Monster performance by Salem senior Anthony Parker Tuesday at the Salem County Championships at Pennsville with three wins and a county record.
Parker won the 110-meter hurdles in a county-record 14.32, won the 400-meter hurdles in 56.35, won the long jump at 20-8 ½ and placed 3rd in the 200 in 23.07.
Both hurdles times are fastest in New Jersey Group 1 this year and his long jump mark is 5th-best.
Parker dropped his hurdles PR from 14.75, which he ran at last year’s Salem County meet this past May at Salem. Salem County hurdlers have run faster hand times – Billy Newmuis of Penns Grove ran 13.8 in 1982 and George Bland of Penns Grove ran 13.9 in 1986. But Parker’s 14.32 is the fastest FAT time in county history, 2-100ths of a second faster than Penns Grove’s Jason Stefanski ran at 2016 South Jersey Group 1 sectionals at Egg Harbor. That 14.32 is fastest in South Jersey this year and 3rd-fastest in New Jersey.
Parker’s 400IH time isn’t quite a PR. He ran slightly faster last May – 55.26 at the Tri-County Conference Championships at Delsea.
The 20-8 ½ is an outdoor PR by a quarter of an inch. He jumped 20-8 ¼ at last year’s Salem County meet, where he was 2nd to Schalick’s David Stewart. More on Stewart later. Parker has jumped farther indoors with a 22-5 at the Meet of Champions last month at Ocean Breeze.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 