Alanna Woolfolk has a pretty loaded resume from age-group track, filled with regional and national titles over the last few years.

So her performance in her first major high school meet shouldn’t have come as a shock.

But still, a freshman clearing 5-6 is always impressive.

Woolfolk, a Delsea freshman, won the high jump at the Cherokee Pow Wow #1 in Marlton Saturday in her first outdoor high school meet.

Woolfolk competed in a few indoor meets but only in the hurdles and sprints, and her high school high jump debut puts her into the all-time South Jersey top-30 and is No. 2 in Delsea history, behind Brianna Hunt, who cleared 5-8 at the Rowan Open in the spring of 2010.

She’s the fifth South Jersey freshman to clear 5-6 or better. The South Jersey freshman class record is 5-10, set by Timber Creek’s Tierra Hooker at the 2017 Meet of Champions. Bryanna Craig of Millville cleared 5-8 as part of her heptathlon at the 2019 USATF Under-20 Championships in Miramar, Fla.

Her 5-6 clearance equals the No. 5 clearance in Gloucester County history. She’s the first Gloucester County girl over the bar at 5-6 since Megan Kirschling of West Deptford nine years ago. 

5-10 ½ ….. Megan Kirschling [West Deptford], 2012
5-8 ………. Misty Farrell [Washington Twp.], 1995
5-8 ………. Brooke Minor [Kingsway], 2001
5-8 ………. Brianna Hunt [Delsea], 2010
5-6 ………. Megan Kustera [West Deptford], 2010
5-6 ………. Alanna Woolfolk [Delsea], 2021

Timber Creek senior Tatina Carr, who came into the meet with a 5-0 PR, cleared 5-4 for second place.

Another Delsea freshman, Zianna Johnson-Slater, won the shot put at 36-9 1/2. That’s the top throw by a Gloucester freshman since Lavon Childress of Paulsboro threw 38-5 in 2008.

Rancocas Valley opened the outdoor season Saturday with a couple hot sprint relay performances at the Metuchen Relays.

The Red Devils ran state-leading marks of 43.13 in the 400-meter relay and 1:30.38 in the 800-meter relay, winning both events in the morning large-school division.

Junior Masai Byrd, senior Isaiah Arzu, junior Herbert Quarterman and senior James McGhee ran on the 4-by-100 team and Arzu, junior David Murry, Byrd and McGhee ran on the 4-by-200.

Both relay times are R.V.’s fastest since 2017.

Red Devils ran 42.12 at the 2017 state Group 4 meet and 1:29.11 at New Balance Nationals in Greensboro.

School records are 42.03 and 1:28.23, both from 2015. The Red Devils ran the 42.03 when they won the 4×1 at the Meet of Champions in South Plainfield and they ran 1:28.23 in the Group 4 race at the Woodbury Relays, when they finished just behind Williamstown’s 1:27.96.

Earlier today, I posted how Monmouth’s Montel Johnson and Jude Misko of Rutgers-Camden were racing to the 200-foot barrier in the hammer.

Johnson, a 2017 graduate of Bishop Eustace, brought a hammer PR of 192-11 into Saturday’s meet at Bucknell and Misko, a 2015 graduate of Cherry Hill East, had a PR of 195-4 going into Misko’s meet in Philly.

Johnson competed first, throwing a PR 197-7 in a meet at Lewisburg, Pa., but a few hours later Misko eclipsed him, surpassing 200 feet for the first time. 

Misko, a senior at Rutgers-Camden, threw 200-9 to win the Philadelphia Metropolitan Collegiate Invitational at the Mondschein throwing area outside Franklin Field.

Misko fouled on his first two throws before hitting exactly 197-7 – tying Johnson’s best throw from earlier in the day – before the 200-9 bomb on his fourth attempt. He finished with a 197-11 and a 195-3.

So he came into the day with a PR of 195-4 and then averaged 197-10 on his four legal throws.

Misko’s previous PR was 195-4 from a meet at Stockton earlier this month, so he had the three biggest throws of his life on Saturday in West Philly.

Misko’s throw is No. 1 in NCAA Division 3, two inches farther than Alex Kristeller of Widener, who threw 200-7 at a meet in Chester last weekend.

Another race, another monster PR for Buena High School graduate Kristin Siegle, who’s having a terrific senior year for Rider.

Siegle trimmed another 3 1/2 seconds off her week-old 1,500 PR Saturday with a remarkable performance at the Philadelphia Metropolitan Collegiate Invitational at Franklin Field.

Siegle ran 4:25.33, shattering https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/rider.sidearmsports.com/documents/2019/8/14/All_Time_Top_10_Outdoor_Women.pdf

, which she set on Sunday in a meet at Monmouth. Seven days ago, her 1,500 PR was 4:39.94 from the 2019 Colonial Relays in Williamsburg, Va.

She’s now reduced that by an incredible 14 1/2 seconds in the span of just two races.

Her time is the equivalent to a 4:44.88 for 1,600 meters or 4:46.56 for a full mile.

Temple senior Grace Moore won the race in 4:19.56 and Delaware grad student Holly Manning, a New Zealand native and Stony Brook transfer, was second in 4:23.54. Both also PR’d.

Siegle’s time is No. 2 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, behind only Iona junior Gemma Nuttall, who ran 4:23.68 earlier this month in Providence.

Siegle, a native of Estell Manor, ran 2:20.03 for 800 meters and 5:15.98 for 1,600 meters in high school.  So she’s now lowered her mile equivalent time about half a minute since arriving in Lawrenceville.

Bishop Eustace graduate Montel Johnson, a junior at Monmouth, shattered the South Jersey alumni record in the hammer throw Saturday with a 197-7 bomb in a meet at Lehigh.

Johnson, a Gibbsboro native, placed first in the Lehigh Carol & John Covert Classic in Bethlehem. His series is not listed in the official results.

The previous best throw by a South Jersey native was recorded just a few weeks ago when Jude Misko, a Cherry Hill East graduate and a senior at Rutgers-Camden, threw 195-5 in a meet at Stockton University in Galloway.

Johnson’s previous PR was a 192-11 last month at a meet at Lafayette. He and Misko are both vying to become the first 200-foot hammer thrower in South Jersey history.

Johnson’s 197-7 is the No. 1 throw in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference this year and No. 6 in Monmouth history, the best throw by a Monmouth athlete in five years.

Johnson was a sectional champ in the discus at Cherry Hill East with a PR of 157-5 and he threw the shot 50-1. He first threw the hammer as a freshman at Monmouth, reaching 161-11 in 2018. He threw 190-4 as a sophomore in 2019 before a two-year layoff. He’s now PR’d twice in his last four meets.

The Sharpe sisters, now competing for Clayton, opened the spring season with some fast 400-meter dashes.

Seniors Amirah Sharpe ran 55.16, Arianna Sharpe ran 57.47 and Ariel Sharpe 58.97 at the Metuchen Relays Saturday.

Amirah’s time is No. 16 in South Jersey history and 3rd-fastest ever by a Gloucester County runner, behind Dana Burnett of Williamstown [53.51 in 1996] and Audrey Wilson of Deptford [54.62 in 2008].  

It’s also the 2nd-fastest ever by a runner from a New Jersey Group 1 school, behind only a 54.75 by Faleesha Dowe of Pennsauken Grove at the 2014 state meet in South Plainfield.

Amirah Sharpe’s previous PR was an indoor 56.84 last month in Virginia Beach and her outdoor PR was 58.15 from Group 1 states in 2019.

All three Sharpe sisters attended Paulsboro High School through at least last spring. They competed unattached at various winter meets and their performances were credited to Paulsboro High School, alma mater of their father Fred Sharpe, star of the 1997 Meet of Champions. They may however have been attending Clayton at that point.

In any case, Arianna Sharpe lowered her PR from 57.62, which she ran in the spring of 2018 at the state Group 1 meet at Washington Township, and Ariel Sharpe lowered her PR from 1:00.42, which she ran in the spring of 2018 in a meet at Pennsauken.

Julia Jackson of Scotch-Plains won the race in 54.98. Another Clayton girl, Erica Thomas, ran 68.41, so the Clippers have the legs to go sub-4:00 in a 4-by-4. Paulsboro ran 3:55.54 in 2018 with the Sharpe sisters and Christina Franks.

It looks like Clayton’s previous school record was a 57.98 by Jewel Brown when she was second to Brianna Crofton of Delsea at the 2011 Gloucester County Championships at Delsea. Now that’s No. 3.

Five laps into her 3,200 Friday night at Cherokee, Collingswood senior Sophie Steidle was averaging 83.6 seconds per lap and on pace for a time of 11:08.

That would have been a big PR but well short of the sub-11 she was hoping for at Cherokee’s Night of 3200s.

Then she picked up the pace. Big-time.

Steidle ran her 6th lap in 81.30 and then closed in 79.35 and 80.30 for about a 4:01 final 1,200, getting her under 11 minutes with what turned out to be the 3rd-fastest time at Cherokee Friday night and 2nd-fastest among South Jersey girls.

Steidle stopped the clock at 10:58.83, becoming the first Collingswood girl ever to run sub-11 for the 3,200 or two-mile.

Although they all ran in different sections, Lily Shapiro of Colts Neck (10:18.36), Haddonfield’s Sarah Naticchia (10:43.48), Lindsay Hausman of Kent Place School in Summit (10:58.89) and Steidle ran the four-fastest times in the state so far this year.

Steidle’s 1,600 PR is 5:15.11 from last year’s indoor Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze, and her outdoor PR is 5:17.77 from the 2019 Camden County Championships at Haddon Township, so her second 1,600 on Friday night, which she ran in 5:26.17, was only 11 seconds off her PR.

Steidle was the state Group 2 champ at 1,600 meters in the winter of 2020. She ran that race at 80 seconds per lap and averaged 82.4 on Friday for a race that’s twice the distance. 

Here’s the all-time South Jersey sub-11-minute list. Naticchia is now No. 20 in South Jersey and Steidle is No. 38.

For the complete all-time South Jersey top-50, click here.

10:12.8h ….. Michelle Rowen (Washington Twp.], 1983
10:19.31 … Chelsea Ley (Kingsway], 2009
10:22.02 … Megan Lacy (Cherokee], 2012
10:27.44 … Alyssa Aldridge (Mainland Reg.], 2017
10:28.6h….. Erin Donohue (Haddonfield], 2001
10:29.28 … Rachel Vick (Kingsway], 2017
10:30.57 … Dina Iacone (Washington Twp.], 2012
10:32.4h….. Mindy Rowand (Sterling], 1985
10:33.22 … Holly Bischof (Bishop Eustace], 2012
10:33.25 … Megan Venables (Highland], 2011
10:34.79 … Theresa Cattuna (Cherry Hill East], 2007
10:35.59 … Amanda Goetschius (Delsea], 2007
10:37.47 … Meghan McGlinchey (West Depford], 2009
10:37.53 … Vanessa Wright (Haddonfield], 2005
10:39.15 … Devon Grisbaum (Ocean City], 2015
10:40.24 … Katie Van Horn (Triton], 2005
10:40.95 … Erika Kemp (Rancocas Valley], 2013
10:42.22 … Jenn Rawls (Highland], 2009
10:43.3h….. Deanna Germano (Shawnee], 1985
10:43.48 … Sarah Naticchia (Haddonfield], 2019
10:43.50 … Alyssa Condell [Timber Creek], 2017
10:44.23 … Brittany Sedberry (Ocean City], 2004
10:45.12 … Briana Gess (Haddonfield], 2014
10:45.40 … Julianna Catania (Egg Harbor Twp.], 2016
10:45.73 … Meghan Hughes [Moorestown], 2002
10:46.38 … Madison Coppolino [Sterling], 2018
10:52.32 … Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2009
10:52.75 … Meghan Malloy [Haddonfield], 2013
10:52.9y … Monique Purcell [Holy Spirit], 1978
10:54.0y … Lori Watson [Cherry Hill East], 1983
10:54.05 … Maria Ruiz [Williamstown], 2009
10:54.16 … Lisa Burkholder [Cherokee], 2004
10:55.92 … Isabella Turner [Shawnee], 2018
10:56.34 … Brianna Rogers [Moorestown], 2005
10:56.54 … Arianna McKinney [Highland], 2004
10:57.52 … Mara Schiffhauer [Seneca], 2014
10:58.46 … Doreen Startare [Paul VI], 1978
10:58.83 … Sophie Steidle [Collingswood], 2021
10:58.97 … Megan Quimby [Lenape], 2015
10:59.25 … Pam Adams [Gateway], 1976
10:59.56 … Amanda Bakley [Pennsauken], 2015

Kyle Rakitis ran a 4:28 mile Friday night, which isn’t bad. Especially when you consider that it was the second half of a 3,200.

Rakitis, a Kingsway junior, was the top South Jersey finisher at Cherokee’s Night of 3200s, moving into the all-time South Jersey top-50 with a 9:14.93.

His time is No. 43 in South Jersey history.

Collingswood senior Josh Forrest also made his way onto the all-time South Jersey top-50 in the No. 50 spot with a 9:16.52.

Racing in the 17th and final heat, Rakitis finished just behind Matt Bogdan of Colts Neck, who ran 9:13.74.

His previous PR was a 9:20.45 last month on the same track. His time is No. 5 in Gloucester County history and fastest in 10 years. He eclipsed the school record of 9:16.39 that his former teammate Stone Caraccio set at Holmdel High School’s Night of 3200s in May of 2019.

Here’s a look at the fastest times in Gloucester County history:

9:01.9y … Mike Mantini [Gateway], 1979
9:06.2y … Greg Stremmel [Gateway], 1974
9:11.88 … Paul Szulewski [Williamstown], 2011
9:14.31 … Anthony Dentino [Washington Twp.], 2011
9:14.93 … Kyle Rakitis [Kingsway], 2021
9:16.39 … Stone Caraccio [Kingsway], 2019
9:19.19 … Nick Costello [Delsea], 2012

The race went out so slow – the lead pack of nine runners all came through in the 4:45-4:46 range – it was hard to imagine the times would be so fast.

But Rakitis is a 1:55 half-miler and finished strong, negative-splitting 4:46.20 and 4:28.73 and closing in 59.4.

Chris DeSousa of Colts Neck [9:15.67], Collingswood’s Forrest [9:16.52] and Rodolfo Sanchez of St. Peter’s in Jersey City [9:17.58] all negative split and ran well under 9:20 and Woodbury senior Brady Shute and Haddonfield junior Tobias Janssen also ran sub-9:25, Shute with a 9:21.93 and Janssen at 9:23.20.

Everybody in the lead group negative split the race. Forrest ran 4:46.04 / 4:30.51 (closing in 2:06.43), Shute ran 4:46.03 / 4:35.91 (closing in 2:12.05) and Janssen 4:46.87 / 4:37.67 (closing in 2:12.28).

Forrest’s previous PR was 9:21.22 last month in Winston-Salem, N.C., and Shute’s was 9:39.55 indoors in the winter of 2020 in the Bubble. Janssen had never run a serious 3,200.

Cherry Hill East senior Aidan Groff and Triton’s Dennis Fortuna also ran sub-9:30 with negative splits, Groff with 4:46.51 / 4:41.61 for 9:28.12 and Triton’s Dennis Fortuna with 4:46.27 / 4:41.99 for 9:28.26. Groff’s previous PR was 9:40.36 at Cherokee last month and Fortuna had never broken 10 before.

The complete all-time South Jersey top-50 (not updated yet) can be found here.

Here’s a look at all the South Jersey runners under 10 minutes Friday at Cherokee:

Kyle Rakitis (Kingsway) 9:14.93
Josh Forrest (Collingswood) 9:16.52 17
Brady Shute (Woodbury) 9:21.93
Tobias Janssen(Haddonfield) 9:23.20
Aidan Groff (Cherry Hill East) 9:28.12
Dennis Fortuna (Triton) 9:28.26
Brett Shea (Cherokee) 9:30.42
John Hurly (Haddonfield) 9:32.85
Caleb Clevenger (Haddonfield) 9:34.07 16
Nick Kuenkel (Cherokee) 9:38.60 16
Gabe Rodriguez (Cherry Hill East) 9:40.88
Cole Kolodziej (Washington Twp.) 9:42.83
Julian Lawson (Washington Twp.) 9:44.96
Michael Henry (Timber Creek) 9:45.63
Sean Eisenhower (Haddonfield) 9:46.23 16
Giancarlo Vega (Timber Creek) 9:46.70
Justin Whitney (Cherry Hill East) 9:48.50
Patrick Ditmars (Cherokee) 9:50.40
Mason Brewster (Washington Twp.) 9:53.96
John Ruona (Shawnee) 9:54.17
Chris Colavita (Washington Twp.) 9:54.37
Dawson Baptiste (Delsea) 9:55.14
Cole Mylan (Timber Creek) 9:59.63

 

 

It was her first major track race in nearly 14 months, and Sarah Naticchia made it an unforgettable one.

Naticchia, who missed the indoor season after a terrific XC season, moved into the all-time South Jersey top-20 with a 10:43.48 Friday at Cherokee’s Night of 3200s.

Naticchia negative-split 5:26.93 and 5:16.55 and closed in 2:34.75 for her final 800.

Her time is No. 20 in South Jersey history and No. 3 in the proud history of Haddonfield’s track program, behind only Olympian Erin Donohue [10:28.6 in 2001] and Vanessa Wright [10:37.53 in 2005].

Naticchia’s previous PR was 10:48.87 at the 2019 state Group 2 championships at Central Regional in Bayville. Other than a 11:42 at a polar bear meet last month, that was her last 3,200.

Naticchia’s time was second-fastest among girls at Cherokee Friday. In a different race, Colts Neck junior Lilly Shapiro ran 10:18.36, No. 10 in state history and the fastest 3,200 or two-mile ever run on South Jersey soil.

Naticchia, who will attend Harvard, ran the fastest time by any South Jersey runner since 2017, when Mainland’s Alyssa Aldridge ran 10:27.44 and Kingsway’s Rachel Vick ran 10:29.28.

Here’s a look at the all-time South Jersey sub-10:50 list:

10:12.8h ….. Michelle Rowen (Washington Twp.], 1983
10:19.31 … Chelsea Ley (Kingsway], 2009
10:22.02 … Megan Lacy (Cherokee], 2012
10:27.44 … Alyssa Aldridge (Mainland Reg.], 2017
10:28.6h….. Erin Donohue (Haddonfield], 2001
10:29.28 … Rachel Vick (Kingsway], 2017
10:30.57 … Dina Iacone (Washington Twp.], 2012
10:32.4h….. Mindy Rowand (Sterling], 1985
10:33.22 … Holly Bischof (Bishop Eustace], 2012
10:33.25 … Megan Venables (Highland], 2011
10:34.79 … Theresa Cattuna (Cherry Hill East], 2007
10:35.59 … Amanda Goetschius (Delsea], 2007
10:37.47 … Meghan McGlinchey (West Depford], 2009
10:37.53 … Vanessa Wright (Haddonfield], 2005
10:39.15 … Devon Grisbaum (Ocean City], 2015
10:40.24 … Katie Van Horn (Triton], 2005
10:40.95 … Erika Kemp (Rancocas Valley], 2013
10:42.22 … Jenn Rawls (Highland], 2009
10:43.3h….. Deanna Germano (Shawnee], 1985
10:43.48 … Sarah Naticchia [Haddonfield], 2021
10:43.50 … Alyssa Condell [Timber Creek], 2017
10:44.23 … Brittany Sedberry (Ocean City], 2004
10:45.12 … Briana Gess (Haddonfield], 2014
10:45.40 … Julianna Catania (Egg Harbor Twp.], 2016
10:45.73 … Meghan Hughes [Moorestown], 2002
10:46.38 … Madison Coppolino [Sterling], 2018
10:48.87 … Sarah Naticchia (Haddonfield], 2019

All-America long jumper Zarria Williams of Camden Catholic is off to a fast start to her senior season at Shippensburg.

Williams, who hadn’t competed since February of 2020, popped an 18-9 1/4 at the Shippensburg Mid-Week Meet. That ranks her No. 3 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.

Williams, a Mount Laurel native, was a two-time NAIA All-America at Ohio Christian in Circleville, Ohio, and is a two-time All-America since transferring to Shippensburg for the 2019 season.

Her PR is a wind-legal 20-0 3/4 at a meet at Shippensburg in April of 2019. She also had a 20-foot even jump at 2019 NCAA Division 2 Championships at Texas A&M Kingsville, when she placed 5th. She’s jumped 19-3 1/4 indoors from the 2020 PSAC Championships in Edinboro, which she won.

Williams competes again on Saturday at the Paul Kaiser Classic at Shippensburg’s Seth Grove Stadium.

At Camden Catholic, Williams had a long jump PR of 17-8 from winning the South Jersey Parochial A title in the spring of 2016 at Egg Harbor. She went on to place second at states at 17-7.