Washington Township freshman Kami Joi Hickson has been running consistently well all year, but she enjoyed a massive breakthrough at states, running 2:12.72 to place third in the Group 4 meet at Egg Harbor.
In an incredibly fast race — 13 girls ran 2:16.91 or faster — Hickson finished behind only Ridge senior Brooke Facio (2:11.25) and Kingsway senior Rachel Vick (PR 2:12.28).
Her time was sixth-fastest of all the state championship meets. Final seeds for Saturday’s meet at Northern Burlington should be announced on Tuesday.
Hickson’s previous PR was 2:14.99, when she won indoor states at the Bubble on her way to fourth place in the Meet of Champions. Her outdoor PR was 2:16.29 at Haddonfield Distance Night last month.
Hickson is now less than three seconds away from Michelle Rowen’s 35-year-old school record of 2:10.1, which has always seemed untouchable.
Her time is No. 15 in South Jersey history and fastest in seven years, since another Gloucester County half-miler, Kingsway’s Liz Locke, ran 2:12.63 in 2010.
Curiously, nine of the 18 times in South Jersey history of 2:13.00 or faster were recorded during the six-year period from 2005 through 2010. There were two in the 1980s, three in the 1990s and now just two in the last seven years.
Also interesting that all three South Jersey girls who have run 2:13.00 or faster since 2010 are from Gloucester County — Locke, Vick and Hickson.
Let’s take a look at all-time South Jersey list”:
2:07.33 … Marielle Hall (Haddonfield), 2009
2:08.87 … Erin Donohue (Haddonfield), 2001
2:09.2h … Katrina Sye (Buena), 1999
2:09.50 … Renee Tomlin (Ocean City), 2005
2:10.1h … Michelle Rowen (Washington Twp.), 1982
2:10.57 … Nijgia Snapp (Oakcrest), 2009
2:10.79 … Krista Ferrara (Vineland), 1991
2:10.9h … Ruth Lockbaum (Glassboro), 1985
2:11.07 … Miya Johnson (Lenape), 2007
2:11.56 … Mary Bohi (Seneca), 2009
2:12.0h … Monica Olkowski (Cherokee), 1990
2:12.28 … Rachel Vick (Kingsway), 2017
2:12.61 … Felicia O’Donnell (Delsea), 2009
2:12.63 … Liz Locke (Kingsway), 2010
2:12.72 … Kami Jo Hickson (Washington Twp.), 2017
2:12.83 … Brooke Kott (Millville), 2008
2:12.85 … Greta Feldman (Haddonfield), 2008
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 