From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Group 1 schools aren’t supposed to run like this. They rarely do.

The Woodstown boys – juniors Karson Chew and Jacob Marino, senior Cole Lucas and junior Josh Crawford – placed 5th in the Meet of Champions 3,200-meter relay in 7:54.84, the fastest time by a New Jersey Group 1 school in over 40 years.

The time is fastest by a South Jersey school this year and – as far as I can tell – fastest by a New Jersey Group 1 since Bernards ran 7:48.1 at the 1983 Penn Relays. It’s 2nd-fastest ever by a South Jersey Group 1 and fastest in 48 years, since Woodbury ran 7:48.3 (converted from 7:51.1 for two miles) in 1977. Can’t for the life of me figure out where they ran that. Wasn’t at Penn or the state relays. If you know, tell me!

It’s a little tricky figuring out this stuff because some schools like Haddonfield and Bernards have bounced between Group 1 and Group 2 and performance lists in the pre-MileSplit Era are incomplete.

But as far as I can tell after a morning of research, Bernard in 1982 and 1983 and Woodbury in 1977 are the only Group 1 schools to run faster than Woodstown.

The Wolverines had never broken 8:24 before 2024 but got down to 8:08.09 last spring and finally dipped under eight minutes for the first time when they won the state Group 1 title in Somerset before a 4 ½-second school record Wednesday at Pennsauken.

Chew led off with a 1:59.50 split, Marino ran 2:02.46, Lucas 2:02.01 and Crawford anchored in 1:54.46.

It’s the first medal Woodstown has won at the Meet of Champions in 13 years, since Jake Prus placed 6th in the javelin in 2012 with a throw of 174-2.

CBA won the race in 7:48.55, followed by West Orange [7:48.57], Westfield [7:52.89] and Demarest [7:53.33].

Crawford ran 1:53.44 to win the state Group 1 title – fastest by a South Jersey half-miler this year – and was 7th in the 800 Wednesday at Pennsauken in 1:53.83. He’ll be the 3rd-fastest returner in New Jersey next year.

And while Lucas is graduating, Woodstown returns Chew, Marino and Crawford as well as Kyle Reitz, who ran 2:04.30 this spring as a sophomore in his first year of track.

But Woodstown isn’t done yet.

They’ll race one more 4-by-8 at Franklin Field Nationals a week from Friday. Crawford will also race in the open 800 one day later.

All-Time Group 1 List
7:48.1 … Bernards, 1983
7:48.2 … Bernards, 1982
7:48.3h … Woodbury, 1977
7:54.84 … Woodstown, 2025
7:56.02 … Woodbury, 1972
7:56.51 … Indian Hills, 2016
7:57.80 … Shore Regional, 2017
7:58.09 … Metuchen, 1998
7:59.53 … Metuchen, 1999
7:58.54 … Metuchen, 2008
7:59.64 … Mountain Lakes, 2012
7:58.8y … Woodbury, 1972 [Turnock]

All-Time South Jersey List
7:40.43 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2017
7:40.71 … Pleasantville, 2013
7:40.99 … Willingboro, 1983
7:41.17 … Cherokee, 2023
7:43.57 … Haddonfield, 2015
7:44.25 … Willingboro, 2003
7:46.28 … Delsea, 2018
7:46.2h … Deptford, 1967
7:47.27 … Egg Harbor, 2016
7:47.66 … Kingsway, 2011
7:47.96 … Haddonfield, 2016
7:47.9h … Willingboro, 1982
7:48.16 … Kingsway, 2013
7:48.25 … Vineland, 2012
7:48.3y … Woodbury, 1977
7:48.70 … Rancocas Valley, 2016
7:48.92 … Highland, 2018
7:49.34 … Cherokee, 2000
7:49.67 … Washington Twp., 2009
7:49.72 … Haddonfield, 2019
7:49.85 … Cherokee, 2012
7:49.95 … Delsea, 2018
7:49.9h … Willingboro, 1978
7:50.1h … Camden, 1977
7:50.26 … Ocean City, 2003
7:50.31 … Cherokee, 2024
7:50.73 … Cherokee, 2021
7:50.87 … Haddonfield, 2014
7:51.07 … Washington Twp., 2008
7:51.09 … Mainland Reg., 2004
7:51.52 … Vineland, 2010
7:52.53 … Willingboro, 2002
7:52.60 … Cherokee, 2011
7:52.66 … Cherokee, 1998
7:52.75 … Egg Harbor Twp., 2018
7:52.90 … Rancocas Valley, 2017
7:53.03 … Bishop Eustace, 1997
7:53.44 … Shawnee, 1991
7:53.99 … Highland, 1991
7:54.16 … Woodrow Wilson, 2011
7:54.43 … Cherry Hill East, 2023
7:54.5h … Paul VI, 1991
7:54.74 … Paul VI, 1990
7:54.78 … Highland, 2017
7:54.84 … Woodstown, 2025
7:54.94 … Kingsway, 2014

7:48.3h … Woodbury, 1977