Jashad Kersey tied his own No. 10 triple jump mark in South Jersey history Wednesday night and became the first Eastern Regional boy to win an Eastern States title in 25 years.
Kersey, who jumped 45-11 at Ocean Breeze last month, hit the exact same mark Wednesday night at the 88th annual Eastern States Championships at the Armory.
He’s the first boy from Eastern to win an Easterns title since Rich Hubbard ran 6.55 to win the 55-meter dash at Jadwin Gym in 1998.
After South Jersey was blanked in the Easterns triple jump from 1976, when the event was first contested, through 2013, South Jersey athletes have won the event five of the last nine times it was held.
Tristan Wilson [48-8 ½] in 2014 and Khaliel Burnett [49-1 in 2018] of Delsea, Highland’s Floyd Whitaker [46-10 ¾ in 2020] and Lumberton’s Greg Foster of the Lawrenceville School [47-4 ¼] all won Easterns titles. The meet wasn’t held in 2021.
Kersey won by 5 ¾ inches over Kam Coleman of Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft.
Kersey was in seventh place after two rounds before hitting the winning 45-11 on his third attempt. He was over 44-7 on all three of his jumps in the finals – 44-7 ¼, 44-8 and 44-11 ½. Coleman had jumps of 45-1 ¼ and 45-3 before popping the 45-5 ¼ on his final attempt.
Kersey is No. 1 in New Jersey this year. He’s expected to be the top seed for the Meet of Champions triple jump showcase, which will be announced on Thursday. The triple jump, introduced at the indoor Meet of Champions in 2020, has been won both years by South Jersey athletes – Whitaker in 2020 [46-3 ¼] and Timber Creek’s Jaden Johnson in 2022 [46-9 ½]. The meet wasn’t held in 2021.
Glassboro senior Cartrell Moore also PR’d in the triple jump and placed 3rd with a 44-10 on his first attempt, which is No. 15 on the all-time South Jersey list. Moore’s previous PR was 44-2 1/4 from a meet last month at Ocean Breeze.
All-Time S.J. Indoor 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
46-11 ……. Jaden Johnson [Timber Creek], 2022
46-10 ¾ … Floyd Whitaker [Highland], 2020
46- 5 …….. Orion Joyner [Kingsway], 2019
46- 3 ½ … Keon Grady [Delsea], 2018
45-11 …….. Jashad Kersey [Eastern], 2023
45-10 …..… Kevin Kevelier [Collingswood], 2020
45- 3 ½ … Zakiyy Williams [Rancocas Valley], 2015
45- 0 …….. Earnest Daniel [Kingsway], 2017
44-11 … Devon Carter [Washington Twp.], 2010
44-10 … Cartrell Moore [Glassboro], 2023
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 