From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Rancocas Valley’s Bethany Biggi not only became the first South Jersey girl in 32 years to win the Easterns high jump, she not only set a lifetime PR of 5-6, she beat a national champion along the way.

Biggi, a Rancocas Valley senior, recorded the first major invitational win of her track career Tuesday night, clearing 5-6 for the first time indoors or out to win the Easterns high jump at the Armory.

Biggi had only cleared 5-4 twice before her huge breakthrough in New York.

She cleared opening height of 5-0 and also 5-2 on her first attempt, 5-4 on her second and 5-6 on her second before missing three attempts at 5-8.

Amy Arirguzoh of the Lawrenceville School and Abrianna Barrett of Montgomery High also cleared 5-6 but both did it on their third attempt, so Biggi got the win based on clearing the winning height on fewer attempts. Arirguzoh made 5-4 on her first attempt, so she was in the lead when the bar went up to 5-6.

Biggi is the first South Jersey girl to win at Easterns since Erin Halpin of Cherry Hill West cleared 5-6 in 1987.

Biggi’s clearance is the best by an R.V. girl indoors since Tonya Lee cleared 5-7 1/4 in 1988. Lee went on reach the 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials final in the 400-meter hurdles. Lee cleared 5-8 outdoors in 1987.

As for the national champion, that was Rutherford junior Jenna Rogers, who cleared 6-0 3/4 in June to win the New Balance National Championships in Greensboro, N.C. Rogers had never lost an indoor high jump competition to a New Jersey girl before Tuesday. She finished fourth at Easterns at 5-4.

Biggi is the third R.V. girl to win an Easterns title. Lee won the long jump at 18-4 3/4 in 1987 and Aliyah Taylor ran 55.21 to win the 400 in 2017. The boys won the 800-meter relay in 2017 in 1:29.29.

Dave Bannar came close in 1976, when he ran 7.2 hand-timed in the high hurdles, finishing 1-10th of a second behind Paul Snipes of Essex Catholic.

Millville’s Daniel Fenton and Atlantic City’s Isaiah Whaley gave the Cape-Atlantic League a 1-2 finish in the 400-meter dash at Easterns Tuesday night, Fenton winning in an indoor PR 49.63 and Whaley second with an indoor PR of his own at 49.70.

These long-time rivals were the only runners under 50 seconds. It was the first 1-2 Cape-Atlantic finish in Easterns history (Yes, I looked it up. And yes it took a long time).

Fenton lowered his PR from 50.17 from states over the weekend. He’s dropped his indoor 400 PR from 51.35 coming into the season to 50.57 at a meet in December to 50.36 at sectionals to 50.17 at states to 49.63 at Easterns. His outdoor PR is 49.18 from sectionals last spring.

Whaley had an indoor PR of 51.52 coming into the winter and dropped it to 51.02 in January, 50.55 at sectionals and 49.70 at Easterns. He’s got a 49.10 to his credit from the same sectional race that Fenton ran 49.18.

Fenton is only the second South Jersey runner ever to win the 400 at Easterns. Lenape’s Mohamad Kanu ran 48.36 to win in 2000.

It’s incredible how many 1-2 S.J. finish there’ve been at Easterns over the years. Here’s a look at that list!

BOYS
2018
Triple Jump
1. Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], 49-1, 2. Keon Grady [Delsea] 46-3 1/2
2015
55-Meter Dash
1. Davon Tucker [Sterling] 6.52, 2. Cameron Dobbins [Williamstown] 6.53
High Jump
1. Ameer Banks [Delsea] 6-10, 2. Devin Bradham [Williamstown] 6-10
2013
1,600-Meter Relay
1. Timber Creek 3:22.91, 2. Lenape 3:23.75
2012
55-Meter Dash
1. Anthony Averett [Woodbury] 6.46, 2. Curtis Fitzpatrick [Egg Harbor Twp.] 6.51
2004
800-Meter Relay
1. Camden 1:26.90, 2. Vineland 1:28.18
2002
1,600-Meter Relay
1. Camden 3:19.61, 2. Vineland 3:21.85
2001
Mile Run
1. Chris Platt [Haddonfield] 4:21.54, 2. Mike Myers [Eastern] 4:21.97
1,600-Meter Relay
1. Camden 3:15.78, 2. Buena 3:21.70
1999
55-Meter Hurdles
1. Danyne Brown [Camden] 7.34, 2. Dwight Ruff [Camden] 7.56
1996
55-Meter Hurdles
1. Sultan Tucker [Delsea] 7.23, 2. Nate Harley [Pleasantville[ 7.29

GIRLS
2018
3,200-Meter Run
1. Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Reg.] 11:17.28, 2. Kylie Anicic [Kingsway] 11:22.96
2017
200-Meter Dash
1. Shakira Dancy [Winslow Twp.] 24.39, 2. Cecelia Gerstenbacher [Delsea] 24.52
2013
55-Meter Dash
1. Emily Carson [Haddonfield] 7.09, 2. Tor’ie Robinson [Winslow Twp.] 7.14, 3. Cidae’a Woods [Winslow Twp.] 7.23
2012
1,600-Meter Run
1. Megan Lacy [Cherokee] 5:05.89, 2. Lindsey Kane [Washington Twp.] 5:08.26
2010
1,600-Meter Relay
1. Willingboro 3:58.88, 2. Washington Twp. 3:59.55
2008
1,600-Meter Relay
1. Millville 3:54.82, 2. Camden 3:56.52
2004
Pole Vault
1. Danielle O’Reilly [Shawnee] 13-0, 2. Jessica Kloss [Moorestown] 12-0
1999
55-Meter Dash
1. Amandi Rhett [Moorestown] 7.05, 2. Megenta Taylor [Willingboro] 7.07
1998
55-Meter Dash
1. Amandi Rhett [Moorestown] 7.15, 2. Megenta Taylor [Willingboro] 7.18

What about Easterns winners from the Cape-Atlantic League? I put together that list as well!

BOYS
55-METER DASH
2013 … Curtis Fitzpatrick (Egg Harbor Twp., N.J.) 6.47
200-METER DASH
2013 … A.J. Dawson (Holy Spirit, N.J.) 22.04
400-METER DASH
2019 … David Fenton (Millville), 49.63
800-METER RUN
1998 … Joseph Lewis (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1:56.31
2012 … Isaac Clark (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1:54.34
HIGH JUMP
1994 … Desmond Powell (Oakcrest, N.J.) 6-  4
2012 … A.J. Vance (Egg Harbor, N.J.) 6-  6
LONG JUMP
1988 … Rich Winstead (Egg Harbor Twp., N.J.) 23-  1
800-METER RELAY
2003 … Vineland, N.J. 1:29.52
1,600-METER RELAY
2007 … Pleasantville, N.J. 3:18.90
2003 … Vineland, N.J. 3:16.5
3,200-METER RELAY
2013 … Pleasantville, N.J. 7:45.55
2016 … Egg Harbor Township, N.J. 8:00.39
SHOT PUT
2012 … Braheme Days Jr. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 70-  8
2013 … Braheme Days Jr. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 67-  8

GIRLS
400-METER DASH
2008 … Nijgia Snapp (Oakcrest, N.J.) 54.91
2018 … Ajae Alvarez (Egg Harbor Twp., N.J.) 56.78
55-METER HURDLES
1998 … Sherese Price (Pleasantville, N.J.) 8.06
2006 … Nia Ali (Pleasantville, N.J.) 7.89
1,600-METER RELAY
2008 … Millville, N.J. 3:54.82
2009 … Millville, N.J. 3:57.67
3,200-METER RUN
2018 … Alyssa Aldridge (Mainland Reg., N.J.) 11:17.28
3,200-METER RELAY
1999 … Buena, N.J. 9:21.38
LONG JUMP
2019 … Leah Ellis (Millville), 19-3

A 10:36 distance medley is something any school can be proud of. For a Group 1 school, it’s even more impressive.

And that’s what Pitman accomplished Tuesday night at Easterns.

Led by Sebastien Reed’s 4:24 anchor, Pitman ran 10:36.32 to place sixth among some much-larger schools at the 85th annual Easterns States Championships at the Armory in New York.

Anthony Razze led off for Pitman with a 3:15.2 split for 1,200 meters and after Justin Bender’s 400 leg, Cole Sharpnack turned in a 2:00.3 split for 800 meters to set up Reed, whose anchor leg was officially 4:24.27.

That’s the third-fastest DMR ever by a South Jersey Group 1 school at Easterns and the fastest distance medley this year by a New Jersey Group 1 school.

The two faster Group 1 DMRs at Easterns: In 2002, Haddonfield won the Easterns DMR as a Group 1 school in 10:16.84 on a 3:05 leadoff by Skip Stiles and Chris Platt’s 4:18 anchor; and in 2015, Haddon Township, led by Luke Petela’s 4:15.39 anchor, ran 10:24.23 for fourth place.

Pitman’s time is also fastest by any Gloucester County school in five years, since Kingsway ran 10:31.88 at the Marine Corps Holiday Classic at the Armory in 2014. It’s fastest by a Gloucester County school at Easterns since Washington Township ran 10:35.65 in 2011.

It’s been quite a year for Pitman, which earlier this month won the first sectional championship in school history and this past weekend tied for third in the state Group 1 meet.

On Saturday, three of the four Pitman DMR legs will compete in the Meet of Champions. Razze will run the 1,600, Sharpnack the 800 and Reed the 3,200.

Wilson’s Dennisha Page had a big meet Tuesday night at Easterns, placing second in the 200-meter dash and third in the 55-meter dash, matching her 55 PR and moving up to No. 5 in South Jersey history in the 200.

Page ran 7.12 in the 55 trials, matching her PR from last week when she won states, then 7.18 in the semis and 7.17 in the final, good for third behind Paul Robeson’s Toshel Goffe and Eastern sophomore Jailya Ash, who ran 7.13. Page’s 55 PR was 7.23 going into Easterns, so that’s coming down significantly.

In the 200, Page opened with a 24.57 in the trials, which is No. 1 in South Jersey this year and No. 2 in the state behind multiple state record holder Athing Mu, who attends Trenton High School but competes independently and has a 24.11 to her credit (as well as a 52.55 and 2:03.98). It also places her No. 17 in state history indoors.

Page demolished her indoor 200 PR, which stood at 25.42 coming into Easterns from a meet at Franklin and Marshall in Lancaster, Pa., last month. Page does have a 23.99 outdoors from last year’s Meet of Champions.

Page, who will attend Syracuse, moved into the all-time Easterns top-20, and her time is actually eighth-fastest ever by a New Jersey girl at Easterns and second-fastest by a South Jersey girl, behind only Winslow’s Krystal Cantey, who ran 24.38 in the semis at the 2006 meet.

Here’s a look at the fastest New Jersey girls in the 200 at Easterns:

24.00 … Sydney McLaughlin (Union Catholic), 2016
24.21 … Dominique Booker (Immaculate Conception), 2008
24.34 … Toneisha Friday (Franklin Twp.), 2005
24.38 … Krystal Cantey (Winslow), 2006
24.38 … Raquel Vassell (East Orange), 2006
24.53 … Olivia Baker (Columbia), 2014
24.56 … Haisha Bisiolu (Union), 2015
24.57 … Dennisha Page (Woodrow Wilson), 2019

ALL-TIME S.J. INDOOR TRIPLE JUMP LIST
49-  1 …..… Khaliel Burnett [Delsea], 2018
48-  9 …..… Dominique Irons [Haddon Heights], 2013
48-  8 1/2 … Tristan Wilson [Delsea], 2014
48-  1 1/4 … Wayne Walls [Camden], 2009
47-  3 …..… Rhodeni Spence [Woodrow Wilson], 2007
46-  5 …….. Orion Joyner [Kingsway], 2018
46-  3 1/2 … Keon Grady [Delsea], 2018
45-  3 1/2 … Zakiyy Williams [Rancocas Valley], 2015
45-  0 …….. Earnest Daniel [Kingsway], 2017

The Rancocas Valley and Millville girls made the long trip to New York to square off in a 4-by-200 and both left with school records and spots on the all-time South Jersey top-20.

Rancocas Valley placed second in 1:41.99 and Millville was third in 1:42.08 at the 40th annual girls Easterns at the Armory.

The times are No. 11 and No. 12 in South Jersey history.

For R.V., sophomore Sheriyah Nutt’s 24.88 anchor leg brought the Red Devils in with the first sub-1:42 indoor race in school history. Millville was a step behind.

In the trials, Paul Robeson of Brooklyn, R.V. and Millville led the way in 1:42.53, 1:42.86 and 1:42.94. Nobody else was under 1:43.

Form held up in the finals, where Robeson ran 1:41.50, Rancocas Valley 1:41.99 and Millville 1:42.08 for third. Millville broke the Cumberland County record of 1:43.15 that it set earlier this winter.

The R.V. and Millville times are No. 1 and No. 2 in New Jersey this year and No. 12 and No. 15 in the U.S., according to the MileSplit database.

R.V.’s time is No. 4 in Burlington County history and fastest in 17 years, since Willingboro ran 1:41.70 back in 2002.

The Red Devils’ previous school record was a 1:42.45 in the qualifying rounds of the 2017 Easterns.

Millville’s likely runners were Malea Broome, Leah Ellis, Zaniah Bowman and Ciera Bowman. Names weren’t listed in the official results.

ALL-TIME S.J. 800-METER RELAY LIST
1:39.55 … Winslow Twp., 2018
1:39.94 … Winslow Twp., 2017
1:40.77 … Moorestown, 2000
1:41.14 … Woodrow Wilson, 2006
1:41.19 … Camden, 2008
1:41.28 … Woodrow Wilson, 2005
1:41.42 … Moorestown, 1999
1:41.70 … Willingboro, 2002
1:41.78 … Winslow Twp., 2014
1:41.98 … Camden, 2009
1:41.99 … Rancocas Valley, 2019
1:42.08 … Millville, 2019
1:42.20 … Camden, 2007
1:42.45 … Deptford, 2015
1:42.45 … Rancocas Valley, 2017
1:42.49 … Winslow Twp., 2013
1:42.5h … Willingboro, 2003
1:42.66 … Willingboro, 2000
1:42.75 … Eastern, 2003
1:42.85 … Washington Twp., 1999
1:42.90 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2018
1:42.94 … Millville, 2019

Here are the fastest 800-meter relays ever run at Easterns by South Jersey schools, along with their place in the race:

1:39.75 … Winslow Twp., 2018 [1]
1:40.77 … Moorestown, 2000 [1]
1:41.01 … Winslow Twp., 2018 [s]
1:41.19 … Camden, 2008 [1]
1:41.99 … Rancocas Valley, 2019 [2]
1:42.08 … Millville, 2019 [3]

This one is simply unbelievable.

Millville freshman Leah Ellis jumped 19-3 at Easterns Tuesday night at the Armory.

WHAT??????

Ellis destroyed the New Jersey freshman class record and won the long jump title at Easterns with an all-time remarkable performance.

That’s No. 11 in state history!!!!!

The previous state indoor freshman long jump record was 18-9, set in 2016 by Tionna Tobias.

Ellis came into the day with a PR of 17-3 from the Coach Glynn Holiday Classic at Ocean Breeze in Staten Island.

She came close to the Cumberland County indoor record of 19-7 1/2, set in 1993 by Bridgeton’s Helen Wilks.

Ellis opened with a PR 18-5 1/2 and then after a 17-7 uncorked her 19-3 on her third attempt of the trials. In the finals, she went 16-0, 17-10 1/2 and 15-11.

Isabelle Dely of Paramus Catholic placed second at 18-9 and Atlantic City’s Claudine Smith uncorked a huge indoor PR of her own — four of them, actually — to take third at 18-5, No. 13 in South Jersey history. That’s only 1 1/2 inches shy of the Atlantic County indoor record of 18-6 1/2 set in 2016 by Asia Young of Holy Spirit.

Smith, whose indoor PR was 17-2 from a meet at the Armory in December, had jumps of 18-0, 18-1 1/2, 18-5 and 17-10. She has an outdoor PR of 18-7 from winning sectionals last spring. Smith also placed fourth in the 55-meter hurdles in 8.09, just off her PR of 8.05.

Ellis is the first Millville athlete to win an individual title at Easterns, although the Millville 1,600-meter relay teams won in 2008 and 2009.

Ellis was also fourth in the triple jump with a jump of 35-10 1/4. She already holds the New Jersey freshman class record in the triple jump at 36-8 1/2 from the Hispanic Games at the Armory last month.

ALL-TIME S.J. INDOOR LONG JUMP LIST
21-7 1/2 … Carol Lewis [Willingboro], 1981
19-8 1/4 … Tionna Tobias [Winslow], 2016
19-8 ……. Cidae’a Woods [Winslow], 2014
19-7 1/2 … Helen Wilks [Bridgeton], 1993
19-3 …….. Leah Ellis [Millville], 2019
18-9 …….. Shameka Speed [Bridgeton], 2002
18-8 3/4 … Artrelia Turner [Wilson], 1984
18-7 1/4 … Shelly Bailey [Woodbury], 1982
18-6 1/2 … Tisifinee Taylor [Woodbury], 2002
18-6 1/2 … Asia Young [Holy Spirit], 2016
18-5 3/4 … Lindsey Walsh [Lenape], 2008
18-5 1/4 … Tacquaya Tobias [Our Lady of Mercy], 2011
18-5 …… Claudine Smith [Atlantic City], 2019
18-4 3/4 … Tonya Lee [Rancocas Valley], 1988
18-4 1/2 … Kristin Tricocci [Cinnaminson], 2004
18-2 3/4 … Sable Loper [Woodrow Wilson], 2005
18-1 3/4 … Emily Carson [Haddonfield], 2013
18-1 ……. Jasmine Staten [Lenape], 2015

ALL-TIME N.J. INDOOR 19-FOOT LONG JUMP LIST
21-7 1/2 … Carol Lewis [Willingboro], 1981
20-8 3/4 … Keturah Orji [Mount Olive], 2014
20-7 3/4 … Sydney McLaughlin [Union Catholic], 2017
19-11 3/4 … Claire Connor [Rahway], 1984
19-8 1/4 … Tionna Tobias [Winslow], 2016
19-8 ……. Celeste Holder [Parsippany], 2006
19-8 ……. Cidae’a Woods [Winslow], 2014
19-7 1/2 … Helen Wilks [Bridgeton], 1993
19-6 …….. Iana Amsterdam [Newark Tech], 2013
19-5 3/4 … Kayla Richardson [Columbia], 2014
19-3 …….. Leah Ellis [Millville], 2019
19-2 3/4 … Kaitlin Salisbury [Hawthorne], 2016
19-1 1/2 … Carlene Cummings [Englewood], 1998
19-1 1/4 … Kelsey Vieira [Hillsborough], 2016
19-1 1/4 … Kayla Richardson [Columbia], 2014
19-0 1/2 … Natalia Hinton [Newark Tech], 2013
19-0 …….. Tatiana Sanders [Paramus Catholic], 2013

Here’s a look at all the Easterns long jump winners from South Jersey over the years:

1980 … Carol Lewis (Willingboro), 20-6 ¼
1988 … Tonya Lee (Rancocas Valley), 18- 4 ¾
1995 … Selina Burton (Willingboro), 17-3
2008 … Lindsey Walsh (Lenape), 18-5 ¾
2013 … Cidae’a Woods (Winslow Twp.), 19-8
2018 … Tionna Tobias (Winslow Twp.), 19-8 ¼
2019 … Leah Ellis (Millville), 19-3

Tionna Tobias just tore up the Armory track in the 55-meter hurdles!

The Winslow Township senior PR’d for the second time in under two hours Tuesday evening and placed second at Easterns in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 7.98.

That’s No. 5 in South Jersey history, No. 13 in state history and No. 15 in meet history!

Tobias came into the meet with a PR of 8.16 from last year’s Meet of Champions but lowered it to 8.07 in the semis and again by nearly another 10th of a second in the final.

Ramapo’s Grace O’Shea won the race with a personal-best 7.75, No. 3 in state history.

ALL-TIME N.J. 55-METER HURDLES LIST
7.60 … Sydney McLaughlin [Union Catholic], 2015
7.71 … Charmaine Walker [Plainfield], 1997
7.75 … Grace O’Shea [Ramapo], 2019
7.81 … Dawn Bowles [Neptune], 1988
7.89 … Ste’yce McNeil [Winslow Twp.], 2012
7.89 … Nia Ali [Pleasantville], 2006
7.92 … Carol Lewis [Willingboro], 1981
7.93 … Wendy Vereen [Trenton], 1984
7.94 … Lenaami Morton [Camden], 2017
7.96 … Amaya Chadwick [Union Catholic], 2017
7.96 … Porscha Dobson [Kent Place], 2003
7.98 … Nichole Belcher [Woodrow Wilson], 1992
7.98 … Tionna Tobias [Winslow Twp.], 2019
7.99 … Patrycja Dziekonska [West Windsor-Plainsboro North], 2014
7.99 … Racquel Vassell [East Orange], 2007

And the top times in meet history:

ALL-TIME EASTERNS HURDLES PERFORMNCE LIST
7.66 … Sydney McLaughlin (Union Catholic), 2015
7.71 … Charmaine Walker (Plainfield), 1997
7.76 … Lindsay Rowe (Benjamin Cardoza, N.Y.), 2007
7.77 … Grace O’Shea (Ramapo), 2019
7.82 … Dawn Bowles (Neptune), 1988
7.88 … Alyssa Sandy (Paul Robeson, N.Y.), 2016
7.89 … Nia Ali (Pleasantville), 2006
7.89 … Ste’cye McNeil (Winslow), 2012
7.91 … Lindsay Rowe (Benjamin Cardoza, N.Y.), 2007
7.92 … Shenea Dawkins (New Rochelle), 2002
7.93 … Allison Williams (Brentwood, N.Y.), 1989
7.93 … Wendy Vereen (Trenton), 1983
7.94 … Lateisha Philson (Benjamin Cardoza, N.Y.), 2011
7.96 … Porscha Dobson (Kent Place), 2003
7.97 … Shantell Bingham (Episcopal), 2011
7.98 … Akayla Anderson (Benjamin Cardozo, N.Y.), 2012
7.98 … Tionna Tobias (Winslow Twp., N.J.), 2019
7.98 … Raquel Vassell (East Orange), 2007

What a race for Sincere Rhea!

The St. Augustine senior just missed the South Jersey record on his way to his first Easterns title at the Armory.

Rhea lowered his PR from 7.29 to 7.20, only 2-100ths of a second off the South Jersey record of 7.18 set in 1996 by Delsea’s Sultan Tucker.

Rhea and Palmyra’s Sam Aviles gave South Jersey a 1-3 finish, with Aviles taking third in 7.51.

Rhea’s time is No. 5 in state history and No. 2 in the U.S. this year according to the MileSplit database.

It’s also No. 2 in meet history, only 3-100ths of a second off Rodney Wilson’s 7.17 for Bartrum out of Philly in 1979. Wilson was coached by legendary Ron Carson, who later was a very successful coach at Willingboro.

ALL-TIME N.J. 55 HURDLES LIST
7.07 … Cory Poole [East Orange Campus], 2017
6.9h … Renaldo Nehemiah [Scotch Plains], 1985
7.18 … Sultan Tucker [Delsea], 1996
7.19 … Jermaine Collier [Trenton], 2012
7.20 … Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], 2019
7.22 … Dwight Ruff [Camden], 2001
7.22 … Isaac Williams [Willingboro], 2012
7.29 … Nate Harley [Pleasantville], 1996
7.29 … Danyne Brown [Camden], 1999
7.29 … Will Brown [Palmyra], 2006
7.31 … Akeem Lindo [East Orange Campus], 2018
7.32 … Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], 2018
7.32 … Stephan Fletcher [Princeton], 1983
7.32 … Jon Dickey [Penns Grove], 1985
7.32 … Jeff Porter [Franklin Twp.], 2003
7.32 … Al-Tariq Dunson [East Orange], 2018
7.32 … Isaiah Greene [Newark West Side], 2018

Rhea is the first South Jersey hurdler to win at Easterns since Devon Carter of Washington in 2010.

Here’s a list of all the South Jersey hurdlers who’ve won at Easterns:
1943 … William Mitchell (Collingswood), 7.8y
1985 … Jonathan Dickey (Penns Grove), 7.32y
1989 … Gerard Reynolds (Willingboro), 7.44y
1990 … Gerard Reynolds (Willingboro), 7.35y
1995 … Sultan Tucker (Delsea), 7.47
1996 … Sultan Tucker (Delsea), 7.23
1999 … Danyne Brown (Camden), 7.34
2000 … Rashad Baker (Woodrow Wilson), 7.39
2002 … Matt Dahms (Haddonfield), 7.52
2006 … Will Brown (Palmyra), 7.29
2010 … Devon Carter (Washington Twp.), 7.49
2019 … Sincere Rhea (St. Augustine), 7.20

And here’s a look at the top times in meet history (+ means the race was run at 60 yards, s or t means the time was achieved in the semis or trials). As you can see, seven of the top 16 time in meet history are by South Jersey hurdlers!

ALL-TIME EASTERNS 55 HURDLES LIST
7.17+ .. Rodney Wilson (Bartrum, Pa.), 1979
7.20 … Sincere Rhea (St. Augustine), 2019
7.23 … Sultan Tucker (Delsea), 1996
7.27 … Patrick Mann (Gar-Field, Va.), 1984
7.28+ .. Calvin Holmes (Denbeigh, Va.), 1984
7.29 … Anthony Acklin (Triton), 2001
7.29 … Nate Harley (Pleasantville), 1996
7.29 … Will Brown (Palmyra), 2006
7.30+ .. James Purvis (Brentwood, N.Y.), 1984
7.31s .. Danyne Brown (Camden), 1999
7.32+ .. Dwayne Allen (Harrisburg, Pa.), 1980
7.32+ .. Stephan Fletcher (Princeton), 1983
7.32+ .. Jonathan Dickey (Penns Grove), 1985
7.32s .. Jeff Porter (Franklin), 2003
7.32 … Al-Tariq Dunson (East Orange), 2018
7.32 … Isaiah Green (Newark West Side), 2018

Here’s the latest on South Jersey athletes from Easterns at the Armory following the trials and semis in the boys and girls 55-meter dash and 55-meter hurdles!