You want a PR? We’ve got you a PR.
Jordan Hadfield, a sophomore at Schalick, went into the Salem County Championships at Pennsville Wednesday with a 1,600 PR of 5:41.21 from indoor Group 1 states at the Bubble in February and an outdoor PR of 5:45.40 from last year’s Salem County Championships, also at Pennsville.
All she did Wednesday was shave nearly half a minute off her PR and win her first county title.
Hadfield won the 1,600 in 5:16.54, making her the 3rd-fastest sophomore in South Jersey this year – behind Cherokee’s Megan Niglio [5:05.21] and Vineland’s Georgina Chalow [5:16.20], both at the South Jersey Elite last Thursday at Delsea.
What’s more, Hadfield ran unpressed.
She was out in 2:32.99 and had a 50-meter lead with 800 to go and a 100-meter lead at the gun lap, eventually winning by 150 meters.
That’s a Salem County sophomore class record, and it’s No. 2 among Group 1 sophomores this year, behind only Delana Einreinhofer of Walkill Valley, who ran 5:05.31 at a meet this week at Walkill Valley High in Hamburg.
It’s also fastest by a South Jersey Group 1 miler since 2017, when Abby McCully of Pitman ran 5:14.99 at the Gloucester County Championships at Delsea.
The Salem County 1,600 record was set by Olivia Gerstenbacher with a 5:13.06 at the 2016 Rowan Open in Glassboro, so she’s only 3 1/2 seconds off that with 2 1/2 seasons to go.
Hadfield also won the 3,200 in 12:18.09. Her PR is 11:58.96 from her 5th-place finish at Group 1 states last spring at Pennsauken.
Hadfield plays soccer in the fall.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 