Burlington City senior Malachi James raced away from a loaded field to win the Meet of Champions 55-Meter Dash Sunday at Ocean Breeze with the 2nd-fastest time in state history.
James ran 6.22, 2nd-fastest in the U.S. this year behind Washington Township senior Ajani Dwyer, who ran 6.18 at the Millrose Games Trials at the Armory. Dwyer is dealing with injuries and didn’t run at states, so he wasn’t in the field on Sunday. He’s hoping to be back for nationals.
James shattered the meet record of 6.34 set by Nottingham’s Louis Akpadago in the 2020 meet at Ocean Breeze with a 6.30 in the trials.
He lowered it again in the final, running away from Junior Cole Isaac Cramer of Southern Regional and senior Ryan Johnson of Delbarton, who placed 2nd and 3rd in 6.29 and 6.30, the 2nd- and 3rd-fastest times in meet history and 5th– and 6th-fastest in state history.
James won Meet of Champions titles in the 100 and 200 as a sophomore at Willingboro and then missed most of last year with hamstring injuries.
If Dwyer is healthy this spring, every state sprinting record could be history when these two go head-to-head.
James had a PR of 6.44 last winter at the Millrose Trials before he got hurt at sectionals. He didn’t race again until this winter, lowering his PR to 6.36 in a December meet at Ocean Breeze, then 6.32 in January at the Bubble, then 6.31 at the Bubble at sectionals and 6.30 two weeks ago at states, also at the Bubble.
But on the fast Ocean Breeze track, that PR was bound to fall and after he broke the meet record with a 6.30 in the trials to match his PR, he came up huge in the final,
James is the first South Jersey sprinter in nine years to win the 55 at a Meet of Champions. Caleb Williams of St. Joe’s-Hammonton won in 2015. The last Burlington County sprinter to win indoors was James Townsend of Holy Cross, who won in 2002. Townsend still holds the Burlington County outdoor 100 record of 10.45, set when he won the 2002 outdoor M-of-C.
Burlington City’s only other Meet of Champions winner was high jumper Demetrius Cope outdoors in 1988.
The fastest previous MoC time by a South Jersey sprinter was from another Group 1 school. James Brown of Glassboro won the 2009 race in 6.38.
Washington Township junior John Santos placed 6th in 6.50, and Woodbury junior Marquis Taylor ran 6.55 for 8th.
All-Time New Jersey 55-Meter Dash List
6.18 … Ajani Dwyer [Washington Twp.], 2024
6.22 … Malachi James [Burlington City], 2024
6.26 … Mario Heslop [Franklin Twp.], 2018
6.26 … Damiere Byrd [Timber Creek], 2011
6.29 … Cole Isaac Cramer [Southern Regional], 2024
6.30 … Joe Dawkins [Hackensack], 1995
6.30 … Jamar Ervin [Camden], 2001
6.30 … Fitzroy Ledgister [St. Peter’s Prep], 2022
6.30 … Ryan Johnson [Delbarton], 2024
6.31 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1984
6.31 … Reggie Dixon [Plainfield], 2007
6.32 … Maxwell Booker [Essex Catholic], 2001
6.32 … Fabian France [Bergen Catholic], 2022
6.33 … Mike Fields [Roselle], 1995
6.33 … Louis Akpadago [Nottingham], 2020
6.33 … Shamali Whittle [Nottingham], 2022
6.33 … Ajani Dwyer [Washington Twp.], 2024
6.34 … Ron Singletary [Trenton], 1979
6.34 … A.J. Bunton [West Deptford], 2006
6.34 … Miles Shuler-Foster [Long Branch], 2011
6.36 … Kenny Reynolds [Willingboro], 1986
6.36 … Malachi James [Burlington City], 2024
6.37 … Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1979
6.37 … Akeem Lindo [East Orange], 2017
6.37 … Graham Houghton [Pingry School], 2024
6.38 … Barry Bacon [Neptune], 1987
6.38 … Anthony Davis [Plainfield], 2000
6.38 … Damier Johnson [Long Branch], 2008
6.38 … James Brown [Glassboro], 2009
6.38 … Marvin Morgan [Neptune], 2017
6.38 … Mekhi Stafford [Ewing], 2023
6.39 … Joe Henderson [Freehold Boro], 1986
6.39 … Bryant Fitzgerald [Highland Park], 2008
6.39 … Bryce Watts [Toms River North], 2017
6.39 … James Bivins [Donovan Catholic], 2018
6.39 … Kadeem Douse [Ewing], 2011
6.39 … Bryant Fitzgerald [Highland Park], 2008
All-Time Meet of Champions 55-Meter Performance List
6.22 … Malachi James [Burlington City], 2024 [1]
6.29 … Cole Isaac Cramer [Southern Regional], 2024 [2]
6.30 … Ryan Johnson [Delbarton], 2024 [3]
6.34 … Louis Akpadago [Nottingham], 2020 [1]
6.35q …….. Akpadago [Nottingham], 2020 [-]
6.35…..Fitzroy Ledgister [St. Peter’s Prep], 2022 [1]
6.37……Fabian France [Bergen Catholic, 2022] [2]
6.38 … Damier Johnson [Long Branch], 2008 [1]
6.38 …….. Akpadago [Nottingham], 2019 [1]
6.38q …….. Akpadago, 2019 [-]
6.38 … James Brown [Glassboro], 2009 [1]
6.38 … Marvin Morgan [Neptune], 2017 [1]
6.39 … Joe Henderson [Freehold Boro], 1986 [1]
6.39 … Bryant Fitzgerald [Highland Park], 2008 [2]
6.39 … Miles Shuler [Long Branch], 2011 [1]
6.39 … Kadeem Douse [Ewing], 2011 [2]
6.39 … Bryce Watts [Toms River North], 2017 [2]
6.40 …….. Shuler, 2010 [1]
All-Time South Jersey 55-Meter Dash List
6.18 … Ajani Dwyer [Washington Twp.], 2024
6.22 … Malachi James [Burlington City], 2024
6.26 … Damiere Byrd [Timber Creek], 2011
6.30 … Jamar Ervin [Camden], 2001
6.31 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1984
6.33 … Ajani Dwyer [Washington Twp.], 2024
6.34 … A.J. Bunton [West Deptford], 2006
6.36 … Kenny Reynolds [Willingboro], 1986
6.36 … Malachi James [Burlington City], 2024
6.37 … Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1979
6.38 … James Brown [Glassboro], 2009
6.40 … Ajani Dwyer [Washington Twp.], 2024
6.41 … Chris Church [Millville], 2007
6.42 … Thomas Walls [Wilson], 2006
6.42 … Dominique Irons [Haddon Heights], 2013
6.42 … Samuel Thomas [Northern Burlington], 2023
6.43 … George McKey [Willingboro], 1982
6.43 … Anthony Averett [Woodbury], 2013
6.44 … Thomas Hampton [Clayton], 2019
6.45 … Paul Wheeler [Kennedy], 1983
6.45 … Miekel House [Rancocas Valley], 2020
6.45 … Sherron Bullock [Camden], 2004
6.45 … Rob McGriff [Camden], 2006
6.45 … Antonio Tarantino [Paul VI], 2018
6.46 … Albert Newkirk [Camden], 1996
6.46 … Darnell Charles [Oakcrest], 2012
6.46 … Kashif Miller [Haddon Heights], 2014
6.46 … Rajahn Dixon [Eastern], 2023
6.47 … Anthony Jones [Edgewood], 1982
6.47 … Darren Ford [Vineland], 2004
6.47 … Reggie Morton [Oakcrest], 2012
6.47 … Curtis Fitzpatrick [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2013
6.47 … Jonathan Taylor [Salem], 2016
6.47 … Josh Washington [Woodbury], 2019
6.47 … Ahmad Brock [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2020
6.48 … Gary Gordon [Willingboro], 1995
6.48 … Fabian Santiago [Oakcrest], 2012
6.48 … Caleb Williams [St. Joe’s-Hammonton], 2015
6.48 … Clayton Crosse [Washington Twp.]. 2016
6.49 … Louis Smith [Burlington Twp.], 1997
6.49 … Michael Bolling [Willingboro], 2001
6.49 … Martin Booker [Pennsauken], 2016
6.49 … Ryquell Amstead [Millville], 2014
6.49 … Malachi Melton [Cedar Creek], 2019
6.49 … Corey Thomas [Oakcrest], 2023
All-Time South Jersey Meet of Champions 55-Meter Dash winners
1975 … Manny Small [Williamstown], 6.3y
1981 … Mike Parker [Salem], 6.3
1983 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 6.3
1985 … Lee Jerkins [Edgewood], 6.4
1989 … Lamar Wright [Penns Grove], 6.55
1993 … Rufus Wright [Bridgeton], 6.55
1996 … Albert Newkirk [Camden], 6.56
1997 … Albert Newkirk [Camden], 6.50
1998 … Richard Hubbard [Eastern], 6.55
1999 … Nick Brown [Bridgeton], 6.57
2002 … James Townsend [Holy Cross], 6.57
2004 … Darren Ford [Vineland], 6.47
2009 … James Brown [Glassboro], 6.38
2012 … Darnell Charles [Oakcrest], 6.46
2013 … Dominique Irons [Haddon Heights], 6.42
2014 … Kashif Miller [Haddon Heights], 6.46
2015 … Caleb Williams [St. Joe’s-Hammonton], 6.48
2024 … Malachi James [Burlington City], 6.22
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From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 