From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Delsea’s Noah Deckert ran 6,000 meters in 18:34.4 to win the season-opening Lehigh Invitational on the Goodman Campus in Bethlehem, Pa. The course also briefly goes through Lower Saucon Township.

Deckert won by 5 ½ seconds over Lehigh graduate Tyler French, who was 2nd in 18:39.9.

St. Joe’s edged Lehigh 29-30 to win the team title. St. Joe’s 7th runner was Haddon Heights graduate Jack Bolling, who placed 18th overall in 19:00.5.

Also in the top 25 were Lehigh sophomore graduate Derek Coceano from Cinnaminson [17th in 19:00.3], St. Joe’s sophomore Ian Romea of Haddonfield [20th in 19:01.1], St.Joe’s senior Josh Forrest from Collingswood [21st in 19:02.7] and St. Joe’s freshman Matt Hoffman of Ocean City [23rd in 19:04.8].

Seven months after his track season began with a meet at the Armory in January, Pennsauken’s Premier Wynn finished with a 6th-place in his heat of the 400-meter hurdles at the World Under-20 Championships in Lima, Peru.

Wynn, whose 51.89 in Wednesday’s trials was 9th-fastest of 45 competitors, ran 52.76 in Friday’s semifinals and fell short of advancing to Saturday’s final – he needed to run 51.11 to advance – but concluded a remarkable and historic season culminating in making his first U.S. National team and competing in a World Athletics international competition.

Wynn ran 50.58 at the USATF Under-20 Championships in Eugene, Ore., in June, to qualify for World Under-20s.

Nonetheless, he finishes 18th in the world among hurdlers who don’t turn 20 in 2024 and finishes the season as the 6th-fastest freshman in NCAA Division 1.

Rowan junior Scott Hubbard of Audubon edged teammate Joshua Cason, a senior from Camden County Vo-Tech, to win the Stockton Season Opener on the first day of college cross country season.

Hubbard ran 8,000 meters in 25:23.62, with Cason 2nd in 25:24.17.

Rowan sophomore Colin Patterson was 4th in 25:27.32, Bishop Eustace grad and Rowan junior Anthony Faust was 5th in 26:04.50 and grad transfer Miles Voenell, who ran for Lewis & Clark in Portland, Ore., was 6th in 26:06.39 in his first race for the Profs.

There is no team score listed in the official results, but Rowan would have scored 18 points and Stockton 75.

Also in the top 10 for Rowan were Caleb Clevenger of Haddonfield [7th in 26:08.26] and Matthew Conway of Haddon Township [8th in 26:12.48].

Former Haddonfield runner Tobias Janssen, running unattached, was 9th in 26:29.26. Janssen formerly ran for George Washington.

Rowan is ranked 24th in NCAA Division 3 and No. 1 in the NCAA Division 3 Metro Region. Stockton is 9th in the Metro.

Premier Wynn will be in Lane 7 Friday for his semifinal 400-meter hurdles race Friday at the World Under-20 Championships at Estadio Nacional in Lima, Peru.

Wynn ran 51.89 in his 1st-round race Wednesday and easily qualified for the semis, placing 2nd and earning one of three auto qualifiers in his race. The top three in each of seven trials races plus the next three-fastest runners advanced to the semis.

That 51.89 was 9th-fastest overall of 45 competitors from around the world. World Under-20s is open at athletes who don’t turn 20 until after midnight on Dec. 31.

Wynn will race in the 3rd of three semifinal races Friday, with the first scheduled for 5:05 p.m. EST, the second at 5:13 EST and Wynn’s race due to go off at 5:23 p.m. EST.

The top two finishers in each of the three semis plus the next two-fastest runners advance to the final at 5:45 p.m. Saturday.

I’m not sure how they seeded the semis, but four of the nine-fastest qualifiers are in that 3rd heat, led by Japan’s Kaira Gonda, whose 51.21 was the 2nd-fastest qualifying time. Jamaica’s Daniel Wright [51.42] and China’s Jingwei Guo [51.72] are also in Wynn’s heat.

Seven of the 13-fastest qualifiers are in the first heat, and only one of the 13-fastest qualifiers are in the second race. Makes no sense.

Wynn’s PR of 50.58 from the USATF Under-20 Championships in Eugene in June is 3rd-fastest in that 3rd semifinal, behind Wright [49.88] and Gonda [50.20].

Pennsauken’s Premier Wynn easily advanced to the semifinals of the 400-meter hurdles Wednesday morning at the World Under-20 Championships at Estadio Nacional in Lima, Peru.

Wynn ran 51.89 and finished 2nd to Finland’s Antti Sainio in the 5th of seven heats to automatically advance. The top three finishers in each of seven 1st-round races along with the next three-fastest hurdlers advanced to the semifinals, scheduled for 5:05 p.m. Friday. The final is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. Saturday.

Sainio, seeded 7th at 49.91, won the heat in 51.19, fastest of all 45 competitors. Wynn’s 51.89 was 9th-fastest, although he was safely in 2nd place in his race on the final straight and appeared to back off a bit.

Wynn was slow out of the blocks with a .247 reaction time – 3rd-slowest in the entire field of 53. But by the backstretch he was a clear second to Sainio and ran strong and easy the rest of the way.

Eleven runners broke 52 seconds. The other American in the field, Vance Nilsson, ran 51.98 and won the 4th heat.

The fastest non-qualifier was Dave Davitt, who ran 52.51 and placed 4th in the 3rd race. Davitt is a freshman at Penn.

Wynn came into the meet as the No. 10 seed with his PR of 50.58 from the USATF Under-20 Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., in June. He had run 50.72 when he placed 2nd at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference [MEAC] Championships on his home track at Norfolk State in May.

Wynn and high school teammate Bryce Tucker were the No. 6 and 7 freshmen in NCAA Division 1, Wynn with his 50.58 and Tucker with a 50.61 to win the Big Ten Championships in Ann Arbor, Mich., in May. Among those eligible for World Under-20s – those who don’t turn 20 in 2024 – they were 3rd and 4th, behind Jonathan Frazier of Washington [49.98 at the Pac 12 Championships] and North Carolina State’s Xavier Branker [50.41 at the ACC Championships].

With both going into their sophomore year of college, Wynn and Tucker – both 19 – are the 6th-and 7th-fastest intermediate hurdlers South Jersey has ever produced, and the fastest in 20 years.

48.37 … Reuben McCoy [Winslow Twp.], June 28, 2008, Eugene, Ore.
48.86 … Fred Sharpe [Paulsboro], May 18, 2003, Knoxville, Tenn.
49.50 … Dwight Ruff [Camden], June 12, 2003, Sacramento
50.04 … Mike Brown [Lenape], June 12, 2002, Holmdel, N.J.
50.52 … Martin Booker [Camden], May 12, 1984, Philadelphia
50.58 … Premier Wynn [Pennsauken], June 13, 2024, Eugene, Ore.
50.61 … Bryce Tucker [Pennsauken], May 12, 2024, Ann Arbor, Mich.

The last American to medal in the intermediates at World Under-20’s was Taylor McLaughlin from Union Catholic, who was the silver medalist in 2016 at Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak Stadium in Bydgoszcz, Poland, with a 49.45. His sister is Sydney McLaughlin, the world record holder and two-time Olympic champion in the intermediates.

We have heat sheets for the 400-meter hurdles at the World Under-20 Championships, and Pennsauken’s Premier Wynn will be racing in the 5th of seven heats Wednesday morning at Estadio Atlético de la Villa Deportiva Nacional in Lima, Peru.

Wynn drew Lane 8, but he has the 2nd-fastest PR in his race with his 50.58 from the USATF Under-20 Championships at Haywared Field in Eugene on June 13. Fastest in his heat is Antti Sainio of Finland, who ran 49.91 at Tilastopajacup No. 4 at Paavo Nurmi Stadium in Turku, Finland, on June 11.

Overall, Wynn is the No. 10 seed of 53 qualifiers.

Wynn was the MEAC champion this past spring as a freshman at Norfolk State.

The intermediates starts at 11:05 a.m., so the fifth heat will probably be sometime between 11:10 and 11:15 a.m. Most events will be broadcast live on Peacock.

The top three finishers in each of the seven heats automatically advance to the semifinals, along with the next three-fastest. The semifinals are scheduled for 5:05 p.m. EST Friday, with the final at 5:45 p.m. Saturday.

The top South Jersey seniors in the girls XC Meet of Champions last fall were Cherokee’s Kerry O’Day and Paul VI’s Shaman McNally, who finished 10th and 11th overall, separated by only seven seconds.

Now, O’Day and McNally are teammates.

Both are freshman at Bucknell and both are listed on Bucknell’s women’s cross country roster.

O’Day ran 4:58.54 last year after that 18:44 at Holmdel County Park. McNally ran 18:51 at Holmdel and had a huge spring with 2:14.65, 4:45.91 and 10:18.93.

Bucknell is scheduled to open the season Saturday morning at the Father Bede Invitational at St. Francis University in Loretto, Pa.

With XC season set to begin this weekend, we came up with a list of every senior from South Jersey that finished in the top 100 at the Meet of Champions and where they’re attending college.

Many of these athletes will likely be red-shirting but several should be in action this weekend.

Any errors or omissions please let me know in the comment section ASAP! And would love to add Liam Dougherty’s college if he’s running this fall and anyone can help out with his plans!

BOYS TOP 100
Peyton Shute, Woodbury [2nd], Cornell
Nick Kuenkel, Cherokee [6th], Monmouth
Elijah Forrest, Collingswood [14th], Georgia Tech
Will Mrozinski, Paul VI [19th], Lehigh
Robert Poplau, Cherokee [59th], Rutgers
Matt Hoffman, Ocean City [66th], St. Joe’s
Liam Dougherty, Haddonfield [84th], NA
Raine Guidarelli, Cherry Hill East [91st], Rutgers [not listed on XC roster]

GIRLS  TOP 100
Kerry O’Day, Cherokee [10th], Bucknell
Shaelan McNally, Paul VI [11th], Bucknell
Alyssa Boucher, Williamstown [28th], College of Charleston
Gillian Lovett, Mainland Reg. [30th], La Salle
Ava Thomas, Haddonfield [32nd], Columbia
Anya Kazemi, Bishop Eustace [63rd], Lafayette
Riley Slootsky, Haddonfield [65th], Elon
Michaela Schlemo, Egg Harbor Twp. [71st], Rutgers
Anna Stolarick, Haddonfield [74th], Holy Cross

As we get closer and closer to the World Under-20 Championships in Peru next week, we’re learning more and more about what Premier Wynn’s event looks like.

We don’t have heat sheets yet, but World Athletics did release entry lists, and they show that Wynn is the No. 10 seed among all intermediate hurdlers in the world who don’t turn 20 this year.

To download the complete entry list *.pdf, click here.

Wynn, a 2023 Pennsauken High School graduate, is ranked 16th in the world in the Under 20 division, but six of the hurdlers ahead of him aren’t competing in Lima.

Wynn PR’d at the USATF Under-20 Championships in Eugene, Ore., in June, with his 50.58 for 2nd place behind Vance Nilsson of Gilbert (Ariz.) High School. Nilsson, a Florida signee, ran 50.23 in Eugene and then PR’d with a 49.77 at the U.S. Olympic Trials on the same track.

Wynn is a rising sophomore at Norfolk State, where he was runner-up in the 400 hurdles at the MEAC Championships in Norfolk behind Howard senior Noah Langford, who edged Wynn 50.57 to 50.72. Wynn went on to compete at the NCAA Championships in both the intermediates and on Norfolk State’s 1,600-meter relay team.

Since he hasn’t raced since USATF Under-20’s more than 2 ½ months ago, Wynn has been training at Pennsauken with high school teammate Bryce Tucker, who ranked 18th in the world on the Under-20 400 hurdles list. Tucker won the Big 10 Championships with his PR 50.61 in May in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Wynn and Tucker were the 6th- and 7th-fastest freshmen in NCAA Division 1 this year.

The 20th edition of World Under-20 Championships are scheduled for Tuesday through Saturday next week at Estadio Atlético de la Videna in Lima, Peru.

The intermediate hurdles trials are scheduled for 11:05 a.m. EST on Wednesday, Aug. 28, with a semifinal round at 5:05 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 30 and then a final at 5:45 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31.

Here’s a look at every Under-20 hurdler who’s run sub-51 this year. An asterisk indicates they’re scheduled to race in Lima:

*49.57 … Njabulo Mbatha [South Africa], April 19, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
*49.77 … Kyuo Kikuta [Japan], June 28, Niigata, Japan
*49.77 … Vance Nilsson [U.S.], June 28, Eugene, Ore.
49.77 … Syota Fuchigami [Japan], Aug. 18, Fujiyoshida, Japan
*49.87 … Jonathan Frazier [U.S.], May 12, Boulder, Colo.
*49.88 … Daniel Wright [Jamaica], June 28, Kingston, Jamaica
*49.89 … Michal Rada [Czech Republic], June 3, Prague, Czech Republic
*49.91 … Antti Sainio [Finland], June 11, Turku, Finland
*50.20 … Kaira Gonda [Japan], June 28, Niigata, Japan
*50.30 … Sam Lunt [Great Britain], May 26, Brussels, Belgium
50.38 …Matodzi Ndo [South Africa], March 27, Johannesburg, South Africa
50.38 … Yamata Sakai [Japan], June 28, Niigata, Japan
50.41 … Xavier Branker [U.S.], May 11, Atlanta
50.45 … Haruki Mitsuyanaga [Japan], June 27, Niigata, Japan
50.46 … Yu Hashimoto [Japan], July 30, Fukuoka, Japan
*50.58 … Premier Wynn [Pennsauken], June 13, Eugene, Ore.
*50.60 … Murad Kalubhai Sirman [India], June 30, Panchkula, India
50.61 … Bryce Tucker [Pennsauken], May 12, Ann Arbor, Mich.
*50.69 … Jingwei Guo [China], April 14, Hangzhou, China
50.73 … Jayden Douglas [U.S.], May 22, Fayetteville, Ark.
*50.82 … Xinfeng Xu [China], June 16, Daqing, China
50.85 … Ryosei Hashimoto [Japan], May 11, Tokyo
50.87 … Shamer Blake [Jamaica], May 11, Kingston, Jamaica
*50.87 … Ntiyiso Nkanyani [South Africa], March 23, Pretoria, South Africa
50.89 … Heinrich Van Der Wath [South Africa], May 23, Pretoria, South Africa
50.90 … Oratilwe Shale [South Africa], March 27, Johannesburg, South Africa
*50.91 … Maxamiliano Nuñez [Mexico], July 14, Ciudad De México
50.91 … Reiji Shirahige [Japan], July 30, Fukuoka, Japan
*50.92 … Trevoy Smith [Jamaica], June 28, Kingston, Jamaica
*50.94 … Joaquin Alonso [Spain], June 15, Spain
50.96 … Teruki Nakanishi [Japan], July 30, Fukuoka, Japan
* – competing at World Under-20 Championships

Fourteen South Jersey runners broke 17:30 at the state Group 4 cross country championships last fall at Holmdel County Park, and 11 of them were underclassmen – six juniors, three sophomores and two freshmen.

Those 11 are among the 27-fastest returners on the legendary Holmdel 5,000-meter course that will host the 52nd annual Shore Coaches Invitational on Oct. 5, the 105th annual state meets Nov. 9 and the 52nd annual Meet of Champions on Nov. 16.

Only 10 of the 11 on the list below ran their fastest Holmdel time at states. Colin Moore of Cherry Hill East is listed with his 16:52 from Shore Coaches. He ran 17:03 at states.

Of the top 50 returning South Jersey runners at Holmdel, Cherry Hill East has seven, Cherokee six and Haddonfield and Ocean City five each – although Haddonfield has four of the top 13. All four ran 16:52 or faster on the hilly, winding course.

Clearview and Williamstown have three apiece and Washington Township and Paul VI two each. Kingsway, Glassboro, Highland, Moorestown, Moorestown Friends, Delsea, Haddon Heights, Rancocas Valley, Eastern, Cinnaminson, Haddon Township, Bishop Eustace, Egg Harbor Township and Camden Catholic are all also represented. (Yes, I know it adds up to 51 … there’s a three-way tie for No. 49!).

Williamstown rising senior Dylan Saber is the fastest Holmdel returner, thanks to his 16:14 at the state Group 4 meet, one second ahead of Cherokee rising senior Liam Tindall. Kingsway soph Ryan Duffy is the only other returner who broke 16:30 last year. Duffy ran 16:19 in that same Group 4 meet, fastest ever by a South Jersey freshman and tied for 3rd-fastest by any freshman at Holmdel.

Here are the 50-fastest returning South Jersey runners at Holmdel. If you notice any errors, typos, mis-spellings or omissions, let me know in the comment section!

16:14 … Dylan Saber [Williamstown], State Group 4
16:15 … Liam Tindall [Cherokee], State Group 4
16:19 … **Ryan Duffy [Kingsway], State Group 4
16:32 … Bennett Wright [Haddonfield], Shore Coaches
16:33 … Ty Blackman [Glassboro], Meet of Champions
16:34 … *Luke Andresen [Haddonfield], Meet of Champions
16:35 … Brady Bogos [Cherry Hill East], State Group 4
16:39 … **Benjamin Realley [Cherokee], State Group 4
16:41 … *Ryan Gibson [Haddonfield], State Group 2
16:45 … Ethan Buck [Ocean City], State Group 3
16:46 … Mason Wassell [Highland], State Group 3
16:46 … *Peter Simpson [Moorestown], State Group 4
16:48 … Alvin Lin [Cherry Hill East], State Group 4
16:52 … Benjamin Andrus [Haddonfield], State Group 2
16:52 … Colin Moore [Cherry Hill East], Shore Coaches
16:56 … Dominic Burgio [Williamstown], State Group 4
17:03 … *Matthew Littlehales [Delsea], Shore Coaches
17:03 … Reggie Hernandez [Haddon Heights], State Group 2
17:05 … Benjamin Weiner [Cherokee], State Group 4
17:05 … Brandon Lyons [Cherry Hill East], State Group 4
17:06 … Ethan Worst [Clearview], State Group 3
17:08 … *Erik Praisner [Ocean City], State Group 3
17:09 … Noah Stapleton [Shawnee], Shore Coaches
17:10 … Yanni Ekatomatis [Shawnee], State Group 3
17:15 … Christian Napoli [Paul VI], State Parochial A
17:16 … Nikhil Raman [Cherry Hill East], Shore Coaches
17:16 … David Kershner [Williamstown], State Group 4
17:26 … **Keenan Neuman [Ocean City], Shore Coaches
17:29 … Akshar Patel [Clearview], State Group 3
17:29 … Isaac Linden [Moorestown Friends], Meet of Champions
17:30 … Kal Heyman [Ocean City], State Group 3
17:32 … Hunter Bostwick {Washington Twp.], Shore Coaches
17:33 … Christopher Gray [Rancocas Valley], Shore Coaches
17:34 … Ryan Haefele [Eastern], Shore Coaches
17:36 … Cole Pizzo [Cherry Hill East], Shore Coaches
17:38 … *John Liebrandt [Haddonfield], Shore Coaches
17:38 … *Jacob Wickersham [Cinnaminson], State Group 2
17:40 … Elias Knoll [Shawnee], State Group 3
17:41 … *James Clauson [Haddon Twp.], State Group 2
17:44 … Ethan Caprarola [Bishop Eustace], State Parochial B
17:47 … Zach Hutchinson [Ocean City], State Group 3
17:49 … *Milo Poerner [Cherry Hill East], State Group 4
17:50 … Sean Alemi [Paul VI], Shore Coaches
17:50 … Ryne Handley [Clearview], State Group 3
17:51 … Cam Koryga [Egg Harbor Twp.], Shore Coaches
17:51 … *Logan Bromley [Cherokee], Shore Coaches
17:51 … Joseph Dell’Aquila [Clearview], State Group 3
17:52 … Enzo Corona [Cherokee], Shore Coaches
17:53 … Sean Leahy [Camden Catholic], State Parochial A
17:53 … Joshua Baseshore [Washington Twp.], Shore Coaches
17:53 … Anthony DiBattista [Cherokee], State Group 4

Millville graduate Kaitlyn Dermen, the greatest pole vaulter New Jersey has produced, cleared 14 feet for the third time this year Saturday at the Vault Factory One More Jump Please meet in Basking Ridge.

Dermen won the event with a 14-1 ¼ clearance. Unfortunately, the results don’t show field series, so we don’t know where she placed the bar next, but Dermen set the New Jersey alumni record of 14-4 at the same facility on July 6.

She also cleared 14-1 ¼ at a meet in Washington, D.C., in June. She also had a 13-11 ¼ last month in a meet at Vault Factory.

Dermen is ranked 33rd among U.S. women.

Coming into this year, Dermen had a PR of 13-7 ¼ from the Fastrack Metro Season Opener in December of 2021 at Ocean Breeze in Staten Island.

The previous New Jersey alumni record was 14-0 ½ by Shawnee graduate Stephanie Maugham as a University of Rhode Island senior at a meet in Fresno, Calif., on April 6, 2002. Maugham – now Stephanie Colby – is still active and has set several masters vaulting records in recent years.

Dermen was an NCAA Division 3 All-America at Stockton University in Galloway Township, N.J.