From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Cherokee senior Robert Poplau ran the 5th-fastest 800 in South Jersey history Sunday at Boston Nationals and lowered his own Burlington County record.

Poplau was 2nd in the 8th of 10 sections and placed 11th overall in 1:52.74, dropping three-quarters of a second from his week-old PR of 1:53.45 from Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze.

Willingboro’s Marvin Lewis ran 1:54.8 at the 2001 Easterns at the Armory. That was the South Jersey record until 2007 and stood as the Burlington County record until Poplau’s performance at the Meet of Champions. So the county record stood for 23 years and then was broken twice in a week.

Poplau ran 1:56.31 last spring and that remained his PR until his 1:54.64 to win the state Group 4 title at the Bubble last month. So he’s dropped his PR nearly three seconds since Feb. 17.

Poplau’s time is No. 22 on the all-time New Jersey list and 2nd-fastest this year by a New Jersey runner, behind Luke Schagelin of Morris Knolls, who won the Meet of Champions in 1:51.93. Schagelin ran 1:52.80 Sunday and finished 13th. On Friday, Schagelin ran a 1:51.96 anchor and Morris Hills won the sprint medley in 3:28.38, No. 6 in state history.

ALL-TIME N.J. INDOOR 800-METER LIST
1:49.21 … Robby Andrews [Manalapan], 2009
1:49.94 … Ben Malone [Pascack Valley], 2012
1:50.04 … Rey Rivera [Old Bridge], 2017
1:50.57 … Alfred Chawonza [St. Benedict’s], 2019
1:50.7h … John Marshall [Plainfield], 1981
1:50.90 … Collin Bole [Delbarton], 2023
1:51.52 … Jacob Clark [Pleasantville], 2013
1:51.72 … Isaac Clark [Pleasantville], 2013
1:51.74 … Luis Peralta [Passaic], 2018
1:51.77 … Sean Dolan [Hopewell Valley], 2018
1:51.80 … Derrell Manhertz [Kingsway], 2013
1:51.93 … Luke Schagelin [Morris Knolls], 2024
1:52.00 … Ernesto Perez [Newark West Side], 1991
1:52.11 … Edward Cheserek [St. Benedict’s], 2013
1:52.21 … James Buser [Mahwah], 2013
1:52.24 … Allen Eke [Union Catholic], 2012
1:52.40 … Sadiki White [Allentown], 2009
1:52.46 … Gabriel Moronta [Pleasantville], 2020
1:52.47 … Bryan Scotland [St. Benedict’s], 2005
1:52.67 … Alvaro Chavez [West Windsor-Plainsboro South], 2012
1:52.70 … Charles Stock [Westfield], 2022
1:52.74 … Robert Poplau [Cherokee], 2024
1:52.76 … Jason Apwah [Roxbury], 2007
1:52.76 … Nicholas Medeiros [Old Bridge], 2020
1:52.81 … Michael Pachella [Walkill Valley], 2006
1:52.81 … Kyle Reers [Delaware Valley], 1:52.81
1:52.85 … Mark Viggiano [Ocean Twp.], 2023
1:52.83 … Greg Gomez [Franklin Twp.], 2004

ALL-TIME S.J. INDOOR 800-METER LIST
1:51.52 … Jacob Clark [Pleasantville], 2013
1:51.72 … Isaac Clark [Pleasantville], 2013
1:51.80 … Derrell Manhertz [Kingsway], 2013
1:52.46 … Gabriel Moronta [Pleasantville], 2020
1:52.74 … Robert Poplau [Cherokee], 2024
1:53.51 … Alan Laws [Pleasantville], 2007
1:53.68 … Ishmael Muhammad [Oakcrest], 2013
1:54.53 … Stone Caraccio [Kingsway], 2020
1:54.73 … Chris Manzo [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2024
1:54.80 … Marvin Lewis [Willingboro], 2001
1:54.81 … Bill Dolan [Clearview], 2013

ALL-TIME BURLINGTON COUNTY INDOOR 800-METER LIST
1:52.74 … Robert Poplau [Cherokee], 2024
1:54.80 … Marvin Lewis [Willingboro], 2001
1:55.14 … Zach McBride [Lenape], 2002
1:55.19 … Isaiah Curbelo [Rancocas Valley], 2016
1:55.84 … Matt Poskus [Cinnaminson], 2007
1:56.02 … Dave Sitzer [Cherokee], 1999
1:56.2h … Roger Lawyer [Willingboro], 1988
1:56.37 … Ian Waterhouse [Rancocas Valley], 2004
1:56.46 … Jalen Jones [Burlington Twp.], 2017
1:56.52 … Rob Novak [Bordentown], 2005