Sophomore Brianna Growalt became the first double sectional winner in the young history of the Atlantic County Tech track program this past weekend, taking 1st in both the 100-meter hurdles and long jump at the South Jersey Group 4 meet at Pennsauken.
Growalt is now top-10 in Atlantic County history in three events.
At sectionals, she won the hurdles in a slightly windy [2.2] 14.22, finishing 2-100ths of a second over Pennsauken junior Olivia Dupree, who ran 14.24. Rancocas Valley senior Cecilia King [14.32] and Washington Township senior Dakota Jones [14.41] also ran PRs in the final.
Growalt’s previous hurdles PR was a 14.44 at the Atlantic County Championships earlier this month at Egg Harbor. She goes into the state meet as the No. 1 seed, with Dupree, King and Jones No. 2 and 3 and 4.
Growalt had a consistent long jump series, with six jumps of 17-4 or better and a winning mark of 17-11 ½ on her 5th attempt. She had the six-best jumps of the competition and won by over a foot.
She has a PR of 18-9 ¼ from the Atlantic County meet and was also over 18-6 at the South Jersey Elite and Cape Atlantic meet. She has sprint PRs of 12.43 and 24.79 but skipped them to focus on the long jump and hurdles at sectionals.
At states, she’ll be the No. 3 seed in the long jump, behind senior Tatiana Camilo of Woodbridge, who jumped 18-8 ½ at North 2 Group 4 sectionals in Basking Ridge, and freshman Daphne Georgiades of Ridge, who jumped 18-7 ¼ also in North 2 Group 4.But her 18-9 ¼ is the best PR in the field and the top jump in New Jersey Group 4 this year.
Atlantic County Tech has had one previous sectional champion, and that was Tey’ana Ames, who won the shot put in 2021 at Washington Township and is now at Rutgers, where she PR’d at 46-1 ¼ earlier this month at Princeton. That’s No. 8 in school history. The versatile Ames has also high jumped 5-7 for Rutgers.
Growalt now ranks No. 4 in Atlantic County history in the long jump, No. 6 in the hurdles and No. 7 in the 200. She’s the No. 1 sophomore in New Jersey this year in both the hurdles and long jump and No. 5 in the 200
The state Group 4 meet is scheduled for May 30-31 in Somerset. Growalt ran 8.23 for the 55 highs indoors and placed 2nd in the Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze.
It appears that Atlantic County Tech, located in Hamilton Township, has had a girls track program since 2019.
23.90 … Lauren Princz [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2018
24.12 … Nia Ali [Pleasantville], 2006
24.23 … Nichole Hill [Oakcrest], 1997
24.50 … Laia Mortimore [Atlantic City], 1998
24.59 … Jaidah Garrett [Absegami], 2025
24.76 … Andrea Olsen [Buena], 2013
24.79 … Brianna Growalt [Atlantic County Tech], 2025
24.83 … Ajae Alvarez-Tyler [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2018
24.84 … Claire Pedrick [Mainland Reg.], 2018
24.92 … Nijgia Snapp [Oakcrest], 2009
13.65 … Nia Ali [Pleasantville], 2006
13.67 … Claudine Smith [Atlantic City], 2019
13.72 … Nichole Hill [Oakcrest], 1997
13.85 … Sherese Price [Pleasantville], 1998
14.17 … Andrea Olsen [Buena], 2013
14.22 … Brianna Growalt [Atlantic County Tech], 2025
14.25 … Joshonda Johnson [Absegami], 2017
14.29 … Shameka Marshall [Oakcrest], 2001
14.32 … Chereyse Hepburn [Oakcrest], 2000
14.41 … Isabella Alvarez [Pleasantville], 2025
19-2 ¾ …….Asia Young [Holy Spirit], 2016
18-10 ¾ … Shameeka Marshall [Oakcrest], 2001
18-9 1/2 … Frances Bundy [Pleasantville], 1999
18-9 ¼ … Brianna Growalt [Atlantic County Tech], 2025
18-7 …….. Claudine Smith [Atlantic City], 2018
18-6 … Emma Crozier-Carole [Mainland Reg.], 2023
18-4 ¼ … Kierston Johnson [Oakcrest], 2017
18-3 ¼ … Frances Bundy [Pleasantville], 1999
18-3 …… Felicia Graham [Oakcrest], 1990
18-3 …… Brittany Clybourn [Oakcrest], 2006
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 