The Winslow Township girls on Sunday closed out a historic season filled with championships, records and unforgettable performances with one of the greatest relays in South Jersey history.
Sophomore Olivia Okaro, freshman Skhye Seamon, senior Djassi Dean and freshman Cinniya Robinson placed 4th in a crazy fast1,600-meter relay championship – the final event on the final day of the final meet of the 2024 track season – and earned All-America honors at West Philly Nationals at Franklin Field.
Winslow ran 3:44.43, the fastest time by a South Jersey 4-by-4 relay in 23 years.
Winslow, four girls from Atco, Chesilhurst and Waterford, finished behind only three national track and field all-star programs – Montverde Academy of Florida, Bullis School of Potomac, Md., and Union Catholic of Scotch Plains.
But regardless of times, it’s more impressive when a relay team made up of four girls from the same community runs 3:44 than anything a private all-star program drawing athletes from across a region does.
Winslow’s time is No. 2 in South Jersey history behind Willingboro’s 3:43.94 at 2001 Greensboro Nationals with Halimah Bashir, Chanel Hamilton, Danielle Myrics and Okechi Ogbuokiri.
Winslow’s time is No. 12 in state history and No. 7 if you remove five Union Catholic performances. The only schools in state history to run faster are Union Catholic five times, Columbia three times and Plainfield and Willingboro once each.
It’s also fastest by any New Jersey public school since Columbia ran 3:41.19 at 2014 Greensboro Nationals.
Okaro led off for the Eagles, followed by Seamon, and although splits aren’t available because of the three-turn stagger, Okaro and Seamon brought the stick to Dean in 1:52.35, so they averaged 56.2 per leg. Dean then split 57.54 to set up Robinson, who blazed a 54.54 anchor to move Winslow up from 5th to 4th.
Winslow’s previous-best time this year was a 3:46.85 at the Penn Relays. The previous school record was a 3:46.67 at the 2018 Meet of Champions at Northern Burlington with Janeya Hammond, Flora Ahiarakwe, Nylah Perry and Shakirah Dancy.
Winslow also broke a 29-year-old Camden County record of 3:45.41 set by Camden’s Tynisha Revels, Medina Salaam, Aishia Lawson and Alishia Lawson when the Panthers placed 4th in the 1995 Penn Relays Championship of America race on the same track.
Eastern ran 3:52.70 and placed 16th, with senior Eva Sprewell, sophomore Samantha Osei-Kyei, junior Jasmine Davies and sophomore Natalie Dumas, who closed out her historic sophomore year with a 53.99 split.
All-Time New Jersey 4-by-4 List
3:35.90 … Union Catholic, 2015
3:38.92 … Union Catholic, 2017
3:40.36 … Columbia, 2013
3:41.03 … Montclair, 1998
3:41.17 … Union Catholic, 2024
3:41.19 … Columbia, 2014
3:42.54 … Columbia, 2010
3:42.59 … Union Catholic, 2016
3:42.97 … Union Catholic, 2019
3:43.3h … Plainfield, 1981
3:43.94 … Willingboro, 2003
3;44.43 … Winslow Twp., 2024
3:44.64 … Willingboro, 2002
3:44.67 … Clayton, 2022
3:44.9h … Columbia, 1980
3:45.11 … Union Catholic, 2024
3:45.12 … Trenton, 2001
3:45.41 … Camden, 1995
3:45.67 … Willingboro, 1999
3:46.04 … Timber Creek, 2024
3:46.13 … Willingboro, 2000
3:46.38 … Timber Creek, 2023
3:46.67 … Winslow, 2018
3:46.71 … Union Catholic, 2023
3:46.73 … Scotch Plains-Fanwood
3:46.85 … Winslow Twp., 2024
All-Time South Jersey 4-by-4 List
3:43.94 … Willingboro, 2001
3;44.43 … Winslow Twp., 2024
3:44.64 … Willingboro, 2002
3:44.67 … Clayton, 2022
3:45.41 … Camden, 1995
3:45.67 … Willingboro, 1999
3:46.04 … Timber Creek, 2024
3:46.13 … Willingboro, 2000
3:46.38 … Timber Creek, 2023
3:46.66 … Timber Creek, 2024
3:46.67 … Winslow Twp., 2018
3:46.85 … Winslow Twp., 2024
3:47.16 … Eastern, 2003
3:47.30 … Willingboro, 2003
3:47.41 … Winslow Twp., 2017
3:47.4h … Camden, 1978
3:47.55 … Camden, 2006
3:48.00 … Wilson, 2001
3:48.17 … Wilson, 2006
3:48.6y … Camden,, 1978
3:48.78 … Lenape, 2014
3:48.7h … Washington Twp., 1999
3:48.87 … Rancocas Valley, 2019
3:48.91 … Penns Grove, 2013
3:49.25 … Lenape, 2015
3:49.2y … Camden, 1979
3:49.30 … Winslow Twp., 2004
3:49.43 … Willingboro, 1997
3:49.53 … Willingboro, 1998
3:49.63 … Winslow Twp., 2016
3:49.01 … Eastern, 2024
3:49.93 … Willingboro, 2009
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 