The 40th annual Meet of Champions is just a few days away, and the NJSIAA has released the official performance list for the final in-state meet of the year.

The Meet of Champions is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at Northern Burlington Regional High School in Mansfield Township.

The NJSIAA changed the way athletes advance to the M-of-C this year, and the moves were designed to try and turn the meet into more of a championship style event.

In previous years, the top six placers in every event from every group reached the M-of-C. This year, in individual events, the top two finishers in each event in each group qualify, plus the next-nine best performers from each site in each event for a total of 30 athletes per event. This is down from 42 in previous years (top six per event per group).

In the relays, instead of 42 qualifiers, there will be only 24 – the top two finishers in each event, plus the next six-fastest times from each state meet site.

The reality is that most of the Group 1 and Parochial B athletes beyond second place have little chance of medaling at the Meet of Champions, so the move guarantees more competitive fields and more of a championship feel during every race.

Meet of Champions boys and girls performance lists are HERE

 

Senior Zyra Thomas and the 3,200-meter relay team accounted for more than half of Schalick’s points in a historic weekend for the Schalick girls program at the state group 1 meet at Franklin Township.

Schalick outscored second-place Highland Park 52-49 to win the first state championship in program history,

Thomas on Friday won the shot put with a 42-3 3/4 throw, and junior teammate Ralazha Bell added a point with a 36-7 for sixth. Thomas came back Saturday and threw 124-2 for second place in the discus.

Schalick got 10 huge points Friday, when senior Amanda Chomo, sophomore Marleigh Puglia and freshmen Chloe Gerstenbacher and Julia Smith won the 3,200-meter relay with a school-record 9:48.96.

Versatile senior Camryn Castellini scored in two events, taking second in the high jump with a 5-0 clearance and fifth in the pole vault at 9-6.

Chomo also placed fourth in the 800 in 2:20.74, senior Rayannia Robinson took second in the triple jump at 35-10 and freshman Tia Furbush was fifth in the triple jump at 34-4

Schalick joins Woodbury, Kingsway, Haddon Heights, Haddonfield, Paulsboro, Woodbury, Pitman and Penns Grove as only the ninth South Jersey school to win the state Group 1 girls title since it began in 1973.

Penns Grove, which won Group won in 2013 and 2014, is the only other Salem County school to win a state title in girls track.

S.J. STATE GROUP 1 CHAMPIONS
1976 – Woodbury
1977 – Woodbury
1979 – Woodbury
1986 – Kingsway
1991 – Haddon Heights
1998 – Haddonfield
1999 – Haddonfield
2004 – Paulsboro
2007 – Woodbury
2010 – Pitman [co]
2013 – Penns Grove
2014 – Penns Grove
2018 – Schalick

The NJSIAA won’t release its official Meet of Champions performance lists until Monday, but thanks to the MileSplit database, you can get a pretty good idea who the athletes to watch are.

These lists won’t tell you who is going to the Meet of Champions and who will compete in which events, but they will tell you who the top competitors were this past weekend in every event when all groups are combined.

Remember, the NJSIAA changed the way athletes advance to the Meet of Champions this year.

In individual events, the top two finishers in each event in each group qualify, plus the next-nine best performers from each site in each event for a total of 30 athletes per event. This is down from 42 in previous years (top six per event per group).

In the relays, instead of 42 qualifiers, there will be only 24 – the top two finishers in each event, plus the next six-fastest times from each state meet site.

The Meet of Champions is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at Northern Burlington Regional High School in Mansfield.

BOYS
100-METER DASH
200-METER DASH
400-METER DASH
800-METER RUN
1,600-METER RUN
3,200-METER RUN
110-METER HURDLES
400-METER HURDLES
400-METER RELAY
1,600-METER RELAY
3,200-METER RELAY
HIGH JUMP
LONG JUMP
TRIPLE JUMP
POLE VAULT
SHOT PUT
DISCUS
JAVELIN

GIRLS
100-METER DASH
200-METER DASH
400-METER DASH
800-METER RUN
1,600-METER RUN
3,200-METER RUN
110-METER HURDLES
400-METER HURDLES
400-METER RELAY
1,600-METER RELAY
3,200-METER RELAY
HIGH JUMP
LONG JUMP
TRIPLE JUMP
POLE VAULT
SHOT PUT
DISCUS
JAVELIN

One of many weekend highlights for Winslow was the 400-meter relay, and Winslow moved up to No. 6 all-time in South Jersey history with its 47.19 to win the state Group 3 title at Central Regional.

Sophomore Janeya Hammond, senior Flora Ahiarakwe, junior Tionna Tobias and senior Shakira Dancy will be the No. 1 seed in the Meet of Champions on Wednesday.

The Eagles now own five of the eight-fastest times in South Jersey history, and they’ve all been during Winslow’s historic run of six straight state titles.

The performance is No. 18 in state history.

Since 2013, Winslow has run 47.19 or faster five different years. During the same span, only two other New Jersey schools have run that fast even once — Piscataway with 46.84 in 2014 and Summit with 47.07 last year.

And they still have the Meet of Champions and nationals to go!

Oh, Winslow also ran 3:53.41 in the 4-by-4, fastest this year by a South Jersey school and No. 5 in the state.

Hammond, Ahiarakwe, sophomore Nylah Perry and junior Nicole Hood ran on that team. With Dancy? They’ll go under 3:50.

All-Time State 400-Meter Relay List
45.50 … Montclair, 1998
45.89 … Columbia, 2010
46.08 … Trenton, 1984
46.42 … Franklin Twp., 2003
46.84 … Piscataway, 2014
46.87 … Eastern, 2003
46.89 … Franklin Twp., 2001
46.90 … Paramus Catholic, 2010
46.96 … Columbia, 2009
46.98 … Winslow Twp., 2017
47.02 … Columbia, 2005
47.06 … Winslow Twp., 2014
47.07 … Summit, 2017
47.09 … Shabazz, 1986
47.12 … Columbia, 2012
46.9h … Willingboro, 1980
47.18 … Winslow Twp., 2013
47.19 … Winslow Twp., 2018
47.22 … Trenton, 2002
47.22 … Columbia, 2014
47.27 … Trenton, 1983
47.27 … Delsea, 2017

All-Time S.J. 400-Meter Relay List
46.87 … Eastern, 2003
46.98 … Winslow Twp., 2017
46.9h … Willingboro, 1980
47.06 … Winslow Twp., 2014
47.18 … Winslow Twp., 2013
47.19 … Winslow Twp., 2018
47.27 … Delsea, 2017
47.40 … Winslow Twp., 2016
47.45 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2018
47.45 … Willingboro, 1994
47.49 … Rancocas Valley, 2017
47.3h … Willingboro, 1981
47.54 … Winslow Twp., 2003
47.63 … Rancocas Valley, 2018
47.4h … Camden,, 1978
47.4y … Camden, 1979
47.75 … Eastern, 2002
47.76 … Winslow Twp., 2005
47.76 … Winslow Twp., 2012
47.8h … Willingboro, 2003
47.82 … Moorestown, 2000
47.85 … Deptford, 2015
47.87 … Winslow Twp., 2011
47.9h … Willingboro, 1995
47.94 … Camden, 2000
48.0h … Camden, 1995
48.0h … Wilson, 2008
48.03 … Penns Grove, 2014
48.07 … Camden, 2006
48.08 … Winslow Twp., 2004
48.08 … Willingboro, 2009
48.09 … Lakewood, 2000
48.1h … Willingboro, 1979
48.12 … Washington Twp., 2001
48.14 … Camden, 1997
48.18 … Millville, 2018
48.23 … Wilson, 2006
48.23 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2015
48.24 … Camden, 2008

This is a story about Delsea’s track team. But even more, it’s a story about Delsea’s field team.

How dominating were Delsea’s field events at the state Group 3 championships?

If you only count points Delsea scored in the jumps and throws, they STILL would have won the first state title in the program’s history.

Delsea won its first state title this weekend, outscoring second-place West Windsor-Plainsboro North by a whopping 19 points to win the Group 3 championship at Central Regional in Bayville.

Delsea finished with a 65-46 margin over WW-PN. Delsea became the first Gloucester County school to win the state Group 3 championship in 70 years — since Woodbury won it in 1948.

But even if you subtract all of Delsea’s points on the track, the Crusaders still win the meet, 49-46.

Imagine winning a state Group 3 title without setting foot on the track? Delsea could have done that this year!

Delsea scored 16 points on the track. Tymir Kizee ran 14.48 for third in the high hurdles after posting only the seventh qualifying mark at 14.92, and the 3,200-meter relay team of seniors George Tenenberg, William Mayhew and Michael Szwed and junior Colin Kane ran a huge school-record 7:49.95 to win the 3,200-meter relay. Click here to read about the 3,200-meter relay win.

Everything else was in the field, where Delsea was brilliant.

—> Khaliel Burnett, who broke the state triple jump record on Friday (read about it here), came back Saturday and jumped a near-PR 23-0 for third in the long jump. He has a 23-0 1/2 to his credit. He’s Gloucester County’s first 23-foot jumper since Anthony Averett of Woodbury in 2013.

—> Sophomore Nico Morales cleared 14-0 for second and junior Ryan Gillard cleared 13-6 for fifth and 10 points in the pole vault;

—> Sophomore Jake Nwosu won the discus with a 156-2 PR, and senior teammate Bill Goldsborough took fourth at 150-1. Nwosu added 13 feet to his previous PR of 143-3 from the Gloucester County meet at Delsea.

—> Goldsborough threw a PR of 58-0 1/2 for third in the shot, and junior Kevin Gilliano [5th with a 52-8] and senior Will Sneathen [6th at 52-0 1/2] gave Delsea three 50-footers in the same meet, which is ridiculous. Goldsborough’s previous PR was a 56-8 1/2 at sectionals. Gilliano’s previous PR was a 50-5 1/4, but he’s a guy who didn’t even break 40 feet last year.

Here’s a look at all the boys state team champions from Gloucester County:

1942
Pitman [Group 1]
1943
Woodbury [Group 3]
1966
Clearview [Group 2]
1969
Woodbury [Group 1]
1972
Woodbury [Group 1]
1973
Woodbury [Group 1]
1974
Woodbury [Group 1]
1975
Woodbury [Group 1]
1976
Woodbury [Group 1]
1977
Woodbury [Group 1]
1978
Woodbury [Group 1]
1998
Paulsboro [Group 1]
2009
Glassboro [Group 1]
2010
Woodbury [Group 1]
2011
Woodbury [Group 1]
2014
West Deptford [Group 2]
2018
Delsea [Group 3]

Of Gloucester County’s 13 high schools with track teams, more than half (seven) have now won a state title.

Shakira Dancy, Tionna Tobias, Ciarra Johnson and the Winslow Township girls won their sixth straight state Group 3 title Saturday at Central Regional in Bayville.

Results still aren’t available four hours after the meet ended, so we don’t know what the final score was or exactly where Winslow got its points.

But we do know this:

Winslow can now be mentioned as one of the greatest programs in the history of New Jersey track and field, and this recent run is without question one of the greatest in state history.

Winslow is the first South Jersey school ever to win six straight state titles, and the Eagles tied the record of six straight state titles by any New Jersey public school set from 1985 through 1990 by Monmouth Regional in Group 2 (first five) and Group 3 (last one).

Three private schools have had longer streaks – Notre Dame of Lawrenceville won eight straight in Parochial A from 1993 through 2000, and Pingry and Pope John XXIII won seven straight in Parochial B, Pope John XXIII of Sparta from 1984 through 1990 and Pingry Prep of Millburn from 2001 through 2007.

But winning six straight in one of the two large-school divisions is a remarkable accomplishment. In fact, the next-longest streak in Group 3 is North Hunterdon’s three-year streak from 1985 through 1987 behind distance aces Jodie Bilotta and Anne Letko.

The only other large-school program that is comparable is Columbia, which won five straight from 1994 through 1998, then won five more in a row from 2010 through 2014. Both those streaks were ended by schools in the Lenape district — Shawnee in 1999 and Lenape in 2015.

Only two other South Jersey programs have had streaks HALF as long as Winslow’s — Bridgeton’s four-year streak from 1997 through 2000 in Group 2 and Clearview’s three-year streak from 1990 through 1992, also in Group 2.

Here are all the back-to-back titles by South Jersey schools in the girls state championships:

6 … Winslow [2013-2018]
4 … Bridgeton [1997-2000]
3 … Clearview [1990-1992]
2 … Bishop Eustace [1995-1996]
2 … Camden [1978-1979]
2 … Camden [2008-2009]
2 … Delsea [2010-2011]
2 … Eastern [2002-2003]
2 … Haddonfield [1998-1999]
2 … Penns Grove [2013-2014]
2 … Seneca [2009-2010]
2 … Sterling [2016-2017]
2 … Williamstown [1981-1982]
2 … Williamstown [1995-1996]
2 … Willingboro [1980-1981]
2 … Woodbury [1976-1977]

Overall. Winslow’s seven titles (they also won Group 4 in 2004) ranks tied for fourth in state history, behind only Notre Dame (12), Pope John XXIII (12) and Columbia (10). Glen Rock, Haddonfield, Pingry and Red Bank Catholic also have seven.

Next-most among South Jersey schools are Bridgeton with six; Bishop Eustace, Camden, Paul VI, Williamstown, Willingboro and Woodbury with four; and Clearview, Delsea and Haddon Heights with three.

Here are links to the various state championship meets at Franklin Township [Groups 1, 4, A] and Central Regional [Groups 2, 3, B].

Boys

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

Parochial A

Parochial B

Girls

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

Parochial A

Parochial B

Team scores from Franklin Township [1, 4, A]

Team scores from Central Regional [2, 3, B]

Paul VI senior Antonio Tarantino ran a season-best 21.32 to win his second straight state 200-meter dash title at the Parochial A meet Saturday at Franklin Township. He won with a 21.28 at Egg Harbor last spring.

Tarantino, also the state champ indoors this past winter at 55 meters and runner-up Friday in the 100, is the only South Jersey boy to win the Parochial A 200-meter dash in the last 20 years. The last South Jersey sprinter to win it before him was Ryan Oyeda of Holy Spirit, who ran 22.19 in 1997.

He’s the first Paul VI athlete to win a state title in the same event in consecutive years since Matt DeLiso in the discus in 2002 and 2003.

Egg Harbor ran the eighth-fastest 400-meter relay in South Jersey history Saturday, with freshman Lauren Princz, junior Jadyn Laramore and seniors Viana Magruder and Ajae Alvarez-Tyler winning the group 4 state title race in 47.45 at Franklin Township.

They shaved 15-100ths of a second off their previous Atlantic County and Cape-Atlantic Conference record of 47.60, which they ran at sectionals.

Egg actually ran faster than Union Catholic did moments earlier on the same track in the Parochial A race. Union Catholic ranks No. 1 in the state at 47.42 — 3-100ths faster than EHT — and ran 47.50 on Saturday.

The Eagles broke the Group 4 meet record of 47.48 set in 2014 by Piscataway and just missed the overall all-group meet record of 47.36 set in 2017 by Delsea.

ALL-TIME S.J. GIRLS 400-METER RELAY LIST
46.87 … Eastern, 2003
46.98 … Winslow Twp., 2017
46.9h … Willingboro, 1980
47.18 … Winslow Twp., 2013
47.27 … Delsea, 2017
47.3h … Willingboro, 1981
47.45 … Willingboro, 1994
47.45 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2018
47.49 … Rancocas Valley, 2017
47.54 … Winslow Twp., 2003
47.4h … Camden,, 1978
47.4y … Camden, 1979
47.75 … Eastern, 2002
47.76 … Winslow Twp., 2005
47.76 … Winslow Twp., 2012
47.80 … Rancocas Valley, 2018
47.8h … Willingboro, 2003
47.82 … Moorestown, 2000

Emanuel Harris became Riverside’s third 45-footer Saturday and third state triple jump champion in the last 12 years Friday at the state Group 1 meet at Franklin Township.

Harris jumped 45-8 1/2, breaking the school record of 45-5 1/4 set by Sean Jimoh when he won the triple jump at the 2008 state meet at South Plainfield.

Phil Lindmueller jumped 45-3 1/2 for Riverside in Egg Harbor when he won the 2007 state title over Dan DePalma of Verona (on a second-jump tiebreaker).

That makes Riverside one of only three Group 1 schools in state history with three 45-foot triple jumpers. Boonton and Penns Grove are the others.

Harris extended his PR from 42-9 nearly three feet to become Riverside’s first state champion in 10 years, since Jimoh won the triple jump in 2008.

Riverside has had three boys state champs in the last 28 years, and all three were triple jumpers.

The Rams’ only state champs in an event other than the triple jump were Dan Dmochowski in the intermediate hurdles in 1981 and 1982 (and high hurdles indoors in 1982) and Ron Brock in the 1,600 in 1990.

So Riverside has had more athletes win state titles in the triple jump than in all other events combined.

Harris’ 45-8 1/2 is No. 7 in Burlington County history and No. 4 in South Jersey this year.

ALL-TIME BURLINGTON COUNTY 45-FOOT LIST
47- 9 ….. Marcos Edgehill (Pemberton), 1981
47- 4 ½ … Zakiyy Williams (Rancocas Valley), 2015
46- 6 ….. Brian Williams (Pemberton), 1980
46- 4 ¾ … Greg Francois (Holy Cross), 2006
46- 1 …..Drew Kanz (Seneca), 2009
46- 0 ¾ … John Adewumi (Bordentown), 2013
45- 8 ½ … Emanuel Harris (Riverside), 2018
45- 8 ….. Bryan Potter (Willingboro), 2005
45- 8 … Stephon Gadiare (Northern Burlington), 2012
45- 8 … Bryan Potter (Willingboro), 2005
45- 5 ¼ … Sean Jimoh (Riverside), 2008
45- 4 ¾ … Greg Francois (Holy Cross), 2006
45- 4 ½ … Karl Reed (Lenape), 2007
45- 4 ….. Nick Burke (Maple Shade), 2012
45- 3 ½ … Phil Lindmueller (Riverside), 2007
45- 2 ¾ … Brandon Bourne (Delran), 2009