Rowan’s Denirah Jones from Woodbury High became the first freshman to win the long jump at the New Jersey Athletic Conference indoor championships in 15 years and also placed 5th in the 60.
Jones won the long jump with a 17-10 ¾, just a quarter of an inch off her PR of 17-11 from last month at the Armory.
She’s the first freshman long jump winner since South Brunswick’s Jamie Thompson of Rowan jumped 17-0 ½ at the 2011 meet at the Armory. She’s also the first long jumper from Rowan to win the conference title since Michelle McCauley from Franklin set the meet record and school record of 18-10 at the 2019 meet at Ocean Breeze.
Jones surpassed 17 feet on all six of her jumps, with a 17-9 ¾ and a 17-6 ¾ in addition to her winning 17-10 ¾.
Jones was Rowan’s top finisher in the 60 in 5th place with a 7.92 after a 7.86 in the trials. She PR’d in February with a 7.80 at the Armory.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 