Rancocas Valley moved within a fraction of a second of the all-time Burlington County indoor top-10 in th 800-meter relay with a 1:31.92 Saturday at the Ocean Breeze Freedom Games in Staten Island.

R.V. ran 1:34.20 in the trials before taking third in the final behind Freedom High of Woodbridge, Va.(1:29.13) and Henry Wise of Upper Marlboro, Md. (1:31.62)

Junior Isaiah Arzu, senior Miekel House, sophomore Masai Byrd and junior James McGhee ran for R.V.

R.V’s time is No. 7 in the state this year and No. 2 in South Jersey behind Paul VI’s 1:31.82 at the Armory last month.

Here’s the all-time Burlington County top 10:

1:28.46 … Lenape, 2000 
1:29.29 … Rancocas Valley, 2017
1:30.58 … Willingboro, 2012
1:30.63 … Willingboro, 2007 
1:31.07 … Willingboro, 1995
1:31.29 … Willingboro, 2005 
1:31.36 … Willingboro, 2006 
1:31.2h … Willingboro, 1988 
1:31.4h … Lenape, 1998 
1:31.66 … Lenape, 2014
1:31.92 … Rancocas Valley, 2020
1:31.7h … Willingboro, 1990  
1:31.8y … Willingboro, 1982 

Stone Caraccio ran 4:18.25 for the full mile and won the invitational section of the race at the Hispanic Games Saturday at the Armory.

Caraccio, a Kingsway senior, move into the No. 15 spot on the all-time South Jersey mile list, including converted 1,600 times. His time is No. 4 in Gloucester County history.

Caraccio broke the Kingsway school record of 4:19.03, set in 2014 by Noah Culbreath at the South Jersey Group 3 sectionals at the Bennett Center.

Pedro Bravo of Iona Prep in New Rochelle, N.Y., was the only other runner under 4:20. He was second in 4:19.34.

The race went out very slow, with six runners coming through between 2:15 and 2:16 before things finally picked up.

Caraccio was out in 67.7 and 67.7 for his first two 400s but closed in 32.7, 31.7, 30.6 and 27.7 for final 400s of 64.4 and 58.3.

Caraccio’s previous PR was 4:19.09 last year at Group 3 states.

I put together a list of all South Jersey sub-4:20 milers, includes converted 1,600s. That violates the track and field stats rule that says you can’t convert a time up. But I did it anyway just for the sake of comparison, since actual full miles aren’t run that often on the high school level.

4:11.42 … Miles Schoedler [Ocean City], 2011
4:12.49 … Brett Johnson [Ocean City], 2009
4:13.36 … Luke Petela [Haddon Twp.], 2015
4:13.40 ….. Greg Pelose [Haddonfield], 2016
4:15.16 … Marc Pelerin [Cherokee], 2002
4:15.5h … Marty Ludwikowski [Cherry Hill West], 1975
4:16.01 … Chris Platt [Haddonfield], 2003
4:16.6h … Jim Smith [Haddonfield], 1980
4:17.01 … Bill Dolan [Clearview], 2014
4:17.4h … Greg Stremmel [Gateway], 1974
4:17.50* … Erik Johnson [Ocean City], 2011
4:17.7h … Rich Caton [Woodbury], 1979
4:18.06* … Miles Schoedler [Ocean City], 2011
4:18.21 … David Forward [Shawnee], 2009
4:18.25 … Stone Caraccio [Kingsway], 2020
4:18.34* … Ben Potts [Haddonfield], 2010
4:19.01 … Connor Melko [Bishop Eustace], 2019
4:19.17 … Derek Gess [Haddonfield], 2018
4:19.72* … Jacob Clark [Pleasantville], 2013
4:19.98* … Justin Kelly [Cherokee], 2018
4:19.72 … Xavier Fraction [Washington Twp.], 2009
4:20.00* … Shawn Wilson [Cherokee], 2012

Millville sophomore Bryanna Craig and Paul VI senior Aliya Rae Garozzo ran the two-fastest times in South Jersey this year in the 55-meter hurdles Saturday at the Hispanic Games.

Craig and Garozzo both ran 8.34, with Craig edging Garozzo by 1-1000th of a second for second place at the Armory.

Adaobi Tagugbo of Reservoir High in Fulton, Md., won the race in 8.13, No. 9 nationally according to the Mile Split database.

For Craig, the national scholastic heptathlon champion last year and U.S. freshman record holder, the 8.34 is a big PR. She ran 8.46 earlier this year at the Demarest Invitational last month at the Bennett Center.

Her time is second-fastest in Cumberland County history behind former teammate Malea Broome, who ran 8.24 last year when she was second at the Meet of Champions.

Garozzo ran 8.29 last year as a junior when she placed fifth at the Meet of Champions. She went on to run 14.15 outdoors and win the state Parochial A title.

Craig and Garozzo are tied for the No. 2 spot in New Jersey this year, behind only Jenna Chan of West Essex High in North Caldwell, who ran 8.33 at Ocean Breeze last month.

Allison Pierontoni’s sub-2:20 anchor split led the Kingsway girls to the No. 2 sprint medley time in the state this indoor season Friday.

Pierontoni split 2:19.99 and Kingsway ran 4:17.96 to win the sprint medley at the Hispanic Games at the 168th street Armory in New York.

The only faster time so far this indoor season by a New Jersey school is Union Catholic’s 4:16.32 at the Catholic Track Conference Relays last week on the same track.

Skye Robinson led off with a 62.1 for Kingsway, and Elise Daniel and Vianna Scott ran the 200s to set up Pierontoni.

Kingsway finished nearly two seconds ahead of second-place Newburgh (N.Y.) Free Academy, which ran 4:19.87.

The middle-distance cupboard is rarely bare at Pleasantville, and it looks like the Greyhounds have another one in the pipeline.

Sophomore Irvin Marable won the sophomore 800 at the 20th annual Marine Corps Holiday Classic Saturday with a huge meet record of 2:00.61. The previous meet record was 2:05.48, although the official meet site doesn’t say who held it.

Marable’s previous indoor PR was 2:05.88 at this meet last year, and his overall PR was 2:04.31 from last year’s Atlantic County Championships.

That makes Marable second-fastest in South Jersey in the early goings this season, behind only teammate Gabriel Moronta, who ran a near-PR 1:54.59 to win the varsity section of the 800 at the Marine Corps meet at the 168th Street Armory.

Marable becomes the fastest Atlantic County sophomore since Jacob Clark of Pleasantville ran 2:00.49 as a sophomore at the 2011 Meet of Champions and the fastest by a South Jersey runner since Derek Gess ran 1:55.93.

He’s also now the 3rd-fastest sophomore half-miler in the country, according to the MileSplit national database, behind Korede Otusajo of Millford Mill Academy in Gwynn Oak, Md., who ran 1:59.30 in the varsity race at Marine Corps, and Myles Plummer of Union Catholic, who ran 2:00.17 at the Essex County Season Opener at Ocean Breeze.

Marable was out in 28.7 and came through the 400 in 59.1. He hit 600 meters in 1:30.8 before closing in 29.9.

Jack Welch of Concord High was second in 2:02.81. He was half a step back of Marable when he came through the 600 in 1:31.1 before Marable gapped him on the final lap.

Winslow senior John Purvis joined the 60-foot club this weekend, demolishing the Camden County record with a 60-0 throw at the SJTCA winter meet No. 2 at the Bennett Center.

I haven’t been able to track down Purvis’s series, but his winning throw of 60-0 makes him only the 8th South Jersey thrower to surpass 60 feet indoors and the 18th to do it either indoors or out.

Purvis surpassed his previous indoor (and overall) PR of 57-8 1/2, which he just set last weekend at the same venue in Toms River.

He broke the Camden County record of 57-10 1/2, set in 2010 by Matt Huckabee of Timber Creek at the state Group 3 meet.

Purvis’s mark is No. 1 in the state this year and No. 1 on the U.S. MileSplit list here in the early part of the season.

S.J. INDOOR SHOT PUT ALL-TIME TOP 10
70-8 … Braheme Days Jr. [Bridgeton], 2012
63-11 … Ray Wilks [Bridgeton], 1995
63-1 3/4 … Nick Pulli [West Deptford], 2014
61-9 … Lou Gordon [Bridgeton], 1995
62-7 3/4 … Kamron Kobolak [Cinnaminson], 2018
60-3 … Harry Dilts [Pitman], 1971
60-0 1/2 … Ell Ash [Willingboro], 2004
60-0 … John Purvis [Winslow Twp.], 2020
59-9 … Kofi Yamoah [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2013
58-10 … James Plummer [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2013

S.J. COMBINED SHOT PUT LIST
70-8 … Braheme Days Jr. [Bridgeton] 2012 [I]
64-10 1/2 … Jon Kalnas [Paulsboro], 1997 [o]
64-6 1/4 … Ron Dayne [Overbook], 1996 [o]
64-5 … Ray Wilks [Bridgeton], 1995 [o]
64-4 1/4 … Chris Robinson [Penns Grove], 1990 [o]
63-1 3/4 … Nick Pulli [West Deptford], 2014 [i]
63-0 … Lou Gordon [Bridgeton], 1995 [o]
62-7 3/4 … Kamron Kobolak [Cinnaminson], 2018 [I]
61-10 1/2 … Harry Dilts [Pitman], 1971 [o]
61-6 … Josh Awotunde [Delsea],  2013 [o]
61-4 1/2 … Bubba Green [Millville], 1976 [o]
61-4 … Kofi Yamoah [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2013 [o]
61-3 … Kamron Kobolak [Cinnaminson], 2018] [i]
61-2 1/4 … Matthew Huckabee [Timber Creek], 2010] [o]
60-11 … Luciano Pizarro [Cherokee], 2019] [o]
60-3 … Dontaye Rivera [Pleasantville], 2012] [o]
60-0 1/2 … Ell Ash [Willingboro], 2004] [i]
60-0 … John Purvis [Winslow Twp.], 2020 [i]

Kingsway ran the fastest indoor distance medley by a Gloucester County school in 45 years Saturday, winning the event at the 20th Marine Corps Holiday Classic at the 168th Street Armory.

The Dragons ran 10:28.30, fastest by a Gloucester County DMR since Williamstown ran 10:21.8 over 2 1/2 miles in 1974. 

Kyle Rakitis led off with a 3:16 for 1,200 meters, followed by Finn Campbell’s 53.5 in the 400. Jeffrey Heineman split 1:59.9 on the 800 leg, and Stone Caraccio brought the Dragons home with a 4:18.8 anchor.

River Dell placed second in 10:33.54, with anchor Anish Nanjappa splitting 4:18.9 himself trying to chase down Caraccio.

Kingsway’s previous school record was a 10:31.88 for fourth place at the 2013 Marine Corps Holiday Classic on the same track.

There are certainly some times missing from this list, but this should be most of the sub-10:20 indoor DMRs in South Jersey history! Please send additions to me in the comments section!

10:09.78 … Haddonfield, 2010
10:12.42 … Haddonfield, 2016
10:16.32 … Cherokee, 2002
10:16.60 … Haddonfield, 2002
10:17.97 … Ocean City, 2011
10:19.29 … Haddonfield, 2009
10:21.11 … Haddonfield, 2011
10:21.38 … Haddon Township, 2015
10:21.8y … Williamstown, 1974
10:22.85 … Eastern, 2016
10:23.52 … Haddonfield, 2015
10:28.30 … Kingsway, 2020
10:29.39 … Bishop Eustace, 2013

Millville sophomore Bryanna Craig, the national scholastic heptathlon champion last spring and freshman national record holder, contested her first lifetime high school indoor multi-event on Saturday and shattered a 31-year-old South Jersey record.

Craig scored 3,584 points in five events to win the pentathlon at the 20th annual Marine Corps Holiday Classic at the 168th Street Armory in New York.

The previous South Jersey record was 3,570, set in 1988 by Rancocas Valley’s Tonya Lee, who went to become an All-America intermediate hurdler at Tennessee and reached the finals of the 400IH at the 1996 Olympic Trials.

The previous Cumberland County record of 3,514 was set in 1994 by Bridgeton’s Helen Wilks.

Craig’s score is No. 2 in state history behind only a score of 3,674 set by Tia Livingston of Union Catholic, when she placed second to Canada’s Dallyssa Huggins at the 2016 New Balance Nationals, also at the Armory. Livingston is now at Penn and Huggins is at Maryland.

To make the all-time U.S. top 10, Craig would need to score 3,714 points, so she is 130 points away — or just 26 points per event.

She won’t contest another multi until February, when she competes in the Music City Invitational at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

Craig had some familiar faces competing with her on Saturday.

Millville went 1-2-6 in the pentathlon, with sophomore Leah Ellis 2nd with 2,950 points and freshman Autumn Craig taking 6th 2,497 points.

For Bryanna Craig, here’s an event-by-event look at her day:

55-METER HURDLES: Craig ran a near-PR of 8.50 to lead the field. Her previous PR of 8.46 came last week at the Demarest Invitational at the Bennett Center in Toms River. Her best time last year was an 8.79. 909 points.

LONG JUMP: Craig jumped an indoor PR 18-1 1/2. It’s an indoor PR because she had never jumped in an official meet indoors. Outdoors Craig has a PR of 18-5 1/4 from last year’s Rowan Open. When she broke the national freshman record last June she jumped 16-11 1/4. 7.6 points.

800-METER RUN: Craig ran an indoor 2:27.25, finishing nearly eight seconds ahead of the next-fastest runner. Craig ran 2:31.04 in her only previous indoor 800, which was in a SJTCA event at the Bennett Center last January. She PR’d at 2:21.44 at New Balance Nationals last June. 728 points.

HIGH JUMP: Craig cleared 5-0 1/4, 5-2 and 5-4 on her first attempt before missing three tries at 5-6. The 5-4 ties her indoor PR. She cleared 5-8 last spring  at the Under-20 Championships in Miramar, Fla. 771 points.

SHOT PUT: Craig threw 29-9 3/4, not far off her indoor PR of 30-8 1/4, which she set last week at the Demarest Invite. 470 points.

Ellis ran a PR 8.56 in the 55 hurdles, high jumped 4-10 1/4, threw the shot 28-3 3/4, long jumped 16-7 1/4 and ran the 800 in 2:52.33. She scored her most points in the hurdles (895).

Autumn Craig ran 9.69, cleared 5-0 1/4, threw the shot 23 feet, long jumped 14-8 3/4 and ran 2:52.92.

As for Lee, who previously held the South Jersey record, she set her mark of 3,570 when she won the 1988 National Scholastic Championships at Coxe Cage at Yale University in New Haven, Conn.

Lee’s marks that day: 8.47 in the hurdles, 27-1 3/4 in the shot, 5-7 1/4 in the high jump, 17-8 in the long jump and 2:25.97 in the 800.

An auspicious high school debut for Williamstown freshman Ciara Demarest, who opened her indoor season by winning the shot put at the SJTCA Winter Meet No. 1 Monday with a 36-1 1/2, the best throw in at least 15 years by a Gloucester County freshman.

Demarest, who won several youth track national age-group titles, won the event at the Bennett Center in Toms River by 3 1/2 inches over junior teammate Zuri Richardson, who threw 35-10, an indoor PR of her own. Richardson has a 37-6 1/2 to her credit outdoors.

Demarest’s throw is best overall early this indoor season by a South Jersey thrower, and Richardson is No. 2. She’s also No. 1 after two weekends among New Jersey freshmen.

Williamstown has always had good throwers, and Karen Johnson set the school indoor mark of 39-8 1/4 in 2006. Jayla Washington was close to that at 38-10 in 2014. Damiola Akinmade threw 36-9 in 2015.

For the second year in a row, Pleasantville’s Gabriel Moronta has opened the season with a fast 600 at the Bishop Loughlin Games.

This year was even faster.

Last year, Moronta opened with a 1:23.83 for second place behind Charlie Serrano of Matawan at the annual Loughlin Games at Ocean Breeze. This year he won the race in 1:22.01, finishing nearly a second ahead of second-place Jason Marchese of St. Joseph by the Sea in Staten Island.

Moronta’s time is No. 6 in South Jersey history and No. 3 in both Atlantic County and Pleasantville High School history.

All-Time South Jersey 600-Meter List
1:19.6h … Rob Novak [Bordentown], 2005
1:20.71 … Keith Griffith [Florence], 2010
1:21.13 … Shannon Sherrer [Vineland], 2003
1:21.20 … Isaac Clark [Pleasantville], 2012
1:21.76 … Alan Laws [Pleasantville], 2007
1:22.01 … Gabriel Moronta [Pleasantville], 2019
1:23.34 … Marcus Phillips [Cherry Hill East], 2011
1:23.56 … Tyler Davidson [Willingboro], 2016

All-Time New Jersey 600-Meter List
1:17.9 … Shaquon Brown [JFK Paterson], 2005
1:18.90 … Clayton Parros [Seton Hall Prep], 2009
1:19.14 … Luis Peralta [Passaic], 2019
1:19.6h … Rob Novak [Bordentown], 2005
1:19.61 … Alfred Chawonza [St. Benedict’s Prep], 2019
1:20.0 … Ken Sinkovitz [Bergen Catholic], 2003
1:20.04 … Elijah Brown [Union Catholic], 2019
1:20.10 … Michael Thurston [Ridgewood], 2016
1:20.1 … Marcel VanEeden [Mendham], 2005
1:20.32 … Ernesto Perez [West Side], 1990
1:20.47 … Najee Glass [St. Peter’s Prep], 2012
1:20.50 … Christian Kildal-Brandt [Mendham], 2014
1:20.53 … Lewis Ngwenya [St. Benedict’s Prep], 2018
1:20.56 … Greg Stickle [Randolph], 2015
1:20.7 … Andrew Giannotti [Westwood], 1998
1:20.71 … Keith Griffith [Florence], 2010
1:20.73 … Ian McNally [Morris Hills], 2016
1:20.84 … Bryan Scotland [St. Benedict’s], 2005
1:21.00 … Jack Kerin [Indian Hills], 2016
1:21.13 … Shannon Sherrer [Vineland], 2003
1:21.3 … Joe Velazquez [Paramus], 1999
1:21.20 … Isaac Clark [Pleasantville], 2012
1:21.38 … Patrick Blackie [Seton Hall Prep], 2007
1:21.4 … Josh Kauke [Ridgewood], 2000
1:21.5 … Mike Pachella [Walkill Valley], 2005
1:20.60 … Kyle Davidson [Old Tappan], 2012
1:21.7 … Sharif Webb [Don Bosco], 2007
1:21.70 … Kishaun Richardson [East Orange], 2018
1:21.76 … Alan Laws [Pleasantville], 2007
1:21.90 … Jason Apwah [Roxbury], 2007
1:21.90 … Ben Malone [Pascack Valley], 2012
1:22.0 … Hayrol Cruz [Pasaic], 2005
1:22.01 … Gabriel Moronta [Pleasantville], 2019
1:22.02 … Trae’ Robinson [Union Catholic], 2016
1:22.10 … Calvin Knox [Indian Hills], 2012
1:22.16 … Jackson Burnett [St. Benedict’s Prep], 2019
1:22.21 … Allen Eke [Union Catholic], 2012
1:22.23 … Ryan Orr [Ridge], 2017
1:22.29 … Byron Simmons [St. Benedict’s Prep], 2017
1:22.3 … Niall Buckley [Ridgewood], 2007
1:22.33 … Charles Dasilva [Pope John XXIII], 2018