For the first time in 11 years, Willingboro is atop the Burlington County track world.
The Chimeras won their 26th Burlington County Open title, outscoring six-time defending champion Rancocas Valley, 107-97.
The meet was held Saturday and completed Wednesday with the triple jump and discus.
From 1976 through 2005, the Chimeras won 24 of a possible 30 team titles. But they won just one of the next 14 meets while R.V. dominated. The Red Devils’ streak of six straight titles was the longest since Willingboro won seven in a row from 1999 through 2005. The Boro won 16 in a row from 1976 through 1991.
Rancocas won titles in 2014 through 2017, plus 2019 and 2021. The meet wasn’t completed in 2018 and the 2020 meet was cancelled. So this is the first time since 2013 RV hasn’t won.
For Boro, the pole vaulters led the way, with sophomore Jackson Murry and senior Bryon Gary placing 1-2 for 18 big points. Murry cleared 13-0 on his second attempt, tying his PR, and Gary cleared 11-6. Murry is the No. 2 sophomore vaulter in New Jersey.
Sophomore Malachi James won his second straight 100-200 double running 11.00 in his first race since last year’s Meet of Champions in June, then coming back to win the 200 in 22.16. He’s the first to double the 100 and 200 in back-to-back years since Robert Jones of Maple Shade in 2012 and 2013.
Senior Jaylen Young won the 400 in a personal-best 50.55 and also took fifth in the 200. Senior Georgdan Collins took fifth in the 400.
C.J. Johnson threw 53-6 ¼ on his final attempt to win the shot put. He’s Willingboro’s first county shot put champ in 21 years, since Dzigbodi Ababio threw 52-6 in 2001. He also placed 4th in the discus at 128-3.
Senior Anais Hughes won the high jump with a PR 6-2, and Hughes and junior Kedaar Wilson scored in the high hurdles, Hughes taking 3rd in 15.45 and Wilson 5th in 15.93, and Wilson also placed 2nd in the intermediates in 60.22, with senior Chris Johnson 6th in 62.60.
In the field, sophomore Derrick Bryant jumped 20-0 for 5th place, senior Bryson Wright threw 124-5 for 5th in the javelin
Young, Jackson Murry, Rae-Juan Gayle and James placed 2nd to R.V. in the 400-meter relay in 44.26. And Christian Bryant, Collin Dixon, Johnson and Karim Nasser combined to run 8:57.46 for 5th in the 3,200-meter relay. Also, Young, Murry, Collins and Johnson ran 3:30.37 for second in the 1,600-meter relay but were DQd.
Other winners were Cherokee junior Patrick Ditmars in the 800 [1:55.93], Cherokee senior Conor Jacob in the 1,600 [PR 4:25.84], Cinnaminson senior Alex Boyko in the 3,200 [9:24.68], Pemberton senior Zach DeBose in the 110 highs [15.10, second in a row], Delran sophomore Jamir Brown in the 400 intermediates [58.39, first from Delran to win the 400IH since Meet of Champions winner Harran Williams in 1999] and long jump [22-0 ½, first from Delran since Dennis Fields in 2011] , Cherokee sophomore Zach Ott in the javelin [138-6], Moorestown soph Rece Englehart in the triple jump [44-6 ½] and R.V. junior Devon Brooks in the discus [137-3].
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 