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Pennsauken came up with a clutch victory in the meet-concluding 4x400-meter relay to capture the boys title in dramatic fashion, and the Winslow girls won its fourth straight championship at the NJSIAA Group 3 Relays at the Bennett Center in Toms River.
With the boys team title hanging in the balance heading into the 4x400, Timber Creek held a 24-22 lead on Pennsauken. But Pennsauken's Kahlil Ali (52.0), Premier Wynn (53.1), Joel Oquendo (53.3), and Bryce Tucker (52.1) combined to win the 4x400 in 3:31.17 to give Pennsauken a 32-30 victory over Timber Creek, which placed third in the 4x400 in 3:38.21.
It's the second state relay title for the Indians, which won its first crown in 2018 when it shared the championship with Timber Creek.
Several athletes contributed to the victory for Pennsauken, who also won the 4x200 (1:32.46) and the sprint medley relay (3:40.98), and placed fifth in the the DMR (11:02.69).
Tucker, the 400m hurdle winner at the Meet of Champions last spring, Wynn, and Ali ran on all three victorious relays for Pennsauken. In addition to his 4x400 and his leg on the 4x200, Tucker split 2:02.5 on the anchor of the SMR, and ran 2:02 and change on the DMR.
Wynn ran 52.2 on the SMR and handled legs on the 4x200 and 4x400, and Ali ran on the 4x400, the 4x200, and the SMR (23.3).
Oquendo and Elijah Jennings also had big days for Pennsauken.
Oquendo anchored the DMR with a 4:31 carry, and ran on the 4x400 (53.1). Jennings ran a 200 leg on the SMR and was a member of the winning 4x200.
WINSLOW 4-PEAT
In the girls competition, Winslow finished third or better in five of the nine events on the way to a 38-26 victory over Colts Neck and Roxbury, who tied for second.
Winslow has now won seven state relays titles, which is tied with Haddonfield for the fourth most in state history among girls teams. Winslow's titles have come in 2011, '13, '15, 18, 19, 20, and this year. The state relays weren't held last year because of Covid.
Winslow scored its 38 points by winning the 4x200 (1:45.62), placing second in the 4x400 (4:08.11), second in SMR (4:25.63), third in the 4x800 (10:14.07), and third in the shuttle hurdles.
Senior Jaia James and junior Janelle Marshall led the charge for Winslow.
James and Marshall teamed with Briyel Brown and Kamryn Holness to win the 4x200. James, Marshall, Holness, and Jordan James ran on the shuttles. James and Marshall combined with Victoria Campbell and Brown in the SMR, and James, Marshall, Holness, and Brown shared the baton in the 4x400.
Colts Neck, led by star distance runner Lilly Shapiro, suffered some misfortune its attempt to win the team title. After crossing the finish line first in the SMR, Colts Neck was disqualified for a passing out of the zone. If that didn't happen, Colts Neck's third-place finish in the 4x400 would have given the Cougars a share of the team title.
The University of North Carolina-bound Shapiro had a sensational meet in her season debut. She anchored the DMR with a 4:58.8 carry, ran 2:22.1 in the 4x800, split 2:15.4 in the SMR, and 61.0 in the 4x400.
