Eight South Jersey distance relays are headed to the 125th annual Penn Relays next week at Franklin Field. The qualifying window closed this past weekend.
The 12-fastest schools from four boys races and four girls races advance to the Championship of America 3,200-Meter Relays. The distance medley is a one-race final.
The Relays is scheduled for next Thursday through Saturday. Here’s the full schedule with entry lists.
Girls Distance Medley
Mainland Regional was No. 1 in the state indoors with its 12:05.28 last month at Armory Nationals. Sophomore Emma Preissman, sophomore Madison Taylor, senior Gillian Lovett and junior Sofia Day are listed as Mainland’s lineup. The girls DMR is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. on Friday.
Boys Small-School 3,200-Meter Relay
Deptford ran 8:20.77 at the indoor Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze to record its Penn Relays qualifier. Expected lineup is junior Lucius Davis, junior Sean Nieves, sophomore Anthony Schilling and senior Abu Jabbie. Deptford is in the first of two small-school races and will run at 9 a.m. on Friday.
Boys Large-School 3,200-Meter Relay
Cherokee qualified with a 7:53.90 in a meet at Ocean Breeze in February with the lineup of senior Nick Kuenkel, senior Robert Poplau, senior Andrew Free and freshman Ben Realley ran on that 7:53.90 team. Cherokee will run in the first of two large-school races scheduled for 9:20 a.m. Friday.
Girls Small-School 3,200-Meter Relay
Haddonfield’s 9:16.28 won the Meet of Champions and was the No. 2 time in the state indoors. Ava Thomas, Anne Stolarick, Audrey Nattichia and Riley Slootsky are expected to run for Haddonfield, which runs at 9 a.m. Thursday in the first race of the three-day meet.
Girls Large-School 3,200-Meter Relay
Cherokee, Eastern, Washington Township and Winslow Township all qualified with indoor times. Eastern ran 9:22.33 at the Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze, Cherokee ran 9:37.42 at Ocean Breeze in February, Washington Township 9:49.15 at the MoC and Winslow Township 9:59.19 at the state Group 3 Relays at the Bubble.
Likely lineups are junior Megan Niglio, sophomore Maddie Meder, sophomore Alyssa Suriano and senior Kerry O’Day for Cherokee, junior Kaylee Russen, junior Rachael Wilson, sophomore Taylor Stuart and freshman Layla Beasley for Washington Township, freshman Theresa Albertson, senior Regan Bewley, sophomore Natalie Dumas and junior Samantha Osei-Kyei for Eastern, and junior Ava Millner, sophomore Olivia Okaro, freshman Tristan Hughes and freshman Cinniya Robinson for Winslow.
Eastern and Winslow are scheduled to run in the first race, scheduled for 9:23 a.m. Thursday. Cheroke and Washington Township are scheduled to race at 9:34 a.m.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 