Rider’s Zach Manorowitz from Pennsville wins long jump at 100th annual IC4A Championships!!!!!!

Pennsville graduate Zach Manorowitz, a at Rider, won the long jump Saturday at the 100th IC4A Championships at Boston University with a leap of 24-4 ½.

Manorowitz finished three inches ahead of Glenn Butler of Lincoln (Pa.) of Oxford, Pa., who placed second with a 24-1 ½ jump.

Manorowitz missed his PR of 24-5 ¾, set just two weeks ago when he won the Metro Atlantic Championships title at the Armory.

On Saturday, Manorowitz popped the winning jump on his first attempt. He followed with legal jumps of 23-6 ½ and 23-3 before fouling on his three attempts in the finals.

Manorwitz now ranks No. 2 in Rider history, behind only Tyree Adams, who leaped 24-9 ¼ in 2017.

The IC4A – the Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America – has been around for a century, but good luck trying to find any previous results from their indoor championships. Their web site has nothing. Like zippo. How can a meet with this much history not provide all-time individual winners going back to the 1920s and all-time performance lists? They don’t. So I can’t tell you how many IC4A long jump winners Rider has had. Or anything else about the 99 long jump competitions that preceded this one.

But in any event, Manorowitz has improved dramatically since his days at Pennsville, where he had an outdoor PR of 21-6 and never competed indoors. He graduated from Pennsville in the spring of 2019 and then didn’t compete again until the spring of 2021 at Rider.

From his last meet at Pennsville – the Meet of Champions at Northern Burlington in Mansfield on June 8, 2019 (he was 29th in the triple jump and 25th in the long jump) – until his first meet for Rider – the Monmouth Spring Invitational in West Long Branch on April 8, 2021 – it was a span of 670 days without a meet.

Manorowitz hit 24-5 as a freshman this past May at the MAC Championships on his home track – No. 2 in program history outdoors – and also placed 4th in the triple jump, hitting 45-4 ½ at the conference meet and 46-0 ½ last month when he placed 5th at the indoor conference meet.

He does not appear to be entered in the IC4A triple jump on Sunday, which means his indoor season is over.

Northern Burlington’s Liliah Gordon becomes fastest S.J. freshman ever in Meet of Champions 3,200!!!!!

Northern Burlington freshman Liliah Gordon broke the 11-minute barrier for the first time, ran the 4th-fastest 3,200 in Burlington County history and finished 7th in the Meet of Champions Saturday at the Bubble.

Gordon ran 10:56.77 and was South Jersey’s top finisher in the 3,200 at the 43rd annual girls Meet of Champions in Toms River.

Her time is fastest ever by a South Jersey freshman at an indoor Meet of Champions (and is most likely the South Jersey freshman record (I’m still working on confirming that). The fastest previous South Jersey freshman at an indoor M-of-C was Chelsea Ley of Kingsway, who ran 11:00.79 for 2nd place in the 2007 meet.

Gordon ran four 3,200s this year and PR’d in each one – 11:20.06 at the Bubble in January, 11:09.91 to win S.J. Group 3 sectionals, 11:06.89 to win Group 3 states last weekend and her 10:56.77 Saturday.

On Saturday, Gordon broke Colleen Sunderland’s 27-year-old school record of 11:06.43. Sunderland actually ran 11:10.32 for two miles at the 1997 National Scholastic Indoor Championships at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, which converts to 11:06.43 for 3,200 meters.

Gordon placed 8th in the XC Meet of Champions at Holmdel in November, so she’s raced in two Meet of Champions and finished in the top 10 in both races. Angelina Perez of Lakeland won both races and set a state 3,200 record of 10:00.90 on Saturday.

Here’s a look at the all-time Burlington County list:
10:31.06 … Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 2012
10:46.63 … Erika Kemp [Rancocas Valley], 2013
10:55.58 … Nicole Clifford [Cherokee], 2022
10:56.77 … Lialah Gordon [Northern Burlington], 2022
11:00.7y … Deanna Germano (Shawnee), 1986
11:06.32y … Colleen Sunderland (Northern Burlington), 1995
11:06.89 … Lialah Gordon [Northern Burlington], 2022
11:08.85 … Nina Bendixen, [Shawnee], 2015
11:09.91 … Liliah Gordon [Northrn Burlington], 2022
11:10.88 … Caitlin Orr (Lenape), 2009

All-Time S.J. Girls Indoor 3,200 Top-50
10:15.71 … Brittany Sedberry [Ocean City], 2006
10:23.49 … Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 2011
10:29.90 … Chelsea Ley [Kingsway], 2009
10:33.95 … Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Reg.], 2016
10:38.11 … Megan Venables [Highland], 2011
10:38.90 … Erin Donohue [Haddonfield], 2001
10:40.03 … Dina Iacone [Washington Twp.], 2012
10:40.80 … Briana Gess [Haddonfield], 2017
10:42.06 … Holly Bischof [Bishop Eustace], 2012
10:42.22 … Theresa Cattuna [Cherry Hill East], 2007
10:43.2y … Michelle Rowen [Washington Twp.], 1983
10:45.20 … Devon Grisbaum [Ocean City], 2015
10:45.40 … Julianna Catania [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2016
10:46.63 … Erika Kemp [Rancocas Valley], 2013
10:48.78 … Shelby Cain [Haddonfield], 2014
10:49.12 … Madison Coppolino [Sterling], 2017 [3]
10:49.46 … Alyssa Condell [Timber Creek], 2016
10:52.05 … Amanda Goetschius [Delsea], 2007
10:52.53 … Allie Pierontoni [Kingsway], 2020
10:53.4h … Christin Bettis [Hammonton], 2012
10:53.89y … Sarah Naticchia [Haddonfield], 2020
10:55.29y … Ann Klocke [Bishop Eustace], 1996
10:55.58 … Nicole Clifford [Cherokee], 2022
10:56.77 … Liliah Gordon [Northern Burlington], 2022
10:57.95 … Katy Storti [Bishop Eustace], 2019
10:59.02 … Catherine Van Horn [Triton], 2005
10:59.04 … Maria Ruiz [Williamstown], 2009
10:59.13 … Vickie Ajimoko [Williamstown], 2013
10:59.90 … Aubrey Pierontoni [Kingsway], 2022

Cherokee alum Megan Lacy takes 13th in U.S. 15K Road Championships!!!

Photo by Michael Scott.

Cherokee graduate Megan Lacy placed 13th in the U.S. 15K Road Championships Saturday in Jacksonville.

Lacy covered the 9.3-mile Gate River Run course in 52:57, running her 5Ks in 17:42, 17:31 and 17:44. She passed two runners in the final 200 to move up from 15th to 13th.

This was Lacy’s first race at the 15K distance. Over the past few months, she’s PR’d at 5,000 meters on the track outdoors with a 16:36.18 in Nashville in June, at 10,000 meters outdoors on the track with a 33:07.10 in Portland, Ore., in May, and in the half marathon with a 1:15.21 in September in Valley Cottage, N.Y.

In December, Lacy placed 4th in the World Trail Championships over 21K in Kualoa Ranch in Kapalua, Hawaii.

CHEROKEE GIRLS WIN MEET OF CHAMPIONS 4-BY-8 BY HALF A TRACK LENGTH, SHATTER MEET RECORD!!!!!!!!

Cherokee’s Kelsey Niglio, Kerry O’Day, Megan Niglio and Nicole Clifford teamed up to win the Meet of Champions 3,200-meter relay Saturday in record time.

Cherokee won the race by 110 meters – more than half a track length – over 2nd-place Ramapo, which took second in 9:33.36.

Ridge had won the Meet of Champions 4-by-8 every year since it was added to the Meet of Champions docket in 2017 and set the meet record of 9:14.47 in 2017. The meet wasn’t held last year.

The Meet of Champions title is the first for the Cherokee girls program since Monica Olkowski won the 800 in 1990 at Jadwin Gym in 2:12.45.

Niglio, O’Day, Niglio and Clifford all ran on Cherokee’s Meet of Champions-champion cross country team as well, so they’re now 2-for-2 in M-of-C’s this year.

Cherokee ranks No. 1 in New Jersey and No. 2 nationally this winter with its 9:07.81 at the Bubble last month.

Next weekend, the Chiefs will finally have the chance to run a 4-by-8 on a fast, banked track on Sunday at the New Balance Nationals at the Armory. That’s one of two so-called “national” meets being held in New York next weekend.

On Saturday, Kelsey Niglio led off with a 2:15.0 split, O’Day ran 2:21.4, Megan Niglio 2:22.1 and Clifford anchored unpressed in 2:14.8.

STERLING’S JAH’MERE BEASLEY ANCHORS ROWAN TO FASTEST 4X2 IN NCAA DIVISION 3 HISTORY!!!!!!!!!!

Rowan’s 800-meter relay team, anchored by Sterling’s Jah’mere Beasley, ran the fastest time in NCAA Division 3 history on Saturday.

The team of Robert McKinney, Nana Agyemang, Amara Conte and Beasley ran 1:27.45 at the AARTFC Championships at the Golisano Training Center at Nazareth College in Rochester, N.Y.

That broke the all-time NCAA Division 3 record of 1:27.69 set on Feb. 18, 2019 by a Rowan team consisting of Deptford’s Tyler Garland, West Deptford’s Shai Mumford, Dayquan Murray of Hammonton and Spencer Jarrett from Salem, who ran 1:27.69 at the NJAC Championships at Ocean Breeze.

Beasley brought the Profs across the line under the record with a 21.44 split.

Earlier this year, Rowan ran 1:27.88, which was No. 3 all-time. The Profs also ran 1:28.27 in 2018 and now claim the four-fastest 4-by-2 performances in Division 3 history.

Rowan also has a 1:29.05 from 2016 that’s No. 12 all-time and a 1:29.57 from 2018 that’s No. 23 all-time, a 1:29.70 from 2019 that’s No. 25 all-time and a 1:29.74 from 2017 that’s No. 28.

Rowan also broke the meet record of 1:28.99 set in 2019 by Rowan’s Murray, Jarrett, Garland and Mumford and broke the facility record of 1:29.98 set in 2020 by Rowan’s John Owens of West Windsor-Plainsboro North, Julian Pratt of Camden, Rakim Coyle from Wildwood Catholic and Beasley.

The Profs won by 20 meters over SUNY Cortland, who placed second in 1:29.91.

According to the IAAF 2022 world performance list, Rowan’s time is 14th-fastest in the world this year and 3rd-fastest among American teams.

The only Division 1 schools who’ve run faster are Rutgers, which ran 1:26.60 at the Armory last month, and Mississippi State, who ran 1:26.66 at the Birmingham CrossPlex in Alabama in January. Paul VI graduate Antonio Tarantino ran the second leg on that Rutgers team.

Rowan is ranked No. 15 in Division 3 going into next weekend’s Division 3 National Championships in Winston-Salem, N.C.

The AARTFC  is the All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Championships. Rowan won the team title 98-72 over SUNY Geneseo.

https://results.leonetiming.com/?mid=4869

Kingsway’s Kyle Rakitis runs all-time South Jersey #5 time in Meet of Champions 1,600!!!!!!

Kingsway senior Kyle Rakitis ran one of the fastest 1,600s in South Jersey history Saturday at the 53rd annual Meet of Champions.

Racing on the slow, flat track at the Toms River Bubble, Rakitis placed 3rd in 4:12.55, breaking the Gloucester County record and moving into the No. 5 spot in South Jersey history.

His time was fast enough to win any of the previous Meet of Champions mile or 1,600 races in meet history.

Union Catholic senior Shane Brosnan won the race in 4:09.42, the fastest Meet of Champions time in 50 years and 2nd-fastest ever. Vince Cartier of Scotch Plains-Fanwood won the 1972 race at Jadwin Gym in 4:06.6 over a full mile. That broke the U.S. schoolboy record of 4:07.2 set in 1965 by Jim Ryan of Wichita East at the Kansas indoor state meet at Kansas State’s Ahearn Fieldhouse in Manhattan, Kans.

Collin Boler of Delbarton in Morristown took 2nd in 4:11.04 and Rakitis was 3rd. In all, nine runners broke 4:20 and seven ran sub-4:17 in the fastest Meet of Champion 1,600 ever.

The race produced three of the nine-fastest times in meet history. The fastest previous 2nd-place time was Jim Rosa’s 4:13.12 in 2009 behind Liam Tansey of Morris Hills, who ran 4:11.95, and the previous-fastest 3rd-place time was 4:14.9 full mile (converts to 4:13.5), run by Harry Kronick of Franklin in 1972 behind Cartier and Chris Inman of Essex Catholic, who also ran 4:14.9

Rakitis broke his own Gloucester County record of 4:16.59, which he set last week at the state Group 4 meet.

His time is No. 5 in South Jersey history and fastest in six years, since Greg Pelose of Haddonfield ran 4:13.40 for a full mile, which converts to 4:11.93 for 1,600 meters.

The race also produced the fastest 4th-, 5th -, 6th- and 7th-fastest times in meet history with Amiri Whittle of Hackensack 4th in 4:14.51, Nikhil Makker of West Windsor-Plainsboro North 5th in 4:14.71, Jacob Heredia of Clifton 6th in 4:16.24 and Colin Riley of Jonathan Dayton 7th in 4:16.51.

All-time South Jersey 1,600 list
4:09.96y … Miles Schoedler [Ocean City], 2011
4:11.03y … Brett Johnson [Ocean City], 2009
4:11.89y … Luke Petela [Haddon Twp.], 2015
4:11.93y … Greg Pelose [Haddonfield], 2016
4:12.55 … Kyle Rakitis [Kingsway], 2022
4:13.68y … Marc Pelerin [Cherokee], 2002
4:13.87y … Stone Caraccio [Kingsway], 2020
4:14.1y … Marty Ludwikowski [C.H. West], 1975
4:15.2y … Jim Smith [Haddonfield], 1980
4:15.52 … Bill Dolan [Clearview], 2014
4:16.0y … Greg Stremmel [Gateway], 1974
4:16.02 … Erik Johnson [Ocean City], 2012
4:16.3y … Rich Caton [Woodbury], 1979
4:16.61y … Jon Anderson [Cinnaminson], 2004
4:16.71y … Dave Forward [Shawnee], 2009
4:16.85 … Ben Potts [Haddonfield], 2011
4:16.9y … Bob Marino [Williamstown], 1974
4:17.1y … Mike Mantini [Gateway], 1978
4:17.33y … Carmen Cavella [Washington Twp.], 2004
4:17.51y … Connor Melko [Bishop Eustace], 2019
4:17.67 … Derek Gess [Haddonfield], 2018
4:17.67y … Sebastien Reed [Pitman], 2020
4:17.98 … Seth Clevenger [Haddonfield], 2022
4:18.21y … Xavier Fraction [Washington Twp.], 2009
4:18.22 … Jacob Clark [Pleasantville], 2013
4:18.48 … Justin Kelly [Cherokee], 2018
4:18.50 … Shawn Wilson [Cherokee], 2013
4:18.53y … Chris Platt [Haddonfield], 2001
4:18.4y … Al Harden [Millville], 1979
4:18.4h … Mike Myers [Eastern], 2001
4:18.70y … Ethan Wechsler [Cherokee], 2019
4:18.73 … Jacob Cobb [West Deptford], 2022
4:18.74 … George Andrus [Haddonfield], 2022
4:18.80y … Austin Gabay [Cinnaminson], 2020
4:18.83 … Tyler Jackson [Cherokee], 2020
4:19.03 … Noah Culbreath [Kingsway, 2014
4:19.40 … Justin Branco [Delsea], 2015
4:19.7y … Chris Hageman [Paul VI], 1985
4:19.96 … Robert Rawls [Triton], 2011
4:19.97 … Steve Burkholder [Cherokee], 2010

All-Time Meet of Champions Performance List
4:05.2h … Vince Cartier [Scotch Plains-Fanwood], 1972 [1]
4:09.42 … Shane Brosnan [Union Catholic], 2022 [1]
4:00.04 … Collin Boler [Delbarton], 2002
4:11.66 … Ben Malone [Pascack Valley], 2012 [1]
4:11.83 … Drew Maher [Shore Regional], 2018 [1]
4:11.95 … Liam Tansey [Morris Hills], 2009 [1]
4:12.54 … D.J. Thornton [Union Catholic], 2010 [1]
4:12.55 … Kyle Rakitis [Kingsway], 2022 [3]
4:12.90 … Will Baginski [Ridgewood], 2019 [1]
4:13.01 … Will Daly, River Dell, 2016 [1]
4:13.12 … Jim Rosa [West Windsor-Plainsboro North], 2009 [2]
4:13.21 … Pat Schellberg, Delbarton, 2010 [2]
4:13.2h … Bll Sieben [Union Catholic], 1970 [1]
4:13.44 … Colin Daly, River Dell, 2016 [2]
4:13.49 … George Kelly [Christian Brothers], 2012 [2]
4:13.5h … Chris Inman [Essex Catholic], 1972 [2]
4:13.5h … Harry Kronick [Franklin], 1972 [3]
4:13.7h … Dave Wall, Dickinson, 1973 [1]
4:13.9h … Chris Elliott, [Ramapo], 1970 [2]
4:14.18 … Greg Pelose [Haddonfield], 2016 [3]
4:14.20 … Mike McClemens [Christian Brothers], 2014 [1]
4:14.24 … Chris Romero [Voorhees], 2018 [2]
4:15.51 – Amiri Whittle [Hackensack], 2022 [4]
4:14.57 … Sam Macaluso [West Windsor-Plainsboro South], 2010 [3]
4:14.71 – Nikhil Makker [West Windsor-Plainsboro North], 2022 [5]

R.V.’S ANABELLA CHIN WINS MEET OF CHAMPIONS HURDLES BY 1-100TH OF A SECOND!!!!!!

Rancocas Valley senior Anabella Chin handed nationally 7th-ranked Ajanae Thompson of Union Catholic her first hurdles loss of the year Saturday and won the 55-meter hurdles at the 43rd annual Meet of Champions at the Bubble.

The race was so close nobody knew who won until the FAT timers studied the photo and declared Chin the winner.

Chin edged Thompson by 1-100th of a second, winning the race in 8.22 with Thompson second at 8.23. Union Catholic’s Taylor Cox was 3rd in 8.30. Thompson placed 2nd last spring in the outdoor Meet of Champions behind Eastern’s Jailya Ash.

In the span of eight days, Chin won her first state title, won the Eastern States title and then became the second R.V. girl to win a Meet of Champions individual title. Aliyah Taylor won the 200 in 2017.

Chin ran within 1-100th of a second of her PR of 8.21, which she ran on a much faster track at the Armory at Easterns on Tuesday. She’s currently ranked 10th in the U.S. according to MileSplit’s national database.

In the trials, Thompson led all qualifiers with a 7.27, and Chin and Taylor Cox of Union Catholic each ran 8.31.

That placed Thompson in lane 4 for the final and Chin in lane 5 for the electrifying final.

Chin is the first Burlington County girl to win the Meet of Champions 55-meter hurdles in 41 years. Two-time Olympic long jumper Carol Lewis of Willingboro won the race in 1980 and 1981.

MICHAEL MAZERO WINS 400, BECOMES PAUL VI’S 1ST INDOOR MEET OF CHAMPIONS WINNER!!!!!!!

Michael Mazero ran away from a loaded 400-meter dash field Saturday to become the first indoor Meet of Champions winner in Paul VI history.

Mazero ran an indoor PR of 49.02, finishing five meters ahead of Pennsauken junior Bryce Tucker, who was second at the Bubble with an indoor PR of his own at 49.59. Another Pennsauken junior, Premier Wynn – seeded 7th – took 3rd in a PR 49.66 and Pleasantville junior Xander Roberts-Bogin, the Easterns champ, made it a South Jersey sweep of the top four places in 50.10.

His time is No. 16 in South Jersey history and No. 5 in Camden County history.

Mazero’s previous PR was a 49.33 when he won the state Parochial A title last weekend.

The only other Paul VI Meet of Champions individual winners came outside: Ron Faith won the 1,600 in 1986, Jason DiJoseph won the 3,200 in 1987 and the 1,600 in 1988 and Antonio Tarantino in the 200 in 2018.

Mazero’s 49.02 is 14th-fastest in the Meet of Champions’ 53-year history and fastest by a South Jersey runner in 31 years, since Olympic gold medalist Lamont Smith of Willingboro won the 1991 race at Jadwin Gym in 48.66.

Here’s a look at all the South Jersey quarter-milers to win the indoor Meet of Champions title:

1981: Kevin Overton [West Deptford], 50.1h
1984: Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 49.3h
1985: Brian Bennett [Edgewood], 49.5h
1990: William Mobley [Eastern], 49.80
1991: Lamont Smith [Willingboro], 48.68
1992: Curt McIntyre [Bridgeton], 50.02
1994: Royce Reed [Bridgeton], 50.06
1995: Royce Reed [Bridgeton], 49.92
1998: Rob Gary [Lenape], 49.53
1999: Nick Brown [Bridgeton], 49.76
2000: Mohammad Kanu [Lenape], 50.18
2001: Marvin Lewis [Willingboro], 50.13
2012: Darrell Bush [Woodbury], 49.11
2017: Luke Colehower [Haddonfield], 49.17
2022: Michael Mazero [Paul VI], 49.02

And here are the fastest times in meet history:

48.26 … Zyaire Clemes [Trenton], 2013 [1]
48.33 … Taylor McLaughlin [Union Catholic], 2015 [1]
48.48 … Najee Glass [St. Peter’s Prep], 2011 [1]
48.50 … Lance Wigfall [East Orange], 2003 [1]
48.58 … Chinedu Amonu [Ewing], 2013 [2]
48.66 … Lamont Smith [Willingboro], 1991 [1]
48.66 … Adam Gorka [South Brunswick], 2020 [1]
48.71 … Mario Heslop [Franklin Twp.], 2018 [1]
48.77 … Nasir Haines [Freehold Twp.], 2015 [2]
48.92 … Charles Cox [Monmouth], 2007 [1]
48.98 … Nadale Buntin [J.P. Stevens], 2018 [2]
49.0h … Dave Law [Snyder], 1973 [1]
49.02 … Michael Mazero [Paul VI], 2022 [1]
49.04 … Leonard Robbins [East Brunswick], 2011 [2]
48.9h … Tony Valentine [Plainfield], 1983 [q]
49.11 … Darrell Bush [Woodbury], 2012 [1]
49.16 … Bryant McCombs [Old Bridge], 2006 [1]
49.17 … Luke Colehower [Haddonfield], 2017 [1]
49.19 … Amir Brock [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2017 [2]
49.29 … Devon Artis [Shabazz], 2011 [3]
49.31 … Alex Reber [Cherry Hil East], 2011 [4]
49.31 … Clayton Gravesande [Franklin], 2010 [1]

And the all-time South Jersey indoor list:
47.90 … Brandon Outlaw [Moorestown], 2018
48.27 … Jade Smith [Camden], 2002
48.36 … Mohammad Kanu [Lenape], 2000
48.45 … Xander Roberts-Bogin [Pleasantville], 2022
48.48 … Amir Brock [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2017
48.50 … Alex Reber [Cherry Hill East], 2013
48.55 … Royce Reed [Bridgeton], 1995
48.64 … Keith Griffith [Florence], 2010
48.68 … Lamont Smith [Willingboro], 1991
48.74 … John Morris [Camden], 2001
48.75 … Luke Colehower [Haddonfield], 2017
48.79 … Gabriel Moronta [Pleasantville], 2020
48.7h … Curt Mcintyre [Bridgeton], 1992
48.91 … Marlin Gross [Bridgeton], 2001
48.91 … Rob Gary [Lenape], 1998
49.02 … Michael Mazero [Paul VI], 2022
49.03 … Ian Moore [Lenape], 2001
49.05 … William Mobley [Eastern], 1990
49.11 … Darrell Bush [Woodbury], 2012
49.13 … Eric Chekemian [Washington Twp.], 2001
49.19 … Amir Brock [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2017
49.1h … Antonio Abney [Willingboro], 2007

Chace Pearson wins Meet of Champions long jump with #15 mark in S.J. history, gives Timber Creek M-of-C sweep of horizontal jumps!!!!!!!!

Just a couple hours after Jaden Johnson became Timber Creek’s first Meet of Champions winner ever, Chace Pearson became the second.

Pearson made it a Timber Creek sweep of the horizontal jumps Friday night at the 53rd annual Meet of Champions, winning the long jump with a personal-best 23-3 jump after Johnson won the triple jump with a PR 46-9 ½.

Pearson’s previous PR was 22-6 ¼ at South Jersey Group 3 states last spring at Pennsauken, and his indoor PR was 22-5 from last week at a meet in Fair Lawn, Bergen County.

Pearson won by 4 ½ inches over Fort Lee’s Tyson Lowe, who was second at 22-10 ½. Hammonton senior Connor Wright and Mainland Regional junior William Murray made it three South Jersey jumpers in the top eight. Wright was 5th at 22-0 ½, well beyond his PR of 21-7 from a tri-meet at Hammonton last April, and Murray jumped 21-7 ½, just 2 ½ inches shy of his PR from last month at the Bubble.

For Pearson, the winning jump moved him into the No. 15 spot on the all-time South Jersey indoor long jump list and No. 6 in Camden County history. He’s also No. 25 on the all-time state list, which as you can see below is dominated by South Jersey jumpers.

https://twitter.com/TCXCTF2/status/1499963255892107268

This is only the third year the long jump has been held at the indoor Meet of Champions. Floyd Whitaker of Highland set the meet record of 23-5 ½ in 2020 at Ocean Breeze, and Princeton’s Nils Wildberg won the 2019 meet at 23-4.

This is the fourth time in meet history and the first time in 18 years two boys from the same South Jersey school have won events at an indoor Meet of Champions.

In 1985 at Jadwin Gym, Edgewood had three winners – Brian Bennett won the 400, Kerry Vivett the high jump and Lee Jerkins the 55-meter dash. In 1994, Bridgeton’s Ray Wilks won the shot put and Royce Reed won the 400. And most recently, in 2004, Vineland’s Jamal Ames won the high jump and Darren Ford won the 55.

All-time South Jersey indoor long jump 23-foot list
25-5 ½ … Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1979
24-6 ¼ … Gerard Reynolds [Willingboro], 1990
24-2 ½ … Isaac Samuels [Kennedy], 1983
24-0 ¾ … Mike Morrison [Willingboro], 2003
24-0 ½ … William Spearmon [Wilson], 1996
23-11 ½ … Kerry Vivett [Edgewood], 1985
22-10 ¾ … Nick Brown [Bridgeton], 1999
23-10 ….. Matt Rose [Bordentown], 1985
23-9 …… Syteek Farrington [Camden], 2009
23-7 ¾ … Anthony Averett [Woodbury], 2012
23-5 ½ … Floyd Whitaker [Highland Reg.], 2020
23-4 ½ … Maurice Hunter [Woodbury], 1983
23-4 ….. Andrew Athias [Cherry Hill East], 2011
23-3 ¾ … Jamar Byrd [Vineland], 2005
23-3 … Chace Pearson [Timber Creek], 2022
23-2 ½ … Rich Winstead [Egg Harbor Twp.], 1988
23-1 ….. Mikhail Micheaux [Eastern], 2014
23-0 ….. Derek King [Cumberland Reg.], 1984

And here’s the all-time New Jersey indoor long jump list
25-5 ½ … Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1979
24-8 1/2 … Greg Foster [Lawrenceville School], 2022
24-6 ¼ … Gerard Reynolds [Willingboro], 1990
24-3 3/4 … Hanif Kendrick [Franklin]. 2007
24-3 1/4 … Kaelen Mitchell [Piscataway], 2021
24-2 ½ … Isaac Samuels [Kennedy], 1983
24-0 ¾ … Mike Morrison [Willingboro], 2003
24-0 1/4 … Justes Nance [Blair Academy], 2016
24-0 ½ … William Spearmon [Wilson], 1996
23-11 3/4 … Corey Crawford [Indian Hills], 2010
23-11 ½ … Kerry Vivett [Edgewood], 1985
22-10 ¾ … Nick Brown [Bridgeton], 1999
23-10 ….. Matt Rose [Bordentown], 1985
23-9 1/2 … James Bivins [Donovan Catholic], 2021
23-9 …… Syteek Farrington [Camden], 2009
23-7 ¾ … Anthony Averett [Woodbury], 2012
23-5 ½ … Floyd Whitaker [Highland Reg.], 2020
23-5 1/2 … Rahdel Savage [Roselle], 2007
23-4 3/4 … Zack Bazile [St. Joe’s], 2014
23-4 1/2 … Nils Wildberg [Princeton], 2019
23-4 ½ … Maurice Hunter [Woodbury], 1983
23-4 ….. Andrew Athias [Cherry Hill East], 2011
23-3 ¾ … Jamar Byrd [Vineland], 2005
23-3 1/2 … Matias Pellegrino [Morris Knolls], 2018
23-3 … Jamal Williams [Teaneck], 2012
23-3 … Jon Pitt [South Brunswick], 2013
23-3 … Chace Pearson [Timber Creek], 2022
23-3 … Patrick Warren [Montgomery], 2016
23-2 1/4 … Tyler Heller [Hunterdon Central], 2020
23-2 ½ … Rich Winstead [Egg Harbor Twp.], 1988
23-2 … Victor Cotto [Bayonne], 2017
23-1 ….. Mikhail Micheaux [Eastern], 2014
23-0 ….. Derek King [Cumberland Reg.], 1984

 

Timber Creek’s Jaden Johnson II wins Meet of Champions triple jump with all-time S.J. #7 performance!!!!!!

Timber Creek senior Jaden Johnson II won his first Meet of Champions title, moved up to No. 7 in South Jersey and broke the meet triple jump record Friday at the 53rd annual Meet of Champions

Johnson jumped 46-9 ½ and won by more than two feet over Heru Dwyer of Piscataway, who was second at 44-7.

The triple jump is not contested at the state level indoors but was added at the Meet of Champions in 2020.

Highland’s Floyd Whittaker – who has jumped over 51 feet this winter for the University of Minnesota (competing unattached) – won the inaugural M-of-C triple jump at Ocean Breeze two years ago at 46-3 ¼, which stood as the meet record for two years because the meet wasn’t held last year.

Johnson’s previous PR was a 46-5 ¼ at Ocean Breeze last month. His outdoor PR is 46-0 from a quad meet with Haddon Township, Sterling and Collingswood this past May at Haddon Township.

Johnson is the first Timber Creek boy to win an indoor Meet of Champions title.

The state’s top triple jumper is Lumberton resident Greg Foster, who leaped 48-9 ½ at Ocean Breeze last month. He’s not eligible for South Jersey lists because he attends Lawrenceville Prep in Mercer County. He also is ineligible for the Meet of Champions Lawrenceville Prep does not belong to the NJSIAA.

All-time South Jersey indoor 45-foot triple jump list:
49- 1 …..… Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], 2018
48- 9 …..… Dominique Irons [Haddon Heights], 2013
48- 8 ½ … Tristan Wilson [Delsea], 2014
48- 1 ¼ … Wayne Walls [Camden], 2009
47- 3 …..… Rhodeni Spence [Woodrow Wilson], 2007
46-10 ¾ … Floyd Whitaker [Highland], 2020
46-9 ½ … Jaden Johnson [Timber Creek], 2022
46- 5 …….. Orion Joyner [Kingsway], 2019
46- 3 ½ … Keon Grady [Delsea], 2018
45-10 …..… Kevin Kevelier [Collingswood], 2020
45- 3 ½ … Zakiyy Williams [Rancocas Valley], 2015
45- 0 …….. Earnest Daniel [Kingsway], 2017