Seniors Mawali Osunniyi of Mainland, Jamil Wilkins of Egg Harbor, Aldrich Doe of Oakcrest and Elijah McCullough of Vineland squared off in an epic triple jump competition Wednesday at the Cape-Atlantic Conference Championships in Bridgeton, and all four PR’d, rewriting the 2023 South Jersey performance list.
Osunniyi won the competition with a 46-6 ¾ on one of only two legal jumps, Wilkins took second with a 45-5 ¼ on his fourth attempt, Doe jumped 44-10 ½ on his first attempt, and McCullough hit 44-8 ½ on his fourth try.
Those four Cape-Atlantic jumpers now rank No. 2, 3, 6 and 9 in South Jersey this year. Full top-10 below.
Osunniyi is now No. 4 in New Jersey this year and No. 1 in Group 3. Osunniyi also won the high jump at 6-6 before taking three shots at a PR 6-9.
Ahmad Fogg of Egg Harbor, who’s No. 1 in South Jersey with his 46-9 from last week’s Atlantic County meet at Stockton, didn’t triple Wednesday.
Osunniyi’s previous PR was a 45-10 at the South Jersey Elite at Delsea, Wilkins’ was 42-11 from the Atlantic County meet, Doe’s was 41-8 from Atlantic County and McCullough was 44-1 from last year’s Woodbury Relays.
Osunniyi broke the meet record of 44-11 set last year at Bridgeton by Fogg, and Wilkins also surpassed it. Doe missed it by half an inch.
Here’s a look at the updated all-time Cape-Atlantic Conference list:
All-Time Cape-Atlantic Triple Jump List
48-1 ½ … Mubeen Momodu [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2019
46-6 ¾ … Mawali Osunniyi [Mainland Reg.], 2023
46-2 ½ Darnell Charles [Oakcrest], 2011
45-11 ¾ Jayden Britt [Oakcrest], 2016
45-11 ¾ Stevenson Cajuste [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2008
45-10 Ladarrell Dixon [Oakcrest], 2013
45-5 ¼ … Jamil Wilkins [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2023
As for McCullough, his mark is best by a Cumberland County triple jumper in at least 18 years. The all-time South Jersey top-50 ends at 45-9 ¼, and the MileSplit database starts in 2006. So it’s possible a Cumberland County triple jumper went between 44-8 ½ and 45-9 ¼ before 2005. But considering the triple jump was rarely contested in South Jersey before about 2001 or 2002, it’s likely that McCullough’s 44-8 ½ is a county record. I’ll work on that.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 