It took everything Olympian Sydney McLaughlin had to overtake Winslow Township on the final lap and deliver the Meet of Champions 1,600-Meter Relay title to Union Catholic.
McLaughlin split 52.0 and Union Catholic ran a state-leading 3:50.82, second-fastest in meet history, seventh-fastest in the U.S. this year and 11th-fastest in state history.
As for Winslow, the Eagles certainly have plenty to be excited about. Not only does Winslow have three of its four legs back next year while McLaughlin – the 400-meter dash national record holder – graduates. Winslow’s time even in a close defeat is fastest by a South Jersey school in 14 years and No. 10 in the U.S. this year.
With their 3:51.49, the group of senior Iyianna Williams, juniors Flora Ahiarakwe and Shakira Dancy and freshman Janeya Hammond ran the fastest time by a South Jersey 4-by-4 quartet since Willingboro ran 3:45.57 in 2003.
Their time was third-fastest in meet history, so fast enough to win 37 of the 39 4-by-4s ever contested at the Meet of Champions – behind last year’s Union Catholic and this year’s Union Catholic.
The previous fastest non-winning time in Meet of Champions history is Camden’s 3:57.89 in 1995 behind Columbia’s 3:55.73.
Winslow broke its own Camden County record of 3:52.17 that the same four girls set earlier this month at the Millrose Games Trials at the Armory.
The only faster schools in South Jersey indoor history are Willingboro in 2003 and 2002 (3:47.95) and Camden in 1995 (3:49.07).
Here’s the all-time state indoor top-20, which is everybody under 3:53:
3:40.28 … Union Catholic, 2016
3:42.03 … Columbia, 2013
3:45.57 … Willingboro, 2003
3:46.42 … Columbia, 2014
3:47.03 … Union Catholic, 2015
3:47.95 … Willingboro, 2002
3:48.9h … Plainfield, 1980
3:49.07 … Camden, 1995
3:49.50 … East Orange, 2006
3:49.9h … Plainfield, 1981
3:50.82 … Union Catholic, 2017
3:50.8h … Snyder, 1981
3:51.17 … Columbia, 2015
3:51.37 … Columbia, 2010
3:51.49 … Winslow Twp., 2017
3:52.17 … Winslow, 2017
3:52.2h … Columbia, 1982
3:52.37 … Willingboro, 2000
3:52.48 … Columbia, 2011
3:52.55 … Wilson, 2006
And here’s the all-time Meet of Champions performance list, which shows Winslow with the No. 3 performance in meet history. With Rancocas Valley unseating 2009 Jackson’s 3:58.85 as the fastest third-place time ever, this race produced three of the 11-fastest times in meet history.
3:47.27 … Union Catholic, 2016 [1]
3:50.82 … Union Catholic, 2017 [1]
3:51.49 … Winslow Twp., 2017 [2]
3:53.50 … Columbia, 2010 [1]
3:55.08 … Camden, 2009 [1]
3:55.24 … Montclair, 1998 [1]
3:55.69 … Southern, 2009 [1]
3:55.73 … Columbia, 1995 [1]
3:56.72 … Columbia, 1996 [1]
3:56.76 … Southern, 2008 [1]
3:56.92 … Rancocas Valley, 2017 [3]
3:57.35 … Columbia, 2012 [1]
3:57.89 … Camden, 1995 [2]
3:57.94 … Eastern, 2003 [1]
3:57.96 … Washington, 2011 [1]
3:58.00 … Willingboro, 2003 [2]
3:58.33 … Pope John, 2012 [2]
3:58.51 … Millville, 2008 [2]
3:58.85 … Jackson, 2009 [3]
3:58.97 … Camden, 2008 [3]
3:58.98 … Willingboro, 2010 [2]
3:59.03 … East Orange, 2007 [1]
3:59.14 … Columbia, 2009 [4]
3:59.19 … Lenape, 2012 [3]
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 