Cherokee graduate John Shea ran the fastest 5,000 ever by a South Jersey high school alum Friday night at Stanford.
Shea ran 13:44.57 and placed third in the 5,000 at the Payton Jordan Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif.
Shea placed third, only a second behind winner Peter Lynch of Tulsa, who won the race in 13:43.52.
The previous South Jersey alumni record was 13:48.61 by Eastern graduate Karl Savage at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif., in April of 2003.
Shea’s previous PR was 13:55.92 from the Husky Classic indoors in Seattle in February, and his outdoor PR was 13:56.52 from the Stanford Invitational on the same track earlier this month.
Shea, in 6th place with 1,600 meters to go, was out in 32.03 for his first 200, then reeled off his next 12 laps in 63.26, 67.72, 65.96, 68.42, 66.85, 68.03, 64.65, 70.23, 67.39, 65.83, 63.39 and 59.38.
So he closed in 4:17.69 for his final 1,600, 2:02.77 for his final 800 and 59.38 for his final 400.
Next up for Shea is the Big Sky Conference Championships in Pocatello, Idaho, May 11-12.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 