Timber Creek senior Jaden Johnson II won his first Meet of Champions title, moved up to No. 7 in South Jersey and broke the meet triple jump record Friday at the 53rd annual Meet of Champions
Johnson jumped 46-9 ½ and won by more than two feet over Heru Dwyer of Piscataway, who was second at 44-7.
The triple jump is not contested at the state level indoors but was added at the Meet of Champions in 2020.
Highland’s Floyd Whittaker – who has jumped over 51 feet this winter for the University of Minnesota (competing unattached) – won the inaugural M-of-C triple jump at Ocean Breeze two years ago at 46-3 ¼, which stood as the meet record for two years because the meet wasn’t held last year.
Johnson’s previous PR was a 46-5 ¼ at Ocean Breeze last month. His outdoor PR is 46-0 from a quad meet with Haddon Township, Sterling and Collingswood this past May at Haddon Township.
Johnson is the first Timber Creek boy to win an indoor Meet of Champions title.
The state’s top triple jumper is Lumberton resident Greg Foster, who leaped 48-9 ½ at Ocean Breeze last month. He’s not eligible for South Jersey lists because he attends Lawrenceville Prep in Mercer County. He also is ineligible for the Meet of Champions Lawrenceville Prep does not belong to the NJSIAA.
All-time South Jersey indoor 45-foot triple jump list:
49- 1 …..… Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], 2018
48- 9 …..… Dominique Irons [Haddon Heights], 2013
48- 8 ½ … Tristan Wilson [Delsea], 2014
48- 1 ¼ … Wayne Walls [Camden], 2009
47- 3 …..… Rhodeni Spence [Woodrow Wilson], 2007
46-10 ¾ … Floyd Whitaker [Highland], 2020
46-9 ½ … Jaden Johnson [Timber Creek], 2022
46- 5 …….. Orion Joyner [Kingsway], 2019
46- 3 ½ … Keon Grady [Delsea], 2018
45-10 …..… Kevin Kevelier [Collingswood], 2020
45- 3 ½ … Zakiyy Williams [Rancocas Valley], 2015
45- 0 …….. Earnest Daniel [Kingsway], 2017
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 