From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Timber Creek junior Ryan Jennings moved into the all-time Camden County top-10 in the 55-meter dash Saturday with a huge PR at the Coaches Hall of Fame Invitational at the Armory in Manhattan.

Jennings came into the meet with a PR of 7.25 from last year’s Ocean Breeze Freedom Games. She lowered it to 7.16 in the trials Saturday and then popped the 7.04 in the final, placing 2nd to Elise Cooper of McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Md. Cooper – 2nd at 200 meters and 4th at 100 meters at the USATF Under-20 Championships in Eugene this past July – won the race in a U.S. No. 1 6.95.

Jennings’ 7.04 is No. 1 in New Jersey so far this year and No. 6 nationally, according to the MileSplit database.

It’s No. 12 in South Jersey history and No. 6 on the all-time Camden County list. She’s just 4-100ths of a second off the all-time South Jersey top-10.

South Jersey girls placed 2-3-4 in the race, with Jennings’ teammate, senior Naylah Jones – the Meet of Champions 100 champ this past spring – taking 3rd in 7.15.

Jennings and Jones teamed up with two other Timber Creek sprinters – the results don’t say who – to place 2nd in the 800-meter relay in 1:43.22, fastest so far this winter by a New Jersey school. Woodlawn of Gwynn Oak, Md., won the race in 1:43.10.

All-Time South Jersey 55-Meter Dash List
6.73y … Michelle Glover [Willingboro], 1981
6.88y … Patti Dunlap [Camden], 1979
6.91 … English Gardner [Eastern], 2010
6.95 … Bria Mack [Williamstown], 2017
6.95 … Torie Robinson [Winslow Twp.], 2014
6.95 … Denise Mitchell [Edgewood], 1983
6.98 … Lauren Princz [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2020
7.00 … Amandi Rhett [Moorestown], 2000
7.00 … Iyanli Kollock [Our Lady of Mercy], 2017
7.00 … Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], 2023
7.01 … Aliyah Taylor [Rancocas Valley], 2017
7.04 … Ryan Jennings [Timber Creek], 2024
7.05 … Dana Burnett [Williamstown], 1996
7.06 … Jailya Ash [Eastern], 2019
7.07 … Aliya Harrison [Sterling], 2018
7.07 … Dennisha Page [Woodrow Wilson], 2019
7.07 … Annie Johnson [Shawnee], 2012
7.07 … Audrey Wilson [Deptford], 2009
7.07 … Magenta Taylor [Willingboro], 1999
7.07 … Angela Clyburn [Egg Harbor Twp.], 1991
7.08 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 2023
7.09 … Ste’yce McNeil [Winslow Twp.], 2012
7.09 … Emily Carson [Haddonfield], 2013

Washington Township senior Yashahya Brown, the indoor Meet of Champions winner last year, opened his 2023-24 season with a monster race and U.S. No. 1 at the Armory Saturday in New York.

Brown won the 55-meter hurdles at the Coaches Hall of Fame Invitational in 7.13, the 3rd-fastest time in state history and only 6-100ths of a second off the state record.

Brown ran 7.21 in the trials, which eclipsed his PR of 7.22 from the finals of the Meet of Champions in March at Ocean Breeze.

Then he ran away from the field in the final, finishing two meters ahead of Anthony Waterman of DeMatha Catholic of Hyattsville, Md., who ran 7.37. Brown and Waterman placed 4th and 7th in the 110-meter hurdles in June at West Philly Nationals.

The only faster times in New Jersey history are the state-record 7.07 by Cory Poole of East Orange at 2017 Armory Nationals and the South Jersey-record 7.10 by St. Augustine’s Sincere Rhea at 2019 Armory Nationals.

Renaldo Nehemiah of Scotch Plains-Fanwood ran a national-record-tying 6.9 hand-timed several times in 1977, including at the Meet of Champions and Easterns, both at Jadwin Gym. That 6.9 converts to 7.14 using the standard Track and Field News conversion factor of .24 seconds for races less than 300 meters. Nehemiah went on to set the world record several times, including his PR of 12.93 in Zurich in 1981.

Brown also ran a PR 6.44 in the 55-meter dash and placed 2nd Donte London of Coatesville, Pa., who ran the same time. His previous PR at 55 meters was 6.66 from the trials at Easterns at the Armory in March.

That 6.44 places Brown tied for 4th on the all-time Gloucester County list and only 1-10th of a second off the county record of 6.34 set by West Deptford’s A.J. Bunton at the 2006 Malloy Stanner Games at the Armory. Brown broke the school record of 6.48, set by Clayton Crosse at a 2016 meet at the Bubble in Toms River.

Here’s a look at the all-time Gloucester County 55-meter dash top-10:

ALL-TIME GLOUCESTER COUNTY 55-METER DASH TOP-10
6.34 … A.J. Bunton [West Deptford], 2006
6.38 … James Brown [Glassboro], 2009
6.43 … Anthony Averett [Woodbury], 2013
6.44 … Thomas Hampton [Clayton], 2019
6.44 … Yashahya Brown [Washington Township], 2024
6.47 … Josh Washington [Woodbury], 2019
6.48 … Clayton Crosse [Washington Twp.]. 2016
6.50 … Shawney Kersey [Woodbury], 2007
6.52 … Sean McPherson [Delsea], 2010
6.52 … Shai Mumford [West Deptford], 2014

And here’s the all-time New Jersey 55-meter hurdles list and the all-time South Jersey list:

ALL-TIME N.J. 55-METER HURDLES LIST
7.07 … Cory Poole [East Orange Campus], 2017
7.10 … Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], 2019
7.13 … Yashahya Brown [Washington Twp.], 2024
6.9h … Renaldo Nehemiah [Scotch Plains], 1985
7.18 … Sultan Tucker [Delsea], 1996
7.19 … Jermaine Collier [Trenton], 2012
7.22 … Dwight Ruff [Camden], 2001
7.22 … Isaac Williams [Willingboro], 2012
7.27 … Dwight Henry [Irvington], 2020
7.29 … Nate Harley [Pleasantville], 1996
7.29 … Danyne Brown [Camden], 1999
7.29 … Will Brown [Palmyra], 2006
7.29 … Chris Serrao [East Brunswick], 2022

ALL-TIME S.J. 55-METER HURDLES LIST
7.10 … Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], 2019
7.13 … Yashahya Brown [Washington Twp.], 2023
7.18 … Sultan Tucker [Delsea], 1996
7.22 … Dwight Ruff [Camden], 2001
7.22 … Isaac Williams [Willingboro], 2012
7.29 … Nate Harley [Pleasantville], 1996
7.29 … Danyne Brown [Camden], 1999
7.29 … Anthony Acklin [Triton], 2001
7.29 … Will Brown [Palmyra], 2006
7.31 … Anthony Vasquez [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2020
7.32 … Jon Dickey [Penns Grove], 1985
7.34 … Chais Hill [Highland], 2015
7.35 … Gerard Reynolds [Willingboro], 1990
7.36 … Bryce Tucker [Pennsauken], 2023
7.39 … Rashad Baker [Wilson], 2000
7.39 … Isaiah Lewis [Winslow Twp.], 2020

Moorestown junior Hannah Byrd-Leitner moved into the No. 3 spot in the pole vault in South Jersey history Friday with a 12-foot clearance at the Olympic Conference meet at the Bubble in Toms River.

Results do not show series info, but Byrd-Leitner’s 12-0 clearance is the No. 1 mark in New Jersey so far this winter and No. 15 nationally, according to the MileSplit natkional database.

Byrd-Leitner’s winning clearance was two feet higher than the winning height in the boys pole vault.

Coming into Friday, Byrd-Leitner had a PR of 11-7 from the Father Judge Relays in Philadelphia in April and an indoor PR of 11-6 from a meet Tuesday at the Bubble.

The versatile Byrd-Leitnr was also a sectional medalist in both the high and intermediate hurdles last year. She’s the first South Jersey underclassman to clear 12 feet since Brittany Raffo of Seneca outdoors in 2016 when she won the Meet of Champions.

Here’s a look at the four indoor 12-footers in South Jersey history:

13-5 … Danielle O’Reilly [Shawnee], 2004
12-7 … Ashley Preston [Delsea], 2018
12-0 … Jessica Kloss [Moorestown], 2004
12-0 … Hannah Byrd-Leitner [Moorestown], 2024

And the combined South Jersey all-condition 12-foot list:

13-5 … Danielle O’Reilly [Shawnee], 2004 [i]
12-7 ½ … Ashley Preston [Delsea], 2018 [o]
12-0 … Brittany Raffo [Seneca], 2016 [o]
12-0 … Jessica Kloss [Moorestown], 2004 [i, o]
12-0 … Fiona Basewitz [Collingswood], 2021 [o]
12-0 … Hannah Byrd-Leitner [Moorestown], 2024 [i]

On Friday, Gabriel Wilkins became the first 50-foot shot putter in Absegami history.

On Tuesday, he became the first 51-footer. And the first 52-footer. And the first 53-footer.

Wilkins, an Absegami senior, extended his New Jersey No. 1 mark to 53-1 Tuesday night at the South Jersey Track Coaches Association meet No. 2 at the Bubble in Toms River. His 50-3 3/4 Friday was his first throw over 50 feet.

The 53-1 looks like the No. 10 mark in Atlantic County indoot track history.

Wilkins came into last week with an indoor PR of 47-3 from South Jersey Group 3 sectionals last February at the Bubble and an overall PR of 49-5 ¾ from the Woodbury Relays in April.

He was one of the top discus throwers in the state last year, throwing 160-11 to place 2nd at Group 3 states last spring at Delsea.

That made him the No. 16 thrower in the state, the No. 5 junior, No. 7 in South Jersey and the No. 3 underclassman in South Jersey behind Glassboro’s Damere Lassiter [184-8] and Bishop Eustace’s Shawn Brady [169-1].

This is my best attempt at an all-time Atlantic County indoor top-10:

59-9 … Kofi Yamoah [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2013

58-10 … James Plummer [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2013

58-9 ½ … Dave Dixon [Mainland Reg.], 1987

58-4 ½ .. .Curtis Fitzpatrick [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2013

57-9 ½ … Dontaye Rivera [Pleasantville], 2011

57-9 … Cade Antonucci [Holy Spirit], 2016

56-11 … Nate Karl [Hammonton], 2020

55-3 ½ … Steve Hansen [Holy Spirit], 1982
53-8 1/2 … Darren Wan [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2016
53-1 … Gabriel Wilkins [Absegami], 2023

Apparently, Greg Foster is a pretty good middle-distance runner now as well as an outstanding hurdler and horizontal jumper.

Foster, a Lumberton native and Princeton sophomore, ran his first collegiate flat race Saturday in the Joe Handelman Invitational at Jadwin Gym and won the 300 in 35.26.

Foster edged teammates Chris Page, the 2022 Ivy League 400-meter hurdles champ, and John Catherman, a 10.70 sprinter. Page ran 35.31 and Catherman 35.48.

Foster hadn’t contested any track race without hurdles since his senior year at Lawrenceville Prep, when he ran a couple 100s and 200s. He hadn’t run anything over 200 meters since February of 2022, when he ran a 52.39 for 400 meters in a meet at Lawrenceville. His only prior 300 was a 39.55 at the 2019 Bishop Loughlin Games at Ocean Breeze in December of 2019.

Foster placed 1st in the long jump, 2nd in the triple jump and 4th in the 110-meter hurdles last May at the Ivy League Championships (the Heps) at Franklin Field. He has PRs of 26-1 ¾ and 50-7 ½ as well as 14.23.

He’s No. 3 in Princeton history indoors in the hurdles [7.89] and long jump [25-10]. His 35.26 is only half a second off the all-time Princeton 300-meter dash top-10. The guy at No. 10 is legendary Bridgeton graduate Royce Reed [34.74]. Outdoors, Foster has the school record in the long jump [26-1 ¾] and No. 5 in the highs. He’s about an inch off the triple jump top 10 (but only triple jumped three times last spring).

Washington Township senior Dahlia Beasley set an indoor high jump PR Tuesday at the Bubble, moving into the No. 3 spot in Gloucester County history with a 5-6 clearance. That’s No. 1 in the early going in New Jersey this indoor season.

The versatile Beasley, 3rd in the state Group 4 meet last year at 200 meters and a 55.55 400 runner, won the South Jersey Track Coaches Association meet at the Bubble in Toms River.

The only higher clearances in Gloucester County history indoors have come from Alanna Woolfolk of Clayton, the outdoor Meet of Champions winnner and indoor Easterns winner at 5-8, and Megan Kirschling of West Deptford, who cleared 5-7 in a meet at the Bubble in 2012.

Beasley does have an outdoor 5-6 clearance at a meet at Matawan in the spring of her sophomore year. Her 55.55 in the 400 at West Philly Nationals last spring is No. 7 in Gloucester County outdoor history.

Eastern senior Eva Sprewell placed 2nd with a 5-4 clearance, matching her PR from a meet last December also at the Bubble. That’s just a quarter-inch off the school record of 5-4 ¼ set by Tamika Voltaire at a meet at the Bubble in 2017. Kena Butts also cleared 5-4 for Eastern when she placed 3rd at the 2000 state Group 4 meet at Princeton’s Jadwin Gym.

All-Time Gloucester County Indoor High Jump List
5-8 … Alanna Woolfolk [Clayton], 2023
5-7 … Megan Kirschling [West Deptford], 2012
5-6 … Dahlia Beasley [Washington Twp.], 2024
5-4 … Misty Farrell [Washington Twp.], 1995
5-4 … Brooke Murray [Pitman], 1995
5-4 … Dierra Poland [Deptford], 1999
5-4 … Christina Smith [Washington Twp.], 2004
5-4 … Megan Kustera [West Deptford], 2008
5-4 … Talyah Cox [Delsea], 2014

Just three days after racing at Foot Locker Nationals, Northern Burlington junior Liliah Gordon took advantage of her cross country fitness and opened her indoor season with the 3rd-fastest time in the U.S. in the 3,200.

Gordon ran 10:56.44 Tuesday night in the SJTCA #2 meet at the Bubble in Toms River. She ran unpressed, finishing nearly a minute and a half ahead of the field

The only faster times this year according to the MileSplit database are 10:54.91 by Emma Brooke Levering of Homewood (Ala.) High in a meet in Birmingham and 10:56.34 by Abigail Anstett of Georgetown Visitation Preparatory in Washington, D.C., in a meet in Alexandria, Va.

Gordon’s indoor PR is 10:38.20 from last year’s Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze. That’s No. 6 in South Jersey history and No. 18 in state history. It was also No. 4 nationally by a sophomore.

Moorestown junior Noelia Reyes placed 2nd in an indoor-PR 12:21.29.

Former Shawnee runner Aaron Totten-Lancaster placed 5th Saturday in the 45-49 age group at the USATF Masters Championships.

The 48-year-old Totten-Lancaster, racing for the Garden State Track Club, ran 35:32.2 over 10K at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Fla.

At Shawnee, Totten-Lancaster placed 5th at the 1992 state Group 4 meet at Holmdel in 16:44 and then was 11th in the 1992 Meet of Champions on the same course in 16:34. He won the County Open 3,200 three straight years.

Totten-Lancaster served in the Army as a squad automatic weapons gunner in Company A, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment and was awarded the Silver Star for “conspicious gallantry and intrepidity in action” for his actions in combat in Afghanistan in March 2002.

 

Egg Harbor’s Anne Rutledge posted the 6th-highest pentathlon score in Monmouth history this weekend at Fast Times at Lehigh at Rauch Fieldhouse in Bethlehem.

Rutledge scored 3,185 points and placed 2nd to Lehigh’s Emma Sanford, who won with 3,329 points. Ruledge’s previous PR was a 3,091 this past February at the Colonial Athletic Association Championships in Virginia Beach.

Four of the top six pentathlon scores in Monmouth history were recorded by South Jersey athletes. Ashley Huffman, who attended Ward Melville High in East Setauket, N.Y., set the school record of 3,919 in 2007. Lenape graduate Lindsey Walsh is No. 2 at 3,563 from 2011 at Bucknell, Bridgeton’s Mary Wilks is No. 3 with a 3,292 at Bucknell in 2010, and Moorestown’s Shatich Rivers scored 3,221 at Yale in 1995. The other non-South Jersey woman in the top 6 is Michaela Reed from Manasquan High, who scored 3,229 in 2014 at Bucknell and is No. 4.

Rutledge opened with a big PR 9.29 in the 60-meter hurdles – her previous PR was a 9.56 at last year’s CAA Championships. She high jumped 4-7 ¾, just shy of her PR of 4-9 ½, and then threw 30-5 ½ in the shot, an indoort PR and only a quarter inch off her lifetime best from the outdoor CAA meet this past May in Williamsburg, Va.

Rutledge long jumped 17-0 ¾, not far off her PR of 17-6 set at the Big 5 Meet at Franklin Field this past April – the only meet she competed in last spring – and then she finished with a 2:29.01 in the 800.

This was Rutledge’s first multi in 10 months, since last year’s indoor conference meet.

Senior Gabriel Wilkins became Absegami’s first 50-foot shot putter Friday with a 50-3 ¾ PR at the initial SJTCA meet at the Bubble in Toms River.

Series info isn’t available, but Wilkins placed 2nd to Delsea junior Jonathan Harris, who threw 52-5 ½ in the season opener. Harris threw 58-4 ½ last year at Franklin Field, but the 52-5 ½ is actually an indoor PR. He threw 52-0 at Easterns in March at the Armory.

For Wilkins, the 50-footer was a big PR. He had terrific success in the discus last year, throwing 160-11 and placing 2nd at Group 2 states at Delsea, behind only Delsea senior Luke Maxwell, who threw 166-6. He was the No. 7 underclassman in New Jersey and No. 3 in South Jersey.

But his shot PR was 49-5 ¾ from Woodbury and his indoor best was 47-1 ¾ at states at the Bubble. He’s the first Atlantic County thrower to hit 50 in the shot and 160 in the disc since Holy Spirit’s Cade Antonucci, who threw 59-5 ¼ and 169-1 in 2017 as well as 220-11 in the javelin, his strongest event.