The South Jersey Group 3 sectionals weren’t even 10 minutes old and Deptford had already broken a meet record. Camden and Pleasantville quickly joined them.
Deptford senior Damon Morton, freshman Liam Brown, junior Xavion Holmes and senior Johann Hernandez won the 400-meter relay at Delsea in 41.76, breaking the South Jersey Group 3 sectional meet record of 42.20 set by Bridgeton in 2018.
Deptford’s time is 5th-fastest in Gloucester County history.
Winslow, with senior KaRon Ali, freshman Keyon Ali, senior Elijah Deanley and senior Quayd Hendryx, was 2nd, also under the old record in 41.93.
Deptford also won sectional 4-by-1 titles in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023. The 4-by-1 was added to the sectional program in 2013.
Deptford’s time is 3rd-fastest in South Jersey sectional history in all groups. Washington Township won Group 4 in 2024 in 41.26 and Toms River North won Group 4 last year in 41.74.
Deptford’s previous best time this year was 41.93 at its own Spartan Relays last month.
Camden in Group 1 and Pleasantville in Group 2 also set meet records in the 4-by-1, Camden at Lenape and Pleasantville at Delsea.. For Camden, senior Jawan Brownlee, senior Christian Braxton, junior Giovanni Marshall-Edwards and senior Jaiden Steele won the Group 2 race in 42.32, breaking the meet record of 42.34 set last year by Schalick, and junior Semaj Dozier, junior Nazir Griffin, junior Raliel Wiggins and senior Jamaal Washington of Pleasantville ran 42.12, breaking the SJ-2 record of 42.30 that Camden set in 2024.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 