Timber Creek senior Naylah Jones ran the fastest 55-meter dash by a New Jersey girl in 13 years Sunday morning.
And then she ran faster.
Jones won her preliminary race at the Ocean Breeze Invitational in Staten Island in 6.94, 8th-fastest in state history and 4th-fastest on the all-time South Jersey list.
Then she ran 6.93 in the final, winning by a quarter of a second over Saige Forbes of Episcopal Academy in Newtown Square, Pa., who ran 7.18. She’s now 7th in state history and 4th in South Jersey history
That’s fastest by any New Jersey sprinter since Myasia Jacobs won 2011 Easterns at the Armory in 6.84 and fastest by a South Jersey girl since Olympic gold medalist English Gardner of Eastern ran 6.91 to win the 2010 Easterns at the Armory.
Jones, the Meet of Champions 100-meter dash winner last spring at 11.73, came into this weekend with a PR of 7.05 from the Millrose Games Trials last month at the Armory. She bumped junior teammate Ryan Jennings from the No. 1 spot in New Jersey this year. Jennings ran 7.02 at the Millrose Trials.
Jones’ 6.93 is No. 8 on the MileSplit 2024 U.S. list.
Willingboro’s Michelle Glover set the state record of 6.73 at the Dallas Times Herald Games at Reunion Arena in Dallas on Jan. 31, 1981. That was No. 2 in U.S. high school history at the time and 43 year later remains No. 7.
The only faster times in South Jersey history belong to Camden’s Patti Dunlap, who ran 6.88 in the semifinals of the U.S. Championships at Madison Square Garden in 1979, and Gardner at Easterns in 2010.
Jones came back minutes later and posted the fastest qualifying time in the 200 trials with a 24.64, No. 8 in South Jersey indoor history. Jennings was 2nd-fastest qualifier with a 24.99. Those are both indoor PRs. Final coming up soon.
All-Time New Jersey 55-Meter Dash List
6.73y … Michelle Glover [Willingboro], 1981
6.79y … Wenda Vereen [Trenton], 1984
6.84 … Myasia Jacobs [Paramus Catholic], 2011
6.87 … Aleah Williams [Montclair], 1998
6.88y … Patti Dunlap [Camden], 1979
6.91 … English Gardner [Eastern], 2010
6.93 … Ogechi Nwaneri [Chatham], 2008
6.93 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 2024
6.94 … Stephanie Saleem [Neptune], 1985
6.95 … Bria Mack [Williamstown], 2017
6.95 … Torie Robinson [Winslow Twp.], 2014
6.95 … Denise Mitchell [Edgewood], 1983
6.95 ….Christiana Nwachuku [Kent Place], 2022
6.97 … Melissa Barber [Montclair], 1998
6.97 … Jenna Harris [Franklin], 2003
6.97 … Dominique Booker [Immaculate Conception], 2008
6.98 … Lauren Princz [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2020
6.98 … Sydney Hawkins [Phillipsburg], 2017
6.73y … Michelle Glover [Willingboro], 1981
6.88y … Patti Dunlap [Camden], 1979
6.91 … English Gardner [Eastern], 2010
6.94 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 2024
6.95 … Bria Mack [Williamstown], 2017
6.95 … Torie Robinson [Winslow Twp.], 2014
6.95 … Denise Mitchell [Edgewood], 1983
6.98 … Lauren Princz [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2020
7.00 … Amandi Rhett [Moorestown], 2000
7.00 … Iyanli Kollock [Our Lady of Mercy], 2017
7.00 … Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], 2023
7.01 … Aliyah Taylor [Rancocas Valley], 2017
7.04 … Ryan Jennings [Timber Creek], 2024
7.05 … Dana Burnett [Williamstown], 1996
7.06 … Jailya Ash [Eastern], 2019
7.07 … Aliya Harrison [Sterling], 2018
7.07 … Dennisha Page [Woodrow Wilson], 2019
7.07 … Annie Johnson [Shawnee], 2012
7.07 … Audrey Wilson [Deptford], 2009
7.07 … Magenta Taylor [Willingboro], 1999
7.07 … Angela Clyburn [Egg Harbor Twp.], 1991
7.07 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 2024
7.08 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 2023
7.09 … Ste’yce McNeil [Winslow Twp.], 2012
7.09 … Emily Carson [Haddonfield], 2013
All-Time South Jersey 200-Meter Dash List
24.38 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2006
24.39 … Shakira Dancy [Winslow Twp.[, 2017
24.42 … Dennisha Page [Woodrow Wilson], 2019
24.46 … Amandi Rhett [Moorestown], 2000
24.48 … Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], 2023
24.52 … Cecelia Gerstenbecher [Delsea], 2017
24.61 … Ste’yce McNeil [Winslow Twp.], 2012
24.64 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 2024
24.5h … Jennifer Jackson [Eastern], 2003
24.78 … Dana Burnett [Williamstown], 1996
24.83 … Kiara Lester [Deptford], 2014
24.83 … Lauren Princz [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2020
24.93 … Aliyah Taylor [Rancocas Valley], 2017
24.94 … Shardae Anderson [Paulsboro], 2005
24.96 … Toni Glatz [Delsea], 2017
24.96 … Jackie Dim [Washington Twp.], 2008
24.99 … Aliya Harrison [Sterling], 2018
24.99 … Ryan Jennings [Timber Creek], 2024
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 