Cherokee seniors Nick Kuenkel and Robert Poplau tore up the Ocean Breeze track with two of the fastest 1,600 times in South Jersey indoor track history.
Kuenkel ran 4:15.26 and Poplau 4:15.34 on Monday and finished 1st and 2nd in the final South Jersey Track Caoches Association meet this winter.
Their times are 10th- and 11th-fastest in South Jersey history and fastest by Burlington County milers since Cherokee’s Marc Pelerin ran 4:15.16 at the Bishop Loughlin Games at the Armory in 2001, which converts to 4:13.68 for 1,600
They’re the 3rd and 4th-fastest times by South Jersey milers this early in a season – prior to the Meet of Champions. Pelerin ran his 4:13.68 in December, and Marty Ludwikowski of Cherry Hill West ran a 4:15.5 full mile [4:14.02 for 1,600] at the 1975 Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden, holding off a diving Bergen Catholic sophomore Kevin Byrne at the line in the greatest race ever run.
It’s the first time in eight year two runner from the same New Jersey high school have broken 4:16 indoors in the same year. In 2016, twins William and Colin Daly of River Dell ran 4:13.01 and 4:13.44 and went 1-2 in the Meet of Champions at the Bubble. No South Jersey school has ever had two under 4:16 the same year. Only Kingsway, Haddonfield and Ocean City have had two under 4:16 at any point.
Kuenkel and Poplau ran virtually together the whole race, with Kuenkel leading the whole way. Kuenkel ran 64.86, 64.41, 65.25 and 60.76 and Poplau 64.96, 64.59, 65.19 and 60.62. Both ran their final lap under 30 seconds, Kuenkel in 29.43 and Poplau in 29.27.
Kuenkel’s previous PR was a 4:17.98 last spring at the state Group 4 meet at Franklin, although his 4:18.94 mile at the Millrose Trials at the Armory last month converts to 4:17.44. Poplau’s PR was a 4:21.50 in New Brunswick last summer.
Poplau will run the 800 at Group 4 states Saturday and Kuenkel will run the 3,200. Poplau is the No. 3 seed in the 800 at 1:57.68 and Kuenkel is No. 1 seed in the 3,200.
All-time South Jersey Indoor Sub-4:20 list
4:09.96y … Miles Schoedler [Ocean City], 2011
4:11.03y … Brett Johnson [Ocean City], 2009
4:11.32 … Kyle Rakitis [Kingsway], 2022
4:11.89y … Luke Petela [Haddon Twp.], 2015
4:11.93y … Greg Pelose [Haddonfield], 2016
4:13.68y … Marc Pelerin [Cherokee], 2002
4:13.87y … Stone Caraccio [Kingsway], 2020
4:14.1y … Marty Ludwikowski [Cherry Hill West], 1975
4:15.26 … Nick Kuenkel [Cherokee], 2024
4:14.34 … Robert Poplau [Cherokee], 2024
4:15.2y … Jim Smith [Haddonfield], 1980
4:15.52 … Bill Dolan [Clearview], 2014
4:16.0y … Greg Stremmel [Gateway], 1974
4:16.02 … Erik Johnson [Ocean City], 2012
4:16.3y … Rich Caton [Woodbury], 1979
4:16.61y … Jon Anderson [Cinnaminson], 2004
4:16.71y … Dave Forward [Shawnee], 2009
4:16.85 … Ben Potts [Haddonfield], 2011
4:16.9y … Bob Marino [Williamstown], 1974
4:17.1y … Mike Mantini [Gateway], 1978
4:17.33y … Carmen Cavella [Washington Twp.], 2004
4:17.51y … Connor Melko [Bishop Eustace], 2019
4:17.67 … Derek Gess [Haddonfield], 2018
4:17.67y … Sebastien Reed [Pitman], 2020
4:17.72 … George Andrus [Haddonfield], 2023
4:17.98 … Seth Clevenger [Haddonfield], 2022
4:18.21y … Xavier Fraction [Washington Twp.], 2009
4:18.22 … Jacob Clark [Pleasantville], 2013
4:18.28 … Alex Boyko [Cinnaminson], 2023
4:18.48 … Justin Kelly [Cherokee], 2018
4:18.50 … Shawn Wilson [Cherokee], 2013
4:18.53y … Chris Platt [Haddonfield], 2001
4:18.4y … Al Harden [Millville], 1979
4:18.4h … Mike Myers [Eastern], 2001
4:18.70y … Ethan Wechsler [Cherokee], 2019
4:18.73 … Jacob Cobb [West Deptford], 2022
4:18.80y … Austin Gabay [Cinnaminson], 2020
4:18.83 … Tyler Jackson [Cherokee], 2020
4:18.94 … Nick Kuenkel [Cherokee], 2024
4:19.02 … Jack Bolling [Haddon Heights], 2023
4:19.03 … Noah Culbreath [Kingsway, 2014
4:19.40 … Justin Branco [Delsea], 2015
4:19.7y … Chris Hageman [Paul VI], 1985
4:19.96 … Robert Rawls [Triton], 2011
4:19.97 … Steve Burkholder [Cherokee], 2010
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 