Eastern graduate Jailya Ash opened her indoor season with the 2nd-fastest hurdles time in UConn history.
Ash, a sophomore at Connecticut, ran a personal-best 8.27 to win the 60-meter hurdles Friday at the UConn Husky Challenge in Storrs.
Ash came into the meet with a PR of 8.31 from a meet in Boston in December of 2022. She went on to win the Big East title in Chicago in 8.35 and won the outdoor Big East in 13.58 at Villanova in her last meet until Friday.
In the prelims, Ash ran 8.44 and was 2nd-fastest into the finals behind Aliyah Thomas, a Union Catholic graduate and UConn junior running unattatched. Thomas was an NCAA qualifier in the 100-meter highs last spring and is a 21-7 ¾ long jumper.
In the final, Ash edged Thomas 8.27 to 8.38.
It’s awfully early, but through the first weekend of the indoor season and Day 1 of the second weekend, Ash ranks No. 4 in NCAA Division 1 with her 8.27 on the updated TFRRS performance list.
UConn hasn’t updated its track web site records section in eight years (come on, UConn Sports Info! Get your act together!), but when Ash started running hot times for the Huskies, I went through years of results and came up with my own all-time UCOnn 60-meter hurdles performance list.
I’m pretty sure this is accurate:
8.24 … Phylicia George, 2010
8.27 … Jailya Ash, 2024
8.33 … April Garner, 2005
8.41 … Aliyah Thomas, 2023
8.45 … Madalayne Smith, 2012
8.55 … Chantal Scott, 2014
8.59 … Emily Lavarnway, 2023
8.61 … Shavon Briscoe, 2012
8.61 … Tia Strackman, 2018
8.62 … Ashley Wiggins, 2017
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 