Think about how fast 3:09.91 is for a high school 4-by-4. That’s an average of 47.5, which is nuts.
It’s been 19 years now since Camden set the state 1,600-meter relay record at adidas Outdoor Nationals in Raleigh, N.C., with the team of Maurice Young, Dwight Ruff, Jade Smith and John Morris blowing away the field.
And it’s not only a state record but No. 16 on the all-time U.S. list and fastest ever run by a school outside Texas or California.
Because it didn’t happen in South Jersey the local papers barely mentioned it.
Here’s the only mention I found using the Newspapers.com database, and it’s from a story in the Home News, a New Brunswick paper:
Young led off with a 48.4 out of the hole, Ruff split 46.4 (he won the USATF Junior National intermediates title in Richmond – two hours away – the night before), Jade Smith split 47.8 and Morris anchored with a 47.3.
But the Panthers broke the state record of 3:11.2 set by the Edgewood team of Chris Bennett, Keith Gloster, Brian Bennett and Dennis Mitchell in 1984 at the old Delaware Valley Meet of Champions at Franklin Field.
Willlingboro, which had edged Camden at the Meet of Champions [3:12.44 to 3:12.57, with Edgewood third at 3:13.85] was second in 3:13.82.
As you can see, that period from 1999 through 2003 was a remarkable one for the 4-by-4 in South Jersey, with 13 of the top-24 times coming during that five-year stretch!
For the sake of comparison, only one performance on this list comes from the last 10 years, Egg Harbor’s crazy 3:13.08 on its home track at the 2017 Meet of Champions.
3:09.91 … Camden, 2001
3:10.47 … Winslow Twp., 2003
3:11.24 … Willingboro, 2003
3:11.2h … Edgewood, 1984
3:12.14 … Edgewood, 1985
3:12.17 … Winslow Twp., 2002
3:12.27 … Winslow Twp., 2002
3:12.44 … Willingboro, 2001
3:13.08 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2017
3:13.50 … Camden, 2005
3:13.58 … Camden, 2004
3:13.71 … Winslow Twp., 2004
3:13.78 … Camden, 2000
3:13.85 … Edgewood, 2001
3:14.06 … Lenape, 2000
3:14.12 … Edgewood, 1983
3:14.2h … Willingboro, 1982
3:14.58 … Camden, 1999
3:14.79 … Willingboro, 2007
3:14.95 … Vineland, 2002
3:14.99 … Woodrow Wilson, 1996
3:15.00 … Lenape, 2000
3:15.04 … Willingboro, 2002
3:15.29 … Eastern, 2002
3:15.31 … Willingboro, 2007
3:15.34 … Camden, 1997
3:15.41 … Vineland, 2003
3:15.5h … Woodrow Wilson, 1984
3:15.65 … Lenape, 1996
3:15.77 … Absegami, 2008
3:15.79 … Willingboro, 2006
3:16.08 … Camden, 2007
3:16.13 … Winslow Twp., 2008
3:16.33 … Rancocas Valley, 2017
3:16.3h … Camden, 2002
3:16.46 … Camden, 2004
3:16.47 … Vineland, 2003
3:16.53 … Paul VI, 2016
3:16.57 … Cherry Hill East, 2016
3:16.61 … Oakcrest, 2011
3:16.65 … Timber Creek, 2003
3:16.6h … Willingboro, 1988
3:16.76 … Willingboro, 1993
3:16.9h … Camden, 1981
3:16.9h … Camden, 1986
3:17.10 … Winslow Twp., 2005
3:17.32 … Cherry Hill East, 2010
3:17.57 … Pleasantville, 1996
3:17.65 … Willingboro, 2018
3:17.69 … Timber Creek, 2014
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 
Good afternoon REUBEN. I THAINK I HAVE SOME UPDATES. (Adidas national in 2004 super sprint relay, we ran 1:32.23. 2003 super sprint relay we ran 1:33.97.) UPDATES IN 4 x400 M RELAY. MOC, IN 2003 IN A TIME OF 3:10.70, South Brunswick high school. 2003, GROUP FOUR STATES IN A TIME OF 3:13.20. 2003 GROUP FOUR SECTIONALS WITH A TIME OF 3:17.8. Olympic Conference meet 4 x 400meters In 2002 with a time of 3:17.20. Olympic conference in 2003 in a time of 3:17.3 2004, 3:17.6. And the Camden County meet in 2003 in time of 3:16.8. DMR in 1984 WOODBURY RELAYS IN A TIME OF 10:44.4.
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PENN RELAYS, EDGEWOOD REG / WINSLOW TWP. IN 1984 South Jersey section, we ran 3:13.7. In 1985, South Jersey section, we ran 3:13.70. THE CHAMPIONSHIPS OF AMERICA, WE RAN 3:12.14. (In 2001,Championships of America, 3:16.63. and South Jersey section, 3:17.12. ) IN 2002, we ran 3:17.12 in South Jersey section. In 2003, South Jersey section a time of 3:14.95, championships of America, 3:11.47. In 2004, South Jersey section with a time of 3:14.78.
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