Eastern senior Johnay Stilley recorded a huge hurdles PR Thursday at Ocean Breeze, winning the 55-meter highs in 8.34.
Stilley’s indoor PR coming into this season was 8.70 from the prelims of the state Group 4 meet at the Bubble this past February. She went on to have a terrific outdoor season, with a PR of 14.76 at sectionals and then a medal finish in 7th place at the Meet of Champions.
She lowered that 8.70 PR to 8.56 in her indoor opener at the Bubble and then to 8.52 leading all qualilfieres in the trials at the Coach Glynn Holiday Carnival at Ocean Breeze on Thursday.
In the final, she ran away from the field, finishing clear of 2nd-place Abigail Dennis of Northern Valley-Old Tappan, who ran 8.50.
Her time is No. 3 in Eastern history behind the Ash sisters. Jailya ran 8.03 to win the 2020 Meet of Champions and Jewel ran 8.15 in a meet at the Bubble in 2020. Jewel is now at Charleston Southern and was Big South Conference champ with a 57.16 in the intermediates last spring. Jailya is at Uconn and ran 13.58 last spring and was Big East runner-up.
Stilley’s time is No. 4 in the state so far this year and No. 1 in South Jersey.
Stilley also placed 4th in the 55-meter dash in 7.56 after a 7.51 in the trials. That’s No. 5 in South Jersey this year. Her previous 55 PR was 7.62 from the trials of indoor sectionals last year at the Bubble.
Here’s a look at the all-time South Jersey top-50 in the 55-meter hurdles!
7.89 … Ste’yce McNeil [Winslow Twp.], 2012
7.89 … Nia Ali [Pleasantville], 2006
7.92 … Carol Lewis [Willingboro], 1981
7.94 … Lenaami Morton [Camden], 2017
7.98 … Nichole Belcher [Woodrow Wilson], 1992
7.98 … Tionna Tobias [Winslow Twp.], 2019
8.01 … Samantha Sharper [Woodrow Wilson], 2008
8.03 … Alethia Jenkins [Pennsauken], 2000
8.03 … Jailya Ash [Eastern], 2020
8.03 … Claudine Smith [Atlantic City], 2018
8.04 … Zonya Cross [Edgewood], 1983
8.05 … Sherese Price [Pleasantville], 1998
8.06 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2006
8.10 … Nichole Hill [Oakcrest], 1997
8.11 … Cidae’a Woods [Winslow Twp.], 2014
8.15 … Jewel Ash [Eastern], 2020
8.17 … Torie Robinson [Winslow Twp.], 2014
8.17 … Aliya Rae Garozzo [Paul VI], 2020
8.18 … Gabrielle Bennett [Winslow Twp.], 2015
8.18 … Te’seanna Harris [Camden], 2019
8.19 … Brittany Preston [Winslow Twp,], 2016
8.21 … Anabella Chin [Rancocas Valley], 2022
8.22 … Jamillah Nock [Wilson], 2004
8.23 … Tierra Hooker [Timber Creek], 2019
8.24 … Malea Broome [Millville], 2019
8.26 … Jane Sharper [Woodrow Wilson], 2006
8.28 … Jasmine Staten [Lenape], 2016
8.29 … Keisha Williams [Camden], 2015
8.29 … Meredith Updike [Cinnaminson], 2020
8.30 … Joshonda Johnson [Absegami],2017
8.31 … Bryanna Craig [Millville], 2020
8.28… Kristina Keegan [Haddonfield], 2003
8.33 … Helen Wilks [Bridgeton], 1994
8.33 … Christine Lavallias [Timber Creek], 2016
8.34 … Johnay Stilley [Eastern], 2023
8.35 … Janiayah Davis-Hines [Timber Creek], 2017
8.35 … Tonya Lee [Rancocas Valley], 1988
8.35 … Kayla Henry [Winslow Twp.], 2008
8.36 … Sonja Bennett [Edgewood], 1985
8.37 … Annie Taft [Bishop Eustace], 2005
8.37 … Nichole Hill [Oakcrest], 1997
8.37 … Delicia Sample [Kingsway], 2004
8.37 … Lexie Fraction [Washington Twp.], 2014
8.38 … Kimberly Allen [Willingboro], 2004
8.34 … Amani Gilliam [Pennsauken],2004
8.39 … Rachell Armstead [Millville], 2016
8.40 … Yvette Murray [Edgewood], 1999
8.40 … Francesca D’Angelo [Holy Spirit], 2008
8.40 … Shevell Higgs [Winslow Twp.], 2020
8.40 … Nylah Perry [Winslow Twp.], 2020
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 