East Orange Campus HS track star Cory Poole sets state record in 400 hurdles at the USATF Junior Championships in Sacramento, Calif.

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EAST ORANGE, NJ (corrected Tuesday June 27, 10:13 a.m.) –  Cory Poole cemented his status as the best hurdler in the history of New Jersey high school boys’ track and field, and one of the best in United States high school history.

Poole, who recently completed a decorated career for the East Orange Campus High School boys’ track and field team, took second in the 400-meter hurdles in a state-record 49.88 at the USATF Junior Championships in Sacramento, Calif, on the third day of the four-day meet on Saturday, June 24. Poole finished 0.37 behind winner Quincy Hall. Poole’s time also is 10th-fastest in United States history.

With that finish, Poole has made the USA Junior team that will compete in the Pan-American Junior Championships in Trujillo, Peru, July 21-23.

Poole broke the previous record of 50.20 held by Union Catholic’s Taylor McLaughlin, who clocked that time at the New Balance Nationals in 2015. McLaughlin is the older brother of Sydney McLaughlin, the recent Union Catholic graduate and track star who competed at the Rio Summer Olympics in 2016.

Poole, who graduated from the STEM Academy in East Orange, also was named the New Jersey Gatorade Boys’ Track and Field Athlete of the Year for the second year in the year. The award was announced on June 22.

Poole repeated as champion in both the 110-meter hurdles and 400-meter intermediate hurdles and also helped the EOCHS 4-x-400-meter relay team to victory at the NJSIAA state Meet of Champions on June 10 at Northern Burlington County Regional HS.

The following week, Poole was a member of the EOCHS shuttle hurdles relay team and 4-x-400-meter relay team that both won titles at the New Balance Nationals at North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, N.C., June 17-18.

Poole ran 13.36 to set the state record in the 110 hurdles at the Super Essex Conference-American Division Championships at Schools Stadium in Newark, May 15, as he ran 13.46.

Poole last fall signed with the University of Florida to continue his track and field career on athletic scholarship in September.

  Cory Poole, East Orange Campus High School boys track and field