From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Just a couple hours after Jaden Johnson became Timber Creek’s first Meet of Champions winner ever, Chace Pearson became the second.

Pearson made it a Timber Creek sweep of the horizontal jumps Friday night at the 53rd annual Meet of Champions, winning the long jump with a personal-best 23-3 jump after Johnson won the triple jump with a PR 46-9 ½.

Pearson’s previous PR was 22-6 ¼ at South Jersey Group 3 states last spring at Pennsauken, and his indoor PR was 22-5 from last week at a meet in Fair Lawn, Bergen County.

Pearson won by 4 ½ inches over Fort Lee’s Tyson Lowe, who was second at 22-10 ½. Hammonton senior Connor Wright and Mainland Regional junior William Murray made it three South Jersey jumpers in the top eight. Wright was 5th at 22-0 ½, well beyond his PR of 21-7 from a tri-meet at Hammonton last April, and Murray jumped 21-7 ½, just 2 ½ inches shy of his PR from last month at the Bubble.

For Pearson, the winning jump moved him into the No. 15 spot on the all-time South Jersey indoor long jump list and No. 6 in Camden County history. He’s also No. 25 on the all-time state list, which as you can see below is dominated by South Jersey jumpers.

This is only the third year the long jump has been held at the indoor Meet of Champions. Floyd Whitaker of Highland set the meet record of 23-5 ½ in 2020 at Ocean Breeze, and Princeton’s Nils Wildberg won the 2019 meet at 23-4.

This is the fourth time in meet history and the first time in 18 years two boys from the same South Jersey school have won events at an indoor Meet of Champions.

In 1985 at Jadwin Gym, Edgewood had three winners – Brian Bennett won the 400, Kerry Vivett the high jump and Lee Jerkins the 55-meter dash. In 1994, Bridgeton’s Ray Wilks won the shot put and Royce Reed won the 400. And most recently, in 2004, Vineland’s Jamal Ames won the high jump and Darren Ford won the 55.

All-time South Jersey indoor long jump 23-foot list
25-5 ½ … Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1979
24-6 ¼ … Gerard Reynolds [Willingboro], 1990
24-2 ½ … Isaac Samuels [Kennedy], 1983
24-0 ¾ … Mike Morrison [Willingboro], 2003
24-0 ½ … William Spearmon [Wilson], 1996
23-11 ½ … Kerry Vivett [Edgewood], 1985
22-10 ¾ … Nick Brown [Bridgeton], 1999
23-10 ….. Matt Rose [Bordentown], 1985
23-9 …… Syteek Farrington [Camden], 2009
23-7 ¾ … Anthony Averett [Woodbury], 2012
23-5 ½ … Floyd Whitaker [Highland Reg.], 2020
23-4 ½ … Maurice Hunter [Woodbury], 1983
23-4 ….. Andrew Athias [Cherry Hill East], 2011
23-3 ¾ … Jamar Byrd [Vineland], 2005
23-3 … Chace Pearson [Timber Creek], 2022
23-2 ½ … Rich Winstead [Egg Harbor Twp.], 1988
23-1 ….. Mikhail Micheaux [Eastern], 2014
23-0 ….. Derek King [Cumberland Reg.], 1984

And here’s the all-time New Jersey indoor long jump list
25-5 ½ … Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1979
24-8 1/2 … Greg Foster [Lawrenceville School], 2022
24-6 ¼ … Gerard Reynolds [Willingboro], 1990
24-3 3/4 … Hanif Kendrick [Franklin]. 2007
24-3 1/4 … Kaelen Mitchell [Piscataway], 2021
24-2 ½ … Isaac Samuels [Kennedy], 1983
24-0 ¾ … Mike Morrison [Willingboro], 2003
24-0 1/4 … Justes Nance [Blair Academy], 2016
24-0 ½ … William Spearmon [Wilson], 1996
23-11 3/4 … Corey Crawford [Indian Hills], 2010
23-11 ½ … Kerry Vivett [Edgewood], 1985
22-10 ¾ … Nick Brown [Bridgeton], 1999
23-10 ….. Matt Rose [Bordentown], 1985
23-9 1/2 … James Bivins [Donovan Catholic], 2021
23-9 …… Syteek Farrington [Camden], 2009
23-7 ¾ … Anthony Averett [Woodbury], 2012
23-5 ½ … Floyd Whitaker [Highland Reg.], 2020
23-5 1/2 … Rahdel Savage [Roselle], 2007
23-4 3/4 … Zack Bazile [St. Joe’s], 2014
23-4 1/2 … Nils Wildberg [Princeton], 2019
23-4 ½ … Maurice Hunter [Woodbury], 1983
23-4 ….. Andrew Athias [Cherry Hill East], 2011
23-3 ¾ … Jamar Byrd [Vineland], 2005
23-3 1/2 … Matias Pellegrino [Morris Knolls], 2018
23-3 … Jamal Williams [Teaneck], 2012
23-3 … Jon Pitt [South Brunswick], 2013
23-3 … Chace Pearson [Timber Creek], 2022
23-3 … Patrick Warren [Montgomery], 2016
23-2 1/4 … Tyler Heller [Hunterdon Central], 2020
23-2 ½ … Rich Winstead [Egg Harbor Twp.], 1988
23-2 … Victor Cotto [Bayonne], 2017
23-1 ….. Mikhail Micheaux [Eastern], 2014
23-0 ….. Derek King [Cumberland Reg.], 1984