Who exactly is Jacob Kiyler and how did he just run the 4th-fastest hurdles time in Rowan history before he ever ran a collegiate final??????

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In only his 2nd college race, Rowan freshman Jacob Kiyler ran the 4th-fastest 60-meter hurdles time in school history.

Kiyler led all qualifiers into the final later today at the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championships at Ocean Breeze with a mind-blowing 8.07, which is 7th-fastest in NCAA Division 3 this year.

In his only previous college hurdles race, the Toms River North graduate ran 8.20 in the prelims of the Villanova Invitational Jan. 20 on the same track in Staten Island, N.Y. He did not race the final at the Villanova Invite.

So he’s No. 4 in Rowan history but he’s never run a final.

Kiyler had PRs of 7.42 and 13.98 over the 39-inch high school hurdles in high school and also ran 54.49 in the intermediates and long jumped 20-4 ½. He was 2nd in the 55-meter highs at Easterns last year and 4th at the Meet of Champions. Outdoors, he was 4th in the Meet of Champions.

https://milesplit.live/meets/586296/events/2/results/P/M

But 8.07?

The only hurdlers in school history to run faster are three All-Americas – current Rowan junior Marquise Young [7.96 last month], David Benjamin [7.98 in 2017] and Bobby Cooks [8.01 in 2018].

Young is a multiple NCAA Division 3 All-America and is ranked 3rd in D-3 this winter with his school-record 7.96. Benjamin was the NCAA indoor hurdles champ in 2017 and 2nd outdoors. Cooks was 2nd in 2018 NCAAs indoors and 3rd outdoors.

Young ran 8.13 Monday to advance to the hurdles final, and sophomore Anaias Hughes of Willingboro [8.29], sophomore Kwaku Nkrumah of Teaneck [8.25], sophomore Jason Agyemang of North Plainfield [8.39] and sophomore Michael Lawrence of South Plainfield [8.43] also were among the eight-fastest qualifiers and presumably reached the final, although the results don’t indicate who qualified other than the three auto qualifiers.

So presumably, six of the 7-fastest qualifiers are from Rowan.

Agyemang and Nkrumah have both run 8.11 this year and appear to be tied for the No. 5 spot on the all-time Rowan list, although I can’t be positive.

The final is scheduled for 5:25 p.m.

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