Camden Catholic senior Billy Clewell ran an unpressed 15:36 and won the Bob Kiessling Invitational by 175 meters Saturday at DREAM Park in Logan Township.
The Kiessling race is for non-public schools in conjunction with sectionals but does not serve as a qualifying meet for Parochial A and Parochial B states.
At the time he ran early Saturday, Clewell’s time was 2nd-fastest in course history, behind only Ethan Wechsler’s course record of 15:12 from the 2019 Olympic Conference Championships. With perfect conditions for sectionals, six runners ran faster, but Clewell’s time remains No. 8 in course history.
Clewell finished 37 seconds ahead of Simon Donovan, a junior at Germantown Friends. Germantown Friends went 2-3-5-6-8 and won the team title 24-60 over Bishop Eustace. There was no meet last year, but Germantown Friends also won in 2019.
Clewell is the third Camden Catholic runner to win the Kiessling race, formerly the Knights of Columbus Invitational. Kyle Kirk won in 2012 and 2013 and Richard Castañeda won it in 2017.
Other South Jersey runners in the top 10 were Bishop Eustace senior Anthony Faust [4th in 16:42], Paul VI junior Joseph Wigginton [7th in 17:03], Paul VI sophomore Will Mrozinski [9th in 17:08]
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 