Despite being interfered late in the race, Rancocas Valley’s 400-meter relay team ran the 3rd-fastest 400-meter relay in Burlington County history Saturday at the 128th annual Penn Relays at Franklin Field.
The all-underclass team of Jameer Bellamy, Xavier Bancroft, David Smith and Julian Coppage-Seepersand placed 2nd in the Northeast Championship race, finishing 1-100th of a second behind Coatesville of Chester County.
That’s four inches separating Coatesville and R.V. at the finish line.
R.V. almost certainly would have won the race and definitely would have run significantly faster if the Red Devils hadn’t been interfered with by a runner from Toms River North.
With Coatesville in Lane 6, R.V. in Lane 7 and Toms River North in Lane 8, on the final straightaway, Toms River North’s runner drifted well into R.V’s lane, impeding Coppage-Seepersand and allowing North to win the race.
Toms River North was disqualified, which moved Coatesville into first with a 41.99 win and moved R.V. from 3rd to 2nd in 42.00, but it was little consolation because everybody who watched the race knows the Red Devils likely finish first in a clean race.
R.V. had run 42.38 in the trials and Toms River North 42.40. Coatesville ran 41.88. R.V.’s 42.00 is fastest by a New Jersey school this year and 1-100th of a second off the school record of 41.99 set by the 2021 Red Devils – Masai Byrd, Herbert Quarterman, James McGhee and Isaiah Arzu – when they won the 2021 Meet of Champions in South Plainfield.
Willingboro set the county record of 41.69 at the 1982 Penn Relays when they placed 2nd to Camperdown of Kingston, Jamaica, in the Championship of America race with the team of Lance Reed, George McKee, Damon Chambers and Derek Streater.
For R.V., Smith is a junior and Bellamy, Bancroft and Coppage-Seepersand are sophomores.
All-time South Jersey List
40.92 … Winslow, 2003
41.09 … Camden, 2000
41.25 … Camden, 2004
41.25 … Camden, 2001
41.45 … Timber Creek, 2014
41.47 … Deptford, 2018
41.50 … Timber Creek, 2013
41.54 … Camden, 2002
41.57 … Pennsauken, 2017
41.55 … Deptford, 2017
41.62 … Camden, 2003
41.64 … Winslow Twp., 2004
41.69 … Willingboro, 1982
41.71 … Edgewood, 2000
41.71 … Salem, 2017
41.72 … Deptford, 2018
41.80 … Oakcrest, 2012
41.83 … Camden, 1997
41.83 … Oakcrest, 2011
41.83 … Camden, 1997
41.7h … Camden, 1996
41.7h … Edgewood, 2001
41.85 … Pennsauken, 2016
41.86 … Pennsauken, 2017
41.87 … Pennsauken, 2023
41.7h … Camden, 1996
41.7h … Edgewood, 2001
41.96 … Paul VI, 2018
41.99 … Rancocas Valley, 2021
42.00 … Rancocas Valley, 2024
All-Time Burlington County List
41.69 … Willingboro, 1982
41.99 … Rancocas Valley, 2021
42.00 … Rancocas Valley, 2024
42.03 … Rancocas Valley, 2015
42.07 … Kennedy, 1982
42.12 … Rancocas Valley, 2017
42.24 … Willingboro, 1988
42.31 … Moorestown, 2010
42.34 … Willingboro, 2000
42.1h … Kennedy, 1988
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 