Washington Township senior Yashahya Brown didn’t wait for the finals or even the semifinals. Brown PR’d in the 60-meter hurdles in the qualifying rounds Saturday morning at Boston Nationals at the Reggie Lewis Center in Brighton, Mass.
Brown won the 14th of 31 heats (yes, 31 heats) in 7.77, 4th-fastest in state history and 3-100ths of a second faster than his time at Boston Nationals last year.
Brown is 2nd-fastest going into the semifinals, behind Bradley Franklin of Thompson High in Alabaster, Ala., who ran 7.76 in the first heat. Franklin, Brown and Dai’vontay Young of Dunbar High in Dayton, Ohio, who ran 7.78, were the only qualifiers under 7.88.
The top 24 in Saturday’s morning heats advance to the semis, and Brown wasn’t the only Gloucester County hurdler to advance. Williamstown senior Alexander Hollimon, who ran 7.97 to win the seventh heat, was the 11th-fastest qualifier.
That’s No. 10 in South Jersey history and trails only Delsea’s Sultan Tucker and Brown on the all-time Gloucester County list. Hollimon was New Jersey No. 3 this year in the 55 hurdles at 7.36 and placed 3rd in the Meet of Champions.
The semis are scheduled for 5:10 p.m. later Saturday at the Reggie Lewis Center with the final at 2:36 p.m. Sunday at The TRACK.
(note that the Williamstown hurdler is listed as “Alexander Hollimom” throughout the entries and results, but I’m pretty sure his last name is actually “Hollimon.” If this is incorrect, can someone from the Williamstown program let me know! Thanks!)
ALL-TIME N.J. 60-METER HURDLES LIST
7.63 … Cory Poole [East Orange Campus], 2017
7.64 … Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], 2019
7.73 … Sultan Tucker [Delsea], 1997
7.77 … Yashahya Brown [Washington Twp.], 2024
7.79 … Nathaniel Rayan [Scotch Plains-Fanwood], 2023
7.85 … Chris Serrao [East Brunswick], 2022
7.87 … Dwight Ruff [Camden], 2002
7.88 … Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], 2019
7.90 … Corey Nelms [Neptune], 2006
7.90 … Isaac Williams [Willingboro], 2012
7.94 … Anthony Acklin [Triton], 2001
7.94 … Ihmir Marsette [Weequahic], 2017
7.94 … Akeem Lindo [East Orange Campus], 2017
ALL-TIME S.J. 60-METER HURDLES LIST
7.64 … Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], 2019
7.73 … Sultan Tucker [Delsea], 1997
7.77 … Yashahya Brown [Washington Twp.], 2023
7.87 … Dwight Ruff [Camden], 2002
7.88 … Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], 2019
7.90 … Isaac Williams [Willingboro], 2012
7.94 … Anthony Acklin [Triton], 2001
7.95 … Herb Reid [Lenape], 2000
7.96 … Danyne Brown. [Camden], 1999
7.97 … Alexander Hollimom [Williamstown], 2024
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 