Rancocas Valley on Monday became the first school to win back-to-back sprint medley titles in 17 years when they ran a South Jersey-best 3:32.48 at the 42nd annual East Coast Relays at Randolph High School.
The time is No. 7 in New Jersey this year.
R.V. ran 3:32.99 to win last year’s ECR SMR. The last to successfully repeat the sprint medley at the East Coast Relays was Suffern of New York in 2000 and 2001. The last New Jersey school to repeat was St. Benedict’s of Newark in 1995 and 1996.
Juniors Tai Matlock (22.4) and Caden Kennedy (22.8) handled the 200s for the Red Devils, and senior Daequan Jackson Swoope split 49.1 to set up junior anchor Ian Moore, who finished off the win with a 1:56.8 split.
This is the sixth straight year R.V. has run sub-3:33, which is a remarkable record of consistency, especially considering that when the streak began, three of the four legs from today’s group were in 6th grade.
No other school in New Jersey has run sub-3:33 in each of the last six years. Here are R.V.’s year-by-year times:
2018: 3:32.48
2017: 3:29.44
2016: 3:30.70
2015: 3:32.31
2014: 3:30.68
2013: 3:32.02
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 