Mission accomplished

Salem boys return to scene of 2024 disappointment, win West Deptford Relays, Parker boys MVP, Schalick wins girls meet; Schalick boys win in Bridgeton; Woodstown 4×800 qualifies for Penn Relays

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WEST DEPTFORD – Anthony Parker and the Salem High track team came into the West Deptford Relays on this damp and dreary Saturday with something to prove.

They went into the meet last year expecting to go home with the trophy. Instead, they lost to Audubon by two points, the difference being the baton never getting to Parker in the 4×100 relay. 

The Rams considered it a major disappointment and it burned within them for the next 12 months. Coach David Hunt thought of it as a coachable moment regarding the importance of quality practice prior to a meet, which that week was not.

They returned to the scene Saturday and this time all the exchanges were clean. They won the meet going away, scoring 113 points, 27 better than the runner-up Green Wave. Schalick won the girls division comfortably ahead of runner-up Pennsville.

“We came into the meet and we only had one thing on our mind and that was getting the trophy,” Parker said. “We lost last year to Audubon and I don’t think anybody was happy with that, so we came in with a good mindset and we got the trophy.

“During the race I was thinking about last year, but I’m like this year it can’t happen again. I know as soon as I get the baton we’re going to win.”

The Rams won seven events in the tough conditions and Parker was the Most Outstanding Athlete of the boys meet for the first time. He posted the best individual time in the 400 hurdles (58.31) and anchored the winning 4×200, shuttle hurdle and revenge-minded 4×100 relays. He picked up the 4×200 when weather washed out the jumps.

They ran 45.47 in the 4×1, 1:36.92 in the 4×2 and 1:13.78 in the shuttle hurdles. Jelani Beverly ran in two of the relays with him, but for the most part they were three sets of teams.

“He did real good today,” Hunt said. “Right now we’re battling the weather so everyone’s times aren’t necessarily where they want them, but as far as his competitiveness coming into the season it’s been great. He’s doing a lot of very good things.

“He went up to Boston (for the New Balance Indoor Nationals), so he never stopped; we went straight from indoor into spring. The difference in him this year has been this role with the team. Other people are responding to his leadership versus last year where he was kind of just a member of the team. He’s shown a lot of growth in that area.”

On the girls side, Schalick won four events and finished second in four others. Pennsville won three events and both mixed events.

WEST DEPTFORD RELAYS
BOYS 1
TEAM SCORES: Salem 113, Audubon 86, Florence 32, Pennsville 29, Pitman 18, Clayton 14, Buena 9, Freire Charter 8
EVENTS (Top 3)
400 Hurdles: 1. Anthony Parker, Salem 58.31; 2. Henry Lisboa, Pennsville 1:00.21; 3. Gradin Buzby, Salem 1:01.53. Team: Salem 1:59.83, Audubon 2:06.96, Pennsville 1:00.21.800 SMR: 1. Audubon 1:38.69; 2. Salem (Timothy Gregory, Omarion Pierce, Terrance Smith, Jelani Beverly), 1:39.72; 3. Clayton 1:44.73
4×100: 1. Salem (Jelani Beverly, Anthony Parker, Omarion Pierce, Terrance Smith), 45.47; 2. Audubon 45.65; 3. Pennsville (Henry Lisboa, Danny Knight, Ty Young, Colin McGlinn) 46.52
Shuttle Hurdle: 1. Salem (Gradin Buzby, Anthony Parker, Jerry Seals, Timothy Gregory), 1:13.78
4×200: 1. Salem (Jelani Beverly, Kaden Robinson, Terrance Smith, Anthony Parker), 1:36.92; 2. Florence 1:42.13; 3. Freire Charter 1:44.00
4×800: 1. Audubon 9:23.61; 2. Salem (Xavier McGriff, Jerry Seals, Matthew Howard, Andrew Dale) 9:31.60; 3. Pitman 9:49.01
DMR: 1. Audubon 11:47.48; 2. Pitman 12:15.04; 3. Salem (Joshua Gilbert, Gavin Cronrath, Samuel Cooke, Andrew Dale) 12:42.87
4×1600: 1. Salem (Samuel Cooke, Matthew Howard, Gavin Cronrath, Andrew Dale) 21:24.43
Discus: 1. Dylan Hoff, Audubon 118-9; 2. Wyatt Irvine, Salem 113-2; 3. Nick Hiros, Florence 113-1. Team: Audubon 214-2, Salem 205-7, Florence 113-1.
High Jump: 1. Donovan Weathers, Salem 5-8; 2. Liam Nixon, Audubon 5-6; 3. Kaden Robinson, Salem 5-4. Team: Salem 11-0, Audubon 10-10, Florence 10-0.
Javelin: 1. Connor Ayars, Pennsville 154-5; 2. Breyson McCracken, Audubon 142-4; 3. Logan Gilbert, 137-4. Team: Pennsville 282-11, Audubon 279-8, Salem 232-4.
Pole Vault: 1. Jack Mazzoni, Buena 11-6; 2. Gradin Buzby, Salem 10-6; 3. Jelani Beverly, Salem, 9-0. Team: Salem 19-6, Buena 19-6, Pennsville 16-0.
Shot Put: 1. Nick Hiros, Florence 43-0; 2. Aiden McKinney, Audubon 42-8; 3. Pedro Ibarra, Clayton 38-7. Team: Audubon 79-11, Salem 75-1, Clayton 74-7.

GIRLS 1
TEAM SCORES: Schalick 86, Pennsville 60, Clayton 54, Salem 51, Florence 37, Buena 32, Pitman 28, OLMA 3
EVENTS (Top 3)
400 Hurdles: 1. Emily Madden, Buena 1:15.04; 2. Taylor Bass, Pennsville 1:16.96; 3. Brooke Valentine, Schalick 1:17.90. Team: Buena 2:36.92, Schalick 2:39.29, Salem 2:41.39.
800 SMR: 1. Pennsville (Kallie Morrison, Annabella Manning, Ariana Charles, Megan Morris) 2:01.62; 2. Clayton 2:07.39; 3. Florence 2:10.66
4×100: Clayton 54.49; 2. Schalick (Brooke Valentine, Caileigh Schalick, Gia Martellacci, Phoebe Alward) 56.31; 3. Florence 58.59
SHR: 1. Buena 1:17.63; 2. Salem (Audrey Boggs, Tahirah Davenport-White, Ji’Yonna Seals, Kashira Patterson) 1:19.02; 3. Schalick (Gabriella Simonini, Ava Scurry, Piper Warner, Rebekah Cuff) 1:21.37
4×200: 1. Schalick (Sophia Harris, Phoebe Alward, Caileigh Schalick, Gia Martellacci) 1:53.60; 2. Clayton 1:56.08; 3. Salem (Angelina Fothergill, Raniyah Parsons-Smith, Ma’Kayla Smith, Amaia Massengill) 1:57.45
4×800: 1. Schalick (Sarah Torpey, Caylen Taylor, Olivia Sacerdote, Emmalynn Robinson) 11:36.16; 2. Pitman 11:39.68; 3. Salem (Gabriella Bartlett, Samantha Dale, Isabella Langley, Tessa Bohn) 12:16.72
DMR: 1. Schalick (Caylen Taylor, Sarah Torpey, Emma O’Neill, Helen Lillia) 14:09.53; 2. Pennsville (Izzy Saulin, Taylor Bass, McKayla Patterson, Sawyer Slad) 15:59.52; 3. Florence 16:02.74
4×1600: 1. Pitman 26:55.85; 2. Schalick (Sarah Torpey, Caylen Taylor, Olivia Sacerdote, Emmalynn Robinson) 29:15.89; 3. Florence 29:48.63
Discus: 1. Sebrina Bradford, Schalick 90-1; 2. Destinee Williams, Clayton 89-5; 3. Rainelle Blocker, Clayton 82-5. Team: 1. Clayton 171-10, Schalick 166-9, Pennsville 149-8.
High Jump: 1. Kallie Morrison, Pennsville 4-8; 2. Anna Gallo, Clayton 4-4; 3. Taylor Bass, Pennsville 4-0. Team: Pennsville 8-8, Salem 8-0, Clayton 4-4.
Javelin: 1; Rainelle Blocker, Clayton, 112-2; 2. Olivia Sacerdote, Schalick 89-6; 3. Navaeh Robinson, Schalick 87-0. Team: Schalick 175-6, Clayton 154-11, Pittman 141-7.
Pole Vault: 1. Megan Morris, Pennsville 8-6; 2. Tyiana Miller, Salem 6-6; 3. Marlee Lawson, Pennsville 6-6. Team: Pennsville 15-0, Salem 12-6
Shot Put: 1. Rainelle Blocker, Clayton 32-6.5; 2. Kylie Sack, Buena, 29-3.5; 3. Tatiyonna Crawford, Pennsville 27-2.25. Team: Clayton 58-2.5, Buena 54-11.75, Pennsville 52-3.25

MIXED 1
4×100: 1. Pennsville (Connor Ayars, Kayla Buck-Finley, Cole Campbell, Izzy Saulin) 1:00.57; 2. Florence 1:05.52
4×400: 1. Pennsville (Colin McGlinn, Megan Morris, Henry Lisboa, Ariana Charles) 4:04.69; 2. Florence 4:27.87

GIRLS 2
TEAM SCORES: Gloucester City 78, West Deptford 70, Lower Cape May 47, Middle 37, Oakcrest 34, Pleasantville 33, Penns Grove 28, Eastside Camden 11, Deptford 8, Camden Catholic 2
EVENTS (Penns Grove only)
800 SMR: 4. Penns Grove (Ariana Dowe, Ja’Onyi Fundora, Niyannah Hill, Kimberly Smith) 2:04.06
4×100: 5. Penns Grove (Janiyah Cummings, Arianna Dowe, Malliyah Gardner, Semijah Hinez) 56.66
4×200: 1. Penns Grove (Ariana Dowe, Janiyah Cummings, Ja’Onyi Fundora, Malliyah Gardner) 1:56.65
Discus: 5. Penns Grove (Zoey Ceasar, Nalayea Livingston) 117-3
Shot Put: 2. Zoey Ceasar, Penns Grove, 29-11.25. Team: 1. Penns Grove (Ceasar, Jarlene Vichi) 57-1.25

Schalick boys repeat

BRIDGETON – The Schalick boys won eight of 14 events in challenging conditions and ran away with the Bridgeton Relays for the second year in a row. The Cougars scored 118 points, lapping Division I runner-up Cedar Creek. David Stewart won the long jump and triple jump and ran a leg on the winning 4×100 relay.

It was their second win in as many weeks, having won the small schools division at Buena the week before.

“We love bad weather; our guys are 4-0 in bad weather,” Cougars coach James Turner said. “They look at it as an advantage because they are willing to push through it and do what needs to be done.”

BRIDGETON RELAYS
TEAM SCORES: Schalick 118, Cedar Creek 58, Pleasantville 44, Triton 34, St. Joseph (Hamm.) 16, Haddon Twp. 16
EVENTS (Division I)
400 Hurdles: 1. Hunter Dragotta, Schalick 1:00.79, 2. Kolby Sicklar, Schalick 1:01.48
4×100: 1. Schalick (Michael Eberl, Zaeshawn Mills, Reggie Allen, David Stewart), 44.59
4×200: 1. Pleasantville 1:33.12; 2. Triton 1:36.11; 3. Schalick (Kenneth Bartee, Jase Volovar, Roneem Thomas, Zaeshawn Mills) 1:36.80
4×400: 1. Schalick (Michael Eberl, Reggie Allen, Jase Volovar, Jacob Carter) 3:44.04
4×800: 1. Schalick (Salvatore Longo, Hunter Dragotta, Chase Riley, Collin Bittle) 9:19.89
4×1600: 1. Cedar Creek 19:57.07; 2. Schalick (Collin Bittle, Chase Walker, John Egan, Nicholas Valentino) 22:02.78
800 SMR: 1. Pleasantville 1:39.64; Schalick DQ
1600 SMR: 1. Pleasantville 3:31.69; 2. Schalick (David Stewart, Zaeshawn Mills, Roneem Thomas, Steve Chomo) 3:51.88
DMR: 1. Schalick (Steve Chomo, Salvatore Longo, Jacob Carter, Chase Riley) 11:48.46
High Jump: 1. Jase Volovar, Schalick 5-0; 2. Reggie Allen, Schalick 5-0
Long Jump: 1. David Stewart, Schalick 19-6.25; 2. Zaeshawn Mills, Schalick 19-2.75
Triple Jump: 1. David Stewart, Schalick 39-8.5; 2. Levi Feeney-Childers, Schalick, 39-4.25
Shot Put: 1. Kyle Stephens, Haddon Twp. 42-11; 2. Ethan McLean, Schalick 35-0.5
Discus: 1. Mandel Pettiford, Cedar Creek, 162-4; 2. Ethan McLean, Schalick, 122-6; 3. Nylan Sutton, Schalick 102-7

Woodstown’s 4×8 takes
it down to the wire

PHILADELPHIA – Woodstown’s decorated boys 4×800 relay team posted a time good enough to qualify for the Penn Relays Saturday when it won the race at the Father Judge Relays in school-record time. The Wolverines came in with an 8:08.09, four seconds under the qualifying threshold for the historic race, in their last chance to qualify.

The team of Karson Chew, Cole Lucas, Jacob Marino and Josh Crawford won the race by three seconds over Caesar Rodney High School of Camden, Del. They are expected to learn if their time is among the top 35 to make the Penn Relays field Monday. The race is April 24. The Wolverines had qualified for the 4×400 earlier in the year.

Shortly after helping his 4×800 relay team hit the mark, Marino finished seventh in the boys mile (4:59.78). He is three weeks removed from having his appendix removed. Samantha Sterner finished seventh in the girls mile (5:53.33).

Look for an expanded version of this story soon at the Riverview Sports News website.