The young Pennsauken 4-by-4 mixed it up with some of the fastest schools in the region and emerged with 4th place in the Philadelphia Area Championship race at the 127th annual Penn Relays Saturday at Franklin Field.
Pennsauken ran 3:55.75, 3rd-fastest this year by a New Jersey school and Pennsauken’s fastest time ever at Penn.
The top four schools were separated by just nine meters, with Padua Academy of Wilmington, Del., winning in 3:54.33, Lawrenceville School 2nd in 3:55.24, Penn Charter of Philadelphia 3rd in 3:55.47 and Pennsauken just behind in 3:55.75.
Racing with two freshmen and two sophomores, Pennsauken ran the 3rd-fastest time in school history.
Sophomore Amina Dyer led off with a personal-best 59.39 split and freshman Sianni Wynn split 55.57. freshman Sanaya Dupree followed with her fastest split ever, a 59.46, and sophomore Ameenah Rodriguez ran 1:01.35 to finish off the race.
Pennsauken ran 3:52.15 at 2014 Greensboro Nationals and 3:55.70 at the 2019 state Group 3 meet in Bayville.
Pennsauken qualified for the Philadelphia Area race by winning the South Jersey Large-School race in 3:58.41.
Here’s a look at the fastest times ever run by South Jersey schools in the Philadelphia Area Championship race:
3:46.18 … Willingboro, 2000 Philadelphia Area [1st]
3:48.08 … Winslow Twp., 2017 Philadelphia Area [3rd]
3:49.30 … Winslow Twp., 2004 Philadelphia Area [1st]
3:49.74 … Eastern, 2003 Philadelphia Area [1st]
3:49.97 … Lenape, 2015 Philadelphia Area [3rd]
3:49.53 … Willingboro, 1998 Philadelphia Area [1st]
3:50.24 … Camden, 2009 Philadelphia Area [2nd]
3:50.60 … Woodrow Wilson, 2005 Philadelphia Area [1st]
3:51.45 … Camden, 2006 Philadelphia Area [2nd]
3:51.70 … Winslow Twp., 2022 Philadelphia Area [1]
3:52.71 … Woodrow Wilson, 2006 Philadelphia Area [3rd]
3:52.88 … Washington Twp., 2007 Philadelphia Area [1st]
3:53.16 … Woodrow Wilson, 2001 Philadelphia Area [3rd]
3:53.26 … Lenape, 2014 Philadelphia Area [2nd]
3:53.71 … Washington Twp., 1998 Philadelphia Area [2nd]
3:53.73 … Winslow Twp., 2018 Philadelphia Area [5th]
3:53.83 … Rancocas Valley, 2022 Philadelphia Area [2nd]
3:54.06 … Winslow Twp., 2006 Philadelphia Area [4th]
3:54.12 … Lenape, 2017 Philadelphia Area [5th]
3:54.12 … Cherokee, 2013 Philadelphia Area [3rd]
3:54.16 … Winslow Twp., 2016 Philadelphia Area [5th]
3:54.74 … Delsea, 2011 Philadelphia Area [2nd]
3:55.34 … Kingsway, 2013 Philadelphia Area [8th]
3:55.54 … Winslow Twp., 2003 Philadelphia Area [4th]
3:55.71 … Camden, 2003 Philadelphia Area [5th]
3:55.75 … Pennsauken, 2023 Philadelphia Area [4th]
3:55.88 … Woodrow Wilson, 2002 Philadelphia Area [3rd]
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 