From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

What a night at Easterns for Pleasantville junior Xander Roberts-Bogin, who ran away with the 400-meter dash with a massive PR and one of the fastest times in South Jersey history.

Roberts-Bogin shaved nearly 1 ½ seconds off his personal-best time and won the 400 title at the 87th annual Easterns at the Armory in 48.45, matching the No. 15 time in the country this year according to the MileSplit national database. His time makes him the No. 5 junior in the country.

Coming into the meet, Roberts-Bogin had an indoor PR of 49.81 from a meet in December at Ocean Breeze and an outdoor PR of 49.88 from the Atlantic County Championships at Buena last spring.

So he just broke his PR by 1.36 seconds! That’s unheard of in a 400!

Roberts-Bogin ran 50.11 at states last weekend at the Bubble and finished 2nd to Nottingham’s Shamali White, the Meet of Champions winner at 100 and 200 meters last spring and 4th nationally in the 200.

But on Tuesday night on the fast, banked track at the 168th Street Armory, he put it all together and ran the No. 4 time in South Jersey history and broke the Atlantic County record.

The previous county record was 48.48, set by Amir Brock of Egg Harbor Township at 2017 Easterns.

The only faster 400 runners in South Jersey indoor track history are Moorestown’s Brandon Outlaw, who ran 47.90 in 2017 at New Balance Nationals, also at the Armory, Camden’s Jade Smith, who ran 48.27 at the 2002 Midwest Indoor Track Classic in Lincoln, Neb., and Lenape’s Mohammad Kanu, who ran 48.36 at 2000 Easterns, also on the Armory.

Roberts-Bogin hit the 200 in the lead in 23.14 and only built his lead over the second lap, finishing 4 ½ meters ahead of 2nd-place Korede Otusajo of in Windsor Mill, Md.

His time is fastest at Easterns since 2017, when Cory Poole of East Orange won the race in 47.82.

He’s only the 3rd South Jersey runner to win Easterns 400-meter dash in meet history. Kanu won in 2000 and Millville’s Daniel Fenton in 2019.

Roberts-Bogin is Pleasantville’s 3rd individual champion in Easterns history. Joe Lewis won the 800 in 1:56.31 in 1998 and Isaac Clark won the 800 in 2012 in 1:54.34. Also, their 4-by-400 won in 2007 in 3:18.90 and the 4-by-8 set a meet record in 2013 that still stands of 7:45.55.

His time is tied for 20th-fastest in meet history.

Here’s a look at every South Jersey runner that’s broken 50 seconds indoors:
47.90 … Brandon Outlaw [Moorestown], 2018
48.27 … Jade Smith [Camden], 2002
48.36 … Mohammad Kanu [Lenape], 2000
48.45 … Xander Roberts-Bogin [Pleasantville], 2022
48.48 … Amir Brock [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2017
48.50 … Alex Reber [Cherry Hill East], 2013
48.55 … Royce Reed [Bridgeton], 1995
48.64 … Keith Griffith [Florence], 2010
48.68 … Lamont Smith [Willingboro], 1991
48.74 … John Morris [Camden], 2001
48.75 … Luke Colehower [Haddonfield], 2017
48.79 … Gabriel Moronta [Pleasantville], 2020
48.7h … Curt Mcintyre [Bridgeton], 1992
48.91 … Marlin Gross [Bridgeton], 2001
48.91 … Rob Gary [Lenape], 1998
49.03 … Ian Moore [Lenape], 2001
49.05 … William Mobley [Eastern], 1990
49.11 … Darrell Bush [Woodbury], 2012
49.13 … Eric Chekemian [Washington Twp.], 2001
49.19 … Amir Brock [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2017
49.1h … Antonio Abney [Willingboro], 2007
49.24 … Duke Mack [Pleasantville], 2007
49.24 … Zachariah Murray [Haddonfield], 2019
49.26 … Tim Carey [Washington Twp,], 2010
49.33 … Michael Mazero [Paul VI], 2022
49.2h … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1984
49.2h … Maurice Young [Camden], 2002
49.45 … Devon Patton [Willingboro], 1990
49.53 … Carl Smith [Camden], 2005
49.58 … Barry Bethea [Eastern], 2010
49.62 … Alex Dessoye [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2017
49.63 … Daniel Fenton [Millville], 2019
49.5h … Jeff Bradford [Willingboro], 1983
49.5h … Brian Bennett [Edgewood], 1985
49.65 … Marquan Jones [Pennsauken], 2016
49.65 … Aaron Younger [Delsea], 2007
49.66 … Matt Kordos [Buena], 1999
49.67 … Isaac Clark [Pleasantville], 2013
49.67 … Ahmad Brown [Holy Spirit], 2020
49.70 … Isaiah Whaley [Atlantic City], 2019
49.72 … Norman Morris [Penns Grove], 2015
49.72 … Francis Terry [Sterling], 2016
49.76 … Nick Brown [Bridgeton], 1999
49.80 … Bryce Tucker [Pennsauken], 2022
49.81 … Sherman Goree [Camden], 2007
49.85 … Sean Mayers [Cherokee], 2002
49.86 … Martin Booker [Pennsauken], 2017
49.86 … Akmed Muhummed [Oakcrest], 2012
49.88 … Darius Holmes [Willingboro], 2012
49.89 … Tarence Walker [Pleasantville], 2017
49.98 … Reuben McCoy [Winslow Twp.], 2004
49.98 … Steve Greer [Eastern], 2008

And here’s the all-time Easterns 400-meter dash performance list:
47.13 … Zyaire Clemes (Trenton), 2014
47.20 … Lance Wigfall (East Orange Campus), 2003
47.30 … Taylor McLaughlin (Union Catholic), 2014
47.31 … Rai Benjamin (Mt. Vernon, N.Y.), 2014
47.45 … Ray Williams (Scotch Plains), 2002
47.54 … Najee Glass (St. Peter’s-Jersey City), 2011
47.69 … Kedar Inico (Campus Magnet, N.Y.), 2001
47.71 … Melville Rogers (Transit Tech, N.Y.), 2002
47.75 … Shaquan Brown (JFK Paterson), 2005
47.76 … Adian Sanderson (Ewing), 2004
47.87 ……… Glass, 2011
47.82 … Cory Poole (East Orange Campus), 2017
48.04 … Sean Lowe (St. John’s Prep, N.Y.), 2004
48.07 …….. Clemes, 2013
48.22 … Sam Stubbs (Newburgh Free Academy, NY), 2005
48.22 … Clayton Gravesande (Franklin Twp.), 2010
48.24 … Bryant McCombs (Old Bridge), 2005
48.26 … Clayton Parros (Seton Hall Prep), 2008
48.27 … Charles Cox (Monmouth), 2007
48.36 … Mohammad Kanu (Lenape), 2000
48.40 … Bryan Susser (Colonie, N.Y.), 2001
48.45 … Roanal Gill (Ballou, Washington, D.C.), 2001
48.45 … Xander Roberts-Bogin, Pleasantville, 2022