From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Ocean City junior Sophia Curtis, already the top triple jumper in New Jersey, is now also the top intermediate hurdler in New Jersey.

Curtis recorded a dazzling double Thursday night at the South Jersey Elite Invitational at Delsea, winning the 400-meter hurdles in 1:01.50 – a Cape May County record – and winning the triple jump at 40-5, just off the county record of 40-10 ¼ she set last weekend when she was the top American at the 127th annual Penn Relays.

Although Curtis ran 1:00.9 in a dual meet at Egg Harbor last month, this was the first official 400-meter hurdles race of her life, since Delaware still runs the 300 hurdles. Curtis attended Padua Academy in Wilmington until this year.

Keira Phillips of Middle Township set the previous Cape May County record of 1:03.19 at the state Group 4 meet last year at Franklin. Before that it was Rachel Stremme’s 1:03.82 for Ocean City at the 2014 Cape-Atlantic Championships, also at Egg Harbor.

In the triple jump, Curtis fouled on her first attempt before hitting 40-5 on her second with legal wind (+0.1). She added four more very good jumps – 39-7 ¾, 39-5 ¼, 40-1 and 39-10, all with legal wind.

Curtis averaged 39-10 ½ on her five legal jumps.

Rancocas Valley junior Lauren Fadairo PR’d with a 37-0 ¼ for 2nd place. That’s No. 6 in the state and No. 3 in South Jersey. It’s also only nine inches shy of the R.V. school record of 37-9 ¼ set at the 2017 Rowan Open in Glassboro by Ameenah Saalih.

Curtis, in her first year at Ocean City, now holds five Cape May County records: The 400 (57.99), 55-meter hurdles (8.33) and triple jump (41-3 ¼) indoors and the triple jump (40-10 ¼) and intermediates (1:01.50) outdoors. She’s also jumped 17-8 in her only long jump competition at Ocean City. She hasn’t run a 100 hurdles or 400 race outdoors yet and hasn’t long jumped indoors.

All-Time South Jersey 400-Meter Hurdles List
56.83 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2005
59.03 … Tonya Lee [Rancocas Valley], 1988
59.56 … Torie Robinson (Winslow Twp.], 2013
59.66 … Mandie Dulin [Shawnee], 1997
1:00.13 … Arianna Smith [Pennsville], 2019
1:00.16 … Aliya Rae Garozzo [Paul VI], 2018
1:00.1h … Danielle Myricks [Willingboro], 2001
1:00.26 … Helena Leyrer [Buena], 2012
1:00.40 … Diamond McLaughlin [Absegami], 2021
1:00.47 … Shaquanda Meylor [Wilson], 2006
1:00.48 … Ste’yce McNeil [Winslow Twp.], 2012
1:00.55 … Katrina Sye [Buena], 1997
1:00.58 … Andrea Olsen [Buena], 2013
1:00.67 … Meredith Updike [Cinnaminson], 2019
1:00.69 … Kristina Keegan [Haddonfield], 2003
1:00.73 … Pam Richardson [Edgewood]., 2001
1:00.79 … Courtney Smith [Penns Grove], 2014
1:00.8h … Brittany Caserta [Highland], 2003
1:00.90 … Medea Ashton [Washington Twp.], 1999
1:01.0h … Eusheka Bartley [Highland], 1992
1:01.04 … Tynisha Revels [Camden], 1999
1:01.07 … Amirah Sharpe [Clayton], 2022
1:01.1h … Zonya Cross [Edgewood], 1983
1:01.14 … Brooke Kott [Millville], 2009
1:01.14 … Okechi Ogbuokiri [Willingboro], 1995
1:01.23 … Brianna Snowden [Rancocas Valley], 2019
1:01.25 … Carly Pettipaw [Lenape], 2015
1:01.29 … Morgan Gantt [Winslow Twp.], 2002
1:01.3h … Vernick Smith [Wilson], 1998
1:01.32 … Brittany Preston [Winslow Twp.], 2016
1:01.35 … Thaila Cooper [Kingsway], 2015
1:01.41 … Aliya Rae Garozzo [Paul VI], 2018
1:01.42 … Natalie Edwards [Pleasantville], 1995
1:01.46 … Jewel Ash [Eastern], 2019
1:01.49 … Mary Bohi [Seneca], 2009
1:01.50 … Sophia Curtis [Ocean City], 2023
1:01.54 … Janeya Hammond [Winslow Twp.], 2019
1:01.66 … Asia Davy [Winslow Twp.], 2006
1:01.73 … Joshonda Johnson [Absegami], 2016
1:01.75 … Kristina Keegan [Haddonfield], 2003
1:01.75 … Amanda Radzimski [Washington Twp.], 2002
1:01.83 … Jackie Dim [Washington Twp.], 2008
1:01.7h … Tenille Payne [Edgewood], 2001
1:01.86 … Cassandra Lenkowski [Clearview], 2010
1:01.94 … Brittany Caserta [Highland Reg.], 2003
1:01.99 … Evann Thompson [Lenape], 2012

All-Time South Jersey Triple Jump List
42-2 … Claudine Smith [Atlantic City], 2018
40-10 ¼ … Ashley Edwards [Northern Burlington], 2014
40-10 ¼ … Sophia Curtis [Ocean City], 2023
39-7 ½ … Zenee Gadson [Glassboro], 2012
39-7 ¼ … Shaya Wilkerson [Lenape], 2012
39-6 … Jessica Mills [Deptford], 2005
39-5 ½ … Elizabeth Montague [Cherokee], 2014
39-3 … Genevieve Okoro [Eastern Reg.], 2010
39-2 ¼ … Mariah Hubbard [Absegami Reg.], 2016
38-11 … Rachel Montague [Cherokee], 2008
38-8 … Shameka Marshall [Oakcrest], 2001
38-8 … Javona Ford [Millville], 2010
38-8 … Leah Ellis [Millville], 2021
38-6 … Monet Gist [Atlantic City], 2013
38-5 ½ … Camryn Dirkes [Mainland Reg.], 2022
38-4 … Mariah Stephens [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2021
38-1 … Cidae’a Woods [Winslow Twp.], 2014
38-0 ¼ … Janell Rowe [Sterling], 2017
38-0 ¼ … Nalah Abul-Qasim [Williamstown], 2019
38-0 ¼ … Caleah Allen [Williamstown], 2012