Washington Township senior Ajani Dwyer destroyed the state 55-meter dash record Wednesday night and moved into the all-time U.S. top-10 at the Millrose Games Trials at the Armory.

Dwyer – in only the 6th race of his life – ran 6.18 in the qualifying race for the 116th annual Millrose Games on Feb. 9, also at the Armory.

He lowered his own U.S. No. 1 from 6.33, which he ran at Ocean Breeze last week. It appears that his time is tied for No. 9 in U.S. indoor track history, but I’m still working to nail that down.

Dwyer was a 1st-time runner as a junior last spring but ran only three meets. This was his 3rd meet of his first indoor season.

Dwyer shattered the state record of 6.26 set by Timber Creek’s Damiere Byrd at Armory Nationals in 2011 and matched by Franklin’s Mario Heslop on the same track at 2018 Armory Nationals.

5.9h … Houston McTear [Baker, Fl.a], 1976
6.08 … Marvin Bracy [Boone, Fla.], 2012
6.13 … Anthony Schwartz [American Heritage, Plantation, Fla.], 2018
6.14 … D’Angelo Cherry [Mt. Zion, Jonesboro, Ga.], 2008
6.16 … LaNoris Marshall [Dysart, Peoria, Az.], 1978
6.16 … Deworski Odom [Overbrook, Philadelphia], 1995
6.17 … Micah Williams [Benson, Ore.], 2019
6.17 … Martin Smith [Jefferson-Huegenot-Wythe, Richmond, Va.]
6.18 … Herkie Walls [Garland, Texas], 1979
6.18 … Issam Asinga [Monteverde Academy, Fla.], 2023
6.18 … Ajani Dwyer [Washington Twp., N.J.], 2024

 

Paul VI junior Savien Higgs moved into the all-time Camden County top 10 in the indoor shot put with a huge personal best.

Higgs threw 54-6 ½ on his 3rd attempt at the Ocean Breeze Freedom Games Saturday and placed 2nd, behind only Chase Dorsey of Calvert Hall College High School of Baltimore, who snatched the win from Higgs with a PR 55-10 ¼ on his final throw.

But Higgs PR’d by four feet and four inches after hitting 50 feet for the first time two weeks ago at the Bubble in Toms River. He brought a PR of 48-9 ½ into the indoor season from the Camden County Championships in May at Haddon Township. His indoor PR before last month was 45-4 ½ from Ocean Breeze Freedom Games a year ago.

But he’s now PR’d in all three indoor meets he’s contested this winter – 47-6 ½ at the Bubble in early December, then 50-2 ½ at the Bubble and now 54-6 ½, which is No. 9 in Camden County history.

Higgs was one of New Jersey’s best discus throwers in the spring with a 148-6 at the South Jersey Invitational at Delsea that made him the No. 7 sophomore in the state.

It looks like Higgs could be the first 50-foot thrower Paul VI has had. He’s now No. 4 in the state with his 54-6 ½ and No. 2 among both New Jersey juniors and South Jersey throwers behind Delsea’s Jonathan Harris, who has a 54-10 from the Bubble last week.

All-Time Camden County Indoor Shot Put Top 10
60-10 ¾ … John Purvis [Winslow Twp.], 2020
59-0 … Chris Bolden [Edgewood], 1990
57-10-½ … Matthew Huckabee [Timber Creek], 2010
57-8 ½ … John Purvis [Winslow Twp.], 2020
57-3 ½ … Ron Dayne [Overbrook], 1996
55-7 ½ … Phil Hatfield [Bishop Eustace], 1995
55-6 … Charles Anderson [Edgewood], 1984
54-9 ¼ … Bob Bohlman [Edgewood], 1993
54-6 ½ … Savien Higgs [Paul VI], 2024
54-5 ½ … Eric Harmon [Wilson], 1986
54-5 ½ … Osemwingie Asemota [Timber Creek], 2016
54-3 … Greg James [Edgewood], 1977

The Winslow girls edged Chester (Pa.) and Bloomfield (Conn.) in a hot 4-by-200 Saturday at the Armory that produced three of the 12-fastest times in the U.S. this year.

Sophomore Olivia Okaro, senior Dominique Clement, senior Djassi Dean and freshman Cinniya Robinson ran for Winslow.

If anybody knows who ran for Winslow please let me know because the Armory track results site doesn’t think it’s important.

 I’m going to guess some combination of sophomore Olivia Okaro, freshman Skyhe Seamon, senior Dominique Clement, freshman Cinniya Robinson, senior Sierra Handy and senior Djassi Dean. 

In any case, Winslow’s time is No. 10 in the U.S. this year and No. 2 in New Jersey behind the Union Catholic all-star team, which ran 1:40.70 over the weekend at the Jersey City Armory.

The time is also No. 15 on the all-time South Jersey list and fastest since Millville ran 1:42.43 at Easterns at the Armory in 2020.

All-Time South Jersey sub-1:43 800-meter relay list
1:39.55 … Winslow Twp., 2018
1:39.94 … Winslow Twp., 2017
1:40.77 … Moorestown, 2000
1:41.14 … Woodrow Wilson, 2006
1:41.19 … Camden, 2008
1:41.28 … Woodrow Wilson, 2005
1:41.42 … Moorestown, 1999
1:41.70 … Willingboro, 2002
1:41.78 … Winslow Twp., 2014
1:41.80 … Winslow Twp., 2019
1:41.98 … Camden, 2009
1:41.99 … Rancocas Valley, 2019
1:42.01 … Millville, 2019
1:42.20 … Camden, 2007
1:42.29 … Winslow Twp., 2024
1:42.43 … Millville, 2020
1:42.45 … Deptford, 2015
1:42.45 … Rancocas Valley, 2017
1:42.49 … Millville, 2020
1:42.49 … Winslow Twp., 2013
1:42.5h … Willingboro, 2003
1:42.59 … Winslow Twp., 2020
1:42.66 … Willingboro, 2000
1:42.75 … Eastern, 2003
1:42.85 … Washington Twp., 1999
1:42.90 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2018
1:42.94 … Millville, 2019

Washington Township junior Dakota Jones had quite a breakthrough race Saturday at the Armory, running the fastest hurdles race by a Gloucester County girl in 10 years at the Hispanic Games.

Jones entered the season with a PR of 8.86 as a sophomore at last year’s state meet at the Bubble, but she lowered that to 8.57 in her 2023-24 season opener at the Armory last month and after an 8.58 in the trials Saturday she placed 4th in the final with an 8.46.

Although MileSplit no longer seems to update their performance lists as fast as they used to, her 8.46 appears to be No. 6 in New Jersey this year and No. 2 among juniors.

It’s also fastest by a Gloucester County hurdler since another Washington Township girl, Lexie Fraction, ran 8.37 at 2014 Easterns at the Armory. Fraction shares the county record with Kingsway’s Delicia Sample, who ran 8.37 to win the 2004 state Group 3 meet at Jadwin Gym.

Jones’ 8.46 appears to be No. 2 in South Jersey this year, behind Timber Creek senior Guerlande Pierre, who won the 55-meter highs Saturday at the Ocean Breeze Freedom Games with a PR and New Jersey No. 2 and public school No. 1 8.34, leading a 1-3-4 Timber Creek finish wiuth senior Nyla Jones [PR 8.57] and junior Billie Frazier [PR 8.63].

Gloucester County Sub-8.50 Hurdles List
8.37 … Delicia Sample [Kingsway], 2004
8.37 … Lexie Fraction [Washington Twp.], 2014
8.46 … Dakota Jones [Washington Twp.], 2024
8.48 … Christina Barbaro [Delsea], 2014
8.49 … Amaris Marsh [Deptford], 2018

The Paul VI girls seem to be ready for a fast 4-by-mile at Nationals judging by the way they ran Saturday at Ocean Breeze.

Senior Shaelan McNally, sophomores Giovanna Mantuano and Macy Huber and freshman Grace Gutowski combined to run 21:12.38 for 6,400 meters and while that’s a bit shorter than four miles, it’s still fast enough to be the equivalent of the 4th-fastest indoor 4-by-mile ever by a South Jersey school.

Haddonfield ran 20:53.03 at Armory Nationals in 2014, Cherokee ran 20:56.84 at the same shoe company meet but in Boston in 2023 and Lenape ran 21:03.64 at a different shoe company meet but in Boston but at a different track in 2010.

A 21:12.38 would have placed 7th at Boston Nationals last winter, just three seconds off All-America pace.

So while Paul VI’s performance doesn’t count, it would be 4th-fastest in South Jersey history if it came on a relay. Now, it’s harder to run a 4-by-mile than four individual miles just because in a 4-by-mile you’re often running by yourself, where in individual 1,600 or mile races you have plenty of company.

But still, this was a terrific group performance by the Paul VI girls.

McNally raced in the first of three sections, placing 6th in 5:10.97, an indoor PR and just four seconds off her outdoor PR of 5:06.74.

Huber ran in the second race and clocked 5:19.82. She ran 5:12.76 by the end of indoors last year at the state Parochial A meet at the Bubble.

Mantuano and Gutowski were both in the 3rd section, Mantuano finished first in 5:19.20 and Gutowski was 3rd in 5:22.39. Mantuano had never broken 6 minutes before this indoor season, but she ran 5:27.21 at the Bubble late last month and then cut another nine seconds off her PR with her 5:19.20 Saturday. And Gutowski finished just behind her in her first high school 1,600.

McNally, Mantuano, Huber and Gutowski were all part of Paul VI’s cross country team that placed 3rd at the state Parochial A meet at Holmdel.

The only other New Jersey school with four girls under 5:25 this winter is super-duper parochial all-star powerhouse landing spot for Central Jersey junior Olympic superstars Union Catholic.

Delsea graduate Elisia Lancaster won the weight throw at the Illini Open Saturday at the University of Illinois Armory in Champaign.

Lancaster, competing unattached, threw 77-2 ½, winning by nearly five feet over Phethisang Makhethe of Sasolburg, South Africa, and New Mexico State.

Lancaster also had throws of 75-3 ¼, 74-11 and 73-8 ¼.

It’s tough to tell since the World Athletics rankings database is a complete mess – and Lancaster’s bio doesn’t even list her ever competing in the weight throw – but the Track and Field Results Reporting Service shows her with a PR of 73-10 ¼ from a meet in February of 2022 in Nashville, when she was a senior at Southern Illinois.

It’s possible she’s had a better throw in an open meet since then, but it doesn’t show up anywhere. Maybe one day World Athletics will fix its web site. It’s getting dangerously close to USATF status at this point. USATF doesn’t even provide national rankings on its pathetic, archaic, useless web site.

Wish I could tell you where that 77-2 1/2 ranks in the U.S. so far this season, but the World Athletics site is not currently listing indoor events in its performance list database.

You’d think somebody would keep track of this stuff.

Anyway, Lancaster was one of the top hammer throwers in Division 1 while she was at Southern Illinois. She has a PR (we think) of 220-4 from May of 2022 in a meet at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

For the 3rd straight year, the Cherokee girls 4-by-800 team made the trip to Lynchburg, Va., worth it with a win at the Liberty Premier Invitational.

Sophomore Alyssa Suriano, junior Megan Niglio, sophomore Maddie Meder and senior Kerry O’Day ran 9:46.72, and Cherokee finished 20 meters ahead of Blacksburg (Va.) High, who was 2nd in 9:50.37.

Cherokee won the 4-by-8 at Liberty in 2022 with Nikki Clifford, Kelsey Niglio, O’Day and Megan Niglio in 9:23.85 and last year in 9:42.11 with Meder, Kelsey and Megan Niglio and O’Day.

Surianno led off in 2:30.1 and got Cherokee into 3rd place when she handed off to Niglio, who split 2:27.5 and moved the Chiefs into 2nd place. Meder split 2:29.9 and kept Cherokee in 2nd and O’Day anchored in 2:19.2 and into the lead for good.

Cherokee’s time is No. 1 in South Jersey this year and No. 2 in the state, behind only Rumson-Fair Haven’s 9:45.74 at Ocean Breeze last month. It’s No. 17 nationally, according to the MileSplit database.

Timber Creek senior Naylah Jones ran the 5th-fastest 300 in South Jersey history and doubled back to win the 55 with a PR Saturday at the Ocean Breeze Freedom Games on Staten Island.

In the 300, Jones was 1st in 39.52, finishing six meters clear of 2nd-place Kendall Barnhart of Guilderland of Guilderland Center, N.Y.

Jones’ time is No. 9 on the U.S. list, according to the MileSplit database. It’s No. 2 in New Jersey this year. 1-100th of a second behind Rhia Randolph of parochial all-star team Union Catholic, who ran 39.51 at the Armory last month. Jones’ time is also No. 14 in state history.

Later in the afternoon, Jones won the 55 in 7.07, edging New Jersey No. 1 teammate Ryan Jennings, who was 2nd in 7.12. Jennings ran 7.04 last month at the Armory. Pennsauken’s Sianni Wynn also ran 7.04 this winter. Jones’ previous 55 PR was a 7.08 when she placed 3rd in the Meet of Champions in March at Ocean Breeze.

So Camden County currently has the three-fastest sprinters in the state with Jennings and Wynn tied for No. at 7.04 and Jones No. 3 at 7.07.

Jones’ 7.07 is tied for No. 15 in South Jersey history and is No. 8 on the all-time Camden County 55-meter dash performance list.

All-Time South Jersey Girls 300-Meter Dash Top-10
39.16 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2006
39.17 … Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], 2023
39.40 … Arianna Sharpe [Clayton], 2022
39.42 … Aliyah Taylor [Rancocas Valley], 2018
39.52 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 2024
40.13 … Jasmine Still [Woodrow Wilson], 2006
40.15 … Amirah Sharpe [Clayton], 2021
40.2h … Evelyn Simpson [Camden], 1979
40.2h … Dana Burnett [Williamstown], 1996
40.22 … Nia Ali [Pleasantville], 2006
40.27 … Kiara Lester [Deptford]. 2014

All-Time New Jersey Girls 300-Meter Sub-40 List
36.82 … Sydney McLaughlin [Union Catholic], 2017
37.36 … Athing Mu [Trenton], 2020
38.73 … Olivia Baker [Columbia], 2014
38.79 … Wendy Vereen [Trenton], 1984
39.16 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2006
39.17 … Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], 2023
39.28 … Myasia Jacobs [Paramus Catholic], 2012
39.1h … Janine Davis [Queen of Peace], 2004
39.40 … Arianna Sharpe [Clayton], 2022
39.42 … Aliyah Taylor [Rancocas Valley], 2018
39.44 … Racquel Vassell [East Orange], 2007
39.47 … Mariah Fede [Paramus Catholic], 2020
39.51 … Stephanie Saleem [Neptune], 1985
39.52 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 2024
39.3h … Mikele Barber [Montclair], 1998
39.3h … Tawana Watkins [Paterson Kennedy], 2002
39.85 … Chidumga Nkulume [Union Catholic], 2020
39.9h … Melisa Barber [Montclair], 1998
39.94 … Dominique Booker [Immaculate Conception], 2008

All-Time South Jersey 55-Meter Dash List
6.73y … Michelle Glover [Willingboro], 1981
6.88y … Patti Dunlap [Camden], 1979
6.91 … English Gardner [Eastern], 2010
6.95 … Bria Mack [Williamstown], 2017
6.95 … Torie Robinson [Winslow Twp.], 2014
6.95 … Denise Mitchell [Edgewood], 1983
6.98 … Lauren Princz [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2020
7.00 … Amandi Rhett [Moorestown], 2000
7.00 … Iyanli Kollock [Our Lady of Mercy], 2017
7.00 … Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], 2023
7.01 … Aliyah Taylor [Rancocas Valley], 2017
7.04 … Ryan Jennings [Timber Creek], 2024
7.05 … Dana Burnett [Williamstown], 1996
7.06 … Jailya Ash [Eastern], 2019
7.07 … Aliya Harrison [Sterling], 2018
7.07 … Dennisha Page [Woodrow Wilson], 2019
7.07 … Annie Johnson [Shawnee], 2012
7.07 … Audrey Wilson [Deptford], 2009
7.07 … Magenta Taylor [Willingboro], 1999
7.07 … Angela Clyburn [Egg Harbor Twp.], 1991
7.07 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 2024
7.08 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 2023
7.09 … Ste’yce McNeil [Winslow Twp.], 2012
7.09 … Emily Carson [Haddonfield], 2013

The Willingboro boys ran their fastest 4-by-200 in 12 years Saturday at the Hispanic Games at the Armory.

The Chimeras won the 800-meter relay final in 1:30.59, No. 4 in the state this year and No. 4 in Burlington County history.

Unfortunately, the Armory results don’t list names. A possible lineup would include senior Rae-Juan Gayle, senior Jackson Murry – also a 14-foot pole vaulter – junior Theo Pryrce and senior hurdler Eric Foster. But if anybody reading this knows the Chimeras’ actual lineup please let us know in the comments section.

Thanks to a few people who gave us the lineup! It was indeed Gayle to Murry to Foster to Pryce, and as Eric let us know it was the first time that lineup had raced together!

Willingboro missed its school record by 1-100th of a second but obviously will have several more chances to get that. The 2012 team ran 1:30.58 at the Marine Corps Holiday Classic, also at the Armory. Names from that race are also unavailable because it was at the Armory, but the lineup likely included hurdler Isaac Williams and sprinter Darius Holmes.

Livingston High of Essex County led the qualifiers with a 1:29.76 and North Rockland of Thiells, N.Y., ran 1:31.01. But North Rockland didn’t race in the final, and Livingston finished 3rd in 1:30.90. Willingboro edged St. Peter’s Prep of Jersey City in the final. St. Peter’s ran 1:30.72.

Willingboro’s time is fastest by a Burlington County school indoors in seven years, since Rancocas Valley won Easterns with a 1:29.29 at the Armory in 2017. Lenape set the county – and then-state – record with its 1:28.46 at 2000 Easterns.

Cherokee graduatre Jack Shea ran a huge mile PR Friday in the Wagner College Shootout at Ocean Breeze.

Shea ran 4:08.12, closing in exactly 2:01.00. That’s fastest ever by a Cherokee alumni.

Shea was out conservatively with 32.27, 31.78 and 32.36 through 600 meters. At that point, he was in 5th place, about 15 meters behind early leader Johnny Sokoll, a junior at Wagner.

But Shea ran sub-31 for each of his last five laps, closing in 30.73, 30.05, 30.35. 30.06 and 30.55, taking the lead for good on the 6th lap. Jake Ireland of Central Connecticut wound up 2nd in 4:10.68.

Shea, competing for Shore Athletic Club, is listed with a previous mile PR of 4:20.32 in January of 2022 as a junior at Northern Arizona in a meet in Flagstaff. That makes this more than a 12-second PR. He ran 4:19.36 for 1,600 meters at the 2017 Burlington County Open at Rancocas Valley, which converts to a 4:20.86 mile (but you can’t convert up anyway).

Shea ran 13:44.57 in the spring of 2022 in Palo Alto, Calif., the fastest track 5,000 by a South Jersey runner in at least the last 40 years.

The previous Cherokee alumni mile best was a 4:08.58 by Marc Pelerin, which he hit twice – outdoors at the New Jersey Invitational in Colts Neck in 2004 and indoors in New York at the NYU Fastrack Invitational at the Armory in 2009.