Heck of a 400 race at the Bennett Center, with Pennsauken junior Jade Pope edging Winslow senior Nylah Perry by 8-100ths of a second.
Pope won the South Jersey Group 3 400 title early Sunday morning in 58.01, with Perry in 58.09. Winslow’s Janeya Hammond [58.84], Shawnee’s Amanda Demko [59.53] and absegami’s Diamond McLaughlin [59.93] also ran under a minute.
The three repeated their 1-2-3 finish from last year, when Pope ran 57.46, Perry 58.24 and Hammond 58.60.
Pope was second to Winslow’s Flora Ahiarakwe as a freshman, so she’s placed in the top two three straight years now with one to go.
Pope’s time is No. 3 in South Jersey this year behind Perry’s 56.85 at the Varsity Classic and Hammond’s 57.59 at the Hispanic Games, both at the Armory.
The Group 2 and 3 sectionals are just getting underway at the Bennett Center so lots of good stuff to come this morning and this afternoon!
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 