The Cherokee boys ran the 3rd-fastest indoor 4-mile relay in South Jersey history and fastest in 13 years Thursday night on Day 1 of Boston Nationals at the TRACK.
Senior Robert Poplau, junior Liam Tindall, freshman Benjamin Realley and senior Nick Kuenkel, ran 17:54.59, becoming the first South Jersey school other than Haddonfield to run sub-18.
Because of an officiating error, the third legs all ran seven laps and the anchors all ran nine. And, no, this was not an NJSIAA meet. Apparently there are officials in other states as well that don’t know how to count.
Haddonfield set the South Jersey record at 17:22.12 in 2010 at New York Nationals and then ran 17:45.90 also at the Armory a year later. The Bulldogs also ran 17:55.70 in 2018.
Also on Day 1 in Boston, Winslow’s Cinniya Robinson placed 4th in the freshman 400 in 57.20, just off her PR of 57.05 that she ran at the Armory when she placed 2nd at Easterns.
Here’s a look at the all-time New Jersey 4-by-mile list:
17:07.17 … Christian Brothers Academy, 2014
17:20.33 … Christian Brothers Academy, 2019
17:21.58 … West Windsor-Plainsboro North, 2009
17:22.12 … Haddonfield, 2010
17:22.67 … Christian Brothers Academy, 2013
17:25.47 … Christian Brothers Academy, 2017
17:28.70 … Colts Neck, 2017
17:28.88 … Red Bank, 2004
17:30.73 … Hopewell Valley, 2018
17:34.17 … Union Catholic, 2023
17:34.87 … Christian Brothers Academy, 2012
17:36.05 … West Windsor-Plainsboro North, 2018
17:37.01 … Christian Brothers Academy, 2011
17:42.71 … Don Bosco, 2007
17:45.20 … Ridgewood, 2004
17:45.27 … West Windsor-Plainsboro North, 2011
17:45.90 … Haddonfield, 2011
17:51.21 … Christian Brothers Academy, 2001
17:52.12 … Don Bosco, 2010
17:52.72 … Westfield, 2023
17:53.69 … Christian Brothers Academy, 2010
17:54.59 … Cherokee, 2024
17:54.70 … Christian Brothers Academy, 2009
17:54.93 … Jackson, 2007
17:55.70 … Haddonfield, 2018
17:56.52 … Westfield, 2022
17:57.66 … Don Bosco, 2015
17:57.82 … Union Catholic, 2024
17:59.36 … Bergen Catholic, 2017
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 