From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Ocean City’s Elaina Styer broke her own Stockton University hurdles record Sunday at the Ott Center.

Styer, who spent her freshman year at Cornell, first broke the school record when she ran 9.03 at Tufts University in Medford, Mass., last March. She tied the record with another 9.03 at Ocean Breeze in December and then lowered it to 8.93 at Ocean Breeze. After a near-record 8.95 in Lynchburg, Va., last weekend, she smashed the 8.93 by winning the Widener Schuyhill Showdown Sunday in 8.89.

Her time is No. 15 in NCAA Division 3 and fastest in the New Jersey Athletic Conference.

Styer, fom Estelle Manor, also placed 2^nd in the high jump with a 5-3 clearance and 2^nd in the long jump with a 17-6. She’s jumped 18-0 ½ this winter and has a high jump PR of 5-5 ¼ from her NJAC pentathlon win, also at the Ott Center, last February. She also has PRs of 15.41 in the 100-meter highs and 3.628 in the pentathlon.

8.89, 15^th Division 3
#1 in NJAC,

PR was 8.93, Ocean Breeze, Jan. 16, NYC Gotham Cup, 8.95 Liberty Open, Lynchburg, Jan. 23-24

school record 9.03 in 2025
also pentathlon, 3,628
SR indoor LJ 18-4 ¼, Jassina Surles, 2016
HJ indoor 5-6, Lisa Shepherd, 2008

outdoors
HH      14.45, Surles, 2016     [15.41]
LJ        Surles 19-1 ¼, 2016    [17-1 ¼]
HJ        Sheperd, 5-7 ¼, 2010 [—]

In her first full-effort race this winter, Eastern senior Natalie Dumas ran the 6^th-fastest 600 in U.S. scholastic history Sunday at the 118^th annual Millrose Games.

Dumas won the race in 1:28.10, which is 58.73 pace for 400 meters with an extra lap added on. Dumas won national titles in the 400, 800 and intermediate hurdles last year at West Philly Nationals.

The only faster time in New Jersey history is the national high school recordk, American record and world all-time No. 3 1:23.57 set by Olympic gold medalist Athing Mu of Trenton at Ocean Breeze in February 2019.

Dumas’s time is No. 9 in the world this year, according to the World Athletics international performance list and No. 2 among American women, behind U.S. 1,000 record holder Addison Wiley, who ran 1:27.33 in Indianapolis two weeks ago.

It’s fastest in the world among juniors (Under-20) and fastest by any Under-20 American since Sophia Gorriaran ran 1:27.51 at the Armory in 2023. It appears to be 7^th-fastest ever by a U.S. woman in the Under-20 category, although I could be missing one or two people. There is no all-time U.S. 600 junior list anywhere. Thanks for nothing, USATF!

Dumas was out in 27.51 and 29.78 so came through 400 in 57.28 and closed in 30.83. Jane Hickey of New Rochelle, N.Y., placed 2^nd in 1:28.26 with Ellie Barada of Bloomington, Ind., also under 1:29 at 1:28.35. Their times are 7th- and 8th-fastest in U.S. high school history.

Dumas slashed more than six  seconds off the South Jersey record of 1:34.50 set in 2002 by Willingboro’s Okechi Ogbuokiri at the 2003 Bishop Loughlin Games at the Armory.

This was the first career 600 for Dumas. She has PRs of 51.14 for 400 meters, 2:00.11 for 800 and 55.99 in the intermediate hurdles, all from West Philly Nationals in June.

All-Time U.S. High School 600-Meter List
1:23.57 … Athing Mu [Trenton], 2019
1:28.10 … Natalie Dumas [Eastern], 2026
1:27.02 … Sophia Gorriarian [Moses Brown School, Providence, R.I.], 2021
1:27.13 … Sammy Watson [Rush Henrietta Sperry, Henrietta, N.Y.], 2017
1:27.20 … Roisin Willis [Stevens Point, Wisc.], 2021
1:28.10 … Natalie Dumas [Eastern], 2026
1:28.26 … Jane Hickey [Ursuline School, New Rochelle, N.Y.], 2026
1:28.35 … Ellie Barada [Bloomington, Ind.], 2026
1:28.61 … Makenna Herbst [Carlsbad, S.D.], 2025
1:28.78 … Kamryn McIntosh [Suffern, N.Y.], 2015
1:28.90 … Sophia Oomen-Lochtfeld [Hingham, Mass.], 2017

All-Time U.S. Junior List
1:23.57… Athing Mu, New York, 2019
1:26.45 … Ajee’ Wilson, New York, 2013
1:27.02 … Sophia Gorriarian, Virginia Beach, 2021
1:27.13 … Samantha Watson, New York, 2017
1:27.20 … Roisin Willis, Virginia Beach, 2021
1:28.08 … Ziyah Holman, Bloomington, Ind., 2021
1:28.10 … Natalie Dumas [Eastern], 2026
1:28.26 … Jane Hickey [Ursuline School, New Rochelle, N.Y.], 2026
1:28.35 … Ellie Barada [Bloomington, Ind.], 2026

All-Time New Jersey 600 List
1:23.57 … Athing Mu [Trenton], 2019
1:28.10 … Natalie Dumas [Eastern], 2026
1:29.27 … Janine Davis [Queen of Peace], 2004
1:29.72 … Reagan Moore [Summit], 2026
1:30.36 … Ajee’ Wilson [Neptune], 2012
1:30.36 … Victoria Vanrielle [Governor Livingston], 2019
1:30.58 … Olivia Baker [Columbia], 2014
1:33.29 … Bridget Cannon [Ramapo], 2025
1:33.66 … Abigail Robisky [Union Catholic], 2026
1:33.90 … Corrine Myers [Westwood], 2014
1:34.07 … Leena Morant [Union Catholic], 2018
1:34.24 … Sharifa Trocard [Irvington], 2025
1:34.48 … Emily Carrollo [Pope John], 2008
1:34.50 … Okechi Ogbuokiri [Willingboro], 2003
1:34.66 … Amari Onque-Shabazz [Union Catholic], 2016
1:34.8h … Hazel Clark [Columbia], 1995

All-Time South Jersey 600 List
1:28.10 … Natalie Dumas [Eastern], 2026
1:34.50 … Okechi Ogbuokiri [Willingboro], 2003
1:36.37 … Taneshia Pittman [Woodrow Wilson], 2002
1:36.58 … Kimarra McDonald [Rancocas Valley], 2005
1:36.75 … Cierra Farquharson [Pleasantville], 2006
1:37.34 … Lindsey Kane [Washington Twp.], 2014
1:37.44 … Emily Duffey [Lenape], 2011
1:38.04 … Ariana Harrell [Pemberton], 2019
1:38.10 … Raelynne Miller [Millville], 2018
1:38.33 … Megan Quimby [Lenape], 2015
1:38.2h … Aishia Lawson [Camden], 1995

Sophomore Amariah Arango, sophomore Jasmine Jackson, senior Olivia Okaro and junior Cinniya Robinson won the Invitational 1,600-Meter Relay Sunday at the 118^th Millrose Games Sunday at the Armory with the 7^th-fastest time in state history and 3^rd-fastest time in the U.S. this year.

Winslow ran 3:46.06 and won by 35 meters over 2^nd-place Oak Park (Mich.), which ran 3:51.03.

This is Winslow’s 4^th Millrose Games 4-by-4 championship, and their time is fastest ever run by a South Jersey school at Millrose.

Arango led off with a 55.92 split that gave Winslow a 25-meter lead at the first handoff, and Jackson split 57.99 to extend the lead to 30 meters. Okaro ran 56.60 to maintain the lead and Robinson brought Winslow home with a 56.69 anchor.

Their time is 3^rd-fastest in South Jersey history, behind only Winslow’s South Jersey-record 3:44.74 this past March at Boston Nationals and Willingboro’s 3:45.37 at 2003 Armory Nationals.

The time is also 3^rd-fastest in the U.S., according to the MileSplit national database, behind something called APXP Speed Development, which is apparently Atascotita High of Houston and ran 3:42.26 in College Station, Texas, earlier this month, and Monteverde (Fla.) Academy, which ran 3:44.14 in Virginia Beach earlier this month.

Winslow also won Millrose in 2017 in 3:52.17 in 2017 with Iyianna Williams, Flora Ahiarakwe, Janeya Hammond and Shakira Dancy, in 2018 with Nylah Perry, Dancy, Hammond and Ahiarakwe in 3:54.99 and in 2024 in 3:49.50 with Okaro and Robinson in the lineup along with Djassi Dean and Skyhe Seamon.

South Jersey schools have now won 13 Millrose Games girls suburban 1,600-meter relays, including six of the last nine.

In a separate race, Willingboro ran a season-best 3:58.49 with Aaliyah Robinson, Jade Pinder, Trinity Brapoh and Maya Bolden. That’s 2^nd-fastest in New Jersey this year, behind only Winslow.

South Jersey Girls 4-by-4 Winners at Millrose
1995 ….. Camden, 4:01.40
1998 ….. Willingboro, 3:56.66
1999 ….. Willingboro, 3:57.47
2002 ….. Willingboro, 4:01.11
2003 ….. Willingboro, 4:04.19
2008 ….. Camden, 3:59.49
2009 ….. Seneca, 4:03.30
2017 … Winslow Twp., 3:52.17
2018 … Winslow Twp., 3:54.99
2022 … Rancocas Valley, 3:58.75
2023 … Timber Creek, 3:53.82
2024 … Winslow Twp., 3:49.50
2026 … Winslow Twp., 3:46.06

All-Time New Jersey 4-by-4 List
3:40.28 … Union Catholic, 2016
3:41.19 … Union Catholic, 2025
3:42.03 … Columbia, 2013
3:43.38 … Union Catholic, 2025
3:44.74 … Winslow Twp., 2025
3:45.37 … Willingboro, 2003
3:46.06 … Winslow Twp., 2026
3:46.42 … Columbia, 2014
3:47.03 … Union Catholic, 2015
3:47.31 … Union Catholic, 2019
3:47.59 … Union Catholic, 2024
3:47.95 … Willingboro, 2002
3:48.9h … Plainfield, 1980
3:49.07 … Camden, 1995
3:49.18 … Rumson-Fair Haven, 2025
3:49.50 … East Orange, 2006
3:49.50 … Winslow Twp., 2024
3:49.59 … Timber Creek, 2024

The Woodstown boys ran the 13th-fastest 3,200-meter relay in South Jersey history Sunday at the 118th Millrose Games at the Armory.

Senior leadoff Karson Chew split 1:56.42 and senior anchor Josh Crawford 1:54.42 and Woodstown ran 7:55.62, becoming the 4th-fastest Group 1 school in state history.

That’s a Penn Relays qualifier, although Woodstown won’t be able to race at Franklin Field the last weekend of April.

Woodstown finished 7th overall and 2nd among New Jersey schools, behind Union Catholic’s state-record and meet-record 7:37.96.

After Chew’s leadoff, senior Jacob Marino split 2:01.39 and junior David Farrell 2:03.40 before Crawford’s anchor, 3rd-fastest anchor of 13 schools that qualified for the race.

The only faster New Jersey Group 1 schools are Pleasantville’s 7:45.55 when they won 2013 Easterns at the Armory and two Bernards performances from the 1980s converted from two-mile relays. Bernards ran a converted 7:54.18 in 1984 and 7:45.5 in 1983.

Woodstown also only lowered its own Salem County record from its 8:00.24 at Millrose Trials earlier this month it ran the fastest time by any South Jersey school indoors in six years, since Kingsway’s 7:47.50 when it won the 2020 Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze.

All-Time South Jersey 3,200-Meter Relay List
7:43.64 … Cherokee, 2012
7:45.55 … Pleasantville, 2013
7:47.50 … Kingsway, 2020
7:48.92 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2017
7:51.45 … Washington Twp., 2009
7:51.78 … Cherokee, 2000
7:52.77 … Pleasantville, 2006
7:52.95 … Willingboro, 2003
7:53.64 … Willingboro, 2002
7:54.76 … Pleasantville, 2007
7:55.40 … Washington Twp., 2008
7:55.44 … Haddonfield, 2010
7:55.62 … Woodstown, 2026
7:57.28 … Rancocas Valley, 2018
7:57.29 … Oakrest, 2009
7;57.56 … Haddonfield, 2019
7:58.08 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2016
7:58.5h … Willingboro, 1983
7:59.05 … Pleasantville, 2015
7:59.51 … Pleasantville, 2012
7:59.84 … Kingsway, 2014
7:59.91 … Kingsway, 2013

Florence’s Curtis Thompson earned his 5th straight No. 1 U.S. ranking in the javelin and became the first American ranked in the top 10 in 19 years in Track and Field News’ 2025 U.S. and world ranking issue.

This is Thompson’s 10th consecutive year in the U.S. top 10. He’s the first U.S. thrower to make the world top-10 since Breaux Greer was No. 3 in 2007.

Thompson in 2025 became only the 3rd American to medal in the javelin at the World Championships when he placed 3rd in Tokyo with a throw of 284-4. That was the 2nd-best throw ever by an American at Worlds. In 2001, Greer threw 285-5 when he placed 4th in Edmonton, Alberta.

Thompson, a 2014 Florence High School graduate, this past year also won his 5th U.S. title and threw a lifetime-best 287-11 in Austin, 3rd-best in U.S. history.

Thompson, 29, turns 30 later this week.

Glassboro’s Erika Townsend recorded the 4th-best indoor long jump by a South Jersey freshman Saturday in Toms River.

Townsend won the long jump at the Olympic & Tri-County Meet at the Bubble with a PR 17-11 ½ on her 2nd attempt. Her previous PR was a 17-3 ¼ at the Ott Center two weeks ago.

South Jersey’s top three freshman indoor jumpers are Leah Ellis of Millville, who jumped 19-3 at 2019 Easterns at the Armory, Winslow’s Tionna Tobias, who went 18-9 at 2016 Easterns at the Armory and Pleasantville’s Isabella Alvarez, who jumped 18-4 this past March at the Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze (but has yet to compete this year).

Olympian Carol Lewis jumped 21-7 ¾ outdoors as a freshman but apparently did not compete indoors as a 9th-grader in the winter of 1978.

According to the MileSplit U.S. database, her jump is tied for 7th nationally among freshmen.

Townsend opened with a 16-11 and finished with a 17-9, so her three jumps averaged 17-6 ½, beyond her previous PR.

Townsend’s jump puts her at No. 7 in New Jersey this year and No. 1 among Group 1 jumpers. It’s also 7 on the all-time Gloucester County list.

All-Time Gloucester County Indoor List1
18-7 ¼ … Shelly Bailey [Woodbury], 1982
18-6 ½ … Tisifinee Taylor [Woodbury], 2002
18-5 ¼ … Tacquaya Tobias [Our Lady of Mercy], 2011
18-2 ¼ … Karissa Watson [Williamstown], 2020
18-1 ¾ … Robin Taylor [Deptford], 1980
18-1 … Tawana McLean [Deptford], 1980
17-11 ½ … Erika Townsend [Glassboro], 2026
17-10 ½ … Timia Waters [Williamstown], 2026
17-9 ½ … Nicol Corsey [Deptford], 1997
17-9 ¼ … Jasmin Jones [Deptford], 2018
17-7 ¾ … Jen Heisinger [Woodbury], 1991
17-7 … Tina Walls [Williamstown], 1982
17-4 … Terry Archie [Woodbury], 1986
17-1 ½ … Sabrina Burrell [Delsea], 2014
17-1 … Dahlia Beasley [Washington Twp.], 2023

Pennsauken senior Sianni Wynn ran within 6-100ths of a second of her state record in the 200 Saturday at the Ott Center.

Wynn, who set the state record of 23.31 in March when she won the Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze, ran 23.37 to win the Penn Relays Winter Showcase.

They’re the two-fastest times in New Jersey indoor track history.

Wynn’s time is 4th-fastest in the country according to MileSplit’s national database. Seniors Mia and Mariah Maxwell of Atascocita High of Humble, Texas, ran 22.89 and 22.97 in a meet earlier this month in College Station, Texas, and freshman Melanie Dodgett of Landmark Christian School in Fairburn, Ga., ran 23.25 last month in Birmingham, Ala.

Wynn also won the 60 in 7.36, fastest in New Jersey this year and just 7-100ths of a second off her state-record 7.29 from Armory Nationals in March. The only other New Jersey girl to run as fast as 7.36 is Myasia Jacobs of Paramus Catholic, who ran 7.34 in 2011 Armory Nationals.

Wynn officially came through 55 meters in 6.86, also 3rd-fastest nationally this year. She shares the state record of 6.73 with Willingboro legend Michelle Glover, who ran 6.73 in 1981.

Holy Cross senior Julia Flanagan ran the 2nd-fastest 3,000 in South Jersey history Saturday at the Ott Center.

Flanagan ran 9:53.03 and placed 4th in the Penn Relays Winter Showcase. The only faster record by a South Jersey girl is Liliah Gordon’s 9:39.04, an official en route time during her Meet of Champions 3,200 win at Ocean Breeze last March. The fastest previous time in a 3,00-meter race was Megan Lacy’s 9:53.39 at the 2011 Princeton Invitational at Jadwin Gym.

Flanagan was out in 2:34.79 and 5:15.22 before a 2:40.62 800 and closing in 1:47.20 for her final 600 and 37.45 for her final lap.

Her time is No. 23 nationally this year and No. 5 in New Jersey.

All-Time South Jersey Indoor 3,000 List
9:39.04e … Liliah Gordon [Northern Burlington], 2025
9:53.03 … Julia Flanagan [Holy Cross], 2026
9:53.39 … Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 2011
10:00.86 … Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Reg.], 2017
10:09.80 … Devon Grisbaum [Ocean City], 2015
10:11.65 … Brittany Sedberry [Ocean City], 2006
10:15.70 … Giovanni Mantuano [Paul VI], 2026
10:16.46 … Megan Venables [Highland], 2009
10:18.9h … Michelle Rowen [Washington Twp.], 1981
10:20.60 … Macy Huber [Paul VI], 2026

Haddonfield’s Dylan Hosty shattered the South Jersey freshman mile record Saturday morning at the Penn Relays Winter Showcase at the Ott Center, winning the race in 4:53.67.

That converts to 4:51.97 for 1,600 meters, 5th-fastest in South Jersey history. She shattered the South Jersey freshman record of 4:58.48 set at the 2010 state Group 4 meet at the Bubble by Lenape’s Natalia Ocasio.

This was Hosty’s second high school 1,600 or mile. She ran 5:11.89 at the Armory last month. In her previous race, she won the 800 at the Ott Center in 2:14.66, also a South Jersey freshman record.

Hosty’s time is 3rd-fastest by a freshman nationally this year, according to the MileSplit U.S. database. Mackenzie Skelly of Penn Charter in Philly ran 4:50.30 in Boston last weekend and Alexandra Scappaticci of Northville (Mich.) ran 4:51.88 in Allendale, Mich., also last weekend.

Hosty’s time is 5th-fastest in New Jersey this year and fastest by a South Jersey runner.

Hosty edged junior Tsadia Bercuvitz of Ithaca by 6-100ths of a second. Bercuvitz led by as much as 4 ½ seconds with 400 to go and still led by 15 meters with one lap to go.

Hosty was out in 74.71 and 75.69 before coming back in 75.33 and 67.95 for massive negative splits of 2:30.40 and 2:23.28. She ran her final lap in 32.68.

Soon after running the 4^th-fastest 800-meter relay in NCAA Division 3 history, Rowan ran the fastest 4-by-4 in D-3 this year.

Rowan ran 1:25.88 to win the 4-by-200 at the Metropolitan Invitational at Ocean Breeze and soon after won the 4-by-4 in 3:15.05, which bumped Wittenberg for the top spot on the 2026 D-3 performance list. Wittenberg ran 3:16.54 on its home track in Springfield, Ohio, last month.

Rowan won the 800-meter relay with sophomore Julian Conigliaro from Delsea, sophomore Madaijoudou Diawara from Toms River North, senior Evan Corcoran from Kingsway and junior Eli Hendricks from Penns Grove but used a completely different lineup for the 4-by-4, with Luke Halbruner of Ocean City, freshman Marquis Taylor of Woodbury, junior Teddy Wilson from Toms River North and senior Dallas Hohney of Glassboro racing.

Halbruner ran 50.14 out of the hole, with Taylor splitting 48.68, Wilson 48.55 and Hohney 47.68.

Rowan’s previous best time this season was 3:17.55 with Eastern’s Rahjan Dixon, Hohney, Wilson and Nicholas Garman of Cedar Crest High in Lebanon, Pa.

School record indoors is 3:10.09, also fastest in Division 3 history. The Profs ran that in Boston in February 2023 with Marquise Young of Sterling, Nana Agyamang from Parsippany, Jah’mere Beasley of Sterling and Amara Conte of Ferris High in Jersey City.