Ava Thomas joined the sub-11 club Sunday morning at Ocean Breeze.
Thomas, a Haddonfield senior, ran 11:01.52 for the full two miles at the Ocean Breeze Invitational, which converts to 10:57.68 for 3,200 meters, and that’s just outside the all-time Camden County indoor list in the No. 11 spot.
Thomas placed 3rd behind Ella Cohen of Hunter College Campus Schools in Manhattan [10:47.01] and Abigail Kowalczyk of Roy C. Ketcham High in Wappingers Falls, N.Y. [10:48.58].
She came through 2,800 meters in 9:47.39 before closing in 74.14 for her final quarter and 35.77 for her final lap.
Her 10:57.68 is 6th-fastest in New Jersey this year and 2nd-fastest by a South Jersey girl, behind Northern Burlington junior Liliah Gordon, who ran 10:56.44 at the Bubble back in December. Paul VI senior Shaelan McNally, who ran 10:59.26 last weekend, also at Ocean Breeze, is the only other South Jersey runner under 11 minutes this winter.
This was Thomas’s first 3,200 or two-mile since she won the Meet of Champions in 10:44.34 in June at Franklin. She PR’d a few days earlier with 10:43.86 at Group 2 states at Delsea. Her previous indoor PR was an 11:04.46 last winter at the Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze.
Thomas’s time makes her 5th-fastest on the all-time Haddonfield indoor list, behind Erin Donohue [10:38.91 in 2001], Briana Gess [10:40.80 in 2016], Shelby Cain [10:48.78 in 2014] and Sarah Naticchia [10:53.89 in 2020].
All-Time Camden County Indoor Sub-11 List
10:38.11 … Megan Venables [Highland], 2011
10:38.90 … Erin Donohue [Haddonfield], 2001
10:40.80 … Briana Gess [Haddonfield], 2017
10:42.06 … Holly Bischof [Bishop Eustace], 2012
10:42.22 … Theresa Cattuna [Cherry Hill East], 2007
10:48.78 … Shelby Cain [Haddonfield], 2014
10:49.12 … Madison Coppolino [Sterling], 2017 [3]
10:49.46 … Alyssa Condell [Timber Creek], 2016
10:53.89y … Sarah Naticchia [Haddonfield], 2020
10:55.29y … Ann Klocke [Bishop Eustace], 1996
10:57.68y … Ava Thomas [Haddonfield], 2024
10:57.95 … Katy Storti [Bishop Eustace], 2019
10:59.02 … Catherine Van Horn [Triton], 2005
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 