Here’s a name out of the past we should all be happy to see: Jasmine Staten.
In what appears to be her first race in nearly FOUR YEARS, the Bloomfield sophomore won the 60-meter hurdles Sunday at the Princeton Invitational at Jadwin Gym.
Staten, who starred for Lenape before graduating from Rancocas Valley, last competed in the 2018 spring season, according to her Direct Athletics profile.
As a Bloomfield freshman at the Central Athletic Collegiat Conference Championships in Lakewood, she won the 100-meter high hurdles in 14.40, won the 200 in 25.53, was 3rd in the long jump at 17-1 ½, took 4th in the 400 in 1:00.18, led off the winning 400 relay team and anchored the winning 1,600-meter relay team.
And then nothing in all of 2019, all of 2020 and all of 2021.
But on Sunday, Staten resurfaced in what looks like her first indoor meet since her junior year at Lenape, when she finished the season at the Varsity Classic at the Armory in February of 2016. Although she graduated from R.V., she never
In the 60 hurdles trials, she led all qualifiers with a 8.91, with teammates Autumn DeMary of Kingsway next at 9.01 and TeSeanna Harris who ran at Camden (and graduated from Creative Arts Morgan Village Academy) 3rd at 9.20.
In the final, Staten ran 8.93, DeMary was 2nd at 8.96 and Harris 3rd in 9.03. Harris, DeMary and Staten also ran on the 2nd-place 1,600-meter relay tam, which was 2nd in 4:00.40.
The CACC only lists an outdoor track championships on its 2022 championship schedule, so I guess there is no indoor conference championship meet this year, unfortunately.
It’s been a while, but it’s great to have Staten back!
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 