Racing in his first U.S. Championships, Washington Township’s Ajani Dwyer cruised into the the second round of the 100-meter dash at the U.S. Champiunships at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island in Manhattan.
Dwyer, who just finished his sophomore year at Penn State, ran 10.18 out of Lane 4 with a legal 0.2 wind and placed 3rd in his race.
The top six finishers in each of four heats – large-Q qualifiers – plus the next-three-fastest – small-Q qualifiers – advanced to the semifinals, scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Friday. The top two in each of three semis plus the next-three-fastest advance to the final at 7:53 p.m. Friday.
Dwyer’s 10.18 was 10th-fastest of the 35 sprinters who qualified. Everyone who ran 10.25 in the third qualifying race advanced. Overall, 10.41 was the cutoff to advance.
Dwyer ran his wind-legal PR of 9.98 at NCAA East Prelims in Lexington, Ky., in May. That is 12th-fastest among U.S. men this year. He’s run as fast as 9.85 wind-aided, 15th-fastest in the world this year under any conditions.
Dwyer, who turned 20 in May, is the youngest American to run sub 10.00 this year and 2nd-youngest in the world. Jamaican Gary Card, who turns 20 next June, ran 9.93 with legal wind in Kingston this past June. He’s also the 2nd-fastest in the 100 field at Nationals, behind 19-year-old Jordan Urrutia of the University of Mississippi, who did not advance. So Dwyer will be the youngest runner in the semis.
The last South Jersey sprinter to finish in the top eight in the 800 at Nationals was Edgewood’s Dennis Mitchell, who was 4th in 2001 after winning in 1992, 1994, 1996 and 1999
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 