In his first 800 since last spring, Woodstown senior Joshua Crawford smashed the Salem County indoor record with the 15th-fastest indoor time in South Jersey history.
Crawford, the state Group 1 champ outdoors last year, ran 1:54.98 at the SJTCA meet at the Ott Center on the University of Pennsylvania campus in West Philly.
Crawford’s time is fastest by any New Jersey Group 1 runner since Jacob Clark ran 1:51.52 and twin brother Isaac ran 1:51.72 in 2013. Pleasantville was a Group 2 when Gabriel Moronta ran 1:52.46 in 2020 but it was a Group 1 indoors in 2013.
It’s also fastest in New Jersey so far this winter.
Crawford broke his own Salem County indoor record of 1:57.66 that he set at the Meet of Champions in March at Ocean Breeze.
Crawford and Teddy Foster of Haverford quickly broke free of the pack, with Crawford holding a slight lead through 200 meters (27.53 to 27.74), 400 meters (55.89 to 56.10) and 600 meters (1:26.17 to 1:26.28).
Foster closed in 29.62, but Crawford ran his final lap in 28.81 to pull away and win by six meters.
Crawford ran an outdoor-PR 1:53.44 last spring to win the state Group 1 race in Somerset. The Salem County outdoor record is 1:52.97 set by Jaymes Dennison of Penns Grove at the 2013 Meet of Champions in South Plainfield.
Also in the top six Saturday in the 800 were Woodstown senior Karson Chew, Crawford’s teammate on the state Group 1-champion 4-by-8 last year [2:00.54], Delsea senior Matthew Littlehales [2:00.90], Gateway senior Nathaniel Martinez [2:02.01] and Timber Creek junior Timothy Whitaker [PR 2:02.37].
All-Time South Jersey Indoor 800 Top 20
1:51.52 … Jacob Clark [Pleasantville], 2013
1:51.72 … Isaac Clark [Pleasantville], 2013
1:51.80 … Derrell Manhertz [Kingsway], 2013
1:52.46 … Gabriel Moronta [Pleasantville], 2020
1:52.74 … Bobby Poplau [Cherokee], 2024
1:53.51 … Alan Laws [Pleasantville], 2007
1:53.59 … Christian Napoli [Paul VI], 2025
1:53.68 … Ishmael Muhammad [Oakcrest], 2013
1:54.05 … Dominic Bassey [Winslow Twp.], 2025
1:54.53 … Stone Caraccio [Kingsway], 2020
1:54.73 … Chris Manzo [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2024
1:54.80 … Marvin Lewis [Willingboro], 2001
1:54.81 … Bill Dolan [Clearview], 2013
1:54.82 … Xavier Fraction [Washington Twp.], 2009
1:54.98 … Joshua Crawford [Woodstown], 2026
1:55.00 … Steve Butenewicz [Delsea], 2011
1:55.14 … Shannon Sherrer [Vineland], 2002
1:55.14 … Zach McBride [Lenape], 2002
1:55.16 … Joe Lewis [Pleasantville], 1998
1:55.16 … Tivo Rivera [Kingsway], 2009
Salem County record of 1:52.97 set by Jaymes Dennison of Penns Grove at the 2013 Meet of Champions in South Plainfield.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 