From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

The Willingboro boys won four events on the way to their fifth consecutive state Group 1 relays championship Thursday at the Bubble.

The state relays title is Willingboro’s 19th overall, fifth in a row and seventh in the last 10 years. The meet was not held last year.

Most impressive performance of the day came from senior C.J. Johnson, who bombed a PR 55-5 1/2 in the shot put and teamed up with freshman Jaleen Johnson to win the shot put relay. Johnson also  a personal best.

Johnson’s 55-5 1/2 broke his indoor PR of 53-7 1/2, which he set at the Bubble last week, and also his overall PR of 55-0 1/4 set outdoors in June when he won the state Group 1 title at Pennsauken. His throw is No. 5 in the state this year and No. 2 in South Jersey, behind Delsea’s Jason Nwosu, who threw 57-10 last month at the Bubble (or next door at Toms River Intermediate School East).

Final team scoring hasn’t been posted yet, but going through event-by-event Willingboro clearly had enough points to win.

The Chimeras got started Thursday night at the Bennett Center in Toms River with senior Anaias Hughes and junior Xavier Tollver teaming up to win the high jump relay, Hughes clearing 5-10 and Tollver 5-4.

Up next was the shuttle hurdles, and the Boro won easily, by more than a second, over Audubon, with Hughes, Eric Foster, Tollver and Kedaar Wilson running 33.62.

The Chimeras also won the 800-meter relay, with Miles Allen, Geordan Collins, Jaylen Young and Jackson Murry finishing more than 4 1/2 seconds ahead of second-place New Milford with a time of 1:34.11. That’s not too far off the meet record of 1:33.30 set in 2019 by Camden.

Boro finished the meet off with another win over Audubon, this time in the 1,600-meter relay. Allen, Collins, Young and Wilson ran 3:36.39.

Willingboro’s streak of five straight state relays titles ties the 5th-longest streak in meet history. Asbury Park (1988-95) and CBA (1981-88) won eight straight and CBA also won six straight twice (2008-13, 2015-00). Asbury also won five straight (1981-85).

Their 19 total titles is most ever by a public school and second-most overall behind CBA’s 28.

Here’s a look at Willingboro’s 19 state relays championships:

1982 [Group 4]
1983 [Group 4]
1985 [Group 3]
1986 [Group 3]
1987 [Group 3]
1990 [Group 4]
1996 [Group 4]
2000 [Group 3]
2001 [Group 3]
2002 [Group 3]
2003 [Group 3]
2005 [Group 3]
2012 [Group 3]
2015 [Group 1]
2017 [Group 1]
2018 [Group 1]
2019 [Group 1]
2020 [Group 1]
2022 [Group 1]

Including 13 indoor state titles and 13 outdoor state titles, the Willingboro boys have now won 45 state championships. The girls have won 21, giving the combined program 66 total state indoor and outdoor championships.