For the fourth time in her brilliant career, Alanna Woolfolk is a Meet of Champions winner.
Woolfolk, a senior at Clayton, cleared 5-8 on her 1st attempt to win the high jump Sunday at the 45th annual girls Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze.
Woolfolk and Edison junior Ama Boateng were the only competitors over the bar at 5-6, but Boateng had the lead when the bar was raised to 5-8 because Woolkfolk had a miss at 5-4 and Boateng was clean. They both entered at 5-0 and cleared 5-0 and 5-2 on their first attempt and they both cleared 5-6 on their second.
So Woolkfolk had to clear 5-8 just to have a chance to win, and she sailed over the bar on her first try. Boateng missed all three jumps at 5-8.
Woolfolk has now won four Meet of Champions high jump titles – all at different facilities.
Woolfolk won her first Meet of Champions as a freshman at Delsea in the spring of 2021 with a 5-6 clearance in South Plainfield. She won the indoor M-of-C as a Clayton sophomore at the Bubble in March of 2022 and then won last spring with a 5-8 at Franklin.
She’s the first South Jersey girl to win two indoor Meet of Champions high jump titles since Moorestown’s Sandy Tokoto won back-to-back in 1990 and 1991 at Princeton’s Jadwin Gym.
Woolfolk is the 4th Gloucester County girl to win mutiple indoor Meet of Champions titles. Washington Township’s legendary Michelle Rowen won the 3,200 in 1981 and 1,600 in 1982 and 1983, Williamstown’s Dana Burnett won the 400 in 1995 and 1996 and Deptford’s Kiera Lester won the 200 in 2015 and 2016.
She’s also only the 4th South Jersey girl ever to clear 5-8 at the Meet of Champions. Olympic long jumper Carol Lewis won the 1981 meet at 5-8, Winslow’s Gabrielle Bennett won the 2015 meet at 5-8 and Timber Creek’s Tierra Hooker was 2nd in 2018 at 5-8.
Winslow sophomore My’Syiah Brawner placed 3rd with a 5-4 clearance (on her 1st attempt), Moorestown junior I’Mara Ford tied for 4th and tied her PR of 5-4 (on her 2nd) and Woolfolk’s junior teammate, Miyana Johnson, cleared 5-2 and tied for 8th.
Brawner and Ford both had very busy and successful days and are two of the most versatile athletes in the state.
Brawner placed 2nd in the long jump at 18-5 and 2nd in the triple jump at 37-8 ¼ in addition to her 3rd in the high jump. She’s also hurdled as fast as 8.45 this year, and she’s the No. 1 sophomore in New Jersey in all four events.
And Ford – competing in the same three events – was 4th in the high jump, 5th with a PR 17-9 ½ in the long jump and 6th with a 36-9 ¾ in the triple jump.
Here’s a look at all 15 South Jersey indoor Meet of Champions high jump winners!
1981 … Carol Lewis [Willingboro], 5-8
1987 … Erin Halpin [Cherry Hill East], 5-6
1990 … Sandy Tokoto [Moorestown], 5-6
1991 … Sandy Tokoto [Moorestown], 5-4
1994 … Shatich Rivers [Moorestown], 5-6
2000 … Patty Dudek [Bordentown], 5-6
2001 … Alison Sheperd [Oakcrest], 5-4
2004 … Marcene Jack [Mainland Reg.], 5-6
2008 … Lindsey Walsh [Lenape], 5-6
2013 … Alicia Terrell [Timber Creek], 5-7
2015 … Gabrielle Bennett [Winslow Twp.], 5-8
2019 … Tierra Hooker [Timber Creek], 5-8
2020 … Bryanna Craig [Millville], 5-6
2022 … Alanna Woolfolk [Clayton], 5-6
2024 … Alanna Woolfolk [Clayton], 5-8
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 