The Winslow girls, who broke the South Jersey 800-meter relay at nationals last year, broke it again this year on the same track a month earlier in the season.
Flora Ahiarakwe, Shakira Dancy, Nylah Perry and Janeya Hammond won the 4-by-200 at the 84th annual Easterns at the Armory Tuesday night with a S.J.-best 1:39.75.
Winslow had set the previous South Jersey mark of 1:39.94 in the trials of the 4-by-200 last year at New Balance Nationals on the same track. That was with Ahiarakwe, Dancy, Tionna Tobias and Iyianna Williams.
Tobias was busy Tuesday night winning the long jump with the second-best jump in South Jersey history and running a personal-best and placing third in the high hurdles with the No. 6 time in the state this year.
In the trials Tuesday, Winslow ran 1:41.01, the top qualifying time by more than a second. Union Catholic (1:42.19) was the only other team under 1:43.
In the final, Winslow ran more than a second faster than it had in the trials, with Paul Robeson of Brooklyn second in 1:41.97.
Winslow’s time is No. 4 in the U.S. this year, according to the Milesplit data base. It’s No. 6 in state history.
It’s also sixth-fastest in Easterns history and fastest ever by a New Jersey school in the historic meet. The previous fast by a New Jersey school was Union Catholic’s 1:40.67 last year. The previous South Jersey time at Easterns was Moorestown’s 1:40.77 with Amandi Rhett anchoring back in 2000.
ALL-TIME EASTERNS 800-METER RELAY LIST
1:38.40 … Paul Robeson, N.Y., 2016
1:39.27 … Middle College/Medger Evers, N.Y., 2011
1:39.29 … Union Catholic, 2016
1:39.41 … Uniondale, N.Y., 2007
1:39.59s … Uniondale, N.Y., 2007
1:39.75 … Winslow Twp., 2018
1:39.86 … Paul Robeson, N.Y., 2001
1:39.94 … Hempstead, N.Y., 2007
1:40.22 … Medgar Evers, N.Y., 2015
1:40.37 … Washington Irving, N.Y., 2001
1:40.51 … Hempstead, N.Y., 2005
1:40.67s … Union Catholic, 2017
1:40.76 … Hope, R.I., 2012
1:40.76 … New Rochelle, N.Y., 2013
1:40.77 … Moorestown, 2000
1:40.86 … Franklin, 2003
1:40.91 … Mt. Vernon, N.Y., 2012
1:40.92 … Uniondale, N.Y., 2006
1:40.94 … Simon Gratz, Pa., 1999
1:40.95 … Paul Robeson, 2017
The only previous South Jersey schools to win the 4-by-200 at Easterns are that Moorestown team in 2000 and Camden in 2000 and 2001, with 1:41.19 and 1:41.98.
Here’s the all-time state list in the 4-by-200, with the meet it was achieved where available:
1:38.99 … Columbia, 2014 [Millrose]
1:39.29 … Union Catholic, 2016 [Easterns]
1:39.37 … Columbia, 2011 [Nationals]
1:39.74 … Franklin, 2003 [Easterns]
1:39.75 … Winslow Twp., 2018 [Easterns]
1:39.94 … Winslow Twp., 2017 [Nationals]
1:39.94 … East Orange, 2007 [Easterns]
1:40.51 … Union Catholic, 2014 [Nationals]
1:40.67 … Union Catholic, 2017 [Easterns]
1:40.77 … Moorestown, 2000 [Easterns]
1:41.07 … Union Catholic, 2015 [Armory Invitational]
1:41.13 … Queen of Peace, 2003
1:41.14 … Woodrow Wilson, 2006
1:41.19 … Camden, 2008 [Easterns]
1:41.28 … Woodrow Wilson, 2005
1:41.42 … Moorestown, 1999
1:41.43 … East Orange, 2004
1:41.59 … Lincoln, 1981
1:41.65 … Jackson, 2008
1:41.67 … Columbia, 2013 [Easterns]
1:41.67 … Franklin, 2005
1:41.70 … Willingboro, 2002
1:41.74 … Franklin, 2001
1:41.78 … Winslow Twp., 2014 [Nationals]
1:41.87 … Trenton, 1986
1:41.91 … Trenton, 1983
1:41.96 … Newark Central, 1983
1:41.97 … Columbia, 2012 [Easterns]
1:41.98 … Camden, 2009 [Easterns]
1:42.11 … Union, 2012 [Easterns]
1:42.15 … Columbia, 2010 ]Nationals]
1:42.19 … Union Catholic, 2018 [Easterns]
1:42.40 … Columbia, 2015 [Nationals]
1:42.42 … Neptune, 2014 [Nationals]
1:42.45 … Deptford, 2015 [Easterns]
1:42.45 … Rancocas Valley, 2017 [Easterns]
1:42.49 … Winslow Twp., 2013 [Nationals]
1:42.52 … Piscataway, 2014 [Easterns]
1:42.90 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2018 [Easterns]
1:42.99 … Newark Tech, 2012 [Nationals]
Ahiarakwe also placed third in the 400 in a personal-best 57.36, No. 3 in South Jersey this year, and Dancy was second in the 200 in 24.63, the fastest time in the state this winter.
Ahiarakwe has run 56.14 outdoors, but her previous PR in the indoor 400 was her 57.67 to win states last weekend.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 