From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

South Jersey’s top two milers, Haddonfield’s Derek Gess and Highland’s Ben Woodward, ran huge PRs at states Friday, both lowering their PRs below 4:16 in separate races at Central Regional in Bayville.

Gess lowered his PR from 4:18.87 – which he ran indoors at states at the Bennett Center – to 4:15.52, fastest this year in South Jersey. His previous outdoor PR was 4:20.51 at states last year at Northern Burlington.

He placed third in the state Group 2 race, behind Devin Hart of Point Pleasant Borough, who ran 4:12.23, and Fahd Nasser of McNair Academic, who ran 4:14.76.

Incredibly, Gess is the sixth Haddonfield runner in the last 10 years to run sub-4:16. That’s mind-boggling for any school, especially a small public school in the suburbs. And it speaks volumes about Nick Baker and all the coaches in that Haddonfield program.

Here’s that list:

• 4:09.30 … Colin Baker (Haddonfield), 2009
• 4:14.14 … Ben Potts (Haddonfield), 2009
• 4:14.25 … Matt Nussbaum (Haddonfield), 2010
• 4:15.10 … Greg Pelose (Haddonfield), 2015
• 4:15.52 … Derek Gess (Haddonfield), 2018
• 4:15.92 … Jonathan Vitez (Haddonfield), 2009

Woodard lowered his PR a whopping seven seconds, from 4:22.41 to 4:15.62, in a ridiculously fast race that saw five runners under 4:16 and all five PR’ing by at least five seconds.

That’s insane, and it’s why we love this sport so much!

Damien Dilcher won the race in 4:11.28, and Woodard was fifth in 4:15. The race produced five of the top-15 times in the state this year, including Dilcher at No. 2 behind Tim McInerney of CBA, who ran 4:10.75 at the Monmouth County meet last month in Holmdel.

Including Kingsway soph Stone Caraccio of Kingsway and Connor Melko of Bishop Eustace, there are now four South Jersey milers under 4:17 this year. Caraccio ran fourth in the Group 4 race Friday in 4:17.77, and Melko was third in the Parochial A race earlier this week in 4:18.76.

Cinnaminson sophomore Austin Gabay [4:17.79], Camden Catholic junior Matt Coffey [4:18.33], Kingsway senior Jonathan Connor [4:19.77] and Cherokee senior Justin Kelly [4:19.93] give South Jersey a total of eight under 4:20.

 

Delsea seniors George Tenenberg, William Mayhew and Michael Szwed and junior Colin Kane teamed up to win the 3,200-meter relay Friday at the state Group 3 meet at Central Regional in Bayville.

Splits aren’t available at the moment (please post them if you have them!), but Delsea ran a school-record 7:49.95, winning by two meters over West Windsor-Plainsboro South, which ran 7:51.27.

Delsea’s time is No. 1 in South Jersey this year and No. 3 in the state, behind two Mercer County schools — Princeton (7:47.89 to win the state Group 4 race) and Hopewell Valley (7:48.94 at the Mercer County Relays).

Delsea’s previous school record 4-by-8 was apparently its 7:54.57 last week at sectionals.

The Crusaders broke the state Group 3 meet record of 7:51.66 set in 2016 by Morris Hills.

Delsea’s time is fourth-fastest in Gloucester County history behind Deptford in 1967 (7:46.2 converted from two miles), Kingsway in 2011 (7:47.66) and Woodbury in 1977 (7:48.3 converted from two miles).

Here’s a close approximation of an all-time South Jersey list, but it may be missing some times from the 1970s and 1980s. Please post any additions or corrections in the comments section. Thanks!

All-Time South Jersey list
7:40.43 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2017
7:40.71 … Pleasantville, 2013
7:40.99 … Willingboro, 1983
7:43.57 … Haddonfield, 2015
7:44.25 … Willingboro, 2003
7:46.2h … Deptford, 1967
7:47.27 … Egg Harbor, 2016
7:47.66 … Kingsway, 2011
7:47.96 … Haddonfield, 2016
7:47.9h … Willingboro, 1982
7:48.25 … Vineland, 2012
7:48.3h … Woodbury, 1977
7:48.70 … Rancocas Valley, 2016
7:49.67 … Washington Twp., 2009
7:49.85 … Cherokee, 2012
7:49.95 … Delsea, 2018

Delsea senior Khaliel Burnett shattered the state triple jump record with a leap of 50-9 1/4 at the state Group 3 track championships at Central Regional in Bayville.

Burnett broke the state and South Jersey mark of 50-6 3/4, set in 2013 by Dominique Irons of Haddon Heights at the state Group 1 meet at Egg Harbor Township.

His mark is No. 3 on the 2018 U.S. high school list, according to the MileSplit database, behind only Chris Welch of Dickinson (Texas) High School and Keyshawn King of Liberty (S.C.) High.

He broke his own Gloucester County record of 50-4, which he set last weekend at the Group 3 sectionals on his home track in Franklinville.

Burnett also broke the overall meet record – Irons’ 50-6 3/4 — and the state Group 3 meet record of 47-10 1/2, set in 2005 by Harold Blyden of Bergenfield.

Burnett had to be at his best just to win. He was pushed by Hamilton West junior Richmond Shasha, who placed second with a two-foot PR of 48-3 1/4, the No. 16 jump in state history and No. 4 in Mercer County history. Shasha’s PR as recently a week ago was just 42-11.

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 [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
48-0 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

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-  0 ………. Josh Butler [Delsea], 2006
47-  9 1/4 … Marcus Edghilll [Pemberton], 1981
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

Winslow Township junior Tionna Tobias shattered the all-groups state championship long jump record Friday when she won the Group 3 title with a 19-11 1/2 leap at Central Regional in Bayville.

Tobias broke her PR of 19-8 1/4, set this past February at Easterns at the Armory, and broke her outdoor PR of 19-7 1/2, set at last year’s Meet of Champions at Northern Burlington.

She leaped just HALF AN INCH from becoming the eighth 20-foot jumper in state history and only the third in South Jersey history.

Nonetheless, her jump is No. 8 in state history including indoor and outdoors marks and No. 3 in South Jersey history and the best by a South Jersey jumper in 26 years.

Tobias broke the school record of 19-9 1/4, set by Cidae’a Woods at the 2013 state Group 3 meet at South Plainfield, by just 2 1/4 inches.

She broke the overall state meet record of 19-10 1/2 set in 1984 by Rahway’s Claire Connor. That was also the Group 3 mark.

The only South Jersey jumpers who’ve gone farther than Tobias are two-time long jump Olympian Carol Lewis of Willingboro, who set the U.S. high school record of 21-7 3/4 in 1980, and Tenecia Smith of Cherry Hill East, who jumped 20-0 1/2 in 1992.

Tobias’s jump is No. 5 in the country among high school juniors, according to the MileSplit database. She’s already qualified for the USATF junior nationals later this month in Bloomington, Ind.

https://www.iaaf.org/records/toplists/jumps/long-jump/outdoor/women/u18/2018?regionType=world&windReading=regular&page=1&bestResultsOnly=true

Here’s the all-time state list, with every 19-foot jumper indoors or outdoors:

21­-7 ¾ …… Carol Lewis (Willingboro), 1980
20-11 ¾ … Keturah Orji (Mount Olive), 2014
20­-9 ………. Clair Connor (Rahway), 1984
20-7i ………. Sydney McLaughlin (Union Catholic), 2017
20-2 ………. Keturah Orji (Mount Olive), 2013
20­-0 ½ ….. Teneacia Smith (Cherry Hill East), 1992
20­-0 ½ ….. Cassandra Grant (Passaic), 1980
20-0 ……… Caitlyn Salisbury (Hawthorne), 2016
19-11 ½ …. Tionna Tobias (Winslow Twp.), 2018
19-9 ¼ ….. Cidae’a Woods (Winslow Twp.), 2013
19­-8 ¾ ….. Demeika Tweedy (Plainfield), 1993
19-7 ½ ….. Helen Wilks (Bridgeton), 1993
19­-6 ………. Sharon Johnson (Newark Central), 1982
19-6i ………. Iana Amsterdam (Newark Tech), 2013
19-5 ¾ …… Tatiyanna Sanders (Paramus Catholic), 2014
19-5 ¾ …… Kayla Richardson (Columbia), 2014
19-5 ¼ …… Mariah Browne (South Brunswick), 2010
19-5 ………. Essence Mayers (Lakewood), 2010
19-5 ……… Nyamekye Opoku-Agyemang (Union), 2017
19­-4 ¾ …… LaShonda Carter (Rahway), 2006
19-4 ¾ …… Gabrielle Farquharson (Williamstown), 2011
19­-4 ………. Jen McDermott (Ridgewood), 1989
19-4 ………. Linda Hayes (Monmouth), 1985
19-4 ………. Emily Carson (Haddonfield), 2012
19-3 ¾ …….Hannah Taylor (Montgomery), 2016
19­-8i ………. Celeste Holder (Parisppany), 2006
19-3 ………. Tionna Tobias (Winslow Twp.), 2017
19-2 ¾ …….Asia Young (Holy Spirit), 2016
19-2 ½ ….…Gabrielle Bennett (Winslow Twp.), 2015
19-2 ¼ ….…Chino Anukwuem (Hanover Park), 2016
19­-2 ………. Robin Taylor (Deptford), 1980
19-1 ¾ …… Timia Joseph (Morris Knolls), 2016
19­-1 ½I ……. Carlene Cummings (Englewood), 1997
19-1 ¼i ……. Kelsey Viera (Hillsborough), 2015
19-1 ¼ …….Sydney McLaughlin (Union Catholic), 2015
19­-1 ……….. Nena Moore Cherry Hill W), 1995
19­-1 ………. Alaina Alfano (Hanover Park), 2005
19-1 ………. Yvonne Wolef (Middle Twp.), 2012
19-1 ………. Tiffany Bautista (Paramus Catholic), 2017
19­-0 ¾ …… Jen Schweizer (Morris Knolls), 1989
19-0 ½I ……. Natalia Hinton (Newark Tech), 2013
19-0 ¼ ….. Morgan McLaughlin (Union Catholic), 2012
19-0 ¼ …… Jasmine Staten (Lenape), 2016
19­-0 ………. Leticia Beverly (Newark Central), 1984
19-0 ………. Adriene Davis (Newark Central), 1988
19-0 ………. Danielle Grady (Notre Dame), 1996

Hammonton senior Alexa Gardner popped a 135-7 to win the state Group 3 javelin title Friday at Central Regional in Bayville.

Gardner won by more than 10 feet over junior Kali Grayson of Long Branch.

It was the second straight state Group 3 javelin title for Gardner, who won last year’s meet with a 142-1 bomb.

Ayana Culhane of Absegami won the 2016 meet with a 143-11, so Atlantic County girls have won the state Group 3 javelin title three years in a row.

Gardner’s top throw this year is a 138-8 last weekend at sectionals. She has now been over 130 feet in four straight meets, and she’s unbeaten since placing second to Oakcrest’s Brielle Smith’s 150-3 at the Atlantic County meet at Buena.

Gardner is the first girl to win consecutive state Group 3 javelin titles since Hannah Mayer of Northern Highlands in 2009 and 2010

Cinnaminson sophomore Austin Gabay became Cinnaminson’s fourth sub 4:18 miler Friday when he PR’d with a fast 4:17.79 for fifth place at the state Group 2 meet at Central Regional in Bayville.

Gabay joins Matt Poskus (4:14.60 in 2007), Jon Anderson (4:15.28 in 2004) and Brian Tetreault (4:15.44 in 2007), who have all ran for ace distance coach Dan Fourney.

Gabay’s previous PR was a 4:21.58 at the Cherokee Night of Racing Tuesday night and before that it was 4:23.20 at the South Jersey Invitational. So he’s lowered his PR 5 1/2 seconds this week.

It looks like Gabay broke the Burlington County sophomore class record of 4:18.46 set at the 2008 state meet by Shawnee’s David Forward.

ALL-TIME BURLINGTON COUNTY SUB-4:19 LIST
4:11.15 … Ryan Garvin (Lenape), 2009
4:11.83y … Marc Pelerin (Cherokee), 2002
4:11.69 … Shawn Wilson (Cherokee), 2013
4:13.0y …  Rick Jacques (Burlington Twp.), 1968
4:14.60 … Matt Poskus (Cinnaminson), 2007
4:14.8y … Vance Watson (Willingboro), 1982
4:15.28 …  Jon Anderson (Cinnaminson), 2004
4:15.49 … Steve Burkholder (Cherokee), 2010
4:15.44 … Brian Tetreault (Cinnaminson), 2007
4:15.77 … Anthony Kelhower (Lenape), 2005
4:16.71y, i … David Forward (Shawnee), 2009
4:16.6y … Herb Gordon (Willingboro), 1982
4:16.86 … Mark Miller (Shawnee), 2017
4:16.93 … Ian Waterhouse (Rancocas Valley), 2004
4:17.34 … Chris Martin (Northern Burlington), 2014
4:17.39 … Chris Sallade (Shawnee), 1990
4:17.4y … Bob Mann (Willingboro), 1979
4:17.7y … Joe League (Holy Cross), 1972
4:17.79 … Austin Gabay (Cinnaminson), 2018
4:18.43y … Josh Joseph (Cherokee), 2000
4:18.52 … Rob Novak (Bordentown), 2005
4:18.3 … Rey Johnson (Willingboro), 1980
4:18.3 … Keith O’Brien (Shawnee), 1992
4:18.64 … Joshua DeJesus (Rancocas Valley), 2015
4:18.6 … Bryant Walker (Pemberton), 1983
4:18.7y … Mark Strucko (Rancocas Valley), 1979
4:18.91 … Steve Unger (Shawnee), 2003
4:19.96 … Kevin Lauer (Lenape), 2017
4:18.9y … Terry Delaney (Moorestown), 1979

Seneca senior Sydny Warner broke five minutes in the 1,600 for the first time at the state Group 3 meet at Central Regional in Bayville Friday.

Warner placed fifth in 4:59.80, lowering her PR of 5:04.50, which she ran at sectionals last weekend. Her PR before that was a 5:07.04 from last year’s Meet of Champions.

Warner broke the school record of 5:01.74 set in 2010 by Nicole McGrainer at the state meet.

Her time is fastest in South Jersey this year, pending other results from Friday.

The Group 3 race was crazy fast, with senior Caroline Sullivan of Northern Valley Old Tappan winning in 4:50.76, and senior Madison Brand [4:54.59], Allentown senior Devon Hoernlein [4:57.01], Colonia senior Shelby Picnic [4:58.32] and Warner all under 5:00.

Here’s the updated all-time Burlington County list. Warner is the eighth Burlington County girl to run under five minutes. She also moved ahead of Liz Moore, who was a teammate at Shawnee in the 1990s of her coach at Seneca, Karen O’Neil.

Here’s every Burlington County girl that’s ever run 5:02 or faster.

4:52.95 … Caitlin Orr (Lenape), 2009
4:55.66 … Megan Lacy (Cherokee), 2012
4:56.01 … Natalia Ocasio (Lenape), 2012
4:56.08 … Megan Quimby (Lenape), 2016
4:56.81 … Julia Despirito (Shawnee), 2014
4:57.96 … Erika Kemp (Rancocas Valley), 2013
4:59.60 … Brittnee Bynoe (Willingboro), 2004
4:59.80 … Sydny Warner (Seneca), 2018
5:00.14y … Lisa Burkholder (Cherokee), 2003
5:00.42 … Camille Franklin (Lenape), 2015
5:00.73i … Monica Olkowski (Cherokee), 1990
5:00.6h … Kari Vigerstol (Holy Cross), 1993
5:01.48 … Casey Doyle (Shawnee), 2008
5:01.63 … Alex Woltjen (Lenape), 2017
5:01.5h … Liz Moore (Shawnee), 1993
5:01.74 … Nicole McGrainer (Seneca), 2008
5:01.86i … Kristen Niedrach (Shawnee), 2012
5:01.9h … Kathy Sjolie (Kennedy), 1978

Pennsville junior Arianna Smith not only won a state title Friday, she did it with a MONSTER personal-best!

Smith, who entered competition with a 400-meter intermediate hurdles PR of 1:05.53 — from sectionals last weekend — lowered that by nearly three seconds on the Franklin track with a 1:02.76 to win the state Group 2 title.

Her time is fastest by a Salem County girl since Courtney Smith won the state Group 1 title with a 1:01.40 at South Plainfield in 2004.

Smith will also run the high hurdles and 400 at states and long jump.

Moments after Paul VI sophomore Aliya Rae Garozzo won the Parochial A 400-meter intermediate hurdles in 1:01.46 at Franklin Township, Eastern sophomore Jewel Ash nearly matched her with a 1:01.71.

They are the two-fastest times by South Jersey sophomores in the last 15 years!

Ash, second in last year’s state Group 4 meet, lowered her PR from 1:02.11 from last year’s Meet of Champions in winning the state Group 4 title.

Another South Jersey sophomore, Cinnaminson’s Meredith Updike, won the Group 2 race in 1:02.71, lowering her PR from 1:03.95. She became Cinnaminson’s first outdoor state champion on the track in 12 years, since Allison Tetreault used a late kick to win the Group 2 1,600 title at Egg Harbor in 2006. Prisca Blamon was the state champ in the discus last year.

That’s three South Jersey sophomores under 63 seconds in one day on one track!!! I’ll put together an all-time S.J. sophomore 400IH list tonight, but safe to say nothing like this has ever happened before!!!!!

Less than a month after she first broke 75 seconds in the 400-meter intermediate hurdles, Paul VI sophomore Aliya Rae Garozzo is a state champion and one of New Jersey’s fastest hurdlers.

Garozzo won the 400 intermediates Friday at the state Parochial A meet with another remarkable PR of 1:01.46, fastest this year by a South Jersey girl and fastest by any New Jersey sophomore.

She ran her first serious big-meet race at the Rowan Invitational a month ago with a 1:05.74, then lowered her PR to 1:03.36 at the Camden County meet and 1:02.37 at sectionals before Friday’s state title and sub-62 breakthrough.

Her time is fastest by a South Jersey sophomore in at least 15 years. Zamira Isaac of Union Catholic took second in 1:01.93.

Garozzo is the first girl other than Olympian Sydney McLaughlin to win the Parochial A intermediates since 2013, and she’s the first Paul VI girl to win the event since Stephanie King in 2002.