Eastern senior Rajahn Dixon became only the second sprinter in the meet’s 49-year history to sweep the 100, 200 and 400 Monday at the Olympic Conference Championships.
Dixon won the 100 in 11.01, the 200 in 22.37 and the 400 in 49.76 at Rancocas Valley. The only other triple sprint winner in meet history was Michael Mazero of Paul VI just two years ago at Washington Township. Mazero won the 100 in 11.17, the 200 in 22.56 and the 400 in 49.77. Mazero is scheduled to run a 4-by-4 leg for Cornell at the NCAA East Prelims Friday in Jacksonville.
Edgewood’s Dennis Mitchell, an Olympic gold medalist, could have won the sprint triple in 1983. He set South Jersey records of 10.3 hand-timed in the 100 and 47.0 hand-timed in the 400 but skipped the 200, which was won by Williamstown’s Horace Jackson in 22.0. The 1983 meet was held at what was then Glassboro State College.
Dixon topped Lenape sophomore M.J. Lincoln in the 100, Rancocas Valley freshman Thomas Howard Jr. in the 200 and another R.V. freshman, Julian Coppage-Seepersaud, in the 400.
He also anchored Eastern’s 1,600-meter relay team with a 49.60 split, fastest in the race. The Vikings ran 3:29.81 and placed 4th with juniors Landon Jenter and Owen Karcsh and senior Carlos Oleaga also in the lineup
Dixon has PRs of 10.91 and 21.40 from the Camden County Championships and 49.04 from Fast Times at Cherokee. He’s No. 1 in New Jersey in the 200 and No. 3 in South Jersey in the 100 and No. 6 in the 400.
The Olympic Conference meet was first held in 1974 but wasn’t held in 2020.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 