With less than three weeks until the start of the Penn Relays at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, we figured that it's a good time to start rolling out some history lessons and take a little jog down memory lane as we build up to the 130th running of the oldest, greatest and largest baton-passing extravaganza in the world!!!
Today we are rewinding the track and field clock back to 1981, when Plainfield pulled off one of the most stunning doubles in the long history of the Penn Relays when the boys and girls 4x400-meter relay squads became the first school to ever sweep the Championship of America races in the same year!!!!!!
Let's take a look back at the legendary performances by the Cardinals as we celebrate the 45th anniversary of their iconic achievement.
PLAINFIELD GIRLS GO BACK-TO-BACK
In the girls 4x400, Plainfield became the first and still the only NJ squad (boys or girls) to win back-to-back Championship of America titles!!!!
A year after running a then state and meet record 3:44.3, the Cardinals successfully defended their title with a time of 3:51.4. Lisa St. Clair led off in 59.5, followed by Wanda Jackson in 59.3. Tracey Carter delivered a pivotal 54.8 split to give Plainfield the lead, and Tracy Nelson brought it home in 57.8 anchor carry to secure the victory.
The Plainfield boys captured their first Penn Relays title in two decades, capped off by a stunning anchor from future Olympian John Marshall (pictured above). Marshall stormed home in 46.7 to seal the victory as he stopped the clock at 3:13.07 to put an exclamation point on a complete team effort by the Cardinals.
Tony Ashley opened for the Cardinals in 49.4, followed by Tony Coleman in 49.4 and then Dorrell Hilliman dropped a 47.5 before Marshall delivered his decisive closing split. The combination of consistency in the opening legs and Marshall's finishing speed proved too much for the field.
Marshall went on to star at Villanova University and competed in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Marshall went on to anchor three more winning relays for Villanova, including the SMR and 4x800 as a freshman in 1982 when he was named the Outstanding Male Collegiate Performer of the meet. He was inducted into the Penn Relays Wall of Fame in 2010, cementing his legacy as one of New Jersey's all-time greats.
The 4x400 victory finished off a very busy two days of racing for the Plainfield boys.
The previous day, the Cardinals finished sixth in the distance medley relay, with Marshall running a 4:19 anchor leg. And earlier in the day prior to the 4x400 final, Plainfield's 4x800 squad ran 7:59.1 in the trials, with Marshall closing in 1:53.8, to qualify for the final. But head coach Ron Upperman made the strategic decision to scratch from the 4x800 Championship of America as the race was scheduled just seven minutes before the 4x400 final, forcing Marshall to potentially anchor both races.
The 4x400 victories were even more remarkable considering the adversity Plainfield faced during the meet. According to a report in the New York Times, the team's van, parked near Franklin Field, was broken into and equipment was stolen on Friday. Then on Saturday, their van was nearly towed after being parked illegally before Upperman and assistant coach Tom Falocco were alerted in time to move it.
How rare was Plainfield's 4x400 sweep?
More than four decades later, Plainfield's 4x400 double remains one of the rarest accomplishments in Penn Relays history. Only one other U.S. school has matched their feat of a same year 4x400 sweep (Long Beach Poly of California in 2003) and just a total of 5 schools have ervdoine it. The other three are from Jamaica-Vere Tech in 1994, St. Jago in 1998, and Holmwood Tech in 2002,
Sweeping both races, often referred to as winning the "wheels" required extraordinary depth, elite talent, and flawless execution against some of the best competition in the world.
Plainfield's 1981 performance remains a defining moment in meet history and a lasting symbol of excellence in New Jersey track and field.