There are PRs and then there are PRs. Sometimes you trim a fraction of an inch of a personal best and sometimes it’s a fraction of a second.
And those PRs are terrific. But sometimes you get a personal best that is so mind blowing it defies belief.
And that’s what Willingboro junior Tra’san Adam did at the state relays.
Adam high jumped 5-4 last spring as a sophomore and improved to 5-6 in the indoor opener at the Bubble last month. He got up to 5-9 at the Armory a few days later and two weeks ago at Ocean Breeze he cleared 5-10.
All of which is outstanding progression.
Then on Sunday, at the State Group 2 Relays at the Bubble, Adam recorded one of those crazy PRs, clearing 6-4 and teaming up with junior Zaire Wormley to win the event.
The Bubble results don’t list field series details (psst, hey Bubble, it’s 2024), but Adam presumably cleared 6-0 and 6-2 on the way to 6-4, which means he PR’d three times by a total of half a foot.
Just like that, Adam is tied for No. 4 in the state and No. 2 in South Jersey behind Rancocas Valley senior David Godbolt, who cleared 6-6 at the Armory last month. Highland junior Jayden De Leon and Washington Township senior Carson Thomas have also cleared 6-4 this winter.
Willingboro has quite a history of high jumpers – Mike Morrison is the state indoor record holder at 7-4 ¼ in 2003 and Marc Holland (7-0), Pat Collier (6-10), Nate Robertson, Dijon Thomas, Scott Harrison (6-8), Kameron Smith (6-7) and Isaac Williams, John Sease, Darius Gary, Chris Smith, Pat Collier (6-6) have all cleared 6-6 or better indoors.
And now Adam is a state champion when his PR five weeks ago was 5-4.
Adam is the No. 2 jumper in Group 2 – Liam Paneque of Demarest cleared 6-5 in a meet earlier this month at Ocean Breeze and 6-6 earlier last spring.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 