Haddonfield senior Benjamin Andrus ran the 9th-fastest 1,600 in South Jersey history Saturday at Ocean Breeze.
Andrus ran 4:14.39 for a full mile at the 11th annual Ocean Breeze Invitational, and that converts to 4:12.91 for 1,600 meters.
(The event is listed in the schedule and on the heat sheets as a mile but the splits are shown in 200-meter increments, which indicates a 1,600, so I’m not sure exactly how far they ran, but I’m going to assume it’s a full mile and the distances on the splits are incorrect. Correct me if I’m wrong!)
Andrus was out in 65.04 and 64.24 but came back in 62.79 and 60.70 for crazy negative 880 splits of 2:10.91 and 2:03.49. Bobby Franklin of La Salle College High in Springfield, Montgomery County, won the race in 4:13.25.
Andrus’s time is 9th-fastest in South Jersey history and 3rd-fastest all-time from Haddonfield, behind Luke Andresen’s 4:10.82 at the Meet of Champions, also at Ocean Breeze, and Greg Pelose’s 4:11.93 converted mile from 2016 Armory Nationals.
It’s fastest in New Jersey this year, just ahead of Kennan Byers of Randolph, who ran 4:14.72 full mile at the Armory last month.
Andrus has an outdoor PR of 4:13.60 from this past June in Lincroft. His previous indoor PR was 4:17.48 from last year’s Meet of Champions, also at Ocean Breeze.
In the same race, Haddonfield senior Peter Simpson ran placed 4th in 4:18.49, closing in 63.16. That converts to 4:16.99.
All-Time South Jersey Indoor Sub-4:20 list
4:09.37 … Matthew Littlehales [Delsea], 2025
4:09.96y … Miles Schoedler [Ocean City], 2011
4:09.99y … Peyton Shute [Woodbury], 2024
4:10.82 … Luke Andresen [Haddonfield], 2025
4:11.03y … Brett Johnson [Ocean City], 2009
4:11.89y … Luke Petela [Haddon Twp.], 2015
4:11.93y … Greg Pelose [Haddonfield], 2016
4:12.55 … Kyle Rakitis [Kingsway], 2022
4:12.91y … Benjamin Andrus [Haddonfield], 2026 [4:14.39]
4:13.68y … Marc Pelerin [Cherokee], 2002
4:13.87y … Stone Caraccio [Kingsway], 2020
4:14.1y … Marty Ludwikowski [Cherry Hill West], 1975
4:14.92 … Jack Tindall [Cherokee], 2025
4:15.26 … Nick Kuenkel [Cherokee], 2024
4:15.34 … Bobby Poplau [Cherokee], 2024
4:15.2y … Jim Smith [Haddonfield], 1980
4:15.74 … Brody Bogos [Cherry Hill East], 2025
4:16.02 … Erik Johnson [Ocean City], 2011
4:16.0y … Greg Stremmel [Gateway], 1974
4:16.02 … Erik Johnson [Ocean City], 2012
4:16.10 … Bennett Wright [Haddonfield], 2025
4:16.3y … Rich Caton [Woodbury], 1979
4:16.61y … Jon Anderson [Cinnaminson], 2004
4:16.62 … Bill Dolan [Clearview], 2014
4:16.71y … Dave Forward [Shawnee], 2009
4:16.85 … Ben Potts [Haddonfield], 2011
4:16.99 … Peter Simpson [Haddonfield], 2026 [4:18.49]
4:16.9y … Bob Marino [Williamstown], 1974
4:17.1y … Mike Mantini [Gateway], 1978
4:17.33y … Carmen Cavella [Washington Twp.], 2004
4;17.42 … Peyton Shute [Woodbury], 2024
4:17.46 … Ty Blackman [Glassboro], 2025
4:17.51y … Connor Melko [Bishop Eustace], 2019
4:17.57 … Tobias Janssen [Haddonfield], 2021
4:17.67 … Derek Gess [Haddonfield], 2018
4:17.67y … Sebastien Reed [Pitman], 2020
4:17.72 … George Andrus [Haddonfield], 2023
4:17.87 … Bennett Wright [Haddonfield], 2024
4;17.98 … Seth Clevenger [Haddonfield], 2022
4:18.21y … Xavier Fraction [Washington Twp.], 2009
4:18.22 … Jacob Clark [Pleasantville], 2013
4:18.28 … Alexander Boyko [Cinnaminson], 2023
4:18.48 … Justin Kelly [Cherokee], 2018
4:18.50 … Shawn Wilson [Cherokee], 2013
4:18.53y … Chris Platt [Haddonfield], 2001
4:18.4y … Al Harden [Millville], 1979
4:18.4h … Mike Myers [Eastern], 2001
4:18.62 … Brady Shute [Woodbury], 2021
4:18.70y … Ethan Wechsler [Cherokee], 2019
4:18.73 … Jacob Cobb [West Deptford], 2022
4:18.80y … Austin Gabay [Cinnaminson], 2020
4:18.83 … Tyler Jackson [Cherokee], 2020
4:19.02 … Jack Bolling [Haddon Heights], 2023
4:19.03 … Noah Culbreath [Kingsway, 2014
4:19.40 … Justin Branco [Delsea], 2015
4:19.7y … Chris Hageman [Paul VI], 1985
4:19.96 … Robert Rawls [Triton], 2011
4:19.97 … Steve Burkholder [Cherokee], 2010
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 