From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Holy Cross senior Julia Flanagan ran the fastest 3,200 in New Jersey this year and 8^th-fastest in South Jersey history Wednesday evening at the SJTCA Shoe Company Elite at the Ott Center in West Philly.

Flanagan ran 10:38.95 and led three girls under 11 minutes. Her time is 3^rd-fastest in Burlington County history, behind Northern Burlington’s South Jersey record 10;13.41 from last year’s Meet of Champions, and Megan Lacy’s 10:23.49 converte two mile in 2011.

Flanagan dropped her PR from 10:52.74 from last year’s Meet of Champions at Pennsauken and lowered her indoor PR from 10:57.62 from last year’s indoor MoC at Ocean Breeze.

In her 1^st 3,200 since the Meet of Champions last June, Flanagan closed in 77.39 for her last 400 and 36.87 for her last 200. She ran remarkably even laps, out in 5:19.41 and back in 5:19.54. Her 8^th through 15^th laps were all between 40.00 and 40.63.

Ocean City sophomore Riley Tolson was 2^nd in 10:55.99, 2^nd-fastest this year in New Jersey and No. 3 all-time Cape May County, and Audubon senior Riley Fayer ran 10:57.28, 4^th-fastest on the 2026 state list. Cherokee senior Alysa Suriano [11:05.43], Williamstown senior Sophia Aldridge [PR 11:05.98] and Paul VI senior Grace Gutowski [11:10.98] also ran 11:10 or faster.

All-Time South Jersey 3,200-Meter Run List
10:13.41 … Liliah Gordon [Northern Burlington], 2025
10:15.71 … Brittany Sedberry [Ocean City], 2006
10:23.49y … Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 2011
10:29.90y … Chelsea Ley [Kingsway], 2009
10:33.95y … Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Reg.], 2016
10:38.11 … Megan Venables [Highland], 2011
10:38.90 … Erin Donohue [Haddonfield], 2001
10:38.95 … Julia Flanagan [Holy Cross], 2026
10:39.88 … Lillie Widmer [Delsea], 2023
10:40.03 … Dina Iacone [Washington Twp.], 2012
10:40.80 … Briana Gess [Haddonfield], 2017
10:42.06 … Holly Bischof [Bishop Eustace], 2012
10:42.42 … Theresa Cattuna [Cherry Hill East], 2007
10:43.2y … Michelle Rowen [Washington Twp.], 1983
10:45.20 … Devon Grisbaum [Ocean City], 2015
10:45.40y … Julianna Catania [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2016
10:46.63 … Erika Kemp [Rancocas Valley], 2013
10:48.28 … Abby Waddington [Clearview], 2023
10:48.78 … Shelby Cain [Haddonfield], 2014
10:49.12 … Madison Coppolino [Sterling], 2017 [3]
10:49.46 … Alyssa Condell [Timber Creek], 2016

Pemberton senior jaden Goins moved into the all-time South Jersey top-10 in the 55-meter dash Wednesday night at the Ott Center.

Goins, who PR’d with a 6.45 last week, won a loaded sprint at the Shoe Company Elite Invitational in 6.40.

That’s tied for No. 10 in South Jersey history and No. 5 in Burlington County history. It’s also a high school facility record at the West Philadelphia venue, breaking the mark of 6.41 set last January by Woodbury’s Marquis Taylor and matched in February by Messai Maynor of Middletown [Del.].

Goins’ is 2nd-fastest in New Jersey this year, behind only 2025 Meet of Champion 100 winner Jevon Ledgister of St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City, who ran a U.S. No. 4 6.31 last month at Ocean Breeze.

Eastern senior Ashton Gage lowered his PR from 6.66 to 6.50 and placed 2^nd with the 4^th-fastest time in New Jersey this year. Jaiden Steele, who led qualifiers with a lifetime-best 6.45 placed 3^rd in 6.55.

Williamstown junior Dan Israel Jr. [6.56], Oakcrest senior Davon Hannah [6.57], Millville junior Judah Jones [6.58], Winslow junior Jaylon Moss [6.59] and Rancocas Valley junior Ethan Jones [6.60] made it six finishers in the span of 5-100ths of a second, all with PRs over 55 meters.

All-Time South Jersey 55-Meter Dash List
6.18 … Ajani Dwyer [Washington Twp.], 2025
6.22 … Malachi James [Burlington City], 2025
6.30 … Jamar Ervin [Camden], 2001
6.31 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1984
6.34 … A.J. Bunton [West Deptford], 2006
6.36 … Kenny Reynolds [Willingboro], 1986
6.37 … Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1979
6.38 … James Brown [Glassboro], 2009
6.39 … Damiere Byrd [Timber Creek], 2009
6.40 … Marquis Taylor [Woodbury], 2025
6.40 … Jaden Goins [Pemberton], 2026
6.41 … Chris Church [Millville], 2007
6.42 … Thomas Walls [Wilson], 2006
6.42 … Dominique Irons [Haddon Heights], 2013
6.42 … Samuel Thomas [Northern Burlingtpn], 2023
6.42 … Julian Onesti [St. Augustine], 2025
6.43 … George McKey [Willingboro], 1982
6.43 … Anthony Averett [Woodbury], 2013
6.44 … Thomas Hampton [Clayton], 2019
6.44 … Yashahya Brown [Washington Twp.], 2024
6.44 … Brysheen Ferguson [Glassboro], 2024
6.44 … M.J. Lincoln [Lenape], 2025
6.45 … Paul Wheeler [Kennedy], 1983
6.45 … Miekel House [Rancocas Valley], 2020
6.45 … Sherron Bullock [Camden], 2004
6.45 … Rob McGriff [Camden], 2006
6.45 … Antonio Tarantino [Paul VI], 2018
6.45 … Jaiden Steele [Camden], 2026
6.46 … Albert Newkirk [Camden], 1996
6.46 … Darnell Charles [Oakcrest], 2012
6.46 … Kashif Miller [Haddon Heights], 2014
6.46 … Rajahn Dixon [Eastern], 2023
6.46 … John Santos [Washington Twp.], 2025
6.47 … Anthony Jones [Edgewood], 1982
6.47 … Darren Ford [Vineland], 2004
6.47 … Reggie Morton [Oakcrest], 2012
6.47 … Curtis Fitzpatrick [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2013
6.47 … Jonathan Taylor [Salem], 2016
6.47 … Josh Washington [Woodbury], 2019
6.47 … Ahmad Brock [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2020
6.48 … Gary Gordon [Willingboro], 1995
6.48 … Fabian Santiago [Oakcrest], 2012
6.48 … Caleb Williams [St. Joe’s-Hammonton], 2015
6.48 … Clayton Crosse [Washington Twp.]. 2016
6.49 … Louis Smith [Burlington Twp.], 1997
6.49 … Michael Bolling [Willingboro], 2001
6.49 … Martin Booker [Pennsauken], 2016
6.49 … Ryquell Amstead [Millville], 2014
6.49 … Malachi Melton [Cedar Creek], 2019
6.49 … Corey Thomas [Oakcrest], 2023

All-Time Burlington County 55-Meter Dash List
6.22 … Malachi James [Burlington City], 2025
6.36 … Kenny Reynolds [Willingboro], 1986
6.37 … Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1979
6.38 … James Brown [Glassboro], 2009
6.40 … Jaden Goins [Pemberton], 2026
6.42 … Samuel Thomas [Northern Burlington], 2023
6.43 … George McKey [Willingboro], 1982
6.44 … M.J. Lincoln [Lenape], 2025
6.45 … Paul Wheeler [Kennedy], 1983
6.45 … Miekel House [Rancocas Valley], 2020
6.48 … Gary Gordon [Willingboro], 1995
6.49 … Louis Smith [Burlington Twp.], 1997
6.49 … Michael Bolling [Willingboro], 2001

Freshman Isaac Roberts from Millville moved into the No. 3 spot in Rider history in the 60-meter hurdles in his first collegiate race.

Roberts ran 8.00 at the Ott Center in his college debut, placing 2^nd to Penn’s Ryan Matulonis from Seton Hall Prep, the Ivy League 400 hurdles and 500 champ last year.

That’s the fastest on the all-time Rider list in 13 years, since James Burroughs ran 7.96 in 2013. Justin Lindsey of Ewing, now the TCNJ coach, set the school record of 7.95 in 2000, and James Burroughs from West Orange ran 7.96 in 2013.

Rider’s all-time list includes converted 55-meter times, and on that list Roberts is 5^th. But I prefer not to recognize converted hurdles times. Just ahead of Roberts on the full list including converted times is Moorestown’s Dwayne Robinson with a converted 7.96 from 1993.

Roberts is No. 1 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, ahead of another Rider freshman, Toms River North’s Mamadi Diawara, who ran 8.15 at the Ott Center.

Roberts’ time is fastest by a MAAC hurdler since Richard Gilchrist ran 7.85 at the 2023 conference meet at the Armory and fastest by a MAAC freshman since Jamel Presley of St. Peter’s from Rahway ran 7.96 at the 2013 conference meet, also at the Armory. It’s fastest by a South Jersey hurdler in the MAAC since Monmouth’s Jalen Walker from Burlington Township ran 7.90 at 2015 ECACs at Boston University.

At Millville, Roberts ran 14.48 over the 110-meter 39-inch hurdles and 7.88 over 55 meters. He ran the 60-meter hurdles once, clocking 8.39 at Boston Nationals. So he’s run nearly half a second faster over the 42-inch barries than he ran in high school over the 39-inch hurdles.

Buena senior Yandel Montanez recorded a two-foot indoor long jump PR at the SJTCA meet at the Bubble Tuesday night.

Montanez jumped 21-9 ½ after starting the day with an indoor PR of 19-9 from Ocean Breeze last February. Those are the only two indoor meets he’s ever long jumped at.

That 21-9 ½ is No. 9 in Atlantic County history and just 5 ½ inches outside the No. 2 spot. Montanez opened with jumps of 19-3 ¼ and 19-6 ½ before PR’ing for the first time with a 20-6 and again with the 21-9 ½ on his 4^th and final jump.

He has an outdoor PR of 22-0 from the Atlantic County Championships in May at Egg Harbor.

23-2 ½ … Rich Winstead [Egg Harbor Twp.], 1988
22-3 ½ … Ahmad Fogg [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2022
22-2 ¾ … William Murray [Mainland Reg.], 2023
22-2 ¼ … Marquis Allen [Oakcrest], 2001
22-0 ½ … Connor Wright [Hammonton], 2022
21-11 ¼ … Wayne Davis [Oakcrest], 2005
21-11 … Reginald Morton [Oakcrest], 2012
21-10 ¼ … Paul Klemic [Mainland Reg.], 1999
21-9 ½ … Yandel Montanez [Buena Reg.], 2026 [19-9, Ocean Breeze, Feb. 2025]
21-7 … Josiah Williams [Mainland Reg.], 2025
21-5 ¼ … Desmond Powell [Oakcrest], 1994
21-5 ¼ … Connor Wright [Hammonton], 2020
21-0 ¼ … Devon Matthews [Pleasantville], 1999

Rowan freshman Naa’ilah Munson of Cinnaminson is the top triple jumper in the NJAC after a PR 36-7 ½ at Ocean Breeze.

Munson’s best in high school was 34-2 ½ in a meet at Delsea last May and her indoor best was 33-2 ¾ at the Ott Center a year ago this week.

So she’s added nearly 2 ½ feet in her first month as a collegiate jumper, and her 36-7 ½ looks like 3^rd-best in Rowan history indoors and best since Angel Rowe jumped 38-7 ¾ at the 2019 NJAC meet, also at Ocean Breeze.

Munson is No. 19 on the NCAA Division 3 2026 performance list. She’s the top Cinnaminson alumni triple jumper since Kristina Tossas jumped 39-6 in Geneva, Ohio, in 2022.

Oakcrest’s Ryan Merlino hit a pole vault PR Saturday and the No. 4 indoor clearance ever by a South Jersey vaulter.

Merlino, a Rutgers sophomore, cleared 16-6  ¾ at the Quaker Invite at the Ott Center, surpassing his previous PR of 16-4 outdoors at Princeton this past May. That’s No. 8 all-time at Rutgers. His previous indoor PR was 15-8 ½ from a meet last January at the Armory.

Merlino is now No. 4 on the all-time South Jersey alumni list behind former Rutgers teammate Nico Morales of Delsea [17-9], Seneca’s Mike Maira [16-10] and current Rutgers teammate Noah Kreisman of Cherry Hill East [17-3 ½], who was 5^th Saturday also at 16-6 ¼, not far off his indoor PR 16-8 from Akron, Ohio, this past January.

18-2 … Nico Morales [Delsea], May 18, 2025, Eugene, Ore. [unknown irregularity]
17-9 …….. Morales, April 19, 2025, Piscataway
16-10 … Mike Maira [Seneca], March 1, 2014, College Station, Texas
16-9 ¼ … Noah Kreisman [Cherry Hill East], April 19, 2025, Piscataway
16-6 ½ … Merlino, Jan. 17, Philadelphia
16-4 … Ryan Merlino [Oakcrest], May 2, 2025, Princeton
16-0 … Marco Morales [Delsea], Feb. 11, 2020, Staten Island, N.Y.
16-0 … Bob Green [Haddon Heights], May 1, 1992, Voorhees

Senior Josh Cobb from West Deptford broke the MIT school record for 1,000 meters Friday in a meet at Harvard’s Gordon Track in Cambridge, Mass.

Cobb ran 2:25.86 and placed 4th behind two Division 1 runners and a post-collegiate runner (although he was 2nd in his section).

He broke the school record of 2:26.19 set by Aidan Gilson at the 2018 David Hemery Valentine Invitational at Boston University.

Cobb is the South Jersey steeplechase alumni record holder at 8:53.62 from a meet this past May in Williamstown, Mass.

In his only previous 1,000, he ran 2:36.52 at The Track in Boston in January 2024.

Cobb was out in 58.03 and came through 800 in 1:55.73, closing in 30.14 for his final lap.

Cobb is the 2nd South Jersey runner to run sub-2:26 for the 1K in the past week. Cherokee graduate Bobby Poplau, a Rutgers sophomore, ran 2:25.43 this weekend at the Ott Center.

Paulsboro’s Jamile Gantt is the No. 1 high jumper in NCAA Division 3 and leading a group of four Rowan high jumpers among the top six in the country.

Gantt, a two-time Meet of Champions runner-up at Paulsboro, leads D-3 with a 6-10 ¼ clearance at Ocean Breeze on Friday. That’s just off his PR of 6-11 from outdoor nationals in Geneva, Ohio, this past May.

Rowan had five jumpers at 6-5 or better in the meet, with sophomore Noah Wampole from Radnor 2nd at 6-8 ¼ , freshman David Brown from Edison 3rd at 6-8 ¼, junior Arrington Rhym from Hamilton West 4th at 6-6 ¼ and junior Isaiah Davenport from Pleasantville via Holy Family 7th at 6-6 ¾.

On the 2026 Division 3 list, Rhym is tied for 3rd with a 6-8 ¾ last month at Ocean Breeze, Wampole and Brown are tied for 6th with 6-8 ¼ clearances and Davenport is 17th at 6-6 ¾.

Gantt and Wampole earned All-America honors last spring at Division 3 nationals in Geneva, Ohio, where Gantt cleared a lifetime-best 6-11 for 3rd and Wampole tied for 6th at 6-8 ¾. Wampole does have a PR of 6-9 from a meet in Glassboro last April. Rhym also cleared 6-9 last spring in a meet in Baltimore. Davenport cleared 6-8 ¼ twice for Holy Family, both times at Ocean Breeze.

Another Rowan jumper, junior Damarion Potts from South Brunswick, cleared 6-8 1/4 at the 2024 NJAC Championships at Ocean Breeze, but he’s only long jumped so far this winter and hasn’t high jumped since May. He has a 23-6 3/4 long jump PR.

Rowan has had two 7-footers – Jeffrey Jon Tucker of Eastern in Winston-Salem, N.C., 2015 and Harrison Escoffery of Hackensack at Ocean Breeze in 2018. Tucker is their only outdoor 7-footer with a 7-2 ¼ in Ewing in 2018.

Rowan is at the Armory Friday and Saturday for the Dr. Sander Invitational.

Here’s my best attempt at an All-Time Rowan indoor High Jump list:
7-0 ½ … Jeffrey Jon Tucker [Delsea], 2015
7-0 ¼ … Harrison Escoffery [Hackensack], 2018
6-10 ¼ … Jamile Gantt [Paulsboro], 2025
6-8 ¾ … Arrington Rhym [Hamilton West], 2026
6-8 ¼ … Damarius Potts [South Brunswick], 2024
6-8 ¼ … Jason Thobourne [Paterson Charter for Science and Technology], 2018
6-8 ¼ … David Benjamin [Frehold Twp.], 2016

Five days after his 4:15.10 full mile at the Ott Center, we’ve now got a hot 800 from Delsea senior Matthew Littlehales at Ocean Breeze.

Littlehales ran a PR 1:54.34 at the SJTCA meet last week at Ocean Breeze. That’s No. 3 in New Jersey this year behind two non-public half-milers and nudges Josh Crawford’s 1:54.98 for fastest so far by a South Jersey runner.

It’s also 2^nd-fastest on the all-time Gloucester County indoor list, behind only Kingsway’s Derrell Manhertz, who ran 1:51.80 at the 2013 Meet of Champions at the Bubble. It’s also No. 10 on the all-time South Jersey list.

Littlehales’ previous indoor PR was a 1:57.07 last January at the Bubble. His previous overall PR was a 1:55.89 at Haddonfield in May.

With his 4:09.37 at last year’s Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze, Littlehales is now the only South Jersey runner ever to break 1:55 and 4:10 indoors.

At Ocean Breeze, Littlehales led the entire race, coming through 200 in 28.06, 400 in 57.43 and 600 in 1:25.75 before closing in 28.59 for negative splits of 57.43 and 56.92. Junior Tahj Wilson of Toms River North was 2^nd in a PR 1:55.80.

Littlehales is entered in the 3,200 Wednesday at the Nike Elite at the Ott Center. He has a 9:12.83 PR from his win at last year’s state Group 3 championships in South Plainfield. His indoor PR is 9:26.75 from the Ott Center last January.

1:51.52 … Jacob Clark [Pleasantville], 2013
1:51.72 … Isaac Clark [Pleasantville], 2013
1:51.80 … Derrell Manhertz [Kingsway], 2013
1:52.46 … Gabriel Moronta [Pleasantville], 2020
1:52.74 … Bobby Poplau [Cherokee], 2024
1:53.51 … Alan Laws [Pleasantville], 2007
1:53.59 … Christian Napoli [Paul VI], 2025
1:53.68 … Ishmael Muhammad [Oakcrest], 2013
1:54.05 … Dominic Bassey [Winslow Twp.], 2025
1:54.34 … Matthew Littlehales [Delsea], 2026
1:54.53 … Stone Caraccio [Kingsway], 2020
1:54.73 … Chris Manzo [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2024
1:54.80 … Marvin Lewis [Willingboro], 2001
1:54.81 … Bill Dolan [Clearview], 2013
1:54.82 … Xavier Fraction [Washington Twp.], 2009
1:54.98 … Josh Crawford [Woodstown], 2026

1:51.80 … Derrell Manhertz [Kingsway], 2013
1:54.34 … Matthew Littlehales [Delsea], 2026
1:54.53 … Stone Caraccio [Kingsway], 2020
1:54.81 … Bill Dolan [Clearview], 2013
1:54.82 … Xavier Fraction [Washington Twp.], 2009
1:55.00 … Steve Butenewicz [Delsea], 2011
1:55.16 … Tivo Rivera [Kingsway], 2009
1:55.19 … Jayden Greene [Washington Twp.], 2020
1:55.42 … Kevin Cianfarino [West Deptford], 2014
1:55.3h … Tony Uzdavines [Williamstown], 1976
1:55.77 … Carmen Cavella [Washington Twp.], 2004
1:56.07 … Stephen Marrone [Washington Twp.], 2010
1:56.42 … Lathan Brown [Deptford], 2023
1:56.66 … Danny Torres [Washington Twp.], 2024
1:56.93 … Mark Weems [Washington Twp.], 1999