Washington Township junior Ajani Dwyer, who hadn’t competed since the Gloucester County Championships on May 11, ran the 3th-fastest 200 in Gloucester County history Saturday at West Philly Nationals.
Dwyer – who had never competed before last month – came out of nowhere with a 21.55 at the South Jersey Open at Delsea on May 6 and a 10.60 at the Gloucester County meet five days later. At the time, they were both N.J. No. 1 performances.
But Dwyer didn’t race again until Saturday, when he placed 14th in the championship division of the 200 at Franklin Field with a 21.47. He missed qualifying for the final by 22-100ths of a second.
Dwyer’s time is faster than the winning time in the Meet of Champions, a 21.56 by Hamilton West senior Jaci Summers. It’s fastest by a Gloucester County sprinter in 21 years.
Dwyer’s 21.47 is No. 15 in South Jersey history – only 6-100ths of a second outside the top 10 – and 3rd-fastest in Gloucester County history, behind Washington Township’s Todd Dutch [21.40 in 2001] and Kingsway’s Dorian Bryant [21.41 in 2002].
He also ran 10.74 Saturday in the 100.
All-Time South Jersey 200-Meter Dash List
21.06 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1983
21.06 … Antonio Tarantino [Paul VI], 2018
21.14 … Reuben McCoy [Winslow Twp.], 2004
21.30 … Jahmir Beasley [Sterling], 2019
21.39 … Martin Booker Jr. [Pennsauken], 2017
21.40 … Lamont Smith [Willingboro], 1991
21.40 … Rob Gary [Lenape], 1998
21.40 … Todd Dutch [Washington Twp.], 2001
21.40 … Jamaad Muse [Timber Creek], 2012
21.40 … Rajahn Dixon [Eastern], 2023
21.41 … Dorian Bryant [Kingsway], 2002
21.41 … T.J. Johnson [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2010
21.43 … Barry Cephas [Winslow Twp.], 2008
21.46 … Brondon Jenkins [Delran], 1994
21.46 … Sabli Gonnet [Eastern], 2007
21.47 … Curtis McIntyre [Bridgeton], 1992
21.40 … Todd Dutch [Washington Twp.], 2001
21.41 … Dorian Bryant [Kingsway], 2002
21.47 … Ajani Dwyer [Washington Twp.], 2023
21.53 … A.J. Bunton [West Deptford], 2006
21.54 … Derek Ward [Kingsway], 1992
21.55 … Premier Wynn [Pennsauken], 2023
21.55 … Samuel Thomas [Northern Burlington], 2023
21.56 … Bruce Owens [Deptford], 2005
21.56 … Darrell Bush [Woodbury], 2011
21.57 … Mar-Quel Davis [Deptford], 2017
21.60 … Juwan Johnson [Glassboro], 2013
21.62 … Evan Corcoran [Glassboro], 2022
21.69 … Robert Page [Kingsway], 2007
21.69 … Nick Brown [Bridgeton], 1999
21.70 … Keith Griffith [Florence], 2010
21.71 … Jeremy Cooper [Kingsway], 1995
21.71 … Geoff Navarro [Absegami], 2008
21.71 … A.J. Dawson [Holy Spirit], 2012
21.71 … Nigel Sanchez [Woodrow Wilson], 2014
21.71 … Bo Melton [Cedar Creek], 2017
21.72 … Shai Mumford [West Deptford], 2014
21.72 … Stefone Moore-Green [Paul VI], 2014
21.72 … Shawney Kersey [Woodbury], 2007
21.51 … Reuben McCoy [Winslow Twp.], 2004
21.52 … Fabian Santiago [Oakcrest], 2012
21.53 … Robert Hargrove [Vineland], 1996
21.53 … Dennis Davis [Edgewood], 2000
21.53 … A.J. Bunton [West Deptford], 2006
21.53 … Jonathan Taylor [Salem], 2017
21.54 … Derek Ward [Kingsway], 1992
21.56 … Ron Hillian [Eastern], 2002
21.56 … Bruce Owens [Deptford], 2005
21.56 … Darrell Bush [Woodbury], 2011
21.56 … Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], 2019
21.56 … Amir Brock [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2017
21.57 … Mar-Quel Davis [Deptford], 2017
21.58 … Antraye Miles [Winslow Twp.], 2003
21.59 … John Stone [Mainland Reg.], 1997
21.60 … Juwan Johnson [Glassboro], 2013
21.63 … Sherron Bullock [Camden], 2004
21.64 … Barry Cephas [Winslow Twp.], 2007
21.64 … Alex Reber [Cherry Hill East], 2012
21.66 … Darrin Scott [Willingboro], 2001
21.66 … Sterling Pierce [Rancocas Valley], 2015
21.67 … Kashif Miller [Haddon Twp.], 2014
21.67 … Michael Bolling [Willingboro], 2000 [50]
21.68 … Daequan Kim [Bordentown], 2009
21.69 … Nick Brown [Bridgeton], 1999
21.69 … Robert Page [Kingsway], 2007
21.69 … Nick Brown [Bridgeton], 1999
21.70 … Keith Griffith [Florence], 2010
21.71 … Jeremy Cooper [Kingsway], 1995
21.71 … Geoff Navarro [Absegami], 2008
21.71 … A.J. Dawson [Holy Spirit], 2012
21.71 … Nigel Sanchez [Woodrow Wilson], 2014
21.71 … Bo Melton [Cedar Creek], 2017
21.72 … Shai Mumford [West Deptford], 2014
21.72 … Stefone Moore-Green [Paul VI], 2014
21.72 … Shawney Kersey [Woodbury], 2007
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 