From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

The odds of a tie are so remote in a meet with 10 events, 310 points to divvy up and a bunch of teams battling all day for points.

In fact, according to the NJSIAA sectional meet program, there had never been a team tie since the inception of indoor sectionals in 2008. 

That covers 13 years of meets in four Groups in four sections for boys and girls. That’s no ties in 412 sectional meets since 2008.

Until now.

Audubon and Collingswood, Colonial Conference rivals, Camden County rivals, schools located 2 1/2 miles apart, two towns separated only by a tiny swath of Oaklyn, finished deadlocked Sunday in the South Jersey Group 1 sectional meet at the Bubble in Toms River.

Audubon: 75
Collingswood: 75

Why have one champion when you can have two?

It was the first indoor sectional title for Audubon and the third in a row for Collingswood.

Follow along this titanic battle as the results came in!

400-METER DASH
Senior Emily Wallace gave Collingswood 10 points in the first event of the day with a win in 59.86, and junior Emily McGrath and senior Alivia Stocklin of Audubon took second and third in 61.99 and 62.28
Score after 1 event: Audubon 14, Collingswood 10 

HIGH JUMP
Audubon went 1-T4-6 for 14 points, with junior Sarah Parr earning the win at 4-10 and Stocklin and junior Emily Owens taking fifth and sixth at 4-6.
Score after 2 events: Audubon 28, Collingswood 10

1,600-METER RUN
Collingswood junior Sophie Steidle, who ran 5:21 last weekend, cruised to a 5:42.88 victory, winning by over 10 seconds
Score after 3 events: Audubon 28, Collingswood 20

SHOT PUT
Woodstown went 1-3, with junior Kara Knorr getting a three-foot win at 34-8. Audubon went 2-6 with senior Morgan Hearn (31-6) and junior Madelynn Spink (29-0), and Collingswood snared two points with junior Hailey Spencer throwing 29-4 1/2 for fifth.
Score after 4 events: Audubon 37, Collingswood 22

55-METER HURDLES
Collingswood’s Wallace recorded her second win of the day with a major PR of 9.21, and Audubon’s McGrath also PR’d at 9.42 for third.
Score after 5 events: Audubon 43, Collingswood 32

800-METER RUN
Four of the six medalists were from Audubon and Collingswood. Junior Sophie Steidle and freshman Lynnea Martinsen went 1-6 for Collingswood, Siegle running 2:26.64 and Martinsen 2:34.53. Audubon went 2-5 with Stocklin at 2:29.84 and McGrath 2:33.24.
Score after 6 events: Audubon 53, Collingswood 43

POLE VAULT
Audubon’s Parr cleared 11-0 for the win, and Collingswood junior Fioina Basewitz got over the bar at 10-0 for second.
Score after 7 events: Audubon 63, Collingswood 51

55-METER DASH
Junior Maria Muzzarelli of Buena, a first-year runner, got the close win over Collingswood’s Wallace, with both credited with a 7.51. Junior Kelly Loughlin picked up a fifth for Audubon.
Score after 8 events: Audubon 65, Collingswood 59

3,200-METER RUN
The tireless Steidle cruised to her third win of the day, this time in 12:36.56. Nobody else from Collingswood or Audubon placed.
Score after 9 events: Audubon 65, Collingswood 69

1,600-METER RELAY
Audubon got the win with a 4:14.56 to increase its total to 75, and Collingswood held off Haddon Heights by about half a second (4:20.83 to 4:21.39) to lock up third, add six points to its total and also finish with 75. What a meet!!!
Score after 10 events: Audubon 75, Collingswood 75