Pennsauken freshman Jade Pope won the high jump with a 5-4 clearance Wednesday at the second South Jersey Track Coaches Association meet at the Bennett Center in Toms River.
It was her first official high school high jump competition.
Four girls cleared 5-0 or better, which is pretty good this early in the season. Tionna Tobias of Winslow and Kenady Wilson of Willingboro both cleared 5-2 and Kassidy Mulryne of Allentown cleared 5-0. (Kennedy-Wilson could have been a dual meet in the mid-1980s!)
Pope’s 5-4 is the top mark in South Jersey in the early going this year and No. 2 in New Jersey.
Pope is the first South Jersey freshman to clear 5-4 or better indoors since Mary Durek of Shawnee in 2009. Derek cleared 5-6 that winter and went on to win the state Group 3 meet and place third in the Meet of Champions.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 