From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Tireless Winslow junior Tionna Tobias, competing in her third event of the weekend, earned All-America honors for the second time within a few hours Sunday afternoon when she placed eighth in the championship long jump at the New Balance Nationals at Aggie Stadium in Greensboro, N.C.

Tobias, who ran on Winslow’s fifth-place super sprint medley team earlier in the day, jumped 19-1 1/4 on her second attempt. She also ran 14.25 in the high hurdles into a 1.9 meters-per-second wind.

Tobias has jumped 19 feet or better in four straight meets, winning the state Group 3 title at 19-11 1/2 and the Meet of Champions last weekend at 19-5 1/4. She ranks ninth in state history and No. 3 in South Jersey history with one year to go.

Tobias opened with an 18-8 3/4 before closing the prelims with a 19-1 1/4 and a 19-1/2. In the finals, she opened with a 17-8 3/4, then fouled before finishing with a 18-0 1/2.

Aliyah Taylor’s 53.52 split anchored Rancocas Valley to second place and a South Jersey record in the super sprint medley Sunday at the National Scholastic Championships at Aggie Stadium on the North Carolina AT&T campus in Greensboro, N.C.

Sophomores Kristina Tossas and Breacain McClenahan ran the opening 100s, junior Darynn Minus-Vincent the 200 and Taylor the 400 as R.V. ran 1:43.19, finishing just behind Nansemond River High of Suffolk, Va., which won in 1:42.53.

Taylor ran the fastest 400-meter split in the event.

R.V.’s time broke the Burlington County and South Jersey record of 1:44.06 set by Willingboro at nationals in 2003 in Raleigh, N.C. It’s second-fastest in state history behind Columbia’s 1:41.98 in 2010 at nationals.

It is also No. 16 meet history, which is pretty impressive considering most of the fastest times in U.S. history have been run at nationals.

Winslow also earned All-America honors in the event, with the team of junior Tionna Tobias, sophomores Janeya Hammond and Nylah Perry and senior Flora Ahiarakwe running 1:45.78.

Here’s the top 10 times in state history:

1:41.98 … Columbia, 2010
1:43.19 … Rancocas Valley, 2018
1:43.33 … Columbia, 2009
1:43.76 … Union Catholic, 2016
1:44.06 … Willingboro, 2003
1:44.33 … Camden, 2006
1:44.78 … Summit, 2017
1:45.07 … Winslow Twp., 2004
1:45.19 … Pope John XXIII, 2012
1:45.30 … East Orange, 2006

Paul VI senior Antonio Tarantino will race for a national title later Sunday after running a mind-boggling 20.51 in the 200-meter dash trials at the New Balance National Championships at Aggie Stadium on the North Carolina AT&T campus in Greensboro, N.C.

The mark was wind-aided — 2.8 meters-per-second — but it is faster than the state records set in 2001 by Rahway’s Danny Johnson — 20.6 hand-timed and 20.93 fully automatic.

Only marks made with an assisting wind of 2.0 meters per second or less are considered for record-keeping purposes, although most New Jersey marks didn’t even have a wind-gauge available.

Tarantino’s time is also the second-fastest in meet history in any conditions, behind only a 20.41 by Trentavis Friday of Cherryville, N.C., in 2014.

Tarantino will be in lane 4 for the final at 5:15 p.m. Sunday.

Tarantino, the New Jersey Meet of Champions winner, led four runners under 21 seconds in the trials.

Tyrese Cooper ran a 20.83 in the third of five heats without an assisting wind. Cameron Council of Bull City in North Carolina ran 20.88 with a 0.1 wind  to win the fifth heat, and Rawle Brebnor of Potomac, Va., was first across the line in the first heat in 20.99. The fourth heat, which Tarantino won, was the only one that was wind-aided.

Tarantino has a wind-legal PR of 21.21 from last year’s Parochial A sectionals at Egg Harbor Township.

Tarantino ran under the South Jersey record of 21.06 set in 1984 by Edgewood’s Dennis Mitchell, an Olympic gold medalist.

Here’s the updated all-time state list:
ALL-TIME N.J. 200-METER DASH LIST
20.53 … Antonio Tarantino [Paul VI] 2018
20.93 … Danny Johnson [Rahway], 2001
20.97 … Mario Heslop [Franklin], 2018
21.00 … Fabian Santiago [Oakcrest], 2012
21.03 … Zamir Thomas [Snyder], 2011
21.06 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1984
21.13 … Jabrill Peppers [Paramus Catholic], 2013
21.14 … Reuben McCoy [Winslow Twp.], 2004
21.20 … Rashad White [Teaneck], 2008
21.22 … Maxwell Booker [Essex Catholic], 2000
21.23 … Shaquan Brown [Paterson Kennedy], 2005
21.25 … Bryant McCombs [Old Bridge], 2005
21.27 … Charles Cox [Monmouth Reg.], 2007
21.29 … Zyaire Clemes [Trenton], 2013
21.30 … Ty Adams [Monmouth Reg.], 1993
21.30 … Lamar Grant [Jackson], 1996
21.30 … Taylor McLaughlin [Union Catholic], 2015
21.31 … Michael Ray Garvin [Don Bosco], 2005
21.31 … Clayton Parros [Seton Hall Prep], 2009
21.31 … Miles Shuler-Foster [Long Branch], 2011
21.36 … Isaiah Gill [Plainfield], 2008
21.39 … Akeem Gauntlett [Roselle], 2008
21.39 … Martin Booker [Pennsauken], 2017
21.40 … Rob Gary [Lenape], 1998
21.40 … Todd Dutch [Washington Twp.], 2001
21.40 … Jamaad Muse (Timber Creek), 2012

Sophomore Stone Caraccio’s 4:18 leadoff leg led Kingsway to the eighth-fastest four-mile relay time in South Jersey history Sunday morning.

Caraccio split an official 4:18.57 and Kingsway went on to run 17:52.30 and place 12th at the National Scholastic Championships in Aggie Stadium on the North Carolina AT&T campus in Greensboro. Caraccio handed off to senior Jonathan Connor in the lead, just ahead of Hudson High in Ohio.

Connor kept Kingsway near the front with a 4:21.37 split and senior Joe Grandizio and junior Kieran Burns kept the Dragons in the thick of the race with splits of 4:34.18 and 4:38.19.

Kingsway finished ninth in its section and 12th overall and broke its own Gloucester County record of 18:07.50 set in 2015 at the CBA 6,400-Meter Relay Challenge. That was actually an 18:01.50 for 6,400 meters converted to four miles.

Grandizio also ran on that team, along with Myles Boerlin, Kyle Everham and Noah Culbreath. Kingsway finished second in that race behind CBA’s 17:37.40.

Obviously the four-mile is not contested very often and when it is it’s generally not very fast, but Kingsway is the eighth South Jersey school to go under 18 minutes, which isn’t easy to do. You’ve got to get four guys to average sub-4:30 on the same day, and you have to find a field that’s competitive enough so your third and fourth legs have someone to race against.

West Windsor-Plainsboro North won the race in 17:19.59 with three sub-4:20 legs, including a 4:15.78 second leg from sophomore Luke Johnson and a 4:16.75 anchor from junior Vedang Lad.

WW-P North’s time is No. 3 in state history and fastest in 45 years, since Paramus Catholic ran 17:12.6 in 1973. It’s also No. 6 in meet history.

ALL-TIME S.J. SUB-18 FOUR-MILE RELAY LIST
17:20.0h ..… Haddon Twp., 1973
17:20.21 ..… Haddonfield, 2010
17:28.84 ..… Mainland Reg., 2004
17:33.30c … Haddonfield, 2010
17:39.64 ..… Mainland Reg., 2003
17:41.3h ..… Williamstown, 1973
17:51.58 ..… Cherokee, 2016
17:52.30 ..… Kingsway, 2018

It was an excruciating wait for Deptford, which ran 41.83 in the fourth heat of the 400-meter relay trials at nationals Saturday, then fell an agonizing 3-100ths of a second from qualifying for the finals.

Deptford’s record-setting 400-meter relay quartet of senior James Bettis and juniors Tyriq Bundy, Javon Sanders and Khion Smith still wound up a very impressive ninth in the country with a 41.83 at the National Scholastic Championships at North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, N.C.

There were seven rounds of the 400-meter relay trials, and Deptford was in the fourth of the seven races. The eight fastest teams advanced to Sunday’s final.

The Spartans won their heat and with three races to go they were sitting fourth. Two teams ran faster in the fifth heat and two more in the sixth, so with the final race on the track, Deptford was in the eighth and final spot.

That’s when Spartanburg of South Carolina ran 41.46, bumping Deptford from eighth to ninth and out of the championship race.

Still, as frustrating as that was, Deptford’s 400-meter relay team had a historic season.

Deptford won the state Group 3 title in 41.72 and the Meet of Champions in 41.47. That time is No. 6 in South Jersey history and No. 9 in state history. It’s also No. 2 in Meet of Champions history, behind only Timber Creek’s 41.45 in 2014.

Let’s take one last look at where Deptford ranks all-time in state and South Jersey history in the 400-meter relay:

All-Time New Jersey 400-Meter Relay List
40.92 … Winslow, 2003
41.0h … Plainfield, 1980
41.09 … Camden, 2000
41.2h … Weequahic, 1972
41.25 … Camden, 2004
41.25 … Camden, 2001
41.45 … Timber Creek, 2014
41.46 … Franklin Twp., 2016
41.47 … Deptford, 2018
41.49 … Franklin Twp., 2017
41.50 … Timber Creek, 2013
41.52 … Plainfield, 1998
41.54 … Camden, 2002
41.55 … Deptford, 2017
41.57 … Pennsauken, 2017
41.62 … Camden, 2003
41.64 … Winslow Twp., 2004
41.65 … Trenton, 1999
41.69 … Willingboro, 1991
41.71 … Edgewood, 2000
41.71 … Salem, 2017
41.71 … Teaneck, 2010
41.72 … Deptford, 2018
41.74 … Rahway, 1985
41.5h … Westfield, 1978
41.80 … Oakcrest, 2012
41.82 … Neptune, 2009
41.83 … Camden, 1997
41.83 … Westfield, 1977
41.83 … Camden, 1997
41.83 … Oakcrest, 2011
41.85 … Pennsauken, 2016
41.6h … Montclair, 1984
41.6h … Montclair, 1972
41.91 … Irvington, 2005
41.7h … Camden, 1996
41.7h … Edgewood, 2001
41.92 … Perth Amboy, 2017
41.98 … Plainfield, 2000

All-Time South Jersey 400-Meter Relay List
40.92 … Winslow, 2003
41.09 … Camden, 2000
41.25 … Camden, 2004
41.25 … Camden, 2001
41.45 … Timber Creek, 2014
41.47 … Deptford, 2018
41.50 … Timber Creek, 2013
41.54 … Camden, 2002
41.55 … Deptford, 2017
41.57 … Pennsauken, 2017
41.62 … Camden, 2003
41.64 … Winslow Twp., 2004
41.69 … Willingboro, 1991
41.71 … Edgewood, 2000
41.71 … Salem, 2017
41.72 … Deptford, 2018
41.80 … Oakcrest, 2012
41.83 … Camden, 1997
41.83 … Camden, 1997
41.83 … Oakcrest, 2011
41.85 … Pennsauken, 2016
41.86 … Pennsauken, 2017
41.7h … Camden, 1996
41.7h … Edgewood, 2001

Rancocas Valley senior Nick Mirabelli, the state record holder and the nation’s No. 2-ranked javelin thrower, placed third Saturday at the New Balance National Scholastic Championships outside Aggie Stadium in Greensboro, N.C.

Mirabelli, who won the Meet of Champions with a state-record 227-10 last weekend, threw 212-5 on his final throw to move up from fourth place to third.

Mirabelli threw 203-3 on his first throw and despite fouling on his next two attempts he went into the finals in fourth place.

In the finals, he threw 203-2 and 202-7 before unloading the 212-5 on his final attempt of his high school career.

He finished behind only top-seeded Tzuriel Pedigo of Parkview Baptist in Baton Rouge, La. [226-8] and Zechariah Blake of John Curtis High in River Ridge, La., [214-4].

Mirabelli passed Roman Mitchell of Southeast Raleigh High in North Carolina with his final throw. Mitchell had thrown a PR of 210-5 on his first throw.

Mirabelli finished his remarkable career at R.V. ranked No. 13 in U.S. history with the new implement, which has been in use since 2003.

St. Augustine junior Sincere Rhea finished his remarkable season by placing fourth in the 110-meter high hurdles at the New Balance National Championships at Aggie Stadium on the North Carolina AT&T campus in Greensboro, N.C.

Rhea ran 13.96 into a headwind of 0.5 meters per second. He ran slightly faster in the qualifying rounds, earning Lane 4 with a 13.84 behind Turay’s 13.73 and Powdar’s 13.76.

Kurt Powder of Oscar Smith High in Chesapeake, Va., won with a 13.59, with Job Mayhue of East Kentwood (Mich.) second in 13.75 and Andre Turay of South Hagerstown (Md.) third in 13.82.

Rhea posted the third-fastest qualifying mark in the trials at 13.84 behind Turay and Powdar.

Powder, Turay and Rhea are all juniors so don’t be surprised if they all meet up again in next year’s championship race!

Rhea will go into his senior year as already one of the most decorated high hurdlers in South Jersey history with a PR of 13.74. If he runs just 1-10th of a second faster as a senior he would move up to No. 3, with  two 1990s legends — Camden’s Danye Brown and Willingboro’s Gerard Reynolds — looming at the top of the list.

ALL-TIME S.J. 110 HURDLES LIST
13.43 … Danye Brown [Camden], 1999
13.59 … Gerard Reynolds [Willingboro], 1990
13.66 … Sultan Tucker [Delsea], 1997
13.73 … Kevin Hagamin [Timber Creek], 2014
13.74 … Dwight Ruff [Camden], 2001
13.74 … Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], 2018
13.75 … Rashad Baker [Wilson], 2000
13.76 … Nate Harley [Pleasantville], 1996
13.76 … Isaac Williams [Willingboro], 2012
13.77 … Anthony Acklin [Triton], 2001
13.81 … Scot McCray [Camden], 1997
13.81 … Jeff Young [Wilson], 1999
13.90 … Edwin Alston [Winslow Twp.], 2015
13.92 … Enrique Llanos [Wilson], 1999
13.94 … Hal Lathan [Egg Harbor Twp,], 2009
13.95 … Kevin White [Haddon Heights], 1992
13.96 … Devon Carter [Washington Twp.], 2010
13.97 … Will Brown [Palmyra], 2006
13.97 … Syteek Farrington [Camden], 2010
13.99 … Herb Reid [Lenape], 2000

Willingboro junior Kenady Wilson finished a terrific breakthrough season Saturday with a second-place finish in the Emerging Elite high jump at the New Balance National Championships at Aggie Stadium in Greensboro, N.C.

Wilson cleared 5-7 on her first attempt before three misses at what would have been a personal-best 5-8 3/4 and finished second to Sarah Lavery of North Andover (Mass.) High, who cleared 5-8 3/4 on her second attempt before three misses at 5-10 1/2.

Wilson, one of four New Jersey jumpers who finished in the top seven, has progressed from 4-10 as a freshman to 5-6 last year to 5-8 for fifth place at this year’s Meet of Champions.

That was the best jump by a Willingboro girl in 37 years, since Olympian Carol Lewis cleared 5-9 back in 1981. The best jump by a Boro girl since was a 5-6 in 1996 by Kim Hargrove.

Kenady’s 5-8 is tied for No. 2 in Burlington County history with Tonya Lee of Rancocas Valley in 1987, Shatich Rivers of Moorestown in 1992, Abby Campbell of Shawnee in 2002 and Anna Cook of Florence in 2007. It was the best jump by a Burlco girl since Cook’s 5-8 in 2007. It is tied (with nine others) for No. 9 in South Jersey history.

ALL-TIME SOUTH JERSEY HIGH JUMP LIST
5-10 1/2 … Megan Kirschling [West Deptford], 2012
5-10 …….. Tierra Hooker [Timber Creek], 2017, 2018
5-9 1/2 ….. Priscilla Frederick [Paul VI], 2007
5-9 1/4 ….. Mandi Wolicki [Ocean City], 1995
5-9 ………. Carol Lewis [Willingboro], 1981
5-9 ………. Erin Halpin [Cherry Hill East], 1986
5-9 ………. Kim Still [Holy Spirit], 1994
5-8 ………. Brianna Hunt [Delsea], 2010
5-8 ………. Gabrielle Bennett [Winslow Twp.], 2015
5-8 ………. Anna Cook [Florence], 2007
5-8 ………. Brooke Minor [Kingsway], 2001
5-8 ………. Natalie Cowan [Hammonton], 2015
5-8 ………. Kenady Wilson [Willingboro], 2018
5-8i ………. Lindsey Walsh [Lenape], 2008
5-8 ………. Joi Johnson [Ocean City], 1993
5-8 ………. Misty Farrell [Washington Twp.], 1995
5-8 ………. Briana Gray [Haddon Heights], 2005
5-7 3/4 ….. Nia Hinds [Burlington Twp.], 2016
5-7 1/2 ….. Quenby Kotyla [Oakcrest], 1979
5-7 1/2 ….. Terry Cole [Pemberton], 1979
5-7 1/2 ….. MaryBeth Labosky [Holy Cross], 1988

St. Augustine junior Sincere Rhea advanced to the finals of the 110-meter high hurdles Saturday at the New Balance National Scholastic Championships with a 13.84 in the trials.

He’ll be in the eight-man field for the finals Saturday evening.

Rhea ran 13.84 into a stiff 1.6-meters-per-second wind, not far off his PR of 13.74, which is No. 5 in South Jersey history.

Rhea took second in the first of six qualifying heats and takes the third-fastest qualifying time into the finals behind Andre Turay of South Hagerstown (Md.), who ran 13.73, and Kurt Powdar of Oscar Smith High in Chesapeake, Va., who ran 13.76.

The final is scheduled for 7:20 p.m. Saturday at Aggie Stadium on the North Carolina AT&T in Greensboro, N.C.

Rhea will be in lane 3, with Turay in 4 and Powder in 5 in the championship race.

The Winslow girls shattered the South Jersey 800-meter relay record Saturday at the New Balance National Championships at Aggie Stadium on the North Carolina AT&T campus in Greensboro, N.C.

Sophomores Janeya Hammond and Nylah Perry and seniors Flora Ahiarakwe and Shakira Dancy ran 1:38.43 and placed second to Nanesemond River High of Suffolk, Va., which ran 1:36.30.

They broke the Camden County and South Jersey records of 1:39.21 set by Olympic gold medalist English Gardner and the 2003 Eastern Regional team.

Their time is fourth-fastest in New Jersey history behind only Union Catholic [1:37.53 last year at the Union County Relays] and two times by Franklin Township [1:37.77 in 2003 and 1:38.42 in 2001].

Winslow’s previous school record was a 1:39.59 to win the 2012 Woodbury Relays. Winslow hadn’t put together a hot 4-by-200 this year. Their previous season best was a 1:41.91 at Woodbury.

Egg Harbor placed eighth in 1:40.72 with freshman Lauren Princz, junior Jadyn Laramore and seniors Alyse Miller and Ajae Alvarez. That is No. 6 in South Jersey history and No. 24 in state history and breaks the Atlantic County record of 1:41.5 set in 1995 by Pleasantville.

ALL-TIME NEW JERSEY 800-METER RELAY LIST
1:37.53 … Union Catholic, 2017
1:37.77 … Franklin Twp., 2003
1:38.42 … Franklin Twp., 2001
1:38.43 … Winslow Twp., 2018
1:39.04h … Montclair, 1980
1:39.21 … Eastern, 2003
1:39.54h … Montclair, 1981
1:39.59 … Winslow Twp., 2012
1:39.76 … Neptune, 2015
1:39.79 … Columbia, 2010
1:39.86 … Summit, 2017
1:39.94 … Piscataway, 2011
1:40.04h … Trenton, 1986
1:40.14h … Shabazz, 1986
1:40.23 … Union Catholic, 2018
1:40.30 … Winslow Twp., 2017
1:40.41 … Union, 2012
1:40.43 … Montclair, 1996
1:40.54h … Irvington, 1981
1:40.62 … Winslow Twp., 2003
1:40.62 … Columbia, 2009
1:40.64h … Montclair, 1979
1:40.64h … Montclair, 1998
1:40.72 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2018
1:40.74h … Columbia, 1982
1:40.74h … Woodrow Wilson, 2006
1:40.74h … East Orange, 2007
1:40.80 … Union Catholic, 2015
1:40.84h … Plainfield, 1982
1:40.84h … Trenton, 1984
1:40.84h … Teaneck, 1989
1:40.91 … Winslow Twp., 2004
1:40.94h … Clifford Scott, 1988
1:40.99 … Union Catholic, 2014

ALL-TIME SOUTH JERSEY 800-METER RELAY LIST
1:38.43 … Winslow Twp., 2018
1:39.21 … Eastern, 2003
1:39.59 … Winslow Twp., 2012
1:40.30 … Winslow Twp., 2017
1:40.62 … Winslow Twp., 2003
1:40.72 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2018
1:40.74h … Woodrow Wilson, 2006
1:40.91 … Winslow Twp., 2004
1:41.10 … Washington Twp., 1999
1:41.20 … Willingboro, 1994
1:41.33 … Camden, 2009
1:41.34h ….. Camden, 1995
1:41.40 … Winslow Twp., 2005
1:41.44h ….. Camden, 2006
1:41.54 … Willingboro, 1999
1:41.56 … Highland, 1998
1:41.59 … Eastern, 2002
1:41.70 … Wilson, 2008
1:41.74h ….. Pleasantville, 1995
1:41.81 … Willingboro, 1995
1:41.85 … Deptford, 2015
1:41.86 … Willingboro, 2000
1:41.87 … Camden, 2001
1:41.88 … Winslow, 2013
1:41.91 … Winslow, 2018