Rancocas Valley senior Josiah Lajeunesse moved into the all-time South Jersey top 10 in the indoor triple jump with a big PR at the 90th annual Easterns Tuesday night.
Lajeunesse jumped 45-11 ½ on his 3rd attempt and placed 3rd at the Armory. His improved his PR from 45-2 ½ at the Bubble from two weeks ago and broke the Burlington County indoor record [and school record] of 45-3 ½ set by Zakiyy Williams at the 2015 Varsity Classic at the Armory.
His 45-11 ½ is No. 9 in South Jersey history and best since Highland’s Floyd Whitaker – the NCAA Division 1 triple jump runner-up last year for Oklahoma – went 46-10 ¾ at 2020 Easterns.
Lajeunesse had a PR of 42-7 ¾ coming into the indoor season from last year’s Burlington County Open at Lenape but extended it to 43-9 ¼ at the Ott Center last month in his first competition of the year and then 45-2 ½ at the Bubble.
Lajeunesse had a solid series at Easterns, opening with a 44-4 ½ and 43-9 before two 45-foot jumps – 45-11 ½ and 45-0 ½.
He’s No. 2 in South Jersey this year behind Glassboro sophomore Moses Robles [46-4 ½ at the Ott in December] and No. 9 in the state. He’s seeded 12th at Sunday’s Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze, but that’s with the 45-2 ½ mark.
Lajeunesse has also PR’d this year in the long jump with a 20-9 ¼ at the Ott in February in his only long jump competition this year. His PR coming into the season was 18-0 from a dual meet in April at R.V.
49- 1 …..… Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], 2018
48- 9 …..… Dominique Irons [Haddon Heights], 2013
48- 8 ½ … Tristan Wilson [Delsea], 2014
48- 1 ¼ … Wayne Walls [Camden], 2009
47- 3 …..… Rhodeni Spence [Woodrow Wilson], 2007
46-10 ¾ … Floyd Whitaker [Highland], 2020
46- 5 …….. Orion Joyner [Kingsway], 2019
46- 3 ½ … Keon Grady [Delsea], 2018
45-11 ½ … Josiah Lajeunesse [Rancocas Valley], 2026
45-10 …..… Kevin Kevelier [Collingswood], 2020
45-3 ½ … Zakiyy Williams [Rancocas Valley], 2015
45-3 ½ … Ezra Williams-Thomas [Moorestown], 2025
45- 0 …….. Earnest Daniel [Kingsway], 2017
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 