From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Huge day for Ocean City senior Elaina Styer at the Cape May County Championships Thursday at Ocean City.

Styer won the high jump at 5-0, the long jump with a 17-7 ½ and the shot put (yes, the shot put!) with a 31-7 throw and anchored the Red Raiders’ winning 1,600-meter relay team.

Four events, four wins for Styer, who helped Ocean City outscore Middle Township 172-108 for the team title.

With junior Sophia Curtis limited to just a win in the intermediate hurdles and one attempt in the long jump, Styer came up huge and had a hand in 40 of Ocean City’s 172 points.

Other Ocean City winners were sophomore Naomi Nnewihe in the 100 and 200 [13.37 and 27.42], sophomore Chloe Care in the 1,600 [5:31.96], sophomore Maeve Smith in the 3,200 [11:25.80] and junior Corrine Williams in the javelin [78-7].

Styer can pretty much jump in any event and have success. She has PRs of 60.0 in the 400, 2:25.38 in the 800, 5-4 high jump, 18-5 long jump, 79-2 javelin, 33-5 ½ shot and hurdles indoors at 9.12.

On Thursday, she cleared 4-6, 4-8 and 4-10 on her first attempt and 5-0 on her second, and with the win secured she didn’t continue.

In the long jump, she had three jumps over 17 feet – 17-7 ½ opener, then 17-0 ½ and 17-5 ¼. Although her 18-5 in a dual meet vs. Mainland is considered the school record, for record-keeping purposes, her PR -and the county record – is 17-9 ½ from her win at South Jersey Group 3 sectionals last June at Delsea.

Styer had the two best throws in the shot put competition, a 30-2 ½ on her 2nd throw and then a 31-7 on her 3rd. Junior teammate Sophia Whalen PR’d with a 28-11 ¼ for 2nd place.

In the 4-by-4, freshman Scarlett Fletcher, sophomore Zoe Zammit and freshman Molly Quinn ran the first three legs, and at the final handoff Ocean City trailed Middle Township. But Styer anchored in 60.18 to give the Raiders a win in 4:23.90.

Middle junior Iyanna Bennett doubled the 100 hurdles [17.38] and triple jump [34-5] and also placed in the 100 and high jump.

Other winners in the girls meet were Middle Township freshman Reagan Powell in the 400 [1:03.28], Lower Cape May Regional freshman Jenna Hill in the 800 [2:30.14], senior Paulina Rios in the pole vault [8-6] and Middle junior Daniella Oliver in the discus [106-9].