From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Luke Petela just keeps getting faster. And on Saturday, he brought a couple other runners along  with him.

Petela, a senior at Haddon Township and Foot Locker finalist, won the Small-School 1,600-meter run at the Camden County Meet Saturday in 4:11.78, No. 10 on the all-time South Jersey list.

Petela ran 4:13.86 for a full mile indoors, and that converts to 4:11.89 for 1,600 meters, so Saturday’s time will serve as a PR for Petela.

Teammate Owen Long, a junior, also PR’d, running 4:15.12, and Sterling’s Sean McPherson was just behind, placing third in 4:16.71.

But that’s not all.

In the Large-School race, two other milers dipped under 4:17 and two more ran 4:20 or faster. Dominick Munson of Timber Creek ran 4:16.74 to win the Large-School race, with Nick Pschunder of Eastern (4:16.85), Nick Rivera (4:18.81) and Dan Helfand of Cherry Hill East (4:20.45) just behind.

That’s seven runners at 4:20 or faster in one county meet.

The seven times rank No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 11 in New Jersey this year. So Haddon Township owns the two-fastest mile times in New Jersey through the second Saturday in May.

Munson ran 4:16.56 at states last year, but the times were PRs for the six others at 4:20 or faster.

Here are their previous PRs:

• Petela: 4:11.89y
• Long: 4:21.31
• McPherson: 4:19.60
• Pschunder: 4:19.73
• Rivera: 4:26.00
• Helfand:4:21.70

So Rivera PR’d by more than nine seconds and Long by more than six seconds!

Let’s take a look at the updated all-time South Jersey mile list, with 1,600 times converted to the full mile:

• 4:08.51 … Brett Johnson (Ocean City), 2009
• 4:09.30 … Colin Baker (Haddonfield), 2009
• 4:10.2 ….. Mike Elder (Haddon Twp.), 1973
• 4:10.69 … John Richardson (Ocean City), 2003
• 4:11.07 … Xavier Fraction (Washington Twp.), 2009
• 4:11.15 … Ryan Garvin (Lenape), 2009
• 4:11.42 … Miles Schoedler (Ocean City), 2011
• 4:11.7 ….. Mike Mantini (Gateway), 1979
• 4:12.99 … Jim Wyner (Mainland Reg.), 2004
• 4:13.24 … Luke Petela (Haddon Twp.), 2015
• 4:13.33 … Marc Pelerin (Cherokee), 2002
• 4:13.5 ….. Al Harden (Millville), 1978
• 4:13.52 … Murad Campbell (Overbrook), 1999
• 4:13.7 ….. Ed Blakeley (Haddon Twp.), 1975
• 4:13.9 ….. Dick Caton (Woodbury), 1978

Full results of Saturday’s meet at Haddon Township can be found here.