Jewel Ash’s first outdoor college track meet was a very good one.
Ash, an Eastern graduate and freshman at Charleston Southern in South Carolina, won the 400-meter intermediates at the Alan Connie Shamrock Invitational at Doug Shaw Stadium in Myrtle Beach in 1:02.43. She edged teammate Caroline Edmondson, who was second in 1:03.11.
It took Ash one college race to move into the all-time Charleston Southern top-10. Her 1:02.43 ranks seventh in school history, just behind Amerikorie Odey’s 62.12 at the 2009 Big South Championships. Odey ran for Willingboro, graduating in 2006.
Ash has run faster only once and that was in her last outdoor meet – 21 months ago. She ran 1:01.46 at the 2019 Meet of Champions at Northern Burlington.
Her time is No. 1 so far this outdoor season in the Big South and No. 12 among all NCAA Division 1 freshmen.
Ash also ran 14.68 in the 100-meter hurdles trials over the weekend, although that was assisted by a 5.1-meters-per-second wind and not eligible for record or list purposes. She ran a bit slower in the final, which was also wind-aided.
Last month, Ash ran 57.33 indoors for the flat 400, an indoor PR.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 