What a remarkable performance over the weekend by the uniquely talented Pleasantville freshman Isabella Alvarez in her first outdoor state meet.
Alvarez won the 100-meter hurdles in 14.56 and the shot put at 38-10 ¾ with an outdoor PR 17-11 ¾, finished in a three-way tie for 2nd in the high jump at 5-4 and took 4th in the long jump at 17-6 ¼.
That’s 30 points for Alvarez, enough to place 3rd in Group 2 team scoring by herself.
Alvarez is the 8th South Jersey girl to win two individual state titles as a freshman, the first from Atlantic County and certainly the first in state history to ever double the hurdles and shot put.
She goes into the Meet of Champions tied for the No. 3 seed in the high jump, No. 5 seed in the hurdles, No. 12 in the shot put, No. 14 in the shot put. She’s the top freshman in New Jersey in the shot [39-8] and in the high jump [5-6], No. 2 behind Winslow’s Jasmine Jackson in the wind-legal hurdles [14.55] and No. 2 in the long jump among legal marks [17-11 ¾].
I don’t have all-time freshman lists. I probably should work on that one day. But it looks like her 14.55 is actually 2nd-fastest all-time among South Jersey freshmen – behind Jackson’s 13.94 in the state Group 4 meet Saturday – and her 39-8 is somewhere around 7th or 8th. Still working on that. She’s somewhere in the top five in the high jump an top 10 in the long jump. Alvarez owns Atlantic County freshman records in all four events.
Alvarez is the first Pleasantville girl to win a state title in any event since Olympian Nia Ali, inducted into the South Jersey Track Hall of Fame in February, won the Group 2 hurdles in 2006 in 13.95. She’s the first Pleasantville girl to double at states since 1996, when Shereese Price won the 100 in 12.22 and the hurdles in 14.66.
Jackson had a pretty great weekend as well, winning the highs and taking 2nd in the 200 and intermediates as Winslow won Group 4. She’s No. 2 seed at Meet of Champions in the hurdles, No. 4 in the intermediates and No. 15 in the 200.
Here’s a look at the South Jersey girls who’ve doubled at states as freshmen:
Isabella Alvarez [Pleasantville], Group 2 2025 [100HH, SP]
Sianni Wynn [Pennsauken], Group 4 2023 [100, 400]
Brianna Gess [Haddonfield], Group 2 2014 [1,600, 3,200]
English Gardner [Eastern], Group 4 2007 [100, 200]
Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], Group 4 2003 [400, 400IH]
Shameka Speed [Bridgeton], Group 2 2000 [200, 400, LJ]
Erin Donohue [Haddonfield], 1998 Group 1 [800, 1,600, 3,200]
Dawn Harris [Paul VI], 1987 Parochial A [100, LJ]
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 