Haddonfield junior Derek Gess took on some of the best milers in the country Wednesday night and emerged with his second PR in a week.

Gess placed eighth in the Millrose Games trials at the 168th Street Armory with a time of 4:19.17 for the full mile.

His time converts to 4:17.67 for 1,600 meters, which is nearly a three-second PR. His previous indoor PR was 4:20.54 last weekend at the Ocean Breeze Freedom Games. His previous outdoor PR was a slightly faster 4:20.51 at Group 2 sectionals last spring at Delsea.

The race produced eight of the 13-fastest times in the country this year for the full mile.

Gess’s time is fastest in New Jersey this year and it looks like it puts him No. 5 on the all-time Haddonfield list, which is pretty elite company.

This is my best attempt at an all-time indoor South Jersey 1,600-meter run list, with mile times converted to 1,600 meters using the standard conversion formula. I could be missing a few times in the low- to mid-4:17 range. Once the Eagles lose (or win the Super Bowl), I’ll have time to update some of these lists!

As always, if you see a time or performance missing or listed incorrectly, please list the correct information in the comments section!

Thanks!
 
4:13.68y … Marc Pelerin [Cherokee], 2002
4:14.18 ….. Greg Pelose [Haddonfield], 2016
4:14.1y ….. Marty Ludwikowski [Cherry Hill West], 1975
4:14.53y… Chris Platt [Haddonfield], 2003
4:14.71 … Luke Petela [Haddon Twp.], 2015
4:15.11….. Jim Smith [Haddonfield[, 1980
4:16.02 … Erik Johnson [Ocean City], 2012
4:16.0 ….. Greg Stremmel [Gateway], 1974
4:16.3 ….. Rich Caton [Woodbury[, 1979
4:16.57 … Miles Schoedler [Ocean City], 2011
4:16.62 … Bill Dolan [Clearview], 2014
4:16.85 … Ben Potts [Haddonfield], 2011
4:17.67 … Derek Gess [Haddonfield], 2018

Winslow Township’s girls punched their ticket to the Millrose Games Wednesday night, winning the Suburban 1,600-Meter Relay at the Millrose Trials at the 168th Street Armory.

Winslow ran 3:58.70, fastest by any New Jersey school this year.

Janeya Hammond opened with a 60.2 split, followed by Flora Ahiarakwe, who ran 59.6. Shakira Dancy’s 61.2 set up anchor Nylah Perry, who ran 57.9 to get Winslow across the line safely under four minutes.

New Rochelle [4:00.94], North Rockland [4:03.99] and Woodbridge [4:04.59] also ran under 4:05.

Winslow’s time is No. 1 in New Jersey this year, beating Union Catholic’s 4:00.90 from the NJCTC Winter Relays at the Armory last month.

The Millrose Games are scheduled for Feb. 3 back at the Armory. This is the meet’s seventh year at the Armory after 98 years at Madison Square Garden. From 1908 through 1913 the meet was held at a Manhattan armory.

Rancocas Valley’s 4-by-8 ran 7:59.90 at the 168th Street Armory Wednesday night, the No. 6 time in the country this year, and qualified for the 3,200-meter relay at next month’s 111th annual Millrose Games.

It will be the Red Devils’ first trip ever to the Millrose Games in the 4-by-8. R.V.’s 4-by-4 made the trip last year.

Micah Wood led off with a 2:00.0 carry, followed by Vincent Brown (2:02.7), Jake Tyndale (1:58.5) and Ian Moore (1:58.6).

Rancocas Valley’s previous indoor school record was 8:04.10, when the Red Devils won the Varsity Classic at the Armory in 2015.

R.V.’s time is No. 6 nationally this year, No. 2 in New Jersey and No. 1 in South Jersey, with four of those top six times coming from the Millrose Trials.

Rancocas Valley finished fourth behind Northport, N.Y. [7:55.79], St. Benedict’s of Newark [7:57.32] and Pennsbury of Fairless Hills [7:57.41].

The Millrose Games are scheduled for Feb. 3 back at the Armory. This is the meet’s seventh year at the Armory after 98 years at Madison Square Garden. From 1908 through 1913 the meet was held at a Manhattan armory.

R.V.’s time is No. 6 in Burlington County history and fastest in six years:

7:43.64 … Cherokee, 2012
7:51.78 … Cherokee, 2000
7:52.95 … Willingboro, 2003
7:53.64 … Willingboro, 2002
7:57.5h … Willingboro, 1983
7:59.90 … Rancocas Valley, 2018
8:02.47 … Cherokee, 2011
8:04.10 … Rancocas Valley, 2015
8:06.58 … Cherokee, 2009
8:07.5h … Shawnee, 2000

I don’t have a complete South Jersey all-time sub-8 list, but this should be fairly complete. There are probably some times missing in the 7:56-7:59 range from the 1980s and 1990s.

7:43.64 … Cherokee, 2012
7:45.55 … Pleasantville, 2013
7:48.92 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2017
7:51.43 … Washington Twp., 2009
7:51.78 … Cherokee, 2000
7:52.77 … Pleasantville, 2006
7:52.95 … Willingboro, 2003
7:53.64 … Willingboro, 2002
7:54.76 … Pleasantville, 2007
7:55.40 … Washington Twp., 2008
7:55.44 … Haddonfield, 2010
7:57.29 … Oakrest, 2009
7:57.5h … Willingboro, 1983
7:58.08 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2016
7:59.05 … Pleasantville, 2015
7:59.51 … Pleasantville, 2012
7:59.84 … Kingsway, 2014
7:59.90 … Rancocas Valley, 2018
7:59.91 … Kingsway, 2013

Delsea’s Bill Goldsborough bombed an indoor PR 56-0 1/2 in the shot put Tuesday evening at the Cherokee Throw Down #1 in Marlton.

Goldsborough won a terrific battle with Cinnaminson’s Kamron Kobolak, who wound up second in 54-0 and the Delsea senior also took over the No. 1 spot on the 2018 South Jersey list from Kobolak, by less than two inches.

Goldsboro had five legal throws over 52 feet, including three over 54 feet. He opened with a 54-8 and a 54-5 and after a foul on his final throw of the trials, he finished at 53-3, 52-10 and then the 56-0 1/2 on his final attempt.

Kobolak got off his 54-0 on his third throw. The Cinnaminson senior had PR’d at 55-10 3/4 in late December at the Bennett Center.

Goldsborough’s throw is best by a Delsea thrower since Josh Awotunde threw 57-8 1/4 in 2013. Awotunde is a two-time first-team All-America in the shot for South Carolina.

Goldsborough’s throw ranks him No. 3 in the state, behind C.J. Licata of Gill St. Bernard’s [U.S. #1 61-11] and Union Catholic’s Brandon Patterson [56-10]. It also puts him inside the U.S. top 20, according to the milesplit database.

Outdoors, Goldsborough has PRs of 56-5 1/2 in the shot, from his second-place finish at sectionals last spring, and 151-4 in the disc, which got him third at states.

This past fall, Goldsborough was a two-way end for the Delsea football team, which beat Wilson 29-28 at Rowan to win the South Jersey Group 3 championship.

Camden’s 4-by-200 ran the No. 2 time in the country over the weekend, winning the Freedom Games final in 1:30.09 at the Ocean Breeze complex on Staten Island, N.Y.

Sophomore Hakeem Evans led off for Camden, followed by juniors JaJuan Hudson and Donald Williams and senior anchor Damon Rice.

The only faster time in the U.S. also comes from New Jersey. East Orange ran 1:28.76 last month at the AT&T Coaches Hall of Fame Invitational at the 168th Street Armory.

Camden led all qualifiers in the trials with a 1:30.91. In the final, it was Camden vs. Henry A. Wise High School of Upper Marlboro, Md., just outside Washington, D.C. Wise finished second in 1:30.89.

Camden’s time is No. 18 in South Jersey history but seventh in Camden history! So Camden now holds seven of the top 18 times ever run indoors in South Jersey. But it’s also Camden’s fastest 800-meter relay in 14 years, since the 2004 team set the South Jersey record of 1:26.90 at the 2004 Easterns.

Here’s the all-time South Jersey list:

1:26.90 … Camden, 2004
1:27.60 … Vineland, 2004
1:28.0h … Edgewood, 2001
1:28.45 … Camden, 2002
1:28.46 … Lenape, 2000
1:28.91 … Camden, 2000
1:29.06 … Oakcrest, 2012
1:29.17 … Camden, 2001
1:29.29 … Rancocas Valley, 2017
1:29.52 … Vineland, 2003
1:29.57 … Camden, 1997
1:29.61 … Camden, 1999
1:29.72 … Timber Creek, 2013
1:29.74 … Pennsauken, 2016
1:29.87 … Timber Creek, 2016
1:29.92 … Deptford, 2017
1:29.97 … Pleasantville, 2008
1:30.09 … Camden, 2018
1:30.12 … Delsea, 2007

Pennsauken freshman Jade Pope extended her PR from 5-4 to 5-6 Saturday winning the event at the Hispanic Games at the 168th Street Armory.

That mark equals the No. 9 performance in South Jersey history and is No. 2 in the state this year, No. 1 in South Jersey. It’s also No. 6 nationally.

Pope was the only girl to clear 5-6, which she cleared on her first attempt.

Watch her winning jump, video courtesy of Pennsauken assistant coach Phil Zimmerman!

https://twitter.com/PennsaukenTFXC/status/949789833215512576

Here’s a look at the all-time South Jersey indoor list:
5-8 … Carol Lewis [Willingboro], 1981
5-8 … Shatich Rivers [Moorestown], 1992
5-8 … Abby Campbell [Shawnee], 2002
5-8 … Gabrielle Bennett [Winslow Twp.], 2015
5-7 1/4 … Tonya Lee [Rancocas Valley], 1988
5-7 … Lindsey Walsh [Lenape], 2008
5-7 … Megan Kirschling [West Deptford], 2012
5-7 … Alicia Terrell [Timber Creek], 2013
5-6 … Erin Halpin [Cherry Hill West], 1987
5-6 … Mandy Wolicki [Ocean City], 1996
5-6 … Kate Beatty [Shawnee], 1997
5-6 … Patty Dudek [Bordentown], 2000
5-6 … Marcene Jack [Mainland Reg.], 2004
5-6 … Brianna Gray [Haddon Heights], 2007
5-6 … Anna Cook [Florence], 2007
5-6 … Mary Durek [Shawnee], 2012
5-6 … Tierra Hooker [Timber Creek], 2016
5-6 … Kelsey Evancho [Lenape], 2010
5-6 … Amaris Kobolak [Cinnaminson], 2013
5-6 … Natalie Cowan [Hammonton], 2015
5-6 … Jade Pope [Pennsauken], 2018

Derek Gess chased Ken Little to the finish line in the 1,600-meter run at the Freedom Games at the Ocean Breeze track Saturday and although he finished a step behind Little, he still managed a second-place finish, a personal-best 4:20.54 and the No. 1 time in New Jersey this year.

Little, a senior at Derby (Conn.) High School, won the race in 4:20.21. But Gess closed in 2:09 for the second 800, 61.5 for his final 400 and 29.2 for his final lap on the 200-meter track on Staten Island, N.Y.

Gess just missed his overall PR of 4:20.51, set at Group 2 states last year at Northern Burlington in Mansfield Township.

His previous indoor PR was 4:23.12 from Group 1 states his freshman year at the Bennett Center. He ran as fast as 1:55.83 for the 800 at Easterns last year at the Armory.

 

Clayton junior Thomas Hampton ran the fastest 55-meter dash by a South Jersey sprinter this winter Saturday with a second-place finish and PR at the Freedom Games at the Ocean Breeze Complex on Staten Island, N.Y.

Hampton ran 6.51, finishing second only to Franklin Township junior Mario Heslop, last year’s state Group 100-meter dash champ and Meet of Champions runner-up. Heslop ran 6.41 in the trials and 6.38 in the final.

Hampton’s time is fourth-fastest by a New Jersey sprinter this year and a personal-best. He had a 6.67 at a SJTCA meet at the Bennett Center last weekend before a 6.61 in the prelims Saturday morning, which made him fourth-fastest heading into the finals.

Hampton has been one of South Jersey’s most improved athletes this winter. He ran 11.17 and 22.77 last year as a sophomore and his best for 55 meters was a 7.04.

Hampton’s time is sixth-fastest in Gloucester County history and of course a school record at Clayton, which has only had indoor track for three years.

Here’s the all-time Gloucester County 55-meter dash list:
6.34 … A.J. Bunton [West Deptford], 2006
6.38 … James Brown [Glassboro], 2009
6.43 … Anthony Averett [Woodbury], 2013
6.48 … Clayton Crosse [Washington Twp.]. 2016
6.50 … Shawney Kersey [Woodbury], 2007
6.51 … Thomas Hampton [Clayton], 2018

We also put together an all-time South Jersey 55 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
6.45 … Paul Wheeler [Willingboro], 1983
6.45 … Sherron Bullock [Camden], 2004
6.45 … Rob McGriff [Camden], 2006
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
6.48 … 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
6.50 … 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 Reg.], 2013
6.51 … Thomas Hampton [Clayton], 2018

Winslow graduate Edwin Alston, a junior at Central Connecticut, ran 8.01 Friday afternoon to win the 60-meter high hurdles at the Wagner Invitational at the Ocean Breeze Complex on Staten Island, N.Y.

His time is 10th-fastest in NCAA Division 1, according to the Direct Athletics data base.

Alston had the second-fastest qualifying time, winning his trials race in 8.21. Wagner’s Dylan Beard led all qualifiers at 8.06.

But in the final, Alston ran 8.01 and Beard 8.16. Alston was only 7-100ths off his own school record of 7.94 set at last year’s NEC championships at Ocean Breeze, when he was second to Beard.

Alston ran 7.43 for the 55-meter highs and 13.90 for the 110 highs at Winslow, where he was the Meet of Champions winner in the spring of 2015, his senior year.

He holds both Central Connecticut high hurdles records with that 7.94 last year and a 14.14 in the 42-inch highs when he was second at the outdoor NECs to Deshaun Jackson of St. Francis (Pa.).

Central Connecticut is located in New Britain, Conn. The Blue Devils are three-time defending NEC champions outdoors.

In the women’s hurdles final, Rider’s Lexie Fraction of Washington Township High finished third in 9.09, just 2-100ths of a second behind winner Hailey Rospierski of Central Connecticut and Asia Chen of Army, who both ran 9.07. Fraction’s PR is 8.75.

 

In his second career meet for Rowan University, senior hurdler Bobby Cooks nearly broke the school record set by a former rival … who used to run for Rowan!

Cooks ran 8.12 to win the 60-meter hurdles at the Lehigh Fast Times Before Finals Invitational at Rauch Fieldhouse in Bethlehem, Pa.

That is only 15-100ths of a second off the Rowan school record of 7.98 set last year by David Benjamin, when he won the final at NCAA Division 3 nationals in Naperville, Ill.

Cooks placed sixth in that race after a nation-leading 7.90 in the trials while competing for Aurora College in Illinois. Benjamin graduated from Rowan (although he does have a year of eligibility remaining) but passed the high hurdles torch to Cooks, his long-time rival, who transferred in for the fall session.

So Rowan lost the NCAA Division 3 national champion and added the only hurdler in the country to run faster than him last winter!

What a cool story!

Cooks is ranked No. 2 in the nation in Division 3 in the early going this winter, behind only Connor Troyer of Mount Union College. Troyer ran 8.07 at the Mount Union Toy Drive Invite at Peterson Fieldhouse on Mount Union’s campus. in Alliance, Ohio. Troyer is a 400 intermediate hurdles All-America, having placed sixth at nationals last spring – five spots behind the winner, current Rowan senior Anthony Salemo.

Even without Benjamin, Rowan has the makings of a tremendous shuttle hurdles team. Freshmen Juan Alejandro of Perth Amboy and Tyler Garland of Deptford (an outdoor soph) have both run sub-8.50, and sophomore Matt Grillo of Mainland Regional has run 8.52 already this winter. All three are ranked between No. 28 and 30 nationally in Division 3. Alejandro and Garland are the No. 4 and 5 freshmen.

Alejandro placed second at Group 4 states last spring behind only East Orange All-America Cory Poole. Garland was state Group 2 champ in 2016 before competing last spring at Gloucester County College, where he placed second at JUCO nationals at Howard Community College in Columbia, Md. Grillo, an All-America decathlete in high school and NJAC decathlon champ last spring, was state Group 3 high hurdles champ outdoors in 2016.

Cooks was a five-time All-America at Aurora, finishing as high as second in the high hurdles at indoor nationals his freshman year. He was also a 23-foot long jumper at Aurora, located about 45 miles west of Chicago.

Cooks prepped at McArthur High in Hollywood, Fla., where he placed third as a senior in the 36-inch 110 highs in 14.36 at the state meet held at North Florida University in Jacksonville.

So his track journey has taken him from the Atlantic Coast of Florida to suburban Chicago and now to Glassboro, where he’ll have a year of eligibility both indoors and outdoors.

Next for Cooks and Rowan is the Great Dane Classic a week from Saturday at the Ocean Breeze Center on Staten Island.