From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Ford Palmer opened his 2015 track season is style Saturday with a PR and the fastest time ever by a South Jersey native.

Palmer, a graduate of Absegami High School and Monmouth University, ran 3:56.79 to win over a loaded field at the Valentine Invitational at the Boston University Track and Tennis Center, in the process lowering the all-time South Jersey record.

Palmer’s previous PR was 3:57.61, set in August at Meredith College in Raleigh, N.C.

Here is a look at the PRs of every South Jersey native to run sub-4 — all were set indoors:

• 3:56.79i….. Ford Palmer [Absegami HS], Boston, Feb. 14, 2015
• 
3:58.14i …. Rob Novak [Bordentown HS], Boston, Feb. 11, 2012
• 
3:58.62i …. Brett Johnson [Ocean City HS], Seattle, Feb. 9, 2013
• 
3:59.35i …. John Richardson [Ocean City HS], Lexington, Ky., Feb. 2, 2008
• 
3:59.85i …. Mark Sivieri [St. Augustine Prep], Boston, Jan. 28, 1994
• 
3:59.91i …. Brian Gallagher [Sterling HS], Boston, Feb. 14, 1998

Palmer’s time is No. 3 in the U.S. this year, behind only Ben Blankenship, who ran 3:53.13, and Riley Masters, who ran 3:56.15, both last weekend at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix at the Reggie Lewis Center 2 1/2 miles away in Roxbury, Mass. It’s also No. 6 on the IAAF world list.

Here is a list of all New Jersey sub-4 milers:

3:52.2 ……. Marty Liquori, Kingston, Jamaica, May 17, 1975
3:56.75i …. Steve Slattery, New York, March 6, 2006
3:56.79i …. Ford Palmer, Boston, Feb. 14, 2015
3:56.9 …… Ron Speirs, Philadelphia, April 30, 1977
3:58.14i …. Rob Novak, Boston, Feb. 11, 2012
3:58.4i …… Roger Jones, Boston, Feb. 13, 1982
3:58.61i …. Travis Mahoney, Boston, Feb. 8, 2014
3:58.62i …. Jim McKeon, Johnson City, Tenn., Jan. 19, 1985
3:58.62i …. Brett Johnson, Seattle, Feb. 9, 2013
3:59.18i …. Jeramy Elkaim, Seattle, Feb. 23, 2013
3:59.2 ……. Cliff Sheehan, Philadelphia, April 27, 1985
3:59.35i …. John Richardson, Lexington, Ky., Feb. 2, 2008
3:59.43i ….. Rich Kenah, Fayetteville, Feb. 12, 2000
3:59.6 ……. Jim Crawford, Modesto, Calif., May 23, 1970
3:59.85i …. Mark Sivieri, Boston, Jan. 28, 1994
3:59.91i …. Brian Gallagher, Boston, Feb. 14, 1998
3:59.98i …. Christian Gonzalez, Boston, Jan. 27, 2012

And finally, results of today’s race, including two other New Jersey natives – Travis Mahoney of Old Bridge (12th in 3:59.60) and Rob Napolitano of Red Bank Catholic (14th in a PR 4:00.64):

Highland’s Chais Hill keeps climbing up the all-time New Jersey high hurdles list, and on Friday, he moved one step from the top 10.

Hill PR’d for the second weekend in a row, running a blistering 7.34 to win the 55-meter highs at the state Group 2 meet at the Bennett Center in Toms River.

Hill’s PR until this month was a 7.56 from when he won states last year. He lowered that to 7.50 in the finals at sectionals, then bombed a 7.34 in the finals on Friday.

At a school that has produced a lot of terrific hurdlers over the years, Hill is now the fastest. And he’s No. 11 in state history, No. 8 in South Jersey history, No. 1 in New Jersey this year and fastest from Camden County in 14 years, since Dwight Ruff — who went on to star at Florida — ran 7.22 back in 2001.

Hill is now just 2-100ths of a second from the all-time New Jersey top-10 and he still has the Meet of Champions, Easterns and nationals to go.

Here’s a look at the all-time New Jersey performance list, with everybody who’s broken 7.40 fully automatic:

• 7.18 Sultan Tucker (Delsea), 1996
• 7.19 Jermaine Collier (Trenton), 2012
• 7.22 Dwight Ruff (Camden), 2001
• 7.22 Issac Williams (Willingboro), 2012
• 7.29 Nate Harley (Pleasantville), 1996
• 7.29 Danyne Brown (Camden), 1999
• 7.29 Will Brown (Palmyra), 2006
• 7.32 Stephan Fletcher (Princeton), 1983
• 7.32 Jon Dickey (Penns Grove), 1985
• 7.32 Jeff Porter (Franklin Twp.), 2003
• 7.34 Chais Hill (Highland), 2015
• 7.34 Barry McClain (Trenton), 1981
• 7.34 Devon Hill (Trenton), 2008
• 7.35 Todd Walthall (Seton Hall), 1988
• 7.35 Gerard Reynolds (Willingboro), 1990
• 7.35 Darius Pemberton (Hackensack), 1993
• 7.35 Devon Hill (Trenton), 2008
• 7.36 Tony Davis (Scotch Plains), 1982
• 7.36 Jerome Pemberton (Hackensack), 1986
• 7.36 Chris Stephans (Plainfield), 2001
• 7.36 Christian Boateng (Old Bridge), 2011
• 7.36 Greg Caldwell (West Windsor-Plainsboro North), 2012
• 7.37 Basil Campbell (Ewing), 2003
• 7.38 Mike Wasko (Sayreville), 1982
• 7.39 Rashad Baker (Wilson), 2000

Hill’s time is also No. 4 in the U.S. this year, behind Grant Holloway of Grassfield High in Chesapeake, Va. (7.23); Marcus Krah of Hillside High in Durham, N.C. (7.25); and Charles Graham of Phoebus High in Hampton, Va. (7.28).

Interestingly, Hill wasn’t even the fastest qualifier out of the trials Friday. Nate Bowie of Matawan ran 7.53 in the second heat to Hill’s 7.61 in the third heat. But in the finals, Hill finished a whopping 2 1/2 meters ahead of second-place Rashaan Richardson of Pemberton, second in 7.74. Bowie ran third in 7.81.

Hill also placed third in the 55-meter dash with a 6.60.

Highland finished tied for third in team scoring with 23 points, behind River Dell (42) and Matawan (38) and tied with Delsea, with Hill scoring 16 of those 23 points.

Highland was also fourth in the 4-by-4, with Josh Hackett, Joe Mazzie, Daquan Lindsey and Ryan Carroll running 3:33.15. Sean David scored in two events for Highland, taking sixth in the high jump at 6-0 and fifth in the high hurdles in 7.96.

Gabrielle Farquharson, who had such a terrific career at Williamstown High School, is finishing her college career in style.

Farquharson‘s indoor season is off to a terrific start both as a jumper and a sprinter.

At the Penn State Invitational in State College, Pa., she PR’d with a 20-8 1/2 in the long jump, breaking the meet record of 19-9 set in 2009 by Gayle Hunter of Penn State. She also placed second in the 200 in 23.95, a school record. The previous mark was 23.98, set last year at ECACs by Asha Ruth.

Farquharson contributed a leg on Rutgers’ 1,600-meter relay team, which ran 3:48.36. Bria Saunders, another New Jersey alum (Parsippany), was also on the 4-by-4 team.

The versatile Farquharson also had a big meet at the Metropolitan Championships at the Armory this past weekend, winning the 60-meter dash, the 200 and the long jump.

Farquharson ran 7.64 to win the 60, 24.17 to win the 200 and 19-9 1/2 to win the long jump.

Farquharson is undefeated in the long jump this year, and she ranks No. 8 in NCAA Division 1 with her 20-81/2 jump. Here’s a look at the top 10, from DirectAthletics.com:

• 21-5 1/2 … Kendall Williams (Georgia)
• 21-5 1/4 … Sha’Keele Saunders (Kentucky)
• 21-2 1/2 … Jenna Prandini (Oregon)
• 21-2 … Keturah Orji (Georgia)
• 21-1 1/2 … Alexis Perry (North Carolina State)
• 21-0 … Erica Bougard (Mississippi State)
• 20-11 1/4 … Akela Jones (Kansas State)
• 20-8 1/2 … Gabrielle Farquharson (Rutgers)
• 20-8 … Shanice Stewart (Texas Tech)
• 20-7 … Tamara Myers (Arkansas)

Farquharson is also No. 10 among all U.S. women in the long jump, according to the latest USATF performance list.

The Scarlet Knights are in Boston Friday for the Valentine Invitational.

Sixteen points in the 800. Sixteen points in the 1,600. Sixteen points in the 3,200.

Kingsway won its first indoor sectional title over the weekend, and it did it so in record-setting fashion.

A huge part of the Dragons’ championship was a crazy performance in the three distance races. The Dragons ran 2-3-5 in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200, scoring enough points in just those three events to place third overall in the team standings.

Seniors Trevor Culbreath (2:02.66), Myles Boerlin (2:02.67) and Noah Culbreath (2:02.77) did the damage in the 800, Noah Culbreath (4:27.32), Boerlin (4:32.88) and senior Kyle Evernham (4:33.05) handled the 1,600, and Evernham (10:04.74), Noah Culbreath (10:06.28) and freshman Joe Grandizio (10:08.34) took care of the 3,200 for Kingsway.

Noah Culbreath, Evernham, Gandizio and Boerlin were the heart of the Kingsway cross country team, all placing in the top 20 at states, where Kingsway placed a close second to Cherry Hill East.

But Kingsway scored in a lot of other places too on the way to a whopping 42-point margin of victory over Timber Creek.

Kingsway scored 97 points, most ever in South Jersey Group 3 indoors since the inception of the indoor sectional meets in 2008 and also most ever by any Group 3 school in any group state-wide.

Here’s a look at every boys team that’s reached 90 points in the South Jersey indoor sectionals:

• 110 Glassboro (Group 1, 2009)
• 110 Haddonfield (Group 1, 2010)
• 105 Delsea (Group 2, 2011)
• 101 Delsea (Group 2, 2010)
• 97 Kingsway (Group 3, 2015)
• 96 Highland (Group 2, 2014)
• 94 Haddonfield (Group 1, 2014)
• 93 Kingsway (Group 3, 2014)
• 92.5 Pleasantville (Group 1, 2008)

And here are the top point totals by Group 3 schools in meet history:

• 97 Kingsway (South, 2015)
• 93 Kingsway (South, 2014)
• 91 Timber Creek (South, 2014)
• 90 Northern Valley-Demarest (North I, 2014)
• 88 West Windsor-Plainsboro North (Central, 2009)
• 87 West Windsor-Plainsboro North (Central, 2012)
• 86 Kingsway (South, 2013)
• 84 Jackson (Central, 2010)
• 82 Irvington (North II, 2013)
• 79 Oakcrest (South, 2012)

So Kingsway has the top two Group 3 team scores in meet history in back-to-back seasons.

Amazing stuff.

Kingsway piled up 24 huge points in the pole vault, with senior Chad Shire (13-0) and sophomores Jacob Methany and (12-6) Ryan Evernham (12-0) sweeping the top three spots.

So that’s 72 points in four events!

The Dragons also got points from senior Jermaine Coleman, who ran third in the 55 in 6.76 after barely qualifying by 3-100ths of a second; from junior high jumper Chase Matthews, second with a 6-0 clearance; from shot putter Sam Shinn, second with a 51-4 1/4; and from the 4-by-4 team of Boerlin, Joaquin Cavazos, Jermaine Coleman and Noah Culbreath, fifth in 3:34.49.

What a performance by the entire Kingsway team!

When junior Joey Webb was disqualified for interfering with another runner after winning the 1,600, things did not look good for the Seneca girls.

In a tight meet like the South Jersey indoor Group 2 sectionals, you can rarely afford to just lose 10 points.

Webb was first across the line in the 1,600 in 5:20-ish, but she was DQ’d for interfering with another runner along the final turn on the 200-meter Bennett Center track.

Several coaches who witnessed the alleged infraction immediately came to Webb’s defense, explaining to meet officials that Webb had herself been accidentally jostled by another athlete and only interfered as a reaction to being interfered herself and losing her balance. Even the coach of the athlete who Webb supposedly interfered made it clear that Webb should not have been DQ’d.

But the NJSIAA inexplicably has no appeals process for such calls, and the DQ stood.

It could have been a deadly ruling for Seneca, but the Golden Eagles rallied and scored enough points to overcome the Webb DQ and win their third sectional title since 2009.

Seneca got huge points in the 800 and shot put and clinched the team title by placing second in the 1,600-meter relay. Even without Webb’s 10 points in the 1,600, Seneca squeaked by Delsea, 53-50.

Sophomore Kayla Martin led a 1-2-4 finish in the 800, winning in 2:22.43, with Webb second in 2:25.85 and freshman Sydny Warner fourth in 2:27.25. Warner also ran third in the 1,600 in 5:24.52 (which means Seneca actually only lost eight points with Webb’s DQ, since Warner moved up from fourth), and Martin was fifth in the 400 in 61.40

Senior Kalyn Bryan threw a near-PR 33-6 3/4 for second in the shot and eight more big points.

The Golden Eagles also got five points from junior Rebecca Bohi, who cleared 9-0 and tied for third in the pole vault; a point from freshman Carley Tool, sixth in the 3,200 with an 11:58.55; and one surprising point from freshman Samantha Derkas, who was the eighth seed in the hurdles final after a 9.60 but ran 9.38 for sixth.

But the clincher was the 1,600 relay.

Going into the 4-by-4, Delsea led Seneca 50-45, but Seneca ran second and Delsea didn’t place, and Seneca had its first indoor sectional win in five years.

Senior Madison Chant, freshman Grayce Heinemann, junior Danielle LeSaint and Martin ran 4:10.73, finishing safely head of third-place Oakcrest (4:14.49) for second place. Delsea would have needed to place fourth to win the team title, and that would have taken a time of 4:18.19 or better. The Crusaders ran 4:20.16, finishing less than two seconds away from winning.

It’s hard enough to win a meet like this against quality teams like Deptford and Delsea without a shaky officiating call. Seneca overcame a lot Friday to be the best in South Jersey Group 2!

The Haddonfield and Lenape girls both wanted to run a fast distance medley Thursday night at the Armory, and when the race was over the Bulldogs and Indians had both run fast enough to help rewrite the South Jersey record book.

Haddonfield and Lenape posted the No. 6 and No. 8 times in South Jersey indoor history, with Haddonfield winning in 12:03.4 on Briana Gess’s 4:51 anchor and Lenape just behind in 12:04.9.

It was a two-team race at the Varsity Classic, with North Rockland third in 12:14.9. Full results of the meet are here.

Haddonfield and Lenape now rank No. 2 and No. 3 in the U.S., behind only Suffern of New York, which ran 12:01.10 at the Armory on Jan. 21.

Let’s talk splits!

First, for Haddonfield: Kaitlyn Bonnet opened with a 3:44.1, with Carly Bonnet splitting 59.5, Julia Fonshell 2:28 and Gess 4:51.3.

For Lenape: Camille Franklin 3:44.4, Shannon Storms 59.5, Carly Pettipaw 2:14.3 and Megan Quimby 5:06.8.

Gess, a Foot Locker XC finalist as a freshman, passed Quimby with 200 meters to go, but Quimby passed her back on the final lap before Gess finally edged past Quimby in a battle of two of South Jersey’s top sophomore milers.

Incredibly, Haddonfield and Lenape are now responsible for 10 of the 13 sub-12:20 indoor DMR performances in South Jersey history.

Here’s the updated all-time South Jersey indoor DMR list:

All-Time South Jersey Girls Indoor DMR List

• 11:41.12 … Southern Regional, 2009
• 11:43.94 … Haddonfield, 2014
• 11:54.63 … Lenape, 2013, Easterns
• 11:55.90 … Lenape, 2012, Varsity Classic
• 11:58.92 … Lenape, 2010, Easterns
• 12:02.51 … Ocean City, 2014, New Balance Indoors
• 12:03.4 ….. Haddonfield, 2015, Varsity Classic
• 12:04.45 … Haddonfield, 2009, National Scholastic Indoors
• 12:04.9 ….. Lenape, 2015, Varsity Classic
• 12:12.22 … Ocean City, 2005, Nike Indoor Nationals
• 12:13.46 … Washington Twp., 2011, Easterns
• 12:14.48 … Haddonfield, 2013, Easterns
• 12:15.60 … Lenape, 2014, Varsity Classic
• 12:19.81 … Lenape, 2009, Nike Indoor Nationals

To put these performances in perspective, here’s the all-time overall South Jersey DMR list, including performances from both indoors and outdoors, with an i indicating an indoor mark. As you can see, Haddonfield and Lenape are No. 10 and No. 13 in South Jersey history on the indoor and outdoor combined list! That’s crazy!

Also, all 17 sub-12:10 performances in South Jersey history under any conditions belong to Haddonfield, Lenape and Ocean City, with Lenape responsible for seven, Haddonfield for five and Ocean City for five. Isn’t that nuts?

All-Time South Jersey Girls Combined DMR List
• 11:43.94i … Haddonfield, 2014, New Balance Indoors
• 11:53.15 … Lenape 2012 New Balance Outdoors
• 11:54.63i … Lenape, 2013, Easterns
• 11:55.90i … Lenape, 2012, Varsity Classic
• 11:58.92i … Lenape, 2010, Easterns
• 12:00.64 … Ocean City, 2004, adidas Outdoor Championships
• 12:02.34 … Haddonfield 2000, Penn Relays
• 12:02.37 … Haddonfield, 2014, Penn Relays
• 12:02.51i … Ocean City, 2014, New Balance Indoors
• 12:03.4i ….. Haddonfield, 2015, Varsity Classic
• 12:04.39 … Lenape, 2010 Rowan Open
• 12:04.45i … Haddonfield, 2009, National Scholastic Indoors
• 12:04.9i ….. Lenape, 2015, Varsity Classic
• 12:05.39 … Ocean City 2005, Nike Outdoor Nationals
• 12:06.73 … Ocean City 1994, Penn Relays
• 12:07.21 … Lenape 2008, Penn Relays
• 12:08.61 … Ocean City Rowan Open 2014

Finally, one more list. This is the all-time New Jersey girls indoor distance medley performance list and it’s sure to change in the next few weeks!

All-Time New Jersey Girls Indoor DMR List

• 11:41.12 … Southern Regional, 2009
• 11:43.94 … Haddonfield, 2014
• 11:48.02 … Roxbury, 2006
• 11:49.34 … Red Bank Regional, 2002
• 11:49.62 … Southern Regional, 2003
• 11:53.54 … Bernards, 1983
• 11:54.63 … Lenape, 2013, Easterns
• 11:55.24 … Immaculate Heart Academy, 2008
• 11:55.32 … Red Bank Catholic, 2012
• 11:55.90 … Lenape, 2012
• 11:56.08 … Mount St. Dominic, 2014
• 11:56.24 … Colts Neck, 2007
• 11:57.06 … Mount St. Domonic, 2012
• 11:58.74 … Mendham, 2012
• 11:58.80 … Southern Regional, 2008
• 11:58.82 … Red Bank Catholic, 2011
• 11:58.92 … Lenape, 2010
• 11:59.81 … Mendham, 2013
• 11:59.88 … Voorhees, 2009
• 12:00.53 … Pope John, 2007
• 12:00.66 … Red Bank Regional, 2001
• 12:01.28 … Red Bank Catholic, 2010
• 12:01.3 ..… Summit, 1981
• 12:01.40 … Colts Neck, 2007
• 12:01.98 … Voorhees, 2008
• 12:02.10 … Columbia, 2014
• 12:02.40 … Bernards, 2012
• 12:02.51 … Ocean City, 2014
• 12:02.71 … Columbia, 1998
• 12:02.77 … Randolph, 2011
• 12:03.4 ….. Haddonfield, 2015
• 12:04.45 … Haddonfield, 2009
• 12:04.62 … Northern Highlands, 2013
• 12:04.9 ….. Lenape, 2015,
• 12:05.15 … West Windsor-Plainsboro, 2014
• 12:05.9 … Middletown South, 1999
• 12:05.98 … Immaculate Heart Academy, 2009
• 12:06.45 … Bernards, 2013
• 12:06.61 … Roxbury, 2007
• 12:08.57 … Southern Regional, 2010
• 12:09.58 … Ramapo, 2007

Former Willingboro star Issac Williams is the No. 1 collegiate hurdler in the nation, thanks to his school-record 7.72 over the 42-inch 60-meter hurdles at the Houston Indoor Opener on Jan. 9.

Williams actually shares the NCAA No. 1 ranking with Dondre Echols of South Carolina, who ran 7.72 at the Armory over the weekend, and Sebastian Barth of Northern Iowa, who ran 7.72 in a meet in Cedar Falls, Iowa, also over the weekend.

Full NCAA Division 1 rankings are here.

Williams’ PR coming into the season was a 7.85 at last year’s Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark.

Williams ranks No. 18 in the world, according to the IAAF rankings, and No. 8 among U.S. men.

The fastest time ever recorded by a New Jersey hurdler indoors is 7.46, by Olympian and Franklin Township High graduate Jeffrey Porter, last Feb. 1, in Mondeville, France.

Williams, now undefeated in four meets this winter, was a second-team All-America last year after winning the American Athletic Conference 110 highs title last spring and going on to place 11th at NCAAs.

At Willingboro, Williams was second to Trenton’s Jermaine Collier in both indoor and outdoor Meet of Champions.

Houston’s track complex is named after nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis, another Willingboro High School graduate.

His first couple races in college looked an awful lot like most of his races in high school.

Very fast.

Oakcrest High School graduate Ishmael Muhammad, now a freshman at Villanova, is off to a terrific start this winter, with a 600-meter win in his college debut and then an indoor PR and first in his section in his first collegiate 800.

Muhammad made his college debut at the Metro Team Challenge at the 168th Street Armory and won an invitational 600 in 1:18.34.

That’s the No. 5 time by an American this year and No. 2 time by a collegian. I’d love to tell you where it ranks on the all-time Villanova performance list, but the most recent one available on the Villanova web site is from 2006.

Here’s a look at the top five U.S. times so far, courtesy of Track and Field News:

• 1:15.58 … Cas Loxsom, Lobo Open, Albuquerque, Jan. 24
• 1:16.20 … Mark Wieczorek, Lobo Open, Albuquerque, Jan. 24
• 1:18.08 … Curtis Beach, Lobo Open, Albuquerque, Jan. 24
• 1:18.19 … Clay Lambourne, Bronco Invite, Nampa, Idaho, Jan. 24
• 1:18.34 … Ishmael Muhammad, Metro Challenge, New York, Jan. 23

In his first collegiate 800, Muhammad ran 1:50.82 to win his section and place fifth overall at the Penn State National at State College this past weekend.

Muhammad has an 800 PR of 1:48.52 when he won the outdoor Meet of Champions, but his previous indoor PR was 1:53.68, from the indoor Meet of Champions his junior year, the winter of 2013, when he was fourth behind Isaac Clark (1:51.72), Derrell Manhertz (1:51.80) and Jacob Clark (1:52.15) in a crazy-fast 1-2-3-4 South Jersey sweep.

Muhammad’s time is No. 7 among Big East runners so far this winter:

• 1:48.46 … Billy Ledder (Georgetown), Jan. 17, 2015, Nittany Lion Challenge
• 1:48.63 … Ryan Manahan (Georgetown), Jan. 30, 2015, Penn State National
• 1:48.71 … Joseph White (Georgetown), Jan. 17, 2015, Nittany Lion Challenge
• 1:49.00 … Cole Williams (Georgetown), Jan. 17, 2015, Nittany Lion Challenge
• 1:49.98 … Ahmed Bile (Georgetown), Jan. 10, 2015, Father Diamond Invitational
• 1:50.37 … Amos Bartelsmeyer (Georgetown), Jan. 10, 2015, Father Diamond Invite
• 1:50.82 … Ishmael Muhammad (VIllanova), Jan. 30, 2015, Penn State National
• 1:50.92 … Alec Miller (Marquette), Jan. 30, 2015, Penn State National

With Willingboro coming out on top in the Central Jersey Group 1 boys sectional meet on Saturday, it’s a good time to take a look at exactly how accomplished this program has been over the years.

The history of Willingboro track is simply unbelievable.

Let’s take a look at every state or sectional indoor and outdoor championship this remarkable program has produced over the past 38 years, including the state relays, indoor and outdoor sectionals and indoor and outdoor states.

They’re all South Jersey titles, except where indicated. And don’t forget, until the late 1980s, Willingboro shared students with Kennedy High, which won a bunch of titles of its own.

By my count, the Willingboro track program has produced 82 team championships in state competition! And that’s on top of all the county and conference titles, individual records, champions and Olympians, Easterns and nationals winners, etc.

Here’s the full list!

BOYS
State Relays (14)
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]

Indoor Sectionals (3)
2011 [CJ-Group 2]
2012 [CJ-Group 2]
2015 [CJ-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 Sectionals (15)
1977 [Group 4]
1978 [Group 4]
1979 [Group 4]
1980 [Group 4]
1982 [Group 4]
1986 [Group 3]
1988 [Group 3]
1990 [Group 4]
1991 [Group 4]
1993 [Group 4]
2000 [Group 3]
2003 [Group 3]
2004 [CJ-3]
2005 [CJ-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 Sectionals (1)
2010 [Group 1]

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

Outdoor Sectionals (6)
1980 [Group 4]
1981 [Group 4]
1985 [Group 3]
1992 [Group 4]
1999 [Group 3]
2003 [Group 3]

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

You can’t help but wonder: If Luke Petela is running 4:18 unchallenged on a flat track in January, just how fast is he going to run by the end of the winter? What about by the end of the spring?

Petela continued his hot running Friday with a big meet-record 4:18.15 win in the 1,600-meter run at the South Jersey Group 1 meet at the Bubble in Toms River.

It was the first time under 4:20 indoors for Petela, whose time is No. 1 in New Jersey this year and broke the meet record of 4:21.84 set two years ago by Pleasantville’s Jacob Clark.

Petela’s time is also No. 4 nationally and less than two seconds out of first. It’s fastest by a Camden County miler in five years, since Ben Potts of Haddonfield ran 4:16.85 at the 2010 Meet of Champions.

It’s also fourth-fastest ever at any of the indoor sectional meets, second-fastest ever at any of the South Jersey sectionals and fastest in four years.

Here’s a list of the 10-fastest 1,600 performances in sectional history throughout the state:

• 4:14.43 … Curtis Richburg (West Orange), 2010, N1-4 [1st]
• 4:17.12 … Jeramy Elkaim (Livingston), 2010 N1-4 [2nd]
• 4:17.72 … Miles Schoedler (Ocean City), 2011 SJ-3 [1st]
• 4:18.15 … Luke Petela (Haddon Twp.), 2015, SJ-1 [1st]
• 4:18.36 … Brian Leung (WW-P South), 2008, CJ-3 [1st]
• 4:19.52 … Anthony Colasurdo (Lacey Twp.), 2011 SJ-3 [2nd]
• 4:19.84 … Erik Johnson (Ocean City), 2011 SJ-3 [3rd]
• 4:19.96 … Robert Rawls (Triton), 2011 SJ-3 [4th]
• 4:20.55 … Brian Robinson (Millburn), 2010 NJ2-3 [1st]
• 4:20.66 … Tim Ball (Piscataway), 2011 NJ2-4 [1st]

Petela’s previous indoor PR was a 4:25.05 from last year’s Meet of Champions, when he placed 21st after taking second at indoor states.

Outdoors last spring, Petela ran 4:16.55 to win the Camden County title, 4:17.20 to win states and 4:14.39 for second at the Meet of Champs, just behind Kyle Levermore of Don Bosco, who won in 4:13.98.

The South Jersey indoor record is Marc Pelerin’s 4:15.16 for a full mile by Marc Pelerin of Cherokee in 2002. The Camden County record is 4:14.0 full mile by Cherry Hill East’s Marty Ludwikowski in 1975.

Petela led a 1-2 Haddon Township sweep in the 1,600, with junior Owen Long taking second in 4:28.22.

Petela and Long also went 1-2 in outdoor sectionals in the 1,600 and in cross country sectionals at Delsea in November.