Salem’s Jackson, Schalick’s O’Neill bring top 10 finishes back to Salem County
By Riverview Sports News
PENNSAUKEN – Salem’s DaviYonn Jackson and Schalick’s Grace O’Neill both posted top 10 finishes – the highest finishes among Salem County athletes – at Wednesday’s NJSIAA Meet of Champions at Pennsauken High School.
Jackson, the Group I champion, finished fifth with a jump of 46 feet, 6.5 inches. O’Neill finished eighth in the girls discus with a throw of 134 feet, 3 inches that broke a 12-year-old school record. Her throw was two feet better than her third-place throw in the Group I meet.
Here is how the Salem County athletes fared at the TOC Meet.
BOYS
Triple jump: 5. DaviYonn Jackson, Salem, 46-6.5); 14. Khalim Smith, Penns Grove, 43-7.25.
4×800: 18. Woodstown (Karson Chew, Joshua Crasford, Jacob Marino, Cole Lucas), 8:15.98).
GIRLS
4×100: 11. Salem (Sairis Jiminez, Karima Davenport-White, Morgan VanDover, Rhionna Timmons), 49.3.
400: 13. Anna Buzby, Salem, 59.11.
3200: 13. Jordan Hadfield, Schalick, 11:05.33.
Discus: 8. Grace O’Neill, Schalick, 134-3.
Pole vault: 21. Megan Morris, Pennsville, 10-0.
Long jump: 26. Karima Davenport-White, 16-0.
Category: WOODSTOWN
Hadfield doubles
Schalick junior wins 1600 to go along with the 3200 she won Friday; Woodstown’s boys 4×800 relay also brings home gold Saturday
By Riverview Sports News
SOMERSET – Schalick’s Jordan Hadfield became a double winner, Woodstown’s boys won the 4×800 relay and the Salem and Schalick girls finished 4-5 in the team standings to highlight Saturday’s final day of the NJSIAA Group I track championship at Franklin High School.
Hadfield used a strong closing kick for the second day in a row to win the girls 1600 to go with the 3200 she pulled out at the finish on Friday. Her winning time was 5:07.66.
Interestingly, the order of finish in the 1600 was the same as the 3200 the day before: Hadfield, Wallkill Valley’s Delana Einreinhofer and Audubon’s Riley Fayer.running fourth most of the race with Fayer and Einreinhofer running 1-2 and Kinnelon’s Grace Mougalian third.
She had been running fourth most of the race with Fayer and Einreinhofer running 1-2 and Kinnelon’s Grace Mongolian in third, but put on a burst over the final 400 meters, running the leg in 1:11.64. It was the fastest closing leg in the race and second overall only to Fayer’s opening 1:10.86.
Woodstown 4×800 boys relay (Karson Chew, Joshua Crawford, Jacob Marino, Cole Lucas) took the lead from Hasbrouck Heights in Split 5 and kept it the rest of the race. Their winning time of 8:11.67 beat runner-up Woodbury by nearly a second. The Wolverines’ girls 4×8 finished third in their race. They were as far back as 10th early in the race, but made up five spots by the midpoint and were running second after split 7 before being overtaken.
Salem’s girls finished fourth as a team with 40 points. Schalick pulled within one point of the Rams with its fourth-place finish in the 4×400 relay.
Third-place finishes by Salem County athletes Saturday included Salem’s Anna Buzby (400) and Karima Davenport-White (100 hurdles) and Schalick’s Grace O’Neill (discus).
O’Neill missed her goal of setting the school discus record by seven inches, but she is a projected wildcard qualifier for next week’s Meet of Champions.
This story will be updated.
NJSIAA GROUP I CHAMPIONSHIP
SOMERSET – Here are the Saturday Day Two results for Salem County’s qualifiers in the Group I state meet at Franklin HS (Friday’s results have been previously posted). The top 2 finishers in each event qualify for Meet of Champions (plus next 16 best regardless of class); top six finishers in each event score points for their team:
BOYS FINAL TEAM SCORES (Top 10): Woodbury 78, Glassboro 57, Hasbrouck Heights 38, Riverside 38, Audubon 31, Manville 30, Gloucester City 26, Cresskill 20, Burlington City 20, Florence 18. T-18 Salem 10, T-18, Woodstown 10, 26. Schalick 6, 29, Penns Grove 4
4×800: 1. Woodstown (Karson Chew, Joshua Crawford, Jacob Marino, Cole Lucas), 8:11.67; 8. Schalick 8:39.61; 11. Salem 8:45.24.
1600: 12. Matthew Tozer, Schalick, 4:39.22
4×400: 4. Schalick (Reggie Allen, Jacob Carter, David Stewart, Steve Chomo), 3:30.55
Javelin: 7. Cole Campbell, Pennsville, 156-10; 10. Connor Ayars, Pennsville, 150-2
Long jump: 9. Khalim Smith, Penns Grove, 20-4.5
Pole vault: 5. Salvatore Longo, Schalick, 11-6
GIRLS FINAL TEAM SCORES (Top 10): Hasbrouck Heights 70, Audubon 52, Clayton 46.33, Salem 40, Schalick 39, Woodbury 35, Ridgefield Memorial 30, Dayton 24, Wallkill Valley 18.33, Emerson 18. T-17 Pennsville 10, T-19 Woodstown 8.
400: 3. Anna Buzby, Salem, 57.80
4×800: 3. Woodstown (Kayla Ayars, Sarah Seiden, Arie Still, Lillian Norman), 10:05.92; 8. Schalick 10:39.28
100 hurdles: 3. Karima Davenport-White, Salem, 15.85; 5. Brooke Watt, Schalick, 15.87
200: 6. Rhionna Timmons, Salem, 26.75
1600: 1. Jordan Hadfield, Schalick, 5:07.66; 17. Lillian Norman, Woodstown, 5:53.15
4×400: 4. Schalick (Alivia Klancic, Grace O’Neill, Jordan Hadfield, Gia Martellacci), 4:09.94
Discus: 3. Grace O’Neill, Schalick, 132-2
Triple jump: 11. Brooke Watt, Schalick, 33-6.75; 13. Calista Hunt, Woodstown, 33-3.75; 18. Molly Curtis, Woodstown, 32-4
High jump: 5. Kami Casiano, Woodstown, 4-10
Striking gold
Three Salem County individuals and one relay win events on Day One of the NJSIAA Group I track championships; Salem’s girls current third in team standings
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
SOMERSET – Three individual athletes and one relay team brought back gold to Salem County Friday in the first day of the NJSIAA Group I state track meet at Franklin High School.
Salem’s DaviYonn Jackson won the boys triple jump, Pennsville’s Megan Morris won the girls pole vault, Schalick’s Jordan Hadfield won the girls 3200 and Salem’s girls won the 4×100 relay to highlight the locals’ first day of competition.
Salem’s girls are currently third in the team standings with 27 points, three behind second-place Audubon. Hasbrouck Heights leads with 42 points.
“Today was a great day all around,” Salem senior Karima Davenport-White said.
The Rams’ relay team won with a school-record time of 49.63 and hit the tape five-hundredths of a second ahead of runner-up Woodbury after Rhionna Timmons ran what coach Spencer Jarrett called “the best anchor of her life.”
The other members of the relay were Sairis Jimenez, Davenport-White and Morgan VanDover.
“For me, it’s a huge deal since I’ve been on the 4×1 relay since my freshman year,” Davenport-White said. “So this is everything finally paying off, all the hard work and sacrifice.”
Davenport-White also finished third in the long jump, breaking Timmons’ school record with a jump of 17-2; Timmons finished fifth. Teammate Anna Buzby finished third in the girls 800 and sixth in the 400 hurdles and pole vault, and Dominique Lewis was sixth in the shot.
“Today was a great day,” Jarrett said.
Jackson gave the Rams their second state champion of the day when he repeated in the boys triple jump with a career-best jump of 46-feet, 4-inches. The man they call “Pop” led after the first round of jumps, hit his eventual winning jump on his second attempt and nearly matched it on his third jump.
He won by eight inches, but had to sweat it out as Cresskill runner-up Joshua Yoon (45-8) and Cartrell Moore of Glassboro (45-7) came after him hard.
“I knew out of the box it was going to be a dogfight, I tried to put my head down and just fight,” Jackson said. “I kept telling myself at the back of the runway I’m there, I’m knocking on the door, they’ve got to let me in.”
Morris won the girls pole vault with a personal-best 10-0. She hit all three of her progressive heights on the first attempt and made her winning jump on the second try at the height. She made an effort at 10-3 after securing the victory but fatigue got the best of her.
“I’ve been working really hard throughout the whole season,” Morris said. “I was really excited when I got it. Once I got 9-6 I knew I had 10 in me and that’s what made me win.
“The whole entire time the main thing I was excited for is to get my name on the banner for state championships so I could make my mark in Pennsville. I was definitely excited, but I think the person who was more excited than me was my dad with the video. He was screaming and going crazy.”
Hadfield won the girls 3200 in a time of 11:03.29.
It was a three-person race the whole way with Hadfield, Wallkill Valley’s Delana Einreinhofer and Audubon’s Riley Fayer running up front and Hadfield and Einreinhofer swapping leads every lap. Finally, with about 50 meters to go, Hadfield decided she was going to win the race, went for it and hit the tape first with more than a second to spare.
“Last week (at sectionals) wasn’t her best performance and she was kind of upset about that, so she wanted to make sure she went out strong and ran better this weekend and did really well,” Cougars coach Missy Pine said.
All the event winners and runner-ups automatically qualify for the Meet of Champions. The rest await word of wildcard berths to the next 16 best times in each event regardless of classification.
Schalick’s Grace O’Neill scored with a third-place finish in the 400 hurdles and the Cougars’ 4×1 relay placed sixth. On the boys’ side, Khalim Smith of Penns Grove was fourth in the triple jump.
The meet wraps up Saturday.
NJSIAA GROUP I CHAMPIONSHIPS
SOMERSET – Here are the results of Salem County’s qualifiers to the Group I state meet Friday at Franklin HS. The top 2 finishers in each event qualify for Meet of Champions (plus next 16 best regardless of class); top six finishers in each event score points for their team
BOYS TEAM SCORES (Top 10): Glassboro 37, Woodbury 30, Manville 22, Riverside 18, Hasbrouck Heights 17, Gloucester 15, Salem 10, Audubon 10, Burlington City 10, Florence 10.
4×100: 7. Schalick (Reggie Allen, Michael Eberl, David Stewart, Levi Feeney-Childers) 43.95
800: 8. Joshua Crawford, Woodstown, 1:59.49; 15. Cole Lucas, Woodstown, 2:07.24
3200: 15. Jacob Marino, Woodstown, 10:40.68
Discus: 13. Ethan McLean, Schalick, 130-0
Triple jump: 1. DaviYonn Jackson, Salem, 46-4, 4. Khalim Smith, Penns Grove, 44-3.5; 7. David Stewart, Schalick, 43-0.5.
GIRLS TEAM SCORES (Top 10): Hasbrouck Heights 42, Audubon 30, Salem 27, Clayton 18, Schalick 17, Woodbury 16, Dayton 14, Verona 13, Pennsville 10, Haddon Twp. 10, Ridgefield 10, Kinnelon 10, Mountain Lakes 10.
4×100: 1. Salem (Sairis Jiminez, Karima Davenport-White, Morgan VanDover, Rhionna Timmons) 49.63; 6. Schalick (Zoe Jenkins, Gia Martellacci, Caileigh Schalick, Brooke Watt) 51.44
800: 3. Anna Buzby, Salem, 2:21.26
400 hurdles: 3. Grace O’Neill, Schalick, 1:07.03; 6. Anna Buzby, Salem, 1:08.57
3200: 1. Jordan Hadfield, Schalick, 11:03.29
Shot put: 6. Dominique Lewis, Salem, 34-3; 9. Ava Rodgers, Salem, 32-9
Javelin: 7. Allyson Green, Schalick, 101-1
Long jump: 3. Karima Davenport-White, Salem, 17-2; 5. Rhionna Timmons, Salem, 16-7
Pole vault: 1. Megan Morris, Pennsville, 10-0; 6. Anna Buzby, Salem, 8-6
Emotional ending
Daily’s double delivery does in Woodstown; Lions win first sectional title in 50 years with seventh-inning rally
GROUP I SECTIONAL FINALS
Monday’s Games
North I: Pompton Lakes 5, Pequannock 0
North II: Dayton 4, Brearley 0
Central: Point Pleasant Beach 6, Shore 0
South: Gloucester 5, Woodstown 4
STATE SEMIFINALS
Wednesday’s Games
Pompton Lakes (24-4) at Dayton (17-11)
Point Pleasant Beach (24-4) at Gloucester (22-7)
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday
at Veterans Park, Hamilton, 10 a.m.
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
GLOUCESTER — Woodstown coach Marc DeCastro has been involved in a lot of games like Monday’s drama-filled South Jersey Group I baseball final. And all of them, he has observed, have come down to the same thing. The team that manages the momentum swings in the game best usually wins.
Much to the Wolverines’ dismay, it was Gloucester that handled the swing at the end.
Ayden Daily’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly on the second out of the bottom of the seventh brought home the winning run in an historic 5-4 Lions victory.
It was the Lions’ first sectional baseball title in 50 years. They dedicated the win and the season to Gage Myers, a 2023 senior teammate who was killed in a car accident in March.
They now host Central champion Point Pleasant Beach (24-4) in the Group I state semifinals Wednesday.
Emotions rose and fell on both sides like the tides as the lead changed hands three times in the last inning and a half. Gloucester (22-7) went up 3-1 with two runs in the home sixth, Woodstown (18-10) took the lead and momentum back 4-3 in the top of the seventh and then the Lions won it in the bottom of the seventh.
“These games are never easy,” DeCastro said. “There’s always going to be swings and it’s how you handle the swings within the game (that make the difference). They just happened to get the last swing.
“I was really proud of the way we treated the seventh inning down two like we treated the sixth inning up one and like we treated every other inning we played and that’s why we were able to do what we did. It just happens they got the last one.”
The Lions’ winning rally started when Jack Knorr, the Wolverines’ fourth pitcher, hit leadoff man Kevin Hall with a pitch. The Wolverines looked to have Hall picked off, but he slid safely under the tag at second when everyone in the Woodstown dugout was convinced he was out. Seth McCormick then dropped a single into center to put runners at the corners. Knorr struck out the next batter, then intentionally walked Russell Medlar to load the bases.
Wall scored the tying run when Knorr threw a ball that hit the dirt that skipped to the backstop and got stuck in the windscreen. Knorr ended up walking Gavin Weiner to reload the bases and went to 2-0 on Daily to prompt a visit from DeCastro.
“When you have that situation and a walk wins the game and it’s 2-0 there’s just a lot of building momentum and I just wanted to crush it and start it brand new,” DeCastro said. “It didn’t really matter what I said, what it did was just slow everything down and now allow that building to go on.”
Daily fouled off the next pitch and then hit his sacrifice fly. The senior third baseman gave the Lions their 3-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth on a soft two-run single into right field.
“Those were two really good moments right there,” Daily said. “Nothing feels better than when you drive in the runs, especially to put them in the lead, and to walk it off felt even better. We did this for Gage.”
Wolverines’ outfielder Blake Bialecki never wanted to make a throw from the outfield more in his life than after he ran down Daily’s fly to center. He caught the ball going to his left, planted his feet and threw as hard as he could towards the plate. Pinch runner Mason Widman raced down the line from third and just got underneath Ty Coblentz as the Wolverines catcher tried to snare Bialecki’s throw just outside the third-base batter’s box.
“That’s the most I’ve ever wanted to do something in my life,” Bialecki said. “I was thinking just throw it as hard as you can.”
The Wolverines took the lead with three in the top of the seventh. Their first three batters of the inning reached to load the bases. Brent Williams’ sacrifice fly to right drew them within 3-2 and then Andrew Pedrick put them up 4-2 with a two-run single past a drawn-in second baseman.
“That was probably one of the best hits of my career,” Pedrick said. “Getting a hit in that moment, it was special.”
And for a moment it had the Wolverines sitting on top of the world. But it wasn’t to be.
“We fought back really hard and just couldn’t pull it out,” Bialecki said. “It sucks (to lose like that), but it was a great season.”
NOTES: The Wolverines won nine of their last 10 games to reach the South Jersey Group I final for the third time in the last four years (they won the other two) … Woodstown starter Michael Valente started three of the Wolverines’ four playoff games and pitched in all four. He threw 4 1/3 total innings, giving up five hits, one earned run and striking out four … Knorr also pitched in all four playoff games. He went 7 1/3 innings with three hits, five earned runs, seven walks and nine strikeouts … Pedrick’s go-ahead single was the 105th hit of his career … Williams’ sacrifice fly in the sixth was his 101st career RBI. He finished with 112 career hits … Given the historical significance of the win, Gloucester coach Greg Galbraith said it was for “the amount of people in town who are still worried about high school sports who graduated in 1960, 1970, 1980 and so on who still care.” The last time the Lions won the state was 1971.
Cover photo: Jack Knorr comes across the plate with Woodstown’s go-ahead run in the top of the seventh inning of the South Jersey Group I championship game. Gloucester scored two in the bottom of the inning to break the Wolverines’ hearts.
Salem 2nd in sectionals
Salem girls passed by Audubon; Salem County qualifies 28 athletes in individual events, 10 relays for state meet; Rams’ Davenport-White wins second event Saturday, Pennsville’s Ayers, Woodstown’s Hunt also bring home final-day gold
By Riverview Sports News
PENNSAUKEN – Karima Davenport-White won her second event in two days, Anna Buzby wound up qualifying for states in four individual events and the Salem girls track team enjoyed their best finish in the sectionals, despite losing their overnight lead in the South Jersey Group I Meet.
Davenport-White claimed gold for the second day in a row when she won the girls 100 hurdles in a school-record time of 15.30 to go with the long jump title she claimed on Friday. She was one of three Salem County athletes to win events on Saturday’s final day of competition.
The Rams held a lead in the team standings entering the final day, but were passed by Audubon, who finished with 87.33 points, and finished second. They trailed the Green Wave by 8.33 points going into the final event – the 4×400 relay – and didn’t start the race.
Their 71 points, however, were the most they had ever scored in the sectionals and was one point ahead of third-place Clayton.
“It’s always tough, going into the season you’ve got expectations, you’ve got goals,” coach Spencer Jarrett said of the runner-up finish. “It wasn’t what we wanted, but all the girls gave everything they had.”
The Rams advanced five girls in 10 individual events plus one relay, depth that should serve them well at next week’s state Group I state meet in Franklin. In addition to Davenport-White, who plans to sign with Coppin State on Tuesday, Buzby (800, 400 hurdles, pole vault and 400) and Dominique Lewis (shot and javelin) were multi-qualifiers for Salem.
“It’s good to have depth in the state because it gives us a better chance at trying to pull out the victory,” Salem coach Spencer Jarrett said. “We were bummed about not winning the sectional, but it’s OK, because if we get enough girls in the state is very attainable because everything balances out. Points that we might not (get) might come from the people in the central or the north.
“At the past couple states besides Clayton it’s been first to 60. Sixty points and you’re basically knocking on the door for a chance at holding that trophy.”
Davenport-White’s win in the hurdles was a highlight for both the runner and the team. She had been working all season to reach her goal of breaking the record (15.40) and felt it was within reach after running a top-seeded 15.48 in the prelims.
There was a lot that went into winning the race. Running at Pennsauken has always made the Salem senior a little nervous because she fell in the race there her sophomore year. And when it came time to run Saturday she had to beat the clock twice.
She almost missed the start of the race after being sent to the other end of the track. She had to sprint back down to the starting position, ripped off her warmups, collected herself with a deep breath after rushing into the blocks and off she went.
“I was a little winded,” she said. “I ripped off my sweat uniform and got right in the blocks. I took a deep breath and was like, ‘OK, Karima, let’s do this.’”
She fell behind at the start, but recovered quickly, picked up momentum, picked up speed and, eventually, picked up the gold medal blasting the school record by a full tenth of a second.
“It was really important to me,” Davenport-White said. “All season I’ve been working really hard, especially for the hurdles. I wanted to break the school record and I did even better than that, so I’m really excited and I know it’s going to help me in college. It just felt nice knowing that I pushed myself to that point and was able to do something way better and win.”
Overall, Salem County’s five track schools qualified 28 total athletes for 38 individual spots plus 10 relays.
Schalick’s Jordan Hadfield (800, 1600, 3200), Grace O’Neill (400 hurdles, discus) and Brooke Watt (110 hurdles, triple jump) were qualified in multiple events on the girls side. Penns Grove’s Khalim Smith (triple jump, high jump) was a multi-qualifier on the boys side. Every school has at least one qualifier on each side. All six of Schalick’s relays qualified.
Pennsville’s Connor Ayars and Woodstown’s Calista Hunt brought back gold to Salem County Saturday.
Ayars won the javelin with a personal best 162-0 on his final throw of the competition, leading a 1-3 finish for the Eagles in the event with teammate Cole Campbell.
“It was a great finals to watch,” Pennsville coach Mike Healy said. “Connor went into the finals with the farthest throw, then Cole took the lead on his second throw in the final then got passed by (Gloucester’s Jalil Banks at 159-1) with Connor taking it on the last throw.”
Hunt won the girls triple jump with a leap of 34-9.
This story will be updated.
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I SECTIONALS
(Salem County state qualifiers)
Saturday’s finals
BOYS
Final team scores: Glassboro 122, Woodbury 81, Gloucester City 63, Audubon 52, Riverside 44, Clayton 27, Paulsboro 23, Haddon Twp. 22, Woodstown 21, Burlington City 20, Salem 18, Pennsville 16, Schalick 13, Penns Grove 12, Gateway 11, Palmyra 9, Maple Shade 2, Buena 2.
100 hurdles: 2. Anthony Parker, Salem, 14.81
4×800: 2. Woodstown 8:14.38; 4. Schalick 8:32.88; 5. Salem 8:34.69
1600: 6. Matthew Tozer, Schalick, 4:40.53
4×400: 5. Schalick 3:30.75
Javelin: 1. Connor Ayars, Pennsville, 162-0; 3. Cole Campbell, Pennsville, 158-3
Long jump: 3. Khalim Smith, Penns Grove, 21-1.25
Pole vault: 6. Salvatore Longo, Schalick, 11-0
GIRLS
Final team scores: Audubon 87.33, Salem 71, Clayton 70, Woodbury 68, Schalick 66, Haddon Twp. 32.33, Maple Shade 29, Woodstown 29, Riverside 26, Glassboro 24, Gloucester City 20.33, Pennsville 10, Buena 6, Wildwood 6, Pitman 6, Gateway 4, Penns Grove 3.
400: 3. Anna Buzby, Salem, 59.69
100 hurdles: 1. Karima Davenport-White, Salem, 15.30; 3. Brooke Watt, Schalick, 15.74
4×800: 2. Woodstown 10:10.95; 4. Schalick 10:35.55
200: 5. Rhionna Timmons, Salem 26.63
1600: 2. Jordan Hadfield, Schalick, 5:18.57; 4. Lillian Norman, Woodstown, 5:41.27
4×400: 3. Schalick 4:13.81
Discus: 2. Grace O’Neill, Schalick, 132-0
Triple jump: 1. Calista Hunt, Woodstown, 34-9; 4. Brooke Watt, Schalick, 34-3; 6. Molly Curtis, Woodstown, 33-0
High jump: 3. Kami Casiano, Woodstown, 5-0
Salem County State Qualifiers
Boys
Connor Ayars, Pennsville: javelin
Cole Campbell, Pennsville: javelin
Joshua Crawford, Woodstown: 800
DaviYonn Jackson, Salem: triple jump
Salvatore Longo, Schalick: pole vault
Cole Lucas, Woodstown: 800
Jacob Marino, Woodstown: 3200
Ethan McLean, Schalick: discus
Anthony Parker, Salem: 100 hurdles
Khalim Smith, Penns Grove: triple jump, long jump
David Stewart, Schalick: triple jump
Matthew Tozer, Schalick: 1600
Girls
Anna Buzby, Salem: 800, 400 hurdles, pole vault, 400
Kami Casiano, Woodstown: high jump
Molly Curtis, Woodstown: triple jump
Karima Davenport-White, Salem: long jump, 100 hurdles
Allyson Green, Schalick: javelin
Jordan Hadfield, Schalick: 800, 3200, 1600
Calista Hunt, Woodstown: triple jump
Lillian Norman, Woodstown: 1600
Meely Horace, Penns Grove: 100
Dominique Lewis, Salem: shot, javelin
Megan Morris, Pennsville: pole vault
Grace O’Neill, Schalick: 400 hurdles, discus
Ava Rodgers, Salem: shot
Daivonnah Thomas, Penns Grove: 100
Rhionna Timmons, Salem: long jump
Brooke Watt, Schalick: 100 hurdles, triple jump
Relays
Salem: boys 4×800, girls 4×100
Schalick: boys 4×100, 4×800, 4×400; girls 4×100, 4×800, 4×400
Woodstown: boys 4×800, girls 4×800
Salem sound at sectionals
Rams hold slim lead in girls team standings after first day; 3 county girls win titles, 18 athletes and three relays qualify for states, meet concludes Saturday
By Riverview Sports News
PENNSAUKEN – Karima Davenport-White won the long jump, four of her Salem teammates and a relay qualified for the state meet in eight other events and the Rams grabbed a slim lead in the team standings Friday after the first day of the South Jersey Group I Sectional Track and Field Meet.
The Salem girls picked up 53 points in the nine events scored and hold a two-point lead over Audubon. Woodbury is third with 39 points. The meet wraps Saturday.
Davenport-White won the long jump by four inches with a personal best 17 feet, one-half inch.
Teammate Anna Buzby qualified for states in three individual events, finishing second in the 800 and 400 hurdles and fourth in the pole vault. Dominique Lewis finished second in the shot and sixth in the javelin.
Ava Rodgers and Rhionna Timmons qualified for state with fourth-place finishes in the shot and long jump, respectively. The Rams’ 4×100 relay team also advanced with a second-place finish.
“The girls did an amazing job,” Rams coach Spencer Jarrett said. “Their energy was unmatched. It was a team effort, everyone picking up each other’s slack — how a team should be.”
Davenport-White was one of three Salem County girls to win sectional championships Friday. Schalick junior Allyson Green won the javelin with a personal best 108-0 and Pennsville junior won the pole vault with a personal best 9-6.
Schalick’s Jordan Hadfield qualified for states in two events (3200, 800), while teammate Grace O’Neill (400 hurdles) and Penns Grove’s Meely Horace and Daivonnah Thomas both qualified in the 100. Schalick’s 4×100 relay team also qualified.
On the boys side, Woodstown’s Cole Lucas and Salem’s Pop Jackson were the highest Salem County finishers and the triple jump was clearly the best event.
Lucas finished second in the 800 (1:59.66) and Jackson finished second in the triple jump (45-0).
There were three Salem County athletes qualifying for state in the triple jump. In addition to Jackson, Penns Grove’s Khalim Smith was third (44-8) and Schalick’s David Stewart was fifth (44-4).
Woodstown’s Joshua Crawford (400) and Jacob Marino (3200) and Schalick’s Ethan McLean (discus) and 4×100 relay team also qualified for the state meet.
Glassboro leads the boys team standings with 64 points. Woodstown is sixth (13), Salem is T-10 (8), Penns Grove is T-12 (6) and Schalick is 14th (5).
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I SECTIONALS
(Salem County state qualifiers)
BOYS
Team scores: Glassboro 64, Gloucester 31, Woodbury 29, Riverside 24, Audubon 17, Woodstown 13, Paulsboro 12, Clayton 11, Burlington City 10, Salem 8, Gateway 8, Penns Grove 6, Palmyra 6, Schalick 5, Haddon Twp. 2, Buena 2.
4×100: 5. Schalick 43.59.
800: 2. Cole Lucas, Woodstown, 1:59.66; 4. Joshua Crawford, Woodstown, 2:01.59
3200: 6. Jacob Marino, Woodstown, 10:23.29
Discus: 6. Ethan McLean, Schalick, 136-2
Triple jump: 2. DaviYonn Jackson, Salem, 45-0; 3. Khalim Smith, Penns Grove, 44-8; 5. David Stewart, Schalick, 44-4
GIRLS
Team scores: Salem 53, Audubon 51, Woodbury 39, Schalick 30, Clayton 29, Haddon Twp. 19, Glassboro 12, Riverside 10, Pennsville 10, Maple Shade 9, Buena 6, Wildwood 6, Penns Grove 3, Gloucester City 2.
4×100: 3. Salem 50.85; 4. Schalick 51.70
800: 2. Anna Buzby, Salem, 2:20.17; 3. Jordan Hadfield, Schalick, 2:22.33
400 hurdles: 2. Anna Buzby, Salem, 1:06.15; 5. Grace O’Neill, Schalick, 1:08.36
100: 5. Meely Horace, Penns Grove, 12.65; 6. Daivonnah Thomas, Penns Grove, 12.68
3200: 2. Jordan Hadfield, Schalick, 11:10.90
Shot: 2. Dominique Lewis, Salem, 35-7.5; 4. Ava Rodgers, Salem, 33-2
Javelin: 1. Allyson Green, Schalick, 108-0; 6. Dominique Lewis, Salem, 100-8
Long jump: 1. Karima Davenport-White, Salem, 17-0.5; 4. Rhionna Timmons, Salem, 16-7.25
Pole vault: 1. Megan Morris, Pennsville, 9-6; 4. Anna Buzby, Salem, 8-6
Delivering in a pinch
Pinch-hitter Banff’s two-run single highlights five-run inning that helps Woodstown dump Audubon to reach South Jersey Group I baseball title game
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I PLAYOFFS
Friday’s Semifinals
(5) Woodstown 9, (1) Audubon 6
(2) Gloucester 5, (3) Pitman 4
Monday’s Championship
Woodstown (18-9) at Gloucester (21-7)
GROUP I SECTIONAL FINALS
Monday’s Games
North I: Pequannock (19-9) at Pompton Lakes (23-4)
North II: Dayton (16-11) at Brearley (17-8)
Central: Shore (16-8) at Point Pleasant Beach (23-4)
South: Woodstown (18-9) at Gloucester (21-7)
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
AUDUBON — Mark Banff got called off the bench in the fourth inning of a tight game Friday. He was cold, but he had one job, and one job only.
As Woodstown’s most reliable pinch hitter it was his job to keep the line moving or, even better, deliver a hit to score a couple runs.
Banff came through as he often does, poking an opposite-field single to right that brought two runs home and gave the Wolverines the lead for good in an eventual 9-6 win over top-seeded Audubon in the South Jersey Group I baseball semifinals.
The fifth-seeded Wolverines (18-9) now travel to Gloucester (21-7) for the SJ title Monday. It’s their third trip to the sectional finals in the last four years.
Banff was summoned to hit for freshman second baseman Thomas Tucci with two on, two out and two already in. Rocco String and Caiden Spinelli drove runs home earlier in the inning to tie the game 2-2. Banff later scored from second when the Green Wave booted Jack Holladay’s grounder at short to make it 5-2.
“It’s a tough situation coming in, not really knowing a lot, not having any experience out there with an at bat, but to be able to deliver something like that, especially to change the whole complexion of the game, is a great feeling,” Banff said. “I’ve had a couple great moments in high school, but that might have been my favorite moment right there.”
Woodstown coach Marc DeCastro is a thinking-man’s manager. He doesn’t make a move that isn’t painstakingly researched and backed by megabytes of data and experiences. Banff was the right player at the right time and when he was called he was ready to go.
Banff has six hits this season. His first three hits were all pinch hits. On back-to-back days in late April, he delivered an RBI pinch double against Penns Grove and an RBI pinch single against Audubon. Two years ago in this round of the playoffs against Buena, he hit a three-run pinch homer.
“He’s our best pinch-hitter,” DeCastro said. “Throughout the year we give a lot of people, guys who aren’t every day players, different opportunities so that I can find out in these situations which ones are ready and which ones can do it.
“He has been a better hitter pinch-hitting than he has when he’s started games, so in that spot, you don’t know if you’re going to get another scoring opportunity and the game is obviously close so you want to take advantage of it, so we used our best pinch-hitter in that spot.”
With folks continuing to deliver from every spot in the lineup, the Wolverines extended their lead to 8-2 in the fifth on consecutive run-scoring hits by String, Blake Bialecki and Ty Coblentz. Audubon rallied in the bottom of the inning to make it 8-6, but the visitors never flinched.
“We had a lot of really big hits today,” DeCastro said. “We just put up nine and this team doesn’t let up nine very often. We had a lot of kids who were really, really big in pressure spots and that’s not something we used to do. Last game we won 1, 2, 3, 4 (in the lineup). Today it was all the way down. There were bit hits all the way through.”
DeCastro’s dynamics were at work again when he brought Jack Knorr in from left field to relieve Dante Holmes in the fifth. Although the senior lefthander gave up a bases-loaded walk, a run-scoring ground out and a two-run single, he buckled down with the tying run at the plate and ended the inning with a strikeout.
“He came in and needed to find a groove a little bit,” DeCastro said. “It’s a really difficult spot and I put him in a really hard spot. We had a lead, but he came off coming out of the game in the first inning after walking people (at Pennsville), coming into a pressure spot where you can’t walk people.
“What I was just looking for was does he settle in to who Jack is. After the two walks, even though they let up the hit – that was my fault, I called the wrong pitch on the 2-2 – after that I thought he was really good for the next four batters, I don’t care what happened, so I felt really comfortable with letting him ride.”
Knorr admitted he was “getting a little ahead of myself” when he first got on the mound, but once he settled in and found his command he was “good from there on.” He retired seven of the last eight hitters he faced after giving up the two-run single that got the Wave within two.
Holliday gave the Wolverines some more breathing room with an RBI single in the seventh to make it 9-6. Audubon’s leadoff man in the bottom of the inning, cleanup hitter Joseph Slavin, reached on an error and made it to second with two outs, but he was of little consequence as Knorr struck out the side behind him to end the game.
Semis showdown set
Pennsville headed to another epic showdown with Pitman looking to finally solve the Panthers in the South Jersey Group I semifinals Friday; Woodstown, Schalick both fall in the quarterfinals.
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I BOYS TENNIS
Wednesday’s Quarterfinals
(1) Haddon Twp. 5, (8) Overbrook 0 (Tues.)
(4) Middle Twp. 5, (5) Woodstown 0
(3) Pennsville 5, (6) Buena 0
(2) Pitman 4, (7) Schalick 1
Friday’s Semifinals
Middle Twp. (14-7) at Haddon Twp. (15-5)
Pennsville (18-3) at Pitman (17-7)
MIDDLE TWP. 5, WOODSTOWN 0
Simon Hardin (M) def. Tim Schwienbacher, 6-1, 6-1
Justen Wen (M) def. Drew Stengel, 7-5, 6-2
Tommy Barber (M) def. Erich Lipovsky, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4
Jack Morton-Jake King (M) def. Ben Stengel-Joseph Kurpis, 7-5, 6-3
Brandyn Acevedo-Miles Stafford (M) def. Luke Shaw-John Farrell, 7-5, 6-2
Records: Woodstown 13-7, Middle Twp. 14-7.
PENNSVILLE 5, BUENA 0
Gabe Schneider (P) def. Donimic Longona, 6-0, 6-2
Maddox Efelis (P) def. Stephen Pepper, 6-2, 6-0
Brody Wiggins (P) def. Jonas Regnaert, 6-0, 6-0
Noah Flitcraft-Noah Bohn (P) def. Gabe Ridolfo-Matthew Lillia, 6-2, 6-2
Luke Chamberlain-Sawyer Humphrey (P) def. Michael Letushko-Joshua Sharpe, 6-3, 6-2
Records: Buena 18-4, Pennsville 18-3.
PITMAN 4, SCHALICK 1
Maddox Marker (P) def. George Gould, 7-5, 6-0
Chase Rollins (P) def. Jesus Espinoza, 6-0, 6-3
Cole Kelly (P) def. Conor O’Toole, 6-3, 6-1
Rocky Monticolo-David Santana (S) def. NA, 6-2, 4-6, 10-8
Michael Fisicaro-Max Pappalardo (P) def. Kaden Barnes-Cayden Brzozowski, 6-1, 6-1
Records: Schalick 16-8, Pitman 17-7.
Stomping into the semis
Woodstown hits back-to-back jacks in first inning, slams door on Pennsville, advances to SJ Group I baseball semifinals; Schalick falls under weight of errors
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I BASEBALL PLAYOFFS
Wednesday’s Quarterfinals
(1) Audubon 11, (8) Haddon Twp. 1
(5) Woodstown 8, (4) Pennsville 3
(3) Pitman 6, (6) Schalick 2
(2) Gloucester 8, (7) Wildwood 4
Friday’s Semifinals
Woodstown (17-9) at Audubon (19-9)
Pitman (20-6) at Gloucester (20-7)
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE – The official height of home plate (not that anyone cares to measure it) is one inch and it is supposed to be planted level with the batter’s box.
After Andrew Pedrick and Rocco String stomped their big shoes on the dish to celebrate back-to-back homers in the first inning of their South Jersey Group I quarterfinal with Pennsville Wednesday, instead of dusting off the plate somebody probably needed to remeasure and replant it.
Pedrick and String went back-to-back to give the Wolverines a three-run lead right out of the gate and set the tone in an eventual 8-3 victory. Pedrick dropped his size 12 on it first and then, just as the plate was returning to its original shape, String put his size 15 right on top of it with flourish.
“I do it all the time, but here I just needed to do it because I needed to make a statement to these guys,” String said. “Losing to them (earlier in the season) I really wanted to beat them real bad, so I needed to make something.”
If the Wolverines wanted to “let ‘em know you’re here” as someone shouted from the dugout after String’s shot, call it mission accomplished. They probably heard it all the way to Elmer with the energy the home runs injected to an already electric atmosphere.
The homers came after Brent Williams brought Jack Knorr home from third with a sacrifice fly. Knorr opened the game with a double.
It was the second time in their careers Pedrick and String have homered in the same game – they did last year against Salem – but it was the first time they’ve gone back-to-back. String has now homered in back-to-back playoff games.
“I think that’s what really got us up,” Pedrick said. “We’re not really a home run-hitting team, so when we got three runs in the first inning, two off two bombs, it’s just crazy, especially back-to-back like that. I was going nuts. I was jumping up and down.
“I just think we wanted to let them know we were here early. We don’t usually come out firing like that, so getting those three runs in the first inning that really put them down and got us up.”
Woodstown coach Marc DeCastro didn’t read anything more into the back-to-back homers other than it gave his team a 3-0 and a little cushion to play with “a little more freedom so if they scored a run it wasn’t the end of the world.”
The Eagles (17-10) got that run in the second inning on Jacob Grant’s sacrifice bunt and it wasn’t the end of the world for the Wolverines. Grant’s shoulder injury kept him from swinging away, but nothing was going to keep the Eagles’ only senior from playing in the biggest game of the year.
After the initial energy from both teams, the game settled into the intensity of a typical game between rivals. That is, until Woodstown broke it open with five in the top of the top of the fifth.
The Wolverines sent eight men to the plate. Williams brought home a run with a single that got through the leftfielder, String brought two home with a single that got through the centerfielder and Ty Coblentz and Caiden Spinelli drove in runs with ground outs to the right side of the infield.
Pennsville got two in the bottom of the fifth on Cohen Petrutz’ two-run single, but it wasn’t nearly enough to catch up to the Wolverines.
“They came out and set the tone,” Pennsville coach Matt Karr said. “They barreled up some balls. It’s a tough pill to swallow and it’s kind of indicative of how the rest of the game went. They set the tone and they tacked on, did the little things they needed to do.
“Like I told those guys, we got beat today. There was no one call. They hit better, they threw better and they won a baseball game and sometimes that happens.”
The fifth-seeded Wolverines (17-9) will now travel to top-seeded Audubon (19-9) Friday for one of the South Jersey Group I semifinals. They beat the Green Wave earlier this season, 8-3.
Knorr started the game on the mound for Woodstown Wednesday, but was lifted after walking two of the first three batters he faced. Aaron Foote stomped out that fire and pitched into the fifth to get the win. Michael Valente and Dante Holmes finished it up. Peyton O’Brien took the loss for Pennsville.
Knorr, Valente and Holmes all will be available “in some way, fashion or form” to pitch in the Audubon game. The starter, DeCastro said after the game, is to be determined.
PITMAN 6, SCHALICK 2: The Cougars picked the wrong time to have a difficult day in the field.
Pitman took advantage of six Schalick errors to either score runs or extend innings in their South Jersey Group I playoff game. The Panthers (20-6) advance to play at second-seeded Gloucester in Friday’s semifinals.
The Cougars (15-11) led twice in the game, but each time lost it under the weight of the miscues.
Luke Pokrovsky gave them a 1-0 lead with a homer in the first inning, but Pitman tied it in the home half on one of three errors in the inning.
Ricky Watt gave them a 2-1 lead with a RBI single in the third, but Pitman took the lead for good in the bottom of the inning when two runs scored on an infield error. Two more errors helped along a three-run sixth that put the game away.
Pokrovsky pitched the whole game for Schalick. The junior lefthander gave up six hits, three earned runs and struck out nine to finish the season with 122 strikeouts and a 1.09 ERA.
Straughn steps aside
Woodstown girls basketball coach steps away from coaching after one season to devote more time to her family
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
Woodstown is in the market for a boys and girls head basketball coach today after Wolverines girls coach Kara Straughn confirmed she is stepping away from coaching after one dynamic season to devote more time to her family.
“I’m still at Woodstown,” she said, “but with my daughter being so young and my parents retiring/moving down south, I needed more time to devote to my family.
“It really broke my heart, but as a mom and parent I knew it had to be done. I know the girls will be great and will always have my support.”
In Straughn’s single season as head coach, the Wolverines went 21-7, won a fourth straight Tri-County Diamond Division title and lost at Wildwood in the South Jersey Group I championship game marred by a chaotic finish.
In the closing seconds of that game, the crowd poured onto the floor after the Warriors hit a go-ahead 3-pointer from the left corner believing time had expired. Straughn, however, had called time immediately after the basket, game officials conferred and put a few seconds back on the clock, but the Wolverines never got a good shot after rushing down the floor.
The process of finding Straughn’s successor continues as the Wolverines prepare for their summer league season. The teaching opportunities available in the school system will be a factor in the search.
Whoever gets the job, they will inherit a team with two of the most dynamic scorers in South Jersey. Rising senior guards Talia Battavio and Megan Donelson are both on track to surpass more than 1,500 career points next season.
The Wolverines recently were installed as the No. 2 seed in the West Region of the South Jersey Invitational Basketball Tournament.
Woodstown boys coach Phil Campbell stepped away at the end of the season.
Cover photo: Woodstown girls basketball coach Kara Straughn watches her team during a game last season. Her father and assistant coach, retiring Wolverines teacher and softball coach Dave Wildermuth. is seated next to her on the bench.
Riverview Sports News 