Senior Ajani Dwyer of Washington Township edged senior Malachi James of Burlington City in a historic, record-setting 55-meter dash Wednesday morning at Ocean Breeze.
Dwyer ran 6.33 and James 6.36 at the Ocean Breeze Holiday Festival, the No. 1 and No. 3 times in the U.S. this year.
Dwyer’s 6.33 is No. 4 in South Jersey history and fastest in 13 years, since Damiere Byrd of Timber Creek tied the state record of 6.26 at the 2011 Armory Nationals. Dywer broke the Gloucester County record of 6.34 – set in 2006 by A.J. Bunton of West Deptford at the 2006 Archbishop Malloy Stanner Games at the Armory – by 1-100th of a second.
James’ 6.36 is No. 6 in South Jersey history and tied the county record set by Kenny Reynolds of Willingboro at the 1986 Easterns at Princeton’s Jadwin Gym.
Their times are No. 10 and No. 17 in state history. Full list is below.
In the trials, Dwyer ran 6.40 in the first indoor race of his life and in the next semifinal James ran 6.53.
The final was a historic battle between two of South Jersey’s fastest sprinters ever. Dwyer ran 10.54 and 21.68 last spring in his first year of track and James has PRs of 10.54 and 21.68 and doubled the 100 and 200 at the 2022 Meet of Champions.
This was only Dwyer’s 5th lifetime track meet. He was a 1st-year junior last spring and only competed in four meets.
And it was only James’ 3rd meet since 5th meet since the spring of 2022. He ran his previous PR of 6.44 last year at the Millrose Trials and then ran 6.54 in the trials at sectionals but was injured in the final and hadn’t raced in 10 months – and only four times in 18 months.
But both healthy, they put on an unbelievable show early on a Wednesday morning on the fast Ocean Breeze track in Staten Island, N.Y.
This was the first time James and Dwyer have ever raced each other, but there are many more battles to come between now and June and most likely many more records to be set.
Here’s a look at the all-time New Jersey sub-6.40 list and the all-time South Jersey sub-6.50 list!
All-Time New Jersey 55-Meter Dash List
6.26 … Mario Heslop [Franklin Twp.], 2018
6.26 … Damiere Byrd [Timber Creek], 2011
6.30 … Joe Dawkins [Hackensack], 195
6.30 … Jamar Ervin [Camden], 2001
6.30 … Fitzroy Ledgister [St. Peter’s Prep], 2022
6.31 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1984
6.31 … Reggie Dixon [Plainfield], 2007
6.32 … Maxwell Booker [Essex Catholic], 2001
6.32 … Fabian France [Bergen Catholic], 2022
6.33 … Mike Fields [Roselle], 1995
6.33 … Louis Akpadago [Nottingham], 2020
6.33 … Shamali Whittle [Nottingham], 2022
6.33 … Ajani Dwyer [Washington Twp.], 2024
6.34 … Ron Singletary [Trenton], 1979
6.34 … A.J. Bunton [West Deptford], 2006
6.34 … Miles Shuler-Foster [Long Branch], 2011
6.36 … Kenny Reynolds [Willingboro], 1986
6.36 … Malachi James [Burlington City], 2024
6.37 … Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1979
6.37 … Akeem Lindo [East Orange], 2017
6.38 … Barry Bacon [Neptune], 1987
6.38 … Anthony Davis [Plainfield], 2000
6.38 … Damier Johnson [Long Branch], 2008
6.38 … James Brown [Glassboro], 2009
6.38 … Marvin Morgan [Neptune], 2017
6.38 … Mekhi Stafford [Ewing], 2023
6.39 … Joe Henderson [Freehold Boro], 1986
6.39 … Bryant Fitzgerald [Highland Park], 2008
6.39 … Bryce Watts [Toms River North], 2017
6.39 … James Bivins [Donovan Catholic], 2018
6.39 … Kadeem Douse [Ewing], 2011
6.39 … Bryant Fitzgerald [Highland Park], 2008
All-Time South Jersey 55-Meter Dash List
6.26 … Damiere Byrd [Timber Creek], 2011
6.30 … Jamar Ervin [Camden], 2001
6.31 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1984
6.33 … Ajani Dwyer [Washington Twp.], 2024
6.34 … A.J. Bunton [West Deptford], 2006
6.36 … Kenny Reynolds [Willingboro], 1986
6.36 … Malachi James [Burlington City], 2024
6.37 … Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1979
6.38 … James Brown [Glassboro], 2009
6.40 … Ajani Dwyer [Washington Twp.], 2024
6.41 … Chris Church [Millville], 2007
6.42 … Thomas Walls [Wilson], 2006
6.42 … Dominique Irons [Haddon Heights], 2013
6.42 … Samuel Thomas [Northern Burlington], 2023
6.43 … George McKey [Willingboro], 1982
6.43 … Anthony Averett [Woodbury], 2013
6.44 … Thomas Hampton [Clayton], 2019
6.45 … Paul Wheeler [Kennedy], 1983
6.45 … Miekel House [Rancocas Valley], 2020
6.45 … Sherron Bullock [Camden], 2004
6.45 … Rob McGriff [Camden], 2006
6.45 … Antonio Tarantino [Paul VI], 2018
6.46 … Albert Newkirk [Camden], 1996
6.46 … Darnell Charles [Oakcrest], 2012
6.46 … Kashif Miller [Haddon Heights], 2014
6.46 … Rajahn Dixon [Eastern], 2023
6.47 … Anthony Jones [Edgewood], 1982
6.47 … Darren Ford [Vineland], 2004
6.47 … Reggie Morton [Oakcrest], 2012
6.47 … Curtis Fitzpatrick [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2013
6.47 … Jonathan Taylor [Salem], 2016
6.47 … Josh Washington [Woodbury], 2019
6.47 … Ahmad Brock [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2020
6.48 … Gary Gordon [Willingboro], 1995
6.48 … Fabian Santiago [Oakcrest], 2012
6.48 … Caleb Williams [St. Joe’s-Hammonton], 2015
6.48 … Clayton Crosse [Washington Twp.]. 2016
6.49 … Louis Smith [Burlington Twp.], 1997
6.49 … Michael Bolling [Willingboro], 2001
6.49 … Martin Booker [Pennsauken], 2016
6.49 … Ryquell Amstead [Millville], 2014
6.49 … Malachi Melton [Cedar Creek], 2019
6.49 … Corey Thomas [Oakcrest], 2023
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 