From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

For the first time in almost two months, Malachi James got a chance to run with a wind gauge, and he responded by shattering the meet record in the 100-meter dash at the State Group 1 Championships Friday in Somerset.

James won the 100 final in 10.47 into a significant 1.7 meters-per-second wind after setting a meet-record 10.45 in the trials with a slight 0.5 tailwind. Anything at 2.0 or under is considered legal wind.

According to the wind correction calculator into a 1.7 wind is equivalent of a 10.37 with no wind or 10.27 with a legal 2.0 wind.

This was James’ first meet with a wind gauge since the USATF New York Youth Challenge Series Opener, when he ran 10.40 with a legal 1.3 tailwind.

James broke the Group 1 meet record of 10.58 set in 2017 by Salem’s Jonathan Taylor, currently a running back with the Colts.

He’s Burlington’s first state champion since Daveigh Brooks won the 400 in 2016 in 48.98 and City’s first sprinter to win a state title since Brondon Jenkins won the 200 as a freshman in 1993 in 22.26. A year later, as a sophomore at Delran, he won the Meet of Champions 200 in 21.46.

James will run the 200 on Saturday. He’ll be the No. 1 seed Wednesday at the Meet of Champions at Pennsauken. The next-fastest Friday were Southern Regional junior Cole Cramer, who won Group 4 in a wind-aided 10.59 in Somerse4t and Robbinsville senior Maxim Rychkov, who won Group 3 in a wind-aided 10.58 at Delsea.

In the final, James led a 1-2-3-4 South Jersey sweep, with Florence junior Barone VanKline 2nd in a PR 10.89, Gateway senior Lloyd Shambry 3rd in 10.92 and Paulsboro junior Malachi Streeter 4th in 11.08 [and 2nd among Malachi’s].