N.J. track star blasts state record at 2025 Meet of Champions … in the trials
N.J. track star blasts state record at 2025 Meet of Champions … in the trials
2025 NJSIAA Track and Field Meet of Champions
It didn’t take Taylor Cox long to make history at the 2025 Meet of Champions.
And she didn’t even wait for the finals to do it.
In the trials of the 100-meter hurdles, Union Catholic’s Cox ran a blazing 13.18, a fully automatic time (FAT) state record. She was a full second faster than the rest of the field.
Winslow’s Jasmine Jackson (14.28) was second, Morristown’s Kayla Ewing (14.39) was third.
Cox’s time is tied for No. 23 in U.S. history in the event.
Beechwood track and field athlete Lily Parke breaking Kentucky records
The Parke family is full of runners. Both parents have run multiple marathons.
In fact, Marsha Parke has over 30 marathons under her belt, including nine Boston Marathons.
So, it was no surprise that their daughter, Lily, got into the family business too. Lily Parke ran her first 5K when she was just 6 years old.
She was being pushed in a stroller but demanded to get out and run. From that moment, Lily could see her future.
“I just always loved it,” Lily said about running. “It was something I was good at.”
Now, Lily has a resume that rivals anyone. She just finished her junior year at Beechwood High School and already has double-digit state championships.
Her most recent titles are the most impressive. In the Kentucky state meet, Parke ran the 1,600-meter in four minutes and 59 seconds, beating the previous state record set in 1993.
She followed that up with a two-minute and 15-second finish in the 800-meter, which broke another state record from 1987.
“(It was) definitely not what I expected, but I definitely put in the work to get there,” Lily said.
Her mother, Marsha, doubles as her head coach at Beechwood.
She’s been there for every state championship and record-breaking run. Every time Lily crosses the finish line, Marsha is proud.
“(I’m most proud of) the impact she’s leaving on other kids that watch her, and she doesn’t know it,” Marsha said. “It’s just really, really cool to see.”
After dominating the state of Kentucky, Lily is now heading to the Reebok National Championships at the end of June. She is hoping to set a better time there.
Plus, Lily still has an entire senior year to add to her already lengthy resume.
“To keep running, to keep having fun with it, keep getting better, to break my own records,” Lily said, listing out her future goals.
