From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Salem senior Anthony Parker broke the Salem County indoor long jump record Wednesday in the South Jersey Elite meet at the Ott Center in West Philly.

Parker leaped 22-0 ½ on his 2nd of three attempts, breaking the mark of 21-11 that Schalick’s Kason Barrett jumped at 2017 Easterns at the Armory.

Parker, also an outstanding hurdler, hasn’t done a ton of long jumping. He jumped a few times outdoors as a sophomore with a best of 19-7 at the Bridgeton Relays. He didn’t jump at all that indoor season and only once last spring, going 20-8 ¼ at the Salem County Championships and taking 2nd to Schalick freshman David Stewart, who jumped 21-4 ½. His indoor and overall PR before Wednesday was 20-10 ¾ from a meet earlier this month, also at the Ott Center.

On Wednesday, he opened with a PR 21-5 ¼ and then hit 22-0 ½ on his 2nd jump. He finished with a 20-11 ¼, so he had the three-best jumps of his life back-to-back-to-back.

Parker’s 22-0 ½ is No. 11 in the state so far this year and No. 1 in South Jersey, just ahead of Sterling senior Bright John, who jumped 21-11 ¾ earlier this month at Ocean Breeze.

As for Stewart, he hasn’t long jumped yet this indoor season, but he did run a PR 50.30 for 3rd place in the 400 Wednesday, which makes him the top sophomore quarter-miler in New Jersey and Salem County’s fastest 400 runner since Norman Morris of Penns Grove ran 49.72 to win the 400 at the 2015 state Group 1 meet at the Bubble.

Here are all the 21-foot indoor jumpers I found from Salem County (outdoor county record is Salem’s Torrence Sorrell with his 23-2 ¼ when he won the 1988 Meet of Champions).
22-0 ½ … Anthony Parker [Salem], 2025
21-11 … Kason Barrett [Schalick], 2017
21-7 ¼ … Julian Norman [Woodstown], 2017
21-7 … Jason Knight [Salem], 1991
21-5 … Blaine Bartlett [Penns Grove], 1999
21-4 ½ … Clifton Green [Schalick], 1992
21-4 ½ … Bobby Arnold [Salem], 2020

And my best attempt at an all-time South Jersey indoor 22-foot list:
25-5 ½ … Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1979
24-6 ¼ … Gerard Reynolds [Willingboro], 1990
24-2 ½ … Isaac Samuels [Kennedy], 1983
24-0 ¾ … Mike Morrison [Willingboro], 2003
24-0 ½ … William Spearmon [Wilson], 1996
23-11 ½ … Kerry Vivett [Edgewood], 1985
22-10 ¾ … Nick Brown [Bridgeton], 1999
23-10 ….. Matt Rose [Bordentown], 1985
23-9 …… Syteek Farrington [Camden], 2009
23-7 ¾ … Anthony Averett [Woodbury], 2012
23-5 ½ … Floyd Whitaker [Highland Reg.], 2020
23-4 ½ … Maurice Hunter [Woodbury], 1983
23-4 ….. Andrew Athias [Cherry Hill East], 2011
23-3 ¾ … Jamar Byrd [Vineland], 2005
23-3 … Chace Pearson [Timber Creek], 2022
23-2 ½ … Rich Winstead [Egg Harbor Twp.], 1988
23-1 ….. Mikhail Micheaux [Eastern], 2014
23-0 ….. Derek King [Cumberland Reg.], 1984
22-11 ½ … Chris Gillis [Pennsauken], 2001
22-11 ½ … Antwan Dickerson [Pennsauken], 2013
22-11 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1984
22-10 ¾ … Will Mobley [Eastern], 1990
22-9 ¼ … Khalim Barge [Camden], 1999
22-9 ¼ … Shai Mumford [West Deptford], 2013
22-9 … John Meekins [Cinnaminson], 1987
22-8 ½ … Chris Steliga [Cherokee], 2008
22-7 ¾ … Hede Dewberry [Willingboro], 1981
22-7 ½ … Rece Englehardt [Moorestown], 2024
22-7 ¼ … Keon Grady [Delsea], 2017
22-7 … Jermaine Jackson [Wilson], 1991
22-7 … Darin Washington [Winslow Twp.], 2008
22-6 ½ … Carl Smith [Camden], 2005
22-6 ½ … Iverson Clement [Rancocas Valley], 2017
22-5 ¾ … Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], 2018
22-5 … Sherron Bullock [Camden], 2003
22-3 ¾ … Larry Russell Jr. [Timber Creek], 2015
22-3 ½ … Damon Johnson [Vineland], 1994
22-3 ½ … Ahmad Fogg [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2022
22-3 ¼ … Khaliq Price [Winslow Twp.], 2003
22-3 … Maurice Young [Camden], 1999
22-2 ¾ … William Murray [Mainland Reg.], 2023
22-2 ¼ … Marquis Allen [Oakcrest], 2001
22-2 ¼ … Dominique Irons [Haddon Heights], 2012
22-2 … Sean Mayers [Cherokee], 2002
22-2 … Adwon Parker [West Deptford], 2006
22-1 ¾ … Tahmir Clark [Rancocas Valley], 2020
22-1 … Ryan Givens [Ocean City], 2014
22-0 ½ … Connor Wright [Hammonton], 2022
22-0 ½ … Anthony Parker [Salem], 2025
22-0 … Marcus Brown [Bridgeton], 2001
22-0 … Damir Lomax [Delsea], 2020