Seniors Oliver Adler of Cherry Hill East and Cherokee’s Ethan Wechsler locked up Saturday afternoon in an epic 3,200 battle that produced the No. 5 and No. 6 times in South Jersey history.
Racing in the state Group 4 meet at the Bennett Center in Toms River, Adler ran 9:12.87 and Wechsler 9:12.90.
Wechsler closed in 27.8 but Adler closed in 26.9.
They’re the two-fastest times by South Jersey two-milers in 10 years, since Jon Vitez of Haddonfield set the South Jersey record of 8:58.81 to win the 2010 Meet of Champions on the same track.
They’re the fastest time in the state Group 4 meet since Jeramy Elkaim of Livingston won the 2010 race in 9:12.20.
They’re also the top two times in the state so far this winter. Austin Gabay of Cinnaminson, who races in the Group 2 state meet on Sunday, had the fastest time at 9:15.90.
Wechsler’s time is the fastest non-winning time since 2004, when Mohamad Khadraoui of JFK Paterson set a meet record of 9:02.72 and edged Chris Pannone of Hunterdon Central, who was second in 9:02.84.
Adler broke his indoor and outdoor overall PR of 9:16.76, which he just set last weekend at sectionals.
Wechsler, who ran just two seconds off his outdoor PR of 9:10.90, broke his indoor PR of 9:20.37 from earlier this month.
Southern junior Jackson Braddock [9:16.27] and South Brunswick junior Vidhur Pulam [9:16.63] also broke 9:17.
ALL-TIME S.J. INDOOR 3,200 LIST
8:58.81 ….. Jonathan Vitez [Haddonfield], 2010
9:11.1y ..… Mike Butynes [Sterling], 1970
9:11.2y ..… Mike Elder [Haddon Twp.], 1974
9:11.86y … Marc Pelerin [Cherokee], 2002
9:11.9y ….. Johnny Englehardt [Willingboro], 1976
9:12.87 … Oliver Adler [Cherry Hill East], 2020
9:12.90 … Ethan Wechsler [Cherokee], 2020
9:13.33 ….. Michael Rankin [Paul VI], 2010
9:13.93 ….. Paul Szulewski [Williamstown], 2011
9:14.31 ….. Jimmy Daniels [Sterling], 2013
9:15.8y ….. Mike Mantini [Gateway], 1978
9:15.82y … Kevin Pumphrey [Highland], 1986
9:15.90 ….. Austin Gabay [Cinnaminson], 2020
9:16.09 ….. Aaron Groff [Cherry Hill East], 2016
9:17.52 ….. Lou Corgliano [Hammonton], 2013
9:17.55 ….. Greg Hughes [Mainland Reg.], 2004
9:17.62 … Martin Riddell [Haddonfield], 2020
9:17.71 ….. Dave Forward [Shawnee], 2009
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 