Winslow sophomores Cinniya Robinson and Skhye Seamon and freshman Amariah Arango swept the top three places in the 400-meter dash Thursday night at the South Jersey Elite Invitational at Delsea leading six girls under 57 seconds, nine under 58 and an incredible 14 under 60 seconds.
Robinson won the race in 56.11, with Seamon 2nd in 56.14 and Arango 3rd in 56.44. Those times are 4th-, 5th and 7th-fastest in New Jersey this year, broken up by Winslow junior Olivia Okoro, who ran 56.33 last week at Cherokee. They’re PRs for Seamon and Arango. Robinson and Seamon are the No. 2 and 3 sophomores in New Jersey this year, and Arango is the No. 1 freshman. Robinson, Seamon, Okaro and Arango are the four-fastest this year in South Jersey.
If you made a list of the 10-fastest girls all-time from Winslow [including Edgewood], four of those 10 would be current Winslow girls, including a junior, two sophomores and a freshman
54.36 … Shakira Dancy [Winslow Twp.], 2018
54.93 … Krystal Cantey [Winslow Twp.], 2004
55.60 … Cinniya Robinson [Winslow Twp.], 2024
55.5h … Denise Mitchell [Edgewood], 1983
55.97 … Nylah Perry [Winslow Twp.], 2019
56.06 … Ste’cye McNeil [Winslow Twp.], 2009
56.08 … Olivia Okaro [Winslow Twp.], 2024
56.14 … Flora Ahiarakwe [Winslow Twp,], 2017
56.14 … Skhye Seamon [Winslow Twp.], 2025
56.44 … Amariah Arango [Winslow Twp.], 2025
Paul VI junior Claire Magee, Maple Shade senior Crystal Benito and Timber Creek senior Ryan Jennings all ran under 57 seconds.
Magee ran a lifetime-best 56.44, lowering her PR from 56.96 from the indoor Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze. She broke the school record of 56.88 set by current Duke star Aliya Garozzo, who ran 56.88 in Glassboro in 2019.
Benito’s 56.50 drops her PR (and school record) from 58.00 from last year’s state Group 1 meet in Somerset, and it’s the top Group 1 time in New Jersey this year. How much range does Benito have? She placed 3rd at South Jersey Group 1 XC sectionals at DREAM Park in Logan Township this past fall.
Jennings ran 56.65 and while she ran slightly faster indoors – 56.56 at Ocean Breeze in January – her time is an outdoor PR. Jennings has run 6.90, 11.33 and 23.46 so she rarely runs the 400.
Also under 58 seconds were Kingsway freshman Noemi Haller [57.04], Winslow’s Okaro [57.43] and Eastern senior Samantha Osei-Kyei [57.73].
Haller is the No. 2 freshman in New Jersey this year, behind only Arango, and her time is a Gloucester County freshman record, lowering the 57.53 that Kingsway’s Thaila Cooper ran at the 2012 Meet of Champions at Old Bridge. Osei-Kyei dropped her PR from 58.53 indoors at the Armory in March to 57.73.
Also under a minute: Burlington Township junior Laila Fairweather [10th in 58.59], Atlantic City junior Taison Parker [11th in 58.89], Winslow sophomore Tristan Hughes [12th in 58.91], Rancocas Valley junior Rhyann Roseboro [13th in 59.21] and Moorestown senior Sarah Brown [14th in 59.56]. All are PRs.
Fairweather is the Falcons’ fastest quarter-miler since Nia Hinds ran 57.70 at 2016 Central Jersey Group 3 Sectionals in Mansfield Township. Parker’s 58.89 is a school record, breaking her own mark of 59.14 from last year’s Atlantic County Championships at Buena. Hughes’ 58.91 is an outdoor PR, but she did run 58.56 at the Armory in March. Roseboro’s 59.21 is a PR, and Brown also ran slightly faster indoors [59.46 at Group 3 States at the Bubble], but the 59.56 is an outdoor PR and not far off the school record of 58.38 set at the 1999 state Group 3 meet by Danielle Lyons in South Plainfield.
Robinson, Seamon, Okaro, Arango, Magee, Benito, Jennings, Clayton senior Leila Ortiz [57.18], Willingboro senior Nester Wea [57.60] and Osei-Kyei are ranked 4, 5, 6, =7, =7, 9, 10, 12, 15, 17 and 19 in New Jersey this year.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 