Rowan freshman Marquise Young outraced Montclair State’s Kimani Carrington in the hurdles by 5-100ths of a second Monday to win his first NJAC title.
Young, a Sterling graduate, ran a personal-best 8.25 over the 60-meter highs at the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championships at Ocean Breeze. Carrington was second in 8.30.
In the trials, Young led all qualifiers with an 8.27, with Carrington next at 8.45. The final was closer, but it was Young all the way.
Young’s 8.27 broke his PR of 8.30, which he set at the Bomber Invitational earlier this month at Ithaca. This is his first year of indoor track at Rowan, although he ran outdoors last spring and was 2nd to freshman teammate Liam Davies of Wissahickon High in the NJAC Championships in the 110 highs and placed 4th in the intermediates. Davies is no longer listed on Rowan’s roster.
Young’s time ranks No. 17 in NCAA Division 3 so far this year. The top 20 performers in each individual event qualify for NCAAs.
Young competed in the spring of 2019 for Camden County College and placed 2nd in both the 110 highs and 400 intermediates at the NJCAA Division 3 Outdoor National Championships at Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica, N.Y. In both races he finished behind Deptford graduate Glenn Abbott of Glouester County College.
The Pros outscored The College of New Jersey 184 ½-138 ½ to win their 7th consecutive title.
Rowan will look to improve on its qualifying marks for NCAA Division 3 Nationals at the Fasttrack Last Chance at Ocean Breeze on Friday and then at the AARTFC Championships in Rochester March 4-5.
Nationals are scheduled for March 11-12 at JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, N.C.
It was a big day all around for Sterling graduates at the NJAC meet.
In addition to Young, Rowan sophomore Jah’mere Beasley placed second in the 60 with a school-record 6.89, took second in the 200 with the No. 19 time in NCAA Division 3 history and ran a leg on Rowan’s winning 800-meter relay team, which ran the 2nd-fastest time in Division 3 history. Another Sterling graduate, Stockton senior Jessie Klenk, won the women’s mile.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 