Clayton senior Alexander Osayemi blasted the 3rd-fastest 400 in state history and fastest by a South Jersey runner in 41 years Wednesday at the Meet of Champions at Pennsauken.
Osayemi, whose previous PR was 46.60 earlier this month in a meet in Baltimore, blazed a 46.08, fastest by a New Jersey quarter-miler since Clayton Parros of Seton Hall Prep set the state record of 45.71 at the 2009 Great Southwest Meet in Albuquerque, N. Mex.
The only faster time in South Jersey was Olympic gold medalist Dennis Mitchell’s 46.02 at the International Prep Invitational in Elmhurst, Ill., in 1984.
Osayemi shattered the meet record of 46.43 set by Najee Glass of St. Peter’s Prep at the 2011 meet in Old Bridge.
He won by nearly 1 ½ seconds, finishing a whopping 12 meters ahead of 2nd-place Warren Jean, a senior at Linden.
Osayemi’s time is 9th-fastest in the U.S. this year, according to the MileSplit database. It’s only 8-100ths of a second off the B qualifying standard for U.S. nationals in Eugene next month. It’s 19th-fastest on the World Athletics Under-20 list and No. 7 among U.S. Under-20.
Osayemi is the first Clayton boy ever to win a Meet of Champions title, the first Gloucester County runner to win the MoC 400 and the first South Jersey runner to win the MoC 400 since hurdler Sincere Rhea of St. Augustine in 2019.
His 46.08 is 7th-fastest ever by a South Jersey alum.
Osayemi ran the 46.08 doubling back after placing 2nd in the 400-meter hurdles in a lifetime-best 52.70, 5th-fastest in Gloucester County history. In his 3rd race of the day he ran a wind-aided 21.43 for 3rd place in the 200.
All-Time South Jersey 400 Alumni List
44.30 … Lamont Smith [Willingboro], June 19, 1996, Atlanta
45.26 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], April 12, 1986, Tampa
45.31 … Gabriel Moronta [Pleasantville], May 31, 2025, Jacksonville
45.49 … Darrell Bush [Woodbury], April 11, 2015, Tucson
45.98 … Antonio Abney [Willingboro], May 29, 2010, Charlotte
46.05 … Schefer Sherrer [Vineland], May 18, 2005, Levelland, Texas
46.13 … Brandon Outlaw [Moorestown], May 15, 2021, Raleigh, N.C.
46.19 … Maurice Ransome [Vineland], May 23-25, 1990, Naperville, Ill.
46.26 … Marvin Lewis [Willingboro], July 29, 2010, Nairobi, Kenya
46.48 … Reuben McCoy [Winslow Twp.], April 1, 2006, Atlanta
All-Time South Jersey 400 List
46.02 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1984
46.08 … Alexander Osayemi [Clayton], 2025
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], 2012
47.03 … Royce Reed [Bridgeton], 1994
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
All-Time New Jersey 400 List
45.71 … Clayton Parros [Seton Hall Prep], 2009 [2nd, Great Southwest, Albuquerque, N.M.]
46.02 … Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1984 [1st, International Prep Invitational, Elmhurst, Ill.]
46.08 … Alexander Osayemi [Clayton], 2025 [1st, Meet of Champions, Pennsauken]
46.28 … Zyaire Clemes [Trenton], 2013 [3rd, New Balance Nationals, Greensboro, N.C.]
46.34 … Ray Williams [Scotch Plains-Fanwood], 2002 [2nd, adidas Outdoor Championships, Raleigh, N.C.]
46.35 … Jaden Marchand [Leonia], 2024 [1st, North 2 Group 2 Sectionals, Washington Twp., Warren County]
46.43 … Najee Glass [St. Peter’s], 2011 [1st, Meet of Champions, Carl Sandburg Middle School, Old Bridge]
46.4y … Ron Freeman [Jefferson], 1965 [1st, C.J. Group 4, Union]
46.62 … Gary Satterwhite [Rahway], 1985 [2nd, International Prep Invitational, Elmhurst, Ill.]
46.62 … Lamont Smith [Willingboro], 1991 [1st, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
46.67 … Jamaad Muse [Timber Creek], 2014 [2nd, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
46.68 … Lance Wigfall [East Orange], 2003 [1st, Group 4 States, Egg Harbor Twp.]
46.73 … Mario Heslop [Franklin Twp.], 2018 [1st, Group 4 States, Franklin]
46.77 … Reuben McCoy [Winslow Twp.], 2004 [1st, Group 4 States, Egg Harbor Twp.]
46.81 … Andrew Valmon [Manchester Twp.], 1983 [2nd, Jumbo Elliott, Villanova]
46.81 … Taylor McLaughlin [Union Catholic], 2014 [7th, USATF Junior Nationals, Eugene, Ore.]
46.82 … Brandon Outlaw [Moorestown], 2017 [1st, C.J. Group 3, Bernards]
46.84 … Kevin Lyles [Franklin], 1991 [2nd, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
46.84 … Mario Heslop [Franklin], 2017 [1st, Group 4 States, Franklin]
46.87 … Ty Adams [Monmouth Reg.], 1993 [2nd, Keebler Invitational, Elmhurst, Ill.]
46.88 … Shaquan Brown [JFK Paterson], 2005 [3rd, Nike Outdoor Nationals, Greensboro, N.C.]
46.89 … Jordaine Johnson [East Orange], 2024 [4th, West Philly Nationals, Philadelphia]
46.90 … Antonio Abney [Willingboro], 2007 [5th, Nike Outdoor Nationals, Greensboro, N.C.]
46.8h … Darrell Jeffress [Trenton], 1978 [2nd, International Prep Invitational, Elmhurst, Ill.]
46.94 … Bryant McCombs [Old Bridge], 2005 [1st, Meet of Champions, South Plainfield]
46.95 … Darrell Bush [Woodbury], 2012 [2nd, Meet of Champions, Old Bridge]
46.95 … Charles Cox [Monmouth Reg.], 2007 [1st, C.J. Group 3 Sectionals, Monmouth Reg.]
46.98 … Adian Sanderson [Ewing], 2003 [1st, Group 3 States, Egg Harbor Twp.]
All-Time South Jersey Meet of Champions 400 Winners
Levin Handy [Vineland], 1969 [49.0y, h]
Bill Tyler [Kennedy], 1976 [48.4y, h]
Dennis Mitchell [Edgewood], 1984 [46.5]
Lamont Smith [Willingboro], 1990 [47.78]
Lamont Smith [Willingboro], 1991 [46.62]
Curtis McIntyre [Bridgeton], 1992 [47.71]
Barry Douglas [Willingboro], 1993 [48.12]
Royce Reed [Bridgeotn], 1994 [47.75]
Rob Gary [Lenape], 1998 [47.85]
Reuben McCoy [Winslow Twp.], 2004 [47.42]
Antonio Abney [Willingboro], 2007 [47.35]
Jamaad Muse [Timber Creek], 2014 [47.07]
Brandon Outlaw [Moorestown], 2017 [47.05]
Sincere Rhea [St. Augustine], 2019 [47.89]
Alexander Osayemi [Clayton], 2025 [46.08]
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 