From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Washington Township’s Izzy Deal, a senior at Rowan, moved into the NCAA Division 3 top 10 in the shot put Sunday at the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championships at The College of New Jersey in Ewing.

Deal threw a lifetime-best and school-record 46-4 for her 2^nd win of the weekend. She won the javelin on Saturday.

Deal came into the meet with a PR of 45-8, which she had hit twice – once at last year’s NJAC meet in Galloway Township and again last month in Collegeville. That was the previous Rowan record as well.

She surpassed that with a 46-2 on her 3^rd attempt Sunday and then topped that with a 46-4 on her 4^ththrow. She added a 45-8 ½ on her 5^th attempt, which means she recorded the three best throws of her life on Sunday.

Her 46-4 is No. 9 in NCAA Division 3 this year and the best throw in the NJAC in 16 years, since Monique Riddick of Montclair State and Bishop Ahr High School in Edison set the meet record of 48-9 ½ in 2009 before transferring to Indiana.

Deal also won the javelin on Saturday for the second year in a row with a 128-6 throw.She’s now won eight conference titles – three at Ursinus and five at Rowan.

2021 Centennial Conference outdoors: 1^st shot put [38-4], 1^st javelin [136-6]
2023 Centennial Conference outdoors : 1^st javelin [140-5]
2024 NJAC indoors: 1^st shot put [44-0 ½]
2024 NJAC outdoors; 1^st shot put [45-8], 1^st javelin [133-9]
2025 NJAC outdoors: 1^st shot put [46-4], 1^st javelin [128-6]

Big 800 PR for Pemberton junior Isaaiah Shockley Saturday at the Burlington County League Championships at Pennsauken.

Shockley won the Patriot Division 800 in 1:56.82, dropping his PR from 1:58.73 from last year’s South Jersey Group 3 Sectionals at Delsea. He ran 1:58.79 indoors when he placed 2nd at Group 2 Sectionals at the Bubble.

Shockley’s time is 3rd-fastest in South Jersey this year, behind only Brandon Lyons of Cherry Hill East [1:53.77] and Kingsway soph Ryan Duffy [1:56.03], both at South Jersey Elite on Thursday at Delsea. It’s also 3rd-fastest in New Jersey Group 3, behind two Bernards runners – junior Brody Watt [1:55.14] and senior Michael Dooley [1:55.17].

It looks like Shockley’s time is fastest by a Pemberton half-miler since Bryant Walker ran 1:53.54 when he placed 5th at the 1983 Meet of Champions. That was the same race Willingboro’s Vance Watkins ran 1:50.8, placing 2nd to John Carlotti of Bernards.

He’s the first Pemberton runner to win a BCSL title since Ira Joseph ran 1:58.90 won the Liberty 800 in 1985.

Shockley was out in 57.56 and came back in 59.26. He finished 45 meters ahead of the field.

In her second collegiate intermediate hurdles race, Rowan freshman Nyla Jones from Timber Creek ran a PR and the 7th-fastest time in NCAA Division 3 this year on Saturday.

Jones ran 1:01.40 in the prelims of the 400 hurdles at the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championships at The College of New Jersey in Ewing. That’s the 2nd-fastest time in meet history, behind the meet-record 1:01.23 by TCNJ’s Eliza Bruncaj in the 2023 final. Bruncaj was one of two other hurdlers to run sub 63 in the trials. Emma Petrolia of Stockton ran 1:02.36 and Bruncaj 1:02.88.

That 1:01.40 is fastest in NCAA Division 3 this year by a freshman.

Jones’ ran her previous intermediate hurdles PR of 1:01.44 at South Jersey Group 3 sectionals at Delsea last May. In her only previous college 400IH race she ran 1:02.93 in Baltimore two weeks ago.

Jones also isn’t far off the Rowan school record of 1:01.33 run last year by Woodstown’s Molly Lodge in Cortland, N.Y., last May. She ran 1:01.69 in Daytona Beach, Fla., last month but did not run the intermediates Friday, instead advancing in both the 200 [25.00] and 400 [58.49].

On the 2025 NCAA Division 3 list, Jones is No. 7, one spot ahead of Lodge, who’s No. 8. Jones is also No. 20 in the 100-meter highs at 14.27 from last month in Daytona Beach. She won the highs at the indoor NJAC meet at the Ott Center in February and is scheduled to race in the final on Sunday (there were no women’s 100 hurdles trials). She’s No. 3 among freshmen in D-3.

Jones’ times are both fastest by an NJAC freshman since at least 2012, or as far back as the TFRRS database goes.

Weather permitting, the highs final will be at 2:30 p.m. and the intermediates final at 4:05 p.m.

Rowan senior Shamar Love from Bridgeton turned in a historic sprint double Saturday.

Love led all qualifiers in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes at the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championships at The College of New Jersey in Ewing.

Love ran 10.46 in the 100 trials with a legal 1.1 meters-per-second tailwind, breaking the Rowan school record of 10.56 set by Sterling graduate Jah’mere Beasley at the 2023 NJAC Championships in Mahwah. His time is No. 18 in NCAA Division 3 this year and just 4-100ths outside the top 10.

He led all qualifiers in the 200 with a 21.18, which is No. 14 in Division 3 athis year and No. 2 in Rowan history behind Beasley’s 20.91at NCAA Division 3 Nationals in Geneva, Ohio, in 2022.

Love is now one of only six sprinters in NCAA Division 3 who has run sub-10.50 and sub-21.20 this year. The others are Sam Blaskowski of Wisconsin-La Crosse [10.09, 20.33], Dylan Doss of Illinois College [10.44, 20.85], Kevin Arthur of St. John’s Minnesota [10.32, 21.04], Lucas Fadden of Grinnell [10.42, 21.10] and Jahmal Jones of Ferrum [10.27, 21.11].

Love never broke 11 or 24 seconds in high school. He began his college career at Westminster before arriving in Glassboro in time for the 2023 indoor season. That spring he won his 1st All-America honor on Rowan’s 2nd-place 4-by-1 team at NCAA Division 3 nationals in Rochester and last spring he won his 2nd when Rowan took 5th at nationals in Myrtle Beach.

Rowan has had 10 sprinters run sub-10.80 with legal wind, and six of them are currently on the team. Similarly, they’ve had 15 sprinters run sub-21.80 and six of them are currently on the team. Some 16 of 25 qualifiers in the 100, 200 and 400 are from Rowan.

Love is one of a bottomless well of Rowan sprinters from South Jersey who had huge days Saturday on Day 1 of the NJAC meet:

➡️ Evan Corcoran, Jr. [Kingsway]: Corcoran ran 21.39 to qualify for the 100 final. That’s 5th-fastest in Rowan history and drops his PR from 21.59 from last spring in Waco, Texas. He also advanced in the 100 with a PR 10.61, 3rd-fastest in school history behind Love and Beasley. His previous PR was 10.63 from last spring at Selinsgrove, Pa.

➡️ Robert McKinney, Sr. [Highland]: McKinney won his 200 heat in 21.45. He’s No. 3 in Rowan history with his 21.29 from a meet last month in Atlanta. He also ran 10.72, just off his PR of 10.71 from Atlanta.

➡️ Dominic George, Sr. [Cheltenham, Pa.]: George ran two PRs and advanced to both finals with a 21.56 and a 10.79. His previous PRs were 21.74 from last weekend and 10.85 from last month. He didn’t run sub-22 until March and he didn’t run sub-11 until two weeks ago.

➡️ Julian Conigliarto, Fr. [Delsea]: PR’d with an 10.84 to advance to the 100 final and ran sub-22 in the 200 at 21.92 but missed advancing by 8-100ths of a second.

➡️ James Coleman, Sr. [Audubon]: Advanced in both the 200 [21.74] and 400 [48.90]. Also qualifying for the final in the 400: Freshman Luke Halbruner from Ocean City [48.43], freshman Lowrentzky Ambroise [48.49], junior Jarquil Young from Sterling [49.05] and senior Samael Milevoix [49.21].

➡️ A few other top Rowan sprinters didn’t compete Saturday. Freshman Rajahn Dixon from Eastern, coming off an injury layoff, was up the road at Princeton and ran 21.62 in the 200 at the Larry Ellis Invitational, Rancocas Valley’s Masai Byrd [10.77, 22.01] didn’t compete and sophomore Eli Hendricks from Penns Grove [10.63, 21.34] was also out Saturday.

Jamir Brown, who ran the fastest indoor hurdles race in NCAA Division 3 history in December, is now the fastest outdoor hurdler in Division 3 history.

Brown, a Rowan freshman from Riverside, ran a wind-legal 13.60 in the 110-meter hurdles trials on Day 1 of the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championships at The College of New Jersey in Ewing Saturday.

That broke the D-3 record of 13.72 set in 2021 by Taylor Rooney of Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Paul, Minn., at the 2021 NCAA Division 3 Championships in Greensboro, N.C.

Brown’s previous PR was a 13.79 two weeks ago in Atlanta. The wind reading was +1.2 on his record-setting race.

Indoors, Brown ran 7.72 at Ocean Breeze, breaking the Division 3 record 7.75 set by Salisbury’s Luke Campbell in 2014 in Lincoln, Neb.

Brown’s time is fastest by any college freshman this year, including all divisions. Previous fastest was a 13.66 by Matthew Sullivan of Hinds Community College in Raymond, Miss., at a meet last month in Ruston, La.

His time is No. 25 among all U.S. men this year and 7th-fastest ever run by a South Jersey native. It’s 2nd-fastest ever by a Burlington County hurdler behind Willingboro’s Isaac Williams, who ran 13.43 at the 2016 Mt. SAC Relays in Norwalk, Calif.

Rowan had the four-fastest hurdles qualifiers for Saturday’s final. Junior Jason Agyemang ran 13.77, which would have been 3rd-fastest in D-3 history if it wasn’t wind-aided (and is 5th-fastest in any conditions), and junior Kwaku Nkrumah ran 14.17. Willingboro’s Anaias Williams tied his PR with a 14.29 with legal wind.

Brown, Agyemang, Nkrumah and Williams are currently No. 1, No. 2, No. 5 and No. 11 in NCAA Division 3 this year.

All-Time South Jersey 110-Meter Hurdles List
12.94 … Jack Pierce [Woodbury], June 22, 1996, Atlanta
13.12 … Anwar Moore [Camden], May 5, 2007, Modesto, Calif.
13.43 … Isaac Williams [Willingboro], April 16, 2016, Walnut, Calif.
13.48 … Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], May 12, 2023, Raleigh, N.C. [+1.2]
13.51 … Martin Booker [Camden], June 7, 1986, Indianapolis
13.54 … Sultan Tucker [Delsea], May 22, 2004, St-Martin, France
13.60 … Jamir Brown [Riverside], May 3, 2025, Ewing
13.77 … Jeffrey Young [Camden], May 11, 2022, Bloomington, Ind.
13.81 … Anthony Acklin [Triton], May 13, 2005, Cedar Falls, Iowa [+2.0]
13.82 … John Sease [Willingboro], March 26, 1982, El Paso, Texas
13.82 … Yashahya Brown [Washington Twp.], April 12, 2025, Tampa

All-Time Rowan Wind-Legal 110 Hurdles List
13.60 … Jamir Brown, May 3, 2025, Ewing [+1.2]
13.77 … Kwaku Nkrumah , May 25, 2024, Myrtle Beach [+1.2]
13.80 … Jason Agyemang, Myrtle Beach, S.C., May 25, 2004 [+1.2]
13.90 … Garry Moore, N/A, May 27, 1982
14.01 … Marquise Young Galloway, May 5, 2024 [+0.8]
14.01 … Stanley Moore, May 28, 1983
14.22 … Leon Devero, May 30, 1981
14.23 … David Benjamin, Philadelphia, May 26, 2017 [+2.0]
14.24 … Bobby Cooks, La Crosse, Wisc., May 26, 2018 [+1.0]
14.27 … Chase Toliver, Alliance, Ohio, May 26, 2017 [+2.0]
14.28 … Tyler Garland, Cortland, N.Y., May 16, 2019 [+1.0]
14.29 … Anaias Hughes, NJAC, May 3, Ewing [+1.2]

Pennsauken junior Sianni Wynn raced to a South Jersey record and the 5th-fastest time in state hitory in the 400-meter dash Saturday on her home track at Pennsauken.

Competing in the Burlington County Scholastic League Liberty Division race, Wynn ran 52.80, breaking the South Jersey record of 52.91 set by Seneca’s Michelle Brown at 2009 Greensboro Nationals.

The only faster times in state history were run by Olympic gold medalists Sydney McLaughlin and Athing Mu as well as Olivia Baker and Mikele Barber.

Wynn’s previous 400 PR was a 53.45 when she won the state Group 4 race in Somerset last June. Wynn has already set state indoor records in the 60-meter dash [7.29] and 200-meter dash [23.31. She’s run 11.36 and 23.57 wind-legal outdoors.

Wynn broke the Camden County record of 53.16 set by Eastern’s Natalie Dumas when she won the Meet of Champions at Pennsauken last June. That performance broke Wynn’s county record of 53.45 from states a week earlier.

Wynn also broke the Liberty Division and overall meet records of 55.26 set in 2022 by Willingboro’s Okechi Ogbuokiri.

All-Time New Jersey 400-Meter Dash List
51.87 … Sydney McLaughlin [Union Catholic], 2016
51.98 … Athing Mu [Trenton], 2019
52.46 … Olivia Baker [Columbia], 2014
52.56 … Mikele Barber [Montclair], 1998
52.80 … Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], 2025
52.91 … Michelle Brown [Seneca], 2009
53.12 … Julia Jackson [Scotch Plains-Fanwood], 2022
53.16 … Natalie Dumas [Eastern], 2024
53.0h … Stephanie Saleem [Neptune], 1985
53.45 … Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken ], 2023
53.49 … Arianna Sharpe [Clayton], 2022
53.51 … Dana Burnett [Williamstown], 1996
53.60 … Amirah Sharpe [Clayton], 2022
53.64 … Nijgia Snapp [Oakcrest], 2008
53.66 … Giselle Harris [Shabazz], 1986
53.84 … Drexel Long [Monmouth], 1991
53.90 … Taylor Aska [Union Catholic], 2024
54.00 … English Gardner [Eastern], 2006

All-Time New Jersey 400-Meter Dash List
52.91 … Michelle Brown [Seneca], 2009
53.45 … Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken ], 2023
53.51 … Dana Burnett [Williamstown], 1996
53.64 … Nijgia Snapp [Oakcrest], 2008
53.49 … Arianna Sharpe [Clayton], 2022
53.60 … Amirah Sharpe [Clayton], 2022
53.98 … English Gardner [Eastern], 2007
54.04 … Nadia Davy [Bridgeton], 1998
54.19 … Okechi Ogbuokiri [Willingboro], 2003
54.36 … Shakira Dancy [Winslow Twp.], 2018
54.41 … Dennisha Page [Woodrow Wilson], 2019
54.51 … Katrina Sye [Buena], 1998
54.62 … Audrey Wilson [Deptford], 2008
54.75 … Faleesha Dowe [Penns Grove], 2014
54.93 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2004

Rancocas Valley’s Kevin Burr, a sophomore at Tennessee, bombed a six-foot javelin PR Friday at the Big Orange Invite at Tom Black Track in Knoxville.

Burr moved into the No. 9 spot in NCAA Division 1 with a 246-8 throw on his final attempt. His previous PR was 240-1 at the Tennessee Invite last month at the same facility.

His throw makes him No. 6 in South Jersey history and No. 6 this year among U.S. men, according to the World Athletics database. World No. 1 is Florence’s Curtis Thompson at 287-11, so Burlington County has two of the top six U.S. javelin throwers so far this year.

Burr opened with a 223-6 and a 218-3 and after a foul threw 219-5 and 222-0 before his final-throw heave.

Burr improved from No. 6 to No. 5 on the all-time Tennessee performance list. His throw Friday was the best by a Tennesse javelin thrower in 11 years, since Kyle Quinn threw 256-10 at the 2014 Tennessee Relays, also in Knoxville.

Winslow sophomores Cinniya Robinson and Skhye Seamon and freshman Amariah Arango swept the top three places in the 400-meter dash Thursday night at the South Jersey Elite Invitational at Delsea leading six girls under 57 seconds, nine under 58 and an incredible 14 under 60 seconds.

Robinson won the race in 56.11, with Seamon 2nd in 56.14 and Arango 3rd in 56.44. Those times are 4th-, 5th and 7th-fastest in New Jersey this year, broken up by Winslow junior Olivia Okoro, who ran 56.33 last week at Cherokee. They’re PRs for Seamon and Arango. Robinson and Seamon are the No. 2 and 3 sophomores in New Jersey this year, and Arango is the No. 1 freshman. Robinson, Seamon, Okaro and Arango are the four-fastest this year in South Jersey.

If you made a list of the 10-fastest girls all-time from Winslow [including Edgewood], four of those 10 would be current Winslow girls, including a junior, two sophomores and a freshman

54.36 … Shakira Dancy [Winslow Twp.], 2018

54.93 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2004
55.60 … Cinniya Robinson [Winslow Twp.], 2024
55.5h … Denise Mitchell [Edgewood], 1983

55.97 … Nylah Perry [Winslow Twp.], 2019
56.06 … Ste’cye McNeil [Winslow Twp.], 2009
56.08 … Olivia Okaro [Winslow Twp.], 2024

56.14 … Flora Ahiarakwe [Winslow Twp,], 2017
56.14 … Skhye Seamon [Winslow Twp.], 2025
56.44 … Amariah Arango [Winslow Twp.], 2025

Paul VI junior Claire Magee, Maple Shade senior Crystal Benito and Timber Creek senior Ryan Jennings all ran under 57 seconds.

Magee ran a lifetime-best 56.44, lowering her PR from 56.96 from the indoor Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze. She broke the school record of 56.88 set by current Duke star Aliya Garozzo, who ran 56.88 in Glassboro in 2019.

Benito’s 56.50 drops her PR (and school record) from 58.00 from last year’s state Group 1 meet in Somerset, and it’s the top Group 1 time in New Jersey this year. How much range does Benito have? She placed 3rd at South Jersey Group 1 XC sectionals at DREAM Park in Logan Township this past fall.

Jennings ran 56.65 and while she ran slightly faster indoors – 56.56 at Ocean Breeze in January – her time is an outdoor PR. Jennings has run 6.90, 11.33 and 23.46 so she rarely runs the 400.

Also under 58 seconds were Kingsway freshman Noemi Haller [57.04], Winslow’s Okaro [57.43] and Eastern senior Samantha Osei-Kyei [57.73].

Haller is the No. 2 freshman in New Jersey this year, behind only Arango, and her time is a Gloucester County freshman record, lowering the 57.53 that Kingsway’s Thaila Cooper ran at the 2012 Meet of Champions at Old Bridge. Osei-Kyei dropped her PR from 58.53 indoors at the Armory in March to 57.73.

Also under a minute: Burlington Township junior Laila Fairweather [10th in 58.59], Atlantic City junior Taison Parker [11th in 58.89], Winslow sophomore Tristan Hughes [12th in 58.91], Rancocas Valley junior Rhyann Roseboro [13th in 59.21] and Moorestown senior Sarah Brown [14th in 59.56]. All are PRs.

Fairweather is the Falcons’ fastest quarter-miler since Nia Hinds ran 57.70 at 2016 Central Jersey Group 3 Sectionals in Mansfield Township. Parker’s 58.89 is a school record, breaking her own mark of 59.14 from last year’s Atlantic County Championships at Buena. Hughes’ 58.91 is an outdoor PR, but she did run 58.56 at the Armory in March. Roseboro’s 59.21 is a PR, and Brown also ran slightly faster indoors [59.46 at Group 3 States at the Bubble], but the 59.56 is an outdoor PR and not far off the school record of 58.38 set at the 1999 state Group 3 meet by Danielle Lyons in South Plainfield.

Robinson, Seamon, Okaro, Arango, Magee, Benito, Jennings, Clayton senior Leila Ortiz [57.18], Willingboro senior Nester Wea [57.60] and Osei-Kyei are ranked 4, 5, 6, =7, =7, 9, 10, 12, 15, 17 and 19 in New Jersey this year.

Salem senior Anthony Parker smashed the Salem County long jump record Thursday at the South Jersey Elite Invitational at Delsea.

Parker had three jumps over 23 feet, including a 23-9 on his final attempt. The previous Salem County record was 23-3 by Kimere Brown of Penns Grove when he won the 2014 state Group 1 title at South Plainfield.

Parker opened with a 22-4 ½, just half an inch off his lifetime-best 22-5 from the indoor Meet of Champions in March at Ocean Breeze. He topped that on his second jump, going 23-2 ¼. After a 22-10 and a foul, he hit 23-2 on his 5th jump before smashing the county record on his 6th and final attempt.

On his five legal jumps, Parker averaged 23-0 ¾. Parker’s 23-9 is No. 20 in South Jersey history but only 4 ½ inches outside the all-time top-10.

Mainland senior Josiah Williams, Egg Harbor senior Jake Karp and Mainland sophomore Dallas Rowell also jumped 22-8 or better. They’re now No. 1, 2 and 3 in New Jersey.

Williams placed 2nd with a PR 23-4 ¾ – also on his final jump. That’s No. 5 in Atlantic County history. His previous PR was 22-10 ½ last month at Woodbury. Williams also had jumps of 22-5 ½, 22-9 ½ and 23-3. He was also 2nd in the 110-meter hurdles in a PR 14.66, and he won the triple jump at 46-1 ½, just off his PR 47-2 ¼, also from Woodbury. He’s now No. 11 in New Jersey in the hurdles and No. 4 in the triple jump in addition to No. 1 in the long jump.

Karp doesn’t compete indoors and is only in his second year of track, but he increased his long jump PR from 21-2 ¾ at last year’s Atlantic County Championships at Buena more than a foot and a half to 22-9 ¼. He also had a 22-6 in his series.

Rowell’s 22-8 makes him the top sophomore in New Jersey and the No. 1 sophomore ever from Atlantic County. Malachi Melton of Cedar Creek jumped 22-6 ½ at the 2018 Cape-Atlantic Conference Championships at Bridgeton.

26-8 ¼ … Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1979
25-2 …….. Anthony Averett [Woodbury], 2012
25-1 ½ … Gerard Reynolds [Willingboro], 1990
25-0 …….. William Spearman [Woodrow Wilson], 1996
24-11 ¼ … Anthony Miles [Winslow Twp.], 2002
24-8 ….….. Isaac Samuels [Willingboro-Kennedy], 1983
24-5 ….….. Mike Morrison [Willingboro], 2003
24-4 ¼ ……. Ahmad Fogg [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2023
24-3 ¾ … Mikhail Micheaux [Eastern], 2013
24-1 ½ … Mike Boone [Burlington City], 1990
24-0 ½ … Kerry Vivett [Edgewood], 1984
23-11 ¾ … Rece Englehardt [Moorestown], 2024
23-11 ½ … Syteek Farrington [Camden], 2009
23-11 ….….. Preston Beckley [Eastern], 1993
23-11 ….….. Nick Brown [Bridgeton], 1999
23-10 ¾ .. Bob Schuenemann [Collingswood], 1932
23-10 ¼ … Ben Liles [Kingsway], 1992
23-10 …….. Jerry Mathis [Willingboro], 1985
23-10 …….. Steve Harper [Atlantic City], 1993
23-9 ……… Dave Klemic [Mainland Reg.], 1996
23-9 ……… Robert Jordan [Millville], 1999
23-9 … Anthony Parker [Salem], 2025
23-8 ¾ … Jamir Brown [Riverside], 2024
23-8 ½ … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1983
23-8 ½ … Bill Mobley [Eastern], 1990
23-8 ½ … Lamar Sturdivant [Woodbury], 1996
23-8 ½ … Sean McPherson [Delsea], 2010
23-8 ….….. Jamal Powell [Bridgeton], 1991
23-7 ¾ … Clem Jones [Vineland], 1968
23-7 ½ … Matt Rose [Bordentown], 1984
23-7 ¼ … Reginald Morton [Oakcrest], 2013
23-6 ¾ … Jamal Powell [Bridgeton], 1990
23-6 ½ … Ed Loges [Shawnee], 1992
23-6 ½ … Reggie Riggs [Pennsauken Tech], 1988
23-6 ½ … Ter’Meir Hill [Clayton], 2021
23-6 ½ … Floyd Whitaker [Highland], 2021
23-6 ¼ … Jamal Heard [Bridgeton], 1990
23-6 …….. Tyler Clybourn [Oakcrest], 2016
23-6 …….. Chris Gillis [Pennsauken], 2000
23-6 …….. Antwan Dickerson [Pennsauken], 2013

What a huge breakthrough race Thursday for Cherry Hill East senior Brandon Lyons, who trimmed more than four seconds off his PR and won a very deep 800 at the South Jersey Elite Invitational at Delsea.

Lyons ran 1:53.77 and won by 15 meters over Kingsway sophomore Ryan Duffy, who PR’d in 2nd at 1:56.03 in only his 3rd race since the 2024 indoor season.

His time is fastest in New Jersey this year, bumping a 1:54.73 by Ayodele Joa-Griffith of the Lawrenceville School at a meet last month in Lorton, Va.

Lyons came into the race with a 1:57.84 PR from last year’s Olympic Conference Championships at Rancocas Valley, where he placed 2nd to Winslow’s Dominic Bassey.

Lyons led the field through 400 meters in 56.03, but with three others within a second. But Lyons had the strongest finish, closing in 57.75. Duffy closed in 59.3, with Cherokee senior Tate Midora [1:57.13] and Highland senior Mason Wassell [1:57.69]. Midora’s previous PR was 2:00.43 at last year’s Burlington County Open at Northern Burlington, and Wassell’s previous PR was 1:59.06 indoors at the Ott Center in January.

In all, 10 runners broke two minutes and all 10 PR’d: After Lyons, Duffy, Midora and Wassell: Atlantic County Tech senior Thomas Wodazak was 5th [1:59.19], followed by Shawnee senior Brody Dillich [1:59.31], Eastern soph Timothy Shack [1:59.37], Cherokee junior Dominic Pileri [1:59.66], Millville senior Arjun Patel [1:59.74] and Cherry Hill East junior Will Nelson [1:59.93].

As for Duffy, his 1:56.03 is fastest this year by a New Jersey sophomore. His previous PR was a 1:59.63 at 2024 indoor Group 4 sectionals in Toms River.

Lyon’s time is 6th-fastest on the all-time Camden County list. He broke the school record of 1:54.59 set at the 2016 state Group 4 meet at Egg Harbor by Isaiah Jean-Baptiste.

All-Time Camden County 800 Top 10
1:51.53 … Jeff Boyer [Camden], 1978
1:52.15 … Dominic Bassey [Winslow Twp.], 2024
1:53.25 … Greg Pelose [Haddonfield], 2016
1:53.49 … Ben Potts [Haddonfield], 2010
1:53.54y … Frank Romero [Haddon Twp.], 1977
1:53.77 … Brandon Lyons [Cherry Hill East], 2025
1:53.78 … Luke Petela [Haddon Twp.], 2015
1:53.79 … Mike Shemonsky [Eastern], 1990
1:53.88 … Derek Gess [Haddonfield], 2019
1:54.27 … Billy Clewell [Camden Catholic], 2022