The Egg Harbor girls broke the Atlantic County DMR record at Easterns Tuesday night with the fastest indoor time by South Jersey school in three years.

EHT ran 12:11.47 for fourth place at the 87th annual Easterns at the Armory, finishing behind only Cornwall (11:55.48), Colts Neck (11:58.89) and Lawrenceville School (12:04.49).

We have splits but not exactly sure who ran what. We’re going to guess Isabella Leak led off with THE 3:40.5, junior Jayidyn Mulloy ran the 63.8 for 400 and Anna Rutledge ran the 2:21.6 split for 800, setting up Olivia Shafer’s 5:05.5 anchor.

But those names could be wrong! Perhaps Shafer ran the 1,200 and Leak the 1,600? Or someone else ran the 400 and 800?

If those names are wrong and you can share who ran what, please let us know in the comments section and we’ll fix this!

EHT’s time is No. 11 in South Jersey history and No. 5 in the state this year, behind only Colts Neck and Lawrenceville from the same Easterns race and Westfield with a 12:03.36 last weekend, also at the Armory. 

That’s also No. 14 in the U.S. according to the MileSplit national database.

What was the previous Atlantic County record? I have no idea, but I can tell you it was over 12:30. There’s no record of any Atlantic County school going under 12:30 indoors ever.

In fact, the fastest outdoor time I could find was EHT’s 12:37.33 at the 2015 Rowan Invitational.

Here’s the updated South Jersey all-time indoor girls DMR list:

12:04.62 … Sterling, 2017, New Balance Nationals
12:04.9h ….. Lenape, 2015, Varsity Classic
12:11.47 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2020, Easterns
12:12.22 … Ocean City, 2005, Nike Indoor Nationals
12:13.46 … Washington Twp., 2011, Easterns
12:14.48 … Haddonfield, 2013, Easterns
12:15.60 … Lenape, 2014, Varsity Classic
12:17.11 … Kingsway, 2017, New Balance Nationals
12:17.40 … Lenape, 2017, Varsity Classic
12:19.81 … Lenape, 2009, Nike Indoor Nationals
12:20.11 … Shawnee, 2017, Easterns
12:20.4h … Woodrow Wilson, 2002
12:21.40 … Shawnee, 2014, Armory Novice Meet (+DMR)
12:22.39 … Ocean City, 2013, Easterns
12:23.0h … Willingboro, 2003, N/A
12:23.52 … Timber Creek, 2017 Easterns
12:23.68 … Lenape, 2008, Poreda Invitational
12:24.05 … Bishop Eustace, 2011, Easterns
12:24.76 … Lenape, 2011, State Relays
12:25.19 … Highland, 2004, Easterns
12:25.69 … Seneca, 2009, Easterns
12:26.30 … Bishop Eustace, 2019, Easterns
12:26.75 … Seneca, 2017, State Relays

Huge day Tuesday for Kristina Tossas!

The Rancocas Valley senior medaled in both horizontal jumps at the 87th annual Easterns at the Armory with one PR and one near PR.

Tossas jumped 37-2 1/2 for 3rd in the triple jump, just three inches out of first place, and then went 17-7 1/4 for 4th in the long jump. She also ran 7.58 in the hurdles trials, missing her PR in the 55 highs by just 4-100ths of a second.

Tossas has an indoor long jump PR of 17-10, so she was less than three inches off that. Her previous triple jump PR was 36-8 from one night earlier at Ocean Breeze.

Tossas had a solid TJ series with five jumps of 35-9 or better and two over 36 feet. She surpassed 17 feet on four of her five legal jumps in the LJ.

Her 37-2 1/2 makes her No. 6 in South Jersey history and No. 3 in Burlington County history. She’s already No. 8 on the all-time Burlco long jump list.

The only other girls on the all-time Burlington County indoor long jump and indoor triple jump lists are Northern Burlington 2014 graduate Ashley Edwards, who’s No. 9 in the long jump (17-8 1/2) and No. 4 in the triple jump (37-1), and 2012 Lenape grad Shaya Wilkerson, who’s No. 8 in the long jump (17-9 3/4) and No. 1 in the triple (38-0 1/2).

The only girl on the all-time South Jersey long jump and triple jump lists is 2013 Winslow graduate Cidae’a Woods, who is No. 4 in the triple jump (37-10) and No. 3 in the long jump (19-8).

ALL-TIME S.J. INDOOR TRIPLE JUMP LIST
40-1 1/2 … Claudine Smith [Atlantic City], 2019
38-4 … She’quell Higgs [Winslow Twp.], 2013
38-0 1/2 … Shaya Wilkerson [Lenape], 2012
37-10 … Cidae’a Woods [Winslow Twp.], 2013
37-7 … Elizabeth Montague [Cherokee], 2014
37-2 1/2 … Kristina Tossas [Rancocas Valley], 2020 
37-1 … Ashley Edwards [Northern Burlington], 2015
36-9 1/4 … Jasmin Jones [Kingsway], 2016
36-8 3/4 … Olivia Wright [Winslow Twp.], 2020
36-8 1/2 … Leah Ellis [Millville], 2019
36-6 1/2 … Maryn Hess [Winslow Twp.], 2017
36-6 1/2 … Janell Rowe [Sterling], 2016
36-6 … Javona Ford [Millville], 2010
36-5 … Shevell Higgs [Winslow Twp.], 2020
36-4 … Rachel Montague [Cherokee], 2008
36-2 3/4 … Kiah Walton [Burlington Twp.], 2014
36-0 1/2 … Taliya Rogers [Rancocas Valley], 2016
36-0 1/2 … Keyanna Meade [Burlington Twp.]. 2018

ALL-TIME BURLINGTON COUNTY INDOOR TRIPLE JUMP LIST
21-7 1/2 … Carol Lewis (Willingboro), 1981
18-5 3/4 … Lindsey Walsh (Lenape), 2008
18-4 3/4 Tonya Lee (Rancocas Valley), 1987
18-4 1/2 … Kristen Tricocci (Cinnaminson), 2003
18-1 … Jasmine Staten [Lenape], 2015
17-11 1/4 … Ariel Mitchell [Lenape], 2014
17-10 1/4 … Jenna Niedermayer (Cinnaminson),2009
17-9 3/4 … Shaya Wilkerson [Lenape], 2012
17-8 1/2 … Ashley Edwards [Northern Burlington], 2014
17-8 … Tabitha Gary (Moorestown), 1997
17-6 1/2 … Kristina Tossas [Rancocas Valley], 2020
17-6 1/4 … Anaya Young [Rancocas Valley], 2020
17-3 … Selina Burton (Willingboro), 1995
17-0 3/4 … Amy Landell (Cherokee), 2001
17-0 … Elizabeth Montague [Cherokee], 2013

Joe Domanico of Haddon Township, a senior at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.,, ran a huge PR of 14:32.01 for 5,000 meters over the weekend at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational.

That’s No. 3 in RPI history indoors behind Grant O’Connor’s 14:17.84 at the same meet last year and Henry Jaques, who ran 14:23.84 in the same race as Domanico.

His previous 5,000 PR was a 14:54.20 at the same meet last winter. He won the Liberty Conference 5,000 title indoors with a 14:55.37.

It also makes Domanico No. 6 in school history indoors or outdoors.

The only runners in RPI history to run faster outdoors are current RPI assistant coach Ben Fazio (14:07.76 at Penn in 2017), O’Connor (14:09.85 at Penn last spring), Henry (14:28.46 at Bucknell last spring), Sean O’Connor (14:31.74 at Swarthmore last spring) and Noah Falasco (14:26.50 at Penn in 2019).

Jaques and Domanico are No. 1 and 2 in the Liberty Conference 5,000 rankings. In fact, RPI has the top six 5,000 runners in the conference and 12 of the top 16 – all at 15:35 or faster. Not surprisingly, RPI placed a school-record 10th in NCAA Division 3 XC this past fall in Louisville. Domanico placed 17th and earned All-America status.

Domanico is listed as No. 16 in NCAA Division 3, although that apparently includes an 11-second penalty for running on a banked track at Boston University, since he’s listed at 16:43.

Next for RPI is the conference meet in Rochester on Feb. 28-29.

At Haddon Township, Domanico had a 3,200 PR of 9:33.52. He placed fifth at states indoors as a senior at 9:37.07.

The Millville girls ran the fastest 4-by-200 in New Jersey this year Tuesday night at Easterns.

Sophomore Bryanna Craig’s 24.5 anchor led Millville to a 1:42.43, good for second place behind St. Anthony’s of Huntington, N.Y., which won the race in 1:42.21.

Seniors Zaniah and Ciera Bowman led off for Millville, sophomore Leah Ellis ran second and was followed by Craig, the national pentathlon champion as a freshman last year.

Millville’s time is No. 15 in South Jersey history and No. 13 nationally, according to the MileSplit U.S. database.

Millville just missed its own Cumberland County record of 1:42.08 set last year at nationals with Brionah Patterson, Malea Broome, Zaniah Bowman and Craig.

In the prelims, Millville ran 1:31.12, Rancocas Valley 1:43.17 and St. Anthony’s 1:43.44.  

RV lowered its time to 1:43.11 in the final, which is No. 7 in Burlington County history and No. 4 in the state this year. The Red Devils are the only Burlington County school to run sub-1:44 in the last 17 years, and they’ve done it three of the last four years.

Craig also PR’d in the 55-meter hurdles with an 8.31, which is No. 6 in South Jersey this year and No. 2 in Cumberland County history, behind Broome’s 8.24 at last year’s Meet of Champs.

ALL-TIME S.J. 800-METER RELAY LIST

1:39.55 … Winslow Twp., 2018

1:39.94 … Winslow Twp., 2017

1:40.77 … Moorestown, 2000

1:41.14 … Woodrow Wilson, 2006

1:41.19 … Camden, 2008

1:41.28 … Woodrow Wilson, 2005

1:41.42 … Moorestown, 1999

1:41.70 … Willingboro, 2002

1:41.78 … Winslow Twp., 2014

1:41.80 … Winslow Twp., 2019

1:41.98 … Camden, 2009

1:41.99 … Rancocas Valley, 2019

1:42.01 … Millville, 2019

1:42.20 … Camden, 2007

1:42.43 … Millville, 2020

1:42.45 … Deptford, 2015

1:42.45 … Rancocas Valley, 2017

1:42.49 … Millville, 2020

1:42.49 … Winslow Twp., 2013

1:42.5h … Willingboro, 2003

1:42.59 … Winslow Twp., 2020

1:42.66 … Willingboro, 2000

1:42.75 … Eastern, 2003

1:42.85 … Washington Twp., 1999

1:42.90 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2018

1:42.94 … Millville, 2019

<strong>ALL-TIME BURLCO INDOOR 4X200 LIST</strong>

1:40.77 … Moorestown, 2000

1:41.42 … Moorestown, 1999

1:41.70 … Willingboro, 2002

1:41.99 … Rancocas Valley, 2019

1:42.45 … Rancocas Valley, 2017

1:42.5h … Willingboro, 2003

1:42.66 … Willingboro, 2000

1:43.11 … Rancocas Valley, 2020

1:43.58 … Willingboro, 2001

1:43.78 … Willingboro, 2002

1:44.16 … Lenape, 2014

Egg Harbor Township junior Lauren Princz shattered her 55-meter dash PR, moved into the all-time South Jersey top-10 and broke the Atlantic County record at Easterns on Tuesday.

Princz ran 7.05 in the final, finishing a very close second to senior Mia D’Ambrosio of Schalmont High School of Schenectady, N.Y.

Princz broke the Atlantic County record of 7.07, set by EHT’s Angela Clyburn back in 1991. Princz’s PR coming in was 7.09, which she ran at Easterns two years ago.

D’Ambrosio and Princz led the field through the prelims in 7.06 and 7.19 and the semis, where both ran 7.09. The final was also a two-person race, with nobody else under 7.13.

Winslow’s Janeya Hammond took 4th in 7.23, which matched her PR from the Millrose Trials on the same track last month. That’s also No. 2 in South Jersey this year.

Princz’s time is No. 1 in New Jersey this year and equals No. 13 nationally according to the MileSplit database.

Her time is No. 22 in meet history. The 55 (or 60 yards) has been contested at girls Easterns since 1980.

With the 7.05, Princz becomes the 6th-fastest South Jersey girl ever at Easterns in the 55-meter dash with the 10th-fastest performance.

Here’s what that list looks like:

Michelle Glover (Willingboro), 1980 6.5+
English Gardner (Eastern), 2010 6.91
….. Gardner, 2008 6.92
Denise Mitchell (Edgewood), 1983 6.95+
Amandi Rhett (Moorestown), 2000 7.00
Torie Robinson (Winslow), 2014 7.00
….. Mitchell, 1984 7.02+
….. Gardner, 2007 7.04
….. Robinson, 2014 7.04s
….. Rhett, 1999 7.05
….. Gardner, 2007 7.05s
….. Gardner, 2010 7.05q
Lauren Princz (Egg Harbor Twp.], 2020 7.05

And here’s the updated all-time South Jersey list:

6.73 … Michelle Glover (Willingboro), 1981
6.88 … Patti Dunlap (Camden), 1979
6.91 … English Gardner (Eastern), 2010
6.95 … Bria Mack (Williamstown), 2017
6.95 … Torie Robinson (Winslow Twp.), 2014
6.95 … Denise Mitchell (Edgewood), 1983
7.00 … Amandi Rhett (Moorestown), 2000
7.00 … Iyanli Kollock (Our Lady of Mercy), 2017
7.01 … Aliyah Taylor (Rancocas Valley), 2017
7.05 … Dana Burnett (Williamstown), 1996
7.05 … Lauren Princz (Egg Harbor Twp.], 2020
7.06 … Jailya Ash (Eastern), 2019
7.07 … Aliya Harrison (Sterling), 2018
7.07 … Dennisha Page (Woodrow Wilson), 2019
7.07 … Annie Johnson (Shawnee), 2012
7.07 … Audrey Wilson (Deptford), 2009
7.07 … Magenta Taylor (Willingboro), 1999
7.07 … Angela Clyburn (Egg Harbor Twp.), 1991
7.09 … Ste’yce McNeil (Winslow Twp.), 2012
7.09 … Emily Carson (Haddonfield), 2013
7.11 … Jamie Walker (Haddon Hts.), 2006
7.12 … Assante Johnson (Camden), 2009
7.14 … Shonda Burroughs (Vineland), 1999
7.15 … Flora Ahiarakwe (Winslow Twp.), 2017
7.17 … Nia Lawrence (Pemberton), 2013
7.17 … Kiara Lester (Deptford), 2014
7.17 … Krystal Cantey (Winslow Twp.), 2006
7.17 … Cecelia Gerstenbacher (Delsea), 2017
7.18 … Sherese Price (Pleasantville), 1997
7.19 … Latoya Benson (Washington Twp.), 2001
7.19 … Adia Starnes (Timber Creek), 2017
7.20 … Medina Salaam (Camden), 1974
7.20 … Nia Ali (Pleasantville), 2006
7.20 … Fametta Lewis (Wilson), 2007
7.20 … Tacquaya Tobias (Our Lady of Mercy), 2010
7.20 … Cidae’a Woods (Winslow Twp.), 2013
7.20 … Gabrielle Farquharson (Williamstown), 2011

Princz also ran a season-best 25.01 in the 200 trials before taking third overall in 25.26 in the final in her fifth race of the day.

That 25.01 isn’t far off her indoor PR of 24.86 from last year’s Easterns. That’s No. 3 in New Jersey this year but really No. 2 since Athing Mu isn’t competing for Trenton High.

What a phenomenal performance Tuesday night by Highland junior Floyd Whitaker at Easterns!

Whitaker became only the third South Jersey boy in Easterns history to win two individual events at the same meet, and he did it in style.

Whitaker began his evening at the 168th Street Armory in New York by winning the triple jump at the 87th annual Easterns by more than a foot with an indoor PR of 46-10 3/4, No. 6 in South Jersey indoor history and No. 1 in New Jersey this year.

Then he came back and won the long jump at 22-8, just four inches shy of his indoor long jump PR.

The meet dates back to 1934, but the long jump and triple jump were both added in 1976, and Whitaker is the first boy ever to double the two horizontal jumps in the 45 years they’ve been contested.

Even in the girls meet that double has only been achieved twice since the triple jump was added in 1990 — by Carlene Cummings of Dwight Morrow in Englewood in 1997 and Olympian Keturah Orji of Mount Olive in 2014.

Both previous South Jersey boys to double at Easterns competed for Willingboro High School. In 1990, Gerard Reynolds won the long jump [24-6 1/4] and 60-yard hurdles [7.35], and in 2003 Mike Morrison won the long jump [23-2] and high jump [7-2].

So all three S.J. doubles involved the long jump and a second event!

Highland’s only previous Easterns champ was Kevin Pumphrey, who won the two-mile in 9:22.67 in 1986. Pumphrey went on to become a two-time all-SEC cross country runner at Auburn.

Whitaker’s previous indoor triple jump PR is 45-8 1/2 from the only previous indoor triple jump competition of his life – at Ocean Breeze last Friday.

Outdoors, Whitaker leaped 50-2 1/2 last June – No. 6 in state history – to win the Meet of Champions, break the state sophomore record and also break the meet record. He went on to place 8th at Nationals with a 49-7.

Whitaker fouled three times in the long jump but went over 22 feet on all three legal jumps – 22-2 1/2 on his first, 22-8 on his third and 22-6 3/4 on his sixth. He had the two-best jumps of the competition.

In the triple, he got six legal marks and averaged 45-8 3/4 per jump. He went 45-10, 44-5, 44-11, 46-6 3/4, 45-9 and 46-10 3/4.

Only one other jumper reached Whitaker’s average, and that was Camden County rival Keven Kevelier, who placed second at 45-10. That’s No. 9 in South Jersey indoor history and breaks his indoor PR of 45-9 3/4 set at the New Balance Games at the same facility last month. He’s gone 47-5 1/4 outdoors. Kevelier also had six legal jumps, all of at least 43-10 1/2, four over 44 feet and two over 45 feet.

ALL-TIME S.J. INDOOR TRIPLE JUMP LIST
49-  1 …..… Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], 2018
48-  9 …..… Dominique Irons [Haddon Heights], 2013
48-  8 1/2 … Tristan Wilson [Delsea], 2014
48-  1 1/4 … Wayne Walls [Camden], 2009
47-  3 …..… Rhodeni Spence [Woodrow Wilson], 2007
46-10 3/4 … Floyd Whitaker [Highland], 2020
46- 5 …….. Orion Joyner [Kingsway], 2019
46-  3 1/2 … Keon Grady [Delsea], 2018
45-10 …..… Kevin Kevelier [Collingswood], 2020
45-  3 1/2 … Zakiyy Williams [Rancocas Valley], 2015
45-  0 …….. Earnest Daniel [Kingsway], 2017

Here’s a look at all the South Jersey winners of the long jump and triple jump at Easterns:

EASTERNS S.J. TRIPLE JUMP WINNERS
1978 … Carl Lewis (Willingboro, N.J.) 23-11 ¼
1979 … Carl Lewis (Willingboro, N.J.0 25-  5 ½
1982 … Isaac Samuels (Willingboro-Kennedy, N.J.) 22-11 ½
1983 … Isaac Samuels (Willingboro-Kennedy, N .J.) 24-  0 ¼
1987 … John Meekins (Cinnaminson, N.J.) 22-  9 ¾
1988 … Rich Winstead (Egg Harbor Twp., N.J.) 23-  1
1990 … Gerard Reynolds (Willingboro, N.J.) 24-  6 ¼
1991 … Jermaine Jackson (Camden-Wilson, N.J.) 22-  7
2003 … Mike Morrison (Willingboro, N.J.) 23-  2
2011 … Andrew Athias (Cherry Hill East, N.J.) 23-  4
2012 … Anthony Averett (Woodbury, N.J.) 23- 7 ¾
2013 … Antwan Dickerson (Pennsauken, N.J.) 22-11 ½
2020 … Floyd Whitaker (Highland, N.J.) 22-8

EASTERNS S.J. TRIPLE JUMP WINNERS
2014 … Tristan Wilson (Delsea, N.J.) 48-8 ½
2018 … Khaliel Burnett (Delsea, N.J.) 49-1
2020 … Floyd Whitaker (Highland, N.J.) 46-10 3/4

And the all-time state list:

ALL-TIME N.J. INDOOR TRIPLE JUMP LIST
49- 7 1/2 … Jon Pitt [South Brunswick], 2013
49- 6 1/2 … Craig Halyard [Ridgewood], 1989
49- 6 1/2 … Eric Bethea [Piscataway], 2015
49- 5 1/4 … Dodley Thermitus [Elizabeth], 2017
49-  1 …..… Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], 2018
48-  9 …..… Dominique Irons [Haddon Heights], 2013
48- 8 3/4 … Devon Bond [Trenton], 2007
48-  8 1/2 … Tristan Wilson [Delsea], 2014
48- 7 1/2 … Myles Hartsfield [Sayreville], 2015
48- 6 1/4 … Darius Pemberton [Hackensack], 1992
48- 5 1/4 … Ralston Braithwaite [Trenton], 2008
48- 0 1/2 … Kyle Lindsay [Paterson East Side], 2006
48-  1 1/4 … Wayne Walls [Camden], 2009
47-11 …….. Nadale Buntin [J.P. Stevens], 2018
47-10 …….. Devon Bond [Trenton], 2007
47- 9 …….. Anthony DiCosmo [Paramus Catholic], 1995
47- 7 1/4 … Kevin Johnson [Seton Hall Prep], 1984
47- 6 3/4 … Ed Alston [Hackensack], 1982
47- 5 …….. Jason Katz [Ramapo], 2015
47-  3 …..… Rhodeni Spence [Woodrow Wilson], 2007
47- 2 …….. Tevin Ankle [Glen Rock], 2010
46-10 3/4 … Floyd Whitaker [Highland], 2020
46-10 1/4 … Weston Daniel [Bergenfield], 2002
46-10 …….. Jamal Bunum [Middletown North], 2012
46- 7 …….. Dean Uduh [Columbia], 2014
46- 6 1/2 … Marko Juntunen [Mount Olive], 1984
46- 6 1/4 … Greg Hazell [Don Bosco], 2011
46- 6 …….. Neal Okarter [Westwood], 1998
46- 5 1/2 … John Augustynowicz [Rutherford], 2000
46- 5 …….. Orion Joyner [Kingsway], 2019
46- 4 3/4 … Aaron King [Morris Hills], 2007
46-  3 1/2 … Keon Grady [Delsea], 2018
46- 0 1/2 … Chris Thomas [Pope John XXIII], 2008

Rancocas Valley senior Miekel House became Burlington County’s fastest indoor sprinter in 34 years Tuesday night when he ran 6.45 in the 55-meter dash at the 87th annual Easterns.

House, a transfer from Delran in his first year of indoor track, arrived at the 168th Street Armory with a PR of 6.66 but lowered it to 6.58 in the prelims, then to 6.52 in the semifinals before his breakthrough in the finals, where he finished third, behind only Chinedu Okeke of Peddie School (6.42) and Nazir Hibbert of Archbishop Stepinac of White Plains, N.Y.

His time is No. 14 in South Jersey history and broke Sterling Pierce’s school record of 6.52, which he ran at Easterns in 2014 and again at the Meet of Champions in 2015. It’s also No. 1 in South Jersey this year and No. 4 in the state.

It was the second time in House’s life he’s run the 55-meter dash.

House, who ran 10.73 as a Delran junior last spring, is the fastest Burlington County sprinter since Willingboro’s Kenny Reynolds ran 6.36 at the 1986 Easterns at Jadwin Gym, finishing 2-100ths of a second behind Barney Borromeo of Nashua, N.H.  

The only previous meet House ran the 55 was the Millrose Trials, also at the Armory. He ran 6.66 in the trials and 6.67 in the finals.

ALL-TIME BURLINGTON COUNTY 55-METER DASH LIST
6.36 … Kenny Reynolds [Willingboro], 1986
6.37 … Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1979
6.43 … George McKey [Willingboro], 1982
6.45 … Paul Wheeler [Willingboro], 1983
6.45 … Miekel House [Rancocas Valley], 2020
6.48 … Gary Gordon [Willingboro], 1995
6.49 … Louis Smith [Burlington Twp.], 1997
6.49 … Michael Bolling [Willingboro], 2001
6.50 … Jamaal Harris [Palmyra], 2002

ALL-TIME S.J. 55-METER DASH LIST

6.30 … Jamar Ervin [Camden], 2001
6.31 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1984
6.34 … A.J. Bunton [West Deptford], 2006
6.36 … Kenny Reynolds [Willingboro], 1986
6.37 … Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1979
6.38 … James Brown [Glassboro], 2009
6.39 … Damiere Byrd [Timber Creek], 2009
6.41 … Chris Church [Millville], 2007
6.42 … Thomas Walls [Wilson], 2006
6.42 … Dominique Irons [Haddon Heights], 2013
6.43 … George McKey [Willingboro], 1982
6.43 … Anthony Averett [Woodbury], 2013
6.44 … Thomas Hampton [Clayton], 2019
6.45 … Paul Wheeler [Willingboro], 1983
6.45 … Miekel House [Rancocas Valley], 2020
6.45 … Sherron Bullock [Camden], 2004
6.45 … Rob McGriff [Camden], 2006
6.45 … Antonio Tarantino [Paul VI], 2018
6.46 … Albert Newkirk [Camden], 1996
6.46 … Darnell Charles [Oakcrest], 2012
6.46 … Kashif Miller [Haddon Heights], 2014
6.47 … Anthony Jones [Edgewood], 1982
6.47 … Darren Ford [Vineland], 2004
6.47 … Reggie Morton [Oakcrest], 2012
6.47 … Curtis Fitzpatrick [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2013
6.47 … Jonathan Taylor [Salem], 2016
6.47 … Josh Washington [Woodbury], 2019
6.48 … Gary Gordon [Willingboro], 1995
6.48 … Fabian Santiago [Oakcrest], 2012
6.48 … Caleb Williams [St. Joe’s-Hammonton], 2015
6.48 … Clayton Crosse [Washington Twp.]. 2016
6.49 … Louis Smith [Burlington Twp.], 1997
6.49 … Michael Bolling [Willingboro], 2001
6.49 … Martin Booker [Pennsauken], 2016
6.49 … Ryquell Amstead [Millville], 2014
6.49 … Malachi Melton [Cedar Creek], 2019
6.50 … Jamaal Harris [Palmyra], 2002
6.50 … Zachary Clarke [Camden], 2008
6.50 … Shawney Kersey [Woodbury], 2007
6.50 … Rasheed Grandy [Absegami], 2010
6.50 … Bobby DeMarco [Holy Spirit], 2008
6.51 … Mikhail Micheaux [Eastern], 2013

Egg Harbor senior Anthony Vazquez on Tuesday night became the second Atlantic County hurdler in a row to win the 55-meter hurdles at the 87th annual Easterns.

A year after Sincere Rhea of St. Augustine won in 7.20, the second-fastest time in meet history and fastest in 40 years, Vazquez ran a personal-best 7.45 across the Armory Infield to beat a field of some of the fastest hurdlers in the region.

Take a look at Vazquez, thanks to EHT’s Twitter account!

HIs time is No. 3 in the state this year and No. 3 in Atlantic County history.

With five South Jersey hurdlers in the field, Vazquez edged Franklin Township’s Uchenna Nwosu, who was second in 7.52.

Vazquez’s previous PR was 7.48 from a meet at the Bennett Center last month.

Winslow senior Isaiah Lewis led all the hurdlers in the prelims with a personal-best 7.56, and RV senior Daniel Dayrell ran a PR 7.67.

In the semis, Lewis lowered his PR to 7.51, Vazquez ran 7.51 and Dayrell PR’d again in 7.63, with Winslow senior Terry McNeill (7.69) and junior Brandon Greene (PR 7.72) also advancing to the eight-runner final.

In the final, it was Vazquez 1st, Lewis 3rd in 7.56, Dayrell 6th in 7.64, Green 7th with another PR of 7.66 and McNeil just back at 7.79.

Vazquez is the fourth Egg Harbor boy to win an Easterns title following Rich Winstead in the long jump in 1988 (23-1), high jumper A.J. Vance in 2012 (6-6) and sprinter Curtis Fitzpatrick in the 55 in 2013 (6.47). Also the Eagles’ 4-by-800 won in 2016. 

Vazquez’s time is No. 3 in Atlantic County history, behind Rhea and Pleasantville’s Nate Harley (7.29 in 1996). 

Here’s a look at all the South Jersey hurdlers who’ve won Easterns titles:
1943 … William Mitchell (Collingswood), 7.8y
1985 … Jonathan Dickey (Penns Grove), 7.32y
1989 … Gerard Reynolds (Willingboro), 7.44y
1990 … Gerard Reynolds (Willingboro), 7.35y
1995 … Sultan Tucker (Delsea), 7.47
1996 … Sultan Tucker (Delsea), 7.23
1999 … Danyne Brown (Camden), 7.34
2000 … Rashad Baker (Woodrow Wilson), 7.39
2002 … Matt Dahms (Haddonfield), 7.52
2006 … Will Brown (Palmyra), 7.29
2010 … Devon Carter (Washington Twp.), 7.49
2019 … Sincere Rhea (St. Augustine), 7.20
2020 … Anthony Vazquez (Egg Harbor Twp.), 7.45

Here’s the updated all-time South Jersey list:
7.10 … Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], 2019
7.18 … Sultan Tucker [Delsea], 1996
7.22 … Dwight Ruff [Camden], 2001
7.22 … Isaac Williams [Willingboro], 2012
7.29 … Nate Harley [Pleasantville], 1996
7.29 … Danyne Brown [Camden], 1999
7.29 … Will Brown [Palmyra], 2006
7.32 … Jon Dickey [Penns Grove], 1985
7.34 … Chais Hill [Highland], 2015
7.1h … Jon Dickey [Penns Grove], 1985
7.1h … Jim Little [Moorestown], 1976
7.1h … Marc Dickerson [Willingboro], 1979
7.1h … George Bland [Penns Grove], 1987
7.35 … Gerard Reynolds [Willingboro], 1990
7.39 … Rashad Baker [Wilson], 2000
7.40 … Lance Reed [Willingboro], 1982
7.42 … Kevon Brown [West Deptford], 2009
7.42 … Anthony Acklin [Triton], 2001
7.42 … Naseem Smith [Deptford], 2019
7.43 … Danyne Brown [Camden], 1999
7.43 … Edwin Alston [Winslow Twp.], 2015
7.45 … Kevin Hagamin [Timber Creek], 2014
7.45 … Anthony Vazquez [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2020
7.46 … Syteek Farrington [Camden], 2010
7.46 … Herb Reid [Lenape], 2000
7.47 … Darius Holmes [Willingboro], 2012
7.48 … Reuben McCoy [Winslow Twp.], 2004
7.48 … Tyrell Ross [Clearview], 2005
7.49 … Devon Carter [Washington Twp.], 2010
7.49 … Vince Rawlins [Eastern], 1991
7.49 … Chris Nichols [Willingboro], 1991
7.49 … Sam Aviles [Palmyra], 2019

Tonight, the 87th boys Easterns and 41st girls Easterns will be held at the 168th Street Armory. This is the oldest high school-only track meet in the country and has a remarkable history.

Back in 1934 that the Amateur Athletic Union first held an interscholastic meet at the old Madison Square Garden on 50^th Street and 8^th Avenue. There had been a so-called national championship held earlier at the Newark Armory under the auspices of St. Benedict’s Prep, but it’s from the Garden meet that the current Easterns Invitational draws its lineage.

The meet remained at the Garden until 1965, when the AAU decided to take its championships on the road.

There was team scoring back in the early days of the Easterns, and the 1934 meet was won by Jimmy Curran’s team at Mercersburg Academy, located outside of Harrisburg. It was under Curran’s tutelage that several world-class athletes developed at Mercersburg, including 880-yard world record holder Ted Meredith.

In 1935, the meet split into two divisions – high school and prep school. The two divisions united again in 1955 with post-graduates banned. In 1966, the meet first moved to the 168^th Street Armory in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan and remained there until 1972 under the auspices first of the New York Catholic High School Athletic Association, then of the Staten Island Coaches Association.

For 44 years – from 1934 through 1977 – Easterns had team scoring, with schools from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Virginia taking turns winning.

In 1973, a conflict of dates caused the meet to be cancelled. It was then that the New Jersey Catholic Track Conference stepped in and took over, moving the meet to Princeton University‘s Jadwin Gym. The Easterns, as the meet was now known, soon became the most competitive indoor high school track meet in the nation in those days before the national championships.

In 1980, the girls Easterns debuted in Boston and continued there until 1996, when it merged with the boys meet and, under the jurisdiction of the Bergen County Track Coaches Association, was held for one year at Princeton before moving back into 168^th Street Armory, now newly refurbished and boasting one of the world’s fastest banked 200-meter tracks.

Here are just a few of the Olympians who’ve competed over the years at Easterns:

♦ 1978 and 1979 long jump winner Carl Lewis of Willingboro, an eight-time Olympic gold medalist;

♦ 1991 300-yard dash winner Lamont Smith of Willingboro, who ran on the gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic 1,600-meter relay team in 1996

♦ Eastern’s English Gardner, who won the 55 in 2007, 2008 and 2010 and ran on the gold medal-winning U.S. 4-by-100 relay team at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

♦ 1979 Easterns high jump champ Milton Goode of Monmouth Regional competed in the high jump at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles

♦ 1982 high hurdles winner Luis Morales of Oxon Hill., Md., competed in the 100 and 200 for Puerto Rico at the 1984 Games.

♦ John Tuttle of Alfred-Almond, N.Y., won the mile at the 1977 Easterns and ran in the U.S. Olympic marathon in 1984. 

♦ 1980 and 1981 1,000-yard run winner John Marshall of Plainfield raced in the 400 at the 1984 Olympics.

♦ Willingboro‘s Carol Lewis, who won the long jump in 1980, was a two-time Olympic long jumper.

♦ Hurdler Renaldo Nehemiah of Scotch Plains won the hurdles at the 1977 meet. He made the 1980 U.S. Olympic team but didn’t get a chance to compete because of the boycott. He broke the world record the next year.

♦ Hazel Clark of Columbia won the 1,000 in 1994 and the 600 in 1995 – the last year it was held. She raced in the 800 at the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games.  

♦ Pleasantville’s Nia Ali, who won the hurdles in 2006, won the silver medal in the high hurdles in 2016.

♦ Robby Andrews of Manalapan won the mile at 2009 Easterns and raced in the 800 at the 2016 Olympics.

♦ Mount Olive’s Keturah Orji won the long jump in 2012 and 2014 and the triple jump in 2013 and 2014, setting meet records in both. She set the American triple jumper at the 2016 Games.

♦ Sydney McLaughlin a native of Dunellen and a graduate of Union Catholic set a meet record of 7.66 in the hurdles in 2015, long jumped 20-7 3/4 in 2017- a quarter inch shy of Orji’s meet record – and ran the second-fastest 200 in meet history in 2016 with a 24.00 before skipping the final. She was 16 when she competed in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2016 Games.

 

Cherry Hill East graduate Aaron Groff, a University of Pennsylvania senior, ran a 30-second indoor 5,000 PR over the weekend in Boston.

Groff ran 14:26.90 to place 12th in his section and 25th overall out of 116 Division 1 and post-collegiate runners at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational at Boston University.

He closed in 2:15.8 for his last 800, 66.1 for his last 400 and 32.5 for his last 200.

Here are his full splits:

His previous 5,000 PR on a 200-meter track was a 14:56.04 two years ago at the Armory. He ran 14:30.82 at the 2018 Penn Relays, so his race in Boston this weekend was an overall indoor-outdoor PR.

Groff’s time is No. 7 in the Ivy League this year, and he’s one of six Penn Quakers to run 14:30 or faster. 

He moved up to No. 12 in Penn history in the indoor 5,000 despite being the fourth Penn finisher in that race. Eleven of the top 13 times in school history have been run since 2016. 

14:09.30 … Rusty Renken, 2020
14:09.45 … Dusty Lieb, 2003
14:16.44 … Nick Tuck, 2017
14:18.8h … Mike Anderson, 1990
14:18.86 … Brendan Smith, 2016
14:19.28 … Brendan Shearn, 2016
14:21.87 … Anthony Russo, 2020
14:22.79 … Alex Roth, 2020
14:24.48 … Chris Luciano, 2017
14:26.67 … Ross Wilson, 2016
14:26.79 … Kevin Monogue, 2017
14:26.90 … Aaron Groff, 2020
14:27.63 … Patrick Holly, 2018

Russo is from Colts Neck and Roth from Princeton.