Delsea senior Andrew Littlehales ran a big indoor PR at 3,200 meters Monday at the Bubble, leading five runners under 9:50.
Littlehales won the 16-lap race on the flat 200-meter track in Toms River in 9:28.66, No. 2 in South Jersey this year and No. 3 in the state.
Littlehales’ previous indoor PR was 9:47.82 two years ago at the state Group 2 meet, also at the Bubble. His overall lifetime PR is 9:27.05 from last spring’s state Group 2 outdoor meet at Franklin Township.
His time is No. 2 all-time by a Delsea runner indoors, behind only Nick Costello’s 9:24.71 at Group 2 states in 2012.
It’s also No. 9 all-time in Gloucester County history indoors:
9:13.93 ….. Paul Szulewski [Williamstown], 2011
9:15.8y ….. Mike Mantini [Gateway], 1978
9:22.0y … Willie Marino [Williamstown], 1976
9:23.34 … Anthony Dentino [Washington Twp.], 2011
9:23.0y … Joe Siedlecki [Williamstown], 1973
9:24.71 … Nick Costello [Delsea], 2012
9:26.02 … Stone Caraccio [Kingsway], 2020
9:27.16 … Sebastien Reed [Pitman], 2020
9:28.66 … Andrew Littlehales [Delsea], 2022
9:31.91 … Jacob Cobb [West Deptford], 2022
Only Triton senior Dennis Fortuna [9:21.36 at the Armory last week] and Ridge senior Jackson Barna [9:22.78 at Ocean Breeze earlier this month] have run faster in New Jersey this year.
Woodbury sophomore Peyton Shute placed second in 9:34.30, followed by West Deptford senior Jacob Cobb in 9:46.11, Williamstown junior Nicholas Krol in 9:47.27 and Cherokee senior Bradley Popler in 9:49.19.
Shute’s time is No. 7 in the state this year and No. 1 among sophomores. He dropped just over 10 seconds off his PR of 9:44.80 set at Group 1 states last spring at Pennsauken. He had never run an indoor 3,200. His 9:34.30 is fastest by a South Jersey sophomore indoors since Cherokee’s Chris Spisak ran 9:31.67 at Group 4 states at the Bubble in 2018.
Popler’s 9:49.19 was a big PR and his first time under 10 minutes indoors or out. His previous PR was 10:11.76 at Group 4 sectionals last spring at Washington Township.
Egg Harbor junior Ryan Taylor [10:06.0] and Buena senior Kayden Platania [10:14.21] also broke 10:15, both with big PRs as well.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 