Paul VI won the 1,600-meter relay in 3:54.89 Tuesday on Day 2 of the South Jersey Parochial A sectional championships at Donovan Catholic in Toms River.
The all-underclass team of junior Carly Schmidt, sophomore Aliya Rae Garozzo, junior Keyann’a Watkins and freshman Abigail Lutz upset No. 1 seed Union Catholic, which was second in 3:57.46.
The time is the fastest by a South Jersey non-public school in at least a decade and perhaps ever. That will take some research.
The time is also No. 3 in New Jersey this year, behind only Winslow, which ran 3:53.73 at the Penn Relays, and Union Catholic, which ran 3:54.38, also at Penn.
The only other South Jersey schools under 4:00 so far this spring are Rancocas Valley [3:56.09 at Penn] and Egg Harbor [3:59.87 at Penn].
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 