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 (pictured on far right above), 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 junior 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). 
JADEN MARCHAN BREAKS NJ RECORD
There were several other NJ highlights.
Virginia Tech-bound Sophia Curtis of Ocean City won the triple jump with a NJ No. 1/US No. 7 39-11 in her season debut. Curtis won the TJ at the Meet of Champions last spring, and soared to a NJ No. 2 all-time 41-3.25 when she finished third at the New Balance Indoor Nationals last March. Only legendary Olympian Keturah Orji of Mount Olive, who went 44-2 in 2014, has jumped further indoors in NJ history than Curtis.
Madison Stevens NJ of Columbia, who is headed to Rutgers in the fall, took over the state lead in the shot put with her winning toss of 40-2.75. Stevens, the Indoor Meet of Champions winner in the shot put in 2022, owns a PR of 43-8.75 that she threw to place second at the Meet of Champions last spring.
Union Catholic freshman Rhia Randolph and the Union Catholic girls 4x200 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 4x200. UC finished third in the final in 1:44.30. Willingboro placed second in 1:43.87.
Other NJ winners included Ocean City in the girls DMR (12:52.41), and South Brunswick in the girls shuttle hurdles in 35.70, and Glassboro's Damere Lassiter won the boys shot put with a 54-3.25.
Big shoutout to Vernon senior Zack Mountain, who broke the Sussex County pentathlon record with 3,387 points, which placed him second. Mountain's