In her second collegiate intermediate hurdles race, Rowan freshman Nyla Jones from Timber Creek ran a PR and the 7th-fastest time in NCAA Division 3 this year on Saturday.
Jones ran 1:01.40 in the prelims of the 400 hurdles at the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championships at The College of New Jersey in Ewing. That’s the 2nd-fastest time in meet history, behind the meet-record 1:01.23 by TCNJ’s Eliza Bruncaj in the 2023 final. Bruncaj was one of two other hurdlers to run sub 63 in the trials. Emma Petrolia of Stockton ran 1:02.36 and Bruncaj 1:02.88.
That 1:01.40 is fastest in NCAA Division 3 this year by a freshman.
Jones’ ran her previous intermediate hurdles PR of 1:01.44 at South Jersey Group 3 sectionals at Delsea last May. In her only previous college 400IH race she ran 1:02.93 in Baltimore two weeks ago.
Jones also isn’t far off the Rowan school record of 1:01.33 run last year by Woodstown’s Molly Lodge in Cortland, N.Y., last May. She ran 1:01.69 in Daytona Beach, Fla., last month but did not run the intermediates Friday, instead advancing in both the 200 [25.00] and 400 [58.49].
On the 2025 NCAA Division 3 list, Jones is No. 7, one spot ahead of Lodge, who’s No. 8. Jones is also No. 20 in the 100-meter highs at 14.27 from last month in Daytona Beach. She won the highs at the indoor NJAC meet at the Ott Center in February and is scheduled to race in the final on Sunday (there were no women’s 100 hurdles trials). She’s No. 3 among freshmen in D-3.
Jones’ times are both fastest by an NJAC freshman since at least 2012, or as far back as the TFRRS database goes.
Weather permitting, the highs final will be at 2:30 p.m. and the intermediates final at 4:05 p.m.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 