Kingsway graduate Autumn DeMary, a senior at Bloomfield, ran the 2nd-fastest time in meet history in the 100-meter hurdles at the Central Athletic Collegiate Conference Championships Saturday in Lakewood.
DeMary ran a huge personal-best 14.17 – with legal wind – to win the hurdles by a whopping five meters at Georgian Court.
Although the CACC hasn’t bothered updating its championships performance list in two years, the only faster time in meet history is Jasmine Staten’s 14.11 last year. Staten ran for Rancocas Valley and graduated from Lenape.
DeMary’s time is also 2nd-fastest in school history behind Staten’s 14.08 in April of 2018 in a meet in Newark.
DeMary entered the meet with a PR of 14.55 from a meet last year in Glassboro. She lowered that to 14.54 in the trials Saturday and then demolished it in the final, which she won by 70-100ths of a second over Shanell Pusey of Holy Family, who was 2nd in 14.87, The field ran into a 0.3 wind.
With the breakthrough performance, DeMary now ranks 2nd in the NCAA Division 2 East Region, behind only Raven-Symone Jarrett of American International, who ran 14.11 Friday in a meet in Manchester, N.H.
DeMary was 2nd in the 2021 meet in 15.17 behind Bloomfield teammate TeSeanna Harris of C.A. Morgan Village Academy in Camden [14.70] and 3rd last year behind Staten [14.11] and Harris [14.53]. The CACC does not hold an indoor conference meet.
DeMary also placed 6th in the 200.
At Kingsway, DeMary ran 14.67 and was a two-time sectional hurdles medalist despite losing the entire 2020 season to COVID.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 