With a 1:51 anchor presumably by Josh Crawford, the Woodstown boys ran the fastest 4-by-8 by a New Jersey Group 1 school in 43 years Saturday with a sizzling win at the Woodbury Relays.
Karson Chew, Jacob Marino, Crawford, David Farrell and Crawford ran 7:52.95 to win the Group 1 race and smash the Group 1 meet record of 8:06.1 hand-timed set in 1978 by Woodbury’s Don Bland, Bruce Washington, Keith Washington and Dick Caton over two miles, which converts to 8:03.28 for 3,200 meters.
Chew led off with a 1:57.02, Marino ran 2:02.63, Farrell 2:01.78 and Crawford 1:51.53.
Woodstown broke its own South Jersey Group 1 record of 7:54.34 from last year’s Meet of Champions at Pennsauken with Crawford, Chew, Marino and Cole Lucas.
Their 7:52.95 is fastest by a New Jersey Group 1 since Bernards ran 7:48.1 at the 1983 Penn Relays. Woodbury ran a converted 7:48.3 in 1977 with Caton anchoring but I have no clue where they ran that fast. Wasn’t at any of the obvious meets.
Glassboro also ran fast, placing 2nd in 7:56.44 with Aaron Johnson, Joseph Saicic, Zacchaeus Harrigan and Jaeden Wesley.
Sadly, Woodstown is unable to race at the Penn Relays and did not enter, even though they would have easily qualified and had a good chance to make the finals.
All-Time Group 1 List
7:48.1 … Bernards, 1983
7:48.2 … Bernards, 1982
7:48.3h … Woodbury, 1977
7:52.95 … Woodstown, 2026
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
7:52.95 … Woodstown, 2026
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
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 