Timber Creek junior Ryan Jennings ran one of the fastest 100-meter dash times in state history Wednesday at the Tri-County Championships at Delsea.
Jennings won the race in 11.56, fastest in New Jersey this year – 1-100th of a second faster than the 11.57 her teammate, Naylah Jones, ran at the Camden County Championships at Haddon Township last week.
Jennings’ time is 5th-fastest in state history and No. 3 in South Jersey history behind legendary Michele Glover of Willingboro, who ran 11.42 at the 1981 TAC Junior Nationals at UCLA, and Olympic gold medalist English Gardner of Eastern, who ran 11.49 at the 2008 state Group 4 meet at South Plainfield.
It’s fastest by a New Jersey sprinter in 14 years, since Paramus Catholic’s Myasia Jacobs ran 11.44 to place 2nd at 2010 Greensboro Nationals.
The only other New Jersey who’s run faster than Jennings is Trenton’s Wendy Vereen, who ran 11.50 in the semifinals of the 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials at Los Angeles Coliseum [just ahead of Glover, who ran 11.61].
Timber Creek becomes the first school in New Jersey history with two girls under 11.60 at any point. And they did it about a week apart.
Montclair came close with M’elisa Barber [11.57 in 1998] and Aleah Williams [11.65 in 1999], who were part of Montclair’s 1998 Penn Relays Championship of America 400-meter relay 2nd-place finish and state-record 45.50.
Jennings broke the meet record of a hand-timed 11.6 set by Deptford’s Audrey Wilson at Delsea in 2008.
With Pennsauken sophomore Sianni Wynn at 11.65 from South Jersey Elite at Delsea, more South Jersey girls have run 11.65 or faster in the past three weeks than in the previous 23 years.
Jennings also won the 200 in 24.36. Jones didn’t run the 100 or 200 Tuesday but won the 400 in 56.36, with teammate Chloe Jones 2nd in 57.16.
Although Jennings’ time won’t be eligible for some record lists because there wasn’t a wind guage being used, on the all-time South Jersey alumni list it’s 9th-fastest all-time:
10.74 … English Gardner [Eastern], July 3, 2016, Eugene, Ore. [+1.0]
11.10 … Dennisha Page [Wilson], May 11, 2024, Gainesville, Fla.
11.21 … Nia Ali [Pleasantville], April 13, 2024, Gainesville, Fla. [+1.2]
11.29 … Amandi Rhett [Moorestown], April 17, 2005, Walnut, Calif. [+0.4]
11.31 … Torie Robinson [Winslow Twp.], May 14, 2017, Atlanta [+0.8]
11.32 … Gabrielle Farquharson [Williamstown], May 14, 2016, Lincoln, Neb. [+1.6]
11.36 … Michele Glover [Willingboro], May 6, 1984, Houston [+1.7]
11.52 … Bria Mack [Williamstown], May 12, 2018, Knoxville, Tenn. [+0.5]
11.56 … Ryan Jennings [Timber Creek], May 22, 2024, Franklinville [NWI]
11.57 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], April 12, 2024, Marlton [NWI]
ALL-TIME NEW JERSEY 100-METER DASH LIST
11.42 … Michele Glover [Willingboro], 1981
11.44 … Myasia Jacobs [Paramus Catholic], 2010
11.49 … English Gardner [Eastern], 2008
11.50 … Wendy Vereen [Trenton], 1984
11.56 … Ryan Jennings [Timber Creek], 2024
11.57 … Patti Dunlap [Camden], 1979
11.57 … M’elisa Barber [Montclair], 1998
11.57 … Jada Ellis [Manchster Twp.], 2021
11.57 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 2024
11.58 … Bria Mack [Williamstown], 2017
ALL-TIME SOUTH JERSEY 100-METER DASH LIST
11.42 … Michele Glover [Willingboro], 1981
11.49 … English Gardner [Eastern], 2008
11.56 … Ryan Jennings [Timber Creek], 2024
11.57 … Patti Dunlap [Camden], 1979
11.57 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 2024
11.58 … Bria Mack [Williamstown], 2017
11.61 … Amandi Rhett [Moorestown], 2000
11.63 … Dennisha Page [Woodrow Wilson], 2019
11.65 … Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], 2024
11.66 … Lauren Princz [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2021
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 