Tionna Tobias recorded an absolutely unbelievable long jump PR Friday at the American Track League Holloway Pro Classic at James G. Pressley Stadium in Gainesville.
Tobias, a 2019 Winslow Township graduate who finished her University of Iowa career this spring, popped a massive 22-9 ¼ on her final attempt with legal wind to win the event.
Tobias’s previous lifetime best was 21-4 ¼ at the Pepsi Florida Relays at the same facility in March, so that’s a nearly 1 ½-foot PR.
Her jump is 5th-best in the world this year and 3rd-best by an American woman, behind only Tara Davis-Woodhall [23-6 ½ in Rome in June] and Jasmine Moore [22-10 ¾]. Davis-Woodhall, Moore and Monae’ Nichols made the U.S. Olympic Team headed to Paris, but Tobias’s 22-9 ¼ would have placed her 3rd in the Trials.
Tobias’s jump is No. 20 on the all-time U.S. list.
Tobias, 23, opened with a 20-1 ¾, 19-11 and 20-3 ½ before jumping 19-2 ¾ and 19-9 ½ before her monster PR on her final jump with a legal 0.9 meters-per-second tailwind.
She won by nearly two feet over Trinidad-Tobago Olympian Tyra Gittens, who jumped 20-10 ¾ on her final attempt.
It’s also No. 3 in New Jersey history, behind Olympians Carol Lewis of Willingboro [23-1 ¼ in 1985] and Shana Williams of Bridgeton [23-0 in 1996].
It’s the best jump by a New Jersey woman since Williams jumped 22-10 at the 1998 Penn Relays – 26 years ago.
Tobias, a two-time All-America at Iowa, split her time among the long jump, high hurdles and heptathlon in college. She ran 13.11 and reached the NCAA Championships in the 100-meter highs in 2023 and won the Big Ten Conference heptathlon with 5,640 points last year.
But with one huge jump Friday, she showed that her best opportunity to be in elite could very well be in the long jump.
Tobias was listed as a senior at Iowa this past spring and has apparently exhausted her NCAA eligibility. She competed Friday with a “USA” affiliation.
All-Time South Jersey Alumni Long Jump List
23-1 … Carol Lewis [Willingboro], Aug. 21, 1985, Zurich
23-0 … Shana Williams [Bridgeton], June 21, 1996, Atlanta
22-9 ¼ … Tionna Tobias [Winslow Twp.], July 19, 2024, Gainesville, Fla.
22-1 … Shameka Marshall [Oakcrest], June 26, 2010, Des Moines, Iowa
21-6 ¾ … Tisifenee Taylor [Woodbury], April 21, 2007, Bethlehem, Pa.
21-5 ½ … Gabrielle Farquharson [Williamstown], April 15, 2016, Tallahassee, Fla.
21-0 … Cidae’a Woods [Winslow Twp.], May 12, 2017, Columbia, S.C.
20-9 … Kristina Tossas [Rancocas Valley], Feb. 24, 2023, Geneva, Ohio
20-6 … Asia Young [Holy Spirit], April 6, 2019, Tucson, Ariz.
20-5 ½ … Tina Johnson [Burlington Twp.], May 22, 1999, West Lafayette, Ind. [+1.2]
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 
Not sure if you guys know this or not but, Ryan Jennings from Timber Creek Track will be participating in the USATF Junior Olympics in Texas this week top seeded for the 100m and 200m races. It will be streamed. Back In June she participated in the USATF National at Icahn stadium and came in first place in the 100m naming her the USATF Junior National Champion and a cool 2nd place in the 200m race.
Recently, She won the USATF Regional Championship in the 100 and 200 so she is now the USATF Region 2 100 and 200 Champion! In the 100 she ran an 11.4 and in the 200 she ran 23.9.
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