Pennsauken ran its fastest 3,200-meter relay in 11 years Saturday and posted the fastest time so far this year in New Jersey.
Racing at the Fast Times at Cherokee High, the team of junior Premier Wynn, sophomore Ladanian McGrath and juniors Joel Oquendo and Bryce Tucker ran 8:06.83.
Cherokee, which had been New Jersey No. 1 with its 8:08.33 from the Don Danser Relays two weeks ago, placed second in 8:07.58 on its home track.
The time is Pennsauken’s 2nd-fastest ever and fastest since Elijah Swain, Charles Brewer, Donovan Torres and Eric Butler ran 8:03.33 at the 2011 Carl Lewis Relays in Willingboro.
Wynn, a sprinter and intermediate hurdler, led off in 2:05 in his first-ever high school 800. McGrath split 2:02 and Oquendo and Tucker ran 1:59. All were running their second or third race of the day.
Sunday at 5 p.m. is the deadline for Penn Relays 4-by-8 qualifying, and in a normal year 8:06.83 would be a few seconds short of making the field. But this has not been a particularly fast April for 4-by-800s around the area, so Pennsauken and Cherokee both have a shot at making the field for the 126th annual Penn Relays at Franklin Field later this month. The fields will be announced on Monday.
The Penn 3,200-meter relays accept the 35-fastest entries for two races in the Large School division and the 35-fastest for two races in the Small School division. Pennsauken and Cherokee are both classified as Large-School.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 