Washington Township senior Ajani Dwyer ran the fastest 100-meter dash in state history Friday in the qualifying rounds of the South Jersey Group 4 sectionals at Pennsauken.
Dwyer won the race in 10.24, the 10th-fastest time in the U.S. this year according to MileSplit’s national database.
There was no wind gauge set up at Pennsauken, so the performance won’t be recognized as a state record, but it’s the fastest time under any conditions ever run. According to all track bodies, any race 200 meters or shorter that’s contested without a wind guage is automatically considered wind-aided.
The official state record is 10.35 set by Jamar Ervin of Camden at the 2000 Meet of Champions at South Brunswick with a 2.0 wind reading – the maximum allowable for a race to be considered legal.
There is a wind gauge this weekend at the Group 2-3 sectional meet at Delsea.
Dwyer’s time is No. 16 in the world in the Under-20 age group, although it won’t be recognized by World Athletics because of the lack of a wind gauge.
Dwyer’s fastest wind-legal time is a 10.38 with a 2.0 tailwind at the South Jersey Elite meet at Delsea earlier this month.
Dwyer’s time will be considered a meet record since most sectional meets haven’t had a wind gauge over the years. The previous record was a fat 10.55 by Kingsway’s Evan Corcoran in 2022 with a hand-timed 10.3 by Washington Township’s Todd Dutch in 2022. The fastest previous FAT time in any group was a 10.47 by James Brown of Glassboro in Group 1 in 2009.
Here is a look at the top times in New Jersey history regardless of wind reading:
10.24 … Ajani Dwyer [Washington Twp.], 2024 [1st, South Jersey Group 4, Pennsauken]
10.30 … Danny Johnson [Rahway], 2001 [1st, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
10.30 … Fitzroy Ledgister [St. Peter’s Prep], 2022 [4th, New Balance Nationals, Franklin Field, Philadelphia]
10.33 … Mario Heslop [Franklin Twp.], 2019 [1st, Central Jersey Group 4 Sectionals, Howell]
10.35 … Jamar Ervin [Camden], 2000 [1st, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
10.36 … Damiere Byrd [Timber Creek], 2010 [1st, South Jersey Group 3 Sectionals, Egg Harbor Twp.]
10.39 … Miles Shuler-Foster [Long Branch], 2010 [1st, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
10.39 … Cole Isaac Cramer [Southern Reg.], 2024 [1st Ocean County Championships, Jackson]
10.39 … Malachi James [Burlington City], 2024 [1st, Burlington County Open, Mansfield Twp.]
10.43 … Zaire Clemes [Trenton], 2013 [1st, Group 4 States, Egg Harbor Twp.]
10.45 … James Townsend [Holy Cross], 2003 [1st, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
10.45 … Mekhi Stafford [Ewing], 2023 [1st, NYC Grand Prix, New York, N.Y.]
10.46 … Adian Sanderson [Ewing], 2003 [1st, Group 3 States, Egg Harbor Twp.]
10.46 … Michael Ray Garvin [Don Bosco], 2005 [3rd, Nike Outdoor Nationals, Greensboro, N.C.]
10.47 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1983 [4th, TAC U.S. Juniors, State College, Pa.]
10.47 … James Brown [Glassboro], 2009 [1st, South Jersey Group 1 Sectionals, Egg Harbor Twp.]
10.48 … Shamali Whittle [Nottingham], 2021 [1st (trials), Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
10.49 … Maxwell Booker [Essex Catholic], 2000 [Trials, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
10.49 … Jonathan Taylor [Salem], 2017 [1st, South Jersey Group 1 Sectionals, Egg Harbor Twp.]
10.50 … Dana Ridley [Hamilton North], 2019 [1st, Central Jersey Group 3 Sectionals, Jackson Liberty]
10.50 … Fabian France [Bergen Catholic], 2022 [2nd, Parochial A States, Middletown North]
10.50 … Maxim Rychkov [Robbinsville], 2024 [2nd, Fast Times at Cherokee High, Marlton]
All-Time South Jersey 100-Meter Dash List
10.24 … Ajani Dwyer [Washington Twp.], 2024
10.35 … Jamar Ervin [Camden], 2000
10.36 … Damiere Byrd [Timber Creek], 2010
10.39 … Malachi James [Burlington City], 2024
10.45 … James Townsend [Holy Cross], 2003
10.47 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1983
10.47 … James Brown [Glassboro], 2009
10.49 … Jonathan Taylor [Salem], 2017
10.54 … Fabian Santiago [Oakrest], 2010
10.55 … Todd Dutch [Washington Twp.], 2002
10.55 … Evan Corcoran [Kingsway], 2022
10.57 … Jamil Benjamin [Cumberland Regional], 2006
10.57 … Geoff Navaro [Absegami], 2008
10.57 … Yashahya Brown [Washington Twp.], 2024
10.58 … Anthony Miles [Winslow Twp.], 2003
10.58 … James Burrus [Moorestown], 2022
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 