Northern Burlington sophomore Liliah Gordon ran the 14th-fastest indoor 5,000 in state history Saturday night and earned All-America honors at New York Indoor Nationals.
Gordon, in her first lifetime track 5,000, covered 25 laps at the Armory in 17:26.55 and placed 3rd overall, behind only soph Lillie Bogdan of Frontier High in Hamburg, N.Y., who won the race in 17:01.63, and senior Rose Coats, who attends Brooklyn Prospect Charter School but competes independently and placed 2nd in 17:14.83.
Gordon ran her first 1,600 in 5:26.55 and came through 3,200 meters in 11:01.22. She ran her 15th through 23rd laps between 43.0 and 43.9, closing in 42.2 and 38.1 for a final 400 of 80.3.
Her time is fastest by a New Jersey runner indoors in five years, since Monica Hebner [16:53.91] and Isabel Hebner [17:09.31] of Northern Highlands both ran faster at 2018 Armory Nationals.
Gordon’s time is No. 8 in South Jersey history and fastest since Alyssa Aldridge of Mainland Regional ran 17:22.84 at 2016 Armory Nationals. She’s also No. 8 on the South Jersey all-time indoor and outdoor combined list.
Gordon’s time is 3rd-fastest in state history by a sophomore, behind Chelsea Ley of Kingsway [17:03.79 at 2008 Armory Nationals] and Aldridge [17:24.43 at 2016 Armory Nationals].
The only faster Burlington County runner indoors or out at 5,000 meters is Cherokee’s Megan Lacy, who ran 16:49.00 indoors at 2012 Armory Nationals and 16:50.75 in 2011 at a meet at Princeton’s Palmer Stadium.
Gordon’s fastest cross country 5,000 is a 17:56.10 on the flat New Egypt speedway in the BCSL Liberty Division meet in October.
Gordon is now the fastest sophomore in New Jersey in the 3,200 [10:38.20] and the 2nd-fastest soph nationally in the 5,000 [17:26.55].
All-Time New Jersey Indoor 5,000 List
16:43.02 … Briana Jackucewicz [Colts Neck], 2009
16:49.00 … Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 2012
16:53.91 … Monica Hebner [Northern Highlands], 2018
16:55.69 … Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2010
16:57.99 … Mackenzie Barry [Mendham], 2013
17:02.78 … Sarah DiSanza [High Point Reg.], 2013
17:03.79 … Chelsea Ley [Kingsway], 2008
17:09.31 … Isabel Hebner [Northern Highlands], 2018
17:12.38 … Holly Bischoff [Bishop Eustace], 2012
17:18.03 … Dina Iacone [Washington Twp.], 2012
17:22.84 … Megan Venables [Highland], 2010
17:24.43 … Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Reg.], 2016
17:24.89 … Amy Van Alstine [Midland Park], 2003
17:26.55 … Liliah Gordon [Northern Burlington], 2023
17:31.96 … Lara Shegoski [Montgomery], 2014
17:34.69 … Lindsay Van Alstine [Hawthorne], 2003
17:43.27 … Laura Vigilante [Mendham], 2009
17:45.45 … Kerry Dyke [Mount St. Mary], 2013
17:47.89 … Devon Grisbaum [Ocean City], 2015
17:51.73 … Brennan Sharkey [West Morris Central], 2014
17:53.77 … Jillian Prentice [Montgomery], 2009
17:56.13 … Samantha Ragenklint [Monmouth Reg.], 2019
All-Time South Jersey Combined List
16:49.00 … Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 2012 (i)
16:55.69 … Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2010 (i)
17:03.79 … Chelsea Ley [Kingsway], 2008 (i)
17:08.55 … Holly Bischoff [Bishop Eustace], 2011 (o)
17:18.03 … Dina Iacone [Washington Twp.], 2012 (i)
17:22.84 … Megan Venables [Highland], 2010 (i)
17:24.43 … Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Reg.], 2016 (i)
17:26.55 … Liliah Gordon [Northern Burlington], 2023 (i)
17:31.87 … Amanda Goetschius [Delsea], 2007 (o)
17:40.49 … Megan Malloy [Haddonfield], 2013 (o)
17:47.89 … Devon Grisbaum [Ocean City], 2015 (i)
17:50.26 … Allison Colflesh [Haddonfield], 2020 (o)
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 