Peyton Shute knocked out the first leg of what he hopes is a distance triple at states Friday afternoon with the fastest 800 by a South Jersey runner in 10 years.
Shute won the 800 at the state Group 1 Championships in Somerset in 1:52.05, fastest since Oakcrest’s Ishmael Muhammad set the South Jersey record of 1:48.52 at the 2014 Meet of Champions in South Plainfield.
His time is 4th-fastest ever by a Gloucester County half-miler, behind Rich Caton of Woodbury [1:49.72 in 1979], Paulsboro’s Fred Sharpe [1:49.74 in 1997] and Kingsway’s Derrell Manhertz [1:51.02].
Shute’s previous PR was 1:53.82 last month at Haddonfield Distance Night. He’s also top seed at states in the 1,600 and 3,200. He won the 800 and 3,200 last year in 1:55.90 and 9:25.91.
Shute ran unpressed, winning by 30 meters over Verona senior Ian Zalewski, who was 2nd in 1:56.53. He was out in 54.94 and came back in 57.12.
He’s the first Woodbury boy to win the same event in consecutive years at states since long jumper Keith Washington in 1977 and 1978
Gloucester sophomore Marcus Flagg was 4th in 1:58.94, a two-second PR over his 2:00.95 at the Baker Invitational last month at Haddonfield.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 