Ocean City senior Matt Hoffman ran a huge 1,600 PR Monday evening at Haddonfield Distance Night, dropping his PR more than four seconds and running the 4th-fastest time in South Jersey this year.
Hoffman dropped his PR from 4:20.38 from the South Jersey Elite at Delsea earlier this month to 4:16.11 with a huge negative split.
Hoffman was out in 2:09.50 [63.46 / 66.04] and came back in 2:06.61 [63.66 / 62.95], finishing 25 meters ahead of 2nd-place Washington Township senior Daniel Torres, who PR’d at 4:20.11.
The only faster South Jersey times this year are converted from full miles – Peyton Shute of Woodbury ran 4:08.28 [4:06.84 for 1,600 meters], Cherokee’s Robert Poplau 4:13.08 [4:11.61 for 1,600] and Cherokee’s Nick Kuenkel ran 4:18.11 [4:16.61].
Hoffman’s time is No. 4 in Cape May County history and fastest in 14 years, since Miles Schoedler ran 4:11.46 at the 2010 Meet of Champions in South Plainfield.
Torres closed in 60.66 to move up from 4th to 2nd on the final lap. Nate Johnson of Penn Charter was 3rd in 4:20.54, and Williamstown junior Dylan Saber [4:23.31], Ocean City sophomore Erik Preisner [4:23.65] and Highland junior Mason Wassell [4:24.62] all PR’d as well.
Also under 4:30 with PRs: Moorestown sophomore Peter Simpson [4:25.75], Williamstown sophomore Dominic Burgio [4:26.84], Triton senior Ethan Wence [4:27.01], Ocean City junior Kal Heyman [4:28.64], Egg Harbor senior Amir Halim [4:28.69], Haddon Heights senior Jayden Gonzelez [4:29.63] and Ocean City junior Ethan Buck [4:29.66].
So Ocean City went 4:16.11 / 4:23.65 / 4:28.64 / 4:29.66 with a senior, a sophomore and two juniors. Add it up and you have a 17:38 4-by-1,600.
All-Time Cape May County 1,600 List
4:07.07y … Brett Johnson [Ocean City], 2009
4:09.19 … John Richardson [Ocean City], 2003
4:11.46 … Miles Schoedler [Ocean City], 2010
4:16.11 … Matt Hoffman [Ocean City], 2024
4:18.68y … Nick Scarangelli [Ocean City], 2023
4:19.15 … Zeb Hinker [Lower Cape May Regional], 2021
4:20.42 … Louis Paone [Ocean City], 2014
4:23.34 … Erik Johnson [Ocean City], 2010
4:23.65 … Erik Preisner [Ocean City], 2024
4:25.22 … Art Lathers [Middle Township], 1997
[I may be missing a couple times between 4:20 and 4:25 from before 2000 or so. Let me know if you see any omissions! Thanks!]
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 