Arianna Sharpe ran a hot 400 PR Saturday at Fast Times at Cherokee High, edging U.S. indoor national scholastic champion Julia Jackson of Scotch Plains-Fanwood.
Arianna Sharpe won the 400 in 53.95, and Jackson was 2nd in 54.04. Amirah Sharpe placed 3rd with a 55.48.
Arianna, Amirah and Ariel Sharpe are all attending Clayton High School affiliation as part of New Jersey’s Bridge Year Pilot Program, which allows students to participate in a fifth year of extra-curricular activities while attending high school – including spring sports – as long as they don’t turn 20 before the end of their bridge year.
This is uncharted waters, but the Sharpe sisters still attend Clayton. They competed for the Sharpe Track Club indoors – their dad, Fred Sharpe, is a legendary intermediate hurdler and middle-distance runner from Paulsboro – and their performances will be continue to be listed in all of our performance lists with an indication that they were achieved during a bridge year.
Whatever the details, 53.95 is really fast.
It’s fastest by a South Jersey high school girl since Michelle Brown set the South Jersey record of 52.91 in 2009 at Nike Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, N.C., and No. 11 in state history, a list that begins with two Olympic gold medalists and a U.S. indoor nationals runner-up.
51.87 … Sydney McLoughlin [Union Catholic], 2016
51.98 … Athing Mu [Trenton], 2019
52.46 … Olivia Baker [Columbia], 2014
52.56 … Mikele Barber [Montclair], 1998
52.91 … Michelle Brown [Seneca], 2009
53.0h … Stephanie Saleem [Neptune], 1985
53.51 … Dana Burnett [Williamstown], 1996
53.64 … Nijgia Snapp [Oakcrest], 2008
53.66 … Giselle Harris [Shabazz], 1986
53.84 … Drexel Long [Monmouth], 1991
53.95 … Arianna Sharpe [Clayton], 2022
Only 73 U.S. college women have run as fast as 53.95 this year. According to the World Athletics web site, 53.95 would rank Arianna Sharpe No. 63 among U.S. women and No. 18 in the world in the Under-20 division. It’s also No. 5 on the MileSplit 2022 high school national list and No. 1 outside Texas and California.
Amirah Sharpe had already run 54.19 this spring in a meet in Greensboro, and she’s currently listed at No. 10 on the U.S. high school list. Jackson, who ran 53.73 indoors at Armory Nationals (54.14 in the final), is currently No. 6 nationally.
In the 200, Arianna Sharpe ran 24.75, Jackson 24.81, Amirah Sharpe 25.08 and Ariel Sharpe 25.69. That’s a PR for Ariel. Cherokee sophomore Madison Van Haren also broke 26, taking 5th with a personal-best 25.97.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 