Eastern’s Jailya Ash opened her senior season Saturday morning by advancing in the high hurdles at the adidas Indoor Nationals in Virginia Beach.
In her first race in a year, Ash auto advanced to Sunday’s semifinals by placing second in her qualifying heat in 8.74. The top two hurdlers in each of five heats and the next 14-fastest advanced.
Ash’s previous PR over the 60-meter indoor Barries was an 8.82 in 2019 at the Bullis Invitational at the 168th Street Armory, and her 8.74 is tied for 6th-fastest in South Jersey history. The 55-meter distance is usually run for high school meets, and Ash has a 55 hurdles PR of 8.03, which is tied for No. 8 in South Jersey history.
This is Ash’s first meet since she won the Meet of Champions with that 8.03 last March at Ocean Breeze. Ash was 3rd in the 100 at a the 2019 outdoor Meet of Champions in 11.90. The versatile Ash, who is headed for U. Conn, also won the 2019 indoor Meet of Champions at 55 meters with a 7.06.
Ash will race in the hurdles semis at 9:40 a.m. Sunday. The final is scheduled for 12:20 p.m. Sunday.
ALL-TIME S.J. GIRLS 60-METER HURDLES TOP-10
8.36 … Nia Ali [Pleasantville], 2006
8.50 … Ste’yce McNeil [Winslow Twp.], 2012
8.52 … Alethia Jenkins [Pennsauken], 2000
8.62 … Lenaami Morton [Camden], 2017
8.64 … Claudine Smith [Atlantic City], 2019
8.74 … Sherese Price [Pleasantville], 1998
8.74 … Jailya Ash [Eastern], 2021
8.80 … Carol Lewis [Willingboro], 1980
8.80 … Tionna Tobias [Winslow Twp.], 2019
8.83 … Brittany Preston [Winslow Twp.], 2016
EDIT: Ash just ran 7.85 to qualify for the 60-meter dash semifinals as well.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 