The Cherokee girls overcame a near disaster to place 4th in the Championship of America 3,200-meter relay Friday at the 126th annual Penn Relays at Franklin Field.
Junior Kelsey Niglio was tripped with about 100 meters to go on her leadoff leg when a runner from Holmwood Tech of Christiana, Jamaica, fell to the track, but Niglio bounced back up quickly and was able to handoff to sophomore Kerry O’Day in fifth place. Niglio still managed to split 2:17.23.
Despite the mishap, Cherokee ran an outdoor school-record 9:17.77 and finished 3rd among U.S. schools. Edwin Allen of Frankfield, Jamaica, won the race in 8:54.58, followed by Cuthbertson of Waxhaw, N.C. [9:04.67], and Union Catholic of Scotch Plains [9:06.14]. Holmwood was unable to finish the race.
O’Day split 2:25.86, freshman Megan Niglio 2:20.59 and senior Nicole Clifford anchored in 2:14.10.
Cherokee’s time is No. 12 in South Jersey history outdoors and No. 5 in Burlington County history.
Here’s the all-time South Jersey list:
9:00.51 … Haddonfield, 2021
9:05.62 … Lenape, 2012
9:05.83 … Lenape, 2008
9:06.30 … Haddonfield, 2008
9:10.32 … Haddonfield, 2000
9:12.30 … Haddonfield, 2019
9:15.61 … Ocean City, 2014
9:15.19 … Lenape, 2007
9:15.92 … Haddonfield, 2015
9:16.57 … Seneca, 2017
9:16.79 … Haddonfield, 1999
9:17.77 … Cherokee, 2022
9:18.22 … Kingsway, 2016
9:18.37 … Haddonfield, 2019
9:18.57 … Seneca, 2018
9:18.71 … Lenape, 2011
9:18.93 … Haddonfield, 2018
9:18.94 … Lenape, 2006
9:19.15 … Wilson, 2002
9:19.68 … Kingsway, 2017
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 