From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

In his final tuneup before U.S. Nationals, Curtis Thompson won the javelin Saturday at the Ed Murphey Classic in Memphis by more than 15 feet.

Thompson threw 265-4 on his 1^st attempt and now has six of the top 12 throws by Americans this year, including his world No. 3 287-11 from March in Austin. U.S. No. 2 Mark Minichello, a former Penn thrower and 2024 NCAA champion for Georgia, was 2^ndwith a 250-0 on his final attempt.

Minichello has five of the top 12 throws by Americans this year. Donovan Banks has the other.

Thompson shoots for his 5^th U.S. title later this month at Heyward Field in Eugene, Ore. Thompson, a 2014 Florence graduate, also won in 2018, 2021 and 2023, with the 2021 and 2024 nationals serving as U.S. Olympic Trials.

Thompson is ranked No. 4 in the world with his 287-11. Minichello is ranked 47^th with a season-best 271-3 in Tucson in May. Only Banks, with a 268-9 in Tucson in May, has also thrown 260 feet this year among American men. He’s only competed in two meets this year.

USATF Nationals are scheduled for July 31-Aug. 3 in Eugene. The javelin final is scheduled for 1:20 p.m. on Day 1.

Rancocas Valley graduate Kevin Burr, who just finished his sophomore year at Tennessee, is No. 7 among U.S. men with his PR of 246-8 from Knoxville in May.

The only New Jersey men to win five U.S. titles are Carl Lewis [13], Eulace Peacock [8], Mel Shepaprd [5] and Marty Liquori [5].

and Minichello went 2-3 at 2022 U.S. Nationals, 1-3 at 2023 U.S. Nationals

Four of the best ever from South Jersey will be competing in the field this weekend in Tennessee at the Ed Murphey Track Classic, a World Athletics Continental Silver event.

The meet is scheduled for Saturday at the Billy J. Murphy Track and Field Complex in Memphis.

Here’s what to look for:

Josh Awotunde, Delsea, shot put: This will be only Awotunde’s 5^th meet this spring and his 1^st in the U.S. since May. Awotunde has a season-best of 70-2 ½ in Tucson in May and a lifetime-best 73-1 ½ when he placed 3^rd at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene. Awotunde is ranked 14^th in the world this year and 6^th among Americans. All-time, he’s 12^th among U.S. throwers. The men’s shot put is scheduled for 8:15 p.m.

Curtis Thompson, Florence, javelin: Thompson, all-time U.S. No. 3 and 2025 world No. 3 with his 287-11 in Austin in March, will square off against former Penn thrower Marc Minichello, who is U.S. No. 2 at 271-1 from May in Tucson. Thompson and Minchello currently have 10 of the 11-best throws this year by Americans. The javelin is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.

Tionna Tobias, Winslow Twp., long jump: Tobias, the former Iowa All-America, is in her 1^st season as a post-collegiate. She’s competed only twice this spring and not since late May. Tobias has a season-best 20-8 from the Armory in January but she jumped 22-9 last July in Gainesville, No. 22 in U.S. history. The long jump is scheduled for 8 p.m.

Jessica Woodard, Cherokee, shot put: Woodard is No. 27 in the world this year and No. 9 U.S. with a season-best 60-11 ½ in Tucson in May. She’s coming off a 60-10 ¾ two weeks ago in Rathdrum, Idaho. Woodard is No. 18 all-time U.S. with her 63-7 ¾ when she placed 3^rd at 2022 U.S. Nationals in Eugene, making the U.S. team for Worlds, also in Eugene. The shot put is scheduled for 6:45 p.m.

Live results will be available here on Saturday.

This was fun last year, so we’re going to do it again! Over the next few weeks, we’ll spotlight 30 athletes who excelled during the outdoor track season that we didn’t have a chance to write about extensively. We’d love to write about every athlete in South Jersey, but that’s not practical. But we will try to spotlight some who may have gotten overlooked over the past few months. We apologize in advance if we don’t get to you or your son or daughter or an athlete you coach.

Today: Gianna Shea, Mainland, Nina Fisicaro, Haddonfield

Shea and Haddonfield were tied for the No. 2 spot among New Jersey sophomore pole vaulters, each with a 10-0 clearance.

Shea had a PR of just 7-0 last year but cleared 10-0 three times indoors, including a 2nd-place at the South Jersey Group 3 Championships at the Bubble in February behind Toms River South senior Kendall Howe on fewer misses.

This spring, Shea cleared 10-0 when she repeated her 2nd-place finish at sectionals, this time behind Moorestown’s Hannah Byrd-Leitner (Moorestown is in Central Jersey indoors). Shea, the Atlantic County and Cape-Atlantic League champion, placed 11th at Group 3 states. Her 10-0 is best ever by an Atlantic County sophomore.

Fisicaro is also a sophomore but a 1st-year vaulter. She placed 2nd at South Jersey Group 2 sectionals, behind senior teammate Rebecca Hoover, and 3rd at states, behind Hoover and Ramsey senior Adrianna Graziano.

She PR’d with a 10-0 clearance at the Meet of Champions at Pennsauken, where she was the No. 2 sophomore, behind only Old Tappan’s Caroline Ognibene.

This was fun last year, so we’re going to do it again! Over the next few weeks, we’ll spotlight 30 athletes who excelled during the outdoor track season that we didn’t have a chance to write about extensively. We’d love to write about every athlete in South Jersey, but that’s not practical. But we will try to spotlight some who may have gotten overlooked over the past few months. We apologize in advance if we don’t get to you or your son or daughter or an athlete you coach.

Today: Marc Maccario, St. Augustine

Maccario won the state Parochial A 400 indoors in 51.35 and ran as fast as 50.26 at the Ott Center, which made him the 2^nd-fastest South Jersey underclassman this winter.

But he really came into his own this spring, with a series of sub-50 races culminating in a 48.33 at the Meet of Champions.

Maccario, a junior, broke 50 for the first time at the South Jersey Elite at Delsea, where he ran 49.32. He dropped to 48.63 when he won the state Parochial A race in Galloway Township, joining Sincere Rhea and Mark Sivieri as the 3^rd St. Augustine runner to win a state title.

At the Meet of Champions at Pennsauken, Maccario lowered his time to 48.33, 5^th-fastest this year among New Jersey underclassmen and fastest by an Atlantic County underclassman in 26 years, since Pleasantville’s Devon Matthews ran 48.12 at the 1999 Meet of Champions at South Plainfield. He placed 7^th overall and 2^nd among South Jersey runners, behind only winner Alexander Osayemi of Clayton.

The only faster time ever run by a South Jersey parochial A or B quarter-miler was Rhea’s 47.89 when he won 2019 Meet of Champions at Northern Burlington.

This was fun last year, so we’re going to do it again! Over the next few weeks, we’ll spotlight 30 athletes who excelled during the outdoor track season that we didn’t have a chance to write about extensively. We’d love to write about every athlete in South Jersey, but that’s not practical. But we will try to spotlight some who may have gotten overlooked over the past few months. We apologize in advance if we don’t get to you or your son or daughter or an athlete you coach.

Today:  Nia’Leila Cuascut, Washington Twp.

Cuascut made her presence known indoors, when she ran 7.54 for 55 meters, 2^nd-fastest among South Jersey freshman this past winter behind Winslow’s Jasmine Jackson. But it was outdoors where she really blossomed, showing range from 100 to 400 meters.

Cuascut ran 12.18 and 25.71 with legal wind and 59.75 and was one of only three New Jersey freshmen to run that fast for all three sprints and the only one from a public school.

It was in the 100 where Cuascut had her greatest success, placing 3^rd at South Jersey Group 4 sectionals at Pennsauken in 12.33 (after a PR 12.27 in the trials) and then taking 4^th in a hot Group 4 state meet in Somerset in another PR 12.25.

At the Meet of Champions, Cuascat PR’d again at 12.18 with a legal 1.1 tailwind, placing 12^th overall and missing the final by only 14-100ths of a second.

That 12.18 made her the fastest freshman with legal wind from Gloucester County since Williamstown’s Bria Mack ran 12.08 at 2014 South Jersey Group 4 sectionals at Egg Harbor. It’s also 3^rd-fastest in Washington Township history behind Dylan Giloley [12.04 at the 2023 Meet of Champions in Somerset] and Jackie Dim [12.10 at the 2008 Gloucester County Championships in Turnersville].

Watch out next year for Cuascut in the hurdles as well as the sprints. She only ran it once this spring – at Spartan Sprint Night at Deptford in May – but ran 15.73, fastest by a Minutemaids freshman since Andrea March ran 14.99 at the 2004 state Group 4 meet at Egg Harbor and 8^th-fastest by a New Jersey freshman this year.

She did run on Washington Township’s shuttle hurdles team, which earned All-America honors at West Philly Nationals, placing 3^rd with Cuascut and seniors Meciah Howell, Zaida Taylor and Dakota Jones. Township ran 1:00.68, 7^th-fastest in South Jersey history and a Gloucester County record.

All-Time Gloucester County 100 List
11.58 … Bria Mack [Williamstown], 2017
11.81 … Denise Liles [Kingsway], 1984
11.81 … Audrey Wilson [Deptford], 2008
11.84 … Robin Taylor [Deptford], 1980
11.85 … Dana Burnett [Willamstown], 1996
11.89 … Cecelia Gerstenbacher [Delsea], 2017
11.98 … Kiara Lester [Deptford], 2014
11.99 … Arianna Sharpe [Clayton], 2022
12.04 … Dylan Giloley [Washington Twp.], 2023
12.09 … Gabrielle Farquharson [Williamstown], 2011
12.10 … Jackie Dim [Washington Twp.], 2008
12.10 … Iyanla Kollock [Our Lady of Mercy], 2017
12.15 … Jonelle Lewis [Kingsway], 2025
12.17 … Shardae Anderson [Paulsboro], 2004
12.18 … Nia’seila Cuascut [Washington Twp.], 2025

This was fun last year, so we’re going to do it again! Over the next few weeks, we’ll spotlight 30 athletes who excelled during the outdoor track season that we didn’t have a chance to write about extensively. We’d love to write about every athlete in South Jersey, but that’s not practical. But we will try to spotlight some who may have gotten overlooked over the past few months. We apologize in advance if we don’t get to you or your son or daughter or an athlete you coach.

Today: Mandel Petiford, Cedar Creek

Petiford only compted in six major meets this year and unlike most discus throwers he doesn’t throw the shot. But when he did compete, he had terrific success.

Petiford had a 153-3 PR as a sophomore from a win at the Cape-Atlantic Championships at Bridgeton and took 3^rd at states, then improved to 163-6 as a junior, taking 5^th at states.

But he took his game to another level this spring, PR’ing for the first time with a 163-10 at the Woodbury Relays and then becoming the 6^th Atlantic County thrower ever to hit 170 feet when he threw 171-5 at the Cape-Atlantic Championships at Buena.

Petiford threw 168-2 on his 3^rd attempt to win South Jersey Group 2 sectionals at Delsea by more than 27 feet and become Cedar Creek’s first sectional discus champion. He did not compete after sectionals.

As a defensive tackle on Cedar Creek’s football team, Petiford set school records for sacks and tackles for loss, and he also played guard on offense. He’ll be a freshman on the Monmouth football team this fall.

All-Time Atlantic County Discus List
197-0 … James Plummer [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2013
191-11 … Franklin Simms [St. Augustine], 2022
185-11 … John Mooers [Middle Twp.], 2015
183-6 … Anthony Liakhnovich [Hammonton], 2025
173-2 … Darren Wan [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2016
171-5 … Mandel Pettiford [Cedar Creek], 2025
169-1 … Cade Antonucci [Holy Spirit], 2017
168-3 … Nate Karl [Hammonton], 2019
167-9 … Steve Hague [Buena], 2007
164-8 … Dontaye Rivera [Pleasantville], 2010

Florence’s Curtis Thompson had three 260-foot throws, including a 267-4, at the Neeraj Chopra Classic Saturday at Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru in India’s Karnataka state.

The meet was put on by Chopra, the 2021 Olympic gold medalist and 2024 silver medalist.

Thompson’s 267-4 on his 5^th attempt is his 4^th-best throw this year and the 8^th-best throw by an American. Thompson threw 287-11 in Austin in March, 268-11 in Ramona, Okla., in April and 268-10 in Rathrum, Idaho, last week. So his 267-4 was only 19 inches off his 2^nd-best throw this year.

Thompson now has six of the top-10 throws this year by Americans and one-time Penn athlete Marc Minichello has three others.

287-11 … Curtis Thompson, Austin, March
271-2 … Mark Minichello, Tucson, Ariz., May 24
271-1 … Mark Minichello, Gainesville, Fla., April 4
270-2 … Mark Minichello, Tokyo, May 18
268-11 … Curtis Thompson, Ramona, Okla, April
268-9 … Donavon Banks, Tucson, May 24
268-10 … Curtis Thompson, Rathrum, Idaho, July 5
267-4 … Curtis Thompson, Bengaluru, India, July 5
265-4 … Curtis Thompson, Des Moines, April 24
265-2 … Curtis Thompson, Bengaluru, India, July 5

Thompson opened with a 260-4 and a 253-5 before the 265-2 on his 3^rd throw. In the finals, he fouled, then threw the 267-4 before finishing with a foul.

Chopra won the competition with a 282-8 on his 3^rd throw.

Chopra and Thompson are No. 2 and 3 in the world this year, Chopra with a 296-0 in Dhoa, Qatar, in May, and Thompson with his 287-11 in Austin.

This was fun last year, so we’re going to do it again! Over the next few weeks, we’ll spotlight 30 athletes who excelled during the outdoor track season that we didn’t have a chance to write about extensively. We’d love to write about every athlete in South Jersey, but that’s not practical. But we will try to spotlight some who may have gotten overlooked over the past few months. We apologize in advance if we don’t get to you or your son or daughter or an athlete you coach.

Today: Ryleigh Budsock

Cherry Hill East sophomore Ryleigh Budsock followed an outstanding cross country season – she ran sub-20 at Holmdel – with a promising indoor season (5:18.93 for 1,600) before a breakout outdoor season, where she ran sub-2:20 in the 800 and 5:12 in the 1,600.

Budsock PR’d with her 5:12.05 at South Jersey Elite at Delsea and followed that with a win in the Camden County Championships at Haddon Township and a 6^th-place finish at South Jersey Group 4 Sectionals at Pennsauken. Budsock didn’t run a lot of 800s but she PR”d with a 2:19.45 at sectionals.

Budsock was the 3^rd-fastest sophomore in South Jersey at both 800 and 1,600 meters this spring behind Carly Godfrey of Ocean City and Grace Gutowski of Paul VI  on the 800 list and behind Gutowski and Godfrey on the 1,600 list.

She was one of three Cherry Hill East freshmen or sophomores to break 2:20 this year. Freshmen Maya Morgan [2:17.77] and Addison Weiss [2:19.74]  both went under at sectionals.

Budsock was East’s No. 1 runner in XC this past fall, and the Cougars placed 7^th at Group 4 states. They return Budsock and a total of six of their top seven runners, all but graduating senior Cate Feudtner.