Eric Barnes, Aidin Hendriks and Robert Dessoye put on a show for Egg Harbor in the 800 this week at the South Jersey Track Coaches Association large-school meet at the Bubble in Toms River.
The three EHT runners, all underclassmen, swept the first three spots in the four-lap race, all running between 2:02 and 2:03.
Barnes, a junior, won in 2:02.11, and Hendriks PR’d in second with a 2:02.56. Dessoye was just behind in third at 2:03.19.
The performance was an indoor and outdoor PR for Hendriks, whose previous indoor best was a 2:09.40 last month. He ran 2:03.37 at sectionals last spring.
Barnes’ 2:02.11 is a season-best, but his lifetime indoor best is 2:00.65, which won sectionals last year on the same track. He has a couple 1:56’s to his credit, outdoors, including a 1:56.69 that got him eighth at a very fast Group 4 race at states.
Dessoye’s indoor PR is 2:01.69 from earlier this year, but that was on a fast banked track at the Armory. His overall PR is at last year’s outdoor sectionals.
There are only four South Jersey underclassmen under 2:09.40, and three of them are from Egg Harbor. The other is Delsea junior George Tenenberg, who has run 2:01.76.
Not surprisingly, EHT has South Jersey’s top 4-by-8 team with its
8:12.72 win at the state relays. That team included Dessoye, Hendriks, Barnes and Alex Dessoye, also a junior.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 