From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

For the first time in almost two months, Malachi James got a chance to run with a wind gauge, and he responded by shattering the meet record in the 100-meter dash at the State Group 1 Championships Friday in Somerset.

James won the 100 final in 10.47 into a significant 1.7 meters-per-second wind after setting a meet-record 10.45 in the trials with a slight 0.5 tailwind. Anything at 2.0 or under is considered legal wind.

According to the wind correction calculator into a 1.7 wind is equivalent of a 10.37 with no wind or 10.27 with a legal 2.0 wind.

This was James’ first meet with a wind gauge since the USATF New York Youth Challenge Series Opener, when he ran 10.40 with a legal 1.3 tailwind.

James broke the Group 1 meet record of 10.58 set in 2017 by Salem’s Jonathan Taylor, currently a running back with the Colts.

He’s Burlington’s first state champion since Daveigh Brooks won the 400 in 2016 in 48.98 and City’s first sprinter to win a state title since Brondon Jenkins won the 200 as a freshman in 1993 in 22.26. A year later, as a sophomore at Delran, he won the Meet of Champions 200 in 21.46.

James will run the 200 on Saturday. He’ll be the No. 1 seed Wednesday at the Meet of Champions at Pennsauken. The next-fastest Friday were Southern Regional junior Cole Cramer, who won Group 4 in a wind-aided 10.59 in Somerse4t and Robbinsville senior Maxim Rychkov, who won Group 3 in a wind-aided 10.58 at Delsea.

In the final, James led a 1-2-3-4 South Jersey sweep, with Florence junior Barone VanKline 2nd in a PR 10.89, Gateway senior Lloyd Shambry 3rd in 10.92 and Paulsboro junior Malachi Streeter 4th in 11.08 [and 2nd among Malachi’s].

Ocean City senior Sophia Curtis became the 6th South Jersey girl to dip under a minute in the 400-meter hurdles Saturday at the State Group 3 meet at Delsea.

Curtis ran 59.80, exactly the same time that Eastern sophomore Natalie Dumas ran last month at the South Jersey Elite at Delsea. They are both tied for No. 5 in South Jersey history, and they’re the first two South Jersey girls under 60 seconds since Torie Robinson of Winslow ran 59.56 at the 2013 Meet of Champions in South Plainfield.

Curtis, whose previous PR was 1:00.11, also from the South Jersey Elite, lowered her own Cape May County record.

Dennis had a previous PR of 1:01.10 from a meet last month at Roxbury. She and Curtis are No. 17 and No. 20 in state history. They’ll be the top two seeds at the Meet of Champions Wednesday at Pennsauken.

Curtis is also the top seed in the triple jump on Saturday and among the top seeds in the long jump and flat 400.

All-Time New Jersey Sub-60 400 Hurdles List
53.82 … Sydney McLaughlin [Union Catholic], 2017
56.83 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2005
57.48 … Tawana Watkins [Paterson Kennedy], 2000
58.44 … Amber Allen [Passaic County Tech], 2009
58.6h … Tracy Nelson [Plainfield], 1981
58.91 … Reanda Richards [West Essex], 2018
59.03 … Tonya Lee [Rancocas Valley], 1988
59.16 … Leslie Njoku [McNair Academic], 2007
59.33 … Kim Duke [Mount Olive], 1984
59.35 … Ugonna Ndu [Union], 2009
59.48 … Angela Lee [Franklin Twp.], 1995
59.49 … Shana-Gaye Tracey [Manchester Twp.], 2007
59.56 … Torie Robinson [Winslow Twp.], 2013
59.63 … Morgan Harvey [North Hunterdon], 2013
59.66 … Mandie Dulin [Shawnee], 1997
59.69 … Shelley Mitchell [Lakewood], 1988
59.72 … Abigail Dennis [Old Tappan], 2024
59.73 … Nichole Candelaria [Newark Tech], 2012
59.78 … Siobhan Counts [Plainfield], 2002
59.80 … Natalie Dumas [Eastern], 2024
59.80 … Sophia Curtis [Ocean City], 2024
59.81 … Erin Crawford [Hillsboro], 2002

All-Time South Jersey 400-Meter Hurdles Top 10
56.83 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2005
59.03 … Tonya Lee [Rancocas Valley], 1988
59.56 … Torie Robinson [Winslow Twp.], 2013
59.66 … Mandie Dulin [Shawnee], 1997
59.80 … Natalie Dumas [Eastern], 2024
59.80 … Sophia Curtis [Ocean City], 2024
1:00.13 … Arianna Smith [Pennsville], 2019
1:00.16 … Aliya Rae Garozzo [Paul VI], 2018
1:00.1h … Danielle Myricks [Willingboro], 2001
1:00.26 … Helena Leyrer [Buena], 2012

I wish I could do a story on every South Jersey athlete who medaled or PR’d Friday in the three state meets, but it’s humanly impossible.

So here’s a glance at some of the South Jersey highlights at the Group 1 and 4 meets in Somerset, the Group 2 and 3 meets at Delsea and the Parochial A & B meets in Galloway Township.

If I didn’t mention you or your athlete, I’m sorry. I had to cut each event off somewhere!

Day 2 is scheduled to start at 10:30 p.m. Saturday.

Boys
Group 1
Glassboro has already piled up 37 points and leads Woodbury 37-30 , with Manville [22] and Riverside [18] sitting in 3rd and 4th. Ten of the top 14 teams in NJ-1 are from South Jersey. Woodbury won the 4-by-1 in 42.35 with Shiwoe Varpilah, Dante Viccharelli, Darien Dunbar and Marquis Taylor, with Glassboro 2nd in 42.59, Riverside 3rd at 43.05, Clayton 4th in 43.37 and Paulsboro 5th in 43.41 in a 1-2-3-4-5 South Jersey sweep. Pitman senior Peyton Shute won the 800 in 1:52.05 and the 3,200 in 9:26.98. Burlington City’s Malachi James cruised to a 100 win in 10.47 after setting a meet record of 10.45 in the trials – with legal wind! Florence junior Barone VanKline made it a 1-2 BCSL finish with a PR 10.89, with Gateway’s Lloyd Shambry 3rd at 11.92. A fast 1-2-3-4 400IH finish for South Jersey, with Riverside’s Jamir Brown winning in 53.52, Palmyra’s Abdulazeez Iyiola 2nd in 53.92, Glassboro’s Cartrell Moore 3rd in 54.17 and Gloucester’s Jaden Garis 4th in 55.45. Glassboro’s Damere Lassiter won the discus by more than 12 feet with a 169-6 and also had a 168-8 in his series. Salem’s Davi’Yonn Jackson won the triple jump at 46-4.

Group 2
Camden, seeking its first state title in 19 years, got off to a hot start with a win in the 400-meter relay and also got wins from soph Jaiden Steele in the 100 [10.68] and high jumper Teron Murray [6-6], and the Panthers have a 13-point lead over Demarest, 34-21. Bordentown’s Brock Schenck won the discus at 171-3 and averaged 168-11 on four legal throws.

Group 3
Robbinsville and Morris Knolls lead the way with 26 and 24 points, with Winslow [18] and Delsea [16] sitting in 3rd and 4th. Winslow junior Dominic Bassey ran a huge PR 1:52.15 for 2nd in the 800. Hammonton junior Anthony Liakhnovich hit 172-0 for 2nd in the discus.

Group 4
Washington Township [19], Rancocas Valley [11] and Cherokee [10] are all in double figures and in 3rd, 6th and 7th place. Westfield leads the group with 36 points, followed by Toms River North with 28. Washington Township won the 400-meter relay with Yashahya Brown, Jack Schuck, Aidan Ellis and John Santos in 41.94. Cherry Hill East’s Ashraf Maklache PR’d with a 53.48 for 2nd in the 400IH. Cherokee’s Nick Kuenkel ran a PR 9:05.87 for 2nd in the 3,200. Rancocas Valley’s David Goldbolt won the high jump at 6-6 on fewer misses at 6-4.

Parochial
Bishop Eustace senior Shawn Brady bombed a 179-1 to win the Parochial B discus over Josh Huisman of St. Rose, who had not lost a discus competition this year.

Girls
Group 1
Five of the top six teams going into Day 2 are from South Jersey, although Hasbrouck Heights leads with 32 points. Audubon has 30, Salem 19, Clayton 18, Schalick 17 and Woodbury 16. Salem got a win in the 4-by-1 with Sairis Jiminez, Karima Davenport-White, Morgan VanDover and Rhionna Timmons. Woodbury [49.68] and Glassboro [49.90] took 2nd and 3rd. Audubon got 14 points from sophomore Riley Fayer, who was 2nd in the 800 [2:17.93] and 3rd in the 3,200 [11;13.65], and a win from senior Arianna Bittner in the 400 hurdles. Riverside junior Sydney Greenidge took 2nd in the 100 with a 12.37, and Schallick junior Jordan Hadfield won the 3,200 in 11:03.29. Pennsville junior Megan Morris cleared 10-0 to win the pole vault.

Group 2
Haddonfield and Willingboro are sitting in 2nd and 3rd with 27 points and 22 points. Rumson-Fair Haven leads Group 2 with 31 points after one day. Willingboro picked up 14 poin ts in the 100 with freshman Maya Bolden 2nd in 12.07 and junior Nester Wea 3rd in 12.14. Haddonfield’s Ava Thomas ran 11:00.56 for 2nd in the 3,200.

Group 3
Behind its sprint strength, Timber Creek has built a 14-point lead over 2nd-place Old Tappan in Group 3. A 1-2 finish in the 100 from Naylah Jones and Ryan Jennings and a win by the 400-meter relay team account for 28 of their 32 points. Old Tappan has 19 and Winslow 18. Mainland’s Sofia Day won the 800 with a PR 2:12.55. Ocean City senior Sophia Curtis PR’d with a 59.80 in the 400 hurdlers (more on that race soon). Winslow soph Ma’Syiah Brawner had a wind-legal 19-3 ½ win in the long jump., with Absegami junior Jaidah Garrett also over 19 feet at 19-0 ½. Moorestown junior Hannah Byrd-Leitner cleared 12-7 to win the pole vault and break the Group 3 meet record of 12-6 set in 2018 by Delsea’s Ashley Preston. She also tied the overall meet record set by Emma Keating of Pompton Lakes in 2023.

Group 4
Eastern and Toms River North are tied with 24 points, with Hillsborough , Pennsauken, Washington Township and Cherokee all within range, Hillsborough with 23 points, Pennsauken 20, Washington Township 19 and Cherokee 16. For Pennsauken, Sianni Wynn won the 100 in 11.52 and anchored the winning 4-by-1 with Abigayle John, Sanaya Dupree and Amina Dyer. Cherokee took 2nd in 48.38. Eastern soph Natalie Dumas won the intermediates in 1:01.83 and teammate Zoe Goldberg won the javelin at 140-9.

Parochial
Hammonton senior Jalia Cooper threw 104-4 to win the Parochial B javelin. She’s Hammonton’s 3rd state javelin champ in the last eight years. In 2018, Alexa Gardner threw 142-1 to win Parochial B in 2017 and 135-7 to win in 2018. As we wrote earlier, Paul VI’s Shaelan McNally broke the Parochial A meet record with a 10:24.00 win in the 3,200.

Paul VI senior Shaelan McNally won her 1st state title Friday and smashed the meet record in the 3,200 at the State Parochial A Championships at Stockton University in Galloway Township.

McNally won the race in 10:24.00, finishing 100 meters of 2nd place and broke the meet record of 10:30.97 set in 2022 by Cate DeSousa of Red Bank Catholic.

She’s Paul VI’s first state champion since Aliya Rae Garozzo won both hurdles in the 2019 meet and PVI’s first distance runner to win a state title since Davana Medina won the Parochial B 3,200 in 1992 in 11:40.17.

Despite running solo, McNally ran within six seconds of her PR of 10:18.93 from Cherokee Night at the Races, a mixed race. That’s No. 16 in state history and No. 2 in South Jersey history.

McNally will be the top seed at the Meet of Champions Wednesday at Pennsauken.

Timber Creek senior Naylah Jones turned in one of the fastest 100-meter dash performances in U.S. scholastic track history Friday at the state Group 3 Championships at Delsea.

Running with a legal wind, Jones ran 11.23, shattering the state record of 11.33 set by her current teammate, Timber Creek junior Ryan Jennings, last weekend at Group 3 Sectionals on the same track.

The wind reading for her race was 1.7 meters-per-second. Anything 2.0 or lower is considered legal wind.

Her time is 3rd-fastest in the U.S. this year with legal wind, according to the MileSplit national database.

Trenton’s Wendy Vereen ran 11.17 during the summer between her junior and senior year of high school at the National Sports Festival on Juy 3, 1983, in Colorado Springs, but while some record keepers consider all summer marks for high school lists, we do not recognize summer track meets that are not an extension of the high school season for record purposes. New Jersey Track, which for decades was the unofficial record keeper, did not either.

Jones’ time is under the B standard of 11.30 for the U.S. Olympic Trials later this month in Eugene, Ore. The qualifying window closes on Sunday.

Her time is No. 41 among all U.S. women this year and No. 8 on the World Athletics Under-20 list and No. 3 among U.S. women.

Jones’ previous PR was her 11.38 with a legal 11.9 wind when she finished 2nd to Jennings at sectionals. Jennings was 2nd Friday in 11.65, giving Timber Creek 18 team points. Both will also run the 200.

Here’s my best attempt at an all-time U.S. wind-legal girls 100-meter dash list from various sources, including Track and Field News, DyeState, MileSplit and Jack Shepard’s high school annuals. It shows Jones at No. 25 in U.S. history.

10.89 … Shawnti Jackson [South Granville, Creedmore, N.C.], 2023
10.94 … Briana Williams [Northeast, Oakland Park, Fla., 2019
10.98 … Candace Hill [Rockdale, Conyers, Ga.], 2015
11.00 … Mia Brahe-Pedersen [Lake Oswego, Ore.], 2023
11.10 … Kaylin Whitney [East Ridge, Clermont, Fla.], 2014
11.11 … Angela Williams [Chino, Calif.], 1998
11.11 … Adaejah Hodge [Monteverde Academy, Fla.], 2023
11.13 … Chandra Cheeseborough [Ribault, Jacksonville, Fla.], 1976
11.13 … Ashley Owens [Liberty, Colorado Springs, Colo.], 2004
11.13 … Tamari Davis [Gainesville, Fla.], 2018
11.14 … Marion Jones [Thousand Oaks, Calif.], 1992
11.14 … Gabby Mayo [Southeast Raleigh, N.C.], 2006
11.16 … Victoria Jordan [Dunbar, Texas], 2008
11.16 … Octavious Freeman [Lake Wales, Fla.], 2009
11.17 … Wendy Vereen [Trenton, N.J.], 1983
11.17 … Ashton Purvis [St. Elizabeth, N.C.], 2010
11.19 … Aleisha Latimer [Colorado Springs, Colo.], 1991
11.19 … Khalifa St. Port [St. Thomas Aquinas, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.], 2015
11.21 … Tiffany Townsend [Killeen, Texas], 2007
11.21 … Indya Mayberry [North Crowley, Fort Worth, Texas], 2024
11.22 … Chalonda Goodman [Newnan, Ga.], 2009
11.22 … Ariana Washington [Long Beach Poly, Calif.], 2014
11.23 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek, Erial, N.J.], 2024
11.24 … Jeneba Tarmoh [Mt. Pleasant, Calif.], 2006
11.24 … Semira Killebrew [Brebeuf Jesuit, Indianapolis], 2019
11.24 … Symone Mason [Southridge, Miami, Fla.], 2017

Jones’ time is 7th-fastest ever run by a New Jersey native.

All-Time New Jersey Alumni List
10.74 … English Gardner [Eastern], July 3, 2016, Eugene, Ore. [+1.0]
10.95 … Me’Lisa Barber [Montclair], May 20, 2007, Carson, Calif. [+2.0]
11.02 … Mikele Barber [Montclair], July 24, 2007, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil [+0.8]
11.10 … Dennisha Page [Wilson], May 11, 2024, Gainesville, Fla. [+0.3]
11.18 … Wenda Vereen [Trenton], July 3, 1983, Colorado Springs [+0.6]
11.21 … Nia Ali [Pleasantville], April 13, 2024, Gainesville, Fla. [+1.2]
11.23 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], June 7, 2024, Franklin Township, N.J. [+1.7]
11.29 … Amandi Rhett [Moorestown], April 17, 2005, Walnut, Calif. [+0.4]
11.31 … Torie Robinson [Winslow Twp.], May 14, 2017, Atlanta [+0.8]
11.32 … Gabrielle Farquharson [Williamstown], May 14, 2016, Lincoln, Neb. [+1.6]
11.36 … Michele Glover [Willingboro], May 6, 1984, Houston [+1.7]

Moments after Peyton Shute won the state Group 1 title in 1:52.05, Winslow junior Dominic Bassey ran 1:52.15 at the state Group 3 meet at Delsea.

They’re the two-fastest times by South Jersey half-milers in 10 years.

Bassey placed 2nd to New Jersey No. 1 Luke Schagelin, a senior at Morris Knolls, who won the race in 1:51.17. Bassey’s previous PR was 1:54.08 last weekend at Group 3 sectionals.

His time is fastest by a Camden County runner in 46 years, since Jeff Boyer ran 1:51.53 in 1978. I’m not sure where. Still looking.

All-Time Camden County 800 List
1;51.53 … Jeff Boyer [Camden], 1978
1:52.15 … Dominic Bassey [Winslow Twp.], 2024
1:53.25 … Greg Pelose [Haddonfield], 2016
1:53.49 … Ben Potts [Haddonfield], 2010
1:53.54y … Frank Romero [Haddon Twp.], 1977
1:53.78 … Luke Petela [Haddon Twp.], 2015
1:53.79 … Mike Shemonsky [Eastern], 1990

Peyton Shute knocked out the first leg of what he hopes is a distance triple at states Friday afternoon with the fastest 800 by a South Jersey runner in 10 years.

Shute won the 800 at the state Group 1 Championships in Somerset in 1:52.05, fastest since Oakcrest’s Ishmael Muhammad set the South Jersey record of 1:48.52 at the 2014 Meet of Champions in South Plainfield.

His time is 4th-fastest ever by a Gloucester County half-miler, behind Rich Caton of Woodbury [1:49.72 in 1979], Paulsboro’s Fred Sharpe [1:49.74 in 1997] and Kingsway’s Derrell Manhertz [1:51.02].

Shute’s previous PR was 1:53.82 last month at Haddonfield Distance Night. He’s also top seed at states in the 1,600 and 3,200. He won the 800 and 3,200 last year in 1:55.90 and 9:25.91.

Shute ran unpressed, winning by 30 meters over Verona senior Ian Zalewski, who was 2nd in 1:56.53. He was out in 54.94 and came back in 57.12.

He’s the first Woodbury boy to win the same event in consecutive years at states since long jumper Keith Washington in 1977 and 1978

Gloucester sophomore Marcus Flagg was 4th in 1:58.94, a two-second PR over his 2:00.95 at the Baker Invitational last month at Haddonfield.

Cherry Hill East’s Johnnie Jackson popped a huge hammer throw PR recently, the best throw ever by a New Jersey athlete, a top-10 U.S. throw this year and an Olympic Trials qualifier.

Jackson, competing at the Tucson Throws Festival at Roy Drachman Stadium at the University of Arizona, bombed a 242-10, surpassing his lifetime-best 237-1 from a meet in April 2021 in Baton Rouge, La.

The Olympic Trials “A” standard is 236-2. Jackson’s throw is No. 10 among U.S. men this year and No. 55 in the world. It’s No. 43 on the all-time U.S. list.

This will be Jackson’s second U.S. Olympic Trials. He placed 10th in 2021 in Eugene with a best throw of 226-4.

After competing at 2022 U.S. Nationals in Eugene in June of 2022, Jackson didn’t compete again for 22 months. He returned at a meet in Ramona, Okla., where he threw 231-10. He improved to 233-7 later in April in a meet in Baton Rouge before his breakthrough in Tucson last month.

In Tucson, Jackson – competing unattatched – opened with a 229-7, 234-2 and 233-4 before a foul and then the PR 242-10 on his 5th attempt. He finished with a 237-11, the 2nd-best throw of his life.

Jackson was the 2017 NCAA champion in the weight throw for LSU and placed 6th in the hammer at NCAAs that spring.

The Olympic Trials are scheduled for June 21-June 30 at Hayward Field in Eugene. The first round of the hammer is scheduled for Friday, June 28, with the final June 30.

The rest of the state will see this weekend just how powerful South Jersey Group 1 is.

Some of the numbers are incredible.

We scored the Group 1 state meet as South Jersey vs. the entire rest of the state – Central, North 1 and North 2 – based on seedings and we came up with this:

South Jersey 403, Rest of the State 155.

In other words, based on the seedings c0ming out of sectionals, South Jersey projects to score 72 percent of the available points when just based on enrollment figures SJ-1 would score 25 percent of the points.

On the track, the disparity is even more pronounced.

Check out the projected points in the 11 track events in the state Group 1 meet based on seedings:

100:South Jersey 31, Everyone else 0 points
200: South Jersey 23, Everyone else 8 points
400: South Jersey 26 points, Everyone else 5 points
800: South Jersey 21 points, Everyone else 10 points
1600: South Jersey 18 points, Everyone else 13 points
3200: South Jersey 26 points, Everyone else 5 points
110HH: South Jersey 30 points, Everyone else 1 point
400IH:South Jersey 29 points, Everyone else 2 points
4×1: South Jersey 31, Everyone else 0 points
4×4: South Jersey 30 points, Everyone else 1 point
4×8: South Jersey 21 points, Everyone else 10 point

That’s absurd.

So based on that, South Jersey outscores the rest of New Jersey Group 1 by a ridiculous 286-55 on the track. That’s 84 percent of the available points, including sweeps or near sweeps in the 100, 110 hurdles, intermediate hurdles, 4-by-1 and 4-by-4.

The numbers aren’t quite as lopsided in the girls Group 1 meet but they still show how deep and talented South Jersey Group 1 is on the girls side.

A state meet projection based on all four sectional meets shows South Jersey girls with 281 points and the three other sectionals combined with 277, so South Jersey gets just over 50 percent of the available points (and 195 of 341 on the track, or 57 percent).

Combining the boys and girls meets, the seeds show South Jersey with 684 of 1,116 points, or just over 61 percent.

Led by standouts like Malachi James, Jamir Brown, Cartrell Moore, Alexander Osayemi and Peyton Shute in the boys meet and Riley Fayer, Sydney Greenidge, Anna Buzby, Alanna Woolfolk and Sunsarai Moore in the girls meet, Group 1 is going to be a blast to watch this weekend in Somerset.

States has almost arrived, and we’ll have you covered throughout the weekend. We’ll start with our annual state track link hub, with direct links to everything you’ll need to enjoy the action.

Groups 1 and 4 are scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Franklin High School in Somerset, Groups 2 and 3 will be held at Delsea and the Parochial A and B meets are scheduled for Stockton University in Galloway Township.

All three meets are scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m. Friday and 10:30 a.m. Saturday. We’ll update the links as we go.

2024 Live Results [links now live]
Group 1 and 4 from Franklin Township, Somerset County: Click here.
Group 2 and 3 from Franklin Township, Gloucester County: Click here.
Parochial A & B from Galloway Township: Click here.

2024 NJSIAA State Track Program [with 29 pages of  ads removed]: Click here.
2024 NJSIAA State Track Program [with ads not removed]: Click here.

Order of Events: Click here

Boys meet records: Click here.
Boys all-time team champions: Click here.
Girls meet records: Click here.
Girls all-time team champions: Click here.

2023 Results
Boys
Group 1: Click here.
Group 2: Click here.
Group 3: Click here.
Group 4: Click here.
Parochial A: Click here.
Parochial B: Click here.
Girls
Group 1: Click here.
Group 2: Click here.
Group 3: Click here.
Group 4: Click here.
Parochial A: Click here.
Parochial B: Click here.

State Championship Performance lists
Boys
Group 1: Click here
Group 2: Click here.
Group 3: Click here.
Group 4: Click here.
Parochial A: Click here.
Parochial B: Click here.

Girls
Group 1: Click here.
Group 2: Click here.
Group 3: Click here.
Group 4: Click here.
Parochial A: Click here.
Parochial B: Click here.

How to order a wind gauge: Click here.