When Del Norte track coach Chris Jacobs entered his 4×800-meter relay team in the Mt. SAC Invitational two weeks ago, it wasn’t to set the section record.

It happened anyway.

The foursome of Finley Butler (1:55), Nick Echsner (2:00), Isaac Bradshaw (1:57) and Cam Yarbrough (1:51) won the event at 7:44.70, which eclipsed the previous section record of 7:48.39 by Torrey Pines in 2011 in the same meet.

The event itself is only four years old after being added to the official schedule of events in 2022, but Mt. SAC has run the event for decades.

“They talked about it (breaking the record) a little bit before they ran,” said Jacobs of the foursome. “That time of 7:44 is significantly faster than the old record.

“But now we have a different dilemma.”

Although Del Norte set the record, they are only No. 3 in the state behind JSerra’s 7:38.13 at Arcadia and the 7:38.38 clocked by Riverside Martin Luther King in beating the Nighthawks at Mt. SAC.

“We’re not really sure what we’re going to do,” Jacobs said about running the event in the state meet where he is certain the quartet can lower that time. “But the San Diego Section schedule is not conducive to athletes who want to run the 4×800 relay and the 1600.

“The 4×800 starts the meet and an hour later is the 1600. That’s not much recovery time. We have a chance to win the section boys team championship but if we run those four in the 4×800 Divisionals and section championships, that might affect how they do in their other events.

“At state it’s not a problem because there are no 4×800 prelims and the 4×800 is run after the individual 800 and 1600.”

One of the dangers is that only the top two teams, instead of the first three like every other event, qualify for state.  So, will Jacobs gamble and try to qualify in the Divisionals and section championships subbing one or two runners?

Last year’s championships show just how dicey that event can be.

Scripps Ranch won in 7:53.03. Point Loma also qualified for state by being a step behind at 7:53.55. But, St. Augustine stayed home even though it ran 7:53.73 in third place. That’s .18 seconds.

Yarbrough would seem to be the key but he is probably going to run the 800, which would give him plenty of rest. 

How big is making the state meet — in any event?

“It’s always been my dream to run at state,” said Butler, who is No. 4 in the section in the 800, just .19 seconds out of third. “But going with the team would be my fondest memory if we qualify.

“Running with my friends would be very special. I know you’ve got to perform on that day, and I believe all four of us will be under 2-minutes.”

Actually, Yarbrough really isn’t a sure winner of the 800, depending on who enters the event in both the section and state.

His 1:51.19 is second to Sage Creek’s Josiah Bowman, who set the section record of 1:49.54 at Arcadia. Mission Vista’s Cade Wilhoit is third at 1:53.98. Yarbrough is currently No. 10 in the state.

“We’re not the only school that has this problem,” Jacobs said. “I’m sure the other section schools will have to make a decision.  We don’t know what JSerra and Martin Luther King will do, either.

“But winning a boys team title is one of our goals, too. I think we can qualify through the Divisionals using some of our depth — and we have a lot of depth in the 800. But we’ll have to see who does what heading into the section championships. We’ll list eight names and go over who qualifies in that event before deciding.”

In the latest coaches’ poll, Del Norte’s boys are No. 2, behind Helix and ahead of San Marcos.

One thing, is sure, the Nighthawks will go into those meets as the section 4×800-meter record-holders.