Delsea graduate Noah Deckert, a senior at St. Joe’s, ran a massive 3,000 PR Saturday, the 5th-fastest ever by a South Jersey runner.
Deckert ran 8;07.88 at the Bruce Lehane Scarlet and White Invitational at Boston University and became the 6th South Jersey runner to break 8:15 in the last eight days.
Deckert’s time is 3rd-fastest in St. Joe’s history, behind only Robbinsville’s Zach Michon [8:05.62 in 2020] and Toms River North’s Aaron Leskow [8:07.07 in 2014]. He’s the 3rd South Jersey runner on the St. Joe’s all-time top-10, joining Eastern’s Karl Savage [8:13.87 in 2001] and Camden Catholic’s Kevin O’Donnell [8:14.40 in 2013].
Before Saturday, Deckert had a 3,000 PR of 8:23.84 from a meet a year ago this week at Boston University.
But he lowered that by 16 seconds Saturday with a perfectly paced race. After his first 200 in 33.50, he ran his next nine laps between 32.09 and 32.97, then closed in 2:07.19, 60.73 and 28.81 – the 2nd-fastest closing lap in the field.
Deckert had PRs of 1:59.69, 4:24.39 and 9:40.35 at Delsea. He was second in the 1,600 at the 2019 indoor Group 2 state meet at the Bubble behind Cinnaminson’s Austin Gabay, who is now directly ahead of him on the all-time South Jersey 3,000 list.
Looks like he bumped Sebastien Reed’s 8:10.69 from 2022 for fastest 3,000 by a Gloucester County high school graduate.
Here’s my best attempt at an all-time South Jersey 3,000 list. If this is correct, 13 of the top 22 times have been recorded in the last three years.
7:57.65i … Ford Palmer [Absegami], Jan. 28, 2017, New York
7:59.26i … John Richardson [Ocean City], Feb. 16, 2008, Seattle
8:01.24i … Samuel Gerstenbacher [Schalick], Feb. 26, 2023, Boston
8:01.79i … Austin Gabay [Cinnaminson], Jan. 26, 2024, Boston
8:07.88i … Noah Deckert [Delsea], Feb. 2, 2024, Boston
8:09.59i … Karl Savage [Eastern], Jan. 23, 2004, Johnson City, Tenn.
8:10.01i … Jon Vitez [Haddonfield], Feb. 9, 2013, Princeton
8:10.69i … Sebastien Reed [Pitman], March 6, 2022, Boston
8:10.99i … Connor Melko [Bishop Eustace], Feb. 4, 2023, New York
8:11.81 … Oliver Adler [Cherry Hill East], Feb. 12, 2022, Boston
8:12.50i … Matt Coffey [Paul VI], Jan. 26, 2024, New York
8:12.72i … Seth Clevenger [Haddonfield], Jan. 26, 2024, Fayetteville, Ark.
8:12.92i… Kevin Antczak [Mainland Regional], Jan. 26, 2024, Winston-Salem, N.C.
8:13.37i … Jack Shea [Cherokee], March 18, 2022, Tempe, Ariz.
8:14.32i … Ethan Wechsler [Cherokee], Jan. 26, 2024, Boston
8:17.82i … Nick / Cole Pschunder [Eastern], Feb. 8, 2019, Boston
8:18.75i … Connor Herr [Shawnee], Feb. 10, 2017, New York
8:19.68 … Marc Pelerin [Cherokee], April 10, 2004, Philadelphia
8:20.00i … Michael Ungvarsky [Cinnaminson], Jan. 21, 2022, Blacksburg, Va.
8:20.57i … Martin Riddell [Haddonfield], March 6, 2022, Boston
8:21.71i … Shawn Wilson [Cherokee], March 8, 2014, Boston
8:21.8h … Jason DiJoseph [Paul VI], 1989, unknown
8:22.17i … Luke Petela [Haddon Twp.], Jan. 25, 2020, Boston
8:22.31i … Paul Szulewski [Williamstown], Jan. 26, 2013, University Park, Pa.
8:22.6h … Herb Lorenz [Pemberton], May 20, 1966, Baltimore
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 