Burlington City senior Malachi James ran within 1-100th of a second of the state record in the 60-meter dash Saturday at Ocean Breeze.
James ran away from a loaded field at the Ocean Breeze Elite Invitational, decisively beating some of the top sprinters from New York, New Jersey and Delaware.
James ran 6.71, just off the state record of 6.70 set by Timber Creek’s Damiere Byrd at the 2011 Brooks PR Invitational in Seattle and matched by Franklin’s Mario Heslop at 2019 Armory Nationals.
James’ previous 60 PR was his 6.78 at the Millrose Games at the Armory earlier this month. Washington Township’s Ajani Dwyer ran 6.76 in that race, and their times ranked 3rd and 5th in state history. But now James has bumped Dwyer down to 4th. Dwyer has missed the last couple weeks with an injury.
James won by two full meters over 2nd-place Andrew Jeremiah Boakye, a junior at Bergen Catholic in Oradell. Boakye ran 6.90.
Although the results don’t list en-route times through 55 meters, a 6.71 for 60 meters converts to 6.25 for 55 meters. James’ 55 PR is 6.30 from his win at the state Group 1 meet last weekend. That’s tied for No. 4 in state history. He’ll run 55 meters next Saturday in the Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze, where he’s the top seed. The state record James is chasing is Dwyer’s 6.18 from the Millrose Trials at the Armory in January. That’s No. 9 in U.S. scholastic history. He’ll get another shot at the 60 at whichever Nationals meet he chooses.
With his 6.71, James is now No. 4 in the U.S. at 60 meters, according to the MileSplit national database. Jelani Watkins of Klein Forest High in Houston, who edged Dwyer and James at Millrose, is No. 3 at 6.68.
According to the World Athletics database, James’ 6.71 is tied for 17th on the world Under-20 list.
Here’s my best attempt at an all-time New Jersey 60-meter dash list:
6.53 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], Stuttgart, Germany, 1994
6.59 … Michael Garvin [Don Bosco], Blacksburg, Va., 2009
6.60 … Carl Lewis [Willingboro], San Sebastián, Spain, 1989
6.66 … Damiere Byrd [West Deptford], Blacksburg, Va., 2013
6.71 … Malachi James [Burlington City], Staten Island, N.Y., 2024
6.72 … Anwar Moore [Camden], Newport, Great Britain, 2003
6.75 … Fitzroy Ledgister [St. Peter’s Prep], New York, 2022
6.76 … Ajani Dwyer [Washington Twp.], New York, 2024
6.77 … Akeem Lindo [East Orange], Landover, Md., 2020
6.79 … Adian Sanderson [Ewing Twp.], Blacksburg, Va., 2009
6.79 … Ashad Agyapong [Trenton], New York, 2010
All-Time New Jersey 60-Meter Dash List
6.70 … Damiere Byrd [Timber Creek], 2011
6.70 … Mario Heslop [Franklin twp.], 2019
6.75 … Fitzroy Ledgister [St. Peter’s Prep], 2022
6.76 … Ajani Dwyer [Washington Twp.], 2024
6.77 … Fabian France [Bergen Catholic], 2022
6.78 … Joe Dawkins [Hackensack], 1995
6.78 … Malachi James [Burlington City], 2024
6.83 … Jamar Ervin [Camden], 2001
6.86 … Maxwell Booker [Essex Catholic], 2001
6.86 … Louis Akpadago [Nottingham], 2020
6.87 … Chris Church [Millville], 2007
6.89 … Mike Fields [Roselle], 1995
6.89 … Mekhi Stafford [Ewing], 2023
6.91 … Samuel Thomas [Northern Burlington], 2023
6.93 … A.J. Bunton [West Deptford], 2006
6.95 … Bruce Black [Hamilton], 2006
6.99 … Brayshul Tuten [Paulsboro], 2021
6.99 … Jack Ahart [Kinnelon], 2023
6.99 … Chris Ross [Walkill Valley], 2023
6.99 … Cole Isaac Cramer [Southern Regional], 2023
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 