Eastern senior Jailya Ash ran the fastest hurdles time in the state this year in a meet against Winslow Friday at the Bubble.
Ash ran 8.19 in her first race at the 55-meter hurdles this winter. She ran 8.72 last month at adidas Indoor Nationals over the 60-meter barriers,
Ash raced Winslow’s Shevell Higgs, who has run 8.40 and was runner-up in the 55 highs at last year’s indoor state Group 3 meet. Higgs took second in this race in 8.74.
Ash and Higgs rank No. 1 and 2 in the state this year, Ash with her 8.19 and Higgs at 8.62 from another Bubble meet two weeks ago.
Rancocas Valley junior Anabella Chin is the only other South Jersey girl to run sub-9 this year, and she did that placing second to Higgs at the Bubble last month.
The U. Conn-bound Ash has a 55 hurdles PR of 8.03 from a year ago tomorrow, when she won the Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze. That’s No. 8 in South Jersey history.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 