The Winslow girls raced to a berth in the Penn Relays Championship of America 1,600-Meter Relay and destroyed a 24-year-old South Jersey record Saturday at Franklin Field.
Freshman Amariah Arango, freshman Jasmine Jackson, sophomore Skyhe Seamon and sophomore Cinniya Robinson ran 3:43.46 to win the South Jersey Large-School race and earn a lane in the nine-team Championship of America race later Saturday. Winslow’s time was 6th-fastest of nearly 500 schools that raced in various 4-by-4 sections.
Winslow was the 2nd-fastest U.S. school in the 1,600-meter relay trials, behind only St. John’s College of Washington, D.C., which ran 3:41.21.
Winslow broke the South Jersey record of 3:43.94 set by Willingboro’s Halimah Bashir, Chanel Hamilton, Danielle Myrics and Okechi Ogbuokiri at 2001 Greensboro Nationals.
The time is No. 10 in New Jersey history behind five times from the Scotch Plains-based all-star program, three performances by Columbia of Maplewood and one by the legendary 1998 Montclair team with Aleah Williams and the Barber twins.
Winslow’s 3:43.46 is fastest by a New Jersey public school in 11 years, since Columbia ran 3:41.19 at 2014 Greensboro Nationals.
The high school girls Championship of America 1,600-Meter Relay is the final event on the track at Penn. It’s scheduled for a 6 p.m. start.
In the South Jersey race, Amariah Arango led off with a 55.97 split, followed by Jackson in 55.43. Seamon ran 56.74 and Robinson anchored in 55.34.
Average split: 55.87.
Winslow broke the meet record of 3:46.04 set last year by Timber Creek’s Naylah Jones, Billie Frazier, Taylor Gaines and Ryan Jennings. It’s the first time Winslow has won since 2018.
The fastest previous South Jersey time at Penn was Clayton’s 3:44.67 when they placed 6th in the 2022 Championship of America race. Winslow’s fastest previous time was a 3:48.08 when they ran 3rd in the 2017 Philadelphia Area race.
Willingboro, Kingsway and Pennsauken are among schools that qualified for the Philadelphia Area Championship Race, scheduled for 5:55 p.m. Saturday.
Pennsauken was 2nd in 3:50.21, breaking the school record of 3:51.11 set at 2023 West Philly Nationals on the same track. Junior Sianni Wynn had the fastest split of the race with a 52.07 second leg. Junior Olivia Dupree, senior Ameenah Rodriguez and junior Sanaya Dupree also raced for Pennsauken, Olivia Dupree in 59.44, Rodriguez 1:00.17 and Sanaya Dupree 58.55.
Kingsway and Eastern also broke four minutes, Kingsway in 3rd in 3:55.37 with sophomore Norah Brown, senior Camryn Stanard, senior Jonnelle Lewis and freshman Naomi Haller, and Eastern 4th in 3:58.13 with senior Samantha Osei-Kyei, senior Jasmine Davies, sophomore Jolie Merhi and junior Natalie Dumas. Lewis split 55.34 for Kingsway and Dumas 55.27 for Eastern.
Willingboro won the Small-School race in 3:51.17 with sophomore Maya Bolden, senior Nester Wea, Adiyah Robinson and junior Kaila Speight. That’s the Chimeras’ fastest time at Penn since they ran 3:47.30 to win the 2003 South Jersey Large-School race. Bolden led off in 57.48, Wea ran 55.07, Robinson split 59.86 and Speight anchored in 58.78.
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
3:43.46 … Winslow Twp., 2025
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
3:43.46 … Winslow Twp., 2025
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 