Senior Guerlande Pierre ran the fastest hurdles time by a South Jersey girl this year, leading a 1-2-3 sweep as Timber Creek roared to its third indoor sectional title and second in a row.
Pierre ran a lifetime-best 8.31 over the 55-meter highs, senior Nyla Jones was 2nd with a PR 8.49 and junior Billie Frazier took 3rd in a PR of her own at 8.53.
That’s 24 points in one event for the Chargers, who sprinted to an 70-52 win over Mainland Regional to win the South Jersey Group 3 title at the Bubble.
Pierre’s previous PR was 8.34 earlier this week at Ocean Breeze, Jones’ was 8.54 earlier this month at Ocean Breeze and Frazier’s was 8.56 last month at the Bubble.
That trio of Timber Creek hurdlers is now No. 1, No. 6 and No. 7 in South Jersey. Pierre’s 8.31 is 6th-fastest this year in New Jersey.
The versatile Pierre, a future heptathlete no doubt, also placed 3rd in the high jump at 5-2 and took 4th in the shot put with a 37-1 ½.
We’ll have more on the ridiculously fast 55-meter dash tomorrow, but it was a doozy – Timber Creek went 1-2 with junior Ryan Jennings edging senior teammate and New Jersey No. 1 Naylah Jones, with both timed in 7.00 and going under the previous meet record of 7.06, set last year by Pennsauken’s Sianni Wynn, who was 3rd in 7.07. Chloe Jones ran 7.47 and placed 6th.
Jennings, Naylah Jones, Chloe Jones and Frazier finished off the evening with a record-setting win in the 1,600-meter relay. Timber Creek’s 3:57.25 broke the meet record of 3:58.18 set by Winslow’s Iyianna Williams, Flora Ahiarakwe, Janeya Hammond and Shakira Dancy. Winslow also dipped under four minutes with a 3:58.35.
Jennings and Chloe Jones went 3-6 in the 400 for Timber Creek, Jennings in 58.05 and Jones in 59.73.
Wynn won the 400 in 56.93, and Ocean City senior Sophia Curtis placed second and lowered her own Cape May County indoor 400 record of 57.99 from her win in last year’s Group 3 state meet to 57.80.
Moorestown junior Hannah Byrd-Leitner cleared 12-0 on her 1st attempt and broke the meet record of 11-0 set last year by Emerson Dirk of Toms River East.
Mainland junior Sofia Day doubled the 800 [2:20.12] and 1,600 [5:11.50], Winslow sophomore Ma’Syiah Brawner won the high jump at 5-4 on fewer misses vs. Moorestown junior I’mara Ford and Ocean City junior Maeve Smith ran 11:10.38 to win the 3,200.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 