Jaila Ash ran away from top-seeded Andree Celestin of West Orange and won the state Group 4 high hurdles title Saturday morning at Franklin Township High School.
Ash ran a lifetime-best 14.10 and Celestin, the state leader at 13.89, was second in 14.26. The field ran into a 1.0 meters-per-second wind.
Ash lowered her PR from 14.11, which she ran in the trials of the 2019 Olympic Conference Championships at Washington Township.
Her time is No. 15 in South Jersey history and No. 8 in Camden County history.
Ash won the 55-meter dash indoors in 2019 at the state Group 4 meet and at the Meet of Champions, but this is her first state title in the hurdles and also her first outdoor individual state championship.
Here’s a look at the all-time Camden County top-10. For the full all-time South Jersey top-50, click here.
13.79 … Ste’yce McNeil [Winslow], 2012
13.84 … Lenaami Morton [Camden], 2017
13.88 … Zonya Cross [Edgewood], 1983
13.98 … Cidae’a Woods [Winslow], 2014
13.99 … Imani Gilliam [Pennsauken], 2004
13.99 … Tionna Tobias [Winslow Twp.], 2018
14.09 … Nichole Belcher [Wilson], 1992
14.10 … Jailya Ash [Eastern], 2021
14.15 … Aliya Rae Garozzo [Paul VI], 2019
14.17 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2006
14.17 … Samantha Sharper [Wilson], 2008
On Friday, Ash ran 12.08 for second in the 100-meter dash, finishing second to Egg Harbor’s Lauren Princz.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 