From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Senior Kenady Wilson became Willingboro’s first triple winner in nine years, and the Chimera girls amassed 140 points on their way to their first sectional title in 15 years.

Willingboro outscored second-place Shore Regional 140-86.

Wilson won the high jump clearning 5-6, the long jump with a 17-4 and the triple jump at 34-6 1/4 for the Chimeras, whose last sectional title came in Central Jersey Group 3 in 2004.

Boro’s last triple winner at sectionals was Vanessa Ariently in 2000 with wins in the intermediate hurdles (1:02.24), high hurdles (14.95) and long jump (16-10 1/4).

Willingboro also had a big day from junior Mikell Dolo, who led a 1-2-3 sweep in the high hurdles with a 16.09 win and also placed third in the 100 (12.83) and 200 (26.42), and junior Tamia Welch Smith, who won the intermediates in 1:06.47, took second in the highs in 16.17 and was third in the 400 in 1:00.74.

Sophomore Balkis Lyiola won the 100 in 12.58 and was second in the 200 in 26.14 for 18 more big points.

Janea Williams took third in the 3,200 (12:31.79) and sixth in the 1,600 (5:53.10), freshman Aleshia Mendex ran 1:01.70 and 2:25.32 for fifth in the 400 and fourth in the 800, sophomore Gloria Hughes took third in the highs at 16.69, and sophomore Shamaryah Sykes  was sixth in the discus with a throw of 87-4.

Willingboro also won the 4-by-100 in 51.40 and 4-by-400 in 4:06.15 and placed third in the 3,200-meter relay. Names are not available yet for the 4-by-1 and 4-by-4. Freshman Aleshia Mendez, junior Syedah Younis, Williams and Smith ran on the 4-by-8 team, which ran 10:57.57.

In addition to Wilson and Ariently, other Willingboro triple winners at sectionals since 1985 are:

–> Kim Hargrove in SJ-4 in 1996 (11.8 in 100, 24.5 in 200, 5-4 in high jump).
–> Shakira Rutherford in SJ-3 in 1999 (25.2 in 200, 57.3 in 400, 1:03.6 in 400IH).
–> Okechi Ogbuokiri in SJ-3 in 2003 (24.4 in 200, 55.0 in 400, 2:15.9 in 800),
–> Brittnee Bynoe in CJ-3 in 2004 (2:15.15 in 800, 5:04.51 in 800, 1:04.10 in 400IH).

The Willingboro girls have won eight sectional titles in all – 1980 and 1981 in South Jersey Group 4, 1984 and 1985 in South Jersey Group 3, 1992 back in Group 4, then 1999 in Group 3. Their last title was Central Jersey Group 3 in 2004.

Millville and Rancocas Valley, two of the top girls track programs in the state, locked up in an epic battle this weekend at Washington Township, and Millville emerged with a one-point win in the South Jersey Group 4 sectionals.

Millville scored 38 points in the throws and 21 in the jumps on the way to a 92-91 win over Rancocas Valley.

It’s the first sectional title ever for the Millville girls.

Freshman Bryanna Craig led the way for the Thunderbolts with wins in the 400, high jump and long jump, and junior Fatimah Owens won both weight throws with PRs in both.

Let’s take a look at how Millville did it!

100-METER DASH: Senior Malea Broome placed fourth in 12.30. 4 points.
400-METER DASH: Craig ran 56.85 for third place. 6 points.
800-METER RUN: Senior Raelynne Miller ran 2:20.33 for sixth place. 1 point.
100-METER HURDLES: Seniors Malea Broome and Brionah Patterson placed third and fifth, Broome in 14.58 and Patterson in 15.12. 8 points.
400-METER RELAY: The team of Patterson, Broome, junior Ciera Bowman and junior Zaniah Bowman ran 48.07 for second to Eastern. 8 points.
1600-METER RELAY: Millville ran 3:58.13 with the team of Patterson, Miller, Ciera Bowman and Broome for third place behind R.V. (3:53.72) and Southern Regional (3:57.08). 6 points.
HIGH JUMP: Craig cleared a personal-best 5-5 for the win, and junior Kenny’a Dunns was fifth at 5-2. 12 points.
LONG JUMP: Craig jumped 17-9 1/2 for second, and freshman Leah Ellis went 16-10 1/4 for sixth. 9 Points.
SHOT PUT: Owens and Teresa Parker went 1-2, with Owens hitting 40-3 1/2 and Parker 38-3. It was more than a two-foot PR for Owens. 18 points.
DISCUS: Owens and Parker went 1-5, Owens throwing 122-4 – more than a 10-foot PR – and Parker 107-1. 12 points.
JAVELIN: Junior Kira Parsons placed second with a throw of 125-3. Eight points.

It was a near-perfect weekend for the Haddonfield girls distance team, which scored 68 out of a possible 72 points in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 on its way to the South Jersey Group 2 title at Delsea.

As we wrote about earlier, Haddonfield swept the 1,600 on Friday, with sophomores Sarah Naticchia, Payton Weiner and Allison Colflesh all setting PRs of 5:03.26, 5:03.53 and 5:07.01.

On Saturday, Naticchia and Weiner went 1-2 in the 3,200 in 11:20.39 and 11:23.01, and junior Lilly Sirover placed third in 11:29.24 for another 24 points.

Haddonfield ran great in the 800 as well, with all three sophomore half-milers breaking 2:18. Colflesh won the 800 in a personal-best 2:15.91, Lindsay Colflesh was third in 2:17.53, and sophomore Olivia Stoner took fourth in 2:17.86.

Kudos to Pemberton senior Ariana Harrell, who was the only girl in South Jersey Group 2 to break up the Haddonfield dominance. Harrell placed second in the 800 in 2:16.46, a three-second PR and school record for the Hornets senior.

Junior Evie Andrewes, Allison Colflesh, Stoner and Sirover all ran on the winning 3,200-meter relay team, which ran 9:43.95.

Haddonfield won the South Jersey Group 2 team title 117-76 over Delsea, with exactly two-thirds of their points (78 of 117) coming in the 800, 1,600, 3,200 and 3,200-meter relay.

But the Lady Bulldogs’ distance team certainly had plenty of help!

Junior Grace Kegler (15.81) and senior Jennifer Scott (16.20) went 3-6 in the high hurdles, junior Julia Mora-Coffey took fifth in the intermediates (1:09.46), sophomore Robin Rosen and junior Rachel Bonnet tied for fourth in the high jump at 4-10, Scott (10-6) and Rosen (9-6) went 2-3 in the pole vault and sophomore Yelena Talley placed third in the long jump (16-10 1/4).

The sectional title is Haddonfield’s 19th, most by any girls program in the state. The only program to win more is the Metuchen boys, who won 26 from 1970 through 2016 in Central Jersey Group 1 and 2, including 16 straight from 1993 through 2008.

Among girls programs, Columbia and Metuchen both had 17 sectional titles going into this weekend.

Haddonfield won Group 1 in 1983, 1984 (tying with Kingsway), 1989, 1993, 1994, 1998 and 1999 and has won Group in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018 and 2019.

It had been 46 years since Deptford won a sectional title. The Spartans left little doubt that they were going to end that drought this year.

Led by its deep sprint and hurdles team, Deptford piled up 114 points and won the 2019 South Jersey Group 3 sectional title by 47 points over Mainland Regional.

It was Deptford’s first team title since 1973, when the Spartans won Group 4. Their only other titles came in 1970 and 1971 in Group 3.

Let’s take a look how they did it:

Led by junior Donovan Clement and seniors Khion Smith and Donnie Scott, Deptford scored a whopping 46 points in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes and 400-meter relay.

Clement placed second in both the 100 (10.94 after a 10.79 in the trials) and 200 (22.62) and joined Smith, Scott and junior Richeid Fawkes on the winning 400-meter relay team, which clocked 42.83. Smith also placed third in the 100 and 400 (11.03, 49.62) and sixth in the 200 (22.96), and Scott meddled in both sprints along with his relay leg.

Naseem Smith ran a fast 14.17 to win the 110 highs, Marcel Washington cleared 6-4 to win the high jump and James Lynch went over the bar at 14-0 to win the pole vault

Senior Tyrece Brown was busy, taking second in the 400 intermediates (55.28), third in the 110 highs (15.09) and fourth in the 400 (49.98) along with a leg on the second-place 4-by-400 team (3:24.26).

Amadu Jalloh placed third in a deep 800 race in 1:58.03 and ran legs on both the second-place 4-by-4 and the fourth-place 4-by-8 (8:09.48), junior Philip Sedalis took sixth in the 800 (1:59.43) and also ran on both the 4-by-4 and 4-by-8.

Soph Juian Rodriguez placed fifth in the intermediates in 58.71 and ran on the 4-by-8 team, sophomore Stephen Rios contributed a 4-by-4 leg and sophomore Kevin Eli ran a 4-by-8 leg.

Deptford graduate Tyler Garland, a sophomore at Rowan, placed third in the 110-meter high hurdles Saturday at the NCAA Division 3 track championships outside Cleveland.

This is Garland’s first All-Amerca honor and the eighth time in the last nine years a Rowan high or intermediate hurdler has earned All-America status.

Overall, this is the 18th time a Glassboro State or Rowan University high hurdler has earned All-America honors at NCAA Division 3 nationals!

Running into a 0.8 wind, Garland ran 14.40, finishing just 3-100ths of a second behind winner Connor Troyer of Mount Union.

Eddie Mahana of St. John Fisher also ran 14.37, finishing 1-100th of a second behind Troyer (14.366 to 14.367). Troyer and Mahana are both juniors.

Garland’s PR is 14.28 from the All-Atlantic Champions with a 1.0 assisting wind. This was his first outdoor NCAA meet. He was 15th indoors at 60 meters this past winter.

Let’s take a look at the remarkable history of the Glassboro State / Rowan men in the high hurdles at the NCAA Division 3 Championships:

1980: Leon Devero, 1st, 14.42
1980: Clayton Davis, 6th, 14.90
1981: Garry Moore, 1st, 13.96
1981: Leon Devero, 4th, 14.22
1981: Clayton Davis, 5th, 14.40
1982: Garry Moore, 1st, 13.99
1982: Robert Beamon, 2nd, 14.22
1983: Stanley Moore, 1st, 14.01
1983: Anthony Abicca, 3rd, 14.69
1984: Robert (Beamon) Abdullah, 1st, 14.40
1985: Jason Mouring, 3rd, 14.39
1986: Jason Mouring, 6th, 14.68
1987: Jason Mouring, 3rd, 14.54
1996: Linval Lewis, 5th, 14.64
2015: Dave Benjamin, 3rd, 14.00
2017: Dave Benjamin, 2nd, 14.19
2018: Bobby Cooks, 3rd, 14.24
2019: Tyrone Garland, 3rd, 14.40

The Rowan women, seeded seventh going into the final, ran 46.85 and placed fifth in the 400-meter relay Saturday at the NCAA Division 3 Track Championships outside Cleveland.

The top-eight finish earns All-America honors for the four Rowan sprinters, including Timber Creek graduate Myiah Sturdivant, a sophomore who anchored the Rowan relay team after carries by sophomore Sidney McLeod-Whitener of Friends Central in Philly, junior Aaniyah Robinson of Passaic County Tech and junior Darielle Cross of Matawan.

Rowan finished behind only Loras (46.30), Rhode Island College (46.33), Emory (46.37) and George Fox (46.61) and just missed the school record of 46.56 set by the 2016 team that also included McMillan and placed third at nationals in Indianapolis.

Rowan was only seeded 14th going into nationals with its 47.64 from the All-Atlantic Championships in Cortland, N.Y., earlier this month. But the Profs 47.22 in the trials setting up

This is the seventh time Rowan has earned All-America honors in the 400-meter relay at NCAA D-3 nationals and fourth in the last seven years.

Here’s a look at all seven with their high school (other than Nasirah Mitchell, whose high school I can’t locate):

1991: 3rd, 48.13 – Marketa Morse [Newark West Side], Rona Henderson [Freehold Boro], Euridee McCormick [Paulsboro], Karen Corsey [Deptford]

1992: 3rd, 47.65 – Nasirah Mitchell, Rona Henderson [Freehold Boro], Marketa Morse [Newark West Side], Karen Corsey [Deptford]

1994: 6th, 48.91 – Marketa Morse [Newark West-Side], Rona Henderson [Freehold Boro], Marcia Baker [Newark West Side], Karen Corsey [Deptford]

2013: 4th, 46.99 – Shailah Williams [Pemberton], Jamie Thompson [South Brunswick], Shantel Beckford [Piscataway], Brianna Crofton [Delsea].

2016: 3rd, 46.56 – Shailah Williams [Pemberton], Aspen McMillan [South Brunswick], Ebonique Jones [William Penn], Lexxus Matos [Camden Catholic]

2018: 7th, 47.28 – Aaniyah Robinson [Passaic County Tech], Aspen McMillan [South Brunswick], Sidney McLeod-Whitener [Friends Central], Darielle Cross [Matawan]

2019: 5th, 46.85 – Sidney McLeod-Whitener [Friends Central], Aaniyah Robinson [Passaic County Tech], Darielle Cross [Matawan], Myiah Sturdivant [Timber Creek]

Juniors Nylah Perry and Janeya Hammond gave Winslow a fast 1-2 finish in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles Friday at the South Jersey Group 3 Championships at Delsea.

Perry edged her teammate, running 1:02.00, with Hammond second in 1:02.27. Nobody else was under 64 seconds.

Perry and Hammond both lowered their PRs over a second, from 1:03.57 for Perry and 1:03.37 for Hammond.

Both times are top-10 in New Jersey this year, No. 5 for Perry and No. 10 for Hammond, even though she’s only 27-100ths of a second back. It’s a crowded field!

They’re No. 1 and No. 4 in South Jersey, separated by Paul VI’s Aliya Rae Garozzo (1:02.15) and RV’s Brianna Snowden (1:02.22), who both also PR’d in their sectional races.

Winslow became the first public school with two girls under 1:02.3 since 2007, when Shana-Gaye Tracey (59.49) and Judith Riley (1:00.35) did it for Manchester Township.

They’re the first South Jersey school to accomplish that rare feat since Winslow in 2006, with Krystal Cantey (1:00.05) and Asia Davy (1:01.66).

Union Catholic did it with Olympian Sydney McLaughlin (55.28) and Alana Herran (1:00.93) in 2015.

Hammond and Perry also finished second and third in that fast 400 behind Dennisha Page’s meet-record 54.41. Hammond ran 57.46, which is a PR, and Perry ran 57.58.

That’s 32 points in one day for Hammond and Perry!

Winslow also got huge points Friday from Tionna Tobias (2nd in 100 in 12.40, 2nd in long jump at 18-7) and Jaia James (3rd in 100, 12.67) and the 3,200-meter relay team of freshmen Victoria Campbell and Charle Dutton and seniors Nicole Hood and Alexandria Morrison, which placed second in a season-best 9:54.72.

Also sophomore Shevell Higgs jumped 17-0 3/4 for fifth in the long jump.

Going into today’s Day 2, Winslow led Wilson 64-38. Winslow has won six straight sectional titles. One more would tie Woodbury’s South Jersey record of seven straight set in Group 1 from 1976 through 1982.

What a show the Haddonfield girls put on Friday in the South Jersey Group 2 1,600-meter run at Delsea!

For the fifth time in the last 20 years, Haddonfield recorded a 1-2-3 sweep in the SJ-2 1,600. Sophomores Sarah Naticchia, Payton Weiner and Allison Colflesh turned the trick this year, all running personal bests.

Naticchia ran 5:03.26, Weiner 5:03.53 and Colflesh 5:07.01 for the maximum 24 team points in one event.

Those are the No. 1, 2 and 5 times by South Jersey milers this year. Delsea sophomore Carly Nicholson took fourth with a PR of her own at 5:08.45 on her home track, her first time under 5:10.

Naticchia is undefeated in the 1,600 this year and has lowered her PR in all seven major 1,600s she’s run since the indoor season began — starting with a 6:02.67 just six months ago in her first lifetime competitive race.

A week earlier, Naticchia all PR’d in the 800, Naticchia in 2:15.79, Weiner with 2:17.64 and Colflesh at 2:17.60. Soph Lindsay Colflesh ran 2:16.45 that day. Those are four of the top seven times in the state this year going into today’s 800 races at the various sectional sites.

Let’s take a look at the other Haddonfield 1,600 sweeps at sectionals since 2000:

–> In 2000, Erin Donohue [4:57.2], Holly Cornett [5:11.3] and Erin O’Donnell [5:16.3] took the top three spots.

–> In 2007, Marielle Hall won in 5:20.09, with Alyssa D’Orazio second [5:20.47] and Lizzy Sikkema third [5:23.38].

–> In 2008, Hall [5:16.13], Sikkema [5:17.16] and Mia Spinelli [5:17.28] pulled off the sweep.

–> In 2014, freshman Briana Gess won the race in 4:58.72, with senior Shelby Cain second in 5:07.44 and freshman Kaitlyn Bonnet third in 5:07.83.

We think these are the 12 Haddonfield girls who’ve run under 5:10. Anybody missing?

4:41.16 … Erin Donohue, 2000
4:45.97 … Briana Gess, 2014
4:48.73 … Marielle Hall, 2010
5:03.26 … Sarah Naticchia, 2019
5:03.53 … Payton Weiner, 2019
5:05.42 … Kaitlyn Bonnet, 2014
5:07.01 … Allison Colflesh, 2019
5:07.44 … Shelby Cain, 2014
5:07.85 … Vanessa Wright, 2005
5:08.53 … Susie Cook, 1998
5:08.80 … Elizabeth Sikkema, 2008
5:09.50 … Mia Spinelli, 2009

The Willingboro boys scored an astounding 78 points on Day 1 of the Central Jersey Group 1 Championships at Howell.

Official team scoring wasn’t available Thursday night, but it looks like Middlesex is in second with 26 points and Burlington City one point back with 24.

Willingboro, which has bounced around various groups and in both South and Central Jersey, last won a Central Jersey sectional title in 2005, when it won its second straight CJ-3 title in Franklin Township. Willingboro won South Jersey Group 2 last year.

In all, Willingboro has won 18 sectional titles, 16 of them in South Jersey and the two in Central Jersey. That’s most of any South Jersey boys program.

The Chimeras on Friday scored 20 points in the high jump, 14 each in the 400 and intermediate hurdles, 11 in the triple jump, 10 in the discus and nine in the 100.

In the intermediates, senior Jayire King won [57.03] and senior Dinonn Capp was fourth [1:00.21], and in the 100, senior Zaire Clements [11.16] and freshman Jaylen Young [11.36] was sixth. Senior Elijah Valmon, King and Young went 2-4-5 in the 400 in 50.71, 51.48 and 52.37.

In the field, senior Emmanuel Lewis III won the discus at 151-4, juniors Kameron Smith and Nate Robertson went 1-2 in the high jump, both clearing 6-2, and freshman Anaias Hughes was fifth at 5-6. Robertson also won the triple jump at 43-10 and junior Dontavis Wilson was sixth at 40-2 1/4.

And 10 events to go!

Kingsway senior Orion Joyner demolished the South Jersey Group 4 meet record in the triple jump Friday on his way to the No. 5 mark in South Jersey history.

Joyner added more than a foot and a half to his PR of 46-5, which he recorded at indoor Easterns at the Armory in February, where he placed second to Meldon Grant of Manhasset. His previous outdoor PR was a 45-9 at the Woodbury Relays last month.

Joyner broke the S.J.-4 meet record of 47-4 1/4, set in 2015 by the late Zakiyy Williams of Rancocas Valley. RIP, Zakiyy!

Joyner’s mark is No. 26 in state history and No. 5 in South Jersey history. Four of the top six marks in South Jersey history have been recorded by Gloucester County jumpers:

50-9 1/4 … Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], 2018
48-3 1/4 … Ryan Chance [Glassboro], 2009
48-1 1/4 … Orion Joyner [Kingsway], 2019
48-0 … Josh Butler [Delsea], 2006

Mubeen Momodu of Egg Harbor was also above Williams’ former meet record with a 47-9 jump. That’s No. 8 in South Jersey history and breaks the Atlantic County record of 46-2 1/2 set in 2012 by Darnell Charles of Oakcrest. Momodu added more than three feet to his previous PR of 44-3, set at the South Jersey Invitational earlier this month.

Joyner also placed fifth in the 400-meter hurdles with a 57.38, another personal best.

ALL-TIME N.J TRIPLE JUMP LIST
50-9 1/4 … Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], 2018
50-6 3/4 … Dominique Irons [Haddon Heights], 2013
50-5 … Chris Phipps [Lodi], 2008
50-3 1/4 … Dodley Thermitus [Elizabeth], 2016
50-2 1/2 … Eric Bethea [Piscataway], 2015
50-1 1/2 … Myles Hartsfield [Sayreville], 2014
50-0 1/4 … Devon Bond [Trenton], 2007
49-11 1/2 … Devin Jones [Boonton], 2010
49-5 … Jon Pitt [South Brunswick], 2013
49-4 3/4 … Tiquan Underwood [Notre Dame], 2005
49-1 1/4 … Rolston Braithwaite [Trenton], 2008
49-0 1/2 … Anthony DiCosmo [Paramus Catholic], 1995
49-0 … Nadale Buntin [J.P. Stevens], 2018
48-10 1/2 … Larry Russell Jr. [Timber Creek], 2015
48-10 … Adam Bergo [Westfield], 2008
48-3 1/4 … Richmond Shasha [Hamilton West], 2018
48-3 1/4 … Ryan Chance [Glassboro], 2009
48-3 … Barden Adams [West Orange], 2014
48-2 1/2 … Kyle Lindsey [Paterson], 2006
48-2 1/2 … Tyrell Judson [Piscataway], 2013
48-2 1/4 … Bernard Hoover [Hasbrouck Heights], 2004
48-2 … Craig Halyard [Ridgewood], 1989
48-2 … Emeke Eze [Sayreville], 2012
48-1 1/2 … Sean Wimbush [Teaneck], 2011
48-1 1/2 … Malik Snead [Hamilton West], 2015
48-1 1/4 … Aaron King [Morris Hills], 2007
48-1 1/4 … Orion Joyner [Kingsway], 2019
48-0 1/4 … Gerald Spears [Teaneck], 1989
48-0 1/4 … Darius Pemberton [Hackensack], 1992
48-0 … Josh Butler [Delsea], 2006
48-0 … Kevin Bostick [Bergen Catholic], 2008
48-0 … Dean Uduh [Columbia], 2015

Here’s the all-time South Jersey list:
ALL-TIME SOUTH JERSEY TRIPLE JUMP LIST
50-  9 1/4 … Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], 2018
50-  6 3/4 …. Dominique Irons [Haddon Heights], 2013
48-10 1/2 … Larry Russell [Timber Creek], 2015
48-  3 1/4 … Ryan Chance [Glassboro], 2009
48-1 1/4 … Orion Joyner [Kingsway], 2019
48-  0 ………. Josh Butler [Delsea], 2006
47-  9 1/4 … Marcus Edghilll [Pemberton], 1981
47-  9 ……… Mubeen Momodu [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2019
47-  7 1/2 … Mikhail Micheaux [Eastern], 2014
47-  6 1/2 … Chris Roundtree [Haddon Hts.], 2009
47-  5 1/2 … Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], 2017
47-  5 ……… Steven Brown [Penns Grove], 2009
47-  4 3/4 … Cheo King [Woodbury], 2017
47- 4 1/2 … Zakiyy Williams [Rancocas Valley], 2017
47-  4 ……… Tristan Wilson [Delsea], 2014
47-  3 1/4 … Antwan Dickerson [Pennsauken], 2013
47-  3 ……… Mike Baker [Cherry Hill West], 1976
47-  0 1/4 … Earnest Daniel [Kingsway], 2017