Taylor Cox Leads NJ At Marine Corps Classic
By Jim Lambert
Many of New Jersey’s top stars put on sparkling shows at Friday’s Marine Corps Holiday Classic at the New York Armory.
Taylor Cox, a junior at Union Catholic, led the charge for the Garden State by taking over the national lead with her winning time of 7.82 in the 55-meter hurdles. Cox edged sophomore Kassidy Hopkins of Bullis (Md.), who ran a US No. 3 time of 7.91.
Cox’s 7.82 broke her PR of 7.88 that she ran to win at the NJ Meet of Champions last year, and is No. 5 all-time in NJ history. The four hurdlers she’s chasing are Sydney McLaughlin of UC (7.60 in 2015), Charmaine Walker of Plainfield (7.71 in 1997), Grace O’Shea of Ramapo (7.75 in 2019), and Dawn Bowles of Neptune (7.81 in 1988).
Union Catholic freshman Rhia Randolph and the Union Catholic girls 4×200 relay also ran NJ No. 1 times.
Randolph ran the fastest time in the state so far this season in the 300 when she placed fourth in the 300 in a US No. 8 39.51, and UC’s foursome of Jola Strayhorn, Natalia Thompson, Abriyah Thompson, and Kiara Fleming ran a NJ No. 1/US No. 9 1:42.71 in the trials of the 4×200. UC finished third in the final in 1:44.30. Willingboro placed second in 1:43.87.
https://nj.milesplit.com/articles/342972/cox-stevens-curtis-randolph-lead-nj-at-marine-corps
