From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

What a day for Naylah Jones!

The Timber Creek senior turned in one of the greatest sprint doubles in New Jersey history Sunday at the Ocean Breeze Invitational on Staten Island.

We already wrote about her monster race in the 55-meter dash, and she followed that up by smashing the South Jersey 200-meter dash record that had stood for 18 years.

After running 6.93 in the 55 final, Jones won the 200 in 24.15, which is 5th-fastest in state history – two of the four ahead of her are Olympic gold medalists Sydney McLaughlin and Athing Mu – and broke the South Jerey record of 24.38 set by Winslow Township’s Krystal Cantey in the trials of the 2006 Easterns at the Armory.

Jones is the first New Jersey sprinter in 26 years to run sub-24.20 and sub-6.95 at any point in her scholastic career and only the third ever. The others are Trenton’s Wendy Vereen [6.79, 23.84 in 1984] and Montcxlair’s Aleah Williams [6.87 in 1998, 24.16 in 1997].

Jones may be the first ever to run that fast in the same meet. I’m still working on that.

Her time is fastest ever by a high school girl at Ocean Breeze. Halle Hazard of St. Anthony’s ran 24.29 at the 2016 Ocean Breeze Invitational.

Timber Creek junior Ryan Jennings placed second in the 200 in 24.47, which is 6th-fastest in South Jersey history and 4th-fastest in New Jersey this year. Jennings’ previous indoor 200 PR was 25.37 in December at Ocean Breeze. She’s run 24.63 outdoors. Jennings has also run 7.02 this winter.

All-Time New Jersey 200-Meter Dash List
23.84 … Wendy Vereen [Trenton], 1984
24.00 … Sydney McLaughlin [Union Catholic], 2016
24.11 … Athing Mu [Trenton], 2019
24.14 … Melisa Barber [Montclair], 1998
24.15 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 2024
24.16 … Aleah Williams [Montclair], 1997
24.21 … Dominique Booker [Immaculate Conception], 2008
24.24 … Stephanie Saleem [Neptune], 1985
24.34 … Toneisha Friday [Franklin Twp.], 2005
24.34 … Mariah Fede [Paramus Catholic], 2020
24.36 … Abigail Dennis [Old Tappan], 2024
24.37 … Myasia Jacobs [Paramus Catholic], 2010
24.38 … Racquel Vassell [East Orange], 2006
24.38 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2006
24.38 … Kiya Lawson [Montclair], 2022
24.39 … Shakira Dancy [Winslow Twp.], 2017
21.42 … Dennisha Page [Wilson], 2019
24.46 … Amandi Rhett [Moorestown], 2000
24.47 … Ryan Jennings [Timber Creek], 2024
24.48 … Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], 2023

All-Time South Jersey 200-Meter Dash List
24.15 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 2024
24.38 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2006
24.39 … Shakira Dancy [Winslow Twp.], 2017
21.42 … Dennisha Page [Wilson], 2019
24.46 … Amandi Rhett [Moorestown], 2000
24.47 … Ryan Jennings [Timber Creek], 2024
24.48 … Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], 2023
24.52 … Cecelia Gerstenbacher [Delsea], 2017
24.61 … Ste’yce McNeil [Winslow Twp.], 2012
24.61 … Aliyah Taylor [Rancocas Valley], 2017
24.78 … Dana Burnett [Williamstown], 1996
24.83 … Lauren Princz [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2020
24.83 … Kiara Lester [Deptford], 2014
24.87 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 2023
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