From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Sterling graduate Marquis Young became the latest Rowan hurdler to put up an all-time Division 3 top-10 time Friday, leading four Rowan hurdlers into the finals at the NCAA Division 3 Championships in Pittsford, N.Y.

Young, a senior, won the first of three semifinals in 7.84, the 8th-fastest time in Division 3 history and a PR by 11-100ths of a second.

Rowan advanced four of the six-fastest semifinalists and all four are ranked in the top-10 in Division 3 history.

Young led all qualifiers with his 7.84, freshman Jamir Brown – the NCAA D-3 record holder at 7.72 – was 2nd in that first race in 7.86, junior Kwaku Nkrumah from Teaneck – the NCAA D-3 national champion outdoors – won the third heat in 7.93, not far off his 7.87 PR, which is tied for 10th in D-3 history – and Rowan junior Jason Agyemang ran 8.01 in the 2nd semi to post the 6th-fastest qualifying time.

The only hurdlers not from Rowan to break into the top-6 were Jayson Ekiyor of Bethel College in St. Paul, Minn., whose PR 7.88 is No. 12 in D-3 history – and Blake Hardison of Dubuque, Iowa, who ran 7.98.

The meet record of 7.75 was set in 2014 by Luke Campbell of Salisbury in Lincoln, Neb. That was the D-3 record until Brown ran 7.72.

The meet is being held at Golisano Training Center at Nazareth University, just south of Rochester.

The final is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday. We don’t have lane assignments yet, but here’s what the final will look like:

7.84 … Marquise Young [Rowan]
7.86 … Jamir Brown [Rowan]
7.88 … Jayson Ekiyor [Bethel, Minn.]
7.93 … Kwaku Nkrumah [Rowan]
7.98 … Blake Hardison [Dubuque, cIowqa]
8.01 … Jason Agyemang [Rowan]
8.03 … Gunner Meyer [Central, Iowa]
8.04 … Noah Smith [Nebraska Wesleyan]

Natalie Dumas ran 54.98 Friday and qualified for the 400-meter dash championship final at Boston Nationals.

Dumas has not lost a 400-meter dash race this indoor season. She won the outdoor Meet of Champions last spring at Pennsauken 53.16 – 2nd-fastest in South Jersey history – and then won the indoor MoC at Ocean Breeze with a South Jersey-record 53.55. She has also run 2:11.42 for 800 meters and 58.32 in the intermediates, which she won at West Philly Nationals in June and is 4th-fastest in state history.

The eight qualifiers for the final ran between 53.23 and 54.98. The top six finishers in the final will earn All-America honors. The final is scheduled for 2:45 p.m. on Saturday. Dumas will be in lane three in the first of two races in the two-section final.

Northern Burlington senior Liliah Gordon, needing a 38.56 final lap to break the South Jersey record for 5,000 meters, closed in 37.46 to etch her name into the record books and earn All-America honors Thursday evening at Boston Nationals.

Gordon placed 5th in 16:48.89, breaking the New Jersey high school record of 16:49.00 set by Cherokee’s Megan Lacy at 2012 Armory Nationals (which in 2012 was the same meet as Boston Nationals is this year).

Briana Jackucewicz ran 16:43.02 as a 7th grader at Howell Middle School North at 2004 Armory Nationals, which some may consider the state record, but she wasn’t in high school at the time, so it can’t be a high school record. She eventually ran for Colts Neck and Harvard but never ran faster for an indoor track 5,000.

Lacy’s 16:49.00 was the fastest time indoors or outdoors by a South Jersey runner, so Gordon’s performance is an overall South Jersey record. The South Jersey outdoor 5,000 record is Lacy’s 16:50.75 in 2011 at a meet in Princeton.

Gordon came through 4,600 meters in 15:31.81, so she needed to run her final 400 in 77.19 or faster to break Lacy’s record, and she closed in 77.08. She ran her final 800 in 2:38.04.

Including both indoor and outdoor marks, Gordon’s 16:48.89 is 5th-fastest in state history.

Gordon’s previous PR was 17:02.44 last March at Armory Nationals. Her outdoor PR is 17:04.54 at Princeton this past April.

Gordon won her 1st Meet of Champions title earlier this month at Ocean Breeze with a 10:13.41, the 3rd-fastest indoor 3,200 time in state history.

All-Time New Jersey Indoor 5,000 List
*16:43.02 … Briana Jackucewicz [Colts Neck], 2009
16:48.89 … Liliah Gordon [Northern Burlington], 2025
16:49.00 … Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 2012
16:53.91 … Monica Hebner [Northern Highlands], 2018
16:55.69 … Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2010
16:57.99 … Mackenzie Barry [Mendham], 2013
17:02.44 … Liliah Gordon [Northern Burlington], 2024
17:02.78 … Sarah DiSanza [High Point Reg.], 2013
17:03.79 … Chelsea Ley [Kingsway], 2008
17:09.31 … Isabel Hebner [Northern Highlands], 2018
17:12.38 … Holly Bischof [Bishop Eustace], 2012
17:18.03 … Dina Iacone [Washington Twp.], 2012
17:20.33 … Emily O’Day [Boonton], 2023
17:22.84 … Megan Venables [Highland], 2010
17:24.43 … Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Reg.], 2016
17:24.89 … Amy Van Alstine [Midland Park], 2003
* – Not a high school student

All-Time New Jersey combined Indoor-Outdoor 5,000 List
15:52.10 … Charlotte Bednar [The Lawrenceville School], 2021 [o]
16:34.66 … Alexa Westley [Warren Hills], 2019 [o]
16:38.51 … Ashley Higginson [Colts Neck], 2007 [o]
16:43.02 … Briana Jackucewicz [Colts Neck], 2009 [i]
16:45.86 … Megan Curham [Villa Walsh], 2013 [o]
16:48.89 … Liliah Gordon [Northern Burlington], 2025 [i]
16:49.00 … Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 2012 [i]
16:53.91 … Monica Hebner [Northern Highlands], 2018 [i]
16:55.69 … Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2010 [i]
16:57.99 … Mackenzie Barry [Mendham], 2013 [i]
16:58.19 … Carleen Jeffers [Ridgewood], 2015 [o]
* – Not a high school student

On Tuesday, we posted a look at some of the top South Jersey entries for Armory Nationals. You can find that by clicking here. Today we’ll look at South Jersey entries at Boston Nationals.

Why is there more than one “nationals?” Because there’s more than one running shoe company. It’s stupid. But it’s not going to change.

Both meets start Thursday and South Jersey’s top athletes are split on the two meets, which are both held on fast banked 200-meter tracks.

In any case, here’s a look at most of the top South Jersey athletes heading to Boston:

Boston Nationals Order of Events: Click here.
Boston Nationals Entry List: Click here.
Boston Nationals Live Results: Click here.
Boston Nationals Live Stream: Click here.
Boston Nationals Meet Records [going all the way back to 2023!]: Click here.

BOYS
✓ M.J. Lincoln, Lenape: Lincoln is No. 6 in Burlington County history with his school-record 6.44 at Ocean Breeze last month. He’ll race the 60 in Boston.
✓ John Santos, Washington Twp.: Santos PR’d at 6.46 at Ocean Breeze in January but was under 6.50 at both sectionals and states
✓ Jayden Poteat, Winslow Twp.: Will be a busy few days for Poteat, who is entered in the open 400 – he is New Jersey No. 2 at 48.43 – and is also down for legs on Winslow’s sprint medley, 1,600-meter relay and 3,200-meter relay.
✓ Matthew Niedbalski, Clearview: Niedbalski will race the 400 in Boston, looking to lower his PR from 49.43.
✓ Melvin Lewis, Pleasantville: The latest speedy P-ville half-miler PR’d with 1:57.25 at the Meet of Champions and will race the 800 this weekend.
✓ Ty Blackman, Glassboro: Coming off his PR 4:17.46 at the Meet of Champions, Blackman will run the full mile in Boston.
✓ Noah Manwaring, Lenape: He’s still listed as a Lenape runner, but he only competed in one meet this winter, running 9:20.19 in Idaho in February, so I’m not sure if it’s a different Noah Manwaring or he transferred or what’s happening. But there can only be one Noah Manwaring, right? He’s down to run the 5,000 in Boston.
✓ Ryan Sanchez, Deptford: N.J. No. 6 hurdler at 7.42 for the 55 highs will race in the 60 highs.
✓ Anthony Parker, Salem: Parker is slated to compete in both the hurdles and long jump.
✓ Jayson Ross, Timber Creek: South Jersey No. 3 shot putter looks to improve on his 55-9 from sectionals.
✓ Marcus Hood, Deptford: Hood is No. 3 pole vaulter in South Jersey history and No. 13 in state history with his 15-6 clearance at the Bubble last month.
✓ Artrill Evans, Winslow Twp.: New Jersey No. 5 triple jumper and No. 10 all-time in south Jersey history, Evans is only 7 ½ inches shy of becoming South Jersey’s 3rd 47-footer.
✓ Winslow Township: Winslow hasn’t focused on a loaded sprint medley, but they’ll load up in Boston with KaRon Ali, Kristopher Jackson, Jayden Poteat and Dominic Bassey. Bassey, Poteat and Ali will also race on Winslow’s 4-by-4.

GIRLS
✓ Olivia Okaro, Winslow Twp.: Okaro has indoor PRs of 7.08, 24.75 and 58.27 and will race all three sprints at Nationals as well as racing on Winslow’s 4-by-200.
✓ Cinniya Robinson, Winslow Twp.: Soph PR’d with 56.81 t the Meet of Champions and will run the open 400as well as the 4-by-2 and 4-by-4.
✓ Skyhe Seamon, Winslow Twp.: Another soph and also slated for the open 400 as well as the 4-by-2.
✓ Jasmine Jackson, Winslow Twp.: No. 1 freshman in the country in the hurdles at 7.97 over 55 meters will run the championship 60-meter highs and the freshman 400. She’s run 56.59 this year. She’s also scheduled to run on Winslow’s 4-by-4.
✓ Winslow: The Eagles will run two 4-by-2 teams and two 4-by-4’s. They’re No. 11 nationally in the 4-by-2 at 1:39.66 from Ocean Breeze in January and 7th in the 4-by-4 at 3:45.89. Winslow will also put together a shuttle hurdles team, with Ma’Syiah Brawner and Jackson likely to be joined by Justice Green and Sanaa Bradley.
✓ *Leeya Joseph, Winslow Twp.: Coming off her PR 18-8 ½ at Easterns, Joseph will long jump and run legs on one of the Winslow 4-by-200s and 4-by-400s.
✓ My’Syiah Brawner, Winslow Twp.: Brawner is on the shuttles and 4-by-2 teams as well as in the open triple jump, which she placed 8th in last spring at West Philly Nationals.
✓ Brook-lyn Roberts, Winslow Twp.: No. 5 shot putter in New Jersey this year, Roberts looks to build on her 43-5 PR from sectionals.
✓ Liliah Gordon, Northern Burlington: Coming off her spectacular 10:13.41 Meet of Champions win, Gordon eyes the two-mile / 5000 double. She’s already No. 3 in state history in the 3,200 and 6th-fastest in the 5,000 at 17:02.44. Keep an eye on the clock. The state record is 16:43.02 by Briana Jackucewicz as a 7th-grader at the Armory in 2004 and the South Jersey record is 16:49.00 by Cherokee’s Megan Lacy at 2012 Armory Nationals. (Jackucewicz never ran an indoor 5,000 once she got to Colts Neck, so Lacy’s 16:49.00 is the fastest ever by an actual New Jersey high school runner.)
✓ Hannah Byrd-Leitner, Moorestown: Byrd-Leitner is No. 13 nationally in the pole vault at 13-0. She was 4th at West Philly Nationals last spring.
✓ Rebecca Hoover, Haddonfield: Hoover cleared an indoor PR 12-6 ½ last month when she won the state Group 2 title.
✓ Macy Huber, Paul VI: PVI junior had a huge breakthrough at Meet of Champions with a 4:56.87 and will run the mile in Boston.
✓ Carly Godfrey, Ocean City: Coming off a big PR 2:15.05 at Meet of Champions, Godfrey will go 800 at Nationals.
✓ Grace Gutowski, Paul VI: Gutowski will run the 800 and team up with Huber and two others TBA on PVI’s DMR.
✓ Maeve Smith, Ocean City: Smith will run the two-mile and anchor Ocean City’s DMR.
✓ Hope Edwards, Moorestown: Edwards will finish her auspicious freshman year in the freshman 400 and 800 races. She’s the No. 7 freshman nationally in the 800 at 2:16.11, and she’s also run 58.96.
✓ Cherokee: Cherokee will go 4-by-mile with Grace Wojciechowski, Madeline Meder, Erin Healy and Megan Niglio and DMR with Niglio, Veronica Ashcroft, Alyssa Suriano and Meder.
✓ Jordan Hadfield, Schalick: Hadfield ran sub-11 at the Ott Center in January and looks to lower her PR in Boston.
✓ Julia Flanagan, Holy Cross: After running sub-11 at the Meet of Champions, the Lancer junior runs the full two miles at Nationals.
✓ *Riley Fayer, Audubon: Yet another South Jersey two-miler, Fayer looks to go under 11 minutes after an 11:01.6 at the Ott.
✓ Dakota Jones, Washington Twp.: Meet of Champions and Easterns hurdles medalist will race the 60-meter highs and anchor the Minutemaids’ shuttle hurdles team.

There continue to be two “national” indoor high school championship meets this year, with Shoe Company #1 sponsoring a meet at THE TRACK in Boston and Shoe Company #2 sponsoring a meet at the Armory in New York.

Both meets are scheduled to run from Thursday through Sunday, and South Jersey will have a presence at both, with a much larger contingent heading to Boston but some of the top South Jersey runners, jumpers and throwers going to New York.

Because some schools go by club names with no connection to the name of the high school and the Boston Nationals entry list *.pdf is formatted to slice off school or club names – and has for years but has never been fixed – it’s impossible to find all the South Jersey competitors heading to the two meets.

But we’ll take a look at the top South Jersey entries at both meets over the next couple days, starting with Armory Nationals today.

Armory Nationals Order of Events: Click here.
Armory Nationals Entries: Click here.
Armory Nationals Live Results: Click here
Armory Nationals meet records: Nobody keeps them.

BOYS
✓ Marquis Taylor, Woodbury: Taylor showed tremendous range again this year, running 6.40, 21.64 and 49.14, but at nationals he’ll focus on the 400.
✓ Matthew Littlehales, Delsea: After breaking the South Jersey 1,600 / mile record with his 4:09.37 at the Meet of Champions, Littlehales will go after the 800 at the Armory. He ran 1:54.93 last spring and is obviously much faster now.
✓ Haddonfield: Luke Andresen, Benjamin Andrus, Peter Simpson and Bennett Wright will go after the state record of 17:07.17 set by CBA in 2014 at the Armory. The South Jersey record is Haddonfield’s 17:22.12 from 2010 Armory Nationals with Jonathan Vitez, Colin Baker, Matthew Nussbaum and Ben Potts.
✓ Haddonfield: The Bulldogs will also put together a fast DMR after running a U.S. No. 4 10:11.71 at the Ott Center last month with Brand, Wright, Andrus and Keith. They’ll use the same lineup at Nationals. South Jersey record is Haddonfield’s 10:09.78 with Baker, Jordan Harris, Potts and Vitez winning nationals.in 2010.
✓ Jayden DeLeon, Highland: Meet of Champions winner with a 6-10 ¼ PR is hoping to join the South Jersey 7-foot club, which indoors consists only of Cherry Hill West’s Terry Ferguson [7-0 in 1987] and Willingboro’s Mike Morrison [7-4 ¼ in 2003].
✓ Henry Cifaloglio, Delsea: While Deptford’s Marcus Hoods travels to Boston, South Jersey’s other 15-foot vaulter will compete in New York.
✓ Jacob George, Haddon Twp: And George, who has jumped 14-6, will also vault at the Armory.
✓ Jonathan Harris, Delsea: New Jersey No. 1 thrower at 65-6, was 6th in Boston last year and will try to top that this year in New York.
✓ Anthony Liakhnovich, Williamstown: New Jersey No. 4 thrower with a season-best 62-6 ¾ will join Harris at the Armory.

GIRLS
✓ Sianni Wynn, Pennsauken: Already a two-time All-America, Wynn will race the 60 and 200 at the Armory. She’s currently No. 3 in the U.S. at 55 meters [6.73] and No. 5 in the 200 [23.31], both state records.
✓ Ryan Jennings, Timber Creek: Jennings is top-20 nationally in both the 55 [6.90] and 200 [23.93] and will contest both in New York.
✓ Natalie Dumas, Eastern: After running 53.55 and 2:11.42 this year, Dumas chose the 800 for Nationals. Dumas won the intermediate hurdles last spring at West Philly Nationals.
✓ Egypt Bolan, Lindenwold: Bolan is tied for No. 10 nationally in the high jump at 5-8 and is coming off a Meet of Champions win.
✓ Isabella Alvarez, Pleasantville: Versatile freshman could take her pick of events but will contest the championship high jump and freshman long jump.
✓ Jaidah Garrett, Absegami: New Jersey No. 5 long jumper at 18-4 ¾ will also run the emerging elite 400.
✓ Ella Karp, Washington Twp.: Coming off her PR 43-3 ¾ at Easterns – No. 13 in South Jersey history – Karp goes after the Gloucester County indoor record of 44-3 ½ set by Delsea’s Jocelyn White in 2004.
✓ Hannah Nuhfer, Delsea: Nuhfer also PR’d in the shot put at Easterns with a 41-9 ½.

Freshman Jamir Brown from Riverside and senior Marquis Young from Sterling are among four hurdlers who will lead the record-setting Rowan University contingent to the NCAA Division 3 National Championships next weekend in Pittsford, N.Y.

The official list of qualifiers was released late Sunday, and it shows Rowan with four of the top six seeds in the 60-meter hurdles. Brown is No. 1 at 7.72, Parsippany’s Jason Agyemang is No. 2 at 7.80, Teaneck’s Kwaku Nkrumah is 3rd at 7.87 and Young is No. 6 at 7.95.

The meet record of 7.75 was set in 2014 by Luke Campbell of Salisbury in Lincoln, Neb. That was the D-3 record until Brown ran 7.72.

They are No. 1, No. 3, No. 9 and No. 15 in NCAA Division 3 history heading into Rochester.

From 1985 through 2011 the hurdles at NCAA Division 3 nationals were run over 55 meters. The last South Jersey hurdler to win a D-3 title was Palmyra’s Will Brown in 2011 as a senior at Montclair. The last Rowan hurdler to win the hurdles was David Benjamin from Freehold Township with a 7.98 in 2017 in Naperville, Ill.

Agyemang and Nkrumah earned All-America honors last year placing 4th and 6th at indoor nationals. Last spring, Nkrumah, Agyemang and Young went 1-2-5, all earning All-America honors.

Rowan is ranked 4th in NCAA Division 3, behind Wisconsin-La Crosse, Wisconsin-Oshkosh and MIT of Cambridge, Mass. The Profs’ best finish at indoor nationals was third in 2018. They also had top-10 finishes in 1999 [tied for 4th] and 2017 [tied for 6th].

Eastern’s Rajahn Dixon, a freshman, and Penns Grove’s Eli Hendricks, a sophomore, both qualified in the 200, Dixon with his 21.34 that won the NJAC Championships at the Ott Center and Hendricks with his 21.73 this past weekend at the AARTFC meet in Ithaca.

Rancocas Valley’s Masai Byrd, a Rowan junior, also qualified in the 60-meter dash with his school-record 6.82 from this past weekend in Ithaca, N,Y.

Paulsboro’s Jamile Gantt, a Rowan sophomore and a high jump All-America last spring, is the No. 7 seed in the high jump with his 6-10 ¼ clearance at Ocean Breeze.

Passaic County Tech’s Joshua Justin is the No. 6 seed in the triple jump with a 48-10 at the NJAC meet last month.

Rowan also advanced its 1,600-meter relay team, which will likely include Young and Dixon and two 400 legs TBA.

Ocean City graduate Elaina Styer, a sophomore at Stockton, is the No. 4 seed in the women’s pentathlon with a score of 3,606.

Stockton junior Kayla Kass, 9th at nationals last year, qualified in the 800 with a 2:11.52 from Ocean Breeze last month. She has a 2:09.39 PR from a meet at Widener in April.

For the complete list of men’s qualifiers, click here. For the full list of women’s qualifiers, click here.

 

Rowan junior Jason Agyemang ran the 3rd-fastest hurdles time in NCAA Division 3 history Saturday morning at the AARTFC Championships at Ithaca, leading a record three Rowan hurdlers under 7.90 and four under 8.0 seconds.

In the fastest hurdles race in Division 3 history, Agyemang ran 7.80, lowering his PR from 7.87 in Friday’s trials, D-3 indoor record holder Jamir Brown from Riverside was 2nd in 7.86, outdoor national champion Kwaku Nkrumah was 3rd with a lifetime-best 7.87 – 9th-fastest in D-3 history – and Sterling’s Marquis Young was 4th in 7.95, matching his lifetime-best time, which is 16th-best in Division 3 history.

The current Rowan team now has three of the nine-fastest hurdlers in Division 3 history and four of the top 16.

They will all be racing at the NCAA Division 3 National Championships next weekend in Rochester, N.Y.

Agyemang, from North Plainfield, placed 3rd at last year’s NCAA indoors in Virginia Beach in 7.94. That was his PR until he ran 7.87 on Friday. Agyemang was also 2nd in the outdoor D-3 nationals behind Nkrumah last spring in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Brown, a freshman, set the D-3 record of 7.72 at Ocean Breeze in his first collegiate final and then ran the 2nd-fastest time in D-3 history in the trials of the NJAC Championships at the Ott Center, where he ran 7.74. His 7.86 equals his 3rd-fastest time this year.

Nkrumah came into the indoor season with a 7.93 PR from his win at last year’s NJAC meet at Ocean Breeze. He lowered it to 7.92 at Ocean Breeze in December, then to 7.90 a few weeks later at Ocean Breeze. That stood as his lifetime-best until his 7.89 in Friday’s trials, and then he lowered it again to 7.87 in the final.

Young’s lifetime best coming into this year was 7.96 from a meet at Ocean Breeze last year, and he lowered it to 7.95 in the trials of the NJAC meet and again on Saturday.

Rowan now has the top three hurdlers in Division 3 this year and four of the top six.

All-Time NCAA Division 3 60-Meter Hurdles List
7.72 … Jamir Brown [Rowan], Dec. 6, 2024, Ocean Breeze
7.75 … Luke Campbell [Salisbury], March 15, 2014, Lincoln, Neb.
7.80 … Luke Schroeder [Wisconsin-La Crosse], Feb. 3, 2024, La Crosse, Wisc.
7.80 … Jason Agyemang [Rowan], March 8, 2025, Ithaca, N.Y.
7.82 … Oliver Thomas [Worcester Polytechnic Institute], Feb. 12, 2022, Boston
7.82 … Terrence Gibson [Worcester State], March 15, 2014, Lincoln, Neb.
7.83 … Kendrick Gibbons [Lincoln], 2007
7.85 … Dan Arnold [Wisconsin-Platteville], March 12, 2016, Grinnell, Iowa
7.87 … Taylor Rooney [Gustavos, Adolphus], Feb. 6, 2021, St. Paul, Minn.
7.87 … Kwaku Nkrumah [Rowan], March 7, 2025, Ithaca, N.Y.
7.88 … Dontre Sinegal [McMurry], Dec. 7, 2024, Pittsburg, Kan.
7.90 … Bobby Cooks [Aurora], March 10, 2017, Naperville, Ill.
7.93 … Jayson Ekiyor [Bethel], Feb. 9, 2025, La Crosse, Wisc.
7.93 … Tyler Jackson [Washington], March 10, 2012, Grinnell, Iowa
7.94 … Kenneth Wei [MIT], March 12, 2022, Winston-Salem, N.C.
7.95 … Marquis Young [Rowan], Feb. 22, 2025, Philadelphia
7.95 … Max Cleveland [Simpson], Feb. 10, 2024, Boston
7.95 … Andrew Whitaker [Washington], March 12, 2022, Winston-Salem, N.C.

2025 NCAA Division 3 60-Meter Hurdles Leaders
7.72 … Jamir Brown [Rowan], Dec. 6, 2024, Ocean Breeze
7.80 … Jason Agyemang [Rowan], March 8, 2025, Ithaca, N.Y.
7.87 … Kwaku Nkrumah [Rowan], March 7, 2025, Ithaca, N.Y.
7.88 … Dontre Sinegal [McMurry], Dec. 7, 2024, Pittsburg, Kan.
7.93 … Jayson Ekiyor [Bethel], Feb. 9, 2025, La Crosse, Wisc.
7.95 … Marquis Young [Rowan], Feb. 22, 2025, Philadelphia
7.98 … Marlon Cystrunk [Wisconsin-Whitewater], Feb. 14, 2025, Whitewater, Wisc.
7.99 … Eli Etherton [Nebraska Wesleyan], Jan. 31, 2025, Crete, Neb.

Rowan junior Masai Byrd from Rancocas Valley on Friday solidified his hold on a qualifying spot at the NCAA Division 3 Championships while also lowering his own school record at 60 meters.

Byrd won the 60-meter dash at the AARTFC Championships at Ithaca in 6.82. The record has been lowered several times over the last couple years.

Rowan’s school record in the 60 going into the 2022 season was 6.92, set by Julian Pratt at the 2020 NJAC Meet at Ocean Breeze.

Nana Agyemang then lowered the mark to 6.87 in the prelims of the 2022 NJAC meet at Ocean Breeze and then Bridgeton’s Shamar Love lowered it to 6.85 in the trials of the 2023 AARTFC meet. The record remained at 6.85 until Byrd ran 6.84 in December at Ocean Breeze. He tied the record in the trials of this year’s NJAC meet at the Ott Center and then lowered it again to 6.83 in the final.

So Friday’s race was the sixth time the record has either been tied or broken since 2022.

Byrd’s mark is No. 13 in NCAA Division 3, and the top 20 performers in every event qualify for D-3 Nationals. The fields will officially be announced on Sunday. The meet is scheduled for Friday through Sunday at Golisano Training Center, a flat 200-meter track at Nazareth (Pa.) University.

Byrd, Agyemang and Penns Groves’ Eli Hendricks will run the 200 on Saturday. Hendricks has run 21.59 this season, but since it was on a banked track it’s converted to 21.98 somehow by the TFRRS, which is the officially ranked list for nationals. The No. 20 mark in D-3 is currently 21.97, so Hendricks is close to qualifying. Rowan has freshman Rajahn Dixon already assured of a spot at nationals with his 21.73 converted somehow from 21.34 on a banked track at the Ott.

Rowan junior Jason Agyemang joined teammates Kwaku Nkrumah and Jamir Brown on the all-time NCAA Division 3 60-meter hurdles performance list Friday when he ran 7.87 in the trials of the AARTFC Championships in Ithaca.

Agyemang, from North Plainfield, won his heat in 7.87, 8th-fastest in NCAA Division 3 history. Brown is No. 1 on that list with his 7.72 at Ocean Breeze in December, and Agyemang bumped Nkrumah from the top 10 down to No. 11 on that list with his 7.90 in January at Ocean Breeze.

Moments later, Nkrumah, a junior from Teaneck, won his heat in 7.89, which moved him up from 12th all-time in D-3 to 11th.. Brown won his heat in 7.97.

So Rowan now has three of the 11-fastest indoor hurdlers in NCAA Division 3 history on its current roster. And yes, they will be running a shuttle hurdles this spring.

Another Rowan hurdler, Sterling graduate Marquise Young, won his heat in 7.95, which matched his PR from the NJAC Championships at the Ott Center last month.

Their times are 1st-, 2nd-, 4th- and 6th-fastest in Division 3 this year going into the D-3 Championships in Nazareth, Pa., this weekend.

Here’s what the all-time D-3 performance list looks like with the finals still to come on Saturday [only each athlete’s best performance listed]:

7.72 … Jamir Brown [Rowan], Dec. 6, 2024, Ocean Breeze
7.75 … Luke Campbell [Salisbury], March 15, 2014, Lincoln, Neb.
7.80 … Luke Schroeder [Wisconsin-La Crosse], Feb. 3, 2024, La Crosse, Wisc.
7.82 … Oliver Thomas [Worcester Polytechnic Institute], Feb. 12, 2022, Boston
7.82 … Terrence Gibson [Worcester State], March 15, 2014, Lincoln, Neb.
7.83 … Kendrick Gibbons [Lincoln], 2007
7.85 … Dan Arnold [Wisconsin-Platteville], March 12, 2016, Grinnell, Iowa
7.87 … Taylor Rooney [Gustavos, Adolphus], Feb. 6, 2021, St. Paul, Minn.
7.87 … Jason Agyemang [Rowan], March 7, 2025, Ithaca, N.Y.
7.88 … Dontre Sinegal [McMurry], Dec. 7, 2024, Pittsburg, Kan.
7.89 … Kwaku Nkrumah [Rowan], March 7, 2025, Ithaca, N.Y.

Young is 15th on that list with his twin 7.95s.

Another Rowan hurdler, Michael Lawrence, a junior from South Plainfield, lowered his PR from 8.23 to 8.15 and gives the Profs the top five seeds going into the final, which is scheduled for 10:15 a.m. Saturday.

AARTFC  stands for All-Atlantic Region Track and Field Conference.

Cherokee’s Jack Tindall broke the state freshman 1,600 record Sunday at the Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze.

Tindall ran 4:14.92. The state freshman class record was 4:16.96, set in 2015 by Jackson Memorial’s Ryan Rafferty at the Meet of Champions at the Bubble. Rafferty now coaches the Northern Burlington girls, including Liliah Gordon, who won the 3,200 at the same meet that Tindall ran 4:14.92.

The outdoor record is 4:15.55, set by Bryan Spoonire of Asbury Park at the 1988 Shore Conference Championships at Monmouth Regional in Tinton Falls. So Tindall is now the fastest freshman in New Jersey history regardless of the track size.

Tindall’s high school PR before Sunday was a 4:19.57 a week earlier at the Group 4 state meet at the Bubble. But he ran a 4:14.98 full mile at a meet in West Chester in May as an 8th-grader, which converts to 4:13.50 for 1,600 meters.

Tindall’s time makes him the No. 1 freshman in the U.S., according to the MileSplit database and the 2nd-fastest on record, behind Marcus Reilly of Northbridge (Mass.), who ran 4:14.01 in a meet in Virginia Beach in 2021. Reilly was a senior last spring and ran a 4:01.16 full mile in June at West Philly Nationals.

In the same race Tindall ran 4:14.92, Delsea junior Matthew Littlehales set a South Jersey record at 4:09.37.

Tindall’s time is No. 12 in South Jersey history and No. 2 on the all-time Burlington County list behind Cherokee’s Marc Pelerin, who ran 4:13.68 converted from a 4:15.16 full mile at the 2001 Bishop Loughlin Games (early in the 2002 season).

All-Time South Jersey 1,600 List
y = converted from mile
4:09.37 … Matthew Littlehales [Delsea], 2025
4:09.96y … Miles Schoedler [Ocean City], 2011
4:09.99y … Peyton Shute [Woodbury], 2024
4:10.82 … Luke Andresen [Haddonfield], 2025
4:11.03y … Brett Johnson [Ocean City], 2009
4:11.89y … Luke Petela [Haddon Twp.], 2015
4:11.93y … Greg Pelose [Haddonfield], 2016
4:12.55 … Kyle Rakitis [Kingsway], 2022
4:13.68y … Marc Pelerin [Cherokee], 2002
4:13.87y … Stone Caraccio [Kingsway], 2020
4:14.1y … Marty Ludwikowski [C.H. West], 1975
4:14.92 … Jack Tindall [Cherokee], 2025

There have been 13 Burlington County milers who have broken 4:20 – nine from Cherokee, three from Cinnaminson and one from Shawnee.

All-Time Burlington County Sub-4:20 1,600 List
y = converted from mile
4:13.68y … Marc Pelerin [Cherokee], 2002
4:14.92 … Jack Tindall [Cherokee], 2025
4:15.26 … Nick Kuenkel [Cherokee], 2024
4:15.34 … Bobby Poplau [Cherokee], 2024
4:16.61y … Jon Anderson [Cinnaminson], 2004
4:16.71y … Dave Forward [Shawnee], 2009
4:18.28 … Alexander Boyko [Cinnaminson], 2023
4:18.48 … Justin Kelly [Cherokee], 2018
4:18.50 … Shawn Wilson [Cherokee], 2013
4:18.70y … Ethan Wechsler [Cherokee], 2019
4:18.80y … Austin Gabay [Cinnaminson], 2020
4:18.83 … Tyler Jackson [Cherokee], 2020
4:19.97 … Steve Burkholder [Cherokee], 2010