JACKSONVILLE, FLA. – With a Tiger 4×400 relay squad advancing to nationals while setting a new Ivy League record, the Princeton men’s track and field team closed out competition at the NCAA East First Round on Friday in Jacksonville. 

In addition to the relay squad, three Tigers punched their tickets for Eugene on day two. Harrison Witt will head to Eugene for the 1500m, Sam Rodman will be advancing in the 800m, and Casey Helm qualified for NCAAs in the discus. 

In the 4×400 relay, Karl Dietz, Xavier Donaldson, Kavon Miller and Joey Gant ran a blazing 3:02.62 to set a new Ivy League record. Their time cleared the previous Ivy record of 3:03.76, set by Harvard in 2024. 

Gant, running a 44.92 anchor leg, made a kick to take second in the heat and secure the ticket-punch for Princeton. 

In the 1500m, Witt clocked in at 3:38.83, taking second place just 0.18 seconds behind Georgetown’s Abel Teffra to automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships. The trip will mark Witt’s first trip to Eugene for the outdoor championships, and fourth NCAA appearance overall. 

Rodman will also head to Eugene for his fifth career NCAA appearance.after winning his heat in the 800m. In a close race, Rodman surged across the finish line to advance automatically with a time of 1:47.24. 

In the discus, Helm jumped into fourth place with a clutch final throw attempt of 59.19m/194-2″ to secure his second trip to Eugene. 

On day three, Chris Paige also set a new PR in the 400mH, clocking in at     50.47. 

Up Next

Princeton will now look to the NCAA Outdoor Championships on June 11-14 in Eugene, Ore. 

 

After a scheduled league game was postponed, Spalding Water Polo hosted their own internal friendly match.

The squad was split into two teams – Sharks captained by Nathan Henfrey and Orcas captained by Phil James.

The Orcas opened the scoring in the first quarter with Paul Greenslade finding the net, but Adam Gibbons scored two for the Sharks to give them the lead.

Orcas were able to level the game with Aaron Trevor scoring, before two goals from Adam Found and one more from Adam Gibbons gave the Sharks a 5-2 lead after the first quarter.

The second quarter was evenly matched with four goals scored for each team.

Goals from the Orcas came from Tom Marsters, Ben Hales, Phil James and Aaron Trevor.

The scorers for the Sharks being Joe Scotney, Adam Gibbon and two for Nathan Henfrey which made it 9-6 at half-time to the Sharks.

The third quarter saw the Sharks extend their lead with goals from Nick Rickett, Nathan Henfrey and two from Adam Found.

With the Orcas only managing one through Aaron Trevor, it left the score going into the final quarter at 13-7.

In the fourth quarter, the Orcas pushed to narrow the score with two goals from Phil James and one from Tom Marsters.

However, the Sharks were able to score three of their own, all coming from Adam Found giving him seven goals for the night.

In the final minutes, the Sharks were happy to slow the game down and cement the victory with the final score of 16-10.

“It was so lovely to see such a vibrant club full of keen enthusiastic members,” said Mark Le Sage after the game.

Spalding Water Polo move to their summer home at Bourne outdoor pool from June through until August on Tuesday evenings.

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COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The No. 17 Texas Men’s Track and Field team advanced seven entries to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore., on the final day of the NCAA West First Round. The Longhorns also set three program records at E. B. Cushing Stadium on Friday night.

The men’s 4×100-meter relay of Kendrick Smallwood, John Rutledge, Almond Small and Xavier Butler posted the fastest time in the region at 38.57 to advance to the semis in Oregon. It also took down the program record that was set last season (38.60) in Eugene by Marcellus Moore, Nolton Shelvin, Small and Rutledge.

Kelsey Daniel only needed two jumps to qualify for the triple jump, using his second jump of 6.34m (53-7.5) to secure a spot at NCAAs. The jump was an outdoor personal best, the fourth best in the competition and moved him to No. 8 on the school’s all-time performer list.

Sophomore Osawese Agbonkonkon also advanced to the NCAA Championships in the high jump after matching his personal-best jump of 2.17m (7-1.50). It marks the first time in his career that he has reached the NCAA meet.

Later in the afternoon, Smallwood matched his program record in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 13.13 and broke Texas A&M’s facility record on his way to the fastest qualifying time in the west. Smallwood now holds the six fastest times in school history.

Xavier Butler took down his second program record of the day after running the 200-meters in 20.02 seconds. The time bested Micaiah Harris’s six-year school record set at the 2019 NCAA Championship meet. Butler’s time was the second-fastest time of the day and earned him a spot at his first-ever NCAA Championship.

Kody Blackwood will compete in his third NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 400-meter hurdles after posting the fastest qualifying time in 48.83. The time is the 17th-fastest time in Texas history.

The men’s 4×400-meter relay of Blackwood, Logan Popelka, Nabil Tezkratt and Rutledge finished with the fourth-fastest time of the competition at 3:02.55 to advance to the NCAA semifinals. The time was the 10th-fastest time in school history.

Results

Smallwood, Rutledge, Small, Butler – 1^st – 4×100 – 38.57

Kendrick Smallwood – 1^st – 110mH – 13.13

Kody Blackwood – 1^st – 400mH – 48.83

Xavier Butler – 2^nd – 200m – 20.02

Kelsey Daniel – 4^th – triple jump – 16.34m

Blackwood, Popelka, Tezkratt, Rutledge – 4^th – 4×400 – 3:02.55

Osawese Agbonkonkon – 10^th – high jump – 2.17m

Chris Brinkley – 16^th – 400mH – 50.99

Nabil Tezkratt – 22^nd – 400m – 46.52

DEKALB, Ill. – Kamiya Dendy (Anderson, S.C./Pendleton) will represent the Northern Illinois University women’s track and field team on Saturday, May 31, in the high jump at the NCAA West First Round at E.B. Cushing Stadium in College Station, Texas, hosted by Texas A&M.

Dendy, who won the Mid-American Conference high jump crown two weeks ago by clearing a career-best height of 1.79 meters (5-10.50), will be in the first of two flights in the field of 48 competitors at the meet. The top 12 finishers will advance to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., June 11-14. 

The Anderson, S.C., native is tied for 42nd on the NCAA high jump list this season and is the fourth Huskie to qualify for the NCAA First Round in the high jump since 2014, joining Claudette Day (2014), Channel Palmer (2015, 2016 and 2017) and Arianna Calloway (2024). Day tied for 11th at the west preliminary in 2014 and advanced to the NCAA Championships, where she finished tied for 21st.

Competition in the high jump is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. CT on Saturday afternoon. 

 

It was another action-packed week of ranked matchups as the top teams in the state continue to battle.

The state sectional tournaments began on Wednesday night and continued into Thursday with most first-round matchups taking place.

Below, check out the latest Top 20 rankings from this past week as the tournaments begin to heat up.

1-Old Bridge (28-1)

Last week: No. 1

The Knights cruised in the first round of the South, Group 4 tournament. Old Bridge looks primed and ready to make another deep run in states. This comes after securing the GMC title once again.

Up next: 6/2 – SJG4 Quarters

2-Southern (26-1)

Last week: No. 2

Southern is in Group 3 and the favorite to come away with a sectional title. The Rams won their 20th game in a row in the first round against Long Branch.

Up next: 6/2 – SJG3 Quarters vs. Howell

3-Scotch Plains-Fanwood (24-4)

Last week: No. 3

The Raiders snapped a short two-game skid with a win over Don Bosco in the first round of the North, Group 3 tournament. Scotch Plains-Fanwood began its title defense with a victory and will now advance to the quarters.

Up next: 6/2 – NJG3 Quarters vs. Belleville

4-Monroe (21-7)

Last week: No. 4

Monroe continues to roll with its last two wins coming in two sets. The Falcons have now won 15 out of 17 games, with the two losses coming against the top two teams in the state.

Up next: 6/2 – SJG4 Quarters vs. Piscataway

5-St. Joseph (Met.) (23-5)

Last week: No. 5

St. Joseph has started its quest for a third consecutive sectional title. The Falcons took down Manchester Township in three sets to win its fourth game in a row.

Up next: 6/2 – SJG2 Quarter vs. St. Augustine

6-Harrison (26-2)

Last week: No. 6

Harrison is among the hottest teams in the state entering states. The Blue Tide entered as the top seed in North, Group 1 after a run to the Hudson County title. Harrison began its run with a victory against Becton.

Up next: 6/2 – NJG1 Quarters vs. Glen Ridge

7-St. John Vianney (20-2)

Last week: No. 7

The Lancers reached 20 wins on the season after taking down Newark Vocational in the first round of the South, Group 1 tournament. St. John Vianney is the two-time defending champion in the section.

Up next: 6/2 – SJG1 Quarters

8-Holmdel (21-3)

Last week: No. 8

Holmdel got back in the win column on Thursday afternoon. The Hornets recovered from a semifinal loss in the Shore Conference Tournament to defeat Lacey in two sets in the sectional tournament.

Up next: 6/2 – SJG2 Quarters

9-Hillsborough (24-4)

Last week: No. 9

Hillsborough made it 23 wins in a row after taking down Cherokee in two sets in the opening round of the South, Group 4 tournament. The Raiders have what it takes to continue on deep into the postseason.

Up next: 6/2 – SJG4 Quarters vs. Lenape

10-Fair Lawn (22-6)

Last week: No. 10

Fair Lawn is a major contender in North, Group 3. It began its run in the tournament with a win in two sets against Iselin Kennedy.

Up next: 6/2 – NJG3 Quarters vs. Kearny

11-Barnegat (22-4)

Last week: No. 11

Barnegat finished the regular season with a win after defeating Toms River South, and won its first matchup in the postseason against Cinnaminson in the first round. Barnegat will now face Pleasantville in the quarterfinal round.

Up next: 6/2 vs Pleasantville

12-Kingsway (24-4)

Last week: No. 12

After winning the Tri-County Conference tournament a week ago, Kingsway has pushed its winning streak to five games following its first round victory over Hunterdon Central in the first round of the South Jersey, Group 4 tournament.

Up next: 6/2 vs Bridgewater-Raritan

13-West Caldwell Tech (21-6)

Last week: No. 13

West Caldwell Tech remains in the 13th spot after a consistent week resulted in a first round victory over North Arlington in the North Jersey Group 1 tournament. West Caldwell Tech is currently on a four game winning streak.

Up next: 6/2 vs Jefferson

14-Hudson Catholic (18-4)

Last week: No. 14

Hudson Catholic has lost three straight games, including the final round of the Hudson County Tournament, but it looks to get back on track as it will take on Thomas Edison Energy Charter in the first round of the state playoffs.

Up next: 5/30 vs Thomas Edison Energy Charter

15-Lenape (21-4)

Last week: No. 15

Lenape has won 11 consecutive games, and is coming into the state tournament as one of the hottest teams in the state. Lenape started its tournament run with a 2-0 victory over Eastern.

Up next: 6/2 at Hillsborough

16-Elizabeth (21-3)

Last week: No. 16

Elizabeth is the top seed in the North Jersey, Group 4 tournament, and finished the season on a three game winning streak before defeating Irvington, 2-0, in the first round.

Up next: 6/2 vs Demarest

17-Ramapo (18-2)

Last week: NR

Ramapo is in the rankings this week after finishing the regular season on a three-game winning streak. Ramapo also took down Hillside in the first round of the North Jersey, Group 2 tournament, and has a ton of momentum as it makes its postseason run.

Up next: 6/2 vs Payne Tech

18-Hackensack (26-2)

Last week: No. 18

Hackensack suffered its first two losses of the season in back-to-back games, and since, has gone 4-0 including a first round victory over Middletown South.

Up next: 6/2 vs Watchung Hills

19-Marlboro (19-6)

Last week: No. 17

Marlboro lost to Southern in the final round of the Shore Conference tournament, and is looking to get back in the win column when it faces Colts Neck in the first round on Friday.

Up next: 5/30 vs Colts Neck

20-Passaic Tech (18-6)

Last week: No. 20

Passaic Tech went 3-1 in the final four games of the regular season, and it picked up a first round win against Plainfield in the North Jersey, Group 4 tournament.

Up next: 6/2 vs North Bergen

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Greg Patuto can be reached at gpatuto@njadvancemedia.com.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – DePaul senior Darius Brown is headed back to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships after a record performance in the men’s 110m hurdles at the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds on Friday night. With Brown and Alex Bernstein both advancing to Eugene, DePaul will send multiple athletes to the NCAA Final Rounds for the first time since 2012.
 
The evening began with the men’s 4x100m relay. The BIG EAST Champion squad, featuring Brown, Demetrius Rolle, Dominic Cole, and Charles Lewis, recorded a DNF after a miscue disrupted the exchange. Cole and Lewis concluded their Blue Demon careers as part of the fastest 4x100m unit in program history.
 
Rolle returned to the track shortly after for the men’s 100m quarterfinal. The graduate sprinter clocked a 10.26, just .02 seconds off his program-best time, finishing 21st in the West and nine places shy of Championship qualification.
 
Brown then took the track for the 110m hurdles, continuing his dominant postseason by lowering his own school record for the second straight meet. After running a 13.40 to win his third BIG EAST title earlier this month, he trimmed that mark to 13.37 in College Station, finishing seventh overall in the West to punch his return ticket to nationals. He closed strong down the stretch to secure his second consecutive NCAA Outdoor Final Rounds berth. Already tied as DePaul’s most decorated track and field athlete with three All-America honors, Brown will have the opportunity to claim the top spot outright with a fourth All-America finish in Eugene.
 
NCAA West Preliminary Rounds – Day Three
E.B. Cushing Stadium – College Station, Texas
Friday, May 30
 
Men’s 4x100m Relay: DNF – Cole, Lewis, Brown, Rolle
Men’s 110m Hurdles: 7. Darius Brown – 13.37 (PR, School record)
Men’s 100m: 21. Demetrius Rolle – 10.26
 
UP NEXT
DePaul closes its stay in College Station on Saturday with the women’s discus, women’s triple jump, and 3000m SC.
 
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