From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Juniors Megan Quimby and Jasmine Staten are both off to hot starts for Lenape, and both posted New Jersey No. 1 times at the Abington Jack Armstrong Invitational in Montgomery County, just outside Philadelphia.

Staten ran 57.55 and Quimby ran 2:16.54,  both racing against very strong fields.

Staten placed fourth and was one of 11 girls under 60 seconds. Terri Turner of Penn Wood High in Lansdowne, Pa., won in 55.96. Staten’s PR is 56.31, which got her second place in Group 4 states last spring.

Quimby placed second, behind Agnes Mansaray, also of Penn Wood. Mansaray ran 2:13.63. Quimby’s PR is 2:12.78, when she placed fifth in the Meet of Champs last spring.

Turner is No. 5 in the 400 on this year’s Pennsylvania state list, and Mansaray is No. 3 in the 800. She ran sub-2:10 last spring.

Staten also took second in the long jump at Abington with a 17-0. She has a PR of 18-4 1/4 and a season-best already of 18-2 1/2.

Staten also has PRs of 12.62 in the 100, 14.82 in the high hurdles, 24.81 in the 200, but she hasn’t contested any of them in major meets yet this spring.

Quimby will anchor Lenape’s 3,200-meter relay team at the Penn Relays Thursday. The Indians are ranked No. 4 in New Jersey at 9:32.80. Sarah Gibson, Shannon Lambert and Gabby Sharp will also race on that team.

Gabrielle Farquharson just missed her PR on her first jump. She just missed her PR on her second jump.

She obliterated her PR on her third jump.

Farquharson, a Rutgers senior from Williamstown High, unleashed a record-setting 21-5 1/4 long jump at the Seminole Invitational this past weekend in Tallahassee, Fla.

And she’s now the No. 1 long jumper in the NCAA.

Farquharson’s 21-5 1/4 is a seven-inch improvement on her PR of 20-10 1/4, which she had hit at the 2015 Big Ten indoor meet at the SPIRE Institute track in Geneva, Ohio. Her previous outdoor PR was 25-5 1/4, set in the spring of 2014 at the same meet at South Florida that she PR’d this weekend.

In Tallahassee, Farquharson went 20-8 1/4 and 20-7 on her first two jumps before passing on her third. On her first jump of the finals, she flew 21-5 1/4, qualifying for the Olympic Trials and moving into the No. 1 spot on the 2016 college rankings.

Farquharson’s mark is also No. 15 on the 2016 IAAF world list. She’s No. 5 American woman, behind Tori Polk (21-10 1/2), Janay DeLoach (21-9 1/4), Fungi Jimoh (21-9) and Kenyattia Hackworth (21-7 3/4).

Farquharson just missed the Rutgers outdoor school record of 21-6 3/4, set by another former South Jersey athlete. That mark was set by Shameka Marshall of Oakcrest at the 2005 ECAC championships at Princeton. Marshall also had a 21-10 1/4 indoors at the 2006 NCAAs in Fayetteville, which is the Rutgers overall record.

Ironically, Farquharson did break a Rutgers record during her trip to Tallahassee, though not in her best event. A day after jumping 21-5 1/4, she ran 23.25 in the 200, breaking her own school record in the 200. She also had a 23.32 indoor 200 to her credit.

Last month in a meet in Tampa, Farquharson ran 100 meters in 11.39, breaking the school record 11.54 set by Asha Ruth two years ago on the same track at South Florida. Farquharson is ranked 21st in Division 1 in the 100.

Farquharson jumped 19-4 3/4 at Williamstown. She was a state champion in the 55 indoors and the 100 outdoors and placed as high as third in the Meet of Champions in the 55 and fourth in the long jump.

Curtis Thompson is the American No. 1 javelin thrower after bombing a PR 265-10 at the Florida Relays in Tallahassee.

Thompson, a graduate of Florence High and a Mississippi State sophomore, added more than 17 feet to his previous personal-best of 248-1, set last last year’s SEC Championships at his home facility.

Thompson, a two-time U.S. junior champ and third-place finisher at NCAAs as a freshman, moved into the No. 22 mark on the all-time U.S. list with the new implement.

Thompson’s throw broke the MSU school record and Florida State’s Mike Long Stadium records and also moved him into the No. 11 spot on the 2016 IAAF World list.

The Mississippi State web site’s track site does not list school records, so it’s not known what the previous school record was. MSU might be the only Division 1 school that doesn’t list track school records on its web site.

The only collegian ranked higher than Thompson is Greece’s Ioannis Kyriazis, who threw 268-7 at the Nike Clyde Littlefield meet in Austin last month. The college rankings are here.

Thompson opened up his record-setting day with a 234-6 and then heaved the 265-10 on his second throw. He added a 244-10 on his third throw, then passed his three throws in the finals.

The qualifying standard for the U.S. Olympic Trials is 252-7 with a field of 24, so Thompson virtually guaranteed himself a spot in the Trials, scheduled for July 1-10 in Eugene, Ore. The qualifying standard for the Games is 273-3, although if no Americans reach the standard, the Olympic Trials winner will head to Rio.

Working from a number of sources, I put together my best approximation of an all-time U.S. list in the javelin.

• 299- 6 … Breaux Greer, Indianapolis, June 21, 2007
• 292- 6 … Tom Petranoff, Potchefstroom, Jan. 3, 1991
• 285- 9 … Tom Pukstys, Jena, May 28, 1968
• 276- 2 … Mike Barnett, Santa Barbara, Calif., July 11, 1991
• 275-10 … Tim Glover, Tennessee Relays, Knoxville, April 11, 2015
• 275- 2 … Dave Stephens, Knoxville, May 3, 1991
• 275- 2 … Chris Hill, Eugene, Ore., June, 25, 2009
• 275- 0 … Roald Bradstock, Tucson, Ariz., May 2, 1987
• 274- 9 … Leigh Smith Athens, Ga., May 9, 2008
• 273-11 … Riley Dolezal, Des Moines, Iowa, June 23, 2013
• 273- 4 … Sam Crouser, Olympic Trials, Eugene, Ore., June 25, 2012
• 272-10 … Cyrus Hostetler, Pepsi Team, Eugene, Ore., April 4, 2009
• 272- 9 … Sam Humphreys, Olympic Trials, Eugene, Ore., June 23, 2012
• 272- 3 … Brian Crouser Corvallis, May 16, 1987
• 272- 2 … Corey White, Texas Relays, Austin, April 4, 2009
• 271- 5 … Duncan Atwood, San Jose, Calif., June 26, 1987
• 271- 5 … Sean Furey, Lisle, Ill., June 9, 2012
• 270- 5 … Ed Kaminski, Emporia, Kans., May 14, 1994
• 270- 0 … Craig Kinsley, Lisle, Ill., June 9, 2012
• 269- 8 … Mike Hazle, Doha, May 9, 2008,
• 269- 5 … Todd Riech, Gateshead, Aug. 19, 1996
• 265-10 … Curtis Thompson, Tallahassee, Fla., March 25, 2016
• 265- 2 … Rob Curtis, Norwalk, Calif., June 14, 1990
• 263-11 … Brian Chaput, Princeton, N.J., April 23, 2005
• 263- 0 … Ty Sevin College Station, Texas, April 15, 2000
• 263- 1 … Adam Montague, Drake Relays, Des Moines, Iowa, April 25, 2008

And here’s an all-time collegiate list, with every collegiate that’s ever thrown 265 feet. It  shows Thompson at No. 16 overall and No. 11 among American collegians. Those shown with an asterisk hit their PR outside the college season. If they had an in-season mark over 265 feet as well, it’s also listed.

292- 4 … Patrik Boden [Texas/Sweden], 1990
288- 4* … Matt Närhi [UTEP/Finland], 1999
279- 1* … Pål Arne Fagernes [Arizona State], 1996
275- 2* … Chris Hill [Georgia], 2009
273- 4* … Sam Crouser [Oregon], 2015
273- 3 … Tom Pukstys [Florida], 1990
273- 2 …… Narhi, 1999
272-10 … Cyrus Hosteler [Oregon], 2009
272- 9* … Sam Humphreys [Texas A&M], 2013
272- 2 … Corey White [USC], 2009
272- 1* … John Ampomah [Ghana/Middle Tennessee], 2015
271- 0 … Dag Wennlund [Sweden/Texas], 1987
268- 8 …… Humphreys, 2013
268- 7 … Ioannis Kyriazis [Greece/Texas A&M], 2016
268- 7 … Esko Mikkola [Finland/Arizona], 1998
268- 4 …… Hill [Georgia], 2009
267-11 … Leigh Smith [Tennessee], 2004
268- 0 … Tim Glover [Illinois State], 2012
265-10 … Curtis Thompson [Mississippi State], 2016

Thompson broke the South Jersey and New Jersey alumni record of 261-3, set by Holy Cross graduate and Tabernacle Township native Vince Labosky.

Labosky, a former U.S. national champion, threw 261-3 at the Mobile Outdoor Championships in in Norwalk, Calif., on June 15, 1990.

Thompson’s long-time rival, Chris Mirabelli of Rutgers, is ranked No. 18 among U.S. collegians at 236-2 from last weekend, also in Tallahassee (but a different meet than Thompson). The Holy Cross graduate and Lumberton native has a PR of 238-3.

Mirabelli, who beat Thompson to win the New Jersey Meet of Champions as a junior and placed second to him at the U.S. Junior Championships, also won the Pan Am World Junior Championships, which Thompson led after five throws.

 

Paul VI on Saturday raced their way to one of the most incredible sprint relay performances in South Jersey history and re-wrote the Woodbury Relays record books along the way.

Competing in Group 3 against the likes of traditional sprint powerhouses Pennsauken, Timber Creek and Winslow Township, Paul VI ran 1:27.38 to win the 800-meter relay and 3:16.53 to win the 1,600-meter relay.

Junior Erich Robertson, freshman Antonio Tarantino and seniors Max Dickens and Stefone Moore-Green ran the 4-by-200, with junior Richie Buch, Tarantino, Dickens and Moore-Green on the 4-by-400.

As fast as Paul VI was, Pennsauken was right there in both races, registering a historic double of its own at 1:28.38  and 3:17.74 for second in both races. Both Pennsauken times are No. 2 in New Jersey this year, and they’re No. 6 and No. 7 in meet history.

Sophomore Braheem Whitfield, junior Martin Booker, freshman Nahzir Russell and senior Ryan Wemegah ran on both Pennsauken relay teams.

More on the Indians later!

Let’s take a look at exactly what Paul VI accomplished Saturday at the 44th annual Woodbury Relays.

We’ll start with the 4-by-200.

Paul VI’s 1:27.38 is fastest ever run in any group at Woodbury, breaking the Group 3 record of 1:28.35, set two years ago by Timber Creek, and the overall meet record of 1:28.2 hand-timed set in 2008 by Winslow.

It’s the No. 1 mark in New Jersey this year, it’s No. 5 in South Jersey history and it’s the fastest by a South Jersey school in 12 years!

And it’s the middle of April!!!

Holy cow … how fast will they go when it heats up at Penn, the state relays, the Meet of Chaps and nationals?

Paul VI’s performance is also fastest by any New Jersey school at any meet at any time in three years, since Union Catholic placed fifth with a 1:27.03 at New Balance Nationals, a meet that takes place two months later in the season than the Woodbury Relays.

Here’s the updated all-time South Jersey 4-by-200 list:

• 1:24.49 … Winslow Township, 2003
• 1:24.90 … Camden, 2004
• 1:26.05 … Camden, 2000
• 1:26.68 … Camden, 1997
• 1:27.38 … Paul VI, 2016
• 1:27.52 … Woodrow Wilson, 1996
• 1:27.66 … Oakcrest, 2011
• 1:27.69 … Oakcrest, 2012
• 1:27.74 … Pleasantville, 1994
• 1:27.75 … Willingboro, 2007
• 1:27.80 … Pleasantville, 1999
• 1:27.84 … Winslow Twp., 2002
• 1:27.88 … Camden, 2002
• 1:27.90 ….. Winslow Twp., 2008
• 1:27.96 … Williamstown, 2015

And here’s a look at the fastest 800-meter relay times in Woodbury Relays history. Remember, the meet didn’t add the 4-by-200 until 2002. I listed every time I could find under 1:30. There may be one or two non-winning marks under 1:30. If you have any, feel free to pass them along! Note that more than half of the sub-1:30 performances (nine of 17) have been achieved in the last seven years.

• 2016: Paul VI, 1:27.38 [Group 3]
• 2015: Williamstown, 1:27.96 [Group 4]
• 2008: Winslow Twp., 1:28.2 [Group 4]
• 2012: Cherry Hill East, 1:28.29 [Group 4]
• 2014: Timber Creek, 1:28.35 [Group 3]
• 2016: Pennsauken: 1:28.38 [Group 3]
• 2004: Winslow Twp., 1:28.58 [Group 4]
• 2009: Delsea, 1:28.8 [Group 3]
• 2008: Delsea, 1:28.9 [Group 3]
• 2015: Deptford, 1:28.96 [Group 2]
• 2007: Willingboro, 1:29.20 [Group 3]
• 2007: Winslow Twp., 1:29.29 [Group 4]
• 2003: Winslow Twp., 1:29.36 [Group 4]
• 2011: Oakcrest, 1:29.63 [Group 4]
• 2014: Rancocas Valley, 1:29.76 [Group 4]
• 2012: Willingboro, 1:29.86 [Group 2]
• 2015: Paul VI, 1:29.90 [Group 3]
• 2002: Camden, 1:29.96 [Group 3]

OK, let’s move on to the 4-by-400.

Paul VI didn’t break the meet record in the 4-by-4, but the Eagles did post the fourth-fastest time in any group in meet history. Again, some non-winning marks may be missing. Please help me fill in the blanks if you have non-winning sub-3:20 marks from Woodbury!

• 2001: Camden, 3:13.8 [Group 3]
• 2003: Winslow Twp., 3:14.28 [Group 4]
• 2012: Oakcrest, 3:16.11 [Group 3]
• 2016: Paul VI, 3:16.53 [Group 3]
• 2002: Camden, 3:16.94 [Group 3]
• 2012: Cherry Hill East, 3:17.50 [Group 4]
• 2016: Pennsauken, 3:17.74 [Group 3]
• 2002: Winslow Twp., 3:18.04 [Group 4]
• 2015: Deptford, 3:18.18  [Group 2]
• 2000: Camden, 3:18.4 [Group 3]
• 2015: Egg Harbor Twp., 3:19.77 [Group 4]

Paul VI didn’t quite make the all-time South Jersey 1,600-meter relay performance list, but that 3:16.53 is second-fastest by a South Jersey school in the last 12 years, behind only Oakcrest’s 3:16.11 at Woodbury in 2012. It’s also No. 1 in New Jersey this year and No. 17 in the U.S.

Now, let’s get onto the really cool stuff.

How many schools have run a sub-1:30 / sub-3:20 double in Woodbury Relays history?

There’ve only been six — and all six  have come courtesy of Camden County high schools. And two of them this year!

So there have been three schools in Woodbury Relays history that have run sub-1:29 and sub-3:18 in the same meet, and two of them occurred in the same races this year!

• Camden, 2002: 1:29.96 / 3:16.94 [Group 2]
• Winslow, 2003: 1:29.36 / 3:14.28 [Group 3]
• Cherry Hill East, 2012: 1:28.29 / 3:17.50 [Group 4]
• Deptford, 2015: 1:28.96 / 3:18.18 [Group 2]
• Pennsauken, 2016: 1:28.38 / 3:17.74 [Group 3]
• Paul VI, 2016: 1:27.38 / 3:16.53 [Group 3]

And you thought Paul VI was a distance school? Forget Jason DiJoseph, PVI has sprinters too!

Just one word: WOW!!!!!!!!

All the Cinnaminson girls 4-by-8 team did Thursday evening was run the fastest time in South Jersey this year, break the school record, win the Holmdel Twilight Series race and — hopefully — post a Penn Relays qualifier.

Senior Olivia Rocks, junior Andrew Benites, sophomore Tina Harrell and sophomore Haley Adams ran 9:49.26, edging Sterling (9:49.53) for the win.

Cinnaminson will learn on Monday whether they’re in the field for the Small School 3,200-Meter Relay at the 122nd annual Penn Relays in two weeks at Franklin Field.

But their time is No. 3 in New Jersey this spring, behind only perennial powerhouse Ridgewood, which went out to California to run 9:28.62 last weekend, and Summit, which ran 9:43.32 at its own Summit Relays on April 2.

The Pirates’ time is already fastest by a BCSL school in three years, since Rancocas Valley ran 9:31.49 at the Burlington County Open in 2013.

Rocks led off with a 2:28.5, followed by Benites in 2:27.5, Harrell with a 2:30.9 in her first race of the year and Adams with a 2:22.2 anchor.

High hurdler David Benjamin and intermediate hurdler Anthony Salemo are both off to hot starts this spring for Rowan University’s track team.

Benjamin, a versatile sophomore jumper, sprinter and hurdler from Freehold Township, already has a 14.42 to his credit in the 110-meter highs this spring from the Emory Invitational last month. That ranks No. 2 in NCAA Division 3 behind only indoor national champ Luke Campbell of Salisbury (Md.), who ran 14.04 at the Colonial Relays.

Benjamin also has a 10.94 100 and a 6-2 3/4 high jump under his belt this spring. He’s a returning All-America in the high hurdles for the Profs after placing seventh at indoor nationals in Grinnell, Iowa, and winning the New Jersey Athletic Conference title.

At Freehold Township, Benjamin was a sectional champ in the high jump and participated in just about every other event at some point before graduating in 2011.

Salemo, a sophomore from Ramsey, has already run a lifetime PR, and we’re not even halfway through April.

Salemo came into the season with a PR of 53.77, set at a meet on his home track in Glassboro last April, but he broke that with a 53.75 on the same track in his first 400 IH outing of the season. That’s No. 5 in Division 3.

Salemo led a 1-2-3 Rowan sweet in the Oscar Moore Invitational, with Christopher Mesiano of Schalick second in 54.45 and Ulysses Santos of Bloomfield High School third in 54.81.

Mesiano and Santos are 17th and 24th on the D-3 list, giving Rowan three of the 24-fastest intermediate hurdlers in the country.

Rowan will be in Baltimore this weekend for the Johns Hopkins/Loyola Invitational on Saturday.

 

Add another world championship to Nia Ali’s loaded resume.

Add mom, as well.

Ali, a Philadelphia native and Pleasantville High School graduate, won the 60-meter high hurdles by 1-100th of a second at the IAAF World Championships in Portland, Ore., and came within 2-100ths of her personal-best time.

It was her second consecutive indoor world title, following two years after she won the 2014 championship with a 7.80 in Sopot, Poland.

And she did it soon after having a child, a little boy named titus.

Ali ran 7.91 in the trials and went into the final significantly behind Americans Kendra Harrison and Brianna Rollins, who ran 7.81 and 7.82 in the trials.

But the final was a different story.

Using a 0.137 reaction time, Ali got out fast and crossed the line in 7.81, 1-100th of a second ahead of Rollins, with Harrison never in the race. Ali’s time was No. 3 in the world this year, behind Rollins (7.76) and Harrison (7.77).

Cherokee graduate Jessica Woodard, now a sophomore at Oklahoma, earned her first All-Amerca award after placing eighth in the shot put at the NCAA indoor championships in Birmingham, Ala.

Woodard PR’d yet again with a 55-11. She was 12th seed entering the meet, so she moved up four spots from her seeding. Her previous PR was 55-7.

Woodard, whose PR was 51-8 1/4 coming into the indoor season, now ranks third on the  Oklahoma all-time indoor list, behind Tia Brooks (63-0 3/4 in 2013) and Karen Shump (58-11 1/2 in 2011).

Woodard’s high school PR was 47-1 1/4, and her best throw as a freshman was a 50-10 3/4, so her improvement has been consistently tremendous.

After a 54-6 3/4 on her first throw of the trials, Woodard popped her 55-11 on her second throw. She fouled on her next three throws — her final throw of the trials and her first two in the finals — before finishing with a 55-3 on her sixth and final attempt.

Her big throw earned Woodard a No .24 ranking among all U.S. women and a No.52 ranking on the 2016 world indoor list. She’s No. 2 among sophomores, behind only NCAA champ and world No. 5 Raven Saunders of Mississippi, who has thrown 63-1 1/4.

Woodard has a 178-0 career best in the discus. Her outdoor shot PR is 53-8 1/4.

 

 

Cherry Hill East senior Aaron Groff nearly won himself a national title in the 5,000 at the National Scholastic Championships this weekend before settling for a South Jersey indoor record, the No. 2 time in state history and a spot in the all-time New Jersey indoor or outdoor 5,000 list.

Groff ran 14:43.10 for a close second to Eric Van Der Els of Norwalk High in Connecticut. Van Der Els ran 14:42.41.

The only faster time in New Jersey history indoors is the national record 13:57.04 by legendary Edward Cheserek of St. Benedict’s Prep in 2013. How good is Cheserek? He won three more NCAA titles this weekend, giving him 13 career NCAA championships at Oregon, including three in cross country.

As for Groff, he ran within five seconds of the overall South Jersey indoor-outdoor record of 14:38.37 set in 2002 by Cherokee’s Marc Pelerin. He broke the South Jersey indoor mark of 14:43.49 set three years ago by Sterling’s Jimmy Daniels.

Here’s a look at the all-time New Jersey 5,000 list, including both indoor and outdoor times. I bold-faced South Jersey runners:

• 13:57.04 … Edward Cheserek [St. Benedict’s Prep], 2013
• 14:13.68 … Joe Rosa [West Windsor-Plainsboro North], 2011
• 14:25.8i ….. Chris Hallinan [Bernards], 1976
• 14:26.6 ….. Andy Martin [North Hunterdon], 1984
• 14:28.96 … Craig Forys [Colts Neck], 2007
• 14:35.32 … Doug Smith [Gil St. Bernard], 2008
• 14:38.37 … Marc Pelerin [Cherokee], 2002
• 14:42.2 ….. Jerry Andrews [Highland], 1979
• 14:43.10i … Aaron Groff [Cherry Hill East], 2016
• 14:45.49 … Jimmy Daniels [Sterling], 2013
• 14:48.73 … Ben Massam [Chatham], 2006
• 14:50.71 … James Rosa [West Windsor-Plainsboro North], 2010
• 14:51.0 ….. Jim Smith [Haddonfield], 1980
• 14:51.17 … Tom O’Neill [MIddletown North], 2014
• 14:54.15 … Chris Luciano [Mountain Lakes], 2014
• 14:54.62 … Jeramy Elkaim [Livingston], 2011
• 14:54.87 … Craig Corti [Walkill Valley], 2015
• 14:54.2 ….. Steve O’Connell [Millburn], 1976
• 14:55.35 … Kyle Livermore [Don Bosco], 2014
• 15:01.01 … Kevin McDonnell [Camden Catholic], 2008
• 15:01.04 … Paul Szulewski [Williamstown], 2011
• 15:02.09 … Sean Lyons [Morristown], 2014
• 15:02.75 … Leighton Spencer [Don Bosco], 2009
• 15:04.42i … Andrew Hanko [Trinity], 2007
• 15:04.97 … Ryan Tucker [Don Bosco], 2012
• 15:05.56 … Anthony Dentino [Washington Twp.], 2011
• 15:06.47 … Dan Riff [West Windsor-Plainsboro South], 2013
• 15:07.97 … Zaid Smart [Princeton], 2011
• 15:08.82 … Matt Valeriani [Southern], 2010
• 15:08.99 … Brian O’Toole [Robbinsville], 2011
• 15:09.5 ….. Bryan Spoonire [Asbury Park], 1991
• 15:09.62 … Brian Leung [West Windsor-Plainsboro South], 2008
• 15:10.38i … Brandon Jarrett [St. Benedict’s], 2006
• 15:11.45 … Steve Maine [Highland], 2014
• 15:11.4 ….. Scott Sarnoski [Bergen Tech], 1979
• 15:11.57 … Matt Nelson [Barnegat], 2013