Track sectionals: Middle produces two champions, Lower athlete qualifies for states in four events

Posted: May 18th 2026

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

Middle Township High School’s track and field program produced two champions and Lower Cape May saw one of its athletes earn four top-six finishes to highlight local athletes’ efforts at the South Jersey Group II championship meet last weekend at Delsea Regional High School.

A total of 15 athletes from Lower and Middle qualified for the state championship meet scheduled for later this month via top-six finishes in their respective events.

After a second-place finish in the event a season ago, Middle Township’s Allison Nagle broke through with a sectional championship in the javelin. Nagle tossed 109 feet, 9 inches to edge second-place Isabella Alvarez of Pleasantville by just shy of two feet.

On the boys side, Middle’s John Wright claimed a sectional title in discus by a comfortable margin. Wright’s best throw sailed 161-1, a distance of almost 22 feet ahead of second-place Josh Dixon of Pemberton.

Ella Biersbach shined for Lower Cape May, the senior qualifying for the state meet in four events. She placed second in the 200 with a school-record time of 25.89 seconds, which was just .09 behind the winner, Phallen Still of Collingswood. Biersbach was also third in the 100 and third in the long jump. This marked the second straight season Biersbach qualified for states in the long jump. Biersbach also qualified for the state meet in the 4x100 relay with a sixth-place finish with teammates Jasmine Black, Jenna Hill and Abby Verity.

Other qualifiers from the Middle boys team included Noah Nagle with a fourth-place finish in the pole vault, Liam Brannon with a sixth-place showing in the javelin and Jamar Mack with a sixth-place effort in the 800 (in a school-record time of 2:00.5).

Other Middle girls qualifiers included Haylie Rowlands in third place in the pole vault. Teagan Emmer in fifth place in the 800, Zoe Super in fifth place in the 1600 and Emma Beasley in fifth place in the javelin.

Chris Duley was the lone male state qualifier from Lower with a sixth-place effort in the javelin.

Other female qualifiers from Lower included Willow Lanzone with a four-place showing in the pole vault and Black with a fifth-place finish in the 100 hurdles.