From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

When it comes to breaking records, the 1986 Shawnee girls did it in style.

Lisa Syvertson, Joanne Tate, Chris Danks and Deanna Germano took 29 SECONDS off the South Jersey indoor record when they won the Group 4 distance medley in 12:43.8 at the state relays at Jadwin Gym.

They broke the South Jersey mark of 13:12.9 set by Shawnee in 1984, probably at the state relays.

That 12:43.8 only stood as the South Jersey record for one year. The same four girls ran 12:40.6 in 1987, although I have no idea where. It wasn’t at the state relays or Easterns. (Those marks are converted from 2 1/2 miles to 4,000 meters on the list below.)

It would be 15 years till that mark fell, but then it fell a lot. Here’s a look at the all-time S.J. girls indoor DMR progression:

2002: Woodrow Wilson, 12:20.4 [Lindsey Thomas, Latoya Carmichael, Takeesha Carter, Tanieshia Pittman, Varsity Classic, Armory]
2005: Ocean City, 12:12.22 [Nike Indoor Nationals, Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex, Landover, Md., Allie Moreland, Erin Walsh, Renee Tomlin, Brittany Sedberry]
2010: Lenape, 11:58.92 [Natalia Ocasio, Emily Duffey, Carmen Delph, Caitlin Orr, Easterns, Armory]
2012: Lenape, 11:55.90 [Emmy Duffey, Lizzy Duffey, Emily McGee, Natalia Ocasio, Varsity Classic, Armory]
2013: Lenape, 11:54.63 [Camille Franklin, Ana De Las Heras, Carly Pettipaw, Natalia Ocasio] Easterns, Armory]
2014: Haddonfield, 11:43.94 [Shelby Cain, Carly Bonnet, Kaitlyn Bonnet, Briana Gess, New Balance Nationals, Armory]

All-Time SJ Girls Indoor DMR Top-50

11:43.94 … Haddonfield, 2014
11:54.63 … Lenape, 2013
11:55.90 … Lenape, 2012
11:57.64 … Haddonfield, 2017
11:58.92 … Lenape, 2010
12:02.51 … Ocean City, 2014
12:03.40 … Haddonfield, 2015
12:04.45 … Haddonfield, 2009
12:04.62 … Sterling, 2017
12:04.9h ….. Lenape, 2015
12:11.47 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2020
12:12.22 … Ocean City, 2005
12:13.46 … Washington Twp., 2011
12:14.48 … Haddonfield, 2013
12:15.60 … Lenape, 2014
12:16.71 … Highland, 2004
12:17.11 … Kingsway, 2017
12:17.40 … Lenape, 2017
12:19.81 … Lenape, 2009
12:20.11 … Shawnee, 2017
12:20.4h … Woodrow Wilson, 2002
12:21.40 … Shawnee, 2014
12:22.39 … Ocean City, 2013
12:23.0h … Willingboro, 2003
12:23.52 … Timber Creek, 2017
12:23.68 … Lenape, 2008
12:24.05 … Bishop Eustace, 2011
12:24.76 … Lenape, 2011
12:25.19 … Highland, 2004
12:25.69 … Seneca, 2009
12:26.30 … Bishop Eustace, 2019
12:26.75 … Seneca, 2017
12:27.47 … Rancocas Valley, 2013
12:28.38 … Cherokee, 2011
12:29.28 … Delsea, 2010
12:29.56 … Seneca, 2016
12:29.90 … Kingsway, 2010
12:30.48 … Kingsway, 2016
12:30.50 … Washington Twp., 2012
12:33.00 … Haddonfield, 2020
12:33.26 … Highland, 2010
12:33.82 … Seneca, 2010
12:34.1h … Shawnee, 2015
12:34.39 … Haddonfield, 2016
12:34.81 … Kingsway, 2020
12:34.95 … Cherokee, 2019
12:36.1y … Shawnee, 1987
12:36.51 … Bishop Eustace, 1995
12:36.99 … Highland, 2009
12:37.10 … Paul VI, 2010
12:37.87 … Kingsway, 2009
12:39.3y … Shawnee, 1986
12:40.36 … Haddonfield, 2010
12:41.05 … Sterling, 2016
12:41.81 … Williamstown, 2017
12:41.84 … Delsea, 2011
12:42.58 … Bishop Eustace, 2012
12:42.75 … Seneca, 2015
12:43.05 … Seneca, 2018
12:43.37 … Williamstown, 2009
12:43.40 … Kingsway, 2013
12:43.48 … Rancocas Valley, 2014
12:44.95 … Shawnee, 2011
12:45.03 … Highland, 2011
12:46.31 … Seneca, 2014
12:46.31 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2017
12:46.70 … Delea, 2012
12:47.16 … Kingsway, 2018
12:47.17 … Kingsway, 2019
12:47.76 … Washington Twp., 2013
12:47.76 … Shawnee, 2016
12:47.83 … Cherokee, 2020
12:48.93 … Shawnee, 2010
12:49.50 … Sterling, 2015
12:49.73 … Ocean City, 2019