Pennsauken’s Premier Wynn, a sophomore at Norfolk State, ran a huge 200 PR Saturday and one of the fastest times ever by a South Jersey native.
Wynn placed 2nd at the Norfolk State Invitational on his home track in 20.91. He was the top collegian in the race, finishing behind only Chidi Okezie, a Philadelphia-born Nigerian, graduate of the since-closed New Media Technology Charter School and two-time medalist at the African Championships and former World Under-20 champ in the 400. Okezie won the race in a lifetime-best 20.72.
Wynn’s previous PR was a 21.25 six weeks ago in his final indoor meet, the MEAC Championships in Virginia Beach. This was his first outdoor 200 as a collegian. His previous outdoor PR was a wind-aided 21.55 when he won the state Group 4 title in June of 2023 in Somerset. His previous wind-legal outdoor PR was 21.57 a week later at the Meet of Champions on the same track into a 1.6 meters-per-second headwind.
His 20.91 is No. 3 in the MEAC and No. 9 in the NCAA Division 1 Southeast Region. He’s No. 1 in the MEAC and 2 in the region in the 400 hurdles.
My all-time South Jersey alumni list shows 11 runners from South Jersey who’ve run sub-21 fully automatic with legal wind, and Wynn is tied for 9th on that list. If you see a mistake or omission please let me know in the comment section!
Wynn’s primary event is the 400-meter hurdles, and he’s got a PR of 50.78 from last June when he placed 2nd at the U.S. Under-20 Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. That’s 6th-fastest on the all-time South Jersey list. Wynn just missed that PR in his first 400IH race this spring, when he ran 50.70 last month in Tampa. He’s also run 46.64 for the flat 400.
19.75 … Carl Lewis [Willingboro], June 19, 1983, Indianapolis
20.09 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], June 2, 1989, Provo, Utah
20.55 … Ajani Dwyer [Washington Twp.], March 29, 2025, Baton Rouge, La.
20.61… John Stone [Mainland Reg.], May 22, 1999, Atlanta
20.64 … Bruce Owens [Deptford], May 29, 2010, Greensboro, N.C.
20.83 … Todd Dutch [Washington Twp.], May 7, 2005, Columbus, Ohio
20.88 … Kevin Holloway [Palmyra], April 21, 1979, Bloomington, Ind.
20.90 … Jack Pierce [Woodbury], May 23, 1984, Cape Girardeau, Mo.
20.91 … Jah’mere Beasley [Sterling], May 26, 2022, Geneva, Ohio
20.91 … Premier Wynn [Pennsauken], April 5, 2025, Norfolk, Va.
20.97 … Matt Rose [Bordentown], May 24, 1987, Villanova, Pa.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 