Deptford ran what looks to be its fastest 3,200-meter relay in 59 years Friday morning at the 130th running of the Penn Relays.
Anthony Schilling, Christian Gonzalez, Zachary Harrison and John Collier ran 7:57.81, which according to all available records is the school’s fastest since June 1, 1967, on the very same track at Franklin Field.
Results from Penn have been a mess for two days now and splits from Deptford’s race are not available.
In 1967, Deptford, with Irv Jenkins, Tom Williams, Jerry Clark and Irv Jenkins, ran 7:49.0 for the full two miles at the old Delaware Valley Meet of Champions at Franklin Field. Wayne Jenkins led off with a 1:56.9, Williams split 1:57.4, Clark ran 1:58.8 and Irv Jenkins anchored in 1:56.1.
That 7:49.0 converts to 7:46.2 for a 3,200-meter relay, which stood as the Gloucester County record for 51 years, until Delsea ran 7:46.28 at the 2018 Meet of Champions at Northern Burlington with George Tenenberg, William Mayhew, Colin Kane and Michael Szwed.
Deptford’s 7:57.81 is No. 11 in Gloucester County history. Their time was 3rd-fastest among all New Jersey schools Saturday, behind only Hackensack [7:46.11] and Union Catholic [7:46.61], which both qualified for Saturday’s Championship of America.
7:46.2h … Deptford, 1967
7:47.66 … Kingsway, 2011
7:48.16 … Kingsway, 2013
7:48.3h … Woodbury, 1977
7:49.67 … Washington Twp., 2009
7:49.95 … Delsea, 2018
7:51.07 … Washington Twp., 2008
7:54.94 … Kingsway, 2014
7:55.53 … Delsea, 2017
7:56.44 … Glassboro, 2026
7:57.81 … Deptford, 2026
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 