From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Timber Creek’s Darien Cade, a junior at Fairleigh Dickinson, PR’d in the discus Friday with the No. 4 throw this year in the Northeast Conference.

Cade threw 156-3 on his 5^th throw at the Mets Championships at Icahn Stadium in New York. He won by 12 feet over teammate Everton Bills from Teaneck (hey, I went to Teaneck!).

Cade’s previous PR was a 142-6 at a meet in Richmond in March of last year. So this was a nearly 14-foot PR.

Teammate Jayson Ross, also from Timber Creek, threw a PR 132-10 for 5^th. His previous PR was 123-10 last week at Rider.

Rowan junior Damitrius Hester bombed the 4^th-best javelin throw in NCAA Division 3 history Friday in Daytona Beach.

Hester, who was 7^th all-time with his 236-4 two weeks ago in Galloway Township, won the javelin at the Embry Riddle Classic with a monster throw of 240-5.

Hester had a monster series, with three throws of 236 or better. After opening up modestly with 222-2, 219-7 and 225-6, he threw 240-5, 236-1 and 238-8 in the finals. His six throws averaged 230-5.

Hester’s 240-5 is the best throw by a D-3 thrower in eight years, since Seth Nonnenmacher of George Fox University of Newberg, Ore., threw 241-11 to win 2018 NCAA Division 3 Nationals in LaCrosse, Wisc.

Deptford’s Tim VanLiew set the D-3 record of 247-10 competing for Rutgers-Camden when he won 2013 D-3 Nationals, also in LaCrosse.

No. 2 all-time is Kris Theriault of Fitchburg [Mass.] State, who threw 242-5 at the 1995 D-3 Nationals in Northfield, Minn.

Hester’s throw makes him No. 9 American this year and No. 69 in the world. He’s No. 8 among all college throwers this year from all divisions.

He’s also now No. 11 on the all-time New Jersey alumni list:

287-11 … Curtis Thompson [Florence], March 28, 2025, Austin
261-2 … Vince Labosky [Holy Cross], June 15, 1990, Norwalk, Calif.
261-2 … Tim VanLiew [Deptford], May 21, 2016, Tucson, Ariz.
259-7 … Bob Roggy [Holmdel], June 7, 1986, Eugene, Ore.
251-6 … Chris Mirabelli [Holy Cross], April 29, 2017, Philadelphia
250-11 … John Amabile [Wall Twp.], May 31, 1987, Piscataway
250-2 … Gerard Langlois [Madison Central], June 10, 1995, Piscataway
249-6 … Bobby Smith [Hopatcong], July 6, 2008, Eugene, Ore.
246-8 … Kevin Burr [Rancocas Valley], May 2, 2025, Knoxville
241-0 … Cade Antonucci [Holy Spirit], April 2, 2021, Gainesville, Fla.
240-5 … Damitrius Hester [Mahwah], April 3, 2026, Daytona Beach, Fla.
236-5 … Nick Mirabelli [Rancocas Valley], March 27-30, 2019, Austin, Texas
241-4 … Brandon Anthony Heroux [Westfield], June 7, 2012, Des Moines, Iowa

Hester placed 2^nd at NCAA Division 3 Championships last spring in Geneva, Ohio, at 218-4. Hester is a graduate of Mahwah High, located about a mile and a half from Ramapo College, which will host the NJAC Outdoor Championships next month.

Hot intermediate hurdles race Friday for Clayton’s Alexander Osayemi, a freshman at Alabama.

Osayemi ran 51.09 at the Battle on the Boyou in Baton Rouge, dropping his PR more than 1 ½ seconds from a 52.63 last weekend in Starkville, Miss. Before that his PR was 52.70 from last year’s Meet of Champions at Pennsauken. So he’s dropped his PR 1.61 seconds in nine days.

Osayemi’s time is No. 23 in NCAA Division 1 this year and fastest by an Alabama freshman since at least 2010, which is as far back as the TFRRS database goes.

It’s also 11^th on the all-time South Jersey alumni list.

Osayemi’s time is 5^th-fastest so far this year in the SEC and 3^rd-fastest in Division 1 among freshmen, behind two other SEC intermediate hurdlers – Dannell Wright of Florida [50.76] and Njabulo Mbatha of Auburn [50.76].

Osayemi’s birthday is not on record with World Athletics, so his eligibility for World Juniors is unknown. If he turns 20 after New Year’s, he’ll be eligible for the U.S. Under-20 Championships, a qualifier for World Under 20 Championships in Eugene in August. If he is eligible, his 51.09 is currently fastest among U.S. intermediate hurdlers in the 20-and-under age group and 9^th in the world.

48.37 … Reuben McCoy [Winslow Twp.], June 28, 2008, Eugene, Ore.

48.86 … Fred Sharpe [Paulsboro], May 18, 2003, Knoxville, Tenn.

49.50 … Dwight Ruff [Camden], June 12, 2003, Sacramento

50.00 … Bryce Tucker [Pennsauken], May 31, 2025, Jacksonville, Fla.

50.04 … Mike Brown [Lenape], June 12, 2002, Holmdel

50.52 … Martin Booker [Camden], May 12, 1984, Philadelphia

50.58 … Premier Wynn [Pennsauken], June 13, 2024, Eugene, Ore.

50.65 … Aaron Younger [Delsea], May 28, 2010, Greensboro, N.C.

50.69 … Danyne Brown [Camden], May 30, 2003, Fairfax, Va.

50.84 … Nick Brown [Bridgeton], July 16, 2005, New York

51.09 … Alexander Osayemi [Clayton], April 3, 2026, Baton Rouge

Rowan junior Eli Hendricks from Penns Grove blasted a huge 200 PR Friday and the 3^rd-fastest times in Rowan history.

On a day when many sprint times were wind-aided, Hendricks got in a legal 200 heat and ran 21.08 at the Embry Riddle Invitational in Daytona Beach, Fla.

The only Rowan sprinters to run faster with legal wind are Jah’mere Beasley of Sterling, who set the outdoor-record 20.91 with a 1.9 wind reading by Jah’mere Beasley of Sterling when he placed 5^th at 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Geneva, Ohio, and Eastern’s Rajhan Dixon, who ran 20.92 to win the 200 at this year’s NCAA Indoor Championships last month in Birmingham, Ala.

Hendricks’ previous PR was 21.21 last May in Chester. He ran 21.24 indoors and placed 5^th at Nationals.

Kingsway’s Evan Corcoran also got into a legal heat and ran a PR 21.37, dropping his PR from 21.39, which he ran last May at NJACs in Ewing. That 21.37 is 10^th-fastest on the all-time Rowan list.

Madaijoudou Diawara, a Rowan freshman from Toms River North, ran 21.59 with a legal 1.9 in his first collegiate 100-meter dash. His high school PR was 21.92 last May at Jackson Liberty.

Sophomore Julian Coniglario, who ran on Rowan’s indoor collegiate-record 4-by-200 with Dixon, Corcoran and Hendricks, ran a wind-legal 21.63, not far off his legal PR 21.54 from indoor NJACs at the Ott Center in February.

John Williams, a sophomore from Washington Township, ran a legal 21.78 [1.9]. He ran 21.75 indoors at the Ott. And Ocean City’s Luke Halbruner ran a legal 22.10 [1.4], dropping his PR from 22.32 from last March at Widener in his only previous collegiate 200.

Racing wind-aided 200s were Dixon [21.02, wind guage not operating], Woodbury’s Marquis Taylor [21.63, 2.9] and Rancocas Valley’s Masai Byrd [21.68, 2.6].

That’s a total of eight sprinters under 21.80 regardless of conditions.

Rowan also came up with some crazy 100 times, but they were all wind-aided: Corcoran [10.39, 3.0], Diawara [10.57, 2.7], Conigliaro [10.63, 2.7], Byrd [10.67, 3.2], Williams [10.71, 2.9].

Hopefully, the wind has died down in time for the finals on Saturday.

Ursinus sophomore Noah Sanders from Camden Catholic PR’d in the hammer throw for a second straight meet and continued closing in on the school record.

Sanders PR’d four times last weekend in a meet in Chester, Pa., including a 174-2 on his final throw, nine feet beyond his previous PR.

On Friday he did it again, throwing 178-5 – again on his final attempt – after three previous throws over 170 feet.

That’s No. 17 in NCAA Division 3 this year.

He’s now just over four feet away from the school record of 182-8 set by Isaiah Battle of Long Branch at a meet in Grantham, Pa., in April 2023. Battle went on to throw 201-7 after transferring to Monmouth.

Sanders is still relatively new to the hammer. This was only his 7^th all-time competition. His first was last March.

Sanders’ throw looks like No. 7 on the all-time South Jersey alumni list.

Delsea graduate Josh Caudill, a Rowan senior, placed 3^rd with a 163-5. He PR’d last May at Widener with a 168-2.

237-1… Johnnie Jackson [Cherry Hill East], April 23, 2021, Baton Rouge, La.

204-1 … Jude Misko [Cherry Hill East], April 2, 2022, Chester, Pa.

200-11 … Montel Johnson [Bishop Eustace], April 8-9, 2022, Oxford, Miss.

191-1 … Darren Wan [Egg Harbor Twp.], May 28, 2022, Geneva, Ohio

189-2 … Jake Nwosu [Delsea], May 8, 2025, West Point, N.Y.

184-3 … Jason Nwosu [Delsea], April 5, 2025, Gainesville
178-5 … Noah Sanders [Camden Catholic], April 3, 2026, Collegeville, Pa.

Big PR triple jump Friday by Stockton freshman Bryant Nelson of Millville at Stockton’s Osprey Invitational in Galloway Township.

Nelson jumped 47-3 on his 1^st attempt with a legal 1.4 meters-per-second before fouling five times, but that was good enough to win with the best jump in the NJAC so far this outdoor season and No. 26 jump in NCAA Division 3.

Nelson’s previous PR was a legal 45-9 last weekend in a meet in Chester, Pa. His high school best was a 44-1 ½ in a meet last April at Buena and his wind-legal PR was 41-7 ¾ at the state Group 4 meet in Somerset (most meets don’t lug a wind gauge out to the triple jump).

So this was a 18-inch PR for Nelson.

That’s the best jump by a Stockton freshman since nine-time All-America and two-time national champion Jared Lewis from Deptford hit 50-0 ½ at this meet in 2018.

Delsea senior Matthew Littlehales ran the fastest 3,200 in New Jersey this year Thursday night on a cold and rainy night in Marlton.

Littlehales was first out of more than 400 runners in 21 heats at the Cherokee Night of 3200s with a time of 9:19.19.

Littlehales, the state Group 3 champion at 3,200 meters last spring and at 1,600 meters this indoor season, negatived 4:45.55 and 4:33.64, closing in 2:09.98 for his final 800 and 60.18 for his final 400.

Don Bosco senior Matthew Maguire led Littlehales with a lap to go before Littlehales speedy final 400. Maguire finished 2^nd in 4:24.84.

Other South Jersey runners under 9:30 were Glassboro sophomore Joe Saicic, 5^th with a PR 9:26.37 and negative splits of 4:45.21 and 4:41.16 closing in 67.23, Ocean City senior Erik Preisner, 6^th in 9:28.79 [4:46.20 / 4:42.59, closing in 66.26] and Cherokee junior Maximo Harada with a PR 9:29.32 [4:45.99 / 4:43.33, closing in 66.68].

Also under 10 minutes: Cherokee junior Sean Sooy [9:33.38], Cinnaminson senior Jacob Wickersham [9:34.63], Cherokee senior Logan Bromley [9:38.56], Ocean City junior Keenan Neuman [9:41.27], Ocean City junior Nathan Aschmann [9:41.50], Cherokee junior Gavin Danielewicz [9:46.16], Cherry Hill East junior Cian Sherlock [9:46.84], Highland senior Andrew Dopkin [9:52.34], Glassboro sophomore Zacchaeus Harrigan [9:52.91], Winslow senior Vincent Perri [9:53.08], Washington Township sophomore Travor Szilier [9:53.25], Glassboro senior Jaeden Wesley [9:53.81], Cinnaminson junior Edward Abu-Adas [9:57.76], Cherokee freshman Hamza Salahuddin [9:58.08], Cherry Hill East junior Aneesh Rajagopal [9:58.32], Egg Harbor senior Matthew Reed [9:58.71], Ocean City sophomore Nevin Millstein [9:58.85] and Ocean City sophomore Benjamin McCarthy [9:59.15].

Top girls from South Jersey were Cherokee senior Alyssa Suriano [11:02.79], Cherokee sophomore Erin Healy [11:09.25], Cherokee senior Sofia Recinto [11:17.57], Williamstown senior Sophia Aldridge [11:1.57], Egg Harbor junior Meghan Johnson [11:18.00], Cherokee senior Madeline Meder [11:25.46] and Cherry Hill East junior Ryleigh Budsock [11:29.44].

Kentucky sophomore Dahlia Beasley from Washington Township finished strong in her first lifetime heptathlon, placing 10^th at the Texas Relays in Austin with one of the highest scores ever compiled by a South Jersey athlete.

Although Beasley contested one indoor pentathlon in Fayetteville in January, this was her first-ever two-day multi-event competition, and she recorded her fourth PR of the event Thursday after recording three on Wednesday.

Beasley’s score of 5,143 points is 5^th-highest ever by a South Jersey high school alum as far as I can tell, behind Pleasantville’s Nia Ali [5,870 in Azusa, Calif., in 2016], Winslow’s Tionna Tobias [5,640 in Bloomington, Ind., in 2023], Bridgeton’s Shana Williams [5,565 in Buffalo in 1993] and Millville’s Brianna Craig [5,460 in Bloomington in 2023].

On Wednesday, Beasley scord 3,149 points in four events, PR’ing in the 100-meter hurdles [14.75, 875 [points], high jump [5-7, 855 points] and 200 [23.77, 1,003 points]. She also threw the shot 27-0 ¾ for 416 points.

On Thurdsay, she started out with a big 18-5 ¼ for 735 points, not far off her PR 18-11 ½ from December in Nashville, then threw the javelin 94-3 for 453 points, a huge PR over her 76-10 from last week in Orlando and then finished by running 800 meters in 2:21.30 for 806 more points.

Looks like her score is 16^th-best in NCAA Division 1 in the early going of the season.

Kentucky sophomore Dahlia Beasley from Washington Township recorded three PRs Wednesday on Day 1 of the heptathlon at the Texas Relays in Austin.

Beasley, in her first outdoor multi-event competition ever and 2nd of her life, PR’d in the 200, high jump and 100-meter hurdles and totalled 3,149 points in four events.

She ran 14.75 in the 100-meter hurdles, scoring 875 points and breaking her PR of 15.26, which she set last weekend in Orlando. She cleared 5-7 for 855 points in the high jump, breaking her PR of 5-6, which she set when she won the state Group 4 title in Somerset in June of 2024. And she blazed a 23.77 to lead the field in the 200, scoring a whopping 1,003 points and destroying her PR of 24.35 from the 2024 Meet of Champions in Pennsauken. Beasley also scored 416 points with a 27-0 ¾ in the shot put.

In her only previous multi-event competition, Beasley scored 3,534 points in the one-day, five-event indoor pentathlon at a meet in Fayetteville in January. At Rutgers, she never competed in anything other than the 200, 400 and 4-by-4, running 24.88 and 56.18. Her 400 PR remains her 54.83 at West Philly Nationals in June 2024.

So she has no PRs from her year in Piscataway.

The schedule for Thursday is long jump at 11 a.m., javelin at 12:05 p.m. and 800 at 1:30 p.m. She has PRs of 18-11 ¼ in the long jump from a meet in December in Nashville, 76-10 in the javelin from a meet in Orlando last week and 2:19.00 in the 800 from Orlando last week.

If she just matches her PRs in the three remaining events, she’ll surpass 5,000 points with a score of 5,118.

The only South Jersey women to score over 5,000 points in the last 10 years are Winslow’s Tionna Tobias and Millville’s Briana Craig, who finished 1st and 2nd in the 2023 Big Ten Championships in Bloomington, Ind., Tobias with 5,640 points and Craig with 5,460.

Moorestown’s Will Inglis, an Elizabethtown junior, ran the fastest 800 in the Landmark Conference this year Wednesday at the York College Twilight Meet.

Inglis ran 1:53.14, his 2nd-fastest time ever, and won the 800 with his fastest time other than his PR 1:52.37 in Williamstown, Mass., last May.

Inglis won the Landmark Conference 800 indoors in 1:56.47 in Selinsgrove, Pa. In his only previous outdoor race this spring, he PR’d at 3,000 meters with an 8:58.71.

On Wednesday, he was out in 57.14, trailing Dickinson’s Michael Dooley from Bernards. But he closed in 55.90, negative-splitting while Dooley came back in 56.79. Inglis won by five meters over Dooley, who ran 1:53.85 for a 1-2 New Jersey finish.

Inglis’s high shool PR was 2:02.10 at 2023 South Jersey Group 3 Sectionals at Delsea. He didn’t run indoors in high school. So he’s PR’d by nearly 10 seconds since arriving in E’town.