Millville freshman Bryanna Craig opened her heptathlon at the US.S Under-20 Championships with a huge personal-best of 14.49 in the high hurdles.
Craig scored 910 points in the opening 100-meter hurdles.
Craig, the national freshman record holder and national scholastic champion, had a previous PR of 14.65 from New Balance Nationals last weekend in Greensboro, N.C.
Her hurdles time is fastest by a South Jersey freshman since Alethia Jenkins of Pennsauken ran 14.21 to place second at the 1999 Meet of Champions.
It’s also No. 8 in South Jersey this year and No. 4 in Cumberland County history, behind Malea Broome of Millville, who ran 14.26 at this year’s Meet of Champions; Helen Wilks of Bridgeton, who ran 14.38 in 1994, and Rachel Armstead of Millville, who ran 14.38 in 2015.
Anna Hall, the national high school record holder and meet record holder, led all competitors with a 13.95 in the same heat as Craig.
After one event, Craig is now 22 points ahead of her pace from last weekend, when she set a state record and a national freshman record of 4,958 points. She’s sitting in fourth place overall.
The next event up is the high jump at 4:30 p.m. at Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar, Fla.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 