Seniors Leila Ortiz, Miyana Johnson and Rainelle Blocker combined for 62 of 73 points, and the Clayton girls roared to their 3^rd state Group 1 title in the last five years.

Ortiz won the 200-meter dash in 25.57 and the 400 in 57.42 and placed 2^nd to Riverside’s Sydney Greenidge in the 100 in 12.40, ohnson was 2^nd in the 200 in 25.94, 3^rd in the 100 in 12.50 and 3^rd in the high jump at 5-0 and Blocker won the javelin at 111-0 and was 4^th in the shot at 35-10 ¾.

Ortiz and Johnson also ran on the Clippers’ winning 1,600-meter relay team as Clayton outscored 2^nd-place Metuchen 73-56.

Clayton also won state Group 1 titles in 2001 and 2002. They’re the 1^st to win three Group 1 titles in a five-year span since Glen Rock won four straight from 2000 through 2003.

Woodbury [29 points], Glassboro [28], Haddon Township [27], Audubon [22], Maple Shade [18], Riverside [16], Schalick [16] and Pennsville [16] made it nine South Jersey schools among the 12 highest-scoring teams.

Sophomore Gabrielle Pernell-Lipsey and junior Deondria Simon joined Johnson and Ortiz on the 4-by-4, which won with a 4:05.03.

Girls from Clayton, Burlington, Pennsville, Glassboro, Maple Shade, Schalick and Woodbury all scored wins in Somerset.

Glassboro junior Sunsarai Moore swept the two weights, winning the discus at 142-6 and the shot put at 39-9. Burlington sophomore Nyima Burley won the triple jump with a 35-9. Pennsville senior Megan Morris won the pole vault with a 10-6 clearance. Maple Shade sophomore Ciani Floyd edged Florence junior Zoe Saunders to win the 100 hurdles in 15.69. Schalick senior Jordan Hadfield won the 1,600 in 5:01.16, edging Audubon junior Riley Fayer [5:03.61]. And Woodbury senior Denirah Jones won the long jump at 17-0, leading a 1-2-3 sweep with Burley [16-10] and Haddon Township senior Jessica McGray [16-3].

Glassboro’s Moore led a 1-2-3-4 South Jersey sweep in the shot put, with Woodbury senior Antonia Federici 2^ndat 37-0, Pennsville junior Tatiyonna Crawford 3^rd at 36-9 and Clayton’s Blocker 4^th.

Bridgeton senior Zamir Chance, who PR’d at 48-3 in the triple jump at sectionals, smashed that with a 48-9 win at the stat Group 4 meet Saturday in Somerset.

That’s No. 5 in South Jersey history and No. 19 on the all-time state performance list and best since Lumberton’s Greg Foster from Lawrenceville School jumped 51-0 ¾ at 2022 West Philly Nationals. It’s the best jump by a South Jersey high school athlete since Highland’s Floyd Whitaker jumped 50-2 ½ to win the 2019 Meet of Champions at Northern Burlington.

Chance is Bridgeton’s first state champion in nine years, since current Dallas Cowboy Markquese Bell won the Group 3 high jump at 6-10 in 2016. He broke his own Cumberland County record of 48-3 from sectionals.

Chance had another jump over 48 feet, but as of early afternoon the results have disappeared from the web site. Go NJSIAA! Maybe they’ll come back at some point. They should be here.

ALL-TIME SOUTH JERSEY TRIPLE JUMP LIST
50-9 ¼ … Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], 2018
50-6 ¾ …. Dominique Irons [Haddon Heights], 2013
50-2 ½  … Floyd Whitaker [Highland], 2019
48-10 ½ … Larry Russell [Timber Creek], 2015
48-9 … Zamir Chance [Bridgeton], 2025
48-4 ½ … Rece Englehardt [Moorestown], 2024
48-3 ¼ … Ryan Chance [Glassboro], 2009
48-1 ½ … Mubeen Momodu [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2019
48-1 ¼ ……Orion Joyner [Kingsway], 2019
48-0 ………. Josh Butler [Delsea], 2006
47-9 ¼ … Marcus Edghilll [Pemberton], 1981
47-7 ½ … Mikhail Micheaux [Eastern], 2014
47-7 ½ … Jaden Johnson [Timber Creek], 2022
47-6 ½ … Chris Roundtree [Haddon Hts.], 2009
47-5 ½ … Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], 2017
47-5 ¼ … Kevin Kevelier [Collingswood], 2019
47-5 ……… Steven Brown [Penns Grove], 2009
47-4 ¾ … Cheo King [Woodbury], 2017
47-4 ½ … Zakiyy Williams [Rancocas Valley], 2017
47-4 ……… Tristan Wilson [Delsea], 2014
47-3 ¼ … Antwan Dickerson [Pennsauken], 2013
47-3 ……… Mike Baker [Cherry Hill West], 1976
47-2 ¼ … Josiah Williams [Mainland Reg.], 2025
47-0 ½ … Mawali Osunniyi [Mainland Reg.], 2023
47-0 ¼  … Earnest Daniel [Kingsway], 2017

ALL-TIME N.J TRIPLE JUMP LIST
51-0 ¾ … Greg Foster [Lawrenceville School], 2022
50-9 1/4 … Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], 2018
50-6 3/4 … Dominique Irons [Haddon Heights], 2013
50-5 … Chris Phipps [Lodi], 2008
50-3 1/4 … Dodley Thermitus [Elizabeth], 2016
50-2 1/2 … Eric Bethea [Piscataway], 2015
50-2 ½ … Floyd Whitaker [Highland], 2019
50-1 1/2 … Myles Hartsfield [Sayreville], 2014
50-0 1/4 … Devon Bond [Trenton], 2007
49-11 1/2 … Devin Jones [Boonton], 2010
49-5 … Jon Pitt [South Brunswick], 2013
49-4 3/4 … Tiquan Underwood [Notre Dame], 2005
49-1 1/4 … Rolston Braithwaite [Trenton], 2008
49-0 1/2 … Anthony DiCosmo [Paramus Catholic], 1995
49-0 … Nadale Buntin [J.P. Stevens], 2018
48-10 1/2 … Larry Russell [Timber Creek], 2015
48-10 … Adam Bergo [Westfield], 2008
48-9 1/4 … Richmond Shasha [Hamilton West], 2019
48-9 … Jayhlen Washington [North Brunswick], 2017
48-9 … Zamir Chance [Bridgeton], 2025
48-7 … A.J. McKay [Mount Olive], 2021
48-7 … Malik Mohammad [West Side], 2025
48-6 … Joseph Oduro [South Plainfield], 2022
48-4 ¾ … Daniel Arana [Franklin Twp.], 2024
48-4 ½ … Rece Englehart [Moorestown], 2024
48-4 ½ … Bobby Mays [Don Bosco], 2024
48-3 ½ … Stephon Kelley-Gordon [Carteret], 2018
48-3 1/4 … Ryan Chance [Glassboro], 2009
48-3 … Barden Adams [West Orange], 2014
48-2 1/2 … Kyle Lindsey [Paterson], 2006
48-2 1/2 … Tyrell Judson [Piscataway], 2013
48-2 1/4 … Bernard Hoover [Hasbrouck Heights], 2004
48-2 … Craig Halyard [Ridgewood], 1989
48-2 … Emeke Eze [Sayreville], 2012
48-1 1/2 … Sean Wimbush [Teaneck], 2011
48-1 1/2 … Malik Snead [Hamilton West], 2015
48-1 ½ … Mubeen Momodu [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2019
48-1 ¼ … Orion Joyner [Kingsway], 2019
48-1 1/4 … Aaron King [Morris Hills], 2007
48-0 1/4 … Gerald Spears [Teaneck], 1989
48-0 1/4 … Darius Pemberton [Hackensack], 1992
48-0 … Josh Butler [Delsea], 2006
48-0 … Kevin Bostick [Bergen Catholic], 2008
48-0 … Dean Uduh [Columbia], 2015

Moorestown senior Hannah Byrd-Leitner won her 4^th consecutive state pole vault title Friday and broke her own meet record at the Group 3 championships at South Plainfield.

Byrd-Leitner cleared 12-8 – sorry, no field series info available, thanks NJSIAA! – and broke the meet record of 12-7 that she set at last year’s meet at Delsea.

Byrd-Leitner has won state titles indoors [12-0] and outdoors [12-7] in 2024 and indoors [13-0] and outdoors [12-8] this year.

Because the NJSIAA doesn’t care at all about track and hires timing companies for state championship meets that don’t bother with splits or field series information, we don’t know where Byrd-Leitner entered the competition or where she had the bar raised after clearing 12-8. Unbelievable.

Anyway, Byrd-Leitner is the first Moorestown girl to repeat as a state champion in any event since Amandi Rhett won the 100 three straight years from 1998 through 2000 and the 200 in 1999 and 2000 (in Group 2 in 1998 and 1999 and Group 3 in 2000).

Byrd-Leitner’s 12-8 is the best clearance at states in any public school group. She shared the overall public school record of 12-7 with Emma Keating of Pompton Lakes, who won Group 2 in 2023.

Hayley Horvath of Notre Dame set the overall state meet record of 13-0 when she won the 2018 Parochial A meet in Somerset.

Highland’s Floyd Whitaker advanced to the NCAA Championships with a clutch final-jump PR in the triple jump Friday.

Whitaker, a senior at Oklahoma, jumped 53-4 ½ on his 3^rd and final attempt at the NCAA West Prelims at Bryan Stadium in College Station, Texas.

That ranks him 13^th among U.S. men this year, according to the World Athletics database.

Whitaker needed to jump 52-1 ½ to make his way into the top 12 who advanced to next month’s NCAA Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene. His first two jumps were 51-0 ¼ and 51-5. But he increased his PR from 53-1 ½ from two weeks ago in Lexington, Ky., to 53-4 ½ and finished as the 5^th qualifier out of the West Regional.

Only one jumper in the East Regional in Jacksonville on Friday surpassed Whitaker’s 53-4 ½, which means he goes into Eugene as the No. 6 seed. That jumper was Theophilus Mudzengere of South Carolina, who jumped 53-9.

Whitaker will compete in the NCAA triple jump final at Hayward Field at 5:10 p.m., Friday, June 13. He’s now within two inches of the South Jersey alumni record of 53-6 ½ set by Shawnee graduate Greg Foster in Flagstaff, Ariz., on May 14, 1988. Foster’s son Greg, a junior at Princeton, will also be in Eugene competing in the long jump after placing 4^th in East Regionals on Wednesday.

Whitaker is now 5^th on the all-time New Jersey alumni list. The record is 54-9 ½ by East Orange’s Norm Tate in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1970. Tate, an Olympian and three-time U.S. champion, is now an assistant coach at Rowan.

Whitaker, who began his college career at Minnesota, placed 9^th in the indoor triple jump in March in Virginia Beach with a 52-2.

54-9 ½ … Norm Tate [East Orange], July 16, 1970, Stuttgart, Germany

54-7 ½ … Eric Bethea [Piscataway], June 7, 2019, Austin, Texas

53-7 ¼ … Devon Bond [Trenton], May 5, 2012, Lubbock, Texas [+1.5]

53-6 ½ … Greg Foster [Shawnee], May 14, 1988, Flagstaff, Ariz.
53-4 ½ … Floyd Whitaker [Highland], May 17, 2025, Lexington, Ky. [+0.9]

Senior Nester Wea smashed the meet record in the 100-meter dash to lead Willingboro’s Day 1 performance at the state Group 2 meet at South Plainfield.

Willingboro leads Rumson-Fair Haven 28 1/2 -28 with Haddonfield 3^rd [16] going into Day 2 on Sunday.

Wea won the 100 in a wind-legal 11.62, 8^th-fastest in South Jersey history and 3^rd-fastest by a Burlington County girl, behind Willingboro’s Michelle Glover [11.42 in 1981] and Moorestown’s Amandi Rhett [11.61 in 2000].

Wea broke the state Group 2 meet record of 11.75 set by Parsippany’s Bria Saunders at the 2014 state meet at Egg Harbor.

On Saturday, Wea will race the 200, 400 and 100-meter hurdles.

Sophomore Maya Bolden and junior Kaila Speight also scored in the 100, Bolden taking 3^rd in 12.19 and Speight tying for 6^th in 12.34. And senior Sunny Oyibo took 3^rd in the 400-meter hurdles in 1:04.33.

Willingboro’s 4-by-1 placed 3^rd without Wea, with junior Jaden Murry, Speight, sophomore Jade Pinder and sophomore Trinity Brapoh running 48.28.

All-Time South Jersey wind-legal 100 List
11.23 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 2024
11.33 … Ryan Jennings [Timber Creek], 2024
11.36 … Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], 2024
11.42 … Michele Glover [Willingboro], 1981
11.49 … English Gardner [Eastern], 2008
11.57 … Patti Dunlap [Camden], 1979
11.58 … Bria Mack [Williamstown], 2017
11.61 … Amandi Rhett [Moorestown], 2000
11.62 … Nester Wea [Willingboro], 2025
11.63 … Dennisha Page [Woodrow Wilson], 2019

Pleasantville’s Gabriel Moronta raced into the NCAA Championships 400-meter dash semifinals with a big PR, the 2^nd-fastest time in the NCAA East Prelims and the 4^th-fastest time ever recorded by a New Jersey high school alum.

Moronta ran 45.01 and won the 2^nd of three semifinals at Hodges Stadium at North Florida University in Jacksonville, advancing automatically to the NCAS semis at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., next month.

Alabama’s Samuel Ogazi, 2^nd at NCAAs last year in Eugene, led all qualifiers in Jacksonville with a lifetime-best 44.43, and Moronta placed 2^nd. The fastest time in the West Prelims was 45.32, so Moronta goes into Eugene as the 2^nd-fastest in the field.

The top 12 from each of the two regions – East in Jacksonville, West in College Station – advance to the NCAA semis. The top three in each heat and the next three-fastest form that top 12.

Moronta lowered his PR and school record from 45.31, which he ran last month in Gainesville. The only New Jersey quarter-milers to run faster are Olympic gold medalists Andrew Valmon of Manchester Township [44.28 in 1993] and Lamont Smith of Willingboro [44.30 in Atlanta in 1996] and Najee Glass of St. Peter’s Prep [44.79 in Gainesville in 2015].

His time is 15^th-fastest among U.S. men this year and No. 35 in the world.

The NCAA semis are scheduled for 5:41 p.m. Wednesday, June 11, at Hayward Field, with the finals following at 6:02 p.m. June 13.

44.28 … Andrew Valmon [Manchester Twp.], June 19, 1993, Eugene
44.30 … Lamont Smith [Willingboro], June 19, 1996, Atlanta
44.79 … Najee Glass [St. Peter’s Prep], April 24, 2015, Gainesville, Fla.
45.01 … Gabriel Moronta [Pleasantville], May 30, 2025, Jacksonville, Fla.
45.01 … Kevin Lyles [Franklin Twp.], April 7, 1995, Knoxville, Tenn.
45.25 … Clayton Parros [Seton Hall Prep], June 26, 2015, Eugene, Ore.
45.26 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], April 12, 1986, Tampa, Fla.
45.30 … Willie McLaughlin [East Orange], June 18, 1983, Indianapolis
45.40 … Erison Hurtault [Matawan], June 9, 2007, Sacramento, Calif.
45.49 … Darrell Bush [Woodbury], April 11, 2015, Tucson, Ariz.

Clayton senior Alex Osayemi ran the 6^th-fastest 400-meter hurdles time in Gloucester County and smashed the state Group 1 meet record Friday at Somerset.

Osayemi won the intermediates in 52.79, breaking the meet record of 53.17 set by legendary Fred Sharpe as part of his historic quad win at the 1997 meet at South Plainfield.

His time is fastest by any New Jersey Group 1 runner in 12 years, since Hopatcong’s Dylan Capwell ran 52.43 at the 2013 Meet of Champions, also at South Plainfield.

Osayemi is only the 2^nd Clayton boy to ever win an individual state title on the track. In 2019, Thomas Hampton won the Group 1 100 and 200.

The only faster times in the six state meets were turned in by Toms River North teammates Camryn Thomas and Mamadi Diawara in the state Group 4 meet, also at Somerest. Thomas ran 52.08 and Diawara 52.34. So Osayemi will be the No. 3 seed at the Meet of Champions Wednesday at Pennsauken.

The only faster Group 1 time in South Jersey history is Sharpe’s 51.62 at the 1997 Meet of Champions in South Plainfield.

Osayemi is already the fastest Group 1 runner in New Jersey in the 200 [21.67w] and 400 [46.60], which he’ll contest on Saturday.

50.37 … Dwight Ruff [Camden], 2001
50.96 … Bryce Huff [Pennsauken], 2023
51.39 … Rueben McCoy [Winslow Twp.], 2004
51.5h … Martin Booker [Camden], 1981
51.62 … Fred Sharpe [Paulsboro], 1997
51.82 … Azim Smith [Millville], 2001
52.10 … Tim Carey [Washington Twp.], 2009
52.0h … Vince Rawlins [Eastern], 1992
52.4h … Diandre Chandler [Camden], 1986
52.4h … Donovan Darius [Wilson], 1993
52.54 … Marcus Lee [Vineland], 2004
52.56 … Royce Reed [Bridgeton], 1995
52.62 … Devon Matthews [Pleasantville], 1999
52.62 … Harran Williams [Delran], 1999
52.62 … Ian Moore [Lenape], 2001
52.65 … Lathan Brown [Deptford], 2023
52.66 … Justin Dupree [Camden], 1996
52.66 … Aaron Younger [Delsea], 2007
52.68 … Premier Wynn [Pennsauken], 2023
52.71 … Mike Brown [Lenape], 1996
52.71 … Mike Morrison [Willingboro], 2003
52.72 … Devon Carter [Washington Twp.], 2000
52.79 … Alexander Osayemi [Clayton], 2025
52.87 … Demetrius Rooks [Absegami], 2008
52.89 … Barry Bethea [Eastern Reg.], 2010
52.92 … Alex Reber [Eastern Reg.], 2012
52.8h … Jack Thompson [Edgewood], 2001
52.89 … Devon Patton [Willingboro], 1990
52.94 … Maurice Young [Camden], 2002
52.96 … Tyler Davidson [Willingboro], 2016

51.62 … Fred Sharpe [Paulsboro], 1997
52.10 … Tim Carey [Washington Twp.], 2009
52.65 … Lathan Brown [Deptford], 2023
52.66 … Aaron Younger [Delsea], 2007
52.72 … Devon Carter [Washington Twp.], 2000
52.79 … Alexander Osayemi [Clayton], 2025
52.79 … Alexander Osayemi [Clayton], 2025

 

Pennsauken’s Bryce Tucker ran a 400-meter hurdles PR for the 2nd time in three days and advanced to the NCAA Championship semifinals next month at Hayward Field.

Tucker, a Rutgers sophomore, ran 50.00 Friday and finished 2nd in the 2nd of three semifinal races in the NCAA East Prelims at Hodges Stadium on the North Florida campus in Jacksonville.

Tucker had a PR of 50.61 until he ran 50.52 in the first round at East prelims on Wednesday. That advanced him to the quarterfinals, where his 50.00 was 8th-fastest and earned him an auto qualifier to Eugene as one of the top three placers in his heat.

His time is 4th-fastest ever by a South Jersey intermediate hurdler, behind Winslow’s Reuben McCoy [48.37 in Eugene in 2008], Paulsboro’s Fred Sharpe [48.86 in Knoxville in 2003] and Camden’s Dwight Ruff [49.50 in Sacramento in 2003].

He ran within 18-100ths of a second of the school record of 49.82 s4et at the 2022 NCAA East Prelims in Bloomington, Ind., by Hunterdon Central’s Jameson Woodell.

His time is 27th among U.S. men this year.

Next for Tucker is the NCAA Championships semifinals in Eugene, scheduled for 5:41 p.m. on June 11, with the final following at 6:27 p.m. on June 13.

Glassboro and Camden are locked in a tight battle at the state Group 1 meet, with Hasbrouck Heights still within range.

After Day 1 at Somerset, Glassboro leads Camden, 31 ½-30, and Hasbrouck Heights has 24 points.

Camden got an early win in the 400-meter relay, with juniors Christian Braxton, Jaiden Steele, Chase Robinson and Wasi Muhammad running 42.50. Glassboro was 4th in 42.94, with sophomore Adekunle Adeleye, sophomore Ta’sheem Butler, junior Amari Sabb and sophomore Xavier Sabb. Camden won the Group 2 state title last year in the 4-by-1 with four underclassmen but only Steele remaining from that lineup.

Camden also got a win from Steele in the 100 with a wind-legal 10.86. Glassboro picked up six points in the 100 with Xavier Sabb’s 3rd-place in 10.96.

Glassboro and Camden both scored in the long jump, Adeleye taking 2nd at 21-11
and Muhammad 3rd with a 21-4 ¾. Camden’s Robinson ran 55.06 for 4th place in the intermediate hurdles.

Glassboro freshman Joseph Saicic took 2nd in the 3,200 with a 9:39.38 and the Bulldogs went 4-5 in the high jump with Xavier Sabb clearing 6-2 and Amari Sabb 6-0.

There are finals on Saturday in the 200, 400, 1,600, high hurdles, 4-by-4 and 4-by-8, discus, triple jump and pole vault.

Junior Ma’Syiah Brawner, sophomore Cinniya Robinson and the 400-meter relay team picked up wins as the mighty Winslow girls piled up 54 points on Day 1 of the state Group 3 Championships at South Plainfield.

With scoring opportunities remaining Saturday in the 200 and 400, high hurdles, 1,600-meter relay, 3,200-meter relay, shot, long jump and high jump, Winslow has a chance at the Group 3 scoring record of 115 points that Winslow set in 2013.

After Day 1, Winslow leads Ocean City 54-20, with Moorestown and Northern Burlington tied for 4th with 12 points each.

Brawner won the triple jump with a legal 40-3 – unbelievably, no field series information provided in the results – her best mark this year and only 3 ¼ inches off her PR of 40-6 ¼ from last year’s West Philly Nationals. This was her 5th lifetime state title.

Sophomore Cinniya Robinson and freshman Jasmine Jackson went 1-2 in the 400-meter hurdles, Robinson running a PR 1:01.01 and Jackson a PR 1:01.08.

Winslow’s 400-meter relay team of freshman Amariah Arango, sophomore Skyhe Seamon, junior Chantina Walker and junior Leeya Joseph ran 47.89 to open the scoring Friday.

Junior Olivia Okaro placed 2nd in the 100 in 12.18 with legal wind, behind only Timber Creek’s Ryan Jennings. And senior Brook-lynn Roberts took 2nd in the discus with a 134-5 mark.

Jennings won the 100 in 11.45 with a legal tailwind of 0.9 meters per second, breaking the Group 3 meet record of 11.61 set in 2007 at South Plainfield by Lakewood’s Shavon Greaves. (The official “meet program” lists Greaves’ record as 10.62 in 2023. The NJSAA is such a joke when it comes to this stuff. They just don’t care about getting anything right. Greaves was born on Dec. 20, 1988, so she would have been 32 in 2023.)