From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Look at this list of intermediate hurdlers! The top 20 hasn’t changed in 10 years!

Camden’s Dwight Ruff ran 50.37 in the 400 intermediates at the 2001 USATF Junior Nationals in Richmond to break his own state record of 51.14 set at the Meet of Champions two weeks earlier.

That stood as the state record for 14 years, until Taylor McLaughlin of Union Catholic – older brother of Olympian Sydney McLaughlin – ran 50.20 at New Balance Nationals in Greensboro in 2015. Cory Poole of South Orange then ran 50.14 to set the current mark at the 2017 Pan Am Juniors in Trujillo, Peru, in 2017.

The last South Jersey boy to run 52.89 or faster was Barry Bethea of Eastern, who ran 52.89 at the 2010 Camden County Championships at Haddon Township (and also won the 200 in 21.89 and the 400 in 48.59!) and went on to become a MEAC intermediates champ for South Carolina State.

OK, here we go! Please hit me up with corrections and additions in the comment’s section!

 All-Time S.J. 400-Meter Intermediate Hurdles List

50.37 … Dwight Ruff [Camden], 2001
51.39 … Rueben McCoy [Winslow Twp.], 2004
51.5h … Martin Booker [Camden], 1981
51.62 … Fred Sharpe [Paulsboro], 1997
51.82 … Azim Smith [Millville], 2001
52.10 … Tim Carey [Washington Twp.], 2009
52.0h … Vince Rawlins [Eastern], 1992
52.4h … Diandre Chandler [Camden], 1986
52.4h … Donovan Darius [Wilson], 1993
52.54 … Marcus Lee [Vineland], 2004
52.56 … Royce Reed [Bridgeton], 1995
52.62 … Devon Matthews [Pleasantville], 1999
52.62 … Harran Williams [Delran], 1999
52.62 … Ian Moore [Lenape], 2001
52.66 … Justin Dupree [Camden], 1996
52.66 … Aaron Younger [Delsea], 2007
52.71 … Mike Brown [Lenape], 1996
52.71 … Mike Morrison [Willingboro], 2003
52.72 … Devon Carter [Washington Twp.], 2000
52.87 … Demetrius Rooks [Absegami], 2008
52.89 … Barry Bethea [Eastern Reg.], 2010
52.92 … Alex Reber [Eastern Reg.], 2012
52.8h … Jack Thompson [Edgewood], 2001
52.89 … Devon Patton [Willingboro], 1990
52.94 … Maurice Young [Camden], 2002
52.96 … Tyler Davidson [Willingboro], 2016
53.01 … Shareef Muhammed [Willingboro], 2003
53.05 … Dayne Brown [Camden], 1998
53.13 … Donnie House [Timber Creek], 2011
53.14 … Michael Bolling [Willingboro], 2000
52.9h … Bill Galbraith [Cherry Hill West], 1976
52.9h … Bill Newmuis [Penns Grove], 1982
53.16 … Matt Collins [Bishop Eustace], 1997
53.1h … Daryl Merriman (Willingboro), 1982
53.1h … William Mobley [Eastern], 1983
53.22 … Will Washington [Delsea Reg.], 2006
53.28 … Kervens Mezilus [Cherry Hill East], 2017
53.3h … Kerry Vivett [Edgewood], 1985
53.30 … Maxwell Dickens [Paul VI], 2016
53.31 … Mike Williams [Lenape], 2013
53.36 … Nate Harley [Pleasantville], 1997
53.4h … Stacy Crawford [Bridgeton], 1990
53.48 … Dan Morris [Rancocas Valley], 1991
53.49 … Firman Walden [Overbrook], 1986
53.50 … Chris Mesiano [Schalick], 2015
53.43 … Keith Fleming [Egg Harbor Twp.], 1994
53.51 … Jamil Adams [Winslow Twp.], 2017
53.57 … Joe Lewis [Pleasantville], 1998
53.59 … Thomas Zor [Millville], 2015
53.5h … Marc Dickerson [Willingboro], 1979
53.5h … Cal Gunning [Cherry Hill West], 1979
53.63 … Dwayne Joseph [Willingboro], 2004

Unknown Timing Irregularity
52.2h … Dan Dmochowski (Riverside), 1982