From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Rider junior Mariah Stephens of Egg Harbor Township had a monster Day 1 of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference meet Saturday at the Armory.

Stephens won one event and posted the top qualifying time in two other events, recorded two PRs recorded the 2nd-best mark in school history in three events.

Stephens won the long jump with her first lifetime 19-foot jump, her seventh lifetime MAAC individual first place. She entered competition with an 18-10 ¾ PR from two weeks ago at Ocean Breeze but hit 19-1 ¼ on her first jump and backed that up with an 18-9 ¼ on her final attempt to win by nearly nine inches.

Her 19-1 ¼ is No. 2 in school history behind a 19-8 ¾ by Holy Spirit graduate Asia Young on her final jump at the 2017 MAAC Championships, also at the Armory. Her outdoor PR is an 18-8 ¼ at last year’s outdoor MAAC meet in Emmitsburg, Md.

Stephens has now won 19 total medals in MAAC Conference meet competition with three more events to come on Sunday.

Stephens on Saturday also posted the No. 1 qualifying marks in both the 60-meter dash and 60-meter hurdles.

In the dash trials, she ran a lifetime-best 7.62, lowering her PR from 7.65 from last year’s MAAC meet at the Armory. She’s 2nd in school history to Pemberton graduate Tierra Taylor, who ran 7.57 at that same 2017 MAAC Championships where Young long jumped 19-8 ¾. The only other qualifier under 7.70 was Quinnipiac sophomore Nyasia Dailey, who ran 7.67.

And in the hurdles trials, she ran a season-best 8.61 to lead all qualifiers into the final. The only other woman under 8.90 was teammate Raisa Thunig from Toms River East, who ran 8.78. Stephens’ hurdles PR is an 8.57 from the trials in last year’s MAAC meet. School record is 8.41 set when she won the 2019 MAAC Championships at the Armory. Those are the top-two marks in school history.

Stephens at some point on Sunday will race in the 60 and 60 hurdles finals and triple jump.

If there’s a time schedule for the meet anywhere on the MAAC website or in the “digital program” they posted I can’t find it. There is an order of events on the 2023 meet page and it shows the hurdles final at 5:20 p.m., the dash 15 minutes later and the triple jump at 6:15 p.m. But who knows if this year’s schedule is the same. Note to MAAC sports info department: Time schedule. Post one.

Here’s a look at Stephens’ eight total conference titles so far:

2022 indoor [4 total medals]
Long Jump [18-5 ¾]
Triple Jump [38-5 ½]
2022 outdoors [5 total medals]
Triple Jump [39-5 ¼]
400-Meter Relay [47.26]
2023 indoors [4 medals]
60-Meter Hurdles [8.59]
Triple Jump [38-4 ¼]
2023 outdoors [5 medals]
Triple Jump [39-0 ½]
2024 indoors [1 medal]
Long Jump [19-1 ¼]