From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

When the Willingboro girls broke the state record in the 800-meter relay, they really broke it.

Until 1994, the South Jersey 4-by-200 record was 1:43.0, in 1992 by the Highland team of Eusheka Bartley, Melanie Bell, Tonya May and Nichole Bartley at the 1992 East Coast Relays at Morristown. That’s fast, but as you can it’s barely in the all-time South Jersey top-50 at this point.

(By the way, Highland also won the 4-by-400 at the East Coast Relays that day in 3:51.6 with Jaimi Kinsler, May and the Bartleys and also took second in the 400-meter relay in 48.7 probably with the same lineup as the 4-by-200. Pretty good day!)

Then 1994 rolled around and Willingboro shaved a whopping 1 1/2 seconds off Highland’s South Jersey record.

Willingboro first broke the South Jersey record with a 1:41.5 at the East Coast Relays with the team of Tiffany Butler, Corey Thomas, Kim Hargrove and Kia Van Wright. (They also won the 4-by-100 in 47.8 that day and Boro ran 3:56.4 for second in the 4-by-4).

A few weeks later, the Chimeras, with the same lineup, broke their own South Jersey record by running 1:41.2 at the Eastern States Championships at St. John’s, where they also won the 4-by-100 in 47.4.

The record only stood for a year. Camden ran 1:41.1 with Summer Springs, Tiffany Jones, Tunisia Revels and Medina Salaam at the 1995 Cam-Go Relays at Camden and the record has changed hands three times since:

1:41.10 … Washington Township [Latoya Benson) Anita Brooks, Erin McIntyre, Medea Ashton], 1999
1:39.21 … Eastern [Brittany Wright, Jennifer Jackson, Kaliyma Barkley, Jenelle Wilson], 2003
1:38.43 … Winslow Township [Janeya Hammond, Nylah Perry Flora Ahiarakwe, Shakira Dancy], 2018

How long will Winslow’s record stand? That’s going to be a tough one to break!

All-Time S.J. Outdoor Girls 800-Meter Relay Top-50

1:38.43 … Winslow Twp., 2018
1:39.21 … Eastern, 2003
1:39.59 … Winslow Twp., 2012
1:39.67 … Winslow Twp., 2019
1:40.25 … Rancocas Valley, 2019
1:40.30 … Winslow Twp., 2017
1:40.46 … Eastern, 2019
1:40.62 … Winslow Twp., 2003
1:40.72 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2018
1:40.5h … Woodrow Wilson, 2006
1:40.91 … Winslow Twp., 2004
1:41.10 … Washington Twp., 1999
1:41.1h …. Camden, 1995
1:41.33 … Camden, 2009
1:41.2h … Willingboro, 1994
1:41.40 … Winslow Twp., 2005
1:41.2h … Camden, 2006
1:41.54 … Willingboro, 1999
1:41.56 … Highland, 1998
1:41.59 … Eastern, 2002
1:41.70 … Paul VI, 2019
1:41.5h … Pleasantville, 1995
1:41.5h … Woodrow Wilson, 2005
1:41.81 … Willingboro, 1995
1:41.7 … Wilson, 2008
1:41.85 … Deptford, 2015
1:41.86 … Willingboro, 2000
1:41.87 … Camden, 2001
1:41.88 … Winslow, 2013
1:41.91 … Winslow, 2018
1:41.97 … Moorestown, 1999
1:41.9h … Willingboro, 2003
1:42.11 … Winslow Twp., 2016
1:42.21 … Willingboro, 1996
1:42.31 … Penns Grove, 2013
1:42.32 … Washington Twp., 2001
1:42.36 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2015
1:42.38 … Lenape, 2012
1:42.40 … Winslow Twp., 2011
1:42.40 … Rancocas Valley, 2017
1:42.59 … Woodrow Wilson, 2002
1:42.63 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2014
1:42.8h … Moorestown, 2000
1:42.98 … Timber Creek, 2015
1:43.01 … Camden, 2002
1:43.03 … Camden, 2000
1:43.04 … Winslow Twp., 2014
1:43.04 … Pennsauken, 2018
1:43.0h … Highland, 1992
1:43.19 … Kingsway, 2015