Kyle Rakitis did it again!

The Kingsway junior edged Southern Regional’s Jackson Braddock by 5-100ths of a second Saturday at sectionals, Rakitis winning in 1:53.13 over Braddock’s 1:53.18.

Both raced under the South Jersey Group 4 record of 1:53.51 set by Washington Township’s Xavier Fraction in 2009 at Egg Harbor.

Both also ran the fastest time in any group at South Jersey sectionals since Pleasantville’s Jacob Clark ran 1:53.12 to win Group 2 in 2012 at Buena.

On Friday, Rakitis and Braddock both ran under the all-section record in the 1,600, Rakitis with 4:08.58 and Braddock at 4:08.65, although Braddock was disqualified on a horrible  call for impeding Rakitis down the homestretch.

Earlier Saturday, Braddock again ran under a sectional record, winning the 3,200 in 8:55.46. Rakitis, with his eye on the 800 later in the day, was second in 9:26.61, setting up the third showdown of the weekend between New Jersey’s two fastest middle-distance runners.

Braddock wasn’t even planning to run the 800 but after the 1,600 DQ asked his coach to run to make up the team points he lost in the 1,600.

In the 800, Rakitis lowered his PR of 1:53.41, which he ran two weeks ago at Haddonfield Distance Night. Braddock’s previous 800 PR was 1:53.69 at the Ocean County Championships at Jackson Liberty last month.

Rakitis’s 800 time is fastest this spring by a South Jersey runner and No. 27 in South Jersey history. His 1,600 is No. 2 in South Jersey history.

He also moved up to No. 5 in Gloucester County history with the fastest time in seven years:

1:49.72 … Rich Caton [Woodbury], 1979
1:49.74 … Fred Sharpe [Paulsboro], 1997
1:51.02 … Derrell Manhertz [Kingsway], 2013
1:52.76 … Kevin Cianfarini [West Deptford], 2014
1:53.04 … Xavier Fraction [Washington Twp.], 2009
1:53.18 … Kyle Rakitis [Kingsway], 2021
1:53.44y … Tony Uzdavines [Williamstown], 1977
1:53.43 … Bill Dolan [Clearview], 2014
1:53.49 … Steve Butenewicz [Delsea Reg.], 2011
1:53.54y … Wayne Jenkins [Deptford], 1968
1:53.61 … Steve Morrone [Washington Twp.], 2010

The Haddonfield girls piled up 24 huge points in the 800 Saturday with. Super-fast sweet.

Seniors Allison Colflesh, Olivia Stoner and Lindsay Colflesh all ran sub-2:16 in taking the top three spots at the South Jersey Group 2 sectionals at Delsea.

http://milesplit.live/meets/427916/events/30/F/F

Allison Colflesh repeated her win from 2019, winning in 2:14.77, just under her previous PR of 2:14.81 from last month’s Haddonfield Invitational. Stoner was second in 2:15.25, lowering her PR from 2:15.44 from the Camden County Championships last month at Haddon Township. And Lindsay Colflesh ran 2:15.97 to finish off the 1-2-3 sweep.

Delsea senior Carly Nicholson made it four under 2:18 with a 2:17.16 for fourth place. Her previous PR was 2:17.98 from the 2018 Gloucester County Championships at Delsea.

http://milesplit.live/meets/427916/events/30/F/F

Early Saturday, senior Sarah Naticchia won the 3,200 in 11:01.62, sophomore Helene Usher took third in 11:37.81 and senior Payton Weiner ran 11:51.00 for fourth for 20 points.

http://milesplit.live/meets/427916/events/22/F/F

On Friday, Haddonfield also went 1-3-4 in the 1,600, with senior Sarah Naticchia running 5:01.93, Allison Colflesh third in 5:05.27 and Stoner fourth at 5:07.74. Nicholson was second with a PR 5:04.57. 

http://milesplit.live/meets/427916/events/6/F/F

Through the 800 Haddonfield already had 107 points, 63 more than Delsea. Haddonfield scored 64 in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200.

It was a busy Day 1 of sectionals for Highland senior Floyd Whitaker, who scored 28 points in three events at the South Jersey Group 3 meet.

Whitaker won the high jump at 6-4, won the triple jump at 48-0 and placed second in the 400-meter hurdles with a 57.97 behind Julian Rodriguez of Deptford, who ran 56.02.

Highland leads Toms River South 44-40 with Deptford third at 37 points going into Saturday’s Day 2 at Delsea.

Whitaker’s 28 points would put him single-handedly fourth in team scoring in SJ-3.

Whitaker also won the triple jump last year. He’s the first Highland athlete to win the same event in back-to-back years at sectionals since high jumper Reggie Williams in Group 4 in 1996 and 1997.

The 6-4 matches a career-best for Whitaker, who also cleared 6-4 in a meet at Deptford last month. His 48-0 is a season best in the triple jump and No. 2 in the state this year, behind Mount Olive’s A.J. McKay, who hit 48-7 in a meet at Morris Hills last month.

Whitaker averaged 46-9 on five legal attempts in the triple jump. He had the five-best jumps of the competition. 

Whitaker will compete in either the long jump or 110-meter hurdles on Saturday.

Here’s a handy look at team scoring after one day for all 14 meets involving South Jersey schools.

Click on the heading for complete results from that meet!

Day 1 Team Scoring
Boys
South Jersey Group 1 at Washington Township [5 events scored]
1) Audubon 31
2) Clayton 26
3) Salem 16
3) Woodstown 16
5) Woodbury 15
6) Paulsboro 12
7) Haddon Township 10
8) Glassboro 8
8) Pitman 8
10) Maple Shade 5
11) Palmyra 4
12) Buena Regional 1

South Jersey Group 2 at Delsea [8 events scored]
1) Manchester Township 36
2) Delsea Regional 31
3) Manasquan 28
4) Haddon Heights 22
4) Pemberton Township 22
6) Sterling 19
7) Lower Cape May Regional 16
8) Haddonfield Memorial 15
9) Cinnaminson 13
10) Collingswood 11
11) Oakcrest 10
12) Delran 8
13) Barnegat Township 7
14) Pleasantville 6
15) Cedar Creek 2
15) West Deptford 2

South Jersey Group 3 at Delsea [8 events scored]
1) Highland Reg 44
2) Toms River South 40
3) Deptford 37
4) Timber Creek Reg. 22
5) Ocean City 19
6) Toms River East 17
7) Absegami 13
8) Bridgeton 12
9) Moorestown 10
10) Hammonton 9
11) Mainland Regional 8
11) Winslow Township 8
11) Cherry Hill West 8
14) Seneca 1

South Jersey Group 4 at Washington Township [5 events scored]
1) Cherokee 30
2) Rancocas Valley Reg 23
3) Egg Harbor Twp 20
4) Millville 14
4) Kingsway 14
6) Southern Regional 13
7) Lenape Regional 10
7) Toms River North 10
9) Washington Twp 9
10) Eastern Regional 8
11) Cherry Hill East 4

Central Jersey Group 1 at Long Branch [7 events scored]
1) Roselle Park 40
2) Shore Regional 35
2) Asbury Park 35
4) Willingboro 28
5) Highland Park 20
6) Dunellen 14
7) Middlesex 12
8) Manville 10
9) Burlington City 9
10) Riverside 6
10) Bound Brook 6
12) South Amboy 1
12) South Hunterdon 1

Central Jersey Group 2 at Jackson Liberty [5 events scored]
1) Rumson-Fair Haven 53
2) Rahway 22
3) Robbinsville 18
4) Roselle – Abraham Clark H 12
5) Metuchen 11
6) Matawan Reg. 9
7) Bordentown Regional 8
7) A. L. Johnson 8
9) Raritan 6
10) Monmouth Reg. 2
10) Voorhees 2
10) North Plainfield 2
13) Hillside 1
13) Wall HS

Central Jersey Group 3 at Jackson Liberty [6 events scored]
1) Pennsauken 50
2) Colts Neck 28
3) West Windsor-Plainsboro North 26
4) Burlington Twp. 15
5) Hamilton North – Nottingha 13
6) Ocean Township 10
7) Middletown South 9
8) Lawrence 8
8) Allentown 8
10) Brick Township 6
10) Hamilton West 6
12) Ewing 4
13) Lakewood 2
14) Hamilton East – Steinert 1

Girls
South Jersey Group 1 at Washington Township [5 events scored]
1) Clayton 49
2) Haddon Township 28
2) A P Schalick 28
4) Audubon 16
5) Penns Grove 8
6) Pennsville 7
7) Pitman 6
7) Palmyra 6
9) Woodstown 5
10) Buena Regional 1
10) Maple Shade 1

South Jersey Group 2 at Delsea [9 events scored]
1) Haddonfield Memorial 63
2) Delsea Regional 36
3) Manchester Township 31
4) Sterling 23
5) Collingswood 20
6) Middle Township 18
7) Pt. Pleasant Boro 15
8) West Deptford 14
9) Barnegat Township 12
9) Cedar Creek 12
11) Pleasantville 10
12) Cinnaminson 9
13) Haddon Heights 8
14) Oakcrest 7
15) Lower Cape May Regional 1

South Jersey Group 3 at Delsea [9 events scored]
1) Toms River South 38
1) Winslow Township 38
3) Absegami 29
4) Seneca 24
5) Mainland Regional 22
5) Timber Creek Reg. 22
7) Ocean City 20
8) Triton Regional 15
9) Highland Reg 14
9) Toms River East 14
11) Central Reg 13
12) Hammonton 12
13) Bridgeton 814) Deptford 6
15) Cherry Hill West 2
15) Moorestown 2

South Jersey Group 4 at Washington Township [5 events scored]
1) Egg Harbor Twp 35
2) Rancocas Valley Reg 31
3) Cherokee 27
4) Washington Twp 14
5) Toms River North 10
6) Clearview Reg. 9
7) Southern Regional 8
7) Eastern Regional 8
9) Cherry Hill East 6
10) Kingsway 5
11) Lenape Regional 2

Central Jersey Group 1 at Long Branch [7 events scored]
1) Shore Regional 72
2) South Hunterdon 28
3) Florence Twp 21
4) Highland Park 18
5) New Egypt 16
6) Manville 14
6) Willingboro 14
8) Burlington City 13
9) Middlesex 9
10) Bound Brook 4
11) South Amboy 2
11) Roselle Park 2
13) Henry Hudson Reg 1

Central Jersey Group 2 at Jackson Liberty [7 events scored]
1) Rumson-Fair Haven 40
2) Holmdel 39
3) Metuchen 36
4) Matawan Reg. 22
5) Voorhees 15
6) Carteret 14
6) Raritan 14
8) Delaware Valley 10
9) South Plainfield 8
10) Robbinsville 7
11) Governor Livingston 6
12) Hillside 4
13) Rahway 2

Central Jersey Group 3 at Jackson Liberty [7 events scored]
1) Hopewell Valley 56
2) Colts Neck 51
3) Allentown 22
4) Burlington Twp. 16
4) Pennsauken 16
6) Middletown South 11
7) West Windsor-Plainsboro North 10
8) Hamilton West 8
8) Jackson Liberty 8
10) Brick Township 7
11) Red Bank Regional 4
11) Northern Burlington Reg. 4
13) Ewing 3
14) Ocean Township 1

Josh Forrest used a 59.4 final lap to run away from a crowded 1,600 field and win his first sectional title.

Forrest, a Collingswood senior, ran a personal-best 4:20.02 to win the South Jersey Group 2 race at Delsea.

The top five runners finished within 15 meters of each other, and all five closed in 62.3 or faster.

The lead group included Forrest, Delsea senior Dawson Baptiste, Lower Cape May Regional junior Zeb Hinker, Haddonfield junior Tobias Janssen, West Deptford junior Jacob Cobb and Collingswood senior Owen Marish.

The whole group went out crazy slow, coming through 400 meters in 68 and 800 in 2:15 heavy. All six picked it up on the third lap, the entire group splitting between 65.1 and 65.8.

Coming through 1,200 meters, here’s what the pack looked like:

Cobb: 3:20.78
Baptiste: 3:20.80
Marish: 3:21.02
Janssen: 3:21.05
Hinker: 3:21.21
Forest: 3:21.50

It was the ultimate kicker’s race, but when the whole field has a good kick things get really interesting.

Forrest closed in 59.54 for the win in 4:20.02, Baptiste closed in 60.75 and took second in a PR 4:21.54, Hinker ran his final lap in 61.23 for a big PR of 4:22.43, Janssen ran 61.65 for 4:22.69 and Cobb closed in 62.32 for a 4:23.08. Marish, a first-year track runner, also PR’d at 4:27.16.

Forrest became Collingswood’s first sectional champion on the track since another miler, Kevin Hoopes, won the Group 2 1,600 in 1989 in 4:32.8.

Another controversial officiating ruling today, this time at the South Jersey Group 4 1,600 at Washington Township.

Kyle Rakitis and Jackson Braddock locked up in a race that produced the two-fastest times ever run at any New Jersey sectional meet. with Kingsway’s Rakitis edging U.S. No. 6 Braddock of Southern Regional by 6-100ths of a second.

But Braddock was disqualified for impeding Rakitis, who was racing to his outside down the final homestretch., removing Braddock’s performance from the record books and preventing two more classic showdowns at states and the Meet of Champions between two of New Jersey’s best milers ever.

Was it a good call? Watch the video, provided to MileSplit by Jennifer Braddock, and you decide: https://nj.milesplit.com/videos/490872/finish-to-boys-sj-group-4-1600m

Kingsway junior Kyle Rakitis ran the 2nd-fastest 1,600 or mile in South Jersey history Friday evening, nipping U.S. No. 6 Jackson Braddock at the line at the South Jersey Group 4 sectionals at Washington Township.

Rakitis won the race in 4:08.58, finishing 7-100ths of a second ahead of Southern Regional’s Jackson Braddock, who ran 4:08.65. The race was run in perfect conditions but after all the runners had to wait through a long weather delay. Braddock ran 4:06.25 last month at the Ocean County Championships at Jackson Liberty.

The times would have been the two-fastest ever run at any New Jersey sectional meet, but Braddock has been DQ’d for forcing Rakitis out on the final straight, and the official results have been updated to move Cherokee sophomore Patrick Ditmars into second place .

In any case, Rakitis’s time is second-fastest in South Jersey history behind only Brett Johnson of Ocean City, whose 4:08.51 full mile in 2009 in a meet at Monmouth University in West Long Branch converts to 4:07.07 for 1,600 meters.

His time is also No. 23 in state history and fastest by a New Jersey junior since Chris Marco of Toms River South ran 4:07.31 at the 2012 Meet of Champions at Old Bridge.

Rakitis’s previous PR was 4:10.15, which he ran at Holmdel three weeks ago. Before May, his PR was 4:17.39 set indoors at Ocean Breeze in March. His outdoor PR was 4:28.66 from June of 2019 before he missed the entire 2020 season.

He broke the long-standing Gloucester County record of 4:10.24 converted from a mile, set in 1979 by Gateway’s Mike Mantini.

With his performance, Rakitis broke a 38-year-old state sectional record.

New Jersey legends J.J. Clark and John Carlotti shared the record for previous fastest 1,600 or mike at a New Jersey sectional meet.

Clark of Columbia ran 4:10.2 to win the North Jersey Section II Group 4 race at Mendham in 1982 and Carlotti of Bernards matched him with a 4:10.2 to win the Central Jersey Group 1 race in 1983 at South Plainfield. Both were run at 1,600 meters.

The previous overall South Jersey sectional and S.J.-4 record was 4:12.43, run by Bill Dolan of Clearview in 2014.

Here’s a look at the fastest 1,600 / mile times in state history, with 1,600s converted using the usual method:

3:59.8h … Marty Liquori [Essex Catholic], 1967
4:03.29 … Edward Cheserek [St. Benedict’s Prep], 2013
4:03.49 … Robby Andrews [Manalapan], 2009
4:05.01 … Sean Dolan [Hopewell Valley], 2019
4:05.69 … Ben Malone [Pascack Valley], 2013
4:07.07 … Jim Nielsen [Bernards], 1984
4:07.66 … Joe Rosa [West Windsor-Plainsboro North], 2011
4:07.68c … Jackson Braddock [Southern Regional], 2021
4:07.70 … Jim Rosa [West Windsor-Plainsboro North], 2011
4:08.07 … Pat Schellberg, Delbarton, 2010
4:08.10 … John Carlotti [Bernards], 1983
4:08.1h … Roger Jones [Ramsey], 1977
4:08.51 … Brett Johnson [Ocean City], 2021
4:08.74c … Chris Marco [Toms River South], 2012
4:08.79c … Craig Forys [Colts Neck], 2007
4:09.2h … Steve O’Connell [Millburn], 1976
4:09.3h … Kevin Byrne [Paramus Catholic], 1977
4:09.36 … Steve Schadler [Bergenfield], 1984
4:09.55c … Liam Tansey [Morris Hills], 2009
4:09.72 … Stephen Lewandowski [Mountain Lakes], 2012
4:09.80 … Matt Mitchell [CBA], 1988
4:09.98 … Chris Lear [Pingry], 1992
4:10.02 … Kyle Rakitis [Kingsway], 2021
4:10.24 … Drew Maher [Shore Regional], 2018
4:10.40 … Drake Anzano [CBA], 2016

Let’s not forget Rakitis broke a pretty good school record. Tom Cooke ran 4:11.84 to place fifth at the 2012 Meet of Champions at Old Bridge – the same race Marco ran his 4:07.

Huge race Friday for Absegami senior Diamond McLaughlin, who moved into the all-time South Jersey top-25 in the intermediate hurdles.

McLaughlin won the South Jersey Group 3 400-meter intermediates at Delsea in 1:01.24, a personal best and the fastest time at the S.J. Group 3 meet in 20 years.

McLaughlin’s time is fastest at the South Jersey Group 3 meet since Danielle Myricks of Willingboro set the meet record of 1:00.1 hand-timed in 2001.

Her time is 5th-fastest in South Jersey sectional history and fastest in any group in 15 years, since Krystal Cantey won her fourth straight title in Group 4 in 1:00.12.

Here’s a look at the top 10 times in all groups in South Jersey sectional history:

1:00.12 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], SJ-4, 2005
1:00.1h … Danielle Myricks [Willingboro], SJ-3, 2001
1:00.6h … Mandie Dulin [Shawnee], SJ-4 1997
1:01.23 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], SJ-4, 2006
1:01.24 … Diamond McLaughlin [Absegami], SJ-4, 2021
1:01.2h … Katrina Sye [Buena], SJ-2, 1999
1:01.32 … Brittany Preston [Winslow Twp.], SJ-3, 2016
1:01.3h … Vernick Smith [Wilson], SJ-3, 1998
1:01.49 … Carly Pettipaw [Lenape], SJ-4, 2015
1:01.54 … Helena Leyrer [Buena], SJ-2, 2012

McLaughlin won the race by six seconds and lowered her PR from 1:01.68, which she ran last weekend at the Atlantic County Championships at Buena.

Her time is No. 25 in South Jersey history and moves her up from fifth to fourth on the all-time Atlantic County list with the fastest time in eight years.

1:00.26 … Helena Leyrer [Buena], 2012
1:00.55 … Katrina Sye [Buena], 1997
1:00.58 … Andrea Olsen [Buena], 2013
1:01.68 … Diamond McLaughlin [Absegami], 2021
1:01.42 … Natalie Edwards [Pleasantville], 1995
1:01.73 … Joshonda Johnson [Absegami], 2016

Click here for the all-time South Jersey top-50: https://sjtrackblog.com/2021/05/27/smoking-double-for-absegamis-diamond-mclaughlin-who-moves-into-the-n-j-top-10-in-two-events/

McLaughlin also PR’d in the flat 400 with a 56.99 for second behind Triton senior Neveah Lorjuste, who ran 56.98. McLaughlin’s previous 400 PR was a 57.12, also from the Atlantic County meet.

Lorjuste’s previous PR was 57.25 from the 2019 state Group 3 meet at Central Regional in Bayville. She’s Triton’s first sectional champion since Jessica Loeonaco won the South Jersey Group 3 discus in 2008 and first on the track since Claudine Evangelista won her third straight 800 title and also the 1,600 in 2000.

Pennsauken sophomores Bryce Tucker and Premier Wynn went 1-2 in the 400-meter intermediates Friday at sectionals.

Tucker ran 55.31 and Wynn a big personal-best 56.51 to give Pennsauken 18 big points in the first event of the Central Jersey Group 3 meet at Jackson Liberty High School. Wynn edged Alexander Lawes of Brick Township by 4-100ths of a second for second place.

Tucker is the top-ranked intermediate hurdler in New Jersey with a 54.28 at the BCSL Championships at Pennsauken. Wynn’s previous PR was 57.05. Pending the other sectional meets, Pennsauken could now have the top two sophomores in the state.

This is the first 1-2 sectional finish for Pennsauken in 16 years, since Kent Carpenter won the javelin at 182-4 and Justin Oliver was second with a 176-7. 

Shawnee grad Kristen Niedrach blew away her 800 PR by more than a second Thursday evening at the Stumptown Twilight Invitational in Portland, Ore.

Niedrach ran 2:07.85 off a slow-ish early pace, out in 64.2 and back in 63.6. Her previous PR was 2:08.88 at the same meet two years ago in July of 2019. Although she PR’d at 1,500 meters earlier this spring with a 4:22.06 at the Portland Twilight meet at Griswold Stadium in Portland in April, this was her first 800 since August of last year, when she ran 2:11.47 in a meet at Nijmegen Atletiek, Atletiekbaan Brakkenstein, Nijmegen.

Niedrach’s time is fastest this spring by a South Jersey high school graduate, a fraction of a section faster than Sterling graduate and University of Virginia junior Sydney Coppolino, who ran a personal-best 2:07.96 three weeks ago in Raleigh, N.C.

Niedrach graduated in 2012 from Shawnee, where she had PRs of 2:21.55 for 800 meters at the 2010 Group 4 sectionals at Egg Harbor and 5:01.86 for the 1,600 when she won the state Group 3 indoor title at the Bubble in Toms River.

Niedrach competed collegiately for Cornell, where she ran 2:10.28 and 4:22.45

competes these days for the Bowerman Track Club in Portland.