Haddonfield seniors Derek Gess and Ethan Spellmeyer made the trip over to Bucks County to run a fast 800, and both came back to New Jersey with the two fastest times in South Jersey this year.
Gess placed second in 1:55.13 and Spellmeyer ran a huge PR of 1:55.74 for third at the Bensalem Invitational. Dylan Servis of Twin Valley High School, located south of Reading in Elverson, Berks County, won the race with a 1:54.82, a three-second PR of his own.
Gess’s PR is 1:54.37 from second place at the state Group 2 meet last spring at Central Regional in Bayville. Spellmeyer lowered his PR more than three seconds from the 1:58.86 he ran to win the Camden County title at Haddon Township last May.
Gess and Spellmeyer rank No. 2 and 3 in New Jersey behind only indoor Meet of Champions winner Elijah Brown of Union Catholic, who ran 1:53.94 at the Arcadia Invitational in California last weekend.
Another Haddonfield half-miler, Andrew Gostovich, placed fifth in the race in a PR 2:00.21. His previous PR was 2:01.29 from sectionals last spring.
