From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Led by 14 points by pole vaulter Mason Henry and hurdlers Larry Norman and Kareem Brown, Deptford won its first indoor state championship in 56 years Saturday at the Bubble.

Henry won the pole vault at 15-0 – which he cleared on his 1st attempt – and Norman and Brown ran 2nd and 3rd in the 55-meter hurdles in 7.60 and 7.67 and Deptford finished with a 41-29 margin of victory over Winslow, with Delsea 3rd with 24 points in a 1-2-3 South Jersey finish.

Deptford’s only previous indoor state championship came in 1970, when the Spartans outscored JFK Iselin 22-20 in the Group 3 meet at the Jersey City Armory, with John Boxley winning the 60-yard dash and Bob Cooper the 880-yard run.

In addition to Henry, Norman and Brown, senior Johann Hernandez picked up eight big points in the 55-meter dash with a 2nd-place with a lifetime-best 6.53.

Sophomore John Collier and senior Zach Harrison ran 4-6 in the 800 for five more points, Collier in 1:59.84 – his first time under two minutes – and Harrison with a PR 2:00.72. Senior Kamaldeep Singh was 4th in the pole vault for the Spartans at 12-6.

The 400 was a 1-2-3-4 South Jersey sweep, with Winslow senior KaRon Ali winning in 50.17, Moorestown senior Sean Sobin 2nd in 50.96, Highland senior Elijah Capra 3rd in 51.17 and Triton senior Justin Travaglini 4th in 51.23. Timber Creek junior made it five South Jersey quarter-milers in the top six with a 51.44 for 6th.

Winslow won the 1,600-meter relay in 3:28.52 with senior KaRon Ali, freshman Keyon Ali, Prince Owusu-Twum and Jaylon Moss.

Keyon Ali ran 6.59 for 3rd in the 55, and Winslow also got a 5th and a 6th in the hurdles from junior Jabril Hammond [7.82] and senior Elijah Deanley [7.87].

Delsea got a win from senior Matthew Littlehales, who was 1st in the 1,600 in 4:16.64, a 2nd from senior pole vaulter Mason Murray, who cleared 14-6 and a 3rd from junior Sheldon Goldsborough, who PR’d in the shot with a 53-5.

Ocean City senior Erik Preisner ran 9:34.13 for 6th in a fast 3,200.

Burlington Township ran 3:28.89 for 2nd in the 4-by-4 with senior Robert Proctor, senior Solomon Wesley, senior Jaydin Macklin and sophomore Jaylen Porter, and Moorestown was 5th in 3:31.86 with senior Shaymus Derer, junior Ethan Taylor, junior Lucas Horner and Sobin.

Cherry Hill West sophomore Supreme Stradford cleared 6-6 and got 2nd on misses in the high jump. Junior teammate Elijah Triche was 4th at 6-2.

Mainland Regional senior Jackson Larimer cleared 12-0 for 6th in the pole vault.

Delsea senior Hannah Nuhfer broke her own South Jersey shot put record Saturday with a 48-0 bomb at the state Group 3 meet at the Bubble.

Nuhfer had just set the South Jersey mark of 47-6 at Ocean Breeze two weeks ago. That broke the South Jersey record of 47-5 ¾ set in 2018 by Schalick’s Zyra Thomas at Armory Nationals.

Nuhfer’s throw is No. 10 in state history. She also surpassed her own South Jersey outdoor record of 47-9 at the state Group 3 meet last spring at Delsea, so this is the best throw ever by a South Jersey girl.

Her throw is No. 5 in the U.S. this year, according to the MileSplit national database.

She also became the 8th thrower from South Jersey ever to hit 48 feet and the 5th from Gloucester County, following Jamine Moton of Delsea [58-6 ¼], Victoria Imbesi of Our Lady of Mercy 50-5], Shamere Rothmiller of Glassboro [49-10 ¾] and Tara Daniels of Kingsway [49-10].

Nuhfer averaged 45-0 on her six throws. She opened with a 45-7 ½ before hitting 48-0 on her 2nd throw. She finished the trials with a 44-3 before throwing 45-10 ½, 44-0 ½ and 42-2 in the finals. She had the six-best throws of the competition.

Nuhfer broke the meet record of 47-0 set by Jackie Hudgins of Hightstown in 2001 at Princeton’s Jadwin Gym.

Nuhfer was the national discus champion last spring with a South Jersey-record 178-9 at Franklin Field.

Her throw looks like No. 3 this year in the U.S. Under-20 division, according to the World Athletics database.

All-Time New Jersey Indoor Shot Put List
57-5 ½ … Alyssa Wilson [Donovan Catholic], 2017
57-4 ½ … Jessica Oji [Livingston], 2025
54-7 ½ … Nicolette Dunbar [Whippany Park], 2016
51-9 ½ … Nicole Sims [Plainfield], 1991
50-2 … Shelby Bigsby [Montclair], 2018
49-10 … Jessica Molina [Westwood], 2015
48-6 ½ … Kelly Fazekas [Northern Valley], 2003
48-6 ½ … Julia Santos [Toms River South], 2025
48-0 ¾ … Theresa Picciallo [Immaculate Heart], 2012

Julia Flanagan became the first Holy Cross girl ever to double at the indoor state championships Friday when she won the 1,600 and 3,200 at the Parochial B Championships at the Bubble.

Flanagan won the 1,600 in 5:07.56 and the 3,200 in 10:52.32. The last Holy Cross double state champ indoors or out since Rachel Byrne won the 400 hurdles in 65.50 and the 800 in 2:19.58 at the 2009 oudoor Parochial B meet at Egg Harbor.

Flanagan ran under the Parochial B 3,200 meet record of 11:02.59 set in 2014 by Dana Klein of Gill St. Bernard’s.

Flanagan has now won five state Parochial B titles – the 3,200 indoors and outdoors last year, cross country at Holmdel this past fall and the 1,600 and 3,200 on Friday.

Also, Bishop Eustace senior Noah Glenn won the Parochial B high jump at 6-2 (the results say 6-0, but the progression chart shows 6-2) and was 3rd in the 55-meter hurdles in 8.07. Eustace also placed 2nd in the 4-by-4 with senior Alexander Dietz, freshman Sean Thornton, junior Tyshon Lee and sophomore Joshua Madgey running 4:10.29.

In the Parochial A meet, PVI senior Gianna Cianfrani won the pole vault with a PR 11-0 and junior Grace Gutowski ran 2:18.73 and 5:08.29 for 5th in both the 800 and 1,600. Senior Giovanna Mantuano took 4th in the 3,200 in 11:03.44 and senior Claire Magee ran 58.85 for 5th in the 400.

For the PVI guys junior Max Long ran 2:02.56 for 3rd in the 800 and 4:28.72 for 5th in the 1,600, and junior Jason Smith was 6th in the 1,600 in 4:28.82.

St. Augustine senior Marc Maccario ran 50.23 for 2nd in the 400 and also led off the 4th-place 1,600-meter relay team, which also included senior Zach Jacob, senior Jordan Gross and freshman Steph Janasiak and ran 3:31.34.

Also, the Camden Catholic girls took 2nd in the Parochial A 1,600-meter relay with sophomores Na’zyia Mears, Kaylynn Gomez and Lila O’Kane and junior Camille Collins running 4:40.55.

The results seem to indicate that the Eustace won the 4-by-4 with sophomore Addison Hall, sophomore Simone Errigo, freshman Micayla Kelly and junior Isabel Truong running 4:50.63. But there was a six-team second team that it seems like never raced. But the results are listed as complete, so I have no idea, but as of now the official results show Eustace winning. But the final results also don’t show Eustace with 10 points. Who knows? It’s the NJSIAA. Anything is possible.

Hammonton graduate Anthony Liaknovich popped a huge three-foot shot put PR Friday at the Ott Center and moved into the No. 5 spot this year in the Ivy League.

Liaknovich continued a breakthrough season for Princeton by throwing 58-5 ¼ at the Philadelphia Metro Invitational. That extended his PR from 55-5, which he just threw two weeks ago at the Ott Center. His first 50-foot throw with the 1 16-pound ball came just about a month ago when he threw 54-10, also at the Ott.

His 58-5 ¼ is the best throw by a Princeton freshman in seven years, since Chris Licata of Gill St. Bernard, which is in both Peacock-Gladstone Township, Somerset County, and Chester Township, Morris County, threw 59-11 ¼ at the 2019 Heps at Harvard’s Gordon Track in Cambridge, Mass.

Liaknovich also threw 55-2 ¼ in the weight throw, just off his PR of 55-5 from earlier this month at the Ott.

Liaknovich is No. 11 in the Ivy in the weight and No. 2 freshman.

With the U.S. Championships just two weeks away on Staten Island, we thought we’d take a look at South Jersey athletes who’ve achieved either the A or B qualifying standard so far and a few others who are close.

The A standard guarantees an athlete a spot in the Championships. Those with the B standard fill spots in the field if there aren’t enough athletes with the A standard.

The qualifying window, which opened Nov. 1, closes at the end of the day Sunday, so athletes who are close have one more good chance to qualify or improve their B standard.

U.S. Nationals are scheduled for Feb. 28 and March 1 at Ocean Breeze.

Men
Ajani Dwyer [Washington Twp.]: Dwyer ran 6.52 on his home track in State College earlier this month, dipping below the A standard of 6.59. Dwyer is currently No. 6 in the world and No. 3 among Americans.

Jamir Brown [Delran, Riverside]: Brown, a sophomore at Syracuse, PR’d with his 7.60 in Clemson last month. That’s below the A standard of 7.65 and guarantees the former Rowan star a lane at nationals.

Greg Foster [Lumberton, Lawrenceville Prep]: Princeton junior hit a huge long jump PR of 26-10 ½ last weekend, surpassing the A standard of 26-6 ¾. Foster is also under the B standard of 7.90 in the hurdles with his 7.77 at the Ott Center last month. Note that Washington Township’s Yashahyah Brown, a Hampton sophomore, is 5-100ths of a second off the B standard of 7.90 with his 7.95 PR last weekend, also at the Ott.

Floyd Whitaker [Highland]: Whitaker, the NCAA outdoor triple jump runner-up last year, is currently No. 5 American and has a strong B standard with his PR 53-8 in Norman, Okla., last month. The A standard is 54-1 ½ and only three Americans have jumped that far this year, so even if he doesn’t hit 54-1 ½ he’s still got a very good chance to qualify.

Josh Awotunde [Delsea]: Awotunde, the is No. 10 among American with his 65-1 ½ at Millrose at the Armory earlier this month. That’s well beyond the B standard of 62-0 ¾ Awotunde was 3rd at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Ore. The A standard is 68-10 ¾.

Alexander Osayemi [Clayton]: The Alabama freshman ran 46.80 in Albuquerque earlier this month, well below the B standard of 47.20. He needs to go 46.00 for the A standard.

David Brown [Rowan]: Brown cleared a lifetime-best 7-2 ½ at the Ott Center this past weekend, an NCA Division 3 freshman record and No. 3 in d-3 history. Brown, from Edison, nailed the B standard. He needs 7-4 ½ for the A standard.

Women
Elisia Lancaster [Delsea]: Lancaster threw 71-11 ¼ at the Ott Center last month to nail the B standard. The auto qualifier in the weight throw is 77-1.

Tionna Tobias [Winslow]: Tobias jumped 20-11 ½, well beyond the B standard of 20-4. The A standard she’s shooting for is 22-1 ¾. Tobias is No. 17 American woman.

Jessica Woodard [Cherokee]: Woodard is No. 11 among U.S. women at 58-2 from a meet in Saskatoon, Canada, last month. That’s well beyond the B standard of 54-1 ½ and not far from the A standard of 61-4.

Jenovia Logan [Sterling]: Rutgers sophomore cleared 5-10, which equals the B standard. She would need to clear 6-1 ½ for the A qualifier.

Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken]: Pennsauken senior is 1-100th of a second off the B standard of 7.35 in the 60-meter dash. She ran 7.36 at the Ott Center last month. The A standard is 7.20. Wynn has run as fast as 7.29 last March at the Armory.

Aliya Garozzo [Paul VI]: Forner Penn and Duke intermediate hurdles star PR’d this past weekend in Clemson with a 52.43, not far off the A standard of 52.20 and well below the 400-meter dash B standard of 54.00.

Ryan Jennings [Timber Creek]: Jennings doesn’t quite have the B standard of 7.35 in the 60 but she’s close with her 7.41 in Fayetteville last week.

Sophia Curtis [Ocean City]: The B standard in the triple jump is 42 feet. Curtis, a Clemson freshman, has jumped 40-8 ¼ this year but she has jumped as far as 41-9 ½ in the past.

Daizhae’ Brown, a Georgian Court freshman from Cedar Creek, had herself a huge meet Sunday in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Championships at Ocean Breeze with three PRs, three podium finishes and a school record.

What a meet for Brown!

Brown, from Mays Landing, dropped her 60-meter dash PR from 7.76 from January at Ocean Breeze to 7.73, breaking the school record of 7.74 set by Aretha Edwards at the Armory in 2018. Brown placed 3rd in the dash behind two sprinters from the University of the District of Columbia.

In the long jump, Brown extended her PR from 18-2 ½ from a meet last month in Reading, Pa., to 18-8 ½ and finished nearly a foot ahead of the field. That’s No. 3 in school history.

Brown’s third event was the triple jump, and she set another PR of 37-5 and placed 2nd to a D.C. jumper on a 2nd-jump tibreaker. Brown’s previous triple jump PR was 37-4 ½ from last month in Lancaster, Pa. Brown’s 37-5 is No. 5 in school history.

Brown ranks 3rd in NCAA Division 2 East Region in the 60, 2nd in the long jump and 2nd in the triple jump. She’s also 7th with a 5-1 in the high jump, although she didn’t high jump at the conference meet. Georgian Court, coached by Cinnaminson’s Mike Murawski, is scheduled to compete in a season-ending meet Friday at Ocean Breeze.

Remarkable accomplishment Sunday for Williamstown senior Jasiah Gibbons, who became only the fourth New Jersey athlete and the first from South Jersey to run as fast as sub-6.45 in the 55-meter dash and sub-7.45 in the 55-meter hurdles.

Gibbons won the 55-meter dash in 6.41, and he won the high hurdles in 7.43, both 7th-fastest in Gloucester County history.

So far this year, Gibbons is 3rd-fastest in New Jersey in the dash and No. 5 in the hurdles.

He goes into the state Group 4 meet as No. 1 seed in both events.

Gibbons is Williamstown’s first indoor sectional double winner in 15 years, since Paul Szulewski won the 1,600 in 4:24.79 and the 3,200 in 9:39.49 at the 2011 meet at the Bubble.

He’s the first South Jersey athlete to run as fast as 6.41 and 7.43 in his entire career, and he did it on the same day, about an hour apart. Washington Township’s Yashahya Brown, a national high school hurdles champ now at Hampton, came close, with PRs of 7.06 – the South Jersey record – and 7.44.

The only three New Jersey athletes to run 6.45 and 7.45 are Akeem Lindo of East Orange, who ran 6.37 and 7.31 in 2017, James Dely of Paramus Catholic, who ran 6.40 and 7.32 last year, and Shamali Whittle of Nottingham, who ran 6.33 and 7.45.

But Gibbons is the first ever to run that fast in both the 55 and 55 hurdles at a sectional meet, which goes back to 2008.

Gibbons dropped a huge PR in the dash, where his previous PR was 6.70 from last month at the Armory. He lowered it to 6.50 in the trials before the 6.41 in the final. His previous hurdles PR was 7.45 from last week at Ocean Breeze.

Williamstown scored 44 ½ points Sunday and placed 3rd, behind Toms River North [53 ½] and Millville [47]. Gibbons also anchored Williamstown’s 5th-place 1,600-meter relay.

Gibbons’ teammate, junior Ian Israel, placed 2nd in the 55 in 6.47, just shy of his 6.46 PR from Ocean Breeze last week. And senior Dominic Burgio placed 2nd in the 1,600 with a 4:27.91 and 6th in the 800 at 2:04.18. Also for the Braves, junior Joshua George-Oyewole took 4th in the hurdles at 7.77, just off his 7.73, also from Ocean Breeze, and junior Chance Gibbons tied for 5th in the high jump at 5-10. And Williamstown ran 3:36.11 in the relay, with senior Brandon Brown, junior London Young, Israel and Gibbons.

Next for Gibbons is the state Group 4 meet back at the Bubble on Sunday.

All-Time Gloucester County 55 Hurdles List
7.06 … Yashahya Brown [Washinton Twp.], 2024
7.18 … Sultan Tucker [Delsea], 1996
7.36 … Alexander Hollimon [Williamstown], 2024
7.42 … Kevon Brown [West Deptford], 2009
7.42 … Naseem Smith [Deptford], 2019
7.42 … Ryan Sanchez [Deptford], 2025
7.43 … Jasiah Gibbons [Williamstown], 2026
7.48 … Tyrell Ross [Clearview], 2005
7.49 … Devon Carter [Washington Twp.], 2026
7.53 … Kanye Mills [Washington Twp.], 2023

All-Time Gloucester County 55 Dash List
6.18 … Ajani Dwyer [Washington Twp.], 2024
6.22 … Malachi James [Burlington City], 2024
6.33 … Ajani Dwyer [Washington Twp.], 2024
6.34 … A.J. Bunton [West Deptford], 2006
6.38 … James Brown [Glassboro], 2009
6.40 … Marquis Taylor [Woodbury], 2025
6.41 … Jasiah Gibbons [Williamstown], 2026
6.43 … Anthony Averett [Woodbury], 2013
6.44 … Thomas Hampton [Clayton], 2019
6.44 … Yashahya Brown [Washinton Twp.], 2023
6.44 … Brysheen Ferguson [Glassboro, 2024

Rowan’s Bright John, a freshman from Sterling, popped a long PR Saturday at the Ott Center, giving the Profs two of the top three freshman long jumpers in NCAA Division 3 this year.

John jumped 23-3 ½ on his 1st attempt at the Widener Indoor Classic, No. 23 in NCAA Division 3 and No. 3 among freshman. Teammate Anthony Parker from Salem is No. 2 in D-3 at 25-0 and only one other freshman jumper – Lee Qualk of Penn State-Behrand – has jumped farther than John. Qualk has a 23-4 ¾ from a meet in December in Houghton, N.Y.

John’s previous PR was a 23-2 ½ at Ocean Breeze last weekend. He’s now No. 8 in Rowan indoor history.

Egg Harbor graduate Ahmad Fogg, a Stockton junior, placed 2nd with a 23-2 jump. His PR is 24-4 ¼ from Ocean Breeze last month so he’s No. 4 in D-3. Parker, Fogg and John are 1-2-3 in the NJAC.

Junior Judah Jones won two events and Millville finished as the top South Jersey school in Group 4 sectionals Sunday at the Bubble. Toms River North won the team title by just six points, 53 ½-47 over Millville.

Jones won the 400 in 50.64 and the high jump at 6-4 for the Thunderbolts, and juniors Nhevoun Baker and Kwmae Ford picked up 3rd-places, Baker with a 7.73 in the hurdles and Ford 47-4 in the shot put.

Williamstown [44 ½], Egg Harbor Township [38], Cherokee [31], Eastern [30], Cherry Hill East [24], Southern Regional [12 ½] and Washington Township [10 ½] also reached double figures.

For Williamstown, senior Jasiah Gibbons doubled the hurdles in 7.43 and 55 in 6.41, senior Dominic Burgio was 2nd in the 1,600 in 4:27.91 and junior Ian Israel Jr. ran 6.47 for 2nd in the 55.

Cherokee juniors Benjamin Realley and Maximo Harada recorded distance wins, Realley with 4:27.39 in the 1,600 and Harada with 9:37.02 in the 3,200. Realley also placed 3rd in the 800 in 2:00.55.

Seniors Ari Bell and Andy Nguyen picked up 2nd-places for Egg Harbor, Bell with 7.68 in the hurdles and Nguyen clearing 12-0 in the pole vault. Senior Braydon Eberwine was 3rd in the vault, also with a 12-0 clearance, and the Eagles’ 4-by-4 team of junior Xavier Aucule, senior Tyler Bernisky, sophomore Kyle Corbin and junior Noah Heritage placed 3rd in 3:33.52.

Eastern senior Humberto Cuellar won the shot put with a 50-11 and senior Brandon Lamon was 2nd in the 800 in 1:59.58. Senior Fredric Johniken, sophomore Paul Moore, Lamon and senior Ashton Gage placed 2nd in the relay in 3:30.80. a

Cherry Hill East junior Cian Sherlock and senior Alvin Lin placed 2nd and 3rd in the 3,200 in 9:37.29 and 9:41.39. Senior Tymir Gayle ran 6.60 for 3rd in the 55.

Rancocas Valley sophomore Jonathan Smith placed 2nd in the high jump with a 6-2 clearance and Washington Township senior Robert Aboyme was 3rd in the high jump with a 5-10.
Washington Twp.

Senior Savannah Aulich, junior Norah Brown, sophomore Noemi Haller, junior Kenya Nobles an sophowon the deciding 4-by-4 relay, and junior Aubrey Bishop won the 3,200 helping Kingsway win its 2nd indoor sectional title.

Kingsway defeated 2nd-place Cherokee 47-36 two win the South Jersey Group 4 Sectional Championship Sunday at the Bubble in Toms River. The Dragons also won SJ-4 in 2020.

Aulich, Brown, Haller and Nobles ran 4:05.45 to win a very close relay that saw the first four finishers all within two seconds of each other.

Bishop, who ran 13:24 at outdoor sectionals last spring at Pennsauken, ran more than two minutes faster Sunday, winning with a big PR 11:10.65.

Kingsway got two big races from Haller in addition to the relay. She ran a lifetime-best 7.35 for 3rd in the 55 and 58.56 for 2nd in the 400.

Nobles placed 2nd in the high jump with a 4-10 clearance, senior Lariah Miles ran 8.86 or 4th in the hurdles and Brown took 5th in the 400 in 1:00.75.

Eastern senior Natalie Dumas won the 400 in 56.33 and 800 in 2:19.51 and was 2nd in the mile with a 5:06. She also anchorded Eastern’s 4th-place relay team, which also included senior Adriana Marella, junior Poetry Anderson and junior Jolie Merhi.

Atlantic Tech junior Brianna Growalt ran 58.79 for 3rd in the 400

Cherokee senior Sofia Recinto took 2nd in the 800 in 2:20.91, senior Madeline Meder placed 3rd in the 1,600 in 5:06.64 and senior Addison Lore threw 34-10 ¼ for 2nd in the shot.

Rancocas Valley senior La’el Yates cleared 11-0 on her 1st attempt to win the pole vault, Red Devils senior Angelina Brown ran 7.34 for 2nd in the 55 and cleared 4-10 for 3rd in the high jump and sophomore Isabella Santamaria was 3rd in the vault at 10-0.

Cherry Hill East sophomore Addison Weiss ran 11:15.70 for 2nd in the 3,200.

Williamstown senior Brynn Greenwood cleared 10-6 for 2nd place in the pole vault, and senior Sophia Aldridge ran 11:15.94 for 3rd in the 3,200. Williamstown placed 2nd in the 1,600-meter relay in 4:06.32 with junior Chanelle Briscoe, sophomore Yazmire Bonhomme, junior Timi Waters and junior Tristan Hughes.

Millville sophomore Abri Brown threw 36-1 to win the shot put by over a foot.