Low-energy structure of 61Mn populated following $beta$ decay of 61Cr

$beta$ decay of the $^{61}$Cr$_{37}$ ground state has been studied. A new half-life of 233 +/- 11 ms has been deduced, and seven delayed $gamma$ rays have been assigned to the daughter, $^{61}$Mn$_{36}$. The low-energy level structure of $^{61}$Mn$_{36}$ is similar to that of the less neutron-rich $^{57,59}$Mn nuclei. The odd-A $_{25}$Mn isotopes follow the systematic trend in the yrast states of the even-even, Z + 1 $_{26}$Fe isotopes, and not that of the Z - 1 $_{24}$Cr isotopes, where a possible onset of collectivity has been suggested to occur already at N = 36.