Clayton junior Alexander Osayemi got the South Jersey Group 1 meet off to an electrifying start Saturday morning with the fastest 400 by any South Jersey runner this year and the 2nd-fastest time in meet history.
Osayemi won a fast race at Pennsauken in 47.98, the fastest time by any South Jersey Group 1 runner since Darrell Bush of Woodbury ran 46.95 to place 2nd at the 2011 Meet of Champions at Old Bridge.
The only other South Jersey Group 1 runner to run sub-48 is Woodbury’s Shawney Kersey, who ran 47.88 to win the 2007 state Group 1 title at South Plainfield.
Bush set the South Jersey Group 1 meet record of 47.41 in 2011. The only other quarter-milers to run faster than Osayemi in the last 20 years in any South Jersey sectional race are Pennsauken’s Premier Wynn [47.39 in Group 4 in 2023] and Cherry Hill East’s Alex Reber [47.96 in Group 4 in 2012].
Osayemi’s previous PR was 48.08 at South Jersey Elite last month at Delsea. His 47.98 is No. 5 in Gloucester County history and fastest since Bush in 2012. He broke the school record of 47.99 set by Elliott DeShields at the 2011 Meet of Champions at Old Bridge.
Woodbury junior Marquis Taylor was 2nd with a PR of his own at 48.33, which is the 6th-fastest Group 1 time in South Jersey Group 1 history and 8th-fastest in Gloucester County history. Glassboro senior Cartrell Moore was 3rd in a PR 49.15. Woodbury senior Jayden Johnson also broke 50 with a 49.67 for 4th place.
All-Time South Jersey Group 1 400 List
46.95 … Darrell Bush [Woodbury], 2012
47.88 … Shawney Kersey [Woodbury], 2009
47.98 … Alexander Osayemi [Clayton], 2024
47.99 … Elliot DeShields [Clayton], 2011
48.33 … Jaymes Dennison [Penns Grove], 2013
48.33 … Marquis Taylor [Woodbury], 2024
48.48 … Kenneth Karcher [Maple Shade], 2017
48.71 … Tahron James [Glassboro], 2014
48.72 … Marquis Taylor [Woodbury], 2024
48.78 … Terrence Tolbert [Woodbury], 2011
48.96 … Matt Kordos [Buena], 2000
All-Time South Jersey Group 1 400 List
46.95 … Darrell Bush [Woodbury], 2012
47.88 … Shawney Kersey [Woodbury], 2009
47.94 … Tom Adams [Deptford], 1983
47.94 … Bennie Liles [Kingsway], 1992
47.98 … Alexander Osayemi [Clayton], 2024
47.99 … Elliot DeShields [Clayton], 2011
48.14h … Eric Chekemian [Washington Twp.], 2000
48.33 … Marquis Taylor [Woodbury], 2024
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 