Eastern Regional High School graduate English Gardner, the 15th-fastest sprinter in the history of the world, moved to within one step of making her first Olympic team Sunday when she ran a wind-aided 10.74 and won the third of three semifinals at the U.S. Olympic Track Trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

It’s the fastest she’s ever run under any conditions.

The top two placers in the three races, plus the next-two fastest finishers, advanced to the final, scheduled for 8:44 p.m. Sunday. The top three will qualify to run the 100 at the Rio Olympics in Brazil in August.

To follow the results of the final in real time tonight, click here.

Gardner, who has a wind-legal PR of 10.79 and a season-best of 10.81, ranks fourth in the world this year and No. 2 among Americans, 1-100th of a second behind Tori Bowie, a former NCAA long jump champion. Bowie ran 10.74 to win the first heat Sunday.

All three semis were wind-aided. The first race was assisted with a 3.1 meters-per-second wind, the second at 4.5 and the third at 2.5. So Gardner got the least assistance but tied Bowie for the fastest time.

Although we don’t have lane assignments just yet, here are the eight finalists along with first their time in Sunday’s semifinals followed by their wind-legal PR:

10.74w / 10.79 … English Gardner
10.74w / 10.80 … Tori Bowie
10.79w / 10.85 … Tianna Bartoletta
10.86w / 10.92 … Jenna Prandini
10.97w / 11.01 … Ariana Washington
10.97w / 11.04 … Morolake Akinosun
11.01w / 10.85 … Barbara Pierre
11.03w / 11.08 … Tiffany Townsend

Here is the all-time wind-legal Olympic Trials performance list through Sunday’s first round:

10.49 Florence Griffith-Joyner, 1988 [q]
10.61 Griffith-Joyner, 1988 [1]
10.70 Griffith-Joyner, 1988 [s]
10.78 Torri Edwards, 2008 [s]
10.81 Evelyn Ashford, 1988 [2]
10.82 Gwen Torrence, 1996 [1]
10.83 Sheila Echols, 1988 [q]
10.85 Ashford, 1988 [s]
10.85 Muna Lee, 2008 [1]
10.88 Diane Williams, 1988 [q]
10.88 Marion Jones, 2000 [1]
10.90 Edwards, 2008 [2]
10.90 Lauryn Williams, 2008 [3]
10.91 Torrence, 1988 [3]
10.91 Gail Devers, 1996 [2]
10.92 Alice Brown, 1988 [q]
10.92 D’Andre Hill, 1996 [3]
10.92 Carmelita Jeter, 2012 [1]
10.93 Marshevet Hooker, 2008 [4]
10.96 Chryste Gaines, 1996 [q]
10.96 Inger Miller, 1996 [4]
10.96 Allyson Felix, 2008 [5]
10.96 Tianna Madison, 2012 [2]
10.96 Madison, 2012 [s]
10.97 Jeter, 2008 [s]
10.97 Michelle Lewis, 2008 [s]
10.97 Latasha Colander, 2004 [1]

The first two rounds of the women’s Olympic 100 in Rio are scheduled for Aug. 12, with the semis and finals following on Aug. 13.

She’s already made the U.S. Olympic team in one event, and now Marielle Hall has her sites set on another berth.

Hall on Saturday became the fourth South Jersey woman in history to make the U.S. Olympic track team when she placed third in the 10,000-meter run in 31:54.77.

The former Haddonfield star qualified in both the 5,000 and 10,000, with 31:37.45 in the 10,000 and a 15:06.45 in the 5,000.

There was only a final in the 10,000, but the 5,000 has two rounds. The 5,000 semis are slated for 4:20 p.m. Thursday, with the final following at 4:28 p.m. on the final day of the Trials, Sunday, July 10.

Hall is the No. 6 seed in the 5,000 but after Molly Huddle, who ran 14:48.14 during the qualifying window, the next five entries are within 5 1/2 seconds, with Emily Infield, Abbey D’Agostino, Nicole Tully, Shelby Houlihan and Hall all between 15:00.91 and 15:06.45.

Huddle and Infield, like Hall, made the team in the 5,000, so they could go either way in the 5,000.

But Hall said she’s planning on racing Thursday.

“I think I’m still competing in the 5k, so I’m still just taking it one day at a time,” said Hall, an All-America at Texas. “I’ve still got to talk to my coach and see where he’s at, but I came into the Trials planning on competing in both events.”

Hall made the Olympic team with a minimum of effort in the 10,000. She ran very smart tactically, settling into the pack for 6,000 meters before moving into the lead group with 4,000 meters left.

She never had to run a lap faster than 74, but she ran her last 12 laps between 74 and 76.

Her 800s after a 76.2 opening lap looked like this:

2:35.7
2:32.5
2:34.3
2:39.0
2:35.0
2:35.2
2:31.7
2:32.4
2:31.7
2:30.3
2:29.1
2:32.4

So her last six 800s were all between 2:29.1 and 2:32.4. And she was in such a comfortable spot late in the race — nearly 100 meters ahead of fourth-place Kelly Taylor — that she didn’t even have to kick. Her last lap was almost exactly as fast as her second lap.

This is brilliant tactical running. Especially with two 5,000s looming in a week.

It helped that she already had the Olympic standard of 32:15, so all she had to do was get into the top three and she was on her way to Rio.

“Going into it, my coach told me two things,” Hall said. “To be patient and to be invisible for the first half.

“It’s a really long race, so for me I had to get used to the waves. Sometimes there are surges and sometimes people are falling back, lots of contact, so being a part of the pack you can definitely feel the tension, but all of that is expected in this race.”

English Gardner was just running to advance. She wound up running really fast.

Gardner, a native of Voorhees and graduate of Eastern Regional High School, opened her bid to make her first U.S. Olympic team in style Saturday with the fastest 100-meter dash time in the qualifying rounds in 28 years.

Gardner won the first of five heats in 10.90, the fastest wind-legal time in the first round at the Trials since 1988, when three women ran faster – Florence Griffith-Joyner and her dubious and asterisked 10.49, Sheila Echols and her clean 10.83 and admitted steroid user Diane Williams, who ran 10.88.

Running just to qualify, Gardner ran within 11-100ths of a second of her PR of 10.79, which is No. 15 in world history and No. 7 among athletes with no history of or direct connection to positive drug tests.

“You get out there and have a set plan and then you execute that plan, then turn to look at the clock and I said, ‘Oh, I might need to slow down,'” Gardner said. “Things have been going for well for me in training, spiritually, mentally, physically. I’m so fit right now.”

Gardner technically wasn’t the fastest qualifier for Sunday’s semis. Jenna Prandini ran 10.81, but that was with an assisting wind of 3.6 meters per second.  Her wind-legal PR is 10.90.

The semifinals are scheduled for 4:02 p.m. Sunday, with the finals following at 5:44 p.m. at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

Gardner’s 10.90 came with a legal wind of 1.8 meters per second. Next-fastest qualifier was Tori Bowie, who ran 10.91 in the fifth heat. Bowie and Gardner rank No. 3 and 4 in the world this year – and 1 and 2 among Americans – at 10.80 for Bowie and 10.81 for Gardner. The 10.80 equalled her two-year-old PR from Monaco in 2014. Gardner ran her PR of 10.79 in Eugene in 2014.

“When we get to the final,” Gardner said, “hopefully Tori and I can can give you the best show of your life.”

Gardner will be in lane 3 in the third of three semifinal races. The top two finishers in each of three races, plus the next-two fastest times, will advance to the eight-woman final.

Everybody who has ever run 10.92 or faster in a final has made the Olympic team. Gardner placed seventh in the 100 final in the 2012 Trials after her sophomore year at Oregon.

Start lists for the semis and all of Sunday’s events are here.

I put together a list of all the sub-11 wind-legal times in U.S. Olympic Trials history. Gardner is already the No. 9 performer on a list that unfortunately has to include several drug cheats, since these marks came outside the period they are known to have tested positive.

Interesting to note that five of the 10-fastest wind-legal qualifying times in meet history came this year, with four others in 1988 and one in 1996.

10.49 Florence Griffith-Joyner, 1988 [q]
10.61 … Griffith-Joyner, 1988 [1]
10.70 … Griffith-Joyner, 1988 [s]
10.78 Torri Edwards, 2008 [s]
10.81 Evelyn Ashford, 1988 [2]
10.82 Gwen Torrence, 1996 [1]
10.83 Sheila Echols, 1988 [q]
10.85 … Ashford, 1988 [s]
10.85 Muna Lee, 2008 [1]
10.88 Diane Williams, 1988 [q]
10.88 Marion Jones, 2000 [1]
10.90 … Edwards, 2008 [2]
10.90 Lauryn Williams, 2008 [3]
10.90 English Gardner, 2016 [q]
10.91 … Torrence, 1988 [3]
10.91 Gail Devers, 1996 [2]
10.91 Torie Bowe, 2016 [q]
10.92 Alice Brown, 1988 [q]
10.92 D’Andre Hill, 1996 [3]
10.92 Carmelita Jeter, 2012 [1]
10.93 Marshevet Hooker, 2008 [4]
10.96 Chryste Gaines, 1996 [q]
10.96 Inger Miller, 1996 [4]
10.96 Allyson Felix, 2008 [5]
10.96 Tianna Madison, 2012 [2]
10.96 … Madison, 2012 [s]
10.97 … Jeter, 2008 [s]
10.97 Michelle Lewis, 2008 [s]
10.97 Latasha Colander, 2004 [1]
10.99 Morolake Akinosun, 2016 [q]
10.99 Joanna Atkins, 2016 [q]
10.99 Alex Atkinson, 2016 [q]

A trio of South Jersey javelin throwers descended on the U.S. Olympic Trials, and two of the three — Curtis Thompson of Florence and Tim VanLiew of Deptford — advanced to the 12-man final scheduled for Monday.

Chris Mirabelli of Holy Cross came close and finished 14th overall, giving South Jersey three of the top 14 American javelin throwers.

Vince Labosky would be proud!

Labosky, a Holy Cross graduate, was the 1990 U.S. javelin champion.

Thompson, the NCAA champion for Mississippi State, threw 249-10, 244-10 and 247-3 in Saturday’s first round  and was the only entrant with three throws over 240 feet.

VanLiew, the two-time NCAA Division 3 champ and D-3 record holder for Rutgers-Camden, threw 221-5, 231-10 and 237-6, with the 237-6 winding up eighth-best among qualifiers.

Riley Dolezal led all qualifiers at 251-7, and Sean Furey was also over 250 feet at 250-2.

Mirabelli, the Big 10 champion, threw 224-4 on his first attempt but fouled on his next two throws. The cutoff was 227-2, so he was less than three feet from joining Thompson and VanLiew in the finals.

Thompson and Mirabelli have been rivals since sophomore year of high school, and they threw consecutively with the first flight on Saturday. VanLiew was more of a soccer player in high school and college. He was an All-America goalie for Rutgers-Camden before resurrecting his javelin career.

Mirabelli’s PR is 240-3, Thompson’s is 265-10 and VanLiew’s is 247-10.

The javelin championship is scheduled for 4:25 p.m. Monday back at Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene.

Here’s a look at the top performers – not performances – in U.S. Olympic Trials history, since the inception of the new implement in 1988:

270-  3 … Breaux Greer, 2004 [1]
268-  7 … Sam Humphreys, 2012 [1]
268-  6 … Todd Riech, 1996 [1]
267-  8 … Tom Pukstys, 1996 [2]
265-  1 … Sam Crouser, 2012 [2]
263-  4 … Tim Glover, 2012 [q]
262-  2 … Craig Kinsley, 2012 [3]
261-10 … Brian Chaput, 2004 [2]
261-  4 … Dave Stephens, 1988 [1]
260-  8 … Brian Crouser, 1988 [2]
260-  8 … Tom Petranoff, 1988 [3]
255-10 … Barry Krammes, 2012 [q]
255-  7 … Mike Barnett, 1988 [4]
255-  5 … Sean Furey, 2012 [4]
254-  8 … Cyrus Hostetler, 2012 [5]
253-  4 … Roald Bradstock, 1996 [5]
253-  0 … Sean Keller, 2012 [q]
251-  7 … Riley Dolezal, 2016 [q]
251-  6 … Ed Kaminski, 1996 [q]

Since Thompson has the best throw in meet history below 250 feet, he is currently sitting in the No. 20 spot on the all-time U.S. Olympic Trials javelin performers list.

Thompson is ranked 45th on the IAAF World List and is No. 2 American this year behind Cyrus Hosteler, who threw 275-0 in a meet in Tucson in May but only threw 243-8 on Saturday.

Here are the season bests and career bests of the 12 finalists

Cyrus Hostetler          275-0 / 275-0
Curtis Thompson       265-10 / 265-10
Riley Dolezal               263-10 / 273-11
Timothy VanLiew      261-3 / 261-3
Sam Humphreys        258-5 / 272-9
Christopher Carper   254-3 / 256-2
Sean Furey                  250-2 / 272-6
Robert Robbins          247- 9 / 248-11
Sam Crouser               244-0 / 273-4
Carson Fuller              240-11 / 240-11
Damien Odle               240-8 / 240-8
Capers Williamson    239-4 / 239-4

Important to remember that no matter what happens in the final, the U.S. athletes must meet the Olympic standard of 272-4 by July 11 to make it to Rio.

If an athlete finishes in the top three and isn’t able to nail the Olympic standard by July 11 — which is very soon — he would be replaced by the next highest-placing athlete who does have the standard.

Since Hosteler, Crouser and Furey all met the standard during the current qualifying period — which opened June 1 of last year – if no new athletes reach the standard on Monday, Hosteler, Crouser and Furey will comprise the U.S. contingent headed to the Olympics, no matter how they throw in the championship round.

If an athlete (or athletes) who hasn’t yet met the standard does throw 272-4 or better, then the top three finishers Monday with the standard go to Rio.

Haddonfield High School graduate Marielle Hall made her first Olympic team Saturday, running 31:54.77 and placing third in the Olympic Trials 10,000 Saturday at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

Hall, a former All-America at Texas, is the first South Jersey woman ever to make the U.S. Olympic team in a race longer than 800 meters and only the fourth South Jersey woman ever to make the U.S. Olympic track team.

She qualified for the Olympic Games scheduled for Aug. 5-21 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The women’s 10,000 is scheduled for Aug. 12.

Molly Huddle and Emily Infield took the top two spots, running 31:41.62 and 31:46.09. Hall was comfortably ahead of fourth place, finishing about 90 meters ahead of Kellyn Taylor, who ran 32:11.29.

Hall is the second Haddonfield runner to make the U.S. Olympic team in the last three Olympics. Erin Donohue made the team in the 1,500-meter run in 2008. Donohue just missed advancing to the semifinals in the 800 on Friday.

Hall’s time is ninth-fastest in U.S. Olympic Trials history.

On the IAAF 2016 world list, Hall ranks 22nd at 31:37.45 from Palo Alto in May. Of the 21 runners ahead of her, 14 are Ethiopian. That’s her PR.

She’s qualified for the 5,000 as well. We’ll see if she toes the line Thursday for the 5,000.

Here’s what the all-time Olympic Trials performance list looks like:

31:09.65 … Deena Kastor, 2004 [1]
31:34.81 … Shalene Flanagan, 2008 [1]
31:37.72 … Kara Goucher, 2008 [2]
31:41.62 … Molly Huddle, 2016 [1]
31:43.60 … Amy Begley, 2008 [3]
31:46.09 … Emily Infield, 2016 [2]
31:51.05 … Deena Kastor, 2000 [1]
31:51.27 … Lynn Nelson, 1988 [1]
31:54.77 … Marielle Hall, 2016 [3]
31:58.14 … Elva Dryer, 2004 [2]
31:58.34 … Jen Rhines, 2000 [2]
31:58.36 … Amy Hastings, 2012 [1]
31:58.68 … Libbie Hickman, 2000 [3]
31:59.21 … Natosha Rogers, 2012 [2]
31:59.69 … Shalene Flanagan, 2012 [3]

Hall is only the fourth South Jersey woman to make a U.S. Olympic track team. Carol Lewis of Willingboro made the team in the long jump in 1980, 1984 and 1988, Donohue ran the 1,500 in 2008 and Shana Williams of Bridgeton made the team in the long jump in 1996 and 2000.

The official Olympic Trials web site lists splits for all runners, but Hall’s are all screwed up. Here’s what they show, although it’s pretty clear she didn’t run three straight 75.12s. And her sixth and seventh splits are over 2 1/2 minutes each, so we know they’re not right. But this is what we have, and we’ll fix it when we can. Presumably her last mile is correct:

400 …. 76.16
800 …. 78.35
1200 … 77.28
1600 … 76.39
2000 … 76.08
2400 … ???
2800 … ???
3200 … 78.16
3600 … 76.79
4000 … 77.79
4400 … 77.33
4800 … 76.14
5200 … 75.49
5600 … 76.25
6000 … 76.12
6400 … 75.55
6800 … 76.11
7200 … 75.12
7600 … 75.12
8000 … 75.12
8400 … 75.11
8800 … 74.90
9200 … 74.14
9600 … 76.15
10000 .. 76.22

 

She’ll line up next to another South Jersey native and a few feet away from another of New Jersey’s greatest sprinters of all time.

It’s the start of English Gardner’s quest to become an Olympian.

Gardner, a graduate of Eastern High School, will be in lane six for the first of five heats of the 100-meter dash at the 2016 Olympic Track and Field Trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, on Saturday afternoon. The first round goes off at 6:33 p.m. EST, with the semis and finals tomorrow.

Here are the heat sheets for all of Saturday’s events: http://www.usatf.org/usatf/files/6e/6e8e01bc-9098-4b29-93e5-e543d69b9a14.pdf

To follow along live, click here: http://trialsresults.usatf.org

Gardner, ranked fourth in the world, reached the 100-meter dash final four years ago while competing for the University of Oregon and placed seventh in 11.28 after an 11.27 in the trials and an 11.10 in the semifinals.

But she is a consistent sub-11 sprinter these days and ran within 2-100ths of her PR of 10.79 earlier this spring.

The only runner in the field seeded higher than Gardner is Tori Bowie, who has run 1-100th of a second faster this year at 10.80.

Gardner is No. 15 in world history with her 10.79 in 2015 on the same Hayward Field track she’ll race on this week. Of the 14  who have run faster than Gardner, seven have had at least one positive test for a banned substance.

There will be five 100-meter dash races in the trials, with 21 women advancing to the semifinals – the top three in each heat and the next six-fastest.

Gardner’s heat, the first of five, also features Miki Barber of Montclair, who like Gardner is a former New Jersey Meet of Champions winner, and Williamstown native Gabrielle Farquharson, who qualified for the Trials in three events. Barber will be in lane 4, with Farquharson next to Gardner in lane 6.

Here is a list of every wind-legal sub-11 performance in U.S. Olympic Trials history:

10.49 Florence Griffith-Joyner, 1988 [q]
10.61 Griffith-Joyner, 1988 [1]
10.70 Griffith-Joyner, 1988 [s]
10.78 Torri Edwards, 2008 [s]
10.81 Evelyn Ashford, 1988 [2]
10.82 Gwen Torrence, 1996 [1]
10.83 Sheila Echols, 1988 [q]
10.85 Ashford, 1988 [s]
10.85 Muna Lee, 2008 [1]
10.88 Diane Williams, 1988 [q]
10.88 Marion Jones, 2000 [1]
10.90 Edwards, 2008 [2]
10.90 Lauryn Williams, 2008 [3]
10.91 Torrence, 1988 [3]
10.91 Gail Devers, 1996 [2]
10.92 Alice Brown, 1988 [q]
10.92 D’Andre Hill, 1996 [3]
10.92 Carmelita Jeter, 2012 [1]
10.93 Marshevet Hooker, 2008 [4]
10.96 Chryste Gaines, 1996 [q]
10.96 Inger Miller, 1996 [4]
10.96 Allyson Felix, 2008 [5]
10.96 Tianna Madison, 2012 [2]
10.96 Madison, 2012 [s]
10.97 Jeter, 2008 [s]
10.97 Michelle Lewis, 2008 [s]
10.97 Latasha Colander, 2004 [1]

As you can see, 14 of the 25-fastest times in Trials history came from the 1988 meet in Indianapolis and the 1996 meet in Atlanta, both during the height of suspected drug use.

Athletes who were subject to IAAF suspensions are listed here if their marks did not occur during the period of their suspension, as per IAAF policy.

Here is a list of all the U.S. Olympic Trials 100-meter dash winners:

2012 Carmelita Jeter, 10.92
2008 Muna Lee, 10.85
2004 LaTasha Colander, 10.97
2000 Marion Jones, 10.88
1996 Gwen Torrence, 10.82
1992 Gwen Torrence, 10.97
1988 Florence Griffith-Joyner, 10.61
1984 Evelyn Ashford, 11.18
1980 Alice Brown, 11.32
1976 Brenda Morehead, 11.08
1972 Barbara Ferrell, 11.3
1968 Wyomia Tyus, 11.3
1964 Edith McGuire, 11.3w
1960 Wilma Rudolph, 11.5
1956 Isabelle Daniels, 12.0
1952 Mae Faggs, 12.1
1948 Mabel Walker, 12.3
1936 Helen Stephens, 11.7
1932 Ethel Harrington, 12.3
1928 Elta Cartwright, 12.4

English Gardner, Nia Ali and Marielle Hall lead a dozen South Jersey athletes who will compete over the next week and a half for Olympic berths at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

The action will begin later Friday, so here’s a quick guide to the South Jersey athletes and when they’ll be in action, plus some important links for you.

First, here are the 12 South Jersey we know of who are scheduled to compete in Eugene. It’s possible some won’t compete and it’s possible others who aren’t listed will. We will try to update the latest South Jersey entries on this site as more information becomes available.

All times are EST, which is three hours later than the time in Eugene.

MEN 
Curtis Thompson, Florence, Javelin
Thompson is the No. 5 seed in the javelin with a PR and season-best of 265-10. The first round of the javelin is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. EST Saturday, and the final is 7:25 p.m. Monday, July 4.

Isaac Williams, Willingboro, 110 Hurdles
Williams is the No. 11 seed in the high hurdles (and No. 3 among New Jersey high school graduates) with a season-best of 13.43 at Mt. SAC in April. First round of the 110 highs is 6:02 p.m. EST on Friday, July 8. Semifinals and finals are the next day, July 9, with semis at 7:25 p.m. and the final at 8:52 p.m. EST.

Holland Sherrer, Cumberland Reg., 800
Sherrer qualified with a career-best 1:47.13. The 800 first round is at 7:15 p.m. tonight, Friday, July 1, the semis are at 3 p.m. on Saturday, and the final is at 8:51 p.m. on Monday, July 4.

Ford Palmer, Absegami, 1,500
Palmer is the No. 9 seed in the 1,500 with a big PR this year of 3:36.98, the metric equivalent of a 3:54.27 mile. First round in the 1,500 is 10:21 p.m. EST Thursday, with the semis at 7:12 p.m. EST on Friday and the final scheduled for 8:20 p.m. Sunday, July 10 – the final event of the final day of the Trials.

Chris Mirabelli, Holy Cross, Javelin
Mirabelli, Thompson’s rival since their early days of high school, also qualified in the javelin with his 240-3 at the Big 10 meet in May. The first round of the javelin is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. EST Saturday, and the final is 7:25 p.m. Monday, July 4.

James Plummer, Egg Harbor, Discus
Plummer PR’d this year with a 201-2 in a meet in Ewing Township in April, two inches farther than his college PR at Rutgers in 2013. He finished at Clemson. The discus opens with trials at 9 p.m. on Thursday, July 7, with finals at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, July 8.

WOMEN
Marielle Hall, Haddonfield, 5,000, 10,000
Hall is the No. 1 seed in the 10,000 at 31:37.45 and the No. 6 seed in the 5,000 at 15:06.45. The 10,000 is a one-race final at 2:04 p.m. on Saturday, July 2. The 5,000 semis are at 7:20 p.m. on Thursday, July 7, with the final at 7:28 p.m. on Sunday, July 10.

Erin Donohue, Haddonfield, 800
Donohue has remarkably overcome several years of severe injuries to race close to her PR at 800 meters. Donohue raced in the 1,500 in the 2008 Olympics so is trying to make the team eight years later in a different event. Donohue ran 2:02.17 this year, only about a second off her lifetime 800 PR of 2:01.12, set nine years ago. Generally, runners move up in distance as they get older, but Donohue didn’t get a 1,500 qualifier during the open qualifying period. She did run 4:11.22 and missed qualifying by about a second. The women’s 800 first round is set for 7:45 p.m. EST on Friday, July 1 – tonight. The second round is 2:43 p.m. Saturday, tomorrow, and the final will be at 8:42 p.m. Monday, July 4.

Gabrielle Farquharson, Williamstown, 100, 200, LJ
The amazing Farquharson, a rising Rutgers senior, is the only collegiate woman to qualify for the Olympic Trials in three events. She set season bests of 11.32 in the 100, 23.02 in the 200 and 21-5 1/2 in the long jump. The long jump is probably her strongest event, although the way she is improving in the sprints makes her kind of unpredictable. If Farquharson elects to compete in all three races, here’s what her stay in Eugene could look like:

5:10 p.m., Friday, July 1 – Long Jump trials
11:45 p.m., Saturday, July 2 – Long Jump finals
3:33 p.m., Saturday, July 2 – 100-meter dash trials
7:02 p.m., Sunday, July 3 – 100-meter dash semifinals
8:44 p.m., Sunday, July 3 – 100-meter dash finals
6:30 p.m., Friday, July 8 – 200-meter dash trials
8:03 p.m., Saturday, July 9 – 200-meter dash semifinals
8:11 p.m., Sunday, July 10 – 200-meter dash finals

Jessica Woodard, Cherokee, Shot Put
Woodard, who just finished her sophomore year at Oklahoma, PR’d at 58-8 when she placed third at NCAAs, earning All-America status for the first time. She’ll throw at 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 7, and again at 9:15 p.m. if she qualifies for the final.

Nia Ali, Pleasantville, 100 Hurdles
Ali is ranked ninth in the world at 12.72 but has a PR of 12.48 from 2013, which is No. 32 in world history. She is the No. 9 seed overall but was the world indoor champ this past winter for the second time so she’s obviously capable of beating anybody in the field. Hurdles trials are 8:02 p.m. EST Thursday, July 7, with the semis set for 6:58 p.m. Friday and the finals at 8:54 p.m. Friday.

English Gardner, Eastern, 100
Gardner, No. 15 in world history, No. 2 American this year and No. 3 in the world, has run 10.81 this year, just 2-100ths off her PR of 10.79 from nationals last year. Gardner races at 3:33 p.m. EST on Saturday, July 2, with semis at 7:02 p.m. Sunday, July 3, and the final following at 8:44 p.m. Sunday.

Handy links:

Trials schedule: http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/images/stories/tfn_pdfs/OTsched.pdf

Heat Sheets: Are posted the previous night at http://www.usatf.org/Events—Calendar/2016/U-S–Olympic-Team-Trials—Track—Field/Start-Lists.aspx

Live Results: http://trialsresults.usatf.org

World Rankings: http://www.iaaf.org/records/toplists/sprints/100-metres/outdoor/men/senior/2016

USATF’s History of the U.S. Olympic Trials (last updated by the USATF in 2008): https://www.usatf.org/statistics/champions/OlympicTrials/HistoryOfTheOlympicTrials.pdf

Track and Field News’ History of the U.S. Olympic Trials: http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/archivemenu/26-news/1145-ot-history-2012

List of qualifiers: http://www.usatf.org/Events—Calendar/2016/U-S–Olympic-Team-Trials—Track—Field/Status-of-Entries.aspx

List of college qualifiers: http://www.ustfccca.org/2016/06/featured/list-of-collegians-at-2016-u-s-olympic-trials-track-field

Schedule of NBC live streaming: http://stream.nbcolympics.com

Men’s and Women’s Track and Field News Form Charts: http://trackandfieldnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2972

 

Williamstown’s Bria Mack capped her junior year with her first career Meet of Champions title, and it was the highlight of a remarkable season.

Mack had six previous top-10 finishes in a Meet of Champions, including a second in the 100 last spring behind Union’s Daisha Bisiolu. But this time she wouldn’t be denied.

After an 11.82 in the trials Mack ran 11.87 in the finals, finishing a comfortable 1 1/2 meters ahead of Kaitlin Salisbury of Hawthorne, who ran 12.01 in the final after an 11.96 in the trials.

Mack’s victory came 20 years after another Williamstown sprinter, Dana Burnett, won the Meet of Champions 100 in 11.85.

The makes Williamstown the sixth school with more than one Meet of Champions 100 winner. The others are Woodbury, Weequahic, Montclair, Franklin and Columbia.

South Jersey girls won the Meet of Champions 100-yard dash or 100-meter dash (since 1979) 11 of the first 12 years the Meet of Champs existed but had just seven of the past 29 years before Mack’s victory this year.

Here’s a list of every Meet of Champions 100 winner in history:

1975 … Vonnie Coker (Woodbury) 11.1
1976 … Sharon Johnson (Haddon His) 11.0
1977 … Lori Lewis (Woodbury) 11.1
1978 … Michele Glover (Pennsauken) 10.7
1979 … Pat Dunlap (Camden) 11.5 [100 meters]
1980 … Michele Glover (Willingboro) 11.6
1981 … Michele Glover (Willingboro) 11.5
1982 … Denise Mitchell (Edgewood) 12.2
1983 … Wendy Vereen (Trenton) 11.3
1984 … Denise Liles (Kingsway) 11.9
1985 … Andrea Conaway (Bordentown) 12.1
1986 … Denise Liles (Kingsway) 11.9
1987 … Neretta Freeman (Garfield) 12.52
1988 … Roxanne Francis (Weequahic) 12.16
1989 … Gilly Dishon (Tenafly) 12.36
1990 … Regina Trotter (Weequahic) 11.95
1991 … Regina Trotter (Weequahic) 12.05
1992 … Staci Jordan (Orange) 12.11
1993 … Inshallah Saunders (Plainfield) 11.98
1994 … Nicole Carmichael (Kennedy) 12.04
1995 … Nicole Carmichael (Kennedy) 11.80
1996 … Dana Burnett (Williamstown) 11.85
1997 … Aleah Williams (Montclair) 11.91
1998 … Melisa Barber (Montclair) 11.57w
1999 … Aleah Williams (Montclair) 11.65
2000 … Amandi Rhett (Moorestown) 11.61w
2001 … Kimberly Lyles (Franklin) 11.94w
2002 … Jenna Harris (Franklin) 11.96
2003 … Jenna Harris (Franklin) 11.74
2004 … Jamillah Nock (Wilson) 11.96
2005 … Ogechi Nwaneri (Columbia) 11.99
2006 … Ogechi Nwaneri (Chatham) 11.66
2007 … English Gardner (Eastern) 11.62
2008 … English Gardner (Eastern) 11.88
2009 … Myasia Jacobs (Paramus Catholic) 11.72
2010 … Myasia Jacobs (Paramus Catholic) 11.48
2011 … Myasia Jacobs (Paramus Catholic) 11.47
2012 … Annie Johnson (Shawnee) 11.82
2013 … Olivia Baker (Columbia)) 12.05
2014 … Torie Robinson (Winslow)) 11.73
2015 … Haisha Bisioulu (Union) 12.04
2016 … Bria Mack (Williamstown) 11.87

And here’s a look at the all-time Meet of Champions performance list, with Mack checking in as the No. 15 performer of all-time with her 11.82 in the trials on the Central Regional track in Wayville. (Note that the Meet of Champions all-time performance lists are a joint project of me and Jim Lambert)

 

 

• 11.47            Myasia Jacobs (Paramus Catholic), 2011 (1)
• 11.48            …… Jacobs, 2010 (1)
• 11.5               Wendy Vereen (Trenton), 1983 (1)
• 11.56            English Gardner (Eastern), 2010 (2)
• 11.57            Me’Lisa Barber (Montclair), 1998 (1)
• 11.61            Amanda Rhett (Moorestown), 2000 (1)
• 11.62            …… Gardner, 2007 (1)
• 11.62            …… Jacobs, 2011 (q)
• 11.66            Ogechi Nwaneri (Chatham), 2006 (1)
• 11.68            Aleah Williams (Montclair), 1999 (1)
• 11.68            Shavon Greaves (Lakewood), 2007 (2)
• 11.72            …… Jacobs, 2009 (1)
• 11.73            Torie Robinson (Winslow), 2014 (1)
• 11.74            Jenna Harris (Franklin), 2003 (1)
• 11.74            Michele Glover (Willingboro), 1981 (1)
• 11.74            Patti Dunlap (Camden), 1979 (1)
• 11.76            Shameka Speed (Bridgeton), 2003 (2)
• 11.77            Aisha Morgan (Schalick), 1998 (2)
• 11.80            …… Rhett, 1998 (3)
• 11.80            Nicole Carmichael (Paterson Kennedy), 1995 (1)
• 11.82            Denise Liles (Kingsway), 1986 (1)
• 11.82            Annie Johnson (Shawnee), 2012 (1)
• 11.82            Bria Mack (Williamstown), 2016 (Q)
• 11.84            Michele Glover (Willingboro), 1980 (1)
• 11.84            …… Glover, 1979 (2)
• 11.85            Dana Burnett (Williamstown), 1996 (1)
• 11.87            Porshe Giddings (East Orange), 2007 (3)
• 11.87            Dominique Booker (Montclair Immaculate), 2009 (2 P)
• 11.87            Jordan Simmons (Bishop Ahr), 2010 (3)
• 11.87            …… Mack, 2016 (1)
• 11.88            …… Nwaneri, 2007 (4)
• 11.88            …… Gardner, 2008 (1)
• 11.89            Jasmine Carter (Columbia), 2010 (4)
• 11.91            …… Williams, 1997 (1)
• 11.91            Darriea Pigott (West Orange), 1995 (2)
• 11.92            …… Rhett, 1999 (2)
• 11.92            Bria Saunders (Parsippany), 2014 (2)
• 11.93            Georgina Nembhard (Ocean Twp.), 2006 (2)
• 11.94            Kim Lyles (Franklin), 2001 (1)
• 11.94            Wendy Vereen (Trenton), 1981 (2)
• 11.94            …… Robinson, 2014 (Q)
• 11.95            Regina Trotter (Weequahic), 1990 (1)
• 11.95            …… Me. Barber, 1998 (4)
• 11.95            Audrey Wilson (Deptford), 2008 (2)
• 11.95            Danielle Beniulis (Jefferson), 2014 (3)
• 11.96            Jamillah Nock (Camden), 2004 (1)
• 11.96            Jenna Harris (Franklin), 2002 (1)
• 11.96            Kaitlyn Davis (North Brunswick), 2012 (2)
• 11.96            Madeline Soto (University), 2014 (4)
• 11.96            Kaitlyn Salisbury (Hawthorne), 201 (Q)
• 11.97            Carlene Cummings (Englewood), 1996 (2)
• 11.98            Camille Campbell (Carteret), 2000 (2)
• 11.98            Audrey Wilson (Deptford), 2007 (5)
• 11.98            Inshallah Saunders (Plainfield), 1993 (1)
• 11.99            …… Johnson, 2012 (Q)

Mack finished her 2016 season with a third-place finish in the 100 at the Brooks PR Invitational in Renton, Wash., with an 11.88.

Finally, here’s a look at the all-time New Jersey list, which gives you a sense of where Mack ranks among the greatest sprinters in state history. She ran 11.68 in the finals at sectionals at Egg Harbor, which places her No. 12 in state history and No. 4 in South Jersey history.

With one year to go!

11.42 … Michele Glover [Willingboro], 1981
11.44 … Myasia Jacobs [Paramus Catholic], 2012
11.49 … English Gardner [Eastern], 2008
11.50 … Wendy Vereen [Trenton], 1984
11.57 … Patti Dunlap [Camden], 1979
11.57 … M’elisa Barber [Montclair], 1998
11.61 … Shavon Greaves [Lakewood], 2007
11.62 … Cathy Crawford [Perth Amboy], 1997
11.64 … Olivia Baker [Columbia], 2013
11.65 … Aleah Williams [Montclair], 1999
11.65 … Ogechi Nwaneri [Columbia], 2005
11.68 … Bria Mack [Williamstown], 2016
11.68 … Regia Trotter [Weequahic], 1991
11.70 … Assante Johnson [Camden], 2009

 

Cherry Hill East senior Aaron Groff finished his brilliant senior season with a fifth-place finish in the 5,000 at the New Balance Nationals in Greensboro and earned All-America honors for the second time this year in the event.

Groff ran 14:48.20, finishing just 50 meters behind winner David Principe of Johnston, R.I.

Groff also earned All-America accolades indoors in the 5,000 after a second-place finish at the Armory in 14:43.

Groff showed tremendous range this year, running as fast as 1:57.29 for 800 meters, 4:16.20 for the 1,600, 9:07.42 for the 3,200, when he placed third in the Meet of Champions, and 14:43.10 for the 5,000.

Let’s take a look at the all-time New Jersey 5,000-meter list:

13:57.04i … Edward Cheserek [St. Benedict’s], 2013
14:13.68 … Joe Rosa [West Windsor North], 2011
14:25.8 ….. Chris Hallinan [Bernards], 1976
14:26.6 ….. Andy Martin [North Hunterdon], 1984
14:28.96 … Craig Forys [Colts Neck], 2007
14:35.32 … Doug Smith [Gill St. Bernard’s], 2008
14:38.37 ….. Marc Pelerin [Cherokee], 2002
14:42.2 ….. Jerry Andrews [Highland], 1979
14:43.10i… Aaron Groff [Cherry Hill East], 2016
14:45.20 … Matt Grossman [Millburn], 2016
14:45.49 … Jimmy Daniels [Sterling], 2013
14:48.73 … Ben Massam [Chatham], 2006
14:50.71 … Jim Rosa [West Windsor North], 2011
14:51.0 ….. Jim Smith [Haddonfield], 1980
14:51.17 … Tom O’Neill [Middletown North], 2014
14:54.15 … Chris Luciano [Mountain Lakes], 2014
14:54.2 ….. Steve O’Connell [Millburn], 1976
14:54.62 … Jeramy Elkaim [Livingston], 2011
14:54.87 … Craig Corti [Walkill Valley], 2015
14:55.35 … Kyle Livermore [Don Bosco], 2014
14:58.64 … Jordan Brannan [Colts Neck], 2016

Groff is No. 9 overall with his time from indoors and No. 12 on the outdoor-only list. He’s No. 3 in South Jersey history on the overall list, fastest since Marc Pelerin 14 years ago (hey Marc … how is that possible?) and No. 4 all-time South Jersey on the overall list.

Groff will take his talents to West Philly in the fall and run for the University of Pennsylvania Quakers.

 

The Coppolino twins along with Aliya Harrison and Leyna Jewell teamed up to give Sterling a terrific 12:10 DMR and third place in the Emerging Elite race at the New Balance Nationals in Greensboro, N.C.

Sydney Coppolino led off with a 3:38.1 for 1,200 meters, with Harrison speeding a 56.7 for the 400, Jewell clocking 2:28.0 for the 800 and Madison Coppolino anchoring in 5:08.2.

The Coppolino’s and Harrison are sophomores, and Jewell is a freshman.

Sterling’s school record was 12:31.02 from this year’s Woodbury Relays. Their fastest before this year was a 12:34.50 at last year’s Rowan Invite.

It adds up to 12:10.75, which is not only a school record by more than 20 seconds, it’s No. 10 on the all-time South Jersey outdoor girls distance medley list.

The time is No. 2 in New Jersey this year, behind only Southern Regional’s 12:00.32 at the Penn Relays, and No. 1 in South Jersey. This was a down year for the DMR in South Jersey, and Sterling’s 12:31 was actually the No. 1 time in South Jersey before the 12:10.

Let’s go to the record books. Here’s every outdoor South Jersey DMR under 12:15. Sterling is now No. 10 on the all-time outdoor list:

 

11:53.15 … Lenape, 2012 New Balance Outdoors
12:00.64 … Ocean City, 2004 adidas Outdoor Championships
12:02.34 … Haddonfield 2000 Penn Relays
12:02.37 … Haddonfield, 2014 Penn Relays
12:04.39 … Lenape, 2010 Rowan Open
12:05.39 … Ocean City 2005 Nike Outdoor Nationals
12:06.73 … Ocean City 1994 Penn Relays
12:07.21 … Lenape 2008 Penn Relays
12:08.61 … Ocean City, 2014 Rowan Open
12:10.75 … Sterling, 2016 New Balance Outdoor Nationals
12:12.24 … Millville, 2009 Nike Outdoor Nationals
12:13.16 … Bishop Eustace, 2011, Nike Outdoor Nationals
12:14.05 … Cherry Hill East, 2007 Eastern Regional Relays
12:14.24 … Highland, 2004 Penn Relays
12:14.61 … Lenape, 2013 Penn Relays

But since indoors generally provides more fast girls DMR times than outdoors, we also maintain an overall girls DMR list. As you can see, seven of the nine-fastest times were recorded indoors.

11:43.94i … Haddonfield, 2014, New Balance Indoors
11:53.15 … Lenape 2012 New Balance Outdoors
11:54.63i … Lenape, 2013, Easterns
11:58.92i … Lenape, 2010, Easterns
12:00.64 … Ocean City, 2004, adidas Outdoor Championships
12:02.34 … Haddonfield 2000, Penn Relays
12:02.51i … Ocean City, 2014, New Balance Indoors
12:03.40i ….. Haddonfield, 2015, Varsity Classic
12:04.45i … Haddonfield, 2009, National Scholastic Indoors
12:04.90i ….. Lenape, 2015, Varsity Classic
12:05.39 … Ocean City 2005, Nike Outdoor Nationals
12:06.73 … Ocean City 1994, Penn Relays
12:07.21 … Lenape 2008, Penn Relays
12:10.75 … Sterling, 2016, New Balance Outdoor Nationals
12:12.24 … Millville, 2009, Nike Outdoor Nationals
12:13.16 … Bishop Eustace, 2011, Nike Outdoor Nationals
12:13.46i … Washington Twp., 2011, Easterns
12:14.05 … Cherry Hill East, 2007, Eastern Regional Relays
12:14.24 … Highland, 2004, Penn Relays
12:14.48i … Haddonfield, 2013, Easterns

Interesting that Haddonfield is the only Camden County school and the only Colonial Conference school that’s ever run faster than Sterling. And even though Sterling is No. 14 on the all-time overall list, only three schools have ever run faster — Haddonfield, Lenape and Ocean City.