Timber Creek teammates Naylah Jones and Ryan Jennings ran the 3rd- and 4th-fastest 100-meter dash times in state history Friday afternoon in the qualifying rounds at Group 3 Sectionals at Delsea.
Unlike at Pennsauken, where there was no wind gauge when Ajani Dwyer ran 10.24 – the fastest time ever recorded by a New Jersey high school sprinter – there is a wind gauge at Delsea and both times were made with legal winds.
Racing in the 5th of six heats, Jones ran 11.45 with a 0.5 meters-per-second tailwind, lowering her PR of 11.57 from the Camden County Championships at Haddon Township. In the next Jennings ran 11.47 with a 1.1 tailwind, lowering her PR from 11.56 from the Tri-County Championships at Delsea. Any tailwind of 2.0 meters-per-second or less is considered legal.
The only faster times in state history were recorded by legendary Michelle Glover of Willingboro, who ran 11.42 at the 1981 TAC Junior Nationals at UCLA, and Paramus Catholic’s Myasia Jacobs, who ran 11.44 to place 2nd at 2010 Greensboro Nationals.
So they’re the two-fastest times by South Jersey girls in 43 years and the fastest times by any New Jersey runner in 14 years.
The previous meet record was 11.69 by Dennisha Page or Wilson, who is now a senior at Tennessee and ranked 10th in the world in the 200. The overall South Jersey sectional record was Bria Mack’s 11.68 in Group 4 set in 2016.
They’re also No. 9 and No. 12 in the U.S. Under-20 division. Both are now qualified to race in Eugene in June in the USATF Under 20 Championships, with a chance to make the national team that will compete in Lima, Peru, in the World Under 20’s.
Earlier Friday, Jones and Jennings were joined by junior Billie Frazier and sophomore Samiyah Puckett on Timber Creek’s 400-meter relay team, which broke the South Jersey record.
ALL-TIME NEW JERSEY 100-METER DASH LIST
11.42 … Michele Glover [Willingboro], 1981
11.44 … Myasia Jacobs [Paramus Catholic], 2010
11.45 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 2024
11.47 … Ryan Jennings [Timber Creek], 2024
11.49 … English Gardner [Eastern], 2008
11.50 … Wendy Vereen [Trenton], 1984
11.57 … Patti Dunlap [Camden], 1979
11.57 … M’elisa Barber [Montclair], 1998
11.57 … Jada Ellis [Manchster Twp.], 2021
11.58 … Bria Mack [Williamstown], 2017
ALL-TIME SOUTH JERSEY 100-METER DASH LIST
11.42 … Michele Glover [Willingboro], 1981
11.45 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 2024
11.47 … Ryan Jennings [Timber Creek], 2024
11.49 … English Gardner [Eastern], 2008
11.57 … Patti Dunlap [Camden], 1979
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
11.56 … Ryan Jennings [Timber Creek], 2024
11.57 … Naylah Jones [Timber Creek], 2024
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 