From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

I’m going to need your help on this one.

In 2001, the Willingboro girls ran 3:43.94 for third place in the 1,600-meter relay at the adidas Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro.

That broke the South Jersey record of 3:45.41 set six years earlier by Camden in the South Jersey race at Penn and was 3rd-fastest in state history, behind only Montclair’s 3:41.03 at Penn in 1998 and Plainfield’s 3:43.3 at the 1981 Meet of Champions. It remains No. 5 in state history.

I can’t find the official results anywhere, but the Chimeras’ lineup was probably Halimah Bashir, Rhea Mann, Danielle Myricks and Okechi Ogbuokiri. (The lineup was actually Halimah, Chanel Hamilton, Danielle and Okechi … and Myricks split a 53!).  I should know because I was there, but … I don’t. And my old newspaper tragically deleted its entire on-line archive so I can’t even look up my old story. And the Newspaper.com archive doesn’t show any other local papers acknowledging the performance.

So, sadly, this incredible performance has been lost to time.

So if that lineup is incorrect … please let me know!

But it was a remarkable race. That 3:43.94 means Willingboro’s four legs averaged sub-56 in the same race. And that performance has stood as the South Jersey record for 19 years!

The next year, the Chimeras ran 3:44.64 at the Meet of Champions in South Brunswick – I believe with the team of Rhea Mann, Channel Hamilton, Bashir and Ogbuokiri (please correct me if I’m wrong). And nobody has come within 2 1/2 seconds of the Chimeras’ 4×4 record since.

Anyway, this is the all-time South Jersey girls outdoor 1,600-meter relay top-50.

Incredibly, only 14 high schools are represented on here, with Willingboro [14] and Camden [9] accounting for 23 times – nearly half the top 50!

Lenape [4], Eastern [3], Rancocas Valley [2] and Millville [2] each have multiple teams on the list as well, leaving just four other spots.

Please send any additions and corrections to me in the comment’s section!

All-Time S.J. Girls Outdoor 1,600-Meter Relay Top-50

3:43.94 … Willingboro, 2001
3:44.64 … Willingboro, 2002
3:45.41 … Camden, 1995
3:45.67 … Willingboro, 1999
3:46.13 … Willingboro, 2000
3:46.67 … Winslow Twp., 2018
3:47.16 … Eastern, 2003
3:47.30 … Willingboro, 2003
3:47.41 … Winslow Twp., 2017
3:47.4h … Camden, 1978
3:47.55 … Camden, 2006
3:48.00 … Wilson, 2001
3:48.17 … Wilson, 2006
3:48.6y … Camden,, 1978
3:48.78 … Lenape, 2014
3:48.7h … Washington Twp., 1999
3:48.87 … Rancocas Valley, 2019
3:48.91 … Penns Grove, 2013
3:49.25 … Lenape, 2015
3:49.2y … Camden, 1979
3:49.30 … Winslow Twp., 2004
3:49.43 … Willingboro, 1997
3:49.53 … Willingboro, 1998
3:49.63 … Winslow Twp., 2016
3:49.93 … Willingboro, 2009
3:50.10 … Millville, 2008
3:50.21 … Winslow Twp., 2003
3:50.24 … Willingboro, 2009
3:50.27 … Lenape, 2017
3:50.31 … Eastern, 2002
3:50.36 … Rancocas Valley, 2018
3:50.46 … Woodrow Wilson, 2005
3:50.49 … Willingboro, 2010
3:50.56 … Winslow Twp., 2019
3:51.0h … Willingboro, 1982
3:51.18 … Eastern, 2003
3:51.22 … Camden, 2008
3:51.32 … Willingboro, 2000
3:51.43 … Lenape, 2012
3:51.44 … Willingboro, 1994
3:51.51 … Woodrow Wilson, 2007
3:51.68 … Millville, 2007
3:51.70 … Camden, 2010
3:51.6h … Highland, 1992
3:51.85 … Woodrow Wilson, 2000
3:51.91 … Camden, 2005
3:51.8h … Camden, 1979
3:51.9h … Willingboro, 1993
3:52.15 … Pennsauken, 2014
3:52.49 … Paul VI, 2018