Freshman Robert McKinney from Highland and junior Jah’mere Beasley from Sterling contributed legs to Rowan’s 400-meter relay team, which ran the fastest time in the country in NCAA Division 3 Friday night.
McKinney and Beasley were joined by senior John Owens of West Windsor-Plainsboro North and sophomore Nana Agyemang of Parsippany at the Temple Invitational.
Racing at the Temple Sports Complex in North Philadelphia, Rowan ran 41.16, leading two other New Jersey schools – Bloomfield and The College of New Jersey – under 42 seconds. Bloomfield placed 3rd in 41.61 and TCNJ was 3rd in 41.98.
Rowan bumped Shenendoah of Winchester, Va., out of the top spot in the 4-by-1. Shenendoah ran 41.33 last weekend at the Battleground Relays in Fredericksburg, Va.
Owens led off for Rowan, handing off to McKinney and then Beasley, with Agyemang anchoring.
Beasley and Agyemang were joined by Camden’s Julian Pratt and Donovan Clement of Deptford on Rowan’s 4-by-100 team last year, when the Profs ran 41.01 in the trials at the NCAA Division 3 Championships before placing 7th overall in 41.22.
Agyemang also ran 10.59 and 21.53 Friday night, both huge PRs. He now ranks No. 3 in NCAA Division 3 in the 100 and No. 8 in the 200.
Beasley ran 10.82 and 21.69, and McKinney ran 10.85 and 21.85. Beasley is ranked 25th in the 100 and 13th in the 200, McKinney 33rd in the 100 and 25th in the 200.
McKinney is off to quite a start at Rowan after runing PRs of 11.06 and 22.04 at Highland, both at Group 3 sectionals last spring.
In that 400 relay, Bloomfield’s relay team included senior MarQuel Davis from Deptford, and TCNJ’s lineup included junior Andrew Lodge from Shawnee.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 