It won’t count for record or all-time list purposes, but Hammonton junior Anthony Liakhnovich bombed one of the top shot put throws in South Jersey history Tuesday in a dual meet.

Liakhnovich threw 61-2 in a dual meet against Oakcrest and Atlantic City Institute of Technology in Hamilton Township.

That would rank 16th in South Jersey history indoors or out if he threw it in a major meet. It would be No. 15 on the all-time outdoor list.

Although marks recorded in dual meets are eligible for school records, they aren’t included in our all-time South Jersey lists, a policy we instituted when we started putting these lists together years ago because of officiating inconsistencies at dual meets. Ed Grant, who put together the original all-time New Jersey lists in his New Jersey Track newsletter and annuals starting in the mid-1960s, had the same policy.

But it doesn’t mean Liakhnovich didn’t have a huge meet. He opened with the 61-2 and then threw 56-2 and 57-1.

The official Atlantic County record is 61-4 set by Kofi Yamoah of Egg Harbor Township at the 2013 South Jersey Invitational at Buena.

Liakhnovich’s previous PR and his big-meet PR was a 59-10 this past Saturday at the Rebel Relays at Howell High School in his 2024 outdoor debut. That’s No. 3 in New Jersey this year. He threw 56-10 ¼ indoors at Cherokee in January and his best throw last spring as a sophomore was 49-11.

Liakhnovich’s next few meets are the Bridgeton Relays Saturday, Woodbury a week from Saturday, the Delsea Crusader Field Meet on April 25 and the South Jersey Invitational on May at Delsea.

All-Time South Jersey 60-Foot Shot Put List [combined indoor / outdoor]
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 ¾ … Nick Pulli [West Deptford], 2014 [i]
63-2 ½ … Jason Nwosu [Delsea], 2022 [o]
63-0 … Lou Gordon [Bridgeton], 1995 [o]
62-7 ¾ … Kamron Kobolak [Cinnaminson], 2018 [i]
61-10 1/2 … Harry Dilts [Pitman], 1971 [o]
60-10 ¾ … John Purvis [Winslow Twp.], 2020 [i]
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]
61-2 1/4 … Matthew Huckabee, [Timber Creek], 2010 [o]
61-2 … Anthony Liakhnovich [Hammonton], 2024 [o]
60-11 ……. Lucciano Pizarro [Cherokee], 2019 [o]
60-3 … Donate Rivera [Pleasantville], 2012 [o]
60-3 … Harry Dilts [Pitman], 1971 [i]
60-1 … Damere Lassiter [Glassboro], 2024 [i]
60-0 ½ … Ell Ash [Willingboro], 2004 [i]
60-0 ¼ … Jonathan Harris [Delsea], 2024 [i]
60-0 … Ryan Knight [Delsea], 1994 [o]

All-Time South Jersey Outdoor 60-Foot Shot Put List
68-8 ½ … Braheme Days Jr. [Bridgeton], 2012
64-10 ½ … Jon Kalnas [Paulsboro], 1997
64-6 ¼ … Ron Dayne [Overbook], 1996
64-5 … Ray Wilks [Bridgeton], 1995
64-4 ¼ … Chris Robinson [Penns Grove], 1990
63-2 ½ … Jason Nwosu [Delsea], 2022
63-0 … Lou Gordon [Bridgeton], 1995
62-10 ¼ … Nick Pulli [West Deptford], 2014
61-11 ¾ … Kamron Kobolak [Cinnaminson], 2018
61-10 ½ … Harry Dilks [Pitman], 1971
61-6 … Josh Awotunde [Delsea], 2013
61-4 ½ … Bubba Green [Millville], 1976
61-4 … Kofi Yamoah [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2013
61-2 ¼ … Matthew Huckabee, [Timber Creek], 2010
61-2 … Anthony Liakhnovich [Hammonton], 2024 [o]
60-11 ……. Lucciano Pizarro [Cherokee], 2019
60-7 ½ … Ell Ash [Willingboro], 2004
60-3 … Donate Rivera [Pleasantville], 2012
60-11 ½ … Ryan Knight [Delsea], 1994

Ten South Jersey girls and nine boys are on their way to the Penn Relays to compete in individual invitational events later this month.

Interesting that South Jersey has three entrants in two events – the boys discus and the girls discus.

The Penn Relays announced individual entries Tuesday for the 125th annual Penn Relays April 25-27 at Franklin Field on the University of Pennsylvania campus in West Philadelphia.

Acceptances for the invitational 3,200-meter relay and distance medley will be announced next week. Schools have through this coming weekend to qualify in the two invitational relays.

For the complete entry list, click here.

For the order of events, click here.

Here’s a look at all the entries:

GIRLS
*Liliah Gordon, Northern Burlington, 3,000-meter run: Gordon ran 9:57.23 and placed 14th in the 3,000 at last year’s Penn Relays – the 9th-fastest time in South Jersey history – but after a 10:26.49 at Ocean Breeze in the Meet of Champion – which is about 9:47 pace for 3,000 meters – she seems ready to go even faster. For the record, the South Jersey record is 9:40.2 by Olympian Marielle Hall at the 2010 Penn Relays.

Dahlia Beasley, Washington Township, High Jump: The versatile Beasley this winter ran 7.44 for 55 meters, 24.57 for 200, 56.44 for the 400, long jumped 17-1 and high jumped 5-6. There are no high school sprinting events at Penn, so she’ll compete in the high jump.

*Hannah Byrd-Leitner, Moorestown, Pole Vault: She PR’d indoors with a 12-6 in a meet in Conshohocken, Pa., and had seven other meets over at least 12 feet. This will be Byrd-Leitner’s first Penn Relays.

*Rebecca Hoover, Haddonfield, Pole Vault: Hoover cleared a lifetime-best 12-3 ¾ at Boston Nationals indoors. She also had a 12-0 clearance to place 2nd at the Meet of Champions.

Sophia Curtis, Ocean City, Triple Jump: If the Penn Relays hadn’t stupidly eliminated the high school 400-meter hurdles, we could have seen Curtis in what may be her best event. Then again the triple jump may be her best event. She placed 2nd at Penn last year with her lifetime-best 40-10 ¼ and then won the Meet of Champions at 40-7 ½. She won the MoC indoors at 40-9 ¼ and placed 4th at nationals.

**Ma’Syiah Brawner, Winslow Township, Triple Jump: Another incredibly versatile athlete, Brawner has PRs of 5-4 in the high jump, 19-3 ½ in the long jump, 39- 10 ¼ in the triple jump and 8.45 in the 55-meter hurdles. This will be Brawner’s first Penn Relays.

*Brook-lynn Roberts, Winslow Township, Discus: Roberts popped a 137-0 to win South Jersey Group 3 sectionals at Delsea last spring. In events that can’t be contested indoors, athletes can qualify using marks from the previous spring.

Maylisa Bluford, Clayton, Discus: Bluford qualified for Penn with a big 130-3 throw for 3rd place last spring at the Meet of Champions. She had a strong opener this spring with a 125-5 at the Spartan Relays this past Saturday at Deptford.

**Sunsarai Moore, Glassboro, Discus: Moore needed a big throw at the Spartan Relays to punch her ticket to Penn, and she came through with a huge personal-best 125-6 for a one-inch win over Bluford and her first trip to Penn.

Zoe Goldberg, Eastern, Javelin: Goldberg placed 8th in last year’s Penn Relays javelin at 129-1 and went on to take 3rd in the Meet of Champions at 136-3.

BOYS
Peyton Shute, Woodbury, 3,000-meter run: Shute ran 8:36.75 and placed 6th at Penn last year and then ran 9:05.99 indoors at the Meet of Champions, which is about 8:31.9 pace.

Elijah Forrest, Collingswood, 3,000-meter run: Forrest hasn’t run a track 3,000, but he did run 9:12.77 for 3,200 meters, which is about 8:38 pace for 3,000 meters. This will be Forrest’s first Penn Relays.

David Godbolt, Rancocas Valley, High Jump: A couple 6-6 clearances qualified Godbolt for Penn. This is Godbolt’s first Penn Relays. He was indoor Easterns champ as a sophomore and 2nd in the Meet of Champions this past winter. Also a 21-6 ¾ long jumper and 44-3 triple jumper.

Ryan Merlino, Oakcrest, Pole Vault: Merlino earned All-America honors indoors at Armory Nationals when he tied the South Jersey record of 16-0 and placed 5th in the country. Merlino placed 8th at Penn last year at 14-8.

Cartrell Moore, Glassboro, Triple Jump: The multi-talented Moore (49.59 400, 54.60 400IH, 21-8 ¾ long jump, 11.16 100) sailed 46-6 ½ in a meet in January in Collegeville, Pa., to score his first Penn Relays invite.

*Jonathan Harris, Delsea, Shot Put: Harris joined the 60-foot club with a 60-0 ¼ at a meet at Cherokee in February. He’s had five other meets over 58-11. Threw 57-8 at Deptford Saturday in his 2024 debut.

Damere Lassiter, Glassboro, Discus: Lassiter had his choice of events – his 60-1 at Easterns in February would have qualified him in the shot – but he chose the discus, where he bombed a meet-record 184-8 last year at South Jersey Group 1 sectionals at Pennsauken.

Brock Schenck, Bordentown, Discus: After sitting out last year, the only way for Schenck to qualify for Penn was to do it opening weekend, and he threw 162-1 at the Don Danser Relays to make the cut. That was a PR by 24 feet.

Shawn Brady, Bishop Eustace, Discus: Brady had four meets over 160 feet as a junior last year, including a personal-best 169-1 for 6th at the Meet of Champions. He didn’t need to throw far Saturday because he was already in based on that 169-1, but he opened his senior year with a 167-0 at the Don Danser Relays.

Kingsway graduate Evan Corcoran ran a near-PR in the 100-meter dash this weekend and the No. 2 time so far this year in the NJAC.

Corcoran, a sophomore at Rowan, ran 10.70 in the trials at the Metropolitan Championships Saturday at Ichan Stadium on Randall’s Island in Manhattan and then went on to win the final in 10.71. No wind information was recorded, unfortunately.

Corcoran ran within 7-100ths of a second of his 100 PR of 10.63, which he ran twice last May at the AARTFC Championships in Selinsgrove, Pa. (AARTFC is the All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Conference). He finished last year by anchoring Rowan’s 400-meter relay team that placed 2nd at NCAAs in Rochester with a 40.14, 6th-fastest in NCAA Division 3 history.

Corcoran ran 21.68 for 200 meters last year but hasn’t run a 200 yet this spring. Indoors, he was runner-up in the NJAC Championships in both the 60 and 200.

At Kingsway, Corcoran ran 10.55, 21.62 and 49.49. He was a state Group 4 champion in the 200 and Meet of Champions 3rd-place finisher in the 100.

Rowan junior Shamar Love from Bridgeton placed 3rd in 10.83 and Willingboro graduate Miles Allen, a freshman at Essex County College, ran 10.98.

Widener sophomore Thomas Flear, a Clearview graduate, ran the 5th-fastest 10,000 in Widener history at the Danny Curran Invitational on his home track in Chester, Pa.

Flear, who’s improved dramatically since his days at Clearview, ran 30:46.66 and was the first collegiate finisher, taking 2nd to J.R. Creekmore, a former University of Tennessee runner from Wilmington, Del. Creekmor ran 30:43.76.

Flear’s time is fastest by a Widener runner in five years and a PR by about 13 seconds. He ran 30:59.16 last year at the same meet.

Flear placed 7th this past fall at the NCAA Division 3 Metro Region Championships at DREAM Park in Logan Township, just a few miles west of his hometown of Harrison Township. He went on to race at the NCAA Championships in Carlisle, Pa.

He won his first Middle Atlantic Athletic Conference title this past indoor season in Reading, placing 1st in the 5,000 in 15:05.99, and he also placed 2nd in the 3,000 in 8:48.17.

The 10,000 was his first race since the indoor conference meet.

Flear is also No. 10 in Widener history indoors at 5,000 meters with his PR 14:58.93 at Ocean Breeze in February. He’s also run 4:00.72 for 1,500 meters in a meet last April at West Chester University.

At Clearview, Flear had PRs of 4:47.26 for 1,600 meters [and a slightly faster 4:48.43 for a full mile] and 10:19.51 for 3,200 meters.

For Rowan, in the same race Flear ran 30:46.66, junior Matthew Conway from Haddon Township ran a PR 31:17.89, junior Giancarlo Vega from Timber Creek ran a PR 31:37.17, and sophomore teammate Shane Vostenak from Bishop Eustace and Delran ran 31:37.61.

Stockton junior Michaela Pomatto from Egg Harbor Township recorded the best throw in the NJAC so far this year over the weekend at Delaware.

Pomatto threw 129-10 on her 1st attempt and then improved to a season-best 131-3 on her 5th throw, winning by 6 ½ feet over Delaware State junior Orianna Moore. It was her 9th career throw of at least 130 feet.

Pomatto won the discus last year at the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championships in Mahwah with a 129-10 in her first year at Stockton after winning the discus at the Centennial Conference Championships at 123-10 as a Ursinus freshman in the spring of 2022 in Collegeville, Pa.

Her best throw at Ursinus was a 138-5 in April of 2022 in the Larry Ellis Invitational at Princeton, and that remains the school record at her former school Her best throw for Stockton was a 138-5 last April, also at the Larry Ellis Invitational. Stockton’s school record is 147-5 set by Clearview graduate Audra Schappell. (Where did Schappell set that record? Great question! I can’t find it anywhere, and obviously the Stockton web site is no help. The best mark I found for her was a 144-10 at the 2006 ECAC Championships in Springfield, Mass. Schappell did throw exactly 147-5 in the hammer on April 16, 2007, at the New Jersey Invitational at The College of New Jersey so maybe somewhere at some point someone got confused?)

Anyway, here’s a look at all of Pomatto’s 130-foot throws:

138-5s … April 15, 2023, Larry Ellis Invitational, Princeton [2nd throw]
138-3s … May 18, 2023, Selinsgrove, Pa., Championships [1st throw]
132-6s … April 22, 2023, Widener Invitational, Chester, Pa. [5th throw]
132-5s … April 22, 2023, Widener Invitational, Chester, Pa. [2nd throw]
131-7s … April 15, 2023, Larry Ellis Invitational, Princeton [6th throw]
131-4u … April 16, 2022, Larry Ellis Invitational, Princeton [1st throw]
131-3s … April 15, 2023, Larry Ellis Invitational, Princeton [5th throw]
131-3s … April 6, 2024, Delaware Invitational, Newark, Del. [5th throw]
131-2s … April 15, 2023, Larry Ellis Invitational, Princeton [3rd throw]

Penn State’s Lucciano Pizarro, a senior from Cherokee, unloaded one of the biggest shot put throws of his life Saturday in Coral Gables, Fla.

Pizzaro threw 62-4 at the University of Miami’s Hurricane Alumni Invitational, making this his 2nd-best competition ever. Pizzaro’s four-best throw ever came last spring at the Big Ten Championships in Bloomington, Ind. He threw a PR 65-0 ¾ and also had three other throws at 62-11 or better.

His 62-4 Saturday was his best throw other than last year’s Big Ten. It’s No. 12 in NCAA Division 1 and the top throw this year in the Big Ten Conference.

Pizzaro opened with a 56-1 ¼ and a 60-4 before a foul and a 58-4. He hit 62-4 – that’s exactly 19 meters – on his 5th attempt before fouling on his final throw.

Here’s a look at all of Pizzaro’s 60-foot throws:

65-0 ¾ … Big Ten Championships, Bloomington, Ind., May 14, 2023 [4th] [6th throw]
63-7 ¼ … Big Ten Championships, Bloomington, Ind., May 14, 2023 [—] [2nd throw]
63-0 ½ … Big Ten Championships, Bloomington, Ind., May 14, 2023 [—] [3rd throw]
62-11 … Big Ten Championships, Bloomington, Ind., May 14, 2023 [—] [5th throw]
62-4 … Hurricane Invitational, Coral Gables, Fla., April 6, 2024 [3rd] [5th throw]
62-0 ¾ … Big Ten Championships, Bloomington, Ind., May 14, 2023 [—] [1st throw]
61-4 ¼ … NCAA East Preliminary , Jacksonville, Fla., May 27, 2023 [13th] [2nd throw]
61-3 …. NCAA East Preliminary , Jacksonville, Fla., May 27, 2023 [—] [3rd throw]
61-1 ¾ … NCAA East Preliminary , Jacksonville, Fla., May 27, 2023 [—] [1st throw]
61-1 ½ … Jim Thorpe Invitational, State College, Pa., May 7, 2021 [1st] [5th throw]
60-8 ½i … Big Ten Championships, Bloomington, Ind., Feb. 24, 2024 [8th] [5th throw]
60-8 … Hurricane Invitational, Coral Gables, Fla., March 25, 2023 [2nd] [4th throw]
60-5 ¼ … Virginia Challenge, Charlottesville, Va., April 22, 2023 [2nd] [1st throw]
60-4 … Hurricane Invitational, Coral Gables, Fla., April 6, 2024 [—] [2nd throw]

Big start to the season for Lindenwold sophomore high jumper Egypt Bolan, who cleared 5-5 Saturday at the Don Danser Relays in Mount Holly.

Bolan cleared 5-4 once as a freshman, when she won the Camden County Championships at Haddon Township. She went on to place 3rd in South Jersey Group 2 sectionals and 6th at Group 2 states, both at Delsea, and finished last spring tied for the No. 1 spot among New Jersey freshmen with Winslow’s Ma’Syiah Brawner.

She didn’t compete indoors, so this was her first competition since outdoor states last June.

Bolan passed at 4-4 and 4-6 and then cleared 4-8, 5-0, 5-0, 5-2 and 5-4 on her first attempt. With the win locked up, she had the bar raised to 5-5 and cleared on her 2nd attempt. According to the results, she did not continue beyond 5-5.

MileSplit shows Bolan’s 5-5 as the top clearance in New Jersey through the first week of the season.

Halima Scott opened her final year at Delaware with a double sprint win at the Blue Hens’ own Delaware Invitational in Newark.

Scott, a Delaware grad student working toward her masters in strategic communication, won the 200 in 24.81 and won the 400 in 58.67, winning over a field of 28 in the 200 and 23 in the 400.

Scott is a graduate of Camden Big Picture Learning Academy but competed for Woodrow Wilson. She ran 12.29, 24.77 and 56.46 for Wilson and long jumped 17-6 ½.

At Delaware, she has PRs of 23.99 in the 200 at the 2019 Colonial Athletic Association Championships in Elon, N.C., and 53.01 for 400 meters at last year CAA Championships in Williamsburg, Va. She hasn’t long jumped in college.

She’s won two CAA titles: The 200 [23.99] outdoors in 2019 at Elon, and the 400 [54.19] outdoors in 2022 in Dedham, Mass. The CAA is now the Coastal Athletic Association.

On the all-time Delaware indoor lists, she ranks 6th in the 60-meter dash [7.72], 2nd in the 200 [24.12], 3rd in the 300 [40.07], and she’s the school-record holder in the 400 [53.97]. Outdoors, she’s No. 2 in the 200 [23.99], school record holder in the 400 [53.01] and also ran the 400 on the school-record sprint medley [3:57.75].

Rutgers freshman Jenovia Logan from Sterling PR’d in the high jump Saturday at the South Florida Invitational in Tampa.

Logan cleared 5-7 on her 3rd attempt and placed 5th overall. She missed three attempts at 5-8 ¾.

Logan had a PR of 5-6 at Sterling and she toppled that indoors, when she cleared 5-6 ½ at the Big Ten Championships in Geneva, Ohio.

On Saturday, Logan entered competition at 5-5 and cleared on her first attempt before sailing over the bar at 5-7 on her final chance.

Logan is the first Rutgers freshman to clear 5-7 since Courtney Campbell from South Brunswick High did it in a meet in Atlanta in 2018. Logan’s 5-7 matches the best performance by a Rutgers freshman since Rhonda Rogombe of Charleston, W. Va., cleared 5-8 ¾ in Williamsburg, Va., in 2017.

Indoors, Logan missed the all-time Rutgers top-10 by half an inch. She’s an inch off the outdoor all-time top-10.

The top performance by a South Jersey high jumper for Rutgers belongs to Shawnee graduate Kristen Bradley, who cleared 5-8 at a meet in Princeton in April 2014. Bradley now teaches math and coaches soccer and girls track at Woodbridge High in Middlesex County.

The Timber Creek girls got the season started with a couple fast relay performances Saturday at the Spartan Relays at Deptford.

Juniors Billie Frazier and Ryan Jennings and seniors Nyla Jones and Naylah Jones won the 400-meter relay in 48.18 and the same quarter in a different order – Naylah Jones to Jennings to Nyla Jones to Frazier – won the 800-meter relay in 1:42.14.

Although MileSplit hasn’t completely updated its database, both times appear to be the fastest in New Jersey after the first week of competition.

Timber Creek’s 48.18 is the 2nd-fastest in school history. Last year, Jennings, Nyla Jones and Naylah Jones were joined by Chloe Jones on the 4-by-1 at West Philly Nationals and they set a South Jersey-record of 46.43.

The 4-by-2 time is also Timber Creek’s fastest. Last April, Jennings, Frazier, Chloe Jones and Naylah Jones ran 1:39.67, 11th-fastest in state history.

Willingboro placed 2nd in the 4-by-100 in 49.94, with sophomore Kaila Speight, freshman Maya Bolden, freshman Trinity Brapoh and junior Nester Wea. Winslow was 2nd in the 4-by-2 in 1:44.93 with senior Dominique Clement, sophomore Olivia Okaro, freshman Cinniya Robinson and freshman Skyhe Seamon.