Rowan sophomore Nyla Jones, in her first meet since earning All-America honors in May, ran a 60-meter hurdles PR and nearly broke the school record in the 300 Friday at Ocean Breeze.
Jones, from Timber Creek, ran 8.93 in the finals of the Fastrack Invitational, lowering her PR from 8.95, which she ran when she won the NJAC indoor title at the Ott Center in February.
Her time is fastest by a Rowan woman in seven years, since Aspen McMillan from South Brunswick set the school record of 8.68 in the trials of the 2019 NCAA Division 3 Championships in Roxbury, Mass. McMillan went on to place 4th in the final.
Jones also won the 300 in 40.69, only 10-100tbs of a second off the Rowan school record of 40.59 set by Woodstown’s Molly Lodge at last year’s TCNJ Opener at the Armory. It was only Jones’ second lifetime 300. She ran 42.96 in the same race that Lodge ran 40.69 last December.
Rowan sophomore Paige Franklin from Williamstown placed 3rd in 41.53 in her first lifetime 300. The versatile Franklin was a javelin medalist at last year’s NJAC meet at Ewing.
Jones earned All-America honors last spring when she placed 5th in the 400-meter hurdles at Division 3 Nationals in Geneva, Ohio.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 