Triton graduate Nevaeh Lorjuste just missed the Rowan school record at 400 meters in her first meet of the year.
Lorjuste, a Rowan junior, won the 400 at the FastTrack National Invitational at Ocean Breeze in 56.88. just 8-100ths of a second off the school record of 56.80 set in 2013 by Delsea graduate Brianna Crofton at the NYU Fastrack Team Challenge at the Armory in February 2013.
Lorjuste’s previous indoor PR was a 57.54 this past February when she placed 2nd at the New Jersey Athletic Championships – also at Ocean Breeze. Her lifetime best is a 55.46 when she won the outdoor NJAC meet in Mahwah. That put her within reach of Rowan’s outdoor 400 record of 54.74, set by Pemberton grad Shailah Williams when she placed 3rd in the 2016 NCAA Division 3 Championships in Waverly, Iowa.
Through one lap, Rutgers-Newqark senior Zrreyah Moore had a very slight lead over Lorjuste, 26.66 for 200 meters to 26.70. But Lorjust finished two meters clear of Moore at the finish line.
Woodstown grad Molly Lodge ran 58.47 for 3rd place and Burlington Township’s Jasmine Pope was 4th in 58.49.
Rowan junior Jasmine Pope of Pennsauken, in her first race for Rowan after transferring from St. Peter’s, was 4th in 58.49. It was Pope’s first race on the track since May 2022. That’s a lifetime best for Pope, whose indoor PR was a 1:00.67 for St. Peter’s in a meet in February 2022 at Ocean Breeze. He overall PR was a 59.61 at the 2021 Group 3 sectionals at Pennsauken.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 