Woodstown High graduate Ta’riq Thomas, a senior at Delaware Valley College in Doylestown, became a rare NCAA Division 3 winner at the Penn Relays Friday when he leaped an outdoor school-record 23-11 to win the college long jump by less than an inch over a field of Division 1 athletes.

Thomas, a five-time All-America, won by three-quarters of an inch over Cristian Constantin of Penn, who jumped 23-10 1/4 on his final attempt.

Thomas jumped 23 feet on all six of his attempts. He opened with a 23-1 3/4, then hit his 23-11 on his second attempt. He finished a very consistent series with 23-6 1/4, 23-5 1/2, 23-10 1/2 and 23-7 1/4.

Thomas became the first Delaware Valley athlete ever to win an event at the Penn Relays. Thomas and DVU teammate John Jones, who was 10th at 23-0 1/2, were the only Division 3 athletes in the field.

Thomas broke the school record of 23-10 set in 1985 by Brandon Newell. His mark ranks fourth in NCAA Division 3 this year. His previous outdoor PR was a 23-9 1/2 at a meet last weekend at Moravian College in Bethlehem.

Thomas does have an indoor PR of 24 feet, set this past season in a meet at Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pa.

Thomas, who also ran on DVC’s 400-meter team Friday, is scheduled to compete in the triple jump Saturday at Penn.

Winslow graduate Torie Robinson ran leadoff for Clemson’s sprint medley relay team, which won the Championship of America Friday at Franklin Field.

Robinson ran the leadoff 200-meter dash leg for Clemson, which ran 3:45.05 and won by 15 meters over second-place U. Conn, which ran 3:47.41.

Robinson, a senior, was joined by Rebekah Smith on the second 200, Fellan Ferguson on the 400 and Kamryn McIntosh on the 800-meter anchor leg.

Robinson also qualified for the college women’s 100-meter dash championship, which is scheduled for 3:35 p.m. Saturday. Robinson ran 11.62 in Friday’s trials. She has a PR of 11.16 earlier this year in a wind-aided are and has a wind-legal PR of 11.31.

Robinson also ran on Clemson’s fourth-place 400-meter relay team, which ran 44.85 after a 45.09 in Thursday’s trials.

At Winslow, Robinson was a Meet of Champions winner in the 55-meter dash and 100-meter dash and an NCAA qualifier in the 100 last spring.

Rancocas Valley and Haddonfield both dipped under eight minutes for the first time this year Friday morning in the 3,200-Meter Relays at the 124th annual Penn Relays at Franklin Field.

R.V. placed 15th overall in 7:59.33 and Haddonfield 17th overall in 7:59.58 in a different race. Both just missed qualifying for the Championship of America.

The 12-fastest teams in the four races advance to the Championship race. The slowest qualifier Friday was Pennsbury of Bucks County, which ran 7:58.75.

So R.V. missed by about half a second and Haddonfield by just under a second.

But the two South Jersey powerhouses still posted the fastest times in South Jersey this year despite racing during a morning downpour.

Haddonfield ran first, in the first of two small-school races, and the Bulldogs placed fourth overall. Derek Gess led off with a 1:58.29 split followed by Ethan Spellman (1:57.60), Greg Eisenhower (2:02.16) and Martin Riddell (2:01.54).

Haddonfield didn’t run sub-8:00 last year but has now gone under five of the last six years, a remarkable record of consistency.

About 10 minutes after Haddonfield ran, Rancocas Valley was on the track for the third 4-by-8, the first of two large-school races. The Red Devils wound up sixth in the fastest race of the day, with six schools dipping under eight minutes.

Jake Tyndale (2:01.31), Vincent Brown (2:00.98), Ian Moore (1:58.97) and Micah Wood (1:58.09) ran for R.V.

This is the Red Devils’ fourth time under 8:00 in the last five years — all but 2015, when they missed by less than a second.

Of the 22 New Jersey schools in the field, only two ran faster than R.V. and Haddonfield. St. Benedict’s of Newark ran 7:57.62 and North Hunterdon ran 7:58.17, and both advanced to the Championship of America, which is scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday.

Overall this year, R.V. and Haddonfield rank sixth and seventh among New Jersey schools this year.

Cinnaminson also ran well, clocking 8:08.90, just off its qualifying mark of 8:08.72 made in much better conditions.

Justin Arnold (2:03.53), Tom Ungvarsky (2:03.07), Austin Gabay (2:00.84) and Max Adams (2:01.47) ran for the Pirates.

Rancocas Valley graduate Danielle Steff, a Monmouth University freshman, threw a PR 156-0 in the javelin Thursday at the 124th annual Penn Relays. Steff placed eighth, surpassing her previous PR of 149-10.

Steff opened with a 138-5, 144-11 and foul but advanced to the final, where she opened with a 153-6 and then a 134-9 before notching the PR on her final attempt.

At R.V., Steff had a javelin PR of 139-0 at last year’s New Balance Nationals. She threw 133-1 at Penn last year in the high school javelin competition, so that’s an improvement of more than 23 feet from last year’s Penn Relays to this year’s.

Her previous PR of 149-10 came last weekend at the Virginia Challenge in Charlottesville, Va.

Steff’s 156-0 is third-best in Monmouth history.

Rowan senior Kevin Veltre PR’d in the 3,000-meter steeplechase Thursday evening at the Penn Relays with a 9:07.35, sixth-fastest in NCAA Division 3 this year.

Veltre, the only NCAA Division 3 runner in the field, finished ninth out of 35 Division 1 runners. His previous season-best was a 9:13.14 earlier this month in Princeton. His previous PR was a 9:09.85 in a meet last May at Swarthmore.

Veltre ran within seven seconds of the Rowan school record of 9:00.13 set in 1984 by Oakcrest graduate Ron Deckert.

Two other runners with South Jersey ties were in the field. Louis Corgliano of Maryland via Hammonton ran 9:12.0 and Mike Ungvarsky of Duke via Cinnaminson ran 9:18.81.

Winslow out-raced Rancocas Valley by two meters Thursday to win the South Jersey Girls Large-School 1,600-meter relay at the 124th annual Penn Relays at Franklin Field.

Winslow ran 3:55.79 and Rancocas Valley 3:56.09, the two-fastest times in South Jersey this year. The only New Jersey school that’s run faster this year is Union Catholic, which 3:54.38 Thursday at Penn.

Winslow and Rancocas Valley both qualified for the Philadelphia Area 1,600-Meter Relay Championships scheduled for 5:05 p.m. Saturday.

This is Winslow’s third straight S.J. Large-School 1,600-meter relay win, fifth in the last eight years and sixth overall.

Winslow is the first to win three straight since Willingboro won five straight from 1996 through 2000.

Nylah Perry [1:00.42], Flora Ahiarakwe [50.60], Shakira Dancy [57.61] and Janeya Hammond [58.16] ran for Winslow.

Aliyah Taylor [57.01], Darynn Minus-Vincent [58.93], Brianna Snowden [59.97] and Morgan Gallagher [1:00.20] ran for Rancocas Valley.

Of the 611 schools that raced the 4-by-400 Thursday, Winslow and Rancocas Valley were 24th- and 25th-fastest.

This is the 25th year Penn has had a South Jersey girls 1,600-meter relay. Willingboro has won seven times, Winslow six times, Camden and Wilson three times each, Seneca twice, Lenape twice and Cherokee and Washington Township once each.

Here’s a look at every winner in the event’s history:

2018 … Winslow Twp., 3:55.79
2017 … Winslow Twp., 3:51.84
2016 … Winslow Twp., 3:55.97
2015 … Lenape, 3:59.53
2014 … Lenape, 3:58.42
2013 … Cherokee, 3:54.98
2012 … Winslow Twp., 3:54.53
2011 … Winslow Twp., 3:57.63
2010 … Seneca, 3:56.90
2009 … Seneca, 4:02.63
2008 … Camden, 3:53.88
2007 … Washington Twp., 3:56.69
2006 … Woodrow Wilson, 3:50.81
2005 … Woodrow Wilson, 3:56.77
2004 … Winslow Twp., 3:54.61
2003 … Willingboro, 3:47.30
2002 … Willingboro, 3:51.45
2001 … Woodrow Wilson, 3:51.80
2000 … Willingboro, 3:53.15
1999 … Willingboro, 3:48.80
1998 … Willingboro, 3:53.55
1997 … Willingboro, 3:55.82
1996 … Willingboro, 4:00.45
1995 … Camden, 3:46.94
1994 … Camden, 3:50.45

Delsea senior Ashley Preston recorded the best pole vault mark by a South Jersey girl in 14 years Thursday when she cleared 12-7 1/2 at the Penn Relays at Franklin Field.

Preston’s mark is tied for third in state history behind Shawnee’s Danielle O’Reilly [13-5 in 2004] and Leah Saifi of Governor Livingston [13-0 1/2 in 2017].

Preston placed third at Penn, behind Alana Carroll of Averill Park (N.Y.) High, who cleared 12-11 1/2, and Kaeli Thompson of Warwick Valley (N.Y.), who also cleared 12-7 1/2. She also extended her own Gloucester County record.

Preston actually missed her first two attempts at the opening height of 10-11 3/4 before clearing on her final attempt to avoid no-heighting.

She then cleared 11-5 3/4, 11-11 3/4, 12-3 1/2 and 12-7 1/2, all on her first attempt, before missing three attempts at 12-11 1/2.

Preston’s previous PR was a 12-7 at an indoor meet at the Bennett Center in January. Her previous outdoor PR was an 11-4 at a meet in West Chester, Pa., earlier this month. Before January, her PR was 11-0 from junior year indoors.

Here’s a look at all the vaulters in New Jersey history who have cleared 12-6 either indoors or outdoors, listed with their best overall mark:

ALL-TIME N.J. POLE VAULT LIST
13-5 … Danielle O’Reilly [Shawnee], 2004 [i]
13-0 1/2 … Leah Saifi [Governor Livingston], 2017 [i]
12-7 1/2 … Chrissy Finkel [Monroe Twp.], 2008 [i]
12-7 1/2 … Ashley Preston [Delsea], 2018
12-7 1/4 … Nicole Pompei [Hanover Park], 2009 [o]
12-7 1/2 …  Jennifer Holly [Barnegat], 2008 [i]
12-7 … Kelly Burke [Cranford], 2010 [o]
12-6 1/2  … Chelsea Vaughan [Southern Reg.], 2012 [i]
12-6 1/2 … Emily Urciuoli [Clifton], 2010 [i]
12-6 1/2 … Natalie Gengel [Princeton], 2005 [o]
12-6 1/4 … Melissa Purcell [Pascack Valley], 2018 [i]
12-6  … Julianna Toto [Middletown South], 2005 [i], 2008 [o]
12-6 … Michelle Rubinetti [Northern Valley-Demarest], 2016 [i], 2017 [o]
12-6  … Haley Horvath [Notre Dame], 2018 [i]
12-6 … Francesca Porambo [Bernards], 2018 [i]
12-6  … Julia Dannenbaum [Pingry], 2017 [i]
12-6 … Marlena Sabatino [Hillsborough], 2012 [o]
12-6 … Jessica Ippolito [Fair Lawn], 2017 [o]
12-6 … Anna Heim [Moorestown], 2010 [o]

The Rancocas Valley girls on Thursday blazed the second-fastest 400-meter relay time by a New Jersey school this year at the 124th annual Penn Relays at Franklin Field.

R.V. ran a 2018 South Jersey #1 48.06 to win its heat and advance to two featured regional championship races later in the weekend at Penn. The time is No. 24 in South Jersey history, No. 8 in Burlington County history and No. 2 in the state this year.

But the Red Devils will have two more chances to run faster. They qualified for the Northeast Championship race at 2:20 p.m. Friday and the Tri-State Championship race at 1:40 p.m. Saturday.

Sophomores Breacain McClenahan and Kristina Tossas, junior Darynn Minus-Vincent and senior Aliyah Taylor ran for the Red Devils, improving on their previous season-best of 48.67 from the Woodbury Relays last weekend.

The only faster time by a New Jersey school this year is Union Catholic’s 47.42, also at Penn on Thursday.

R.V.’s 48.06 ranks 21st of 637 schools that ran the 400-meter relay Thursday. Of the 20 schools that ran faster, 12 are from Jamaica, one from the Bahamas and five from various states in the U.S. (one each from Virginia, California, Maryland, New York and Nevada) and one each from Washington, D.C., and North Jersey (Union Catholic).

The Egg Harbor girls ran 48.28 and the Winslow girls 48.33 and both also reached the Northeast and Tri-State races.

ALL-TIME S.J. GIRLS 400-METER RELAY LIST
46.87 … Eastern, 2003
46.98 … Winslow Twp., 2017
46.9h … Willingboro, 1980
47.18 … Winslow Twp., 2013
47.27 … Delsea, 2017
47.3h … Willingboro, 1981
47.45 … Willingboro, 1994
47.49 … Rancocas Valley, 2017
47.54 … Winslow Twp., 2003
47.4h … Camden,, 1978
47.4y … Camden, 1979
47.75 … Eastern, 2002
47.76 … Winslow Twp., 2005
47.76 … Winslow Twp., 2012
47.8h … Willingboro, 2003
47.82 … Moorestown, 2000
47.85 … Deptford, 2015
47.87 … Winslow Twp., 2011
47.9h … Willingboro, 1995
47.94 … Camden, 2000
48.0h … Camden, 1995
48.0h … Wilson, 2008
48.03 … Penns Grove, 2014
48.06 … Rancocas Valley, 2018
48.07 … Camden, 2006
48.08 … Winslow Twp., 2004
48.08 … Willingboro, 2009
48.09 … Lakewood, 2000
48.1h … Willingboro, 1979
48.12 … Washington Twp., 2001
48.14 … Camden, 1997
48.14 … Winslow, 2018
48.23 … Wilson, 2006
48.23 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2015
48.24 … Camden, 2008

Seneca’s girls 3,200-meter relay team just missed reaching the Penn Relays Championship of America race but ran sub-9:30 for the third straight year.

The team of Kayla Hay, Carley Tool, Grayce Heinemann and Sydny Warner ran 9:27.36 Thursday at the 124th annual Penn Relays at Franklin Field, finishing fourth in the first of four high school girls 3,200-meter relay heats (two large-school, two small-school).

Seneca finished ninth overall among small schools and 15th overall among the 67 schools that qualified for Penn.

The top 12 schools from the four races advanced to Friday’s Championship of America race. The slowest of those 12 was River Dell, which ran 9:25.11, so Seneca missed advancing by just over two seconds.

Hay led off with a 2:22.70, with Tool [2:22.90], Heinemann [2:22.13] and Warner [2:19.64] following. Seneca’s time is sixth-fastest in New Jersey this year and fastest by a South Jersey school.

 

Jessica Woodard won her second straight college shot put championship Thursday at the 124th annual Penn Relays on the fields adjacent to Franklin Field on the University of Pennsylvania campus in West Philadelphia.

Woodard, a Marlton native, Cherokee High School graduate and senior at Oklahoma, threw 55-7 1/2 to win by three inches over Kayla Dawson of Indiana, who threw 55-4 1/2. Last year Woodard won with a throw of 55-10.

Woodard has a shot put PR of 60-2 3/4 from last year’s Big 12 meet. Her best throw this year is a 57-8 9 last month at a meet in San Diego.

Woodard will throw the discus at Penn at 11:30 a.m. Friday. She’s ranked seventh nationally in the shot put and seventh in the discus at 190-9.