Over the next few weeks, we’ll spotlight 30 athletes who excelled during the outdoor track season that we didn’t have a chance to write about extensively. We’d love to write about every athlete in South Jersey, but that’s not practical. But we will try to spotlight some who may have gotten overlooked over the past few months. We apologize in advance if we don’t get to you or your son or daughter or an athlete you coach.
Today: Emir Canli, Junior, Delran
Canli was South Jersey’s top underclassman in both the long jump and high hurdles this year with a 22-9 ½ and a 14.22, both at the Meet of Champions. He was South Jersey Group 2 sectional champ in the long jump and runner-up in the hurdles and also took 2nd in the hurdles at the state meet.
Canli broke Delran school records in both the long jump and high hurdles and became only Delran’s 3rd sectional champion in the last 20 years, joining high jumper Charlis Hall [6-4 in 2017] and Miekel House in the 100 in 2019 [10.80].
The only faster Burlington County underclassman in the last 10 years in the 110 highs is Eric Foster of Willingboro with a 14.04 last year. It was Foster that edged Canli for the S.J. Group 2 title this year. Cannli’s 22-9 ½ is 3rd-best by a Burlington County underclassman in the last decade, behind R.V.’s Iverson Clement [23-0 ½ in 2017] and Palmyra’s Kwinten Ives [23-1 ¼ in 2022].
In all, Canli was over 22 feet in five meets this year and at 14.32 or under three times.
Canli’s twin brother, Deniz, also had an outstanding year, including a 49.80 in the 400 that makes him the No. 8 junior in South Jersey. He also long jumped 20-10 ½, which makes him the No. 5 underclassman. His 400 time is fastest by a Delran quarter-miler since Brondon Jenkins ran 48.73 to win the 1994 state Group 2 title.
In South Jersey Group 2, Emir Canli was the top junior in the high hurdles, long jump and triple jump, and Deniz Canli was the top junior in the 100, No. 2 in the 200, No. 3 in the 400 and No. 3 in the long jump.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 