Bryce Tucker outleaned Westfield anchor Charles Stock at the finish line to give Pennsauken its first Meet of Champions 1,600-meter relay title Saturday.
Tucker, in his fourth race of the day, split 48.0 and made up 10 meters on Stock, who had won the Meet of Champions 800 in 1:52.70 earlier in the day at the Bubble in Toms River.
Pennsauken won in 3:23.84, with Westfield 2nd in 3:23.93. Nobody else ran under 3:26.
Tucker, the Meet of Champions intermediate hurdles champ last spring, gave Pennsauken the win by 9-100ths of a second.
The all-junior team of Kahlil Ali, Premier Wynn, Joel Oquendo and
Tucker became the first South Jersey school to win the indoor Meet of Champions 4-by-4 since Egg Harbor in 2016.
Oquendo moved the Indians up from 4th to 2nd and set the stage for Tucker, who closed gradually on Stock before catching him just before the line.
Earlier in the day Tucker placed 2nd in the 400 in a PR 49.59 behind Paul VI’s Michael Mazero in a 1-2-3-4 South Jersey finish, with Wynn 3rd in 49.66. Tucker then took 2nd in the 55-meter hurdles in a PR 7.53 after a 7.78 in the trials. Tucker wound up as the fastest hurdler in South Jersey this winter, edging Eastern’s A.J. Brooks by 1-100th of a second.
Tucker on Saturday was part of three school records. His 49.59 broke the school record in the 400 set by Marquan Jones in 2016, his 7.53 broke the school record of 7.56 set the same year by Antwan Dickerson, and Pennsauken’s 3:23.84 broke the indoor school record of 3:25.02 the Indians ran at the 2020 Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze.
Pennsauken will be in action in a number of events and relays this coming weekend at the Ocean Breeze version of indoor nationals.
Pennsauken’s relay team was the second Meet of Champions winner in school history. Martin Booker won the 200 in 2017.
Here’s a look at all the South Jersey 4-by-4 winners in indoor Meet of Champions history:
2022: Pennsauken, 3:23.84
2016: Egg Harbor Twp, 3:22.75
2012: Oakcrest, 3:20.53
2008: Winslow Twp., 3:24.32
2004: Camden, 3:27.53
2003: Winslow Twp., 3:24.32
2002: Eastern, 3:27.04
2001: Camden, 3:22.44
2000: Lenape, 3:24.50
1999: Camden, 3:25.23
1998: Lenape, 3:24.53
1996: Woodrow Wilson, 3:24.64
1995: Willingboro, 3:27.96
1994: Woodrow Wilson, 3:30.49
1990: Willingboro, 3:28.80
1988: Willingboro, 3:28.35
1985: Edgewood, 3:26.0cf
And here’s a look at the fastest South Jersey 4-by-4 times in Meet of Champions history:
3:20.53 … Oakcrest, 2012 [1]
3:21.16 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2017 [2]
3:21.64 … Winslow, 2013 [1]
3:22.44 … Camden, 2001 [1]
3:22.75 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2016 [1]
3:23.12 … Cherry Hill East, 2012 [3]
3:23.31 … Paul VI, 2016 [2]
3:23.40 … Cherokee, 2012 [4]
3:23.42 … Winslow, 2009 [2]
3:23.78 … Pleasantville, 2007 [3]
3:23.84 … Pennsauken, 2022 [1]
3:23.98 … Buena, 2001 [2]
2020: Union Catholic, 3:18.78
2019: Westfield, 3:24.29
2018: East Orange, 3:24.02
2022: Pennsauken, 3:23.84
2016: Egg Harbor Twp, 3:22.75
2012: Oakcrest, 3:20.53
2008: Winslow Twp., 3:24.32
2004: Camden, 3:27.53
2003: Winslow Twp., 3:24.32
2002: Eastern, 3:27.04
2001: Camden, 3:22.44
2000: Lenape, 3:24.50
1999: Camden, 3:25.23
1998: Lenape, 3:24.53
1996: Woodrow Wilson, 3:24.64
1995: Willingboro, 3:27.96
1994: Woodrow Wilson, 3:30.49
1990: Willingboro, 3:28.80
1988: Willingboro, 3:28.35
1985: Edgewood, 3:26.0h
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 