The list of boys teams from New Jersey that have advanced to two Championship of America races at the Penn Relays in the same year is very small. So how short do you think the list is of teams from the Garden State that have advanced to the 4x100, 4x400, and the 4x800 in the same year??
List!!!!
What list????
I'm not sure that one exists for a mind-blowing triple like that!!
I spent hours trying to find a NJ team that hit the 4x100, 4x400, 4x800 trifecta at the greatest baton-passing extravaganza in the world, but I haven't found one yet!!! There is of course the legendary performance by the Trenton boys in 1978 when the Tornadoes won the 4x400 and the 4x800, and placed second in the DMR! You read that right!!!
But there is a good chance that no NJ boys program that has ever qualified for the 4x100, 4x400, and the 4x800 in the same year at the Penn Relays.
Seton Hall Prep has a very good shot at changing that by pulling off the historic trifecta at the 127th Penn Relays presented by Toyota, which will be held this Thursday through Saturday at Franklin Field in Philadelphia
The 12 fastest 4x800 teams, the nine fastest 4x400 teams, and the nine fastest 4x100 teams from the trials this Thursday will qualify for the C of A races.
Seton Hall Prep, which made the 4x400 and 4x800 C of A races at Penn in 2005, ran the fastest 4x400 time in the country when it burned a NJ indoor record of 3:14.53 to win the New Balance National title last month. In the 4x800, Seton Hall Prep went 7:55.29 to finish first at the Eastern States Championships, and they ran 42.39 earlier this month at the Colt Challenge.
The schedule for Seton Hall Prep's races in the trials shouldn't be a factor at all. They are spread out pretty well.
The four 4x800 heats are scheduled to start at 9 a.m., Seton Hall's 4x100 heat should go off at approximately 12:30 p.m., and Seton Hall's 4x400 heat is scheduled for 3:06 p.m.
Since Seton Hall Prep will be using a combined seven runners in the three races, fatigue may come into play.
In the 4x800, Seton Hall's lineup will consist of junior Brandon Williams NJ and seniors Russell Webb, Ryan Matulonis, and Nick DeVita. In the 4x100, it will be senior Darren Burton, senior Xavier Donaldson, Matulonis, and Jaylen McClain. The 4x400 will be Webb, Matulonis, DeVita and Donaldson, the 400 champ at the indoor Meet of Champions.
If Seton Hall advances in all three races, the schedule for Friday's C of A races are 1:40 p.m. for the 4x100, 4:20 p.m for the 4x400, and 5:50 p.m. for the 4x800.
Seton Hall Prep coach Steve Trembley said having just seven runners to cover each race is a daunting task, but said his guys are ready for the challenge.
"My kids are warriors when it's time to compete,'' said Steve Trembley. "When you have a dynamic 1-2 punch on a given relay, the potential for greatness is always present. The focus has primarily been on the 4x400 since winning indoor nationals in 2022, but with Ryan and Nick you have the potential for two 1:53 legs, so how can you not go for it. You owe it to the kids. They have been trained and conditioned for just this. If we equal our PR's we should be running in three finals.''