From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Sophomore Shelby Whetstone and senior Shannon Lambert ran 1-4 Friday in the 400-meter dash at the state Group 4 meet at Egg Harbor, and in the process became the first South Jersey teammates to run 56.29 or faster in the same season in 15 years.

Whetstone won the race with a Lenape-school record 55.67, and Lambert ran the No. 2 time in Lenape history, finishing just behind her in 56.29.

The last South Jersey teammates who ran 56.29 or faster in the same season were Okechi Ogbuokiri and Halimah Bashir of Willingboro in 2002. Ogbuokiri ran 54.63, and Bashir ran 56.0.

Whetstone’s previous PR was 56.62 at sectionals, where she placed third. Lambert’s previous PR was 56.87 from the same race, where she was fourth.

Whetstone and Lambert fashioned those times despite being relegated to lanes seven and eight, which are more challenging than center lanes in the 400.

The previous Lenape school record of 56.31 was set last year by Jasmine Staten when she placed second at states.

Carly Pettipaw, who ran 56.59 in 2015, gives Lenape four girls under 57 seconds in the last three years.

The 400 was insanely hot state-wide on Friday, with 32 girls running 57.XX or faster, including 19 of them under 57 seconds and an incredible six under 56 fully automatic.

Whetstone and Lambert go into the Meet of Champions next Saturday seeded fourth and ninth.

Here’s a look at every girl that ran 57.99 or faster on Friday, including 12 from South Jersey:

51.88 … Sydney McLaughlin [Union Catholic], Non-Public A [1st]
55.35 … *Reanda Richards [West Essex], Group 3 [1st]
55.53 … Shakira Dancy [Winslow Twp.], Group 3 [2nd]
55.67 … **Shelby Whetstone [Lenape], Group 4 [1st]
55.75 … Brooke Fazio [Ridge], Group 4 [2nd]
55.94 … **Kaira Brown [Kent Place], Non-Public A [2nd]
56.10 … Alexis Smith [Roxbury], Group 3 [3rd]
56.22 … ***Chidumga Nkulme [Union], Group 4 [3rd]
56.29 … Shannon Lambert [Lenape], Group 4 [4th]
56.45 … *Brianna Hodges [West Windsor-Plainsboro South], Group 4 [5th]
56.53 … ***Rebecca Ochan [Highland Park], Group 1 [1st]
56.61 … ***Nylah Perry [Cherry Hill East], Group 4 [6th]
56.72 … *Kayleigh Furth [Newton], Group 2 [1st]
56.74 … **Nyjah Young-Bey [Montclair], Group 4 [7th]
56.76 … Emma Osborne [Summit], Group 3 [4th]
56.83 … **Khamil Evans [Union Catholic], Non-Public A [3rd]
56.88 … Flora Ahiarakwe [Winslow Twp.], Group 3 [5th]
56.94 … **Arianna Smith [Pennsville], Group 1 [2nd]
56.94 … Ariyana Wilkes [Holy Spirit], Non-Public B [1st]
57.01 … **Portia Jones [Watchung Hills], Group 4 [8th]
57.06 … Cassandra Lamadieu [Union Catholic], Non-Public A [4th]
57.07 … Morgan McConnell [Collingswood], Group 2 [2nd]
57.30 … ***Kyla Krawczyk [Northern Highlands], Group 3 [6th]
57.36 … *Megan Gasnick [Park Ridge], Group 1 [3rd]
57.36 … Dakota Gerges [Sayreville], Group 4 [9th]
57.39 … *Brooke Riedy [Hunterdon Central], Group 4 [10th]
57.42 … Dana DeLuca [Hunterdon Central], Group 4 [11th]
57.47 … Toni Glatz [Delsea], Group 3 [7th]
57.58 … *Briana Reckling [Columbia], Group 4 [12th]
57.59 … Sydne Nance [Rancocas Valley], Group 4 [13th]
57.77 … ***Jewel Ash [Eastern], Group 4 [14th],
57.99 … *Bailie Rizzo [Audubon], Group 1 [4th]

Williamstown senior Bria Mack lowered her 100-meter dash PR again Friday, winning the state Group 4 title with a blistering 11.58 at Egg Harbor Township.

Mack’s previous PR was 11.65 from the trials of the South Jersey Group 4 sectionals last weekend on the same track.

Mack moved up from No. 12 to No. 7 in state history , and her 11.58 is fastest by any New Jersey runner in seven years and fastest by a South Jersey runner in nine years.

In the trials Friday, Mack ran 11.74, leading both Promise Fadahunsi of Monroe Township and Sydney Hawkins of Phillipsburg under 12.10.

But the final was all Mack.

She ran 11.58 and only Fadahunsi was also under 12 seconds. She PR’d at 11.93 for second.

In South Jersey history, only legendary Michele Glover, the state record holder, Olympian English Gardner of Eastern, and Patti Dunlap, who ran for Camden in the 1970s, have run faster than Mack.

Glover set a still-standing state record of 11.42 back in 1981, Gardner ran 11.49 in 2008 and Dunlap ran 11.57 in 1979. So Mack is second-fastest in South Jersey in the last 36 years.

ALL-TIME NEW JERSEY 100-METER DASH LIST
11.42 Michele Glover (Willingboro), 1981
11.44 Myasia Jacobs (Paramus Catholic), 2010
11.49 English Gardner (Eastern), 2008
11.50 Wendy Vereen (Trenton), 1984
11.57 Patti Dunlap (Camden), 1979
11.57 M’elisa Barber (Montclair), 1998
11.58 Bria Mack (Williamstown), 2017
11.61 Shavon Greaves (Lakewood), 2007
11.61 Amandi Rhett (Moorestown), 2000
11.62 Cathy (Cranford (Perth Amboy), 1977
11.64 Olivia Baker (Columbia), 2013
11.65 Aleah Williams (Montclair), 1999
11.65 Ogechi Nwaneri (Columbia), 2005
11.68 Regina Trotter (Weequahic), 1991
11.70 Lori Dowers (Lawrenceville), 1979
11.71 Georgina Nembhard (Ocean Twp.), 2007
11.71 Shakira Dancy (Winslow Twp.), 2017
11.73 Torie Robinson (Winslow Twp.), 2014
11.74 Jenna Harris (Franklin Twp.), 2003
11.75 Bria Saunders (Parsippany), 2014
11.77 Aisha Morgan (Schalick), 1998
11.78 Shameka Speed (Bridgeton), 2003
11.80 Nicole Carmichael (Patterson Kennedy), 1995
11.80 Dominique Booker (Immaculate Conception), 2010
11.81 Denise Liles (Kingsway), 1984
11.81 Audrey (Wilson (Deptford), 2008
11.81 Haisha Bisiolu (Union), 2013
11.82 Amandi Rhett (Moorestown), 1999
11.82 Annie Johnson (Shawnee), 2012
11.83 Kaitlin Salisbury (Hawthorne), 2016
11.83 Amaya Chadwick (Union Catholic), 2017
11.84 Robin Taylor (Deptford), 1980
11.85 Dana Burnett Willamstown), 1996
11.86 Tylia Gillon (Jackson Memorial), 2008
11.87 Inshallah Saunders (Plainfield), 1993
11.87 Porshe Giddings (East (Orange), 2007
11.87 Jordan Simmons (Bishop Ahr), 2010
11.88 Denise Mitchell (Edgewood), 1983
11.89 Jasmine Carter (Columbia), 2010
11.89 Madeline Soto (University), 2014
11.89 Cecelia Gerstenbacher (Delsea), 2017
11.91 Darriea Pigott (West Orange), 1995
11.91 Kaitlyn Davis (North Brunswick), 2012
11.91 Chanel Smith (Piscataway), 2014
11.91 Aliya Harrison (Sterling), 2017
11.92 Gloria Jackson (Montclair), 1979
11.93 Promise Fadahunsi (Monroe Twp.), 2017
11.94 Tiffany Weatherford (Newark Science), 2000
11.94 Emily Carson (Haddonfield), 2013
11.94 Kimberly Lyles (Franklin Twp.), 2001
11.94 Sydney Hawkins (Phillipsburg), 2017
11.94 Katie DiFrancesco (St. John Vianney), 2017
11.95 Aliyah Taylor (Rancocas Valley), 2017
11.95 Danielle Beniulis (Jefferson Twp.), 2014
11.95 Melissa Harris (Neptune), 1998
11.96 Jamillah Nock (Wilson), 2004
11.96 Julia Rizio (Montville), 2011
11.96 Camille Campbell (Carteret), 2000
11.97 Carlene Cummings Engelwood), 1996
11.97 Iana Amsterdam (Newark Tech), 2013
11.97 Carlene Cummings (Dwight Morros), 1996
11.98 Staci Jordan (Orange), 1992
11.98 Symone O’Connor (Franklin Twp.), 2007
11.98 Kiara Lester (Deptford), 2014
11.98 Ciera Ismail (Schalick), 2013
11.99 La’Shonda Carter (Rahway), 2005
11.99 Ada Unachukwu (Marlboro), 2008

ALL-TIME SOUTH JERSEY 100-METER DASH LIST
11.42 Michele Glover (Willingboro), 1981
11.49 English Gardner (Eastern), 2008
11.57 Patti Dunlap (Camden), 1979
11.58 Bria Mack (Williamstown), 2017
11.61 Amandi Rhett (Moorestown), 2000
11.71 Shakira Dancy (Winslow Twp.), 2017
11.73 Torie Robinson (Winslow Twp.), 2014
11.77 Aisha Morgan (Schalick), 1998
11.78 Shameka Speed (Bridgeton), 2003
11.81 Denise Liles (Kingsway), 1984
11.81 Audrey (Wilson (Deptford), 2008
11.82 Amandi Rhett (Moorestown), 1999
11.82 Annie Johnson (Shawnee), 2012
11.84 Robin Taylor (Deptford), 1980
11.85 Dana Burnett (Willamstown), 1996
11.88 Denis Mitchell (Edgewood), 1983
11.89 Cecelia Gerstenbacher (Delsea), 2017
11.91 Aliya Harrison (Sterling), 2017
11.94 Emily Carson (Haddonfield), 2013
11.95 Aliyah Taylor (Rancocas Valley), 2017
11.96 Jamillah Nock (Woodrow Wilson), 2004
11.98 Kiara Lester (Deptford), 2014
11.98 Ciera Ismail (Schalick), 2013

Kingsway senior Rachel Vick continued her miraculous 2017 outdoor season Friday with a personal-best 4:49.26 win in the state Group 4 meet at Egg Harbor Township.

Vick lowered her 1,600 PR from 4:52.88 and improved on her No. 6 spot on the all-time South Jersey list.

Vick now has personal-bests of 2:13.00, 4:49.26 and 10:32.53. She’s one of only six runners in state history to run 2:13, sub-4:50 and sub-10:35 at any point in her career.

The others are Washington Township’s Michelle Rowen (1982, 1983), Haddonfield’s Erin Donohue (2000, 2001), Ciara Roche of Freehold Township (2015, 2016), Jodie Bilotta of North Hunterdon (1987, 1988) and Melanie Thompson of Voorhees (2008, 2009).

Here’s the all-time South Jersey list, with all eight girls who’ve broken 4:50:

4:41.16 … Erin Donohue [Haddonfield], 2000
4:41.52i,y … Michelle Rowen [Washington Twp.], 1982
4:45.97 … Briana Gess [Haddonfield], 2014
4:48.73 … Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2010
4:49.11 … Renee Tomlin [Ocean City], 2005
4:49.26 … Rachel Vick [Kingsway], 2017
4:51.53 … Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Reg.], 2017
4:52.95 … Caitlin Orr [Lenape], 2009
4:54.71 … Megan Hartman [Ocean City], 194
4:54.88 … Bridget Flynn [Holy Spirit], 2012
4:55.41 … Brittany Sedberry [Ocean City], 2004
4:55.45 … Julianna Catania [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2016
4:55.66 … Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 2012
4:55.70 … Dina Iacone [Washington Twp.], 2012
4:55.95 … Keely Maguire [Triton], 2007
4:55.9h … Dawn Cody [Paul VI], 1982

And here’s the all-time state list, with Vick in the No. 25 spot:

4:37.45 … Danielle Tauro [Southern Reg.], 2006
4:41.16 … Erin Donohue [Haddonfield], 2000
4:41.61 … Josette Norris [Tenafly], 2013
4:41.52i,y … Michelle Rowen [Washington Twp.], 1982
4:42.1h,y … Doreen Ennis [Nutley], 1973
4:43.92 … Ajee’ Wilson [Neptune], 2010
4:44.90 … Molly McNamara [Red Bank Catholic], 2011
4:45.36 … Liz Lansing [Randolph], 2013
4:45.57 … Claudia DiSomma [Sparta], 2010
4:45.97 … Briana Gess [Haddonfield], 2014
4:46.28 … Melanie Thompson [Voorhees], 2009
4:46.32 … Sarah Disanza [High Point Reg.], 2013
4:46.4h … Margaret Scutro [Ridgewood], 1985
4:46.87 … Jill Smith [Southern Reg.], 2007
4:46.95 … Ariann Neutts [Roxbury], 2009
4:47.71 … Ashley Higginson [Colts Neck], 2007
4:47.7h,y … Jodi Bilotta [North Hunterdon], 1987
4:47.90 … Ciara Roche [Freehold Twp.], 2016
4:48.23 … Christina Cancan [West Windsor-Plainsboro South], 2016
4:48.48 … Kylene Cochrane [West Morris Central], 2014
4:48.62 … Katy Trotter [Red Bank], 2003
4:48.73 … Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2010
4:48.82 … Catherine Pagano [Northern Highlands], 2014
4:49.11 … Renee Tomlin [Ocean City], 2005
4:49.26 … Rachel Vick [Kingsway], 2017
4:49.7h … Karen Ahern [Bernards], 1985
4:49.88 … Marin Warner [Holmdel], 2014
4:50.0h,y … Christine Engel [Mount Olive], 1992
4:51.38 … Grace Dwyer [Nottingham], 2014
4:51.54 … Joelle Amaral [Randolph], 2011
4:51.56 … Julia Guerra [Indian Hills], 2015
4:51.5h,y … Joetta Clark [Columbia], 1978
4:51.63 … Stephanie Snyder [Randolph], 1992
4:51.86 … Amanda Trotter [Red Bank], 2003
4:51.89 … Laura Quintana [Bernards], 2013
4:51.7h,y … Meg Waldron [Bernards], 1983
4:51.99 … Dana Giordano [Bernards], 2012
4:52.1h,y … Janet Smith [North Edison], 1984
4:52.41 … Kaitlyn Mooney [Southern Reg.], 2016
4:52.44 … Emily Bushey [Vernon Twp.], 2013
4:52.46 … Jenn Ennis [Roxbury], 2006
4:52.65 … Lindsay Gallo [Howell], 2000
4:52.74 … Eve Glasergreen [North Hunterdon], 2015
4:52.7h … Stacy Bilotta [North Hunterdon], 1984
4:52.88 … Rachel Vick [Kingsway], 2017
4:52.95 … Caitlin Orr [Lenape], 2009

4:41.16 … Erin Donohue [Haddonfield], 2000
4:41.52i,y … Michelle Rowen [Washington Twp.], 1982
4:45.97 … Briana Gess [Haddonfield], 2014
4:48.73 … Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2010
4:49.11 … Renee Tomlin [Ocean City], 2005

4:49.26 … Rachel Vick [Kingsway], 2017

4:49.7h … Karen Ahern [Bernards], 1985
4:49.88 … Marin Warner [Holmdel], 2014
4:50.0h,y … Christine Engel [Mount Olive], 1992

4:50.0h,y … Christine Engel [Mount Olive], 1992
4:51.38 … Grace Dwyer [Nottingham], 2014
4:51.54 … Joelle Amaral [Randolph], 2011
4:51.56 … Julia Guerra [Indian Hills], 2015
4:51.5h,y … Joetta Clark [Columbia], 1978
4:51.63 … Stephanie Snyder [Randolph], 1992
4:51.86 … Amanda Trotter [Red Bank], 2003
4:51.89 … Laura Quintana [Bernards], 2013
4:51.7h,y … Meg Waldron [Bernards], 1983
4:51.99 … Dana Giordano [Bernards], 2012
4:52.1h,y … Janet Smith [North Edison], 1984
4:52.41 … Kaitlyn Mooney [Southern Reg.], 2016
4:52.44 … Emily Bushey [Vernon Twp.], 2013
4:52.46 … Jenn Ennis [Roxbury], 2006
4:52.65 … Lindsay Gallo [Howell], 2000
4:52.74 … Eve Glasergreen [North Hunterdon], 2015
4:52.7h … Stacy Bilotta [North Hunterdon], 1984
4:52.88 … Rachel Vick [Kingsway], 2017
4:52.95 … Caitlin Orr [Lenape], 2009

Jamil Adams looks to continue a tremendous season this weekend at the state Group 3 meet at Northern Burlington.

Adams has a chance to become the first hurdler in a decade to double the 110 highs and 400 intermediates at the state Group 3 meet.

The Winslow Township senior won both hurdles races at the South Jersey Group 3 sectionals, and owns the fastest times in South Jersey this year in both races as well.

His 14.48 in the highs and 14.59 in the trials lowered his previous PR of 14.83 from the South Jersey Invitational, and his 53.59 in the intermediates is just 8-100ths of a second off his PR of 53.51 set at the Penn Relays.

By winning both hurdles races this past weekend at Delsea, Adams became the first hurdler to sweep both races in the South Jersey Group 3 meet in 16 years — since Dwight Ruff of Camden in 2001 and the first from Winslow to sweep both races since Reuben McCoy in Group 4 in 2004.

Adams goes into states seeded No. 2 in the intermediates, behind only Boaz Madeus of Hamilton North, who ran 53.58 — 1-100th of a second faster at Central Jersey Group 3 than Adams ran at SJ-3.

In the highs, Adams is seeded No. 1 at 14.48, a full 20-100ths of a second behind No. 2 seed Da’John Graves of Irvington.

Adams is defending state champ in the 400 intermediates with a 54.15.

The last hurdler to win both the highs and the intermediates at the state Group 3 meet was Emanuel Mayers of Lakewood with a 14.04 and a 51.98 in 2007.

Mayers, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, won gold medals in the intermediates and 4-by-400 relay at the 2013 Central American and Caribbean Championships at the Pista de Atletismo “Ernesto Canto” del Complejo Olímpico Bicentenario in Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico.

Mayers has a 400IH PR of 49.57, which he ran in a meet in Spain in 2014

 

The state championships, which trace their history back to 1919 — nearly 100 years — begin Thursday at Egg Harbor and Northern Burlington, and the NJSIAA has released the meet program for both meets on its web site.

The program includes entry lists, meet records, order of events, all-time team champions and much more!

Click HERE to download the *.pdf.

The Delsea girls shattered the Gloucester County 400-meter relay record at sectionals with a 47.89 for the win in the South Jersey Group 2 meet on their home track.

The team of junior Kaire Brackett, sophomore Daneesha Brown, senior Cecelia Gerstenbacher and senior Toni Glatz edged Winslow Township, which ran 48.18 for second.

Delsea broke its own Gloucester County record of 47.84 set at the Tri-County meet earlier this month. Before that, Deptford held the record with its 47.85 last year for second at the Meet of Champions.

Delsea’s time is No. 3 in the state this year behind only Winslow’s 47.05 at Penn and Union Catholic’s 47.72 at the Union County Relays.

It’s also No. 12 in South Jersey but only 2-100ths of a second outside the top-10. Delsea is the first South Jersey school other than Winslow to run that fast since Eastern, with Olympic gold medalist English Gardner, ran a South Jersey-record 46.87 in 2003.

Delsea and Winslow are seeded No. 1 and No. 2 in this weekend’s state Group 3 meet at Northern Burlington.

Here’s the all-time South Jersey list:

46.87 Eastern, 2003
46.9 Willingboro, 1980
47.05 Winslow Twp., 2017
47.18 Winslow Twp., 2013
47.3 Willingboro, 1981
47.4 Camden,, 1978
47.4y Camden, 1979
47.45 Willingboro, 1994
47.54 Winslow Twp., 2003
47.75 Eastern, 2002
47.76 Winslow Twp., 2005
47.76 Winslow Twp., 2012
47.78 Delsea, 2017
47.8 Willingboro, 2003
47.82 Moorestown, 2000
47.85 Deptford, 2015
47.87 Winslow Twp., 2011
47.9 Willingboro, 1995
47.94 Camden, 2000
48.0 Camden, 1995
48.0 Wilson, 2008
48.03 Penns Grove, 2014
48.07 Camden, 2006
48.08 Winslow Twp., 2004
48.08 Willingboro, 2009
48.09 Lakewood, 2000
48.1 Willingboro, 1979
48.12 Washington Twp., 2001
48.14 Camden, 1997
48.18 Rancocas Valley, 2017
48.23 Wilson, 2006
48.23 Egg Harbor Twp., 2015
48.24 Camden, 2008

Mainland Regional junior Alyssa Aldridge stopped by the Cherokee Night at the Races #2 Tuesday night and ran a big 1,600-meter PR of 4:51.53.

That’s No. 6 in South Jersey history, just ahead of Kingsway’s Rachel Vick, who ran 4:52.88 at sectionals on Friday.

Aldridge’s previous 1,600 PR was 4:55.83 at last year’s state Group 3 state meet, which she won. Her fastest time this year was a 4:57.22 Friday, winning Group 3 sectionals.

Her time is No. 1 in the state this year and No. 29 in state history. She broke the Atlantic County record of 4:54.88 set in 2012 by Bridget Flynn before she transferred to Ocean City.

4:41.16 … Erin Donohue [Haddonfield], 2000
4:41.52i,y … Michelle Rowen [Washington Twp.], 1982
4:45.97 … Briana Gess [Haddonfield], 2014
4:48.73 … Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2010
4:49.11 … Renee Tomlin [Ocean City], 2005
4:51.53 … Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Reg.], 2017
4:52.88 … Rachel Vick [Kingsway], 2017
4:52.95 … Caitlin Orr [Lenape], 2009
4:54.71 … Megan Hartman [Ocean City], 194
4:54.88 … Bridget Flynn [Holy Spirit], 2012
4:55.41 … Brittany Sedberry [Ocean City], 2004
4:55.45 … Julianna Catania [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2016
4:55.66 … Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 2012
4:55.70 … Dina Iacone [Washington Twp.], 2012
4:55.95 … Keely Maguire [Triton], 2007
4:55.9h … Dawn Cody [Paul VI], 1982

Over the next 48 hours, we’ll take a look at every South Jersey team that won a sectional title. The final one: Delsea boys!

Taj Summiel ran a leg on Delsea’s third-place 400-meter relay team at sectionals. Why is that significant?

Because of Delsea’s 113 points, he’s the only senior who scored!

Splitting up those six third-place points into quarters, that means underclassmen scored 111 1/2 of Delsea’s 113 points.

So watch out, South Jersey Group 3. The Crusaders aren’t going anywhere.

Their sectional title was No. 4 overall. Delsea won Group 3 in 2006 and 2007 and Group 2 in 2010.

Delsea outscored a very good Deptford team by 21 points, 113-92. No other school scored more than 52.

Let’s take a look at how Delsea piled up those 113 points!

We’ll start with the horizontal jumps, where Delsea scored a whopping 30 points, thanks to juniors Khaliel Burnett and Keon Grady. Burnett won the long jump at 21-8 and the triple jump at 45-7 1/4, and Grady added a third (21-3 1/2) and fourth (43-10 1/4).

Delsea crushed it in the middle-distance and distance runs, scoring 33 points in the 400 through 3,200.

Junior Michael Szwed ran 50.23 for first in the 400 and 1:57.93 for second in the 800 — 18 points from Mike — and sophomore Colin Kane added 12 points with a second in the 1,600 (4:26.29) and a fourth in the 3,200 (9:41.81).

Junior William Mayhew (sixth in 800, 1:59.42) and junior George Tenenberg (fourth in 3,200, 9:44.66) added

Tenenberg, Kane and Mayhew all ran for Delsea’s South Jersey Group 3-champion cross country team this past fall.

Other scorers: Junior Tymir Kizee was third in the high hurdles (15.03), junior Nate Cox placed third in the high jump (6-2), junior idk Petriello and freshman Nico Morales went 2-3 in the pole vault (13-0, 12-6), junior Bill Goldsborough threw 56-5 1/2 for second in the shot and 139-3 for fifth in the discus, junior Will Sneathen added a fourth in the shot (50-10 1/4) and freshman Jake Nwosu threw 135-8 in the disc for sixth place.

Delsea was also fifth in the 400-meter relay with a season-best 43.79, with sophomore Aidan Borguet, Burnett, Grady and Summiel running; sixth in the 1,600-meter relay with Denenberg, freshmen Shaikyi Hannah and Damir Lomax, and Szwed; and third in the 3,200 relay with Kane, Mayhew, junior Dylan Senatore and Denenberg running a season-best 8:10.70.

 

 

Antonio Tarantino doesn’t race a lot. Other than dual meets, he hasn’t run a 100 since he went 10.68 at the Bensalem Invitational on April 8. And before sectionals he ran only two serious 200s all spring, winning the Olympic Conference title with a personal-best 21.73 and taking second to Martin Booker in the Camden County meet in 22.07.

Whatever he’s doing, it’s working.

The Paul VI junior ran an astonishing 21.21 to win the 200 meters at the South Jersey Non-Public A meet at Egg Harbor.

His time is No. 6 in state history and No. 3 in South Jersey history, fastest by a South Jersey sprinter since Reuben McCoy of Winslow ran 21.14 in 2004.

Tarantino’s time is 12-100ths of a second off the state junior class record of 21.09 set in 1983 by Olympic gold medalist Dennis Mitchell of Edgewood.

Senior teammate Richard Bush placed second in 22.04, a full one-second PR (actually 99-100ths of a second).

This has been an incredible year in the 200 in South Jersey, with Tarantino, Martin Booker of Pennsaken (21.39), Jonathan Taylor of Salem (21.53), Mar-Quel Davis of Deptford (21.57) and Amir Brock of EHT (21.66) all running sub-21.70 and three others — Bo Melton of Cedar Creek (21.71), Revell Williams of Bridgeton (21.74) and Chase Campbell of Lenape (21.76) — all under 21.80 fully automatic.

There’s never been this many fast 200 runners in South Jersey the same year, but Tarantino is now fastest of the bunch.

Here’s the updated all-time state list, with everybody under 21.50 fully automatic:

20.93 … Danny Johnson [Rahway], 2001
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
21.21 … Antonio Tarantino [Paul VI], 2017
21.22 … Maxwell Booker [Essex Catholic], 2000
21.23 … Shaquan Brown [Paterson Kennedy], 2005
21.29 … Zyaire Clemes [Trenton], 2013
21.30 … Ty Adams [Monmouth Reg.], 1993
21.30 … Lamar Grant [Jackson], 1996
21.30 … T.J. Johnson [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2009
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
21.38 … Reginald Morton [Oakcrest], 2012
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
21.41 … Dorian Bryant [Kingsway], 2002
21.41 … Adian Sanderson [Ewing], 2003
21.42 … Charles Cox [Monmouth Reg.], 2007
21.43 … Anthony Davis [Plainfield], 1998
21.43 … Barry Cephas [Winslow Twp.], 2008
21.43 … Najee Glass [St. Peter’s Prep], 2012
21.44 … Courtney Burton [Iselin], 1990
21.45 … Chris Charles [Park Ridge], 2000
21.46 … Brondon Jenkins [Delran], 1994
21.46 … Sabli Gonnet [Eastern], 2007
21.46 … Rahmir Johnson [Bergen Catholic], 2017
21.47 … Curtis McIntyre [Bridgeton], 1992
21.47 … Larry Lester [Piscataway], 2000
21.48 … Christopher Estrella [Ridgefield Park], 2014

Here’s a deeper all-time South Jersey list, with five sprinters from this year alone!

21.06 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1984
21.14 … Reuben McCoy [Winslow Twp.], 2004
21.21 … Antonio Tarantino [Paul VI], 2017
21.30 … T.J. Johnson [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2009
21.38 … Reginald Morton [Oakcrest], 2012
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
21.41 … Dorian Bryant [Kingsway], 2002
21.43 … Barry Cephas [Winslow Twp.], 2008
21.46 … Brondon Jenkins [Delran], 1994
21.46 … Sabli Gonnet [Eastern], 2007
21.47 … Curtis McIntyre [Bridgeton], 1992
21.53 … Robert Hargrove (Vineland), 1996
21.53 … A.J. Bunton [West Deptford], 2006
21.53 … Jonathan Taylor [Salem], 2017
21.54 … Derek Ward [Kingsway], 1992
21.55 … Anthony Maturano [Hammonton], 2015
21.56 … Bruce Owens [Deptford], 2005
21.56 … Darrell Bush [Woodbury], 2012
21.57 … Mar-Quel Davis [Deptford], 2017
21.58 … Antraye Miles [Winslow Twp.], 2003
21.59 … John Stone [Mainland Reg.], 1997
21.60 … Juwan Johnson [Glassboro], 2013
21.63 … Sherron Bullock [Camden], 2004
21.64 … Alex Reber [Cherry Hill East], 2012
21.64 … Barry Cephas [Winslow Twp.], 2007
21.66 … Sterling Pierce [Rancocas Valley], 2015
21.66 … Amir Brock [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2017
21.66 … Darrin Scott [Willingboro], 2001
21.67 … Kashif Miller [Haddon Heights], 2014
21.67 … Michael Bolling [Willingboro], 2000
21.68 … Daequan Kim [Bordentown], 2009
21.69 … Nick Brown [Bridgeton], 1999
21.69 … Robert Page [Kingsway], 2007
21.70 … Keith Griffith [Florence], 2010

Over the next 48 hours, we’ll take a look at every South Jersey team that won a sectional title. Up next: Winslow girls!

Good luck beating Winslow. They are untouchable right now.

On a weekend where most sectional meets came down to one of the final field events or even the 4-by-4, the Winslow girls demolished the field on the way to their fifth consecutive South Jersey Group 3 championship.

Winslow outscored second-place Timber Creek 120-63 — a 57-point margin of victory over a very good team — to tie three other schools for the second-longest South Jersey winning streak in sectional history. Here’s a look at the longest streaks:

Longest S.J. Winning Streaks
7 … Woodbury, Group 1 [1976-82]
5 … Ocean City, Group 3 [1990-94]
5 … Winslow Twp., Group 3 [2013-17]
5 … Shawnee, Group 4 [1993-1997]
5 … Southern Reg., Group 4 [2006-10]
4 … Haddonfield, Group 2 [2011-14]
4 … Lakewood, Group 3 [1986-89]
4 … Toms River South Group 4 [1973-76]

And watch out Woodbury because Winslow is coming after you!

Let’s look at how the Eagles got to 120 points!

It starts with their sprinters. Winslow piled up an insane 52 points just in the 100, 200 and 400.

Shakira Dancy? How about 11.75 for first in the 100, 23.85 for first in the 200 and 56.62 for first in the 400!

Flora Ahiarakwe added a second in the 400 (56.92) and fourths in the 100 (12.30) and 200 (25.38).

Jane Hammond placed in three events — 58.80 for fourth in the 400, 1:06.19 for fifth in the intermediates and 25.74 for sixth in the 200.

Iyianna Williams ran fourth in both hurdles with a 15.39 and a 1:05.13 for eight more points.

Tionna Tobias won the long jump at 18-6 1/2 and was second in the high jump at 5-4, and Ciarra Johnson doubled the weights with a 40-3 and a 112-1.

Mary Hess also scored in the intermediates (1:07.00 for sixth).

Then add 20 points in the relays.

Dancy, Hamond, Nicole Hood and Raven Rouse ran 3:58.26 to finish off with a win in the 4-by-4. Ahiarakwe, Hess, Tobias and Williams ran 48.18 for second in the 4-by-1.

And Hood, Rouse, Alexandria Morrison and Grace Morton ran 9:59.03 for fifth in the 3,200 relay.

And get this: Williams is the only senior that scored a point for Winslow!

Dancy, Ahiarakwe, Johnson and Hess are juniors; Hood, Rouse, Morrison and Tobias are sophomores; and Hammond and Morton are freshman.

The record for sectional titles by any New Jersey girls track team is eight by Columbia from 1991 through 1991 in North 2 Group 4.

Here’s a prediction: Just wait a few years. That record is going down.