It was wind-aided, but it’s still very fast.

Wilson graduate Dennisha Page, a Rutgers junior, recorded the 6th-fastest qualifying time of the NCAA Eastern Prelims Thursday evening and one of the fastest times ever recorded by a New Jersey native.

Page ran 22.88 in the NCAA Championships first round, easily advancing her to Friday’s quarterfinals. The race was assisted by a tailwind of 3.1 meters per second – above the 2.0 that’s allowed for record-setting purposes.

According to the wind correction calculator, a 22.88 with a 3.1 assisting tailwind equals a 23.06 with no wind or a 22.92 with a legal 2.0 wind.

So it’s very fast.

The only New Jersey women who’ve run faster in any conditions are Montclair’s Me’Lisa Barber [22.37 in 2005], Union Catholic graduater and world 400IH record holder Sydney McLaughlin [22.39 in 2018], Eastern’s Olympic gold medalist English Gardner [22.62 in 2013], Trenton’s Wenda Vereen [22.63 in 1993] and Montclair’s Mikele Barber [22.73 in 2007].

Page ran a wind-legal PR of 23.08 earlier this month in the prelims of the Big Ten Championships in Bloomington, Ind. This is her first NCAA meet. Page began her academic career at Syracuse but has blossomed at Rutgers, where she set the school record of 11.30 at Big Ten’s and is 1-100th of a second off the school record in the 200, a 23.07 by Williamstown’s Gabrielle Farquharson at the 2016 Big Ten Championships in Lincoln, Neb.

All six qualifying races were wind-aided to varying degrees.

The 200 quarterfinal races are scheduled for 7:50 p.m. Saturday. The top three in each of three heats plus the next three-fastest times advance to the NCAA Championships next month in Austin.

Rowan cruised through the 1,600-meter trials at the NCAA Championships in Rochester, N.Y., Thursday and goes into the final as the No. 5 seed although they ran the 4th-fastest time.

The final closes the meet at St. John Fisher University at 5 p.m. Saturday.

Sterling’s Marquise Young got the Profs safely out the hole, and Nana Agyemang, a Parsippany graduate, ran the second leg. Jah’mere Beasley, who ran on Rowan’s 400-meter relay team that advanced to the final and also advanced in the 200, then split 46.66 and Amara Conte from Ferris High in Jersey City anchored in 46.61.

It was a very fast race for a preliminary, with Claremont-Mudd-Scripps [3:09.26], Wisconsin-La Crosse [3:09.38] and Rowan all running sub-3:11 in the first heat and Mount Union [3:09.38] and SUNY Geneseo [3:10.22] doing it in the second heat.

The 3:10.70 is the fastest Rowan has ever run in a preliminary race and their 5th-fastest time ever. They ran 3:10.06 when they placed 2nd at nationals last year (with John Owens, Agyemang, Beasley and Conte), 3:10.07 with Young, Agyemang, Beasley and Conte last month in Columbia, S.C., and 3:10.56 to win the 2012 NCAA Division 3 nationals with Jayce Maxwell of Monsignor Donovan, Taylor Purdue of Highland Lakes, Ali Ejaz from Glassboro and Demetrius Rooks of Absegami.

Burlington Township’s Jasmine Broadway recorded the 2nd-fastest qualifier to the 200-meter dash final at the NCAA Division 3 Championships in Rochester, N.Y.

Broadway ran a lifetime-best 24.18, lowering her own Rowan school record from 24.33, which she ran earlier this month when she won the NJAC title at Ramapo.

Broadway, a Rowan sophomore, won the first of three heats. Each winner and the next-five-fastest advanced to the final at 3:50 p.m. on Saturday.

The only faster qualifier was Lauren Jarrett, a freshman at Wisconsin-La Crosse, who was 1st across the line in the 2nd heat in 24.09. Jarrett was aided by a 0.9 tailwind. Broadway’s race had no tailwind.

At Burlington Township, Broadway had a PR of 25.60 from her win at the 2021 Central Jersey Group 3 sectionals at Jackson Liberty. She went on to place 2nd at states at Pennsauken in 25.67.

She ran 25.84 as a Rowan freshman but got down to 25.19 this past indoor season and earned All-America honors after a running a leg on Rowan’s 4-by-400 team, which placed 8th at indoor nationals in Birmingham, Ala.

She broke 25 seconds for the first time early last month with a 24.85 in a meet at Widener, then lowered her PR to 24.76 in Columbia, S.C., in late April, and then 24.33 in the trials of the NJAC meet, which she won in 24.46.

Sterling’s Jah’mere Beasley easily advanced to the finals of the 200-meter dash at the NCAA Division 3 Championships Thursday in Rochester.

Beasley, a Rowan sophomore, ran 21.00 in the second of three heats. The winner of each heat and the next-five-fastest runners advance to the final at 3:40 p.m. on Saturday.

Beasley was in a heat with Ramapo’s Cheickna Traore, the NCAA Division 3 record holder with his 20.49 in March in Coral Gables, Fla.

Traore, the NCAA champ at 200 meters indoors in March, ran 20.71 and is the fastest qualifier. Even though Beasley is a small-Q qualifier, his 21.00 was 3rd-fastest of the 22 entrants. But he’s the No. 4 seed in the final because he didn’t win his heat. Wind was a legal 0.4.

Beasley ran his PR of 20.91 – the Rowan school record – at last year’s nationals, where he placed 5th. That makes him No. 16 in NCAA Division 3 history. Beasley is already a seven-time All-America.

Earlier Thursday, Beasley ran on Rowan’s school-record 400-meter relay team, which also advanced to Saturday’s final.

Sterling’s Marquise Young, a Rowan junior, PR’d in the 400-meter hurdles Thursday and advanced to the final at the NCAA Division 3 Championships in Rochester, N.Y.

Young ran 52.64 and advanced as the 3rd-fastest small-Q qualifier. The winner of each of three heats and the next five-fastest times advanced to the final, which is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. Saturday.

Young finished in a virtual dead heat with Ellis Phillips-Gallucci of Amherst. Both were credited with 52.64 in the third and final heat, but when their races were examined down to the 1,000th of a second, Phillips-Gallucci was given a 52.632 and Young a 52.638, which means Phillips-Gallucci advanced as an auto-qualifier and Young advanced on time.

The 400 intermediates is still a relatively new event for Young, who is a three-time NJAC high hurdles champion. He ran it in high school but never broke 56.46. He only broke 54 seconds for the first time earlier this month with a 52.88 to win the conference meet, then tuned up for nationals with a 53.37 at the AARTFC meet in Selinsgrove, Pa.

Young is also scheduled to run the highs and run on Rowan’s 4-by-4 at D-3 nationals.

Greg Poloso and Paulsboro’s Edgar Rosa placed 2nd and 5th in the javelin Thursday at the NCAA Division 3 Championships in Rochester, N.Y., piling up 12 team points for the Profs.

Poloso, a junior from Wayne Valley and transfer from Rider, took the lead with a season-best 220-11 on his 3rd throw but got bumped into 2nd by top-seeded Will Lawrence of Wisconsin-Platteville, who threw a lifetime-best 236-8 on his 1st throw of the finals. That’s the 4th-best throw in meet history.

Poloso came back with a 212-4 and a 209-9 on his last two throws. He averaged 216-2 on his five legal throws. Lawrence and Poloso combined for eight of the nine-best throws of the competition.

Rosa, whose high school best at Paulsboro was 161-0, had a strong series with three 200-foot throws, including a 209-3 on his 4th attempt. That was only four feet shy of his PR of 213-2 from a meet at Rowan last month.

Poloso and Rosa both earn All-America honors. It was Rosa’s 1st but Poloso’s 2nd after he placed 3rd last year. Rowan has had seven javelin All-Americans the last four years the meet was contested. This is the 3rd straight year and 5th time overall Rowan has had two javelin All-Americas the same year.

Here’s a look at all the javelin All-Americas in Glassboro State / Rowan history:

1978: Mike Juskus, Hopatcong [1st, 222-8]
1979: Mike Juskus, Hopatcong [2nd, 217-1]
1980: Mike Juskus, Hopatcong [1st, 258-5]
1981: Mike Juskus, Hopatcong [1st, 248-8]
1992: Mike Boone, Burlington City [1st, 219-4]
1993: Richard Bodine, Vineland [6th, 205-11
1995: Richard Bodine, Vineland [4th, 206-0]
1995: Bruce Davies, Kinnelon [6th, 198-3]
1996: Richard Bodine, Vineland [2nd, 206-5]
1996: Ed Colleton, Matawan [5th, 195-3]
1997: Ed Colleton, Matawan [4th, 197-5]
1998: Ed Colleton, Matawan [1st, 210-4]
1999: Ed Colleton, Matawan [2nd, 209-1]
2009: Sean Biehn, Burlington City [2nd, 200-1]
2010: Sean Biehn, Burlington City [2nd, 204-5]
2019: Dan McAleavey, Howell [8th, 197-7]
2021: Julio LeBron, Memorial West New York [6th, 192-6]
2021: Dan McAleavey, Howell [2nd, 206-6]
2022: Dan McAleavey, Howell [8th, 206-11]
2022: Greg Poloso, Wayne Valley [3rd, 216-4]
2023: Greg Poloso, Wayne Valley [2nd, 220-11]
2023: Edgar Rosa, Paulsboro [5th, 209-3]

Bridgeton’s Shamar Love, Sterling’s Jah’mere Beasley and Kingsway’s Evan Corcoran led Rowan to a school-record 40.36 in the 400-meter relay trials Thursday afternoon at the NCAA Division 3 National Championships.

Love and Beasley ran the first two legs for the Profs, Parsippany’s Nana Agyemang ran 3rd, and Corcoran anchored for Rowan, who posted the 2nd-fastest qualifying time at St. John Fisher University in Rochester, N.Y.

The top two finishers in each of two heats plus the next-four-fastest times advanced to the final, which is scheduled for 12:55 p.m. Saturday.

Rowan’s time is 20th-fastest in NCAA Division 3 history and the Profs are the 9th-fastest D-3 school ever in the event.

The previous school record was 40.37 from just last week at the AARTFC Championships in Selinsgrove, Pa., with the same lineup.

Wisconsin-La Crosse ran 39.86, which broke the NCAA Division 3 record of 39.95 set by New Jersey City College at the 2006 Penn Relays. Leadoff on that team was Winslow graduate Anthony Miles. La Crosse broke the meet record of 40.01 set in 2016 by Wesley of Dover, Del.

Washington Township graduate and Ursinus junior Isabella “Izzy” Deal recorded her 3rd consecutive All-America performance in the javelin Wednesday at the NCAA Division 3 Championships.

Deal, who placed 8th as a freshman in 2021 and 6th last year, placed 6th again this year at St. John Fisher University in Rochester, N.Y.

Deal threw 139-9 on her 1st attempt of the finals. She threw 137-0 at last year’s nationals and 135-1 as a freshman.

Deal was in 5th place after her final throw but was bumped to 6th when Avery Decker of Nebraska Wesleyan hit a 145-9 on her final attempt.

On her 1st throw, Deal hit 136-9. After a foul, she finished the trials with a 129-10. She was 6th among the nine qualifiers for the finals and moved up to 5th with her 139-9 on her 4th throw. She threw 137-8 on her 5th attempt before fouling on her final throw.

Chrissy Strickland of George Fox University of Newberg, Ore., won with a 149-6 on her 2nd throw.

Deal had a career-best throw of 155-0 in Selinsgrove, Pa., last week.

Williamstown senior Ciara Demarest did her usual thing Wednesday at the Delsea Crusader Field Meet, , winning the shot at 42-2 and the discus with a 128-4.

Demarest is No. 3 in New Jersey in the shot with her 44-8 at the Tri-County Championships and No. 5 in the discus with that 128-4.

But this time we’re going to write about the girl who finished second to Demarest in both throws.

Clayton junior Maylisa Bluford.

Bluford threw two huge PRs of her own Wednesday night, improving her shot PR from 38-5 ½ just a week earlier at the Tri-County meet to 41-7 ½ and her discus from 124-10 at the South Jersey Elite earlier this month to 127-4.

Bluford is now the No. 2 underclassman in New Jersey in both the shot and discus behind Layla Giordano of Old Tappan, who is the No. 6 junior nationally at 156-3 in the disc and No. 10 in the shot at 45-6.

Bluford is also top-ranked state-wide in Group 1. No other girl in Group 1 has thrown more than 37-10 ¾ or 116-7.

Her 41-7 ½ is No. 11 in Gloucester County history – a quarter of an inch out of the top-10 – and her 127-4 is No. 15 in Gloucester County history. Lists are below.

Along the way, Bluford broke the 43-year-old Clayton school record in the shot set of 40-0 ¾ in 1980 by Emma Painter, who went on to become an NCAA Division 3 javelin champion for Glassboro State, now Rowan. Bluford also holds the Clayton discus record, but it looks like that was previously held by Allison Reuter, who threw 123-10 at the 2015 state Group 1 meet at Egg Harbor.

She’s the top Gloucester County junior in the shot in 13 years – since Delsea’s Janiece Rose threw 42-4 ½ at the 2010 Rowan Open.

She’s also the top South Jersey Group 1 thrower in the shot since Schalick’s Zyra Thomas – the 2018 national indoor champ – threw 45-0 ½ in 2018

Bluford threw 38-3 ¾ indoors when she placed 3rd at Easterns at the Armory, and she also won South Jersey Group 1 and placed 2nd in state Group 1.

Some fantastic pole vaulting Wednesday night at the Delsea Crusader Field Meet, with Clearview junior Daniel Couse, Haddonfield senior Alexander Hurly and Cinnaminson sophomore Ed Frey all clearing 14-0 – the first time for Couse and Frey.

Couse got the win on fewer misses – he actually had no misses through 14-0. Hurly cleared 14-0 on his 2nd attempt and placed 2nd and Frey cleared on his 3rd try and took 3rd.

Most importantly, they are now tied for the No. 2 spot in South Jersey, behind Oakcrest junior Ryan Merlino, who cleared 15-0 at the Atlantic County Championships and won the Cape-Atlantic Meet at Bridgeton Wednesday at 14-0.

Last time three South Jersey vaulters cleared 14-0 in the same meet was the 2019 South Jersey Invitational at Delsea, when five did it – Marco Morales of Delsea [15-6], James Lynch of Deptford [15-0], Nico Morales [15-0], Josh Cohen of Egg Harbor [14-6] and Ryan Jilliard of Delsea [14-0].

In all, the top six placers all PR’d. In addition to Couse, Hurly and Frey, Willingboro junior Jackson Murry cleared 13-6 for 4th, Delsea junior Carlos Reyes 13-0 for 5th and Delsea junior Carlos Reyes 12-6 for 6th. In all, Delsea had five underclassmen over at least 11-6.

One other note about Murry: He’s the first Willingboro vaulter over 13-6 since Marv Forchion cleared 14-6 in 1986. Forchion was a unique athlete – at 1986 state Group 3 meet, he won the pole vault [14-6] and placed 3rd in the long jump [21-8] and he also took 4th at sectionals in the 110 hurdles [14.9h].

Let’s take a look at each vaulter:

Daniel Couse: Tied a 51-year-old Clearview pole vault record and moved into the No. 2 spot among New Jersey juniors with his first lifetime 14-0 clearance.

Couse now shares the school record with Ed Cundey, who cleared 14-0 at the 1972 Easterns on Randall’s Island. Cundey placed 3rd on more misses than 2nd-place Mark MacCracken of Tenafly, who also cleared 14-0.

Couse’s improvement has been remarkable. His best jump last spring was 11-6 and then he cleared 12-0 for the first time at Group 3 sectionals at the Bubble in February – just three months ago.

But he PR’d at 13-0 earlier this month when he won the Gloucester County meet at Deptford two weeks ago and then improved to 13-6 in his next meet, the Tri-County Championships at Delsea last week.

Couse passed until 12-0 Wednesday night, cleared that on his first try, then passed 12-6 before clearing 13-0, 13-6 and 14-0 on his first attempts.

Alexander Hurly: Another one who’s made very quick improvement. Hurly cleared 12-0 once last spring in his first year of track, didn’t compete indoors, then PR’d at 12-6 in late April before suddenly clearing 14-0 when he won the Camden County meet at Haddon Township two weeks ago.

Haddonfield has a rich pole vaulting history, with four 15-footers – Mike Davis [15-5 in 2004], Devon Purves [15-5 in 2006], Mark Murphy [15-0 in 1985] and Mike Rivard [15-0 in 2010]. But Hurly is Haddonfield’s first 14-footer since Rivard 13 years ago.

Hurly passed to 12-6 Wednesday, cleared that on his 2nd attempt, then was clean at 13-0 and 13-6 before clearing 14-0 on his 2nd try.

Ed Frey: Another monster PR, Frey’s previous best was a 13-0 earlier this month at the South Jersey Elite meet at Delsea.

Frey cleared 12-6 as a freshman last spring at South Jersey Group 2 sectionals at Delsea, like Hurly he didn’t compete indoors, and he’s now the No. 2 sophomore in New Jersey, a quarter of an inch behind Cade Zeolla of West Morris Central, who cleared 14-0 ¼ earlier this month at a meet in Rockaway Borough.

Frey is only the 3rd South Jersey sophomore I could find who’s cleared 14-0. Eddie Zubryzcki of Highland went 14-0 at the 2007 Meet of Champions at South Plainfield, and Nico Morales of Delsea hit 14-10 at the 2018 Tri-County Conference meet at Delsea. There may have been a few others back in the day.

(One thing you’ll notice reading this post is that almost all big-time vaults in South Jersey occur at Delsea!)

Cinnaminson’s school record is 15-0 by Matt Mancini from the 2006 South Jersey Group 2 meet at Buena. Frey is the first Burlington County vaulter to clear 14-0 since 2017, when Mitchell Casey of Shawnee cleared 14-6 at the Meet of Champions at Northern Burlington.