Premier Wynn split 47.76 and Bryce Tucker 48.12 and Pennsauken ran 3:18.87 — the 11th-fastest 4-by-4 of 568 high schools Thursday in winning the South Jersey Large-School race at the 127th annual Penn Relays at Franklin Field.
Pennsauken missed advancing to the Championship of America race by just 1.05 seconds. The nine-fastest schools will race on Friday in the Championship of America final.
Pennsauken did advance to the Philadelphia Area Championship race, scheduled for 4:15 p.m. Friday
Pennsauken was 2nd-fastest among New Jersey schools, behind only Seton Hall Prep of West Orange, which qualified for the CoA race with a 3:16.67.
Abington [3:18.44] is the only entrant that ran under 3:20 Thursday. Next-fastest in the race will be Central Bucks West of Doylestown [3:20.45], Episcopal Academy of Newtown Square [3:22.09], Roman Catholic of Philly [3:22.39] and Cheltenham [3:22.42].
Pennsauken’s time is the fastest they’ve ever run at Penn. The 2017 team – with Donte Jamison, Braheem Whitfield, Nahzhir Russell and Martin Booker (47.35 anchor) – ran 3:18.99 finishing second to Rancocas Valley in the South Jersey race. Pennsauken’s time Thursday is fastest by any South Jersey school at Penn since R.V.’s 3:18.10 in 2017.
Freshman KaRon Ali led off with a 51.85 split and junior Ladanian McGrath split 51.15. Pennsauken trailed Washington Township by 4-100ths of a second at the second handoff but led by nearly six seconds by the time Wynn – the indoor Meet of Champions 200 champ – handed off to Tucker – the two-time Meet of Champs intermediate hurdles winner.
Washington Township wound up 2nd with a season-best 3:29.88 followed closely by Timber Creek [3:30.89], Eastern [3:31.14], Cherokee [3:31.31], Winslow [3:32.62], Kingsway [3:32.98] and Highland [3:32.99]. Second place is Washington Township’s best finish since they took 2nd in 2012.
Eastern senior Rajahn Dixon had the fastest split of the race, anchoring in 47.70. Winslow anchor Chukwuemeka Ajaegbulemh [50.72] and Cherokee’s Patrick Ditmars [50.82] also ran sub-51.
This is the second year in a row Pennsauken has won the South Jersey Large-School race. Nadir Paige, Wynn, Joel Oquendo and Tucker ran 3:20.88 last year.
Deptford won the Small-School race in 3:27.07 with Lathan Brown anchoring in 49.04 Darryl Wayman, junior Abu Jabbie and junior Christian Berry ran the first three legs.
Willingboro placed 2nd in 3:30.88 with Theo Pryce, Marvin Dedilius, Kedaar Wilson and Jackson Murry. After Deptford’s Brown, the next-fastest splits were by Clayton’s Alexander Osayemi [50.73] and Willingboro’s Murry [51.37].
This was Deptford’s 7th win in the Small-School race:
2022: 1. Deptford 3:27.07, 2. Willingboro 3:30.88, 3. Clayton 3:33.58
2018: 1. Deptford 3:19.98, 2. Willingboro 3:21.16, 3. Paul VI 3:21.87
2016: 1. Deptford 3:23.97, 2. Willingboro 3:23.99, 3. Haddonfield 3:24.27
2015: 1. Deptford 3:23.79, 2. Winslow Twp. 3:25.23, 3. Willingboro 3:25.47
2004: 1. Deptford 3:29.50, 2. Sterling 3:30.78, 3. Holy Cross 3:30.83
2002: 1. Deptford 3:28.08, 2. Cinnaminson 3:29.55, 3. Haddon Heights 3:32.55
2001: 1. Deptford 3:28.20, 2. Woodstown 3:30.23, 3. West Deptford 3:32.61
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 