From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

With an all-South Jersey lineup, Rowan shattered the NCAA Division 3 800-meter relay record Saturday afternoon at the Ott Center.

Sophomore Eli Hendricks of Penn Grove, junior Masai Byrd of Rancocas Valley, senior Robert McKinney of Highland and freshman Rajhan Dixon of Eastern ran 1:25.45, which shattered the NCAA Division 3 record of 1:25.86 set by Rowan at the Armory in March of 2023. Kingsway’s Evan Corcoran, Amara Conte, Nana Agyemang and Sterling’s Jah’mere Beasley set the previous record.

Rowan’s time is 6th-fastest in college track history, according to the USTFCCCA all-time list. It’s also No. 3 this year in the world and fastest by an American quartet.

The all-time collegiate top 10 looks like this:

1:24.70 … Penn State, 2013 [University Park, Pa.]
1:24.91 … Pitt, 2014 [University Park, Pa.]
1:25.05 … Rutgers , 2007 [University Park, Pa.]
1:25.18 … Arkansas, 1985 [?]
1:25.20 … Mississippi State, 2016 [New York]
1:25.24 …….. Pitt, 2014 [New York]
1:25.45 … Rowan, 2025 [Philadelphia]
1:25.47 … Charleston Southern, 2010 [?]
1:25.52 …….. Penn State, 2013 [University Park]
1:25.81 … South Carolina, 2013 [\New York]
1:25.86 … Rowan, 2023 [New York]
1:25.88 … Charleston Southern, 2008

(Interesting note about that 2007 Rutgers team. It was coached by Lenape graduate Lou Tomlinson and included Deptford graduate Bruce Owens in the lineup.)

Rowan broke the meet record of 1:26.43 set in 2023 by Agyemang, Beasley Corcoran and Conte.

The College of New Jersey placed 2nd in 1:26.24, which only Rowan has surpassed in NCAA Division 3 history. That’s now the No. 3 mark all-time in D-3.

Riverside’s Jamir Brown shattered the meet record in the trials with a 7.74. That’s the 2nd-fastest time in NCAA Division 3 history behind his own 7.72 in December at Ocean Breeze. The meet record was 7.92 set by teammate Kwaku Nkrumah in the previous semifinal race. Nkrumah broke his own meet record of 7.93 set last year at Ocean Breeze.

Rowan’s Marquise Young was the 3rd qualifier under 8 seconds with a 7.95, 1-100th of a second below his previous PR Brown, Nkrumah and Young are 1st, 11th and 15th in NCAA Division 3 history going into the final.

Rowan’s Jason Agyemang [8.00], Michael Lawrence [8.23] and Anaias Hughes of Willingboro [8.38] give Rowan the top six qualifiers going into Sunday’s hurdles final.

Also for Rowan:

—> Senior Matt Conway of Haddon Township dipped under 15 minutes for the first time, winning the 5,000 in 14:58.93, 3rd-fastest in meet history.

—> Junior Masai Byrd tied his PR and school record with a 6.84 in the 60 trials.

For Stockton:
—> Egg Harbor graduate Ahmad Fogg, a sophomore, won the long jump with a 23-4 on his first jump.

—> Bordentown graduate Carson Latham ran a lifetime-best 6.90 to advance to Sunday’s 60-meter dash final.

For TCNJ:

Salem graduate Jayden Wright, a junior, threw 50-1 3/4 for 2nd place in the shot put.