Winslow’s Ma’Syiah Brawner shattered the New Jersey freshman class triple jump record Friday at South Jersey Group 3 sectionals at Delsea.
Brawner, in a stirring competition with Ocean City junior Sophia Curtis – the No. 5 triple jumper in state history – put together a monster series and nearly caught Curtis before settling for 2nd place and the No. 7 spot in South Jersey history.
What an incredible competition!
Curtis got the win with a 39-8 jump following her electrifying PR win in the 400-meter hurdles – which you can read about here – but Brawner’s 2nd-place jump of 39-5 ½ broke the state freshman record of 38-10 ½ set by Adaobi Unachukwu of Marlboro at the 2006 Monmouth County Championships at Neptune.
Curtis and Brawner both far surpassed the South Jersey Group 3 meet record of 37-8 set in 2016 by Mariah Hubbard of Absegami at Central Regional.
The overall South Jersey sectional triple jump record is 39-11 by Claudine Smith of Atlantic City in Group 4 in 2019. Smith also jumped 39-4 ¾ in 2018. Other 39-footers are Robbinsville’s Bonvie Fosam with a 39-6 ½ in Group 2 in 2017 and Lenape’s Shaya Wilkerson at 39-2 ¼ in 2012.
So Curtis and Brawner now rank No. 2 and No. 4 in South Jersey sectional history across all groups. The triple jump has been contested at sectionals since 2003
Coming into the meet, Curtis had a PR and New Jersey No. 1 40-10 ¼ from the Penn Relays, and Brawner was the No. 13 freshman in the country with her 38-2 ¾ from the Camden County Championships last month at Haddon Township.
Curtis popped the 39-8 on her first attempt and despite the two-best jumps of her life, Brawner couldn’t quite catch her.
Curtis only had two legal jumps – the 39-8 and a 39-4 ½ on her 2nd attempt. Brawner opened with a 39-5 ½, then had three more very good jumps – 37-5 ½, 38-2 and 37-1 – before closing with another 39-footer at 39-1. Her average jump of 38-3 surpassed her previous PR.
Brawner also cleared 5-2 in the high jump to place 2nd. She’s scheduled to contest the long jump and 100-meter hurdles on Saturday. Curtis has the 400 and long jump on Saturday.
By the way … wondering who the No. 2 freshman triple jumper in New Jersey is? How about another Winslow freshman. Chantina Walker PR’d at 36-1 Friday for 3rd place. Her previous PR was a 33-7 ¾ at the Camden County meet.
All-Time New Jersey Outdoor Triple Jump 40-Foot Club
44-11 … Keturah Orji [Mount Olive], 2013
42-2 ¾ … Charlene Cummings [Englewood], 1998
42-2 ….… Claudine Smith [Atlantic City], 2019
41-7 ½ … Mahogany Jenkins [Watchung Hills], 2019
40-10 ¼ … Sophia Curtis [Ocean City], 2003
40-10 ¼ … Ashley Edwards [Northern Burlington], 2014
40-9 ½ … Iana Amsterdam [Essex Tech], 2013
40-7 ¾ … Kayla Richardson [Columbia], 2013
40-7 … Shenaie Herber [JFK Paterson], 2008
40-7 … Faith Bethea [Snyder], 2022
40-6 ¾ … Tiffany Bautista [Paramus Catholic], 2018
40-6 ¼ … Essence Mayers [Lakewood], 2011
40-6 … Jordan Fields [Columbia], 2016
40-5 ….. Nnenna Ibe [North Brunswick], 2015
40-4 ½ … Adefunke Sonaike [Montgomery], 2011
40-3 ¼ … Ebony Young [Hillsborough], 2009
40-1 ¼ … Kaitlin Salisbury [Hawthorne], 2016
40-1 …… Domonique Pantin [Freehold Twp.], 2015
40-0 ¼ … Stephanie McIntyre [South Brunswick], 2007
40-0 ……….Bonvie Fosam [Robbinsville], 2017
40-0 ………. Ada Unachukwu [Marlboro], 2009
39-11 … Ellie Ewere [Hillsborough], 2011
39-9 ¾ … Sharon Alen [Passaic], 1987
39-9 … Gena Pickett [Mahwah], 2012
39-9 … Christina Epps [Morristown], 2009
39-8 … Cosandria Walker [Hackensack], 2006
39-8 … Jen McDermott [Ridgewood], 1989
39-8 … Kelly Burke [Cranford], 2010
39-7 ½ … Zenee Gadson [Glassboro], 2012
39-7 ¼ … Shaya Wilkerson [Lenape], 2012
39-7 ¼ … Samantha Lopes [Walkill Valley], 2017
39-7 … Kathryn Brown [Kinnelon], 2019
39-6 ¾ … Bryanna Grant [Cranford], 2012
39-6 … Jessica Mills [Deptford], 2005
39-5 ½ … Elizabeth Montague [Cherokee], 2014
39-5 ½ … Ma’Syiah Brawner [Winslow Twp.], 2023
39-5 … Regine Hunter [Cranford], 2013
All-Time South Jersey Outdoor Triple Jump Top 10
42-2 … Claudine Smith [Atlantic City], 2018
40-10 ¼ … Ashley Edwards [Northern Burlington], 2014
40-1 … Sophia Curtis [Ocean City], 2003
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
39-5 ½ … Ma’Syiah Brawner [Winslow Twp.], 2023
39-3 … Genevieve Okoro [Eastern Reg.], 2010
39-2 ¼ … Mariah Hubbard [Absegami Reg.], 2016
38-11 … Rachel Montague [Cherokee], 2008
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 