From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Aliyah Taylor ran 57.54 Saturday morning to win her second straight state Group 4 title at 400 meters. The Rancocas Valley senior won in 56.76 last year.

A total of nine runners from the last two sections broke 60 seconds in the race. Portia Jones of Watchung Hills, a Meet of Champions 400 finalist last spring, was second in 58.29.

Taylor is the first Rancocas Valley girl to win a state title in consecutive years indoors or outdoors in 30 years, since Tonya Lee won the 100-meter hurdles in Group 3 in both 1987 and 1988. Lee went on to become a finalist in the Olympic Trials 400-meter hurdles in 1996.

Taylor, who will run the 55 later Saturday, has a 400 PR of 55.21, which she ran in winning the Easterns title at the Armory last winter. She’s run as fast as 7.01 for the 55.