Yashahya Brown capped an undefeated season in the high hurdles Wednesday with one of the fastest performances in Meet of Champions history.
Brown, a Washington Township senior, won the final in 13.56, leading a 1-2-3-4 South Jersey finish, after a 13.53 in the trials. Both performances were made with a legal wind.
Brown’s 13.53 is 3rd-fastest in meet history and 2nd-fastest with legal wind. Nathaniel Rayan of Scotch Plains-Fanwood set the meet record of 13.42 in the trials last year before a 13.48 in the final. The other hurdler to run faster at a MoC is Notre Dame’s Todd Matthews, with a wind-aided 13.52 in 1988.
The fastest previous time by a South Jersey hurdler is a 13.59 by Willingboro’s Gerard Reynolds in 1990.
Brown set the South Jersey record of 13.43 at the state Group 4 meet last weekend. That’s just 3-100ths of a second off Rayan’s state record of 13.40, which he ran at USATF Under-20’s last year in Eugene, Ore.
Brown is the first South Jersey hurdler to win the 110 highs at the Meet of Champions since Edwin Alston of Winslow Township in 2015 and only the 3rd in the last 25 years. Will Brown of Palmyra won in 2006.
Brown is the 4th Washington Township boy to win a Meet of Champions title. Sal Fiorentino won the javelin in 1974, Todd Dutch the 100 in 2002 and Devon Carter the 400-meter intermediates in 2010.
Brown is entered in the 110-meter high hurdles at West Philly Nationals, with the qualifying heats scheduled for 11:04 a.m. Saturday at Franklin Field and the final at 12:33 p.m. Sunday. Brown is 5th-fastest in the U.S. this year, according to the MileSplit national database.
Riverside senior Jamir Brown placed 2nd in 13.71, Willingboro senior Eric Foster 3rd in 13.88 and Williamstown senior Alexander Hollimon 4th in 13.96.
It was the first 1-2-3-4 sweep in any event for South Jersey since the 2015 high jump, with Bridgeton’s Markquese Bell, Williamstown’s Devin Bradham, Camden’s Dustin Singleton and Delsea’s Ameer Banks.
Here’s a look at all the South Jersey hurdlers who’ve won the 110-meter highs at the Meet of Champions:
Al Rich [Rancocas Valley], 1969 [15.0y,h]
Keith Curtis [Camden], 1975 [14.0y,h]
Dave Still [Pennsauken], 1977 [13.8y,h]
Jon Dickey [Penns Grove], 1985 [14.0h]
Gerard Reynolds [Willingboro], 1989 [14.00]
Gerard Reynolds [Willingboro], 1990 [13.59]
Vince Rawlins [Easern], 1992 [14.04]
Desmond Powell [Oakcrest], 1994 [14.08]
Sultan Tucker [Delsea], 1995 [13.91]
Nate Harley [Pleasantville], 1996 [13.76]
Danyne Brown [Camden], 1999 [13.63]
Will Brown [Palmyra], 2006 [14.13]
Edwin Alston [Winslow Twp.], 2015 [13.90]
Yashahya Brown [Washington Twp.], 2024 [13.56]
Here’s the all-time Meet of Champions top-10 regardless of wind conditions:
13.42q … Nate Rayan [Scotch Plains-Fanwood], 2023q
13.52 … Todd Matthews [Notre Dame].1998
13.53 … Yashahya Brown [Washington Twp.], 2024
13.55 … Jaheem Hayles [Roselle], 2019
13.59 … Gerard Reynolds [Willingboro], 1990
13.63 … Danyne Brown [Camden], 1996
13.65 …… Matthews, 1997
13.66 … Emmanuel Daux [Linden], 2001
13.66 … Sultan Tucker [Delsea], 1997
13.67 … Jermaine Collier [Trenton], 2012
13.67 … Chris Stephens [Plainfield], 2000
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 