Track: North Jersey Boys at Penn Relays
The first time a North Jersey high school appeared in the summaries at the Penn Relays was on April 25, 1908, the 14th running of the event, when Englewood High School finished second in Event #6, the second of five high school mile relays on the one day program. The program was all male.
When the Penn Relays runs for the 128th time starting April 25, 2024, there will be 44 high school 4-x-400 relays for the girls and on Saturday, April 27, there will be 45 heats for the boys.
Below are four charts showing how often 71 North Jersey boys high school teams have appeared in the Penn Relays and how they've done in the four primary relays run at the famous meet. A separate set of charts will look at the 58 girls teams that have made an appearance since Ramsey won a race at the first Penn Relays that added a 4-x-440 yard relay for girls in 1978. The girls had been restricted to a 4-x-110 yard relay only from 1966-1977.
Caveat: Only the top four five finishers in the 4-x-100 and 4-x-800 relays were listed until 1988. Until 1971 only the winning time or performance was published.
Boys High School Teams by first, last and total appearances
School | # of Appearances | First Appeared | Last Appeared |
Bergen Catholic | 51 | 1958 | 2023 |
Bergenfield | 7 | 1966 | 2006 |
Bergen Tech | 3 | 2002 | 2023 |
Bogota | 2 | 1953 | 1954 |
Boonton | 1 | 1948 | |
Butler | 7 | 1947 | 1995 |
Cliffside Park | 1 | 1973 | |
Clifton | 7 | 1966 | 2004 |
Cresskill | 13 | 1972 | 2023 |
Demarest | 29 | 1959 | 2022 |
DePaul | 1 | 2009 | |
Don Bosco | 38 | 1975 | 2018 |
Don Bosco Tech | 1 | 1986 | |
Dwight-Englewood | 7 | 2013 | 2019 |
Eastside | 18 | 1977 | 2023 |
Emerson | 10 | 1976 | 2022 |
Englewood/Dwight Morrow | 52 | 1908 | 2023 |
Fair Lawn | 19 | 1948 | 2023 |
Fort Lee | 18 | 1974 | 2023 |
Garfield | 6 | 2002 | 2017 |
Glen Rock | 11 | 1963 | 2022 |
Hackensack | 59 | 1924 | 2023 |
Hasbrouck Heights | 34 | 1969 | 2023 |
Hawthorne | 1 | 2003 | |
Holy Trinity* | 3 | 1958 | 1960 |
Indian Hills | 20 | 1969 | 2023 |
Kennedy | 20 | 1977 | 2023 |
Lakeland | 1 | 2018 | |
Leonia | 15 | 1922 | 2023 |
Lodi | 1 | 2009 | |
Lyndhurst | 18 | 1935 | 1950 |
Mahwah | 7 | 1997 | 2023 |
Midland Park | 3 | 1976 | 1983 |
New Milford | 12 | 1964 | 1988 |
North Arlington | 11 | 1944 | 1964 |
North Bergen | 24 | 1967 | 2023 |
Northern Highlands | 22 | 1968 | 2023 |
Old Tappan | 21 | 1967 | 2023 |
Palisades Park | 6 | 2002 | 2019 |
Paramus | 28 | 1960 | 2023 |
Paramus Catholic | 35 | 1968 | 2023 |
Park Ridge | 3 | 1969 | 2023 |
Pascack Hills | 13 | 1972 | 2023 |
Pascack Valley | 17 | 1960 | 2016 |
Passaic | 8 | 1911 | 2019 |
Passaic Valley | 13 | 1998 | 2023 |
Paterson Catholic* | 2 | 2008 | 2010 |
Pequannock | 1 | 2023 | |
Queen of Peace* | 14 | 1967 | 2005 |
Ramapo | 10 | 1965 | 2023 |
Ramsey | 22 | 1977 | 2023 |
Ridgefield | 1 | 2002 | |
Ridgefield Park | 18 | 1956 | 2023 |
Ridgewood | 64 | 1921 | 2023 |
River Dell | 26 | 1958 | 2022 |
Rutherford | 14 | 1915 | 1994 |
Saddle Brook | 17 | 1970 | 2018 |
St. Cecelia's* | 1 | 1962 | |
St. Joseph | 15 | 1965 | 2000 |
St. Luke's* | 1 | 1963 | |
St. Mary's | 1 | 1937 | |
Secaucus | 16 | 1988 | 2018 |
Teaneck | 41 | 1949 | 2022 |
Tenafly | 46 | 1949 | 2023 |
Waldwick | 18 | 1967 | 2022 |
Wallington | 1 | 2006 | |
Wayne Hills | 6 | 2003 | 2019 |
Wayne Valley | 13 | 2008 | 2023 |
West Milford | 18 | 1994 | 2023 |
Westwood | 16 | 1962 | 2017 |
Wood-Ridge | 13 | 1999 | 2011 |
Boys 4-x-100 Relay teams and results
No medals are awarded within the heats as teams qualify to a series of finals held the next day.
Team | Heat Wins | Best Time and Year |
Bergen Catholic | 3 | 42.37 (2023) |
Bergenfield | 45.42 (2004) | |
Bergen Tech | 45.42 (2022) | |
Butler | 44.20 (1995) | |
Cresskill | 44.46 (2017) | |
DePaul | 46.68 (2009) | |
Don Bosco | 2 | 42.87 (2011) |
Don Bosco Tech* | 45.0 (1986) | |
Dwight-Englewood | 46.05 (2018) | |
Eastside | 2 | 43.29 (1987) |
Emerson | 44.3 (1984) | |
Englewood/Dwight Morrow | 1 | 43.13 (2008) |
Fair Lawn | 45.44 (2000) | |
Fort Lee | 1 | 43.8 (1983) |
Garfield | 1 | 43.56 (2017) |
Glen Rock | 44.72 (2001) | |
Hackensack | 4 | 43.57 (1995) |
Hasbrouck Heights | 1 | 44.35 (2010) |
Indian Hills | 44.16 (2013) | |
Kennedy | 44.02 (2004) | |
Lakeland | 45.70 (2018) | |
Leonia | 45.14 (2023) | |
Lyndhurst | 1 | 45.0 (1949) |
New Milford | 1 | 44.72 (1988) |
North Bergen | 45.10 (2004) | |
Northern Highlands | 45.11 (2016) | |
Old Tappan | 1 | 42.64 (2012) |
Palisades Park | 46.86 (2002) | |
Paramus | 45.11 (1988) | |
Paramus Catholic | 3 | 42.63 (2014) |
Pascack Hills | 45.17 (2019) | |
Passaic | 43.90 (1990) | |
Passaic Valley | 1 | 44.73 (2023) |
Paterson Catholic* | 45.57 (2010) | |
Queen of Peace* | 46.21 (2004) | |
Ramapo | 1 | 43.80 (2023) |
Ramsey | 45.64 (2010) | |
Ridgefield | 47.82 (2002) | |
Ridgefield Park | 45.08 (2014) | |
Ridgewood | 3 | 43.78 (2017) |
River Dell | 44.72 (1999) | |
Rutherford | 48.05 (1992) | |
Saddle Brook | 44.78 (2004) | |
St. Joseph | 45.84 (1994) | |
Secaucus | 45.60 (2007) | |
Teaneck | 6 | 42.70 (2008) |
Tenafly | 45.93 (2011) | |
Waldwick | 47.11 (2002) | |
Wayne Hills | 43.62 (2003) | |
Wayne Valley | 46.13 (2023) | |
West Milford | 45.77 (2015) | |
Westwood | 44.74 (2005) | |
Wood-Ridge | 46.45 (2001) |
4-X-400 Relays medal list and results
Each of the 40-plus heats of this event, the centerpiece of the three day carnival, is its own event with medals going to the top three places and a coveted Penn Relays mini-wheel to the winning school. The races usually see more than 600 schools competiing in "class" races which are roughly equally seeded with the better schools running later in the competition.
Some teams have won medals but as noted above times for non-winning teams were not recorded until 1971.
Teams | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Best time and year |
Bergen Catholic | 2 | 6 | 11 | 3:21.42 (2002) |
Bergenfield | 1 | 3:32.35 (1993) | ||
Bergen Tech | 1 | 3;25.20 (2022) | ||
Bogota | 1 | 1 | ||
Butler | 1 | 2 | 3:28.5 (1979) | |
Cliffside Park | 3:40.1 (1973) | |||
Clifton | 1 | 2 | 3:28.79 (2004) | |
Cresskill | 2 | 3:29.3 (1972) | ||
Demarest | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3:21.5 (1960) |
Don Bosco | 6 | 3 | 4 | 3:19.8 (1985) |
Dwight-Englewood | 3:32.11 (2016) | |||
Eastside | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3:20.6 (1983) |
Emerson | 3 | 2 | 3:25.7 (1978) | |
Englewood/Dwight Morrow | 9 | 10 | 10 | 3:22.8 (1972) |
Fair Lawn | 1 | 3 | 3:30.1 (1986) | |
Fort Lee | 1 | 2 | 3:27.4 (1981) | |
Garfield | 1 | 3:32.40 (2010) | ||
Glen Rock | 1 | 3:28.23 (2002) | ||
Hackensack | 3 | 10 | 10 | 3:21.1 (1986) |
Hasbrouck Heights | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3:27.72 (2001) |
Hawthorne | 3:42.15 (2003) | |||
Holy Trinity* | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3:36.4 (1960) |
Indian Hills | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3:25.88 (2009) |
Kennedy | 3 | 2 | 3:17.85 (2005) | |
Leonia | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3:30.4 (1961) |
Lodi | 1 | 3:31.99 (2009) | ||
Lyndhurst | 1 | 4 | 3:33.32 (2000) | |
Mahwah | 1 | 1 | 3:23.24 (2017) | |
Midland Park | 2 | 3:27.3 (1976) | ||
New Milford | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3:28.8 (1967) |
North Arlington | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3:32.1 (1948) |
North Bergen | 3 | 2 | 6 | 3:21.4 (1972) |
Northern Highlands | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3:25.4 (1971) |
Old Tappan | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3:17.95 (2016) |
Palisades Park | 2 | 3:30.98 (2004) | ||
Paramus | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3:25.4 (1975) |
Paramus Catholic | 3 | 8 | 1 | 3:22.6 (1977) |
Park Ridge | 3:33.95 (2022) | |||
Pascack Hills | 1 | 3:29.44 (2017) | ||
Pascack Valley | 3 | 6 | 3 | 3:23.48 (2013) |
Passaic | 1 | 3:29.39 (2018) | ||
Passaic Valley | 1 | 1 | 3:29.68 (2022) | |
Paterson Catholic* | 3;37.49 (2010) | |||
Pequannock | 3;36.07 (2023) | |||
Queen of Peace* | 3 | 3 | 3:26.2 (1972) | |
Ramapo | 6 | 3:27.22 (2018) | ||
Ramsey | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3:28.32 (2010) |
Ridgefield Park | 2 | 3:29.85 (2012) | ||
Ridgewood | 11 | 3 | 9 | 3:24.50 (2016) |
River Dell | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3:28.48 (2017) |
Rutherford | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3;25.3 (1977) |
Saddle Brook | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3:27.5 (1981) |
St. Joseph | 2 | 1 | 3:23.4 (1967) | |
St. Luke's | 1 | |||
Secaucus | 2 | 4 | 3:29.38 (1990) | |
Teaneck | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3:21.43 (2011) |
Tenafly | 14 | 9 | 4 | 3:24.4 (1974) |
Waldwick | 4 | 1 | 3:29.2 (1971) | |
Wallington | 3:42.61 (2006) | |||
Wayne Hills | 3:45.11 (2016) | |||
Wayne Valley | 1 | 1 | 3:25.88 (2011) | |
West Milford | 1 | 3:26.73 (2001) | ||
Westwood | 1 | 1 | 3:29.20 (2006) | |
Wood-Ridge | 3:37.13 (2010) |
4-x-800 and distance medley relays medals and times
The most exclusive relay events at the Penn Relays are the two distance races, the 4-x-800 and distance medleys. In contrast to the 4-x-100 and 4-x-400, these are true invitationals. Only the top 15-18 distance medleys are invited of those that apply with a minimum standard of 10:35; only the top 65-75 4-x-800 relay teams that break 8:15 are invited. The top 12 4-x-800 teams advance to a final the next day.- For the last decade, a school must choose just one of these events to compete in.
Only 20 North Jersey schools have been fortunate to qualify in the 4-x-800 with Ridgewood, Don Bosco, Bergen Catholic and Indian Hills the only schools to appear more than five times.
Ridgewood has made 14 distance medley appearances. The 13 other North Jersey schools that have qualified have combined for 18 appearances.
Teams | 4-x-800 appearances | best time | best finish | DMR appearances | best time | best finish |
Bergen Catholic | 13 | 7:46.77 (1977) | 1 (1966) | 2 | 10:27.46 (2017) | 5 (1963) |
Demarest | 3 | 8:06.09 (2017) | 10 (2017) | 1 | 3 (1962) | |
Don Bosco | 17 | 7:57.00 (1994) | 1 (1982) | 2 | 10:15.21 (2009) | 4 (2009) |
Dwight Morrow | 2 | 11:03.3 (1956) | 5 (2x) | |||
Fair Lawn | 1 | 11 (1949) | ||||
Hackensack | 5 | 8:01.6 (1971) | 2 (1971) | 1 | 10:37.50 (1993) | 9 (1993) |
Indian Hills | 9 | 7:57.75 (2008) | 1 (2008) | 1 | 10:20.47 (2011) | 4 (2011) |
Leonia | 1 | 2 (1957) | ||||
Lyndhurst | 1 | 2 (1950) | ||||
North Arlington | 1 | 1 (1950) | 1 | 5 (1957) | ||
North Bergen | 2 | 8:01.2 (1975) | 1 (1967) | |||
Northern Highlands | 1 | 8:13.8 (1986) | 7 (1986) | 1 | 10:28.82 (2006) | 13 (2006) |
Paramus Catholic | 3 | 7:52.8 (1976) | 2 (1976) | 2 | 10:07.7 (1973) | 1 (1973) |
Pascack Valley | 4 | 8:04.51 (2011) | 5 (2x) | |||
Passaic | 1 | 8:11.96 (2019) | 15 (2019) | |||
Queen of Peace* | 1 | 7:56.4 (1971) | 2 (1971) | |||
Ramapo | 2 | 8:09.02 (2019) | 9 (2x) | |||
Ramsey | 2 | 8:08.69 (2012) | 4 (2012) | |||
Ridgewood | 19 | 7:55.94 (2014) | 3 (2014) | 14 | 10:11.1 (1985) | 3 (2011) |
River Dell | 1 | 7:46.86 (2015) | 2 (2015) | 1 | 10:10.36 (2016) | 4 (2016) |
St. Joseph | 2 | 4 (1968) | ||||
Tenafly | 2 | 8:23.0 (1968) | 3 (1963) | 2 | 2 (1955) | |
Westwood | 2 | 8:08.76 (1998) | 10 (1998) |
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Track: North Jersey Boys at Penn Relays
