From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

The 55-meter hurdles final at the Meet of Champions will be an almost entirely South Jersey affair!!!

Seven of the eight qualifiers — including the seven-fastest — are South Jersey hurdlers, led by Atlantic City senior Claudine Smith, who ran within 1-100th-of-a-second of her PR in the trials!

The qualifying times were PRs for Camden’s Te’seanna Harris, Millville’s Malea Broom and Paul VI’s Aliya Rae Garozzo.

This is going to be a hot final!

Here is the field:

8.06 … Claudine Smith, Atlantic City [PR is 8.05]
8.13 … Tionna Tobias, Winslow Twp. [PR is 7.98]
8.18 … Te’seanna Harris, Camden [PR was 8.33]
8.29 … Malea Broome, Millville [PR was 8.40]
8.33 … Aliya Rae Garozzo, Paul VI [PR was 8.43]
8.33 … Tierra Hooker, Timber Creek [PR is 8.23]
8.35 … Jailya Ash, Eastern [PR is 8.10]
8.39 … Karen Hull, Randolph [PR was 8.48]

Ash and Broome also qualified for the 55-meter dash final, so they will be very busy this afternoon!!!

Eastern sophomore Jailya Ash and Woodrow Wilson senior Dennisha Page lead four South Jersey sprinters to the finals of the Meet of Champions 55-meter dash.

Ash ran 7.14 and Page 7.15 in the trials at the Bennett Center to earn the two middle lanes in the final, coming up later Sunday. For Ash, that’s only 1-100th of a second off her PR of 7.13 which she ran Tuesday night at Easterns. Page’s PR is 7.12, from the trials at Easterns.

It should be a wild final!

Egg Harbor sophomore Lauren Princz, second in last year’s race and the Meet of Champions 200 champ last spring, ran 7.21 and Millville senior Malea Broome also made the final with a huge PR of 7.24. Her previous PR was a 7.33 in the semis at Easterns.

Here’s the all-time Meet of Champions girls top-10 performance list followed by links to the official meet program and seed lists for today’s meet!

55-METER DASH
6.92 … Dominique Booker, Montclair Immaculate, 2009 (1)
6.93 … Ogechi Nwaneri, Chatham, 2008 (1)
6.95 … Torie Robinson, Winslow Twp., 2014 (1)
6.7h … Wendy Vereen, Trenton, 1984 (1)
6.96 … Myasia Jacobs, Paramus Catholic, 2011 (1)
6.97 … Aleah Williams, Montclair, 1998 (1)
6.97 … Melisa Barber, Montclair, 1998 (2)
7.00 … Haisha Bisiolu, Union, 2013 (1)
7.02 … English Gardner, Eastern, 2008 (t)
7.02 … Sydney Hawkins, Phillipsburg, 2018 (1)

200-METER RUN
24.96 … Kiara Lester, Deptford, 2016 (1)
25.13 … Shauntae Nelson, Piscataway, 2018 (1)
25.17 … Cecelia Gerstenbacher, Delsea, 2016 (2)
25.18 … Kiara Lester, Deptford, 2015 (1)
25.29 … Lauren Princz, Egg Harbor, 2018 (2)
25.57 … Aliya Harrison, Sterling, 2018 (3)
25.58 … Shanelle Colman, East Brunswick, 2018 (4)
25.60 … Shakira Dancy, Winslow Twp., 2018 (5)
25.70 … Katherine Muccio, Ridgewood, 2018 (6)
25.74 … Nylah Perry, Winslow Twp., 2018 (7)

400-METER RUN
53.34 … Sydney McLaughlin, Union Catholic, 2016 (1)
54.09 … Olivia Baker, Columbia, 2014 (1)
55.19 … Nijgia Snapp, Oakcrest, 2008
55.45 … Mikele Barber, Montclair, 1998 (1)
55.74 … Amber Allen, Passaic Tech, 2008 (2)
55.75 … Emily Cowan, Columbia, 2014 (2)
55.7h … Denise Mitchell, Edgewood, 1984 (1)
55.83 … Kiara Lester, Deptford, 2016 (2)
55.88 … Michelle Brown, Seneca, 2009 (2)
56.08 … Kristen Mahon, Notre Dame, 2006 (1)

800-METER RUN
2:08.81 … Victoria Vanriele, Governor Livingston, 2018 (1)
2:10.45 … Ajee’ Wilson, Neptune, 2009 (1)
2:10.52 … Corinne Myers, Westwood, 2014 (1)
2:11.50 … Jasmin Jones, Hackensack, 1987 (1)
2:11.53 … Megan Tiernan, Washington, 2010 (1)
2:11.82 … Molly McNamara, Red Bank, 2010 (2)
2:11.89 … Catherine Pagano, Northern Highlands, 2015 (1)
2:12.25 … Chelsea Cox, Monmouth, 2009 (2)
2:12.46 … Monica Olkowski, Cherokee, 1990 (1)
2:12.91 … Ryan Davis, Pingry School, 2018 (2)

1,600-METER RUN
4:48.23 … Jill Smith, Southern Regional, 2009 (1)
4:48.5h … Michelle Rowen, Washington Twp., 1983 (1)
4:50.85 … Christina Rancan, West Windsor-Plains. South, 2016 (1)
4:51.18 … Ciara Roche, Freehold Twp., 2016 (2)
4:51.60 … Briana Gess, Haddonfield, 2016 (3)
4:53.17 … Kylene Cochrane, West Morris Central, 2014 (1)
4:53.36 … Lindsey Kane, Washington Twp., 2014 (2)
4:53.98 … Jill Smith, Southern Regional, 2007 (1)
4:54.15 … Marin Warner, Holmdel, 2014 (3)
4:54.41 … Molly McNamara, Red Bank Catholic, 2011 (1)

3,200-METER RUN
10:24.73 … Dana Giordano, Bernards, 2012 (1)
10:26.53 … Ashley Higginson, Colts Neck, 2007 (1)
10:27.25 … Mackenzie Barry, Mendham, 2012 (2)
10:31.06 … Megan Lacy, Cherokee, 2012 (3)
10:34.49 … Nicole Vanasse, Pingry School, 2018 (1)
10:35.70 … Julia Guerra, Indian Hills, 2016 (1)
10:36.7h … Meg Waldron, Bernards, 1983 (1)
10:37.70 … Dana Klein, Gill St. Bernard, 2014 (1)
10:38.31 … Megan Venables, Highland Reg., 2011 (1)
10:38.39 … Monica Hebner, Northern Highlands, 2018 (2)

55-METER HURDLES
7.82 … Sydney McLaughlin, Union Catholic, 2015 (1)
7.86 … Charmaine Walker, Plainfield, 1997 (1)
7.94 … Stey’ce McNeil, Winslow, 2012 (1)
7.97 … Sydney McLaughlin, Union Catholic, 2015 (t)
7.96 … Dawn Bowles, Neptune, 1988 (1)
7.99 … Patti Dziekonska, West Windsor-Plainsboro North (1)
8.04 … Trier Young, Neptune, 2005 (1)
7.8h … Wendy Vereen, Trenton, 1984 (1)
8.07 … Porscha Dobson, Kent Place, 2003 (1)
8.07 … Patti Dziekonska, West Windsor-Plainsboro North (1)
8.07 … Tia Livingston, Union Catholic, 2016 (1)

1,600-METER RELAY
3:47.27 … Union Catholic, 2016 (1)
3:48.30 … Columbia, 2013 (1)
3:50.32 … Union Catholic, 2015 (1)
3:52.76 … Columbia, 2014 (1)
3:53.50 … Columbia, 2010 (1)
3:55.08 … Camden, 2009 (1)
3:55.24 … Montclair, 1998 (1)
3:55.45 … Mount St. Dominic, 2014 (2)
3:55.58 … Union, 2013 (2)

3,200-METER RELAY
9:14.47 … Ridge, 2018 (1)
9:17.78 … Ridge, 2018 (1)
9:28.95 … Ridgewood, 2018 (2)
9:28.97 … Union Catholic, 2018 (3)

HIGH JUMP
5-10 1/2-Tatiana Smolin, Randolph, 1984 (1)
5-10-Deb Vento, Freehold Boro, 2003
5-10-Emily Kianka, Hopewell Valley, 2010 (1)
5-10-Alexa Williams, Dayton, 2011 (1)
5-10-Fiona Paladino, Montgomery, 2011 (2)
5-10-Jenna Rogers, Rutherford, 2018 (1)
5-8-Carol Lewis, Willingboro, 1981 (1)
5-8-Tish Edwards, Mater Dei, 1981 (2)
5-8-Tamika Toppin, South Plainfield, 1997 (1)
5-8-Cheryl Burdick, Ramsey, 1999 (1)
5-8-Lataya Dixon, J.P. Stevens, 2007 (1)
5-8-Magie Gilbertson, Howell, 2010 (2)
5-8-Kyaira Wright-Harmon, Franklin, 2012 (1)
5-8-Noel Jancewicz, Robinsville, 2012 (1)
5-8-Gabrielle Bennett, Winslow Twp., 2015 (1)
5-8-Tierra Hooker, Timber Creek, 2018 (2)

SHOT PUT
53-2-Nickolette Dunbar, 2016 (1)
50-0-Alyssa Wilson, 2016 (2)
49-9 ¾-Nicole Sims, Plainfield 1991 (1)
47-11 ¼-Nickolette Dunbar, 2015 (1)
47-8-Therewsa Picciallo, Immaculate Heart, 2012 (1)
47-5 ½-Kim Hicks, Plainfield, 1992 (2)
47-2 ¼-Jessica Molina, Westwood, 2016 (3)
47-0-Shelby Bigsby, Montclair, 2018 (1)
46-3-Taryn O’Connor, Hillsborough, 2007 (1)
46-1 ½-DeAnne Hahn, Brick Township, 2008 (1)

POLE VAULT 
12-6-Jen Holly, Barnegat, 2008 (1)
12-6-Chrissy Finkel, Montville, 2009 (1)
12-6-Chelsea Vaughan, Southern, 2012 (1)
12-6-Hayley Horvath, Notre Dame, 2018 (1)
12-6-Ashley Preston, Delsea, 2018 (2)
12-3-Natalie Gengel, Princeton, 2006 (1)
12-0-Kristen Hafford, Warren Hills, 2005 (1)
12-0-Nicole Pompei, Hanover Park, 2009 (2)
12-0-Catherine Shih, Bernards, 2010 (1)
12-0-Emily Urciuoli, Clifton, 2010 (2)
12-0-Kayla Polcari, Ridgewood, 2010 (3)
12-0-Dana Schweiger, Toms River North, 2011 (1)
12-0-Marlena Sabatino, Hillsborough, 2012 (2)
12-0-Kristina Langan, Wayne Hills, 2015 (1)
12-0-Lea Saifi, Governor Livingston, 2016 (1)
12-0-Melissa Purcell, Pascack Valley, 2018 (3)
12-0-Lauren Saifi, Governor Livingston, 2018 (4)

The official meet program with meet records and all-time winners is here.

Performance lists for every event for today’s meet are here.

What a Big 10 meet for Deptford graduate Kiara Lester!

Lester, now a Penn State junior, had a huge breakthrough at the Big 10 Championships in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, running sizable PRs in both the 200- and 400-meter dashes.

Lester ran 23.71 in the 200 and 53.78 in the 400, placing fourth in both races. She also ran a 54.8 third leg on Penn State’s fifth-place 1,600-meter relay team, which ran 3:41.39.

Coming into the meet at the University of Michigan, Lester had an indoor 200 PR of 24.10 from a meet last February at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio, and an overall PR of 24.05 a meet in Charlottesville, Va., last April.

She lowered her indoor PR to 24.07 in the trials before blowing both PRs out of the water in the finals with her 23.71.

In the 400, Lester arrived at the Big 10 meet with an indoor PR of 54.54 from a meet at Clemson earlier this month. Her college indoor 400 PR before two weeks ago was a 56.53 from last year, also at Clemson. Outdoors she’s run 54.74.

She PR’d twice in the 400 as well, with a 54.31 in the trials before her 53.78 in the finals.

Lester had PRs of 24.83 and 55.83 indoors at Deptford and 24.32 and 55.72 outdoors.

ALL-TIME PENN STATE INDOOR 200-METER DASH LIST
22.60 … Consuella Moore, 2004
22.98 … Shavon Greaves, 2010
22.93 … Mahagony Jones, 2014
23.48 … Shana Cox, 2005
23.48 … Kiah Seymour, 2014
23.55 … Keianna Albury, 2017
23.67 … Caitlin DeFusco, 2010
23.71 … Kiara Lester, 2019

ALL-TIME PENN STATE INDOOR 400-METER DASH LIST
52.31 … Shana Cox, 2007
52.53 … Fawn Dorr, 2010
52.53 … Kiah Seymour, 2014
53.14 … Shavon Greaves, 2010
53.15 … Dominique Blake, 2008
53.78 … Kiara Lester, 2019
53.87 … Dynasty McGee, 2013
53.96 … Gayle Hunter, 2008

Only two girls in Penn State history have run as fast as Lester in both the 200 and 400 – Shana Cox and Shavon Greaves, a Lakewood High graduate.

Josh Awotunde placed third in the shot put at the USATF Championships Saturday at the Ocean Breeze facility on Staten Island, N.Y., with a season-best throw of 67-8 1/4.

Awotunde, a Delsea graduate and five-time All-America at South Carolina, improved on the 66-4 1/2 he threw at the Millrose Games at the Armory earlier this month in his pro debut.

Awotunde’s mark is No. 18 in the world this year. He has PRs of 69-11 3/4 indoors and 68-1 3/4 outdoors, both from last year’s SEC Championships.

Awotunde opened with a 64-10 3/4 and a 64-3 1/4 before bombing his PR on his third attempt of the trials. He finished with a 63-11 3/4, a 65-11 and a 65-8 3/4, giving him six legal throws averaging 65-5 1/4.

So his AVERAGE on six throws was only a foot below his PR entering the competition.

Awotunde finished behind only Ryan Crouser [72-10 3/4] and Joe Kovacs [70-2 1/2].

It was a fast race up front and it was a pretty darn fast race back in the pack as well.

Mainland Regional’s Kevin Antczak led three South Jersey juniors to huge performances Saturday at the 51st annual Meet of Champions at the Bennett Center in Toms River.

Antczak, Haddonfield’s Martin Riddell and Cherokee’s Ethan Wechsler placed fourth, fifth and sixth, Antczk in 9:18.59, Riddell in 9:18.81 and Wechsler in 9:21.02.

All three times are among the 15-fastest ever run at the Meet of Champions by South Jersey two-milers.

Antczak ran a two-mile that converts to 9:16.69 earlier this year, but the times are big PRs for Riddell and Wechsler.

Riddell’s previous indoor PR was 9:35.49 and Wechsler’s 9:28.00. None of the three has broken 9:30 outdoors.

They’re the three-fastest juniors in South Jersey in six years, since Hammonton’s Lou Corgliano ran 9:17.52 as a junior in 2013.

Liam Murphy of Allentown and Devin Hart of Point Pleasant ran 8:54.22 and 8:54.45, the two-fastest times in meet history and No. 2 and 3 in state history, with Jack Jennings of Mendham third in 9:18.11.

Sebastien Reed of Pitman, another junior, was also under 9:30 at 9:28.59 for 11th, and Greg Eisenhower of Haddonfield was 12th in 9:30.88, an eight-second indoor PR (and four-second overall PR).

For many years, the Meet of Champions was a slow race. During the 18-year span from 1983 through 2000, nobody broke 9:15 at the M-of-C and the winning time was 9:21 or slower all but twice from 1987 through 2000.

Highland’s Kevin Pumphrey ran 9:15.76 to win the 1986 race and no South Jersey two-miler broke 9:17 again until Mike Rankin of Paul VI ran 9:13.33 for seventh in 2010 — 24 years later.

On the all-time South Jersey Meet of Champions performance list, four of the top seven times are from the 1970s and 11 of the top 17 times come from the 2010’s.

ALL-TIME S.J. MEET OF CHAMPIONS LIST
8:58.81 … Jon Vitez, Haddonfield, 2010 (1)
9:10.4h … Ken Medlin, Haddon Township, 1970 (1)
9:11.7h … Mike Butynes, Sterling, 1970 (2)
9:11.9h … Johnny Englehardt, Willingboro, 1976 (5)
9:13.33 … Mike Rankin, Paul VI, 2010 (7)
9:13.93 … Paul Szulewski, Washington Twp., 2010 (9)
9:15.7h … Mike Mantini [Gateway], 1978 (1)
9:15.76 … Kevin Pumphrey [Highland], 1986 (1)
9:16.13 … Jimmy Daniels [Sterling], 2013 (5)
9:16.57 … Aaron Groff [Cherry Hill East], 2016 (3)
9:17.52 … Lou Corgliano [Williamstown], 2016 (5)
9:17.55 … Greg Hughes [Mainland Reg.], 2004 (3)
9:17.71 … David Forward [Shawnee], 2009 (5)
9:18.11 … Kevin Antczak [Mainland Reg.], 2019 (4)
9:18.81 … Martin Riddell [Haddonfield], 2019 (5)
9:19.62 …… Szulewski, 2011 (4)
9:19.81 … Martin Riddell [Haddonfield], 2019 (5)
9:21.02 … Ethan Wechsler [Cherokee], 2019 (6)
9:21.13 …… Vitez, 2009 (7)
9:21.52 … Salman Khalid [Absegami], 2016 (9)

St. Augustine’s Sincere Rhea continued his brilliant senior year Saturday, easily winning his second straight Meet of Champions title in the 55-meter hurdles.

Rhea is the first repeat winner since Sultan Tucker of Delsea in 1996 and 1997. The only other repeaters in the meet’s 51-year history are Reggie Blackshear of Metuchen in 1972 and 1973, Randy Johnson of Morristown in 1974 and 1975 and Stephan Fletcher of Princeton in 1982 and 1983.

Rhea ran 7.22, missing the meet record of 7.19 set in Trenton’s Jermaine Collier in 2012 by 3-100ths of a second and just 2-100ths of a second off his PR of 7.20 from Easterns earlier this week in New York. His time is tied for third-fastest in meet history.

Rhea is only the second boy or girl from an Atlantic County high school to win consecutive Meet of Champions titles. Nijgia Snapp of Oakcrest won the 400 in 2008 and 2009.

Here’s a list of all the South Jersey 55-meter hurdles winners in Meet of Champions history:

1970 … Jim Robinson [Camden], 7.3h
1984 … George Barry [Camden], 7.6h
1985 … Jonathan Dickey [Penns Grove], 7.6h
1987 … George Bland [Penns Grove], 7.43
1989 … Gerard Reynolds [Willingboro], 7.58
1990 … Mike Anderson [Edgewood], 7.56
1992 … Ed Loges [Shawnee], 7.54
1996 … Sultan Tucker [Delsea], 7.36
1997 … Sultan Tucker [Delsea], 7.44
1999 … Danyne Brown [Camden], 7.44
2001 … Anthony Acklin [Triton], 7.42
2002 … Aaron Ross [Clearview], 7.77
2004 … Reuben McCoy [Winslow Twp.], 7.48
2006 … Will Brown [Palmyra], 7.71
2010 … Devon Carter [Washington Twp.], 7.49
2018 … Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], 7.35
2019 … Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], 7.22

Deptford’s Naseem Smith placed second in a PR of 7.43, which is the fourth-fastest second-place time in meet history and the sixth-fastest time ever run by a South Jersey hurdler at the Meet of Champions.

ALL-TIME MEET OF CHAMPIONS 55 HURDLES LIST
7.19-Jermaine Collier, Trenton 2012 (1)
7.21-Cory Poole, East Orange, 2017 (1)
7.22-Isaac Williams, Willingboro, 2012 (2)
7.22-Sincere Rhea, St. Augustine, 2019 (1)
7.35-Sincere Rhea, St. Augustine, 2018 (1)
7.36-Sultan Tucker, Delsea, 1996 (1)
7.36-Christian Boateng, Old Bridge, 2011 (1)
7.40-Josh Evans, Irvington 2009 (1)
7.41-Jeff Porter, Franklin, 2003 (1)
7.41-Rolston Braithwaite, Trenton, 2009 (2)
7.41-Geordan Ferguson, Manchester Twp., 2012 (3)
7.42-Anthony Acklin, Triton, 2001 (1)
7.42-Greg Caldwell, West Windsor North, 2012 (4)
7.42-Cory Poole, East Orange, 2017 (t)
7.42-Isaiah Greene, Newark West Side, 2018 (2)
7.42-Eric Kahana, Freehold Boro, 2012 (5)
7.43-George Bland, Penns Grove, 1987 (1)
7.43-Todd Matthews, Notre Dame, 1998 (1)
7.43-Andrew Aguilera, Governor Livingston, 2017 (2)
7.43-Naseem Smith, Deptford, 2019 (2)
7.44-Sultan Tucker, Delsea, 1997 (1)
7.44-Danyne Brown, Camden, 1999 (1)
7.44-Obafemi Animashaun, Union Catholic, 2014 (1)
7.44-Alex Borzelin, Hamilton North
7.45-Tykeen Fulton, Trenton, 2005 (1)
7.45-Emanuel Mayers, Lakewood, 2007 (2)
7.45-Kevin Hagamin, Timber Creek, 2014 (2)
7.47-Jame Bolden-Presley, Rahway, 2012 (6)
7.47-Benjamin Aidoo, Sayreville, 2016 (1)
7.48-Reuben McCoy, Winslow, 2004 (1)
7.48-Kamryn Austin, Ewing, 2008 (1)
7.48-Boateng, 2011 (trials)

Palmyra’s Sam Aviles took fourth in 7.59, giving South Jersey three of the top four places.

A week ago, Gabriel Moronta’s 800 PR was 1:59.48. Now he’s one of the fastest half-milers in South Jersey history!

The Pleasantville junior ran his second-straight massive 800 PR Saturday. Moronto, who didn’t break 2:02 before this indoor season, had a PR of 1:59.48 from a meet in January going into states, where he won Group 2 in 1:56.71.

On Saturday, he ran 1:54.41 to place third in the 51st annual Meet of Champions at the Bennett Center.

Moronta’s finished behind only Union Catholic junior Elijah Brown , who ran 1:53.98, and South Brunswick’s Miles Liggins, who ran 1:54.10.

Pleasantville is an 800 MACHINE. Four of the six-fastest times in South Jersey history now come from Pleasantville runners. Pleasantville has four half-milers under 1:54.5 and the rest of South Jersey IN HISTORY has TWO!!!!!

And just like that, a guy who had a PR of 2:02 six weeks ago is No. 6 in South Jersey history indoors. Here’s the sub-1:56 club:

ALL-TIME S.J. INDOOR 800-METER RUN LIST
1:51.52 … Jacob Clark [Pleasantville], 2013
1:51.72 … Isaac Clark [Pleasantville], 2013
1:51.80 … Derrell Manhertz [Kingsway], 2013
1:53.51 … Alan Laws [Pleasantville], 2007
1:53.68 … Ishmael Muhammad [Oakcrest], 2013
1:54.41 … Gabriel Moronta [Pleasantville], 2019
1:54.80 … Marvin Lewis [Willingboro], 2001
1:54.81 … Bill Dolan [Clearview], 2013
1:54.82 … Xavier Fraction [Washington Twp.], 2009
1:55.00 … Steve Butenewicz [Delsea], 2011
1:55.14 … Shannon Sherrer [Vineland], 2002
1:55.14 … Zach McBride [Lenape], 2002
1:55.16 … Joe Lewis [Pleasantville], 1998
1:55.16 … Tivo Rivera [Kingsway], 2009
1:55.19 … Isaiah Curbelo [Rancocas Valley], 2016
1:55.42 … Kevin Cianfarino [West Deptford], 2014
1:55.3h … Tony Uzdavines [Williamstown], 1976
1:55.77 … Carmen Capella [Washington Twp.], 2004
1:55.93 … Derek Gess [Haddonfield], 2017

Moronta’s time is No. 5 in Atlantic County history and fastest in six
years:

1:51.52 … Jacob Clark [Pleasantville], 2013
1:51.72 … Isaac Clark [Pleasantville], 2013
1:53.51 … Alan Laws [Pleasantville], 2007
1:53.68 … Ishmael Muhammad [Oakcrest], 2013
1:54.41 … Gabriel Moronta [Pleasantville], 2019
1:55.13 … Joe Lewis [Pleasantville], 1998
1:56.43 … Eric Barnes [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2017
1:56.73 … Dan Galeano [Absegami], 2010
1:56.77 … Larry Ramirez [Pleasantville], 2010

Moronta is now South Jersey’s fastest junior since 2013, when another Atlantic County runner, Oakcrest’s Ishmael Muhammad, ran 1:53.68 for fourth at the Meet of Champions.

Moronta’s time is 16th-fastest in Meet of Champions history and the third-fastest third-place time ever. It’s also fifth-fastest ever by a South Jersey boy at Meet of Champions, fourth-fastest among Atlantic County runners.

ALL-TIME M-of-C 800 LIST
1:51.72-Isaac Clark, Pleasantville, 2013 (1)
1:51.80-Derrell Manhertz, Kingsway, 2013 (2)
1:52.15-Jacob Clark, Pleasantville, 2013 (3)
1:52.18-Rey Rivera, Old Bridge, 2017 (1)
1:52.24-Allen Eke, Union Catholic, 2012 (1)
1:52.67-AJ Chavez, West Windsor South, 2012 (2)
1:53.33-Jared Mason, West Orange, 2012 (3)
1:53.68-Ishmael Muhammad, Oakcrest, 2013 (4)
1:53.7-Jean Destine, Elizabeth, 1991 (1)
1:53.90-James Buser, Mahwah, 2013 (5)
1:53.95-Joe White, DePaul, 2014 (1)
1:53.98-Elijah Brown, Union Catholic, 2019 (1)
1:54.09-Rey Rivera, Old Bridge, 2016 (1)
1:54.10-Miles Liggins, South Brunswick, 2019 (2)
1:54.36-Ernesto Perez, West Side, 1990 (1)
1:54.41-Gabriel Moronta, Pleasantville, 2019 (3)
1:54.43-Eddison Gulama, West Windsor-Plainsboro South, 2013 (6)
1:54.45-Haig Rickerby, McNair, 2017 (2)
1:54.4-John Marshall, Plainfield, 1981 (1)
1:54.54-Luis Peralta, Passaic, 2018 (1)
1:54.61-Morgan Murray, South Brunswick, 2014 (2)
1:54.70-James Buser, Mahwah, 2014 (3)
1:54.81-Bill Dolan, Clearview, 2013 (7)
1:54.82-Xavier Fraction, Washington, 2009 (1)
1:54.84-Robby Andrews, Manalapan, 2008 (1)
1:54.94-Clark Mangini, Christian Brothers, 2013 (8)

Another South Jersey half-miler, Highland’s Jarayah Hawkins, PR’d at 1:57.50 for seventh in the same race.

South Jersey boys have the three-fastest qualifying times for the hurdles final at today’s Meet of Champions,.

Sincere Rhea of St. Augustine, coming off his Easterns title, ran within 5-100ths of his PR in the trials, leading all qualifiers at 7.25. Sam Aviles, racing in the same heat, ran 7.53, not far off his PR of 7.49. And Deptford’s Naseem Smith won the fourth heat in 7.55, also very close to his PR of 7.49.

Those three will line up in the middle of the track in the 55-meter hurdles final later on Saturday at the Bennett Center.

Rhea won last year in 7.35 and is attempting to become the first repeat winner in the 55-meter highs at the Meet of Champs since Sultan Tucker of Delsea in 1996 and 1997.

Keep an eye on the FAT meet record of 7.19 set by Jermaine Collier of Trenton in 2012 because Rhea is getting very close.

Incredibly, Rhea was also the fastest South Jersey boy in the 55-meter dash trials with a personal-best 6.52. His previous PR was a 6.57. Rhea’s 6.52 is fourth-fastest going into the finals. He’s the only South Jersey sprinter who qualified for the final.

Sterling senior Alijah Caul continued her outstanding indoor season with a third-place finish in the shot put at Easterns Tuesday night.

Caul had throws of 40-6 1/4 and 40-9 1/2 on her second and third attempt in the trials and was the only competitor with more than one 40-foot throw in the competition. She wound up finishing about a foot behind winner Denae Hill of West Orange, who had a 41-10 1/2 winner.

Considering that Caul placed 27th at Easterns last year with a 33-5 1/2 best throw, you can see how far she’s come.

Her PR last winter was 36-0 and she improved to 38-6 last spring, which was good enough to win South Jersey Group 2 sectionals.

But her real breakthrough has came this winter, with four meets over 40 feet and five others over 39 feet. In fact her worst mark was a 39-2 1/2 at a SJTCA meet last month at the Bennett Center. That’s remarkable consistency. In fact, Caul has averaged a best throw of 39-8 1/2 in the nine meets she’s entered.

Caul’s PR is a school-record 41-8 to win Group 2 states last weekend, and she goes into Sunday’s Meet of Champions as the No. 2 seed behind another Colonial Conference thrower, Haddon Heights’ Cydney Thomas, who won Group 1 with a 44-3 and is ranked No. 6 nationally according to MileSplit USA at 46-1 from sectionals . Thomas didn’t compete at Easterns.

Caul’s 40-9 1/2 is the best throw by a South Jersey girl at Easterns since 2012, when Lola Agabalogun of Egg Harbor threw 42-0 1/4 for fourth and Tara Daniels of Kingsway threw 40-11 for sixth.

The only South Jersey girls to win the Easterns shot put title are Camden’s Dana White in 2000 [41-6 1/2] and Atlantic City’s Mercedes Hicks in 2006 [43-10 1/4].