From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Pennsauken junior Bryce Tucker won the 600-meter run Saturday at the New Balance Games with the 3rd-fastest time in South Jersey history.

Tucker ran 1:20.79 for three laps at the Armory in Manhattan,finishing first overall in a field of 162 runners in 16 heats.

Wesley Noble Jr. of Bishop Loughlin was 2nd in 1:21.21 and Deptford Lathan Brown placed 3rd in 1:22.44.

Tucker’s time is No. 18 in state history and 3rd-fastest in the U.S. this year at the once-popular 600-meter distance, now raced much less often than it used to be.

The only South Jersey runners to go faster than Tucker are Bordentown’s Rob Novak, who ran 1:19.6 in 2005 at the Varsity Classic on the same track, and Florence’s Keith Griffith, who ran 1:20.71 in 2010 at the New Balance Invitational, also at the Armory. Top three times in South Jersey history from the BCSL.

The state record is 1:17.9 set by Paterson Kennedy’s Shaquon Brown in the same race Novak ran 1:19.6. At the time, Brown’s 1:17.9 was also the national record.

Tucker, the Meet of Champions 400IH champ last spring, broke the Camden County record of 1:23.34 set by Marcus Phillips of Cherry Hill East at the 2012 Bishop Loughlin Games at the Armory. Deptford’s Brown broke the Gloucester County 600 record of 1:24.26 set in 2018, also at the Armory, by Delsea’s Michael Szwed.

Tucker was out in 24.3 for his first 200 and came back with a 27.5 and 29.2 for the win. In his only previous 600, he ran 1:27.31 last March at the Bubble with nobody within six seconds.

Tucker also placed second in the 55-meter high hurdles in a personal-best 7.68. His previous PR was 7.84 from the Bubble last month,

Here’s the all-time South Jersey list:

1:19.6h … Rob Novak [Bordentown], 2005
1:20.71 … Keith Griffith [Florence], 2010
1:20.79 … Bryce Tucker [Pennsauken], 2022
1:20.90 … Gabriel Moronta [Pleasantville], 2020
1:21.13 … Shannon Sherrer [Vineland], 2003
1:21.20 … Isaac Clark [Pleasantville], 2012
1:21.76 … Alan Laws [Pleasantville], 2007
1:22.44 … Lathan Brown [Deptford], 2022
1:23.34 … Marcus Phillips [Cherry Hill East], 2011
1:23.56 … Tyler Davidson [Willingboro], 2016
1:23.85 … Miah Wood [Rancocas Valley], 2019
1:24.02 … Dontae Guest [Camden], 2019

And the all-time New Jersey list:

1:17.9 … Shaquon Brown [JFK Paterson], 2005
1:18.90 … Clayton Parros [Seton Hall Prep], 2009
1:19.14 … Luis Peralta [Passaic], 2019
1:19.6h … Rob Novak [Bordentown], 2005
1:19.61 … Alfred Chawonza [St. Benedict’s Prep], 2019
1:20.0 … Ken Sinkovitz [Bergen Catholic], 2003
1:20.04 … Elijah Brown [Union Catholic], 2019
1:20.10 … Michael Thurston [Ridgewood], 2016
1:20.1 … Marcel VanEeden [Mendham], 2005
1:20.32 … Ernesto Perez [West Side], 1990
1:20.47 … Najee Glass [St. Peter’s Prep], 2012
1:20.50 … Christian Kildal-Brandt [Mendham], 2014
1:20.53 … Lewis Ngwenya [St. Benedict’s Prep], 2018
1:20.56 … Greg Stickle [Randolph], 2015
1:20.7 … Andrew Giannotti [Westwood], 1998
1:20.71 … Keith Griffith [Florence], 2010
1:20.73 … Ian McNally [Morris Hills], 2016
1:20.79 … Bryce Tucker [Pennsauken], 2022
1:20.84 … Bryan Scotland [St. Benedict’s], 2005
1:20.90 … Gabriel Moronta [Pleasantville], 2020
1:21.00 … Jack Kerin [Indian Hills], 2016
1:21.13 … Shannon Sherrer [Vineland], 2003
1:21.3 … Joe Velazquez [Paramus], 1999
1:21.20 … Isaac Clark [Pleasantville], 2012
1:21.38 … Patrick Blackie [Seton Hall Prep], 2007
1:21.4 … Josh Kauke [Ridgewood], 2000
1:21.5 … Mike Pachella [Walkill Valley], 2005
1:20.60 … Kyle Davidson [Old Tappan], 2012
1:21.7 … Sharif Webb [Don Bosco], 2007
1:21.70 … Kishaun Richardson [East Orange], 2018
1:21.76 … Alan Laws [Pleasantville], 2007
1:21.80 … Domenick Wallace [Morris Hills], 2020
1:21.90 … Jason Apwah [Roxbury], 2007
1:21.90 … Ben Malone [Pascack Valley], 2012
1:22.0 … Hayrol Cruz [Pasaic], 2005