Racing at the final SJTCA meet of the winter, Cherokee ran 9:07.81, a minute faster than any of the three other schools in the field.
Their time is No. 2 in the U.S. this year, No. 2 in South Jersey history and fastest ever at the Bennett Center (or on any track in New Jersey).
It’s fastest ever by any South Jersey 4-by-8 on a flat track. The previous fastest time at the Bubble was a 9:14.47 by Ridge at the 2017 Meet of Champions.
Kelsey Niglio led off with a 2:15.3 split, O’Day split 2:21.0, Megan Niglio 2:20.0 and Clifford anchored with a monster 2:11.3. All are indoor PRs.
The only faster time in South Jersey history belongs to the 2013 Lenape team of Emily McGee, Carly Pettipaw, Camille Franklin and Natalia Ocasio, who ran 9:04.66 at Indoor Nationals at the Armory. That’s No. 5 in state history.
No. 1 nationally is Pioneer High of Ann Arbor, Mich., which ran 8:59.20 at a meet last weekend in Saginaw, Mich.
Cherokee set its previous school record of 9:23.85 last month at a meet in Lynchburg, Va.
Here’s a look at the all-time New Jersey sub-9:20 performance list, with the meet and location listed for the top 10:
8:54.11 … Southern Reg., 2009 [1st, Nike Indoor Nationals, Reggie Lewis Center, Boston]
8:56.94 … Red Bank Cath., 2011 [1st, Nike Indoor Nationals, 168th Street Armory, NYC]
9:00.62 … Freehold Twp., 2014 [1st, Nike Indoor Nationals, 168th Street Armory, NYC]
9:01.64 … Ridge, 2017 [1st, New Balance Indoor Nationals, 168th Street Armory, NYC]
9:04.66 … Lenape, 2013 [4th, New Balance Indoor Nationals, 168th Street Armory, NYC]
9:05.28 … Red Bank Cath., 2012 [3rd, New Balance Indoor Nationals, Armory, NYC]
9:05.40 … Columbia, 2014 [Easterns, 168th Street Armory]
9:05.97 … Pope John, 2007 [Easterns, 168th Street Armory]
9:07.44 … Union Catholic, 2019 [Millrose Games, 168th Street Armory]
9:07.81 … Cherokee, 2022 [SJTCA Winter Meet #16, Bennett Center, Toms River]
9:08.07 … Ridge, 2018
9:08.34 … Columbia, 1997
9:09.14 … Columbia, 1998
9:09.70 … Mount St. Dominic, 2012
9:09.71 … Lenape, 2012
9:10.22 … North Hunterdon, 2016
9:11.69 … Freehold Twp., 2013
9:11.94 … Lenape, 2008
9:12.82 … Roxbury, 2006
9:12.91 … Haddonfield, 2021
9:13.42 … Union Catholic, 2015
9:13.72 … Columbia, 1983
9:13.90 … Union Catholic, 2018
9:13.95 … Ridge, 2015
9:14.49 … Ridge, 2020
9:15.05 … Pingry, 2018
9:15.07 … Ridge, 2019
9:15.16 … Hunterdon Central, 2010
9:16.15 … Pope John, 2006
9:16.34 … Immaculate Heart Academy, 2008
9:16.8h … Kearny, 1980
9:17.00 … Union Catholic, 2016
9:18.17 … Middletown South, 2002
9:18.26 … Southern Regional, 2014
9:18.62 … River Dell, 2018
9:18.87 … Red Bank Catholic, 2015
9:19.01 … Lenape, 2011
9:19.06 … Union Catholic, 2022
9:19.20 … Ridge, 2016
9:19.35 … Wilson, 2002
9:19.47 … Voorhees, 2009
9:19.55 … Columbia, 2012
9:19.88 … Pope John, 2008
And here’s the all-time South Jersey sub-9:30 list:
9:04.66 … Lenape, 2013
9:07.81 … Cherokee, 2022
9:09.71 … Lenape, 2012
9:11.94 … Lenape, 2008
9:12.91 … Haddonfield, 2021
9:19.01 … Lenape, 2011
9:19.35 … Wilson, 2002
9:22.18 … Haddonfield, 2020
9:22.30 … Lenape, 2010
9:22.38 … Buena, 1999
9:23.71 … Lenape, 2009
9:24.68 … Seneca, 2017
9:26.65 … Kingsway, 2020
9:26.67 … Lenape, 2007
9:27.22 … Lenape, 2014
9:28.7 ….. Willingboro, 2003
9:28.90 … Haddonfield, 2019
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 