Washington Township junior Dakota Jones had quite a breakthrough race Saturday at the Armory, running the fastest hurdles race by a Gloucester County girl in 10 years at the Hispanic Games.
Jones entered the season with a PR of 8.86 as a sophomore at last year’s state meet at the Bubble, but she lowered that to 8.57 in her 2023-24 season opener at the Armory last month and after an 8.58 in the trials Saturday she placed 4th in the final with an 8.46.
Although MileSplit no longer seems to update their performance lists as fast as they used to, her 8.46 appears to be No. 6 in New Jersey this year and No. 2 among juniors.
It’s also fastest by a Gloucester County hurdler since another Washington Township girl, Lexie Fraction, ran 8.37 at 2014 Easterns at the Armory. Fraction shares the county record with Kingsway’s Delicia Sample, who ran 8.37 to win the 2004 state Group 3 meet at Jadwin Gym.
Jones’ 8.46 appears to be No. 2 in South Jersey this year, behind Timber Creek senior Guerlande Pierre, who won the 55-meter highs Saturday at the Ocean Breeze Freedom Games with a PR and New Jersey No. 2 and public school No. 1 8.34, leading a 1-3-4 Timber Creek finish wiuth senior Nyla Jones [PR 8.57] and junior Billie Frazier [PR 8.63].
Gloucester County Sub-8.50 Hurdles List
8.37 … Delicia Sample [Kingsway], 2004
8.37 … Lexie Fraction [Washington Twp.], 2014
8.46 … Dakota Jones [Washington Twp.], 2024
8.48 … Christina Barbaro [Delsea], 2014
8.49 … Amaris Marsh [Deptford], 2018
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 