Lenape senior Miles Acchione opened the 2024 season with a big javlein PR at CBA’s Penn Relays qualifier in Lincroft Monday afternoon.

Acchione won the javelin with a throw of 178-3, more than 10 feet beyond his previous best of 167-10 set last spring when he placed 2nd at South Jersey Group 4 sectionals at Pennsauken. He went on to place 3rd at states with a 162-4.

His 178-3 appears to be the best throw by a Lenape athlete since Steve Finlan hit 184-1 at the 2000 Meet of Champions in South Plainfield.

Acchione was a 1st-year thrower as a junior last year. He didn’t throw over 145 feet until late April before his breakthrough at sectionals.

Kyle Durkin of Calvary Christian in Old Bridge, a Meet of Champions medalist a year ago, placed 2nd with a 165-11. Gloucester senior Justice Dolson PR’d with a 157-7 for 3rd.

Series information is not available.

Eastern’s Jailya Ash smashed a 14-year-old UConn school record in the 100-meter hurdles Saturday on her home track in Storrs.

Ash ran 13.29 with a legal 0.2 meters-per-second tailwind at the UConn Dog Fight, breaking the school record of 13.39 set by Phylicia George at the 2010 Big East Championships in Cincinnati. George ran the 13.39 in the trials and then did not race in the final.

Ash’s previous PR was a 13.57 last May at Villanova, also in the trials of the Big East Championships. She ran 13.58 in the final and won the conference title.

Her time is 4th-fastest in South Jersey history behind Olympic silver medalist Nia Ali of Pleasantville, who ran 12.34 at the 2019 World Championships in Qatar, and Winslow graduates Tionna Tobias, who ran 13.11 last year, and Ste’yce McNeil, who ran 13.28 in 2015. It’s also No. 9 on the all-time New Jersey list.

Ash’s time is No. 1 in the Big East Conference this spring and No. 33 in NCAA Division 1 through March. The World Athletics site – as it has been all year – is late being update, but it looks like Ash should be somewhere among the top 20 or 25 U.S. women, although she’s likely not the only one missing.

Tobias, a senior at Iowa, ran 13.18 Saturday in Gainesville, No. 21 in NCAA Division 1 so far this year.

All-Time South Jersey 100-Meter Hurdles Top-10
12.34 … Nia Ali [Pleasantville], Oct. 6, 2019, Doha, Qatar
13.11 … Tionna Tobias [Winslow], May 25, 2023, Bloomington, Ind.
13.28 … Ste’yce McNeil [Winslow], May 15, 2015, Starkville, Miss.
13.29 … Jailya Ash [Eastern], March 30, 2024, Storrs, Conn.
13.30 … Shameka Marshall [Oakcrest], May 28, 2005, New York
13.36 … Samantha Sharper [Wilson], May 12, 2013, Houston [+0.1]
13.61 … Sherese Price [Pleasantville], May 4, 2002, Storrs, Ct. [+0.6]
13.64 … Magenta Taylor [Willingboro], March 24, 2001, Houston [+0.9]
13.71 … Imani Gilliam [Pennsauken], May 17, 2008, Princeton [+0.9]
13.72 … Nichole Hill [Oakcrest], June 4, 1997, Raleigh, N.C. [0.0]

All-Time New Jersey 100-Meter Hurdles Top-10
12.34 … Nia Ali [Pleasantville], Oct. 6, 2019, Doha, Qatar
12.65 … Sydney McLaughlin [Union Catholic], May 9, 2021, Walnut, Calif.
12.74 … Dawn Bowles [Neptune], June 15, 1997, Indianapolis
13.11 … Tionna Tobias [Winslow], May 25, 2023, Bloomington, Ind.
13.13 … Charmaine Walker [Plainfield], June 2, 2000, Durham, N.C.
13.15 … Amaya Chadwick [Union Catholic], May 27, 2021, Jacksonville, Fla.
13.18 … Amber Williams [Roxbury], June 6, 2007, Sacramento, Calif.
13.28 … Ste’yce McNeil [Winslow], May 15, 2015, Starkville, Miss.
13.29 … Jailya Ash [Eastern], March 30, 2024, Storrs, Conn.
13.30 … Shameka Marshall [Oakcrest], May 28, 2005, New York