In her first meet of the outdoor season, Jenovia Logan from Sterling smashed the Rutgers school record in the high jump.
Logan set a PR and school record of 5-11 ¼ at the University of South Florida Alumni Invitational in Tampa, breaking the school record of 5-10 ½ set by Kimberly Fife from Ringwood High at the 1999 Colonial Relays in Williamsburg and matched by Courteney Campbell from Ridge in 2021 at the Big Ten Tri-Meet in Piscataway.
Logan’s previous PR was 5-10 ¾ in her final indoor meet – the Big Ten Championships earlier this month in Indianapolis. Her previous outdoor PR was 5-7 at last year’s USF Alumn Invite.
On Saturday, she passed 5-1 and 5-3 and cleared 5-5 on her first attempt. She cleared 5-7 and 5-8 ¾ on her second attempts and then 5-10 on her first. Four jumpers were left at 5-11 ¼ , but only Logan got over the bar, and she did it on her 1st attempt. She finished by taking three attempts at 6-0.
Both Rutgers high jump records are now held by South Jersey alums. Schalick graduate Anthony Butler jumped 7-1 ½ in Charlotesville in 2004.
Other Rutgers records held by South Jersey athletes: Paul Friedman [Moorestown] men’s outdoor 10,000 [29:20.80], Chris Mirabelli [Rancocas Valley], men’s javelin [251-6], Dennisha Page [Wilson] women’s outdoor 100 [11.30] and indoor 60 [7.26], Gabrielle Farquharson [Williamstown] women’s outdoor 200 [23.07] and indoor 200 [23.32], Shameka Marshall [Oakcrest] women’s outdoor hurdles [13.30], outdoor long jump [21-6 ¾], indoor long jump [21-10 ¼] and indoor hurdles [8.19] and Claudine Smith [Atlantic City] indoor triple jump [41-10].
At Sterling, Logan jumped 5-6 several times and won the 2022 state Group 2 champ in Somerset. Her mark Saturday is 4th-best ever by a South Jersey high school graduate. Here’s a look at the eight South Jersey jumpers I’m aware of who’ve cleared 5-9 or better.
6-3 … Priscilla Frederick [Paul VI], July 22, 2015, Toronto, Canada
6-1 ½ … MaryBeth Labosky [Holy Cross], April 17, 1992, Lawrence, Kan.
6-0 ¾ … Kenady Wilson [Willingboro], April 23, 2022, Greensboro, N.C.
5-11 ¼ … Jenovia Logan [Sterling], March 22, 2025, Tampa
5-10 ½ … Megan Kirschling [West Deptford], June 2, 2012, South Plainfield
5-10 … Tierra Hooker [Timber Creek], June 9, 2018, Mansfield Twp.
5-10 … Bryanna Craig [Millville], April 14, 2022, West Monroe, La.
5-9 ¼ … Lindsey Walsh [Lenape], May 15, 2011, Princeton
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 