From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

The Cherokee girls won the 3,200-meter relay Saturday at the Liberty Premier High School Invitational in Lynchburg, Va., with the 10^th-fastest time in the country this year according to the MileSplit national database.

https://www.goinguplive.com/brt/liberty-premier-high-school-invitational/meet-544/event-19/finals/event-results.html

The team of Madeline Meder, Erin Healy, Sofia Recinto and Alyssa Suriano won the 4-by-8 in 9:32.78, finishing 30 meters ahead of 2^nd-place Oakton High of Vienna, Va., which ran 9:36.63.

Meder led off in 2:24.1, followed by Healy in 2:25.8. Recinto split 2:21.8 and Suriano anchored in 2:21.8.

Cherokee’s time is No. 2 in New Jersey this year, behind only Ridgewood, which ran 9:23.13 at the Armory last weekend.

Here’s a look at the all-time Burlington County girls indoor 4-by-8 list:

9:04.66 … Lenape, 2013
9:07.27 … Cherokee, 2022
9:09.71 … Lenape, 2012
9:11.94 … Lenape, 2008
9:19.01 … Lenape, 2011
9:19.80 … Cherokee, 2023
9:21.64 … Cherokee, 2025
9:22.30 … Lenape, 2010
9:23.71 … Lenape, 2009
9:24.68 … Seneca, 2017
9:26.67 … Lenape, 2007
9:27.12 … Moorestown, 2025
9:27.22 … Lenape, 2014
9:28.7 ….. Willingboro, 2003
9:31.10 … Seneca, 2016
9:31.92 … Shawnee, 2014
9:32.78 … Cherokee, 2026
9:32.95 … Seneca, 2008
9:34.35 … Lenape, 2006
9:36.41 … Seneca, 2009
9:36.50 … Seneca, 2014
9:37.42 … Cherokee, 2024
9:46.99 … Northern Burlington, 2025
9:36.9h … Willingboro, 1998
9:37.11 … Cherokee, 2012
9:37.42 … Cherokee, 2024
9:37.54 … Shawnee, 2017
9:38.07 … Haddonfield, 2005
9:38.74 … Lenape, 2017
9:39.70 … Shawnee, 2012

St. Augustine’s Julian Onesti, a Rider freshman, ran the 3^rd-fastest 60-meter dash in Rider history Saturday in his first collegiate 60.

Onesti, 5^th-fastest in qualifying with a 6.90, ran away from the field in the final, winning with a 6.84 in the Penn Select Invitational at the Ott Center. He finished 2-100ths of a second ahead of 2^nd-place Carson Edwards of Penn and Bowie,Md.,, who was 2^nd in 6.86, and 4-100ths of a second ahead of 3^rd-place Doyin Smith of Baltimore and Morgan State, who ran 6.88.

Onesti had a high school PR of 6.96 from a meet a year ago this week at the Ott Center. The only faster times in the Rider record book are a 6.74 by Artie Burgess of Coatesville in 2024 at the Armory and a 6.81 by David Payne from Neptune in 2007 at Jadwin Gym.

Other South Jersey sprinters in Rider’s all-time 60-meter dash top 10 are Sam Aviles of Palmyra, who is No. 6 with a 6.87 in 2020 and Palmyra’s Jamaal Harris with 6.92 in 2004 and Bordentown’s Daequan Kim, who ran 6.92 in 2011, and they’re now tied at No. 10. Eastern grad Rich Hinton, who ran 6.93 in 1991, drops out of the top 10.

Onesti’s time is 3^rd-fastest in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conferene this year, behind Marist’s Amari Mathis [6.80 at Ocean Breeze last month] and Colin Brown of Sacred Heart [6.81 in New Haven last month].

Onesti, from Clementon, placed 3^rd in the 100 at the Meet of Champions this past spring with a wind-aided 10.46. He was 4^thindoors in the 55 at the MoC at Ocean Breeze with a 6.42.

Rider will be at Ocean Breeze Friday for the Gotham Cup.

Rutgers junior Tey’ana Ames from Atlantic County Tech became the fourth 50-foot shot putter in South Jersey history with a big PR at the Ott Center.

Ames threw 50-8 ¼ and placed 2^nd at the Penn Select Invitational. Her previous PR was 47-11 from the Penn Relays in April of 2024. Her previous indoor PR was 45-9 ¾ in January of 2024 in Boston.

Ames joins Worlds finalist Jessica Woodard of Cherokee [63-7 ¾ in 2021], Jamine Moton of Delsea [58-6 ¼ in 2001], Victoria Imbesi of Our Lady of Mercy [50-5 in 2012] and Sylvia Galarza of Millville [50-0 ¾ in 2008] as the 5^th 50-footer South Jersey has produced.

Her throw is 4^th-best in Rutgers indoor history, behind Jasmine Van Note from Sayreville [54-5 ¼ in New York in 2023], Alicia Campbell from Snyder in Jersey City [51-11 ¾ in Geneva, Ohio, in 2024] and Millville’s Galarza [50-0 ¾ in New York in 2008].

Ames’ throw is currently No. 25 in NCAA Division 1. Villanova junior Maria Deaviz from Souderton won the event with a throw of 53-0. Ciarra Demarest of Williamstown, a Rutgers sophomore, was 5^th at 42-7, just eight inches off her PR of 43-3 from a meet in March in Princeton.

Ames’ throw is No. 10 in the Big 10 Conference this year.

She opened with a foul and then an indoor PR 47-9 ¾ before the big 50-8 ¼ on her 3^rd throw. She added a 49-3 ¾ – her 2^nd-best throw ever – before finishing with a 45-1 ½ and a foul.

The versatile Ames has also cleared 5-7 in the high jump for Rutgers, although she hasn’t competed in the high jump since April 2024.

Washington Township’s Dylan Giloley won the 60-meter dash at the Penn Select meet Saturday and took down the nine-year-old Rider school record along the way.

Giloley, a sophomore, ran 7.55 to break the school record of 7.57 set by Tierra Taylor of Pemberton in the trials of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championships at the Armory in February 2017.

She outraced Morgan State’s Jatavia Robinson, who placed 2^nd in 7.62. Willingboro grad Nester Wea, a freshman at Towson, was 4^th in 7.67 after a 7.64 in the trials.

Giloley’s previous PR was a 7.66 also at the Ott Center in December 2024 in her first collegiate meet. She ran school-record 11.73 with legal wind and a legal 24.07 last spring at the MAAC Championships in Lawrenceville, winning the 200 and placing 2^nd in the 100.

Her time is 2^nd-fastest this year in the MAAC, behind a 7.49 by Nyasia Dailey of Quinnipiac in a meet in New Haven, Conn., last month.

The top three 60 times in Rider history have been recorded by South Jersey women. In addition to Giloley’s 7.55 and Taylor’s 7.57, Mariah Stephens from Egg Harbor Township is 3^rd all-time with her 7.60 this past February at the Armory.

Rancocas Valley senior Angelina Brown became the first Burlington County girl to clear 5-6 indoors Saturday at the Bubble in Toms River.

Brown cleared 5-6 on her 2^nd attempt at the SJTCA meet, placing 2^nd to national champion and U.S. No. 1 Egypt Bolan of Lindenwold. Bolan, who cleared 5-10 last week at the Bubble, won the competition with a 5-8 clearance on her 1^st attempt.

Her jump equals No. 13 in South Jersey history and No. 6 on the all-time Burlington County list.

Brown PR’d with the No. 3 jump in New Jersey this year. Brown cleared 5-0 once last spring but had a 5-4 breakthrough last month in Boston before PR’ing again Saturday.  She missed three tries at 5-8, which would have broken the school record of 5-7 1/4 set in 1988 by South Jersey Track Hall of Famer Tonya Lee.

Brown didn’t sprint Saturday, but she’s No. 5 in the state this year with a 7.21 also in Boston last weekend. That’s No. 2 all-time at Rancocas Valley behind Aliyah Taylor’s 7.01 at the Bubble in 2017 and  No. 8 on the all-time Burlington County list.

All-Time Burlington County High Jump List
5-8 … Carol Lewis [Willingboro], 1981
5-8 … Shatich Rivers [Moorestown], 1992
5-8 … Abby Campbell [Shawnee], 2002
5-8 … Lindsey Walsh [Lenape], 2008
5-7 ¼ … Tonya Lee [Rancocas Valley], 1988
5-6 … Sandy Tokoto [Moorestown], 1991
5-6 … Kate Beatty [Shawnee], 1997
5-6 … Patty Dudek [Bordentown], 2000
5-6 … Anna Cook [Florence], 2007
5-6 … Kelsey Evancho [Lenape], 2010
5-6 … Mary Durek [Shawnee], 2012
5-6 … Amaris Kobolak [Cinnaminson], 2013
5-6 … Kenady Wilson [Willingboro], 2018
5-6 … Bethany Biggi [Rancocas Valley], 2019
5-6 … Angelina Brown [Rancocas Valley], 2026
5-5 … Kristen Tricocci [Cinnaminson], 2003
5-4 … Connie Pollack [Rancocas Valley], 1979
5-4 … Carrie Gibb [Lenape], 1990
5-4 … Stephanie Maugham [Shawnee], 1995
5-4 … Kim Hargrove [Willingboro], 1995
5-4 … Kristina Matthews [Bordentown], 1998
5-4 … Tiffany Alford [Pemberton], 2002
5-4 … Dominique Ward [Lenape], 2002
5-4 … Laura Passalacqua [Rancocas Valley], 2004
5-4 … Latasha Leake [Northern Burlington], 2004
5-4 … Lauren Taylor [Cherokee], 2008
5-4 … Danielle Ward [Lenape], 2009
5-4 … Kristen Bradley [Shawnee], 2009
5-4 … Shaya Wilkerson [Lenape], 2011, 2016
5-4 … Nia Hinds [Burlington Twp.], 2016
5-4 … I’Mara Ford [Moorestown], 2024

All-Time Burlington County 55-Meter Dash List
6.75 … Michelle Glover [Willingboro], 1981
7.00 … Amandi Rhett [Moorestown], 2000
7.01 … Aliyah Taylor [Rancocas Valley], 2017
7.07 … Annie Johnson [Shawnee], 2012
7.07 … Magenta Taylor [Willingboro], 1999
7.14 … Nester Wea [Willingboro], 2025
7.17 … Nia Lawrence [Pemberton], 2013
7.21 … Angelina Brown [Rancocas Valley], 2026
7.22 … Maya Bolden [Willingboro], 2026
7.26 … Pam Young [Willingboro], 1982
7
7.26 … Michelle Brown [Seneca], 2008

The Winslow Township girls just missed the state record in the shuttle hurdles Saturday morning in a SJTCA meet in Toms River.

The team of sophomore Jasmine Jackson, senior Ma’Syiah Brawner, junior Justice Green and junior Cinniya Robinson won the 4-by-51.5-meter hurdles race in 32.01, 2^nd-fastest in state history and only 27-100ths of a second off the state record of 30.74 that Winslow set at the 2014 state Group 3 Relays also at the Bubble with Cidae’a Woods, Gabrielle Bennett, Brittany Preston and Torie Robinson.

Winslow’s time is No. 1 in the U.S. this year in an event that’s rarely contested outside New Jersey. The previous No. 1 was a 33.10 by Paramus Catholic last month at Ocean Breeze.

Mainland Regional placed 2^nd in 34.97 with senior Camryn DeMorat, junior Allie Thomas, senior Leyla Lorick and junior Gianna Shea.

All-Time New Jerey Shuttle Hurdles List
30.74 … Winslow Twp., 2014
32.01 … Winslow Twp., 2026
32.02 … Woodrow Wilson, 2006
32.19 … Eastern, 2019
32.34 … Millville, 2009
32.34 … Union Catholic, 2015
32.45 … Winslow Twp., 2013
32.59 … Union, 2012
32.6h … Pleasantville, 1998
32.82 … Lenape, 2008
32.88 … Pennsauken, 2000
32.89 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2009
32.90 … Woodrow Wilson, 2002
32.91 … Newark Tech, 2012
32.97 … Columbia, 2011

In just her second college meet, freshman Kendra Green from Rancocas Valley moved into the No. 9 spot on the all-time Rider indoor shot put list on Friday.

Green won the shot at the St. Thomas Aquinas Invitational at Ocean Breeze in Staten Island, N.Y., with a lifetime-best throw of 43-6 ½.

Green came into the meet with a PR of 42-8 ½ from at Delsea last spring and an indoor PR of 41-10 ½ from her first college meet, at the Ott Center last month.

But she hit 43-6 ½ on her 1st throw Friday and that held up as the winning throw. She had three other throws over 40 feet and two over 41, including a 41-10 ¼ on her final throw. She finished with the four-best throws of the competition.

Rider’s school record is 48-6 ½ set in 2007 by Wayne Valley graduate Jazmine Fenlator, who became an Olympic bobsledder after college.

Timber Creek senior Roseby Lubintus threw a big shot put PR Wednesday evening at the Bubble, winning the SJTCA meet by five feet.

Lubintus, who came into the meet with a PR of 50-8 ½ from last month at Ocean Breeze, PR’d with a 51-0 ¼ on his 2nd attempt and then threw 52-2 on his 5th.

That’s No. 2 in South Jersey this year, behind only Eastern senior Humberto Cuellar, who threw 53-3 ¾ last month at the Ott Center.

Lubintus threw 50-0 on the dot last spring in a meet at Delsea and also threw 140-2 in the discus. This is his first season of indoor track.

Lubintus’s 52-2 is No. 4 on the all-time Timber Creek indoor list, behind Matthew Huckabee [57-10 ½ in 2010], Jayson Ross [56-5 last year] and Osemwingie Asemota [54-5 ½ in 2016].

Delsea senior Matthew Littlehales ran the 2nd-fastest mile in New Jersey this yaer and 10th-fastest in the U.S. Wednesday at the Ott Center.

Littlehales won the mile in 4:15.10, equivalent of a 4:13.62 for 1,600 meters at the La Salle Winter Series meet. He won by 12 meters over senior Justin Landis of North Penn, who was 2nd in a PR 4:17.05. Littlehales took the lead on the 7th lap.

Littlehales had a huge negative-split 2:14.30 for the first 880 and 2:00.80 for the second 880, closing in 55.81 for the final 440 and 26.63 for the final lap.

The only faster time this indoor season by a New Jersey runner is the 4:14.72 that Randolph senior Kennan Byers ran at the Armory last week.

Littlehales broke Miles Schoedler’s South Jersey-record 4:09.37 last indoor season when he placed 2nd at the Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze. He finished just behind Colts Neck’s Hunter Celkupa, who ran 4:09.21 and has since graduated.

Outdoors, Littlehales ran 4:11.54 and 9:12.23.

In the same race, Haddonfield senior Benjamin Andrus ran 4:21.44, Cherokee sophomore Jack Tindall 4:23.30 and Haddonfield senior Peter Simpson 4:23.83.

The Winslow girls posted the fastest qualifying time in the 1,600-meter relay at the Millrose Games Trials Tuesday at the Armory.

Winslow earned a lane in the 118^th annual Millrose Games 4-by-4 running 3:49.68, 8^th-fastest in South Jersey history. Winslow fell just short of the Millrose Trials record of 3:48.06 set by Columbia in 2014. Their time is 19^th-fastest on the all-time state list.

Willingboro also qualified for Millrose after finishing 2^nd in 3:59.91.

The results do not specifiy who ran for Winslow and their entry lists seven possible runners. We’ll assume it was sophomore Amariah Arango, sophomore Jasmine Jackson, senior Olivia Okaro and junior Cinniya Robinson. Let us know if we’re wrong!

If that’s the correct lineup, Arango led off in 56.38, followed by Jackson at 58.00, Okaro in 57.33 and Robinson anchoring in 58.0.

Winslow’s time is No. 1 in New Jersey this year and No. 2 in the U.S., according to the MileSplit rankings behind Imhotep Institute Charter 12 of Philly, which ran 3:39.23 last month at the Ott Center.

Willingboro’s lineup is also unclear, but the Chimras used a lineup of junior Trinity Brapoh, senior Aaliyah Robinson, junior Jade Pinder and junior Maya Bolden when they ran 4:02.76 at the Armory over the weekend and it’s likely that’s the lineup that raced Tuesday.

Their time is 4^th-fastest in New Jersey this year.

The Millrose Games is scheduled for Feb. 1 back at the Armory.

All-Time South Jersey Indoor 4×4 List
3:44.74 … Winslow Twp., 2025
3:45.37 … Willingboro, 2003
3:45.89 … Winslow Twp., 2025
3:47.95 … Willingboro, 2002
3:49.07 … Camden, 1995
3:49.50 … Winslow Twp., 2024
3:49.59 … Timber Creek, 2024
3:49.68 … Winslow Twp., 2026
3:51.49 … Winslow Twp., 2017
3:52.37 … Willingboro, 2000
3:52.55 … Wilson, 2006
3:53.61 … Willingboro, 1998
3:53.81 … Paul VI, 2020
3:53.6h … Willingboro, 1999
3:53.82 … Timber Creek, 2023
3:53.97 … Rancocas Valley, 2019