From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Rancocas Valley’s Samuel Keleekai, Brandon Boggs, Brian Merman and Jacob Tyndall  ran 3:34.86 in the sprint medley at the Group 4 states relays at the Bennett Center, moving the Red Devils into the No. 12 spot on the all-time South Jersey list and the No. 5 spot in the U.S. this year.

Keleekai led off with a 51.8 for 400 meters and Boggs and Merriman ran 22.4 and 22.8 for their one-lap legs. Tyndale anchored in 1:57.9.

Trenton won the race in 3:34.50, No. 3 in the U.S. With Old Bridge third in 3:35.04, East Orange fourth in 3:36.67, Egg Harbor Township fifth in 3:37.72 and Marlboro sixth in 3:37.89, the race also produced the No. 6, 14, 17 and 19 times nationally so far this winter.

Rancocas Valley set its school record of 3:32.36 at nationals last year, fastest time by a South Jersey school in seven years.

Here’s the all-time indoor South Jersey performance list, with all times under 3:36:

• 3:27.60 … Vineland, 2003
• 3:29.07 … Washington Twp., 2009
• 3:30.01 … Cherokee, 2002
• 3:30.45 … Lenape, 2001
• 3:31.73 … Vineland, 2004
• 3:32.36 … Rancocas Valley, 2016
• 3:32.90 … Washington Twp., 2010
• 3:33.22 … Pleasantville, 2012
• 3:33.99 … Pleasantville, 2007
• 3:34.12 … Absegami, 2010
• 3:34.64 … Pleasantville, 2002
• 3:34.86 … Rancocas Valley, 2017
• 3:34.88 … Vineland, 2002
• 3:34.96 … Bordentown, 2005
• 3:35.0 ….. Edgewood, 1986
• 3:35.76 … Vineland, 2013
• 3:35.86 … Rancocas Valley, 2015

RV’s overall school record is a 3:29.72 at the 2005 nationals in Greensboro, N.C. That was good for eighth place overall out of an unseeded heat and earned the Red Devils All-America honors.

Rancocas Valley finished third at the state relays with 30 points, trailing only South Brunswick (48) and Randolph (36).

R.V. won the shot put relay with Maurice Johnson throwing 50-11 and Tariq Hills 48-1 1/4. Boggs, Keleekai, TreShaun Lott and Merriman were third in the 800-meter relay (1:33.38), Boggs, Vincent Brown, Keleekai and Merman ran 3:27.79 for fourth in the 1,600 relay, Liam Alderman, Micah Wood, Aliyy Haqq and Malcolm Stanley ran 31.78 for fourth in the shuttles.

Long-time South Jersey rivals Lou Corgliano of Hammonton, now a junior running for Maryland, and Jimmy Daniels of Sterling, now a senior at St. Joe’s, met up again Friday and ran 1-2 in the 5,000-meter run at the Penn State National Invitational on the Horace Ashenfelter track in State College.

Corgliano won in 14:50.42 and Daniels was 10 meters behind in 14:52.20.

The time was an indoor PR for Daniels, whose previous under-cover best was a 15:00.34 at the NYC Gotham Cup at the Ocean Breeze complex on Staten Island on Jan. 22, 2016. Daniels just missed his overall PR of 14:49.81 set outdoors at the Colonial Relays at William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va., on April 4, 2014.

Corgliano has a 5,000 PR of 14:34.37 from the 2015 Sam Howell Invitational at Princeton and has an indoor 5,000 PR of 14:47.05 last January at the Great Dane Classic, also at the Ocean Breeze track.

 

Jessica Woodard bombed a throw of 56-6 1/2 to set an indoor personal-best at the Mark Colligan Memorial Invitational at the Devaney Center in Lincoln, Neb. That currently ranks her No. 6 in Division 1 and No. 20 among U.S. women.

Woodard opened with a 50-9 1/4 and a foul before hitting the PR on her third throw. She followed with a foul, a 54-9 3/4 and another foul. Not her most consistent series ever, but it did land her an indoor PR.

Woodard’s previous indoor best throw in the shot was a 55-10 3/4 last march at the indoor NCAA championships at the Birmingham (Ala.) Metro Trossplex. She earned All-America honors with an eighth-place finish.

Her outdoor PR is 58-7 3/4, which got her third in last year’s outdoor NCAA nationals at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

Woodard also has a discus PR of 177-9 3/4, set at the Big 12 Championships in Fort Worth this past May.

Woodard also placed fourth in the weight throw in Lincoln with a 59-5 1/4. Her PR is 62-10 3/4.

Timber Creek was competing with Winslow Township at the Group 3 state relays this weekend. The Chargers were also competing with the 1992 Franklin Township girls track team.

It was clear early on that Timber Creek and Winslow Township were going to battle for the team title. What wasn’t so clear was whether either could catch the 25-year-old meet scoring record.

Timber Creek won three events, placed second in two and third in another and matched Franklin Township in 1992 with 52 points, most in State Relays Group 3 history.

The Chargers also became the first to repeat in Group 3 since Willingboro won four in a row from 2002 through 2005.

Timber Creek outscored Camden County rival Winslow 52-44, with nobody else close. Here are the highest team scores in meet history. As you can see, Winslow’s 44 points ties the highest non-winning point total ever with Red Bank’s 44 in 2001.

52 … Franklin, 1992 [1st]
50 … Willingboro, 2002 [1st]
48 … Woodrow Wilson, 2001 [1st]
47 … Kingsway, 2014 [1st]
46 … Willingboro, 2005 [1st]
46 … Roxbury, 1999 [1st]
46 … Middletown South, 1998 [1st]
45 … Willingboro, 2003 [1st]
44 … Willingboro, 2004 [1st]
44 … Winslow, 2017 [2nd]
44 … Red Bank, 2001 [2nd]
42 … Winslow, 2014 [2nd]
41 … Woodrow Wilson, 2000 [1st]

OK, let’s get to how Timber Creek got to 52 points. Senior Cheyenne Sovae-Beattie, freshman Tierra Hooker and senior Kai Starnes were all part of two first-place teams. Starnes and Hooker also picked up one second-place medal each.

Let’s take a look event-by-event:

1,600-METER RELAY: Adai and Kai Starnes, senior Sarina Jones and Sovae-Beattie combined to run a season-best 4:01.07, which broke the meet record of 4:01.53 set in 1998 by Willingboro. The time is No. 3 in the state this year and appears to be an indoor school record for Timber Creek.

SPRINT MEDLEY: Sovae-Beattie, senior Janiyah Davis-Hines, Hooker and senior Alyssa Condell teamed up to win in 4:19.35, No. 8 in the state so far this year and No. 4 in South Jersey.

HIGH JUMP RELAY: Hooker cleared 5-4 and Kai Starnes 5-2 for a total of 10-6. That’s just two inches off the meet record of 10-8 set in 2004 by Mount Olive. Hooker has already cleared 5-6 this year, which ties her for the No. 1 mark in New Jersey. Starnes has a PR of 5-4.

800-METER RELAY: Davis-Hines, senior Sarina Jones, Kai Starnes and Adia Starnes ran 1:45.29, finishing second, just behind Winslow at 1:44.15. Winslow is already No. 1 NJ and No. 9 nationally at 1:41.45 at the New Balance Games. Timber Creek’s 1:45.29 is No. 2 in South Jersey and No. 3 in the state this year.

SHUTTLE HURDLES: Close finish, with Winslow edging Timber Creek 32.57 to 32.85. Davis-Hines, senior Jarline Gonzalez, junior Azhanee Johnson and Hooker ran the four 51 1/2-meter legs for the Chargers.

DISTANCE MEDLEY: Senior Alexa Clark, Adia Starnes, freshman Alexandra Hauer and Condell combined to run 12:35.98 for third. That’s a school record indoors or outdoors, No. 10 in the state this year and No. 5 in South Jersey.

 

Sophomore Jayaire King ran on three winning teams, and seniors George Milton, DeVon Watson, Jahaad Beckford and Rico Patterson contributed to first-place teams each Saturday as Willingboro destroyed the field in the Group 1 state relays at the Bennett Center in Toms River.

Willingboro scored 52 points, and if you split that in half the Chimeras would have placed third and fourth.

For those of you who may not keep track of this stuff, that’s Willingboro’s 16th state relays title and 39th overall state title for the boys. Add that to 19 state team titles by the Willingboro girls indoors and out, and that’s an incredible 58 state team championships for the Chimeras in the program’s history.

Willingboro placed third or better in six of eight events to pile up 52 points and finish 28 points ahead of second-place McNair Academic.

The 52 points are the most by a Group 1 state relays champ since Metuchen scored 59 in 2003. The only other higher score in Group 1 history belongs to Haddonfield with 56 1/2 points in 2001.

King teamed with Milton, Watson and Hines to run 1:33.41 and win the 800-meter relay. Beck ford, King, soph Cristian Coto and Milton ran 3:31.74 to win the 1,600-meter relay, Beckford, King, Patterson and Watson ran 31.21 for first in the shuttle hurdles and Patterson (6-0) and O’Ryan Turner (5-10) combined to win the high jump relay at 11-10.

Willingboro was also third in both the sprint medley (Watson, Aaron Cooper, Oneja Howell, Milton) and shot put relay (Samuel Marcel, Justin McMaster).

That shuttle hurdles team just missed the meet record of 31.00 set in 2007 by Abraham Clark of Roselle.

King is Willingboro’s first sophomore to win three gold medals at the state relays in 23 years, since Luis Martinez was on the winning 4-by-2, 4-by-4 and sprint medley teams at Jadwin Gym in 1994.

Congrats also to the Willingboro girls, who won the 800-meter relay and high jump relay and finished fourth overall Saturday with 26 points but just one point out of second! The Willingboro girls hadn’t scored a single point at the state relays since 2012!!!

Now on to the lists!

Here is a list of every state team title the Willingboro program has ever won, 58 in all. That is a lot of victory laps!!!

BOYS
State Relays (15)
1982 [Group 4]
1983 [Group 4]
1985 [Group 3]
1986 [Group 3]
1987 [Group 3]
1990 [Group 4]
1996 [Group 4]
2000 [Group 3]
2001 [Group 3]
2002 [Group 3]
2003 [Group 3]
2005 [Group 3]
2012 [Group 3]
2015 [Group 1]
2017 [Group 1]

Indoor States (12)
1983 [Group 4]
1986 [Group 3]
1987 [Group 3]
1988 [Group 3]
1989 [Group 3]
1990 [Group 4]
1995 [Group 4]
1997 [Group 4]
2000 [Group 3]
2002 [Group 3]
2012 [Group 2]

Outdoor States (12)
1979 [Group 4]
1981 [Group 4]
1982 [Group 4]
1986 [Group 3]
1988 [Group 3]
1989 [Group 3]
1990 [Group 4]
1991 [Group 4]
1993 [Group 4]
1994 [Group 4]
2002 [Group 3]
2003 [Group 3]

GIRLS
State Relays (9)
1992 [Group 4]
1993 [Group 4]
1995 [Group 4]
1997 [Group 4]
2002 [Group 3]
2003 [Group 3]
2004 [Group 3]
2005 [Group 3]
2010 [Group 2]

Indoor States (6)
1980 [All-Groups]
1981 [Group 4]
1998 [Goup 3]
2002 [Group 3]
2003 [Group 3]
2004 [Group 3]

Outdoor States (4)
1980 [Group 4]
1981 [Group 4]
1999 [Group 3]
2002 [Group 3]

Welcome to indoor track, Iyanla Kollock.

Kollock, a junior at Our Lady of Mercy Academy, turned in an astonishing indoor big-meet debut Wednesday when she ran 7.03 to win the 55-meter dash at the Millrose Games Trials at the 168th Street Armory in New York.

Kollock edged defending indoor Meet of Champions winner Aliyah Taylor – then of Pemberton, now of Rancocas Valley – who also ran 7.03.

The two South Jersey girls share a No. 7 U.S. ranking in the wake of their remarkable showdown.

Taylor actually ran faster in the Millrose Trials than at any point in her remarkable sophomore year. Her previous PR was 7.04, set when she won the Meet of Champions last winter. She also had a 7.08 to her credit from placing second at Easterns.

For Kollock, this was only her second indoor meet on record. She raced the 55 at the Demarest Invitational at the Bubble in Toms River, running 7.20 in the trials and 7.26 unpressed in the finals. She also ran 42.98 in the 300.

This was a classic battle between two juniors who now share the No. 7 spot on the all-time South Jersey list.

The FAT camera had Kollock in 7.022 and Taylor in 7.024, which is a virtual dead heat. They were separated by 2-1,000ths of a second, which is about 6-10ths of an inch!

With the win, Kollock earned a lane in the high school 55-meter dash championships at the 110th Millrose Games Feb. 11 back at the Armory.

In the prelims, Kollock ran 7.14 and Taylor 7.22. In the final, Kollock broke the Gloucester County record of 7.07 set in 2009 by Audrey Wilson of Deptford.

OLMA is located in extreme southern Franklin Township, about half a block east of the borough of Newfield  and a block west of Buena Vista Township, which is in Atlantic County.

Taylor’s time si third-fastest in Burlington County history, behind Michelle Glover of Willingboro, who ran 6.73 in 1981, and Amandi Rhett, who ran 7.00 in 2000.

Here is the updated all-time South Jersey list, with Kollock and Taylor sharing the No. 7 spot. Can they join Glover, Dunlap, Gardner, Robinson and Mitchell in the sub-7 club? We will see soon!

 

• 6.73 … Michelle Glover (Willingboro), 1981
• 6.88 … Patti Dunlap (Camden), 1979
• 6.91 … English Gardner (Eastern), 2010
• 6.95 … Torie Robinson (Winslow Twp.), 2014
• 6.95 … Denise Mitchell (Edgewood), 1983
• 7.00 … Amandi Rhett (Moorestown), 2000
• 7.03 … Iyanli Kollock (Our Lady of Mercy), 2017
• 7.03 … Aliyah Taylor (Rancocas Valley), 2017
• 7.05 … Dana Burnett (Williamstown), 1996
• 7.07 … Annie Johnson (Shawnee), 2012
• 7.07 … Audrey Wilson (Deptford), 2009
• 7.07 … Magenta Taylor (Willingboro), 1999
• 7.07 … Angela Clyburn (Egg Harbor Twp.), 1991
• 7.09 … Ste’yce McNeil (Winslow Twp.), 2012
• 7.09 … Emily Carson (Haddonfield), 2013
• 7.11 … Jamie Walker (Haddon Hts.), 2006
• 7.12 … Assante Johnson (Camden), 2009
• 7.12 … Bria Mack (Williamstown), 2016
• 7.14 … Shonda Burroughs (Vineland), 1999
• 7.17 … Nia Lawrence (Pemberton), 2013
• 7.17 … Kiara Lester (Deptford), 2014
• 7.17 … Krystal Cantey (Winslow Twp.), 2006
• 7.18 … Sherese Price (Pleasantville), 1997
• 7.19 … Latoya Benson (Washington Twp.), 2001
• 7.20 … Medina Salaam (Camden), 1974
• 7.20 … Nia Ali (Pleasantville), 2006
• 7.20 … Fametta Lewis (Wilson), 2007
• 7.20 … Tacquaya Tobias (Our Lady of Mercy), 2010
• 7.20 … Cidae’a Woods (Winslow Twp.), 2013
• 7.20 … Gabrielle Farquharson (Williamstown), 2011

Kollock was South Jersey Parochial B champ in the 100 (12.41) and 200 (25.73) last spring and state champ in the 200 (25.57). She raced only the 200 at Meet of Champions and medaled in sixth place with a PR 25.32.

Taylor last spring ran 12.08 and 25.40 to win Central Jersey Group 3 in the 100 and 200 but was injured late in the season and did not compete at Meet of Champs, even though she did qualify.

Gotta take a look at the all-time New Jersey list while we’re at it. We just updated it, and Kollock and Taylor are already in the top-20 all-time, tied at the No. 17 spot.

• 6.73 … Michelle Glover (Willingboro), 1981
• 6.79 … Wendy Vereen (Trenton), 1984
• 6.84 … Myasia Jacobs (Paramus Catholic), 2012
• 6.87 … Aleah Williams (Montclair), 1998
• 6.88 … Patti Dunlap (Camden), 1979
• 6.91 … English Gardner (Eastern), 2010
• 6.92 … Dominique Booker (Immaculate Conception), 2010
• 6.93 … Ogechi Nwaneri (Chatham), 2008
• 6.94 … Stephanie Saleem (Neptune), 1985
• 6.95 … Torie Robinson (Winslow Twp.), 2014
• 6.95 … Denise Mitchell (Edgewood), 1983
• 6.97 … Melisa Barber (Montclair), 1998
• 6.97 … Jenna Harris (Franklin Twp.), 2003
• 7.00 … Amandi Rhett (Moorestown), 2000
• 7.00 … Daisha Bisiolu (Union), 2015
• 7.03 … Iyanli Kollock (Our Lady of Mercy), 2017
• 7.03 … Aliyah Taylor (Rancocas Valley), 2017
• 7.05 … Dana Burnett (Williamstown), 1996
• 7.05 … Pat Hudson (North Hunterdon), 1982
• 7.05 … Regina Trotter (Weequahic), 1991
• 7.06 … Clair Connor (Rahway), 1984
• 7.07 … Annie Johnson (Shawnee), 2012
• 7.07 … Audrey Wilson (Deptford), 2009
• 7.07 … Magenta Taylor (Willingboro), 1999
• 7.07 … Cathy Crawford (Perth Amboy), 1977
• 7.07 … Angela Clyburn (Egg Harbor Twp.), 1991
• 7.09 … Ste’yce McNeil (Winslow Twp.), 2012
• 7.09 … Emily Carson (Haddonfield), 2013
• 7.09 … Darien Pigott (West Orange), 2004
• 7.09 … Georgia Nembhard (Ocean Twp.), 2007
• 7.09 … Jordyn Smith (Paramus Catholic), 2012
• 7.10 … Amari Hartsfield (Sayreville), 2012
• 7.10 … Songra Brandman (Freehold Borough), 2010
• 7.10 … Shanda Jackson (East Orange), 2004

This is the first time since 2010 that two New Jersey girls have run 7.03 or faster the same year. In 2000, it was Olympian English Gardner of Eastern and Myasia Jacobs of Paramus Catholic, who went 1-2 at Easterns in 6.91 and 6.93.

It’s the first ever two South Jersey girls have run 7.03 or faster the same year, much less in the same race!

Historic stuff from Kollock and Taylor. And the season is just getting started!

Juniors Flora Ahiarakwe and Shakira Dancy both ran sub-58 splits, and the Winslow Township girls roared to a Millrose Games qualifier in the Suburban 1,600-meter relay at the Millrose Trials at the Armory on Wednesday.

Winslow won its race in 3:57.71 and wound up with the top overall time in the various unseeded heats, with North Rockland of New York 1-100th of a second back in 3:57.72 in the previous heat.

Senior Iyianna Williams led off for Winslow with a 60.2, with Ahiarakwe next in 57.3. Junior Maryn Hess split 1:02.5, and Dancy anchored in 57.8.

Winslow’s time is No. 1 by a New Jersey school this year and No. 6 nationally. It’s also not far off the 3:57.05 Winslow ran at New Balance Nationals last year, which was the fastest by a South Jersey school in 2016.

Dancy won the 200 last spring at the Meet of Champions and placed second to Olympian Sydney McLaughlin in the 400.

Williams, Ahiarakwe and Dancy all ran on the Eagles’ winning 4-by-1 team and second-place 4-by-4 team at Meet of Champions last year.

Th 110th annual Millrose Games are scheduled for Feb. 11 at the 168th Street Armory in New York.

Winslow’s fastest previous time this winter was a 4:04.47 at one of the South Jersey Track Coaches Association meets at the Bubble in Toms River. Their time is fastest by a South Jersey school since Kingsway ran 3:56.54 in 2014 at nationals.

Rancocas Valley nearly broke 4:00, with Shauna Nuss, Sydne Nance, Nora Strittmatter and Aliyah Taylor running 4:01.60.

Taylor, the 55-meter dash Meet of Champions winner a year ago for Pemberton, is beginning her first year at Rancocas Valley. Nance (58.9) and Taylor (58.3) both broke 59 seconds for the Red Devils.

Now a senior, Pennsauken’s Martin Booker is off to a hot start this winter, with a near-PR 6.55 and a PR 22.54 double-win in an early season South Jersey Track Coaches Association meet at the Bubble in Toms River.

Booker’s PR in the 55-meter dash is 6.49 at last year’s state group 3 meet, so he’s already only 6-100ths of a second off his PR very early this winter.

Booker’s 55 time is No. 1 in South Jersey in the early going this winter and No. 4 in New Jersey. His 200 is No. 1 in New Jersey.

His previous indoor PR in the 200 was a 22.55 that earned him second in the Meet of Champions last winter behind Thomas Kalieta Jr. of Matawan (who was in a different section of the race).

The 200 of course is a completely different race indoors and out. Indoors, much depends on lane assignment. Booker’s outdoor PR at 200 meters is 21.72, second in the outdoor Meet of Champions, again behind Kalieta Jr.

At the Hispanic Games at the Armory in New York on Saturday, Booker was back at work, anchoring Pennsauken to a fifth place in 1:31.37 in a loaded field. Pennsauken ran slightly faster, 1:31.23, in the prelims, the No. 1 time in the state this year and No. 8 nationally.

Booker also ran the open 200 at the Hispanic Games, running slightly faster in the prelims (22.57) than the final (22.65).

 

Alyssa Aldridge put a giant exclamation point on the end of one of the greatest seasons ever by a South Jersey runner on Saturday when she placed 13th at the Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego.

The top 14-finish earned Aldridge All-America status against a field of the fastest girls in the country.

Aldridge, a junior at Mainland Regional High School in Atlantic County, ran 17:55 over the historic 5,000-meter Balboa Park course in downtown San Diego.

She ran 25 seconds faster than last year, when she placed 23rd.

Only two South Jersey girls have ever finished higher at Foot Locker nationals.

Olympian Erin Donahue finished 17th in 1998 and Kingsway’s Chelsea Ley was 18th in 2007 and 8th in 2008.

Let’s take a look at every New Jersey girl that’s run at Foot Locker nationals:

1979
3rd Ann Gladue 12 (Bayley Allard) 17:51

1981
5th Janet Smith 10 (J.P. Stevens) 17:11.7
12th Theresa Gschwind 12 (Summit) 17:31.5
22nd Meg Waldron 11 (Bernards) 18:20.2

1982
2nd Michelle Rowan 12 (Washington Twp.) 17:02.3
5th Janet Smith 11 (J.P. Stevens) 17:13.6

1983
1st Janet Smith 12 (J.P. Stevens) 16:43.7
12th Missy Duchini 10 (Wayne Valley) 17:57.6
24th Stacy Ann Bilotta 10 (North Hunterdon) 18:32.6

1984
28th Jen Van Horn 11 (Wayne Valley) 18:53.2

1985
10th Jodie Bilotta 10 (North Hunterdon) 17:25.6
19th Anne Letko 11 (North Hunterdon) 18:01.3

1986
17th Jodie Bilotta 11 (North Hunterdon) 18:06.8
18th Anne Letko 12 (North Hunterdon) 18:07.2

1987
5th Christi Constantin 11 (Kittatinny Regional) 17:34.9
22th Jodie Bilotta 12 (North Hunterdon) 18:27.7

1988
3 Christi Constantin 12 (Kittatinny Regional) 17:18.4
26 Kristen Hall 9 (West Morris Central) 18:44.5

1989
24th Monal Chokshi 9 (Bridgewater-Raritan) 19:01.6

1990
10th Monal Chokshi 10 (Bridgewater-Raritan) 18:08.0

1991
24th Monal Chokshi 11 (Bridgewater-Raritan) 19:00.8

1995
12th Autumn Fogg 12 (Hunterdon Central) 18:04.6

1996
31st Dana Stir 12 (Ramsey) 20:28.0

1998
7th Cate Guiney 12 (Middletwon South) 18:10.0
17th Erin Donohue 10 (Haddonfield) 18:36.9
31nd Catherine Feeney (Wayne Valley) 20:40.1
32nd Cheryl Bauer 12 (Morris Hills Mendham) 22:05.5

2001
27th Lindsay Van Austin 11 (Hawthorne Christian) 18:16.8

2002
2nd Kathleen Trotter 12 (Red Bank Regional) 17:43.9

2003
21st Jennifer Clausen 10 (Jackson) 18:27
30th Brittany Sedberry 10 (Ocean City) 19:23

2004
37th Brittany Sedberry 11 (Ocean City) 19:45

2005
6th Danielle Tauro 11 (Southern Regional) 17:41
37th Briana Jackucewicz (Colts Neck) 18:46

2006
22nd Ashley Higginson 12 (Colts Neck) 18:41

2007
18th Chelsea Ley 10 (Kingsway) 18:04
28th Kathleen McCafferty 12 (Oak Knoll) 18:36

2008
8th Chelsea Ley 11 (Kingsway) 17:49
16th Laura Vigilante (West Morris Mendham) 18:14
17th Melanie Thompson (Voorhees) 18:18
27th Katie Kellner (West Windsor-Plainsboro) 18:34

2009
7th Chelsea Ley 12 (Kingsway) 17:37
18th Marielle Hall 12 (Haddonfield) 18:05

2010
5th Megan Venables (Highland Regional) 17:35
24th Megan Lacy (Cherokee) 18:17
37th Caroline Kellner (West Windsor-Plainsboro) 18:39

2011
28th Holly Bischof (Bishop Eustace) 18:17
36th Caroline Kellner (West Windsor-Plainsboro) 18:32

2012
14th Megan Curran (Warren Hills) 17:55
18th Marisa Ruskan (Bound Brook) 18:03
27th MacKenzie (Barry Mendham) 18:20

2013
13th Briana Gess (Haddonfield) 17:51

2014
37th Eve Glassergreen (North Hunterdon) 19:07

2015
23th Alyssa Aldridge (Mainland Regional) 18:20
29th Briana Gess (Haddonfield) 18:20

2016
13th Alyssa Aldridge (Mainland Regional) 18:20

If we extrapolate only the South Jersey runners out of that list, we see that almost all of South Jersey’s damage at Foot Locker nationals has been in recent years. Take a look:

 

1982
2nd Michelle Rowan 12 (Washington Twp.) 17:02.3

1998
17th Erin Donohue 10 (Haddonfield) 18:36.9

2003
30th Brittany Sedberry 10 (Ocean City) 19:23

2004
37th Brittany Sedberry 11 (Ocean City) 19:45

2007
18th Chelsea Ley 10 (Kingsway) 18:04

2008
8th Chelsea Ley 11 (Kingsway) 17:49

2009
7th Chelsea Ley 12 (Kingsway) 17:37
18th Marielle Hall 12 (Haddonfield) 18:05

2010
5th Megan Venables (Highland Regional) 17:35
24th Megan Lacy (Cherokee) 18:17

2011
28th Holly Bischof (Bishop Eustace) 18:17

2013
13th Briana Gess (Haddonfield) 17:51

2015
23th Alyssa Aldridge (Mainland Regional) 18:20
29th Briana Gess (Haddonfield) 18:20

2016
13th Alyssa Aldridge (Mainland Regional) 18:20

From 1979 through 2002, a span of 24 years, two of 29 qualifiers came from South Jersey high schools. But since 2003, a 17-year span, some 13 of 27 have been South Jersey girls.

Aldridge becomes only the sixth girl in state history to finish in the top 23 in consecutive years. It’s quite a list, including some of the most hallowed names in New Jersey scholastic cross country history:

Janet Smith of J.P. Stevens (1981 through 1983), Jodie Bilotta of North Hunterdon (1985, 1986, 1987), Anne Letko of North Hunterdon (1985, 1986), Christi Constantin of Kittatinny Regional (1987, 1988) and Kingsway’s Ley (2007, 2008, 2009)

And don’t forget … Aldridge has one more year and one more chance at the Foot Locker series!

Alyssa Aldridge made history Saturday.

Lots of history.

♦ Aldridge, a junior at Mainland Regional, became the first girl ever from South Jersey to win the Foot Locker Northeast Regionals at historic Van Cortland Park.

♦ She became only the third New Jersey winner ever at Northeast Regionals and the first in 28 years.

♦ She ran the fastest time by a New Jersey girl at Vanny in 33 years, the third-fastest ever and the fastest by a South Jersey girl in 34 years.

♦ She became only the second South Jersey girl ever to place in the top-six at Foot Locker Regionals in back-to-back years.

And of course she established herself as a real threat to finish at or near the front at Foot Locker nationals in two weeks in San Diego.

Aldridge ran 17:40.3 to win the Foot Locker Northeast Regional race over the historic Van Cortland 5,000-meter course in New York.

Aldridge, sixth at Regionals in 17:47 and 23rd at nationals last year, finished a whopping 70 meters ahead of Jacqueline Gaughan, a junior at Exeter High in New Hampshire, who was second in 17:55.

With her 17:40, Aldridge moved into the No. 3 spot on the all-time New Jersey list at Van Cortland Park, behind only two legends from the early 1980s – Janet Smith of J.P. Stevens and Michelle Rowen of Washington Township.

Her time is No. 25 all-time on the legendary 5,000-meter Vanny course, which has been used for Foot Locker Northeast Regionals since the meet’s inception 38 years ago.

Aldridge is the third New Jersey winner ever at Northeast Regionals, after only Smith in 1983 and Christi Constantin of Kittatinny Regional in 1988.

After decades without much of a peep from South Jersey girls at Foot Locker Regionals, it’s been quite a run for South Jersey.

After South Jersey was blanked in 22 of the meet’s first 24 years, South Jersey has now had at least one qualifier 10 of the last 14 years. In all, South Jersey has had 11 qualifiers in the last 10 years.

Thirteen of the 15 Foot Locker Nationals qualifiers South Jersey has produced have been since 2003.

Here’s a look at the all-time New Jersey list at Vanny, with South Jersey girls in boldface:

• 17:08.1 … Janet Smith [J.P. Stevens], 1983
• 17:28.7 … Michelle Rowen [Washington Twp.], 1982
• 17:40.3 … Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Regional], 2015 
• 17:42.3 … Christi Constantin [Kittatinny Reg.], 1988
• 17:43.2 … Briana Gess [Haddonfield], 2013
• 17:52.0 … Ashley Higginson [Colts Neck], 2006
• 17:53.6 … Kate McCafferty [Voorhees], 2007
• 17:54.9 … Danielle Tauro [Southern Regional], 2005
• 17:55.4 … Jodie Bilotta [North Hunterdon], 1985
• 17:55.6 … Katie Trotter [Red Bank Regional], 2002
• 17:55.9 … Anne Marie Letko [North Hunterdon], 1985
• 18:00.4 … Chelsea Ley [Kingsway], 2007
• 18:00.6 … Briana Jackucewicz [Colts Neck], 2005
• 18:02.8 … Theresa Gschwind [Summit], 1981
• 18:05.9 … Melanie Thompson [Voorhees], 2008

And here’s a look at every Foot Locker Nationals qualifier from South Jersey:
1982
2nd, Michelle Rowan, 12, Washington Township, 17:28.7
1998
2nd, Erin Donohue 10, Haddonfield, 18:07.8
2003
2nd, Brittany Sedberry 10 [Ocean City], 18:16.4
2004
10th, Brittany Sedberry 11 [Ocean City], 18:33
2007
10th, Chelsea Ley, 10 [Kingsway], 18:33.1
2008
5th, Chelsea Ley [Kingsway], 18:08.3
2009
3rd, Chelsea Ley [Kingsway], 18:33.1
5th, Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 18:36.4
2010
3rd, Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 18:08.0
4th, Megan Venables [Highland], 18:11.0
2011
4th Holly Bischof [Bishop Eustace], 18:24.9
2013
5th Briana Gess [Hadonfield], 17:43.2
2015
5th Briana Gess [Hadonfield], 17:44.2
6th Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Reg,.], 17:47.8
2016
1st Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Reg,.], 17:40.3

Finally, here’s the all-time Van Cortland list, with New Jersey runners in bold face:

16:46.0 – Cathy Schiro (Dover, N.H.), 1984
17:04.7 – Lois Brommer (Mechanicsburg, Pa.), 1981
17:08.1 – Janet Smith (J.P. Stevens, N.J.), 1983
17:19.3 – Christine Curtin (Mepham, N.Y.), 1982
17:23.3 – Mary Cobb (Pittsfield, Mass.), 1994
17:25.1 – Sally Glynn (Walter Johnson, Md.), 1994
17:28.7 – Michelle Rowen (Washington Twp., N.J.), 1982
17:31.1 – Emily Jones (Harvard, Mass.), 2008
17:31.5 – Erin Sullivan (Mount Mansfield, Vt.), 1997
17:32.0 – Cheri Goddard (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), 1988
17:32.3 – Tessa Barrett (Waverly, Pa.), 2013
17:32.4 – Liz Mueller (Waterford, Conn.), 1991
17:33.4 – Ari Lambie (Bromfield, Mass.), 2002
17:34.1 – Denise Bushallow (Auburn, N.Y.), 1986
17:35.1 – Lynne Strauss (State College, Pa.), 1981
17:35.2 – Brianna Schwartz (Shaler, Pa.), 2014
17:37.1 – Dana Ostrander (Shenendehowa, N.Y.), 1994
17:37.3 – Anoush Shehadeh (Phillips Andover, N.Y.), 2013
17:37.4 – Neely Spence (Shippensburg, Pa.), 2007
17:37.7 – Shelby Greaney (Suffern, N.Y.), 2008
17:39.0 – Aisling Cuffe (Cornwall-on-Hudson, N.Y.), 2008
17:39.1 – Madeleine Davison (Wexford, Pa.), 17:39.1
17:39.3 – Ceci Hopp (Greenwich, Conn.), 1980
17:39.4 – Hannah Debase (Staples, Ct.), 2013
17:40.3 – Alyssa Aldridge (Mainland Reg.), 2016
17:40.5 – Susannah Beck (Waynflete School, Maine), 1985
17:41.5 – Erin Davis (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), 1993
17:41.5 – Jessica Lawson (Addison, N.Y.), 2015
17:41.8 – Nicole Blood (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), 2004
17:41.8 – Nicole Blood (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), 2005
17:42.1 – Hannah Davidson (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), 2006
17:42.3 – Christi Constantin (Kittatinny Reg., N.J.), 1988
17:42.5 – Stacey Prey (Brighton, N.Y.), 1984
17:42.7 – Maria Coffin (Annapolis, Md.), 2015
17:43.2 – Briana Gess (Haddonfield, N.J.), 2013
17:43.3 – Laura Craven (Beechcroft, Ohio), 1981
17:43.7 – Hannah DeBalsi (Westport, Ct.), 2015
17:44.0 – Carly Seymour (Central Cambria, Pa.), 2006
17:44.2 – Mary Kate Champagne (Plattsburgh, N.Y.), 2007
17:44.2 – Briana Gess (Haddonfield, N.J.), 17:44.2
17:45.0 – Laura Whitney (Stony Brook School, N.Y.), 1981
17:46.1 – Tara Chaplin (Union-32, Vt.), 1997
17:46.8 – Aisling Ryan (Warwick Valley, N.Y.), 2004
17:46.8 – Keely Maguire (Georgetown, Mass.), 2007
17:47.8 – Alyssa Aldridge (Mainland Reg.), 2015
17:48.4 – Natasha Roetter (Lexington, Mass.), 2001
17:48.8 – Emily Lipari (Roslyn, N.Y.), 2007
17:49.5 – Caterina Rocha (Peabody, Mass.), 2012
17:49.7 – Megan Reilly (Warwick, N.Y.), 2013
17:50.0 – Lindsey Scharf (Scarsdale, N.Y.), 2003
17:50.0 – Aislinn Ryan (Warwick, N.Y.), 2005
17:51.2 – Emma McMillan (Barrington, R.I.), 2014
17:51.5 – Amanda White (Dulaney, Md.), 1991
17:51.7 – Kacey Gibson (New Castle, Pa.), 2007
17:51.8 – Caitlin Lane (Saratoga, N.Y.), 2005
17:52.0 – Ashley Higginson (Marlboro. N.J.), 2006
17:52.1 – Hannah Davidson (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), 2004
17:52.7 – Ariel Keklak (Sudbury, Mass.), 2015
17:52.9 – Thayer Plante (Cambridge Rindge and Latin, Mass.), 1982
17:53.0 – Nnenna Lynch (Hunter College, N.Y.), 1988
17:53.6 – Madeleine Davison (Wexford, Pa.), 2014
17:54.2 – Christine Crowley (Wellesley, Mass.), 1985
17:54.2 – Jillian Mastroianni (Sayville, N.Y.), 1998
17:54.4 – Erin Dietz (Bedford, Mass.), 2014
17:54.7 – Lindsey Ferguson (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), 2005
17:54.8 – Erica Palmer (Monadnock, N.H.), 1997
17:54.9 – Danielle Tauro (Southern Reg., N.J.), 2005
17:55.2 – Jacqueline Gaughan (Exeter, N.Y.), 2016
17:55.4 – Jodie Bilotta (North Hunterdon, N.J.), 1985
17:55.6 – Katie Trotter (Red Bank Reg., N.J.), 2002
17:55.7 – Anna Flynn (Ursuline, N.Y.), 2014
17:55.9 – Anne Letko (North Hunterdon, N.J.), 1985
17:55.9 – Peggy Melonic (East Aurora, N.Y.), 1997
17:55.9 – Alison Smith (Columbia, Md.), 2006
17:56.7 – Eileen Ellig (Rutland, Vt.), 1984
17:57.5 – Eleanor Lawler (Wakefield, R.I.), 2015
17:57.9 – Kristin Seabury (Stoneham, Mass.), 1985
17:58.4 – Sage Hurta (Hamilton, N.Y.), 2015
17:58.7 – Marissa Sheva (Sellersville, Pa.), 2014
17:58.8 – Donna Fidler (Norristown, Pa.), 1994
17:59.3 – Molly Huddle (Notre Dame, N.Y.), 2001
17:59.8 – Maria Coffin (Annapolis, Md.), 2016