Clayton senior Alexander Osayemi opened his 2025 season in blazing style Wednesday with the 9th-fastest 400 in South Jersey history and the fastest South Jersey time in eight years.
Racing at Cherokee’s FAT Wednesday, Osayemi ran 47.05, matching East Orange All-America Jordaine Johnson for the fastest time in New Jersey this year. Johnson, who ran 47.05 last week at a meet at East Stroudsburg (Pa.) University, placed 5th at Boston Nationals indoors last month.
Osayemi had not raced this spring. This was his first race since Boston Nationals. His previous PR was 47.98 last year at South Jersey Group 1 Sectionals at Pennsauken.
His time is fastest by a South Jersey quarter-miler since Moorestown’s Brandon Outlaw ran 46.82 at 2017 Central Jersey Group 3 Sectionals at Bernards and 2nd-fastest all-time in by a New Jersey Group 1 runner, behind only Woodbury’s Darrell Bush, who ran 46.95 at the 2011 Meet of Champions at Old Bridge. Bush is also the only runner now ahead of Osayemi on the all-time Gloucester County list.
It’s also the fastest time ever recorded by a South Jersey runner before May. It’s No. 29 in state history. It’s also No. 29 nationally so far this spring according to the MileSplit database.
Osayemi was runner-up in the 400 at last year’s state meet outdoors, behind only Marquis Taylor of Woodbury, who hasn’t raced this spring. Taylor ran 48.23 and Osayemi 48.78. He went on to run 48.22 and place 4th at the Meet of Champions.
At indoor states this winter at the Bubble, he was again 2nd to Taylor, 50.91 to 50.96, and then he was 4th in the Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze with his indoor PR 48.57.
Clayton will run the 4-by-1 at Penn at 10:40 a.m. Thursday with Osayemi, senior Demetris Williams, junior Juson Stewart and freshman Willie Weather and the 4-by-4 in the South Jersey Small School race with Osayemi, senior MarcAnthony Muhaw, Stewart and Williams.
All-Time South Jersey 400 List
46.02 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1984
46.62 … Lamont Smith [Willingboro], 1991
46.66 … Antonio Abney [Willingboro], 2007
46.67 … Jamaad Muse [Timber Creek], 2014
46.77 … Reuben McCoy [Winslow Twp.], 2004
46.82 … Brandon Outlaw [Moorestown], 2017
46.95 … Darrell Bush [Woodbury], 2011
47.03 … Royce Reed [Bridgeton], 1994
47.05 … Alexander Osayemi [Clayton], 2025
47.0h … Darron Outler [Lenape], 1984
47.0h … Ron Hillian [Eastern], 2002
47.30 … Rob Gary [Lenape], 1998
47.39 … Premier Wynn [Pennsauken], 2023
47.1h … Brian Bennett [Edgewood], 1985
47.1h … Barry Douglas [Willingboro], 1993
47.2h … Levin Handy [Vineland], 1969
47.44 … Amir Brock [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2017
47.2h … Curtis Mcintyre [Bridgeton], 1992
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 