Washington Township sophomore Dahlia Beasley became the first South Jersey quarter-miler to dip under 60 seconds this season with a 59.43 at the Ocean Breeze Invitational.
Beasley placed third behind Christian Nwachuku of Kent Place School in Summit (58.46) and Celine-Jada Brown of Plainfield (59.39) at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Center in Staten Island, N.Y.
It was only the second indoor 400 Beasley has run. During last winter’s abbreviated indoor season she ran a 1:05.5 at the Hispanic Games at the Armory. She ran within 9-100ths of a second of her overall PR of 59.34, which she set in a dual meet last spring at Eastern.
Beasley, who also a 5-4 high jumper, ranks 7th in the state in the early going in the 400.
Her 59.34 is fastest by a Washington Township girl indoors in 10 years, since Nicole Tiernan ran 57.44 and Megan Tiernan 58.14 in the winter of 2011. It’s fastest indoors by any Gloucester County girl indoors in four years, since Aalliya Fox of Delsea ran 59.15 at the 2018 state Group 2 meet.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 