Track: Averett long jumps 25 feet

Woodbury junior Anthony Averett unleashed the second-longest long jump in state history to highlight the 40th annual Woodbury Relays on Saturday.

Averett's long jump of 25 feet, 2 1/2 inches shattered the meet record. Only four-time Olympic long jump champion Carl Lewis, who went 26-6 as a senior at Willingboro in 1979, has produced a longer jump as a New Jersey high school athlete.

Because there was no wind gauge, Averett's jump will officially be regarded as wind-aided. But the wind was minimal, and Averett's performance wasn't a one-time fluke. He had gone 25 feet, 1 3/4 inches on his previous jump.

"It's a pleasure to be considered in the same company with Carl Lewis," said Averett, who has committed to attend Alabama on a football scholarship.

It was a record-setting day at Woodbury as the warm weather helped the athletes produce five meet bests in girls' field events, two meet bests in boys' field events and three meet bests in girls' running events.

Bridgeton's Braheme Days set the meet record with a throw of 66 feet, 1/4 inch in the shot put. The old record of 64 feet, 1/2 inch was set in 1995 by Overbrook's Ron Dayne, who would win the Heisman Trophy as a running back at Wisconsin.

West Deptford's Megan Kirschling set the high jump record with a leap of 5-10.

Cherokee's Jess Woodard set the discus record with a throw of 149-11.

Winslow's Stay'ce McNeil was part of two record-setting teams on the track. She anchored the shuttle hurdles team home in 1:01.82 and the 4x200 team to victory in 1:39.59.

Winslow also broke the meet record with a winning time of 3:52.39 in the 4x400. But that record was eclipsed moments later when Colombia went 3:49.50 in the Group 4 race.

-- Phil Anastasia