Brian Merriman’s 47.8 anchor leg led Rancocas Valley to sixth place and All-America honors in the super sprint medley championship Sunday at the 32nd annual National Scholastic Championships at Aggie Stadium in Greensboro, N.C.
The all-senior team of Robert Hawkins and Brandon Boggs on the 100 legs, Sam Keleekai on the 200 and Merriman on the 400 ran 1:31.48, the fourth-fastest time in South Jersey history and No. 9 in state history.
Eight of the top 19 teams in the race were New Jersey schools, but R.V. was fastest of the bunch, and the Red Devils’ time is fastest by any New Jersey school since Cherry Hill East ran 1:31.22 five years ago.
The same quartet ran 1:29.11 in the 800-meter relay, placing 16th overall.
Here’s the all-time state list in the super sprint medley:
1:30.09 … Willingboro, 2007
1:30.11 … Ewing, 2003
1:30.84 … Pope John XXIII, 2010
1:31.05 … Camden, 2005
1:31.10 … Teaneck, 2010
1:31.21 … Teaneck, 2007
1:31.22 … Cherry Hill East, 2012
1:31.25 … Trenton, 2003
1:31.48 … Rancocas Valley, 2017
1:31.66 … Willingboro, 2006
1:31.72 … Union Catholic, 2008
1:31.89 … Columbia, 2009
1:32.48 … Hudson Catholic, 2015
1:32.55 … East Orange, 2017
1:32.71 … Ridgewood, 2017
1:32.76 … Trenton, 2012
1:32.76 … Don Bosco, 2011
1:32.90 … Snyder, 2011
1:32.95 … Manalapan, 2012
1:32.98 … Egg Harbor, 2015
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 