Freshman Isaac Roberts from Millville moved into the No. 3 spot in Rider history in the 60-meter hurdles in his first collegiate race.
Roberts ran 8.00 at the Ott Center in his college debut, placing 2nd to Penn’s Ryan Matulonis from Seton Hall Prep, the Ivy League 400 hurdles and 500 champ last year.
That’s the fastest on the all-time Rider list in 13 years, since James Burroughs ran 7.96 in 2013. Justin Lindsey of Ewing, now the TCNJ coach, set the school record of 7.95 in 2000, and James Burroughs from West Orange ran 7.96 in 2013.
Rider’s all-time list includes converted 55-meter times, and on that list Roberts is 5th. But I prefer not to recognize converted hurdles times. Just ahead of Roberts on the full list including converted times is Moorestown’s Dwayne Robinson with a converted 7.96 from 1993.
Roberts is No. 1 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, ahead of another Rider freshman, Toms River North’s Mamadi Diawara, who ran 8.15 at the Ott Center.
Roberts’ time is fastest by a MAAC hurdler since Richard Gilchrist ran 7.85 at the 2023 conference meet at the Armory and fastest by a MAAC freshman since Jamel Presley of St. Peter’s from Rahway ran 7.96 at the 2013 conference meet, also at the Armory. It’s fastest by a South Jersey hurdler in the MAAC since Monmouth’s Jalen Walker from Burlington Township ran 7.90 at 2015 ECACs at Boston University.
At Millville, Roberts ran 14.48 over the 110-meter 39-inch hurdles and 7.88 over 55 meters. He ran the 60-meter hurdles once, clocking 8.39 at Boston Nationals. So he’s run nearly half a second faster over the 42-inch barries than he ran in high school over the 39-inch hurdles.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 