About seven mimutes after Winslow’s Jasmine Jackson won the hurdles at the 89th annual Eastern States Championships at the Armory, her teammate, junior Olivia Okaro, won the 55-meter dash.
Okaro dropped her PR from 7.14 from the prelims at the Meet of Champions two days ago at Ocean Breeze to 7.07 and ran away from Immaculate Heart Academy senior Piper Portacio, who placed 2nd in 7.17. Willingboro senior Nester Wea, who ran 7.17 in the semis, finished 3rd in 7.20.
Okaro is the 2nd Winslow sprinter to win the Easterns 55-meter dash, joining Torie Robinson, who won the 2014 race in 7.00.
Okaro ran 7.19 in the trials, then PR’d with 7.13 in the semis to lead all qualifiers into the final.
Here’s a look at every South Jersey winner at Easterns 55-meter dash:
1980 … Michelle Glover [Willingboro] 6.5y
1983 … Denise Mitchell [Edgewood] 6.95y
1984 … Denise Mitchell [Edgewood] 7.02y
1998 … Amandi Rhett [Moorestown] 7.15
1999 … Amandi Rhett [Moorestown] 7.05
2000 … Amandi Rhett [Moorestown] 7.00
2007 … English Gardner [Eastern] 7.04
2008 … English Gardner [Eastern] 6.92
2010 … English Gardner [Eastern] 6.91
2012 … Annie Johnson [Shawnee] 7.07
2013 … Emily Carson [Haddonfield] 7.09
2014 … Torie Robinson [Winslow] 7.00
2023 … Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken, N.J. 7.04
2025 … Olivia Okaro [Winslow Twp.] 7.08
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 