English Gardner won her second Olympic medal Friday morning when her U.S. teammates placed second in the 400-meter relay in Tokyo.

Gardner, an Eastern High School graduate, ran the third leg on the 400-meter relay in the semis on Thursday. The U.S. ran 41.90 with the team of Javianne Oliver, Teahna Daniels, Gardner and Aleia Hobbs, the second-fastest qualifying time behind Great Britain’s 41.55.

On Friday, Oliver, Daniels, Jenna Prandini and Gabrielle Thomas ran 41.45 to take second in the final behind Jamaica, which set a national record of 41.02.

Jamaica’s time is 3rd-fastest in history, behind only the U.S.’s 40.82 at the 2012 World Championships in London and 41.01 at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The U.S. time of 41.45 is No. 10 all-time and 3rd-fastest in U.S. history.

Gardner is the third New Jersey woman to medal in track in Tokyo this week. Athing Mu of Trenton won the 800 with a U.S. record of 1:55.21, and Sydney McLaughlin of Dunellen won the 400-meter intermediate hurdles with a world-record 51.46.

Gardner won the gold medal in 2016 when she ran the third leg on the U.S. team that ran 41.01. Tianna Bartoletta, Allyson Felix and Torie Bowie also ran on that team, and Morolake Akinosun also earned a gold medal for running in the semis.

English Gardner ran the third leg for the U.S. 400-meter relay team Wednesday evening at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, helping the United States team advance to Saturday’s final with the second-fastest qualifying time.

Racing in the first of two semifinals, the U.S. ran 41.90, the fastest time by any U.S. 4-by-1 since 2017, when an American team ran 41.82 to win the World Championships in London.

Gardner, gold medalist on the United States 400-meter relay win in Rio in 2016, was named to the U.S. relay pool after reaching the final of the 100-meter dash at the U.S. Olympic Trials. She has a 100-meter dash PR of 10.74, which she ran twice at the 2016 Trials in Eugene.

The 400-meter relay heats took place Wednesday evening on the East Coast but Thursday morning in Tokyo.

Javianne Oliver led off for the U.S., followed by Teanna Daniels, Gardner and Aleia Hobbs. Gabby Thomas and Jenna Prandini are expected to replace Gardner and Hobbs in the final. But if the U.S. medals, Gardner and Hobbs will receive the same medals as the four sprinters in the final because they ran in the rounds.

Racing in 90-degree heat, the U.S. placed second to Great Britain, which won the heat in a national-record 41.55. The top three in each of two races along with the next two-fastest teams advanced to the final. Both small-q qualifiers came from the first race. Germany won the second semifinal in 42.00.

The Great Britain and U.S. teams ran the two-fastest times in the world this year. As the top two seeds, Great Britain will race in Lane 5 in the final with the U.S. in Lane 6. Favored Jamaica, which struggled to a 42.15 in the first semifinal, will be out in Lane 8. Here are the official lane assignments.

Here are the qualifiers for the final:
41.55 … Great Britain [heat 1]
41.90 … United States [heat 1] 
42.00 … Germany [heat 2]
42.05 … Switzerland [heat 2]
42.15 … Jamaica [heat 1]
42.68 … France [heat 1]
42.81 … Netherlands [heat 1]
42.82 … People’s Republic of China [heat 2]

The final is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. Friday in Tokyo, which is 9:30 a.m. Friday here.

Curtis Thompson of Florence placed 22nd in the javelin at the Olympic Games in Tokyo Wednesday morning.

Thompson, competing in the second group of 16 throwers, threw 256-6, 256-2 and 255-6 on his three attempts in the qualifying round.

Although it wasn’t the performance he was hoping for, Thompson had a spectacular 2021 season, with his second national title, his first Olympic Trials title, his best throw in five years and a chance to represent the U.S. at the Olympic Games.

The top 12 throwers advanced to the finals on Saturday. The cut-off was 268-1 [81.73].

Thompson has thrown 268-1 twice  – both times in the Olympic Trials, both times in Eugene. He threw 271-11 in 2016 an d 271-7 in June.

Thompson ranks No. 16 in U.S. history and ranks No. 22 in the world this year.

The other American in Tokyo, Michael Shuey, competing in Group A earlier in the evening, fouled on all three of his attempts.

Trenton’s 19-year-old Athing Mu on Tuesday became the first New Jersey woman in history to win an Olympic track and field individual gold medal when she ran away from the field to win the 800 in Tokyo.

Mu ran 1:55.21, breaking the American record of 1:55.61 set by another New Jersey half-miler – Neptune graduate Ajee Wilson, who ran 1:55.61 in Monaco in 2017.

Official results are here.

Mu became the first U.S. woman to win the Olympic 800 in more than half a century. Madeline Manning set the Olympic record of 2:00.92 in Mexico City in 1968.

Mu, a 2019 Trenton High School graduate, moved to the front at the start and stayed up front throughout the race. She started to gap the field on the final turn and won by four meters over another 19-year-old, England’s Keely Hodgkinson, who was second with a national-record 1:55.88. Another American, Raevyn Rogers, won the bronze medal with a PR of 1:56.81.  

Mu’s previous PR was 1:56.07 in the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene. Her 1:55.21 is No. 11 all-time and the 3rd-fastest time by anybody in the world over the last 25 years.

Her time is No. 5 in Olympic history and fastest since Pamela Jelimo of Kenya ran 1:54.87 to win the 2008 gold medal in Beijing.

Her time is No. 5 in Olympic history and fastest since Pamela Jelimo of Kenya ran 1:54.87 to win the 2008 gold medal in Beijing. 

She came through 400 in 57.9 and 600 in 1:27.2 before running her final 200 in 28.0. Race analysis with complete 100-meter splits is here.

Full video of the race doesn’t seem to be available yet, but here’s a pretty good highlight video of the race: https://www.nbcolympics.com/videos/teen-phenom-athing-mu-wins-800m-gold-breaks-american-record

Here’s a look at the top 20 times in world history. It should update soon.

Curtis Thompson makes his Olympic debut Wednesday morning in Tokyo, but it will be Tuesday evening here on the East Coast, and you can watch live as he competes in the javelin.

There are two groups of qualifying rounds in the men’s javelin. Group A starts at 9:05 a.m. Wednesday in Tokyo, which is 8:05 p.m. Tuesday here. Group B starts at 10:35 a.m., which is 9:35 p.m. Tuesday here.

Thompson, a Florence High School graduate, is in Group B and will throw fifth out of 16 entries in his group of throwers.

Start lists, PRs of all entrants, all-time lists, 2021 lists, all-time Olympic lists are all here.

Everybody who throws 83.5 meters – which is 273-11 – advances automatically to the final. If there are fewer than 12 competitors who reach 83.5, the top 12 throwers in the two qualifying groups will advance to the final.

Thompson’s lifetime best is 271-11 from the 2016 Trials, where he briefly held the Olympic record, and his season best is 271-7 from this year’s Trials, which he won. 

The men’s javelin final is scheduled for 8 p.m. Tokyo time on Saturday, which is 7 a.m. on Saturday in South Jersey.

NBC lists Tuesday evening’s track coverage on both Channel 10 and CNBC. But the entire event will be streaming live on NBCOlympics.com, and this link should take you right to the men’s javelin qualifying: https://stream.nbcolympics.com/track-and-field-session-12-mens-javelin-qualifying.

Live results will be available here.

Here’s a look at all of Thompson’s throws of at least 80 meters [262-5]:

271-11: July 4, 2016, U.S. Olympic Trials, Eugene, Ore.
271-7: June 21, 2021, U.S. Olympic Trials, Eugene, Ore.
267-2: May 22, 2021, USATF Throws Fest, Tucson, Ariz.
265-10: July 17, 2021, American Javfest, East Stroudsburg, Pa.
262-6: March 25, 2016, Florida State Relays, Tallahassee, Fla.

After placing fifth in the Olympic Trials shot put, Josh Awotunde spent some time in Europe competing in several major international track meets against some of the top throwers in the world.

Awotunde, a Delsea graduate, threw a PR of 71-7 3/4 at the Trials in Eugene, missing a spot on the U.S. Team heading for the Olympics in Tokyo by just three inches.

Awotunde started out at the Arena Szewinska Memorial Bydgoszcz Cup at Dzdislaw Krzyskowiak Stadium in Bydgoszcz, Poland, on June 30 where he threw 69-1 1/2 and placed fourth.

From there it was off to the Gyulai István Memorial Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix at the Bregyó Athletic Center in Székesfehérvár in Hungary on July 6, where he threw 71-2 1/4 – just 5 inches off his PR – and placed third.

And on July 11, he placed second at the Kamila Skolimowska Festival at Stadion OPO Cetniewo in Władysławowo, Poland, with a throw of 70-6 1/2.

Awotunde’s 71-7 3/4 ranks No. 44 in world history, 19 in U.S. history and No. 9 in the world this year.

It’s not too often a high school sophomore gets to out-kick an Olympian.

But Pennsauken’s Bryce Tucker had the opportunity Sunday morning at Franklin Field.

With an asterisk.

Olympic half-miler Ajee Wilson, the American record holder who trains in Philadelphia, entered the men’s 800 at the inaugural Penn Relays Summer Series meet. The women’s race didn’t have anybody under 2:14, so to get some decent competition before leaving for Tokyo, Wilson ran with the guys.

One of those guys was Tucker, the Meet of Champions 400-meter intermediate hurdles champion.

On Saturday, before the meet was postponed a day because of thunderstorms, Tucker ran a PR 48.33 in the 400. His previous PR was 48.64 at the state Group 1 meet on his home track.

He jumped in the 800 on Sunday morning and found himself racing Wilson down the final straightaway.

Tucker can now say he beat an Olympian. He finished in 1:57.70 and Wilson ran 1:57.85.

Wilson, a Neptune graduate, set the American record of 1:55.61 in 2017 in Monaco. Another New Jersey alum, Trenton’s Athing Mu, is No. 2 on that list with her 1:56.07 at the Trials last month. They’ll both be racing in Tokyo.

Wilson’s 1:57.85 is actually a season best. She ran 1:58.39 at the Trials. Since she didn’t race last year, it was her fastest time since a 1:57.72  in Des Moines, Iowa, in July of 2019.

Tucker has a PR of 1:55.00 from the Metuchen Last Chance Meet in May.

Some of South Jersey’s fastest quarter-milers got together at Franklin Field this weekend with some pretty fast results.

The occasion was the inaugural Penn Relays Summer Series meet at Franklin Field in West Philly.

Part of the meet, including the 400, was held Saturday evening and after a long rain delay Saturday, the rest was held Sunday morning.

In the women’s 400, Djassi Dean, who just finished her freshman year at Deptford, ran 58.38 to hold off Janelle Marshall, who recently finished her sophomore year at Winslow Township. Marshall ran 58.54.

Chloe Jones, who was a freshman this past season at Timber Creek, ran 59.53 for third and Dahlia Beasley, a freshman this spring at Washington Township, also dipped under 60 seconds with a 59.81 for fourth.

Dean’s winning time is her second-fastest, behind only her 57.97 PR at Group 3 sectionals at Delsea. Marshall lowered her PR from 58.61 from the Olympic Conference Championships at Washington Township, Jones lowered her PR from 59.80 from the Cherokee Last Chance Meet in May, and Beasley ran her fastest FAT 400 (she ran a hand-timed 59.1  in a dual meet).

Dean was the No. 1 freshman quarter-miler in New Jersey this past season, and Jones and Beasley were also in the top 10. Marshall was the No. 2 sophomore. 

All four raced at Penn for the Camden Track Club. 

In his final tuneup for the Olympics, Curtis Thompson bombed the No. 4 throw of his life Saturday.

Thompson, competing at the American Javfest at South High School in East Stroudsburg (Pa.), threw 265-10, only six feet off his lifetime-best 271-11, which he set at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore.

Here’s a look at Thompson’s five-best throws – all five of his meets over 80 meters (262-5):

271-11: July 4, 2016, U.S. Olympic Trials, Eugene, Ore.
271-7: June 21, 2021, U.S. Olympic Trials, Eugene, Ore.
267-2: May 22, 2021, USATF Throws Fest, Tucson, Ariz.
265-10: July 17, 2021, American Javfest, East Stroudsburg, Pa.
262-6: March 25, 2016, Florida State Relays, Tallahassee, Fla.

Thompson, a graduate of Florence High School, won the Olympic Trials last month and eventually clinched a spot on the U.S. Olympic team headed for Tokyo through a long and complicated ranking process administered by the IAAF.

On Saturday, Thompson opened with a 254-0, 252-6 and 250-5 in the trials before a 258-6, 265-10 and 254-7 in the finals.

Michael Shuey, who will also represent the U.S. in Tokyo, had a best of 261-0 until he popped a lifetime-best 281-1 on his final throw. That bumped Thompson’s 271-7 as the No. 1 throw by an American this year. It’s also No. 4 in U.S. history and 9 in the world this year. His previous PR was a 273-0 in Minsk, Belarus, in 2019.

Thompson opens competition in the Olympics in Tokyo on Aug. 4.

There were so many remarkable performances by South Jersey athletes ta the Meet of Champions I didn’t want them to go unnoticed. But with the Olympic Trials following almost immediately after the M-of-C I never had a chance to highlight them.

So it’s been a few weeks but it’s never too late!

We’ll get to the boys in the next couple days, but here are five terrific performances from the Meet of Champions that I didn’t have a chance to write about earlier that you may have missed!

For complete results click here.

Olivia Bent-Cole: Camden Catholic soph Olivia Bent-Cole got faster every meet she ran this spring, starting out at 12.80 at the Olympic Conference Championships and culminating in the Meet of Champions, where she placed 6th in 12.18 after a PR 12.26 in the trials. Bent-Cole was the top sophomore in the M-of-C 100 final and the No. 2 underclassman, behind only Kent Place junior Christiana Nwachuku, who was 4th in 11.96. Bent-Cole also PR’d at 25.41 for 9th in the 200, where she was also the top soph. She was one of four girls to finish in the top-10 in both the 100 and 200. Her 12.18 is a school record.

Nevaeh Lorjuste: A Triton senior, Lorjuste was the top South Jersey finisher in the M-of-C 400, placing 4th in 57.07, a Triton school record. Lorjuste PR’d with a 56.98 at Group 3 sectionals at Delsea. Lorjuste was also the state Group 3 champion at 22 meters with a PR 25.51 and a sectional medalist in the 100. She’ll join Rowan’s powerhouse program in the fall.

Grace Wassell: The Highland sophomore’s best event most of the season was the 1,600, and she got her time down as fast as 5:04.85 at Haddonfield Distance Night, which wound up No. 7 in South Jersey this year and No. 7 among all New Jersey sophs. But after running 2:18.38 and 5:10.26 at states, she picked the 800 for Meet of Champions and PR’d by two seconds with a 2:15.18 for 5th place, and she did it unpressed out of the unseeded heat. She ran just 22-100ths of a second off Nia Holden’s school record of 2:14.98, set at 2018 sectionals at Central Regional. She was the No. 4 soph in New Jersey this year.

Diamond McLaughlin: Absegami’s McLaughlin capped a tremendous season with a 2nd-place finish in the M-of-C 400-meter intermediates with a lifetime-best 1:00.40. That was No. 6 in the U.S. this year and 6th-fastest ever by a South Jersey girl in the Meet of Champions. It’s also No. 9 in South Jersey history and just off the Atlantic County record of 1:00.26 set by Helena Leyrer of Buena when she won the 2012 Meet of Champions. Adelaide Asante of North Brunswick won the race in 1:00.24. McLaughlin’s previous PR was a 1:01.24 at Group 3 sectionals at Delsea. Here’s a look at the top South Jersey times in Meet of Champions 400-meter intermediate hurdles history:

59.03 … Tonya Lee (Rancocas Valley), 1988 (1)
59.56 … Torie Robinson (Winslow Twp.), 2013 (1)
59.96 … Mandie Dulin (Shawnee), 1997 (1)
1:00.10 …….. Dulin, 1996 (1)
1:00.13 … Arianna Smith [Pennsville], 2019 (1)
1:00.26 … Helene Leyrer [Buena], 2012 (1)
1:00.40 … Diamond McLaughlin [Absegami], 2021 (2)
1:00.47 … Shaquanda Meylor [Woodrow Wilson], 2006 (2)
1:00.67 … Meredith Updike [Cinnaminson], 2019 (3)
1:00.73 … Pam Richardson [Edgewood], 2001 (1)
1:00.74 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2003 (1)
1:00.79 … Courtney Smith [Penns Grove], 2014 (3)

Jenovia Logan: Logan capped a very consistent sophomore season with a 5-6 clearance for 3rd place in the M-of-C. She cleared at least 5-4 in every major meet, including three 5-6 performances. The top four girls cleared 5-6 at the M-of-C, including Delsea freshman Alaana Woolfolk, who won the event. Unfortunately, the girls high jump results were never posted so there’s no way to tell who cleared what heights on which attempts, but Woolfolk and Logan are among four returning jumpers in New Jersey who cleared 5-6 this past spring.