Lumberton’s Greg Foster shattered the state triple jump record Thursday at New Balance Nationals.
Foster, a senior at Lawrenceville School, had three jumps over 50 feet including a state-record 51-0 ¾ on his final jump at Franklin Field.
https://results.nbnationalsout.com
Foster broke the state record of 50-9 ¼ set in 2018 by Khaliel Burnett of Delsea at the state Group 3 meet at Central Regional in Bayville.
Foster entered competition Thursday with a PR of 49-9 ¼ from Ocean Breeze Nationals in March.
Although he jumped 47-9 ½ last July at the USATF Junior Olympic Championships in Jacksonville, his official high school outdoor PR was 43-11 ¼ from a meet last month in Pottstown, Pa.
Foster’s father, also Greg, graduated from Shawnee and had a triple jump PR of 53-6 ½ set in a meet in Flagstaff, Ariz., in May of 1988. He competed later that summer at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Indianapolis.
The national schoolboy title is Foster’s 4th. Indoors, he won long jump at 25-4 ½ at Ocean Breeze Nationals, the triple jump with that 49-9 ¼ and the 60-meter hurdles in 7.43. He shoots for No. 5 Sunday back at Franklin Field in the long jump.
On Thursday, Foster opened with a 50-6 and a 50-2 ¾ – his first two lifetime 50-foot jumps – before fouling on his 3rd attempt. He opened the finals at 49-7 ¾ and a foul before nailing the record-setting jump on his 6th and final attempt.
Ryan John of Valley Stream, N.Y., placed 2nd at 50-1 ¼ , so Foster had the three-best jumps of the competition.
His four legal jumps averaged 50-4 ¼ – enough to win the meet.
Foster, who has signed with Princeton, broke the Mercer County record of 50-0 1/4 set in 2007 by Devon Bond of Trenton.
Timber Creek senior Jaden Johnson jumped 46-10 and placed 8th, earning All-America honors. He set his PR of 47-7 ½ last weekend at the state Group 3 meet at Pennsauken. That’s No. 8 in South Jersey history.
ALL-TIME N.J TRIPLE JUMP LIST
51-0 ¾ … Greg Foster [Lawrenceville School], 2022
50-9 1/4 … Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], 2018
50-6 3/4 … Dominique Irons [Haddon Heights], 2013
50-5 … Chris Phipps [Lodi], 2008
50-3 1/4 … Dodley Thermitus [Elizabeth], 2016
50-2 1/2 … Eric Bethea [Piscataway], 2015
50-2 ½ … Floyd Whitaker [Highland], 2019
50-1 1/2 … Myles Hartsfield [Sayreville], 2014
50-0 1/4 … Devon Bond [Trenton], 2007
49-11 1/2 … Devin Jones [Boonton], 2010
49-5 … Jon Pitt [South Brunswick], 2013
49-4 3/4 … Tiquan Underwood [Notre Dame], 2005
49-1 1/4 … Rolston Braithwaite [Trenton], 2008
49-0 1/2 … Anthony DiCosmo [Paramus Catholic], 1995
49-0 … Nadale Buntin [J.P. Stevens], 2018
48-10 1/2 … Larry Russell [Timber Creek], 2015
48-10 … Adam Bergo [Westfield], 2008
48-9 1/4 … Richmond Shasha [Hamilton West], 2019
48-9 … Jayhlen Washington [North Brunswick], 2017
48-7 … A.J. McKay [Mount Olive], 2021
48-6 … Joseph Oduro [South Plainfield], 2022
48-3 ½ … Stephon Kelley-Gordon [Carteret], 2018
48-3 1/4 … Ryan Chance [Glassboro], 2009
48-3 … Barden Adams [West Orange], 2014
48-2 1/2 … Kyle Lindsey [Paterson], 2006
48-2 1/2 … Tyrell Judson [Piscataway], 2013
48-2 1/4 … Bernard Hoover [Hasbrouck Heights], 2004
48-2 … Craig Halyard [Ridgewood], 1989
48-2 … Emeke Eze [Sayreville], 2012
48-1 1/2 … Sean Wimbush [Teaneck], 2011
48-1 1/2 … Malik Snead [Hamilton West], 2015
48-1 ½ … Mubeen Momodu [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2019
48-1 ¼ … Orion Joyner [Kingsway], 2019
48-1 1/4 … Aaron King [Morris Hills], 2007
48-0 1/4 … Gerald Spears [Teaneck], 1989
48-0 1/4 … Darius Pemberton [Hackensack], 1992
48-0 … Josh Butler [Delsea], 2006
48-0 … Kevin Bostick [Bergen Catholic], 2008
48-0 … Dean Uduh [Columbia], 2015
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 