From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

The Willingboro track tradition is alive and well and was on full display Saturday at the state Group 1 championships at the Bubble.

Willingboro won its 4^th straight state indoor championship and 15^th overall, and the Chimeras did it in record-setting fashion, scoring the most points in meet history in any group.

Led by double winner Anaias Hughes, the Boro piled up 68 points, doubling up on 2^nd-place Asbury Park, which finished 2^nd with 34 points.

Willingboro needed to win the 4-by-4 to break the meet scoring record, and seniors Miles Allen, Geordan Collins, Jaylen Young and Christopher Johnson ran 3:31.81 and finished 35 meters ahead of 2^nd-place New Providence to wrap up the meet in historic fashion.

The 68 points broke the indoor state championships record of 66 set by Haddonfield in Group 1 in 2010.

No public school in New Jersey has won as many state indoor championships as Willingboro, which now shares the record with Asbury Park at 15. Christian Brothers Academy of Lincroft has won 25 in Parochial A.

Hughes, a senior, ran away from the field in the 55-meter hurdles, winning by 1 ½ meters in a personal-best 7.79. He also won the high jump with a 6-0 clearance, tying his lifetime best.

Senior C.J. Johnson won his second state shot put title, adding an indoor championship to his outdoor title from last spring. Johnson threw 55-0, winning by more than 2 ½ feet.

Allen had a big meet, taking 2^nd in the 55 with a PR-equalling 6.60 after posting only the 4^th-fastest qualifying time in the trials, and running a PR 51.65 for 4^th in the 400 in addition to leading off the winning 4-by-4.

Sophomore Jackson Murry and senior Byron Gary gave the Boro 11 points in the pole vault, Murry winning with a one-foot PR of 12-0 and Gary clearing 11-0 for a tie for 4^th. The Chimeras were seeded 5-7 in the vault and finished 2-4.

Sophomore Kedaar Wilson – the 10^th seed in the high hurdles – dipped under 8.0 for the first time, placing 3^rdin 7.99.

And Young ran 51.98 for 6^th in the 400 in addition to his leg on the winning 4-by-4.

The Willingboro boys won their first state indoor title in 1983 in Group 4 and then won Group 3 in 1986, 1987, 1988 and in 1989 as part of a three-way tie with Monmouth Regional and Bridgeton.  Back in Group 4, the Boro won its fifth in a row in 1990 and added Group 4 championships in 1995 and 1997 before returning to Group 3 to win titles in 2000 and 2002.

Over the next 17 years, the Chimeras won only one title – Group 2 in 2012. But they’ve now won four straight in Group 1, a streak that no doubt would be five straight if last year’s meet hadn’t been cancelled.

Including 19 state relays titles, 15 indoor state titles and 13 outdoor state titles, the Willingboro boys have now won 47 state championships. The girls have won 21, giving the combined program 68 total state indoor and outdoor championships.

Most points in meet history

[New Jersey went from 6-4-3-2-1 to 10-8-6-4-2-1 scoring in 1992]
68 – Willingboro [Group 1, 2022]
66 – Haddonfield [Group 1, 2010]
65 – Pleasantville [Group 1, 1996]
65 – Timber Creek [Group 3, 2014]
60 – Trenton [Group 4, 2007]
60 – Oakcrest [Group 3, 2012]
58 – Pleasantville [Group 1, 2008]
56 – Willingboro [Group 1, 2019]
55 – Newark Science [Group 1, 1994]
55 – Glassboro [Group 1, 2009]
55 – Haddonfield [Group 1, 2016]
54 – Haddonfield [Group 1, 2003]
54 – Pleasantville [Group 1, 2013]
53 – Metuchen [Group 1, 1999]
53 – Haddonfield [Group 1, 2002]
52 – Haddonfield [Group 1, 2001]
52 – Morris Hills [Group 2, 2009]
51 – Highland [Group 2, 2014]
50 – Camden [Group 3, 1997]
50 – Red Bank Reg. [Group 2, 2000]
50 – Haddonfield [Group 1, 2011]