Cherokee senior Bobby Poplau broke a 19-year-old meet record and ran the 4th-fastest 800 in New Jersey this year, and he did it in a solo effort with nobody within 50 meters at the finish.
Poplau won the Burlington County Open 800 at Northern Burlington in 1:53.15, breaking the meet record of 1:53.58 set at Maple Shade in 2005 by Ian Waterhouse in his highly anticipated showdown with Bordentown’s Rob Novak, who went on to win the national 800 title in Greensboro.
Poplau broke the county record indoors with his 1:53.45 at Ocean Breeze, and he lowered it to 1:52.74 at Boston Nationals.
His time is No. 9 in Burlington County outdoor history and fastest in eight years, since Moorestown’s Kevin Fox ran 1:51.60 at 2016 Haddonfield Distance Night. It’s No. 1 this year in New Jersey Group 4.
Poplau took off at the gun and ran unpressed the entire race. Teammates Ben Realley, a freshman, and Tate Midora, a junior, placed 2nd and 3rd in 2:00.31 and 2:00.43, which was a PR for Midora
All-Time County Open 800 List
1:53.15 … Bobby Poplau [Cherokee], 2024
1:53.58 … Ian Waterhouse (Rancocas Valley), 2005
1:53.4h … Clayton Baloche (Lenape), 1992
1:53.5h … Vance Watson (Willingboro), 1983
1:53.84 … Dave Sitzer (Cherokee), 2000
1:54.14 … Rob Novak (Bordentown), 2005
1:54.91 … Marvin Lewis (Willingboro), 2001
1:54.94 … Colin Merrigan (Cherokee), 2012
1:55.0y … Art Milak (Bordentown), 1975
1:55.2y ……..Milak, 1974
1:55.23 … Patrick Ditmars (Cherokee), 2023
All-Time Burlington County Outdoor 800 List
1:49.84 … Rob Novak [Bordentown], 2005
1:50.8h … Vance Watson [Willingboro], 1983
1:52.1y … Greg Honsby [Rancocas Valley], 1974
1:52.37 … Matt Poskus [Cinnaminson], 2007
1:52.60 … Kevin Fox [Moorestown], 2016
1:52.65 … Ian Waterhouse [Rancocas Valley], 2004
1:52.94 … Keith Griffin [Florence], 2009
1:53.14 … Dave Sitzer [Cherokee], 2000
1:53.15 … Bobby Poplau [Cherokee], 2024
1:53.27 … Marvin Lewis [Willingboro], 2001
1:53.35 … Ahmad Rutherford [Willingboro], 2003
1:53.40 … Daveigh Brooks [Burlington City], 2016
1:53.3y … Tavo Rivera [Pemberton], 1977
1:53.57 … Isaiah Curbelo [Rancocas Valley], 2016
1:53.4y … Bryant Walker [Pemberton], 1983
1:53.4y … Clayton Baloche [Lenape], 1992
1:53.66 … Xavier Wright [Willingboro], 2011
1:53.78 … Marvin Lewis [Willingboro], 2001
1:53.84 … Ryan Garvin [Lenape], 2009
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 