earlier on the same track, Ash ran 55.61 at the Clemson Invitational, shattering a PR of 57.32 that dated back to the 2018 outdoor state Group 4 meet at Franklin Township. As a 400 hurdler, Ash rarely runs the flat 400.

But that 55.04 is No. 2 in school history and fastest since 2009, when Dionne Gibson set the school record of 54.60 at the New Balance Invitational at the Armory.

Her time is No. 2 this year in the Big South Conference, behind only North Carolina A&T’s Delecia McDuffie, who ran 54.95 in the same race as Ash ran her 55.04.

Ash already holds the school record in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles with her 59.50 at the Big South Meet this past spring. But judging by the way she’s dropping her flat 400 time, that 59.50 could very well go by the wayside this spring. 

Hopefully Ash also gets a chance to go after the school record in the outdoor 400. Gibson ran 54.39 at the 2008 Georgia Tech Invitational.

Ash is also No. 6 in school history outdoors in the 100-meter hurdles with her 14.14 at the Big South Meet.

Ash also ran the leadoff leg on Charleston Southern’s 1,600-meter relay tam that ran 3:49.73 this past weekend, No. 3 in school history indoors.

South Jersey alums Jah’mere Beasley, Jake Kolodziej and Treshan Stevenson led Rowan to the No. 1 1,600-meter relay performance this year in NCAA Division 3 over the weekend.

The Profs ran 3:15.19 – 2nd-fastest in school history – for second place at the Great Dane Classic Friday at Ocean Breeze in Staten Island, N.Y. Division 1 St. Joe’s won with a 3:14.73.

Beasley, a sophomore from Sterling, led off with a 50.85 split out the hole, with Kolodziej, a sophomore from Washington Township, splitting 48.32 on the second leg. Freshman Treshan Stevenson from Milville ran 48.88 on the third leg, and freshman Amara Conte from Ferris High in Jersey City anchored in 47.14, nearly catching St. Joe’s anchor Michael Brittingham.

It’s Rowan’s fastest time since 2018, when Cheris Mesiano of Schalick, Justin Bishop of Mainland Regional, Nick Neville from South Brunswick and Sterling’s Francis Terry ran 3:15.00 to place third at the NCAA Division 3 National Championships in Birmingham, Ala.

Second-fastest so far this year in NCAA Division 3 is a 3:17.56 by Loras College of Dubuque, Iowa, at the Spartan Invitational Saturday at the Chlapaty Rec Center on the University of Dubuque’s campus.

The College of New Jersey placed 5th in 3:19.12, with Shawnee’s Andrew Lodge leading off in 49.90 and Burlington Township’s Tyler Scott splitting 49.52 on the third leg. That time is No. 7 in Division 3.

On the very first jump of his very first collegiate meet, Highland graduate shattered his lifetime best in the triple jump at a meet in Minneapolis.

Whittaker, a freshman at the University of Minnesota, jumped 51-5 1/2 at the Jack Johnson Classic on the University in Minnesota’s campus in Minneapolis Sunday. He won the event by more than four feet over Isaiah Hopf of St. Thomas.

Whittaker was competing unattached because Minnesota doesn’t have an official indoor track program, but he shattered his personal best of 49-11 1/2 from when he won Outdoor Nationals this past spring at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

His indoor PR was 46-10 3/4 from his win at Eastern’s at the Armory in February of 2020.

It appears that Whittaker’s mark is the best ever by a South Jersey high school alum indoors.

Greg Foster, a Shawnee graduate, jumped 51-3 3/4 in a meet in Flagstaff in 1986 while competing for Northern Arizona, and that was the top known indoor triple jump mark by a South Jersey native.

Whittaker broke the meet record of 51-1 3/4 set in 2008 by Carl White, who was competing unattached. His jump would be No. 6 among NCAA Division 1 freshmen if he were competing officially for the Gophers.

It does make him No. 19 among U.S. men so far this indoor season.

Incredibly, Whittaker’s 51-5 1/2 came on the first jump of his college career He followed it with a 49-1 3/4, then two fouls, then a 51-3 and a 48-10 3/4.

Whittaker’s mark makes him No. 4 in Minnesota indoor history and the top performer in the last 20 years, since Chris Dixon jumped 51-6 1/4 in 2002. It’s also the No. 10 all-time performance in Gophers indoor history.

 

Leo Zaccaria ran a lifetime-best anchor split on Rider’s school-record distance medley Friday.

Zaccaria, who attended Cape May Tech and competed for Wildwood, ran 4:13.94 to anchor Rider’s DMR team at the Terrier Classic at Boston University.

Rider ran 9:51.64, which broke the school record of 9:51.98 set two years ago at the same meet on the same track.

Sophomore Tamrat Snyder of Gaithersburg, Md., led off for the Broncs with a 3:00.02 split for 1,200 meters, Jerome Boyer of Edison ran 47.19 for the 400 and Derian Stianche of Tamaqua, Pa., split 1:50.49 for 800 meters setting up Zaccaria.

When Rider set the school record two years ago, they also had a South Jersey anchor. Heredia, Boyer and Mazzie ran the first three legs, setting up Cinnaminson graduate Tom Long, who split 4:05.5 on his anchor leg.

Rider’s time is fastest in the Metro Atlantic Conference so far this year and No. 9 in all of NCAA Division.

Zaccaria is a heck of a story.

He had a PR of 4:29.39 for 1,600 meters in high school, which he ran indoors at the state Group 1 meet at the Bubble in 2019. His outdoor PR was 4:32.79 at South Jersey Group 1 sectionals at Washington Township in May of 2019, although he did run 1:57.56 at states as a senior.

He showed terrific progress last spring, running as fast as 3:58.99 for 1,500 meters, which is the equivalent of a 4:16.6 mile. 

This winter, he’s already run 1:54.85 for 800 metes and 4:16.48 for the full mile along with his 4:13 anchor Friday.

Leo Zaccaria ran a lifetime-best anchor split on Rider’s school-record distance medley Friday.

Zaccaria, who attended Cape May Tech and competed for Wildwood, ran 4:13.94 to anchor Rider’s DMR team at the Terrier Classic at Boston University.

Rider ran 9:51.64, which broke the school record of 9:51.98 set two years ago at the same meet on the same track.

Sophomore Tamrat Snyder of Gaithersburg, Md., led off for the Broncs with a 3:00.02 split for 1,200 meters, Jerome Boyer of Edison ran 47.19 for the 400 and Derian Stianche of Tamaqua, Pa., split 1:50.49 for 800 meters setting up Zaccaria.

When Rider set the school record two years ago, they also had a South Jersey anchor. Heredia, Boyer and Mazzie ran the first three legs, setting up Cinnaminson graduate Tom Long, who split 4:05.5 on his anchor leg.

Rider’s time is fastest in the Metro Atlantic Conference so far this year.

Rider’s 9:51.64 is so far this season in all of NCAA Division.

“The men were awesome tonight in the distance medley relay, breaking the Rider record and qualifying for the IC4A Championships,” said Rider coach Bob Hamer, the former Council Rock star.

“Snyder got things rolling and the guys behind him kept it going. Outstanding legs by Boyer and Stianche. Those two guys have worked so hard and believed in coach (Brett) Harvey and they were rewarded with a big race tonight. Steady improvement and then take advantage of the opportunities is something we always preach and these guys are a perfect example of that concept. Zaccaria was strong on the anchor. He has come a long way this year.”

Zaccaria is a heck of a story.

He had a PR of 4:29.39 for 1,600 meters in high school, which he ran indoors at the state Group 1 meet at the Bubble in 2019. His outdoor PR was 4:32.79 at South Jersey Group 1 sectionals at Washington Township in May of 2019, although he did run 1:57.56 at states as a senior.

He showed terrific progress last spring, running as fast as 3:58.99 for 1,500 meters, which is the equivalent of a 4:16.6 mile. 

This winter, he’s already run 1:54.85 for 800 metes and 4:16.48 for the full mile along with his 4:13 anchor Friday.

Big mile PR by Duke freshman Austin Gabay, a 2020 graduate of Cinnaminson High School.

Gabay ran 4:10.83 at the Hokie Invitational at Virginia Tech’s in Blacksburg, Va. He placed 12th overall in the event but third in his section. Gabay closed in 31.44 for his final 200.

It was Gabay’s first full mile as a collegian and his first open race this indoor season.

Gabay ran 3:46.10 outdoors last spring for 1,500 meters, which is the equivalent to a 4:04.19 full mile. He also PR’d at 800 meters with a 1:54.17 in a meet at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. 

Gabay’s indoor mile PR was a 4:20.31 two years ago as a Cinnaminson senior in a meet at Ocean Breeze. His 1,600 PR was 4:16.02 outdoors at the 2019 state Group 2 meet at Central Regional in Bayville.

Huge breakthrough 400 race for Pennsville graduate Arianna Smith today at Penn State.

Smith placed 2nd in the 400 at the Skyes and Sabock Invitational at Penn State’s Ashenfelter Track in 55.84, not only an indoor PR for the Princeton sophomore but a lifetime best as well.

Her time is No. 7 in Princeton history indoors.

Smith’s previous fastest 400 was a 56.55 earlier this month in a dual meet against Navy at Halsey Fieldhouse in Annapolis. She only ran the intermediates in her one season of spring track at Princeton, so her outdoor PR remains a 56.68 from the 2019 state Group 1 meet at Franklin High. Her high school indoor PR was 57.79 from the 2019 Meet of Champions at the Bubble.

At Penn State, Smith placed second to Skyla Wilson of Penn, who ran 54.58. Wilson was the Ivy League 500 champ last winter and like Smith is a 400IH specialist.

Wilson and Smith now rank No. 1 and No. 2 in the Ivy League so far this year.

Smith was undefeated in two 400IH races last spring for Princeton. Her PR remains a 1:00.13 when she won the 2019 Meet of Champions at Northern Burlington in Mansfield Township.

Smith also anchored Princeton’s 1,600-meter relay team, which placed 3rd behind Penn and Akron with a season-best 3:46.93.

Kasey White’s 58.15 anchor led Rancocas Valley to the Suburban Girls 1,600-Meter Relay championship Saturday at the 114th annual Millrose Games at the Armory.

R.V. ran a New Jersey No. 1 3:58.75 at the Armory, winning by 15 meters over Elmont (N.Y.), which ran 4:01.16. Their time is No. 15 in the U.S. this year, according to the MileSplit national database.

Sanai Jenkins led off for R.V. with a 60.92 split that gave the Red Devils a slight lead over Bronxville. Anabella Chin split 59.47 to extend the lead, and Jya Marshall ran 60.22 to hold the lead as Elmont moved into a close second place with a 57.55 split, but White opened the lead back up.

Winslow was the top qualifier with the previous New Jersey No. 1 at 4:01.29 but did not race Saturday as snow made travel to New York difficult.

This is R.V.’s first Millrose title. The Devils ran 3:53.97 for 3rd behind Paul Robeson and Union Catholic in 2019 and 3:54.62 for 2nd to Bronxville in 2020.

Rancocas Valley’s time is No. 15 in Burlington County history indoors, with 13 of those 15 times coming courtesy of either Willingboro or R.V.

Here’s the complete all-time South Jersey 4-by-4 sub-4 list:

3:45.37 … Willingboro, 2003
3:47.95 … Willingboro, 2002
3:49.07 … Camden, 1995
3:51.49 … Winslow Twp., 2017
3:52.37 … Willingboro, 2000
3:52.55 … Wilson, 2006
3:53.61 … Willingboro, 1998
3:53.81 … Paul VI, 2020
3:53.6h … Willingboro, 1999
3:53.97 … Rancocas Valley, 2019
3:54.38 … Camden, 2009
3:54.4h … Eastern, 2003
3:54.62 … Rancocas Valley, 2020
3:54.82 … Millville, 2008
3:54.99 … Winslow Twp., 2018
3:55.04 … Millville, 2019
3:55.28 … Rancocas Valley, 2017
3:55.40 … Winslow Twp., 2019
3:55.94 … Winslow Twp., 2020
3:55.8h … Wilson, 2002
3:56.01 … Washington Twp., 1999
3:56.05 … Willingboro, 2005
3:56.52 … Buena, 1999
3:56.52 … Camden, 2008
3:56.54 … Kingsway, 2014
3:56.92 … Wilson, 2008
3:56.96 … Wilson, 2001
3:57.05 … Winslow Twp., 2016
3:57.44 … Kingsway, 2013
3:57.4h … Camden, 2004
3:57.54 … Seneca, 2009
3:57.60 … Lenape, 2012
3:57.4h … Camden. 2004
3:57.67 … Millville, 2009
3:57.74 … Willingboro, 2009
3:57.96 … Washington Twp., 2011
3:58.33 … Willingboro, 2010
3:58.35 … Camden, 2006
3:58.39 … Woodrow Wilson, 2005
3:58.70 … Lenape, 2015
3:58.70 … Winslow Twp., 2012
3:58.75 … Rancocas Valley, 2022
3:58.78 … Winslow Twp., 2015
3:58.81 … Seneca, 2010
3:58.85 … Washington Twp., 2010
3:58.96 … Camden, 1993
3:58.96 … Washington Twp., 1998
3:58.98 … Winslow Twp., 2014
3:59.0h … Willingboro, 2001
3:59.16 … Lenape, 2013
3:59.19 … Lenape, 2014
3:59.25 … Willingboro, 2006
3:59.4h … Washington Twp., 2004
3:59.64 … Camden, 2007
3:59.65 … Lenape, 2008
3:59.8h … Willingboro, 2004

Lumberton’s Greg Foster won the high school invitational long jump at the 114th Millrose Games at the Armory Saturday.

Foster, a senior at The Lawrenceville School, jumped 23-5 1/2 on his fifth of six attempts and won by nearly a foot over Jordan McCants of Roswell, Ga., who hit 22-7 3/4, on his fourth attempt.

Foster was off his PR and U.S. No. 1 and all-time New Jersey No. 2 24-8 from the Mercer County. Championships at the Bubble in Toms River, but he did what he had to do to win, and the Armory has never been a good place for horizontal jumps anyway.

Foster opened with a 22-9, a foul and a 22-10 3/4 to advance to the finals. He opened the finals with another foul before hitting the 23-5 1/2.