What an impressive breakthrough double for Timber Creek senior Michael Henry, who we haven’t seen much of the last couple years.
Henry ran 4:30.99 and 9:55.07 as a freshman but had no outdoor marks until he ran 9:45.63 last month at the Cherokee Night of 3200s.
Henry had success in XC – he was 6th at Group 3 sectionals this past fall at DREAM Park in Logan Township – but he fashioned quite a double Saturday, sweeping the 1,600 and 3,200 with big PRs at the Camden County Championships at Haddon Township.
In the 1,600, Henry ran 4:20.00, leading five runners under 4:26: Highland senior Cole Wassell [ 4:22.17], Triton junior Dennis Fortuna [4:22.60], Cherry Hill East senior Gabe Rodriguez [4:23.17] and Cherry Hill East senior Aidan Groff [4:25.95].
All five of them PR’d.
With a lap to go, Henry was in fifth, although about half a second separated the first five runners. He closed in 60.79 to win by a meter and a half over Wassell.
His time is No. 9 in the state this year and makes him No. 2 in South Jersey, behind Tobias Janssen of Haddonfield, who won the small-school race Ibn 4:18.08.
His previous PR appears to be a 4:27.76 he ran in March outdoors at the Cherokee Winter Distance Festival.
In the 3,200, Henry was out in 4:52.69 and came back in 4:44.87, closing in 2:16.47 and 66.11. Wassell finished second in 9:40.64 and senior Timber Creek teammate Giancarlo Vega was third in 9:42.76, four seconds below his previous PR of 9:46.70 from the Cherokee Night of 3200s last month.
Henry’s previous 3,200 PR was a 9:55.07 from freshman year sectionals at Delsea. The 9:37 is No. 11 in South Jersey this year and the fastest time that wasn’t recorded at Cherokee Night of 3200s.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 