Freshman Anthony Parker from Salem came within one inch of the Rowan school record in the long jump Saturday at the Armory.
In his 3rd college meet, Parker won the long jump at the Dr. Sander Scorcher Columbia Challenge with a jump fo 24-1 ½ on his 2nd attempt.
That’s No. 3 in NCAA Division 3 this year and best by a freshman.
Parker’s previous collegiate best was 23-2 ¾ at Ocean Breeze last month in his 1st college meet. He had a high school indoor PR of 22-3 when he placed 4th in the Meet of Champions this past March at Ocean Breeze. His lifetime best before Saturday was 23-9 in a meet at Delsea this past May with no wind gauge at the long jump. His outdoor wind-legal best was 21-7 ¾ at West Philly Nationals, one of the few outdoor meets that has a wind guage at the horizontal jumps.
Parker fell an inch shy of the Rowan record of 24-2 ½ set at this meet two years ago by Ahmir Johnson, a graduate of Wissahickon High in Ambler and a transfer from Gwynedd-Mercy in Lower Gwynedd Township, Montgomery County.
Other than Parker and Johnson, Rowan’s other indoor 24-footer is Nana Agyemang of Parsippany High, who jumped 24-0 ¾ in Rochester in 2022.
Outdoors, Rowan has had four outdoor 24-footers: Johnson [24-9 ¾] ,Agyemang [24-9], Jeffrey Jon Tucker [24-5] and Kyle Hayes [24-0 ¾].
Parker opened with a 22-6 ¼ before the 24-1 ½ on his 2nd attempt. He jumped 22-9 on his final attempt of the trials and then 21-8 ¼, 23-0 ¾, and 23-3 ½ in the finals. He won by half an inch over Carlos Posey of Army West Point, who jumped 24-1.
Parker moves into the No. 3 spot on the NCAA Division 3 performance list, just ahead of Egg Harbor Township’s Ahmad Fogg of Stockton, who jumped 24-0 ¾ at Ocean Breeze last weekend.
Parker is now the No. 2 Salem County alum behind Pennsville’s Manorowitz, who jumped 25-0 ¾ outdoors in Lawrenceville in May 2022. Manorowitz’s indoor best was 24-5 ¾ at the Armory in February 2022.
Parker also ran 14.32 and 56.35 in the hurdles at Salem last year but hasn’t hurdled yet at Rowan.
Monmouth senior Aaron Brooks from Eastern placed 4th with a 23-8 jump., an indoor PR and No. 9 in Monmouth history. Brooks is also No. 4 in school history in the hurdles at 8.12. His previous indoor PR was a 23-3 ½ in Virginia Beach this past February. Brooks has jumped 24-1 ¾ outdoors and triple jumped 47-0 ¾. Oudoors, he’s 4th in school history in the 110 highs and No. 7 in the long jump. Brooks 23-8 is No. 2 in the Coastal Athletic Conference this year, behind only Marquis White of Hampton, who jumped 23-11 ½ Friday in Lynchburg, Va.
Also Rowan freshman Bright John from Sterling jumped 22-7 ¼. He jumped an. Indoor PR 22-10 last weekend. John jumped a wind-legal PR 23-2 last May at the state Group 2 meet at South Plainfield.
Jake Elliott
Nolan Smith
Jalen Carter
Cam Jurgens
Landon Dickerson
A.J. Brown
Kelee Ringo
Jalen Hurts
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 