Austin Gabay ran the 2nd-fastest 3,000 in South Jersey history Saturday in Boston, breaking the Duke school record along the way.
Gabay, a Cinnaminson graduate, ran 7:58.94 at the Boston University David Hemery Valentine Invitational, lowering his PR from 8:01.79, which he ran last month on the same track.
The only faster time by a South Jersey runner is a 7:57.65 by Absegami graduate Ford Palmer in New York in January 2017.
He broke the Duke record of 7:59.84 set by Nick Dahl at the 2022 Hokie Invitational in Blacksburg, Va.
In the same race, Mainland Regional graduate Kevin Antczak, a junior at North Carolina State, ran a big PR of 8:04.87, lowering his PR more than 10 seconds from an 8:12.92 he ran two weeks ago in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Antczak’s time is No. 5 in South Jersey history. North Carolina State doesn’t have an all-time top-10 list or even school records on its web site. It barely has a web site.
Nine of the top 18 times in South Jersey history have been recorded in the last two weeks! That’s incredible!
Here’s my best attempt at an all-time South Jersey alumni 3,000 list. Who’s missing?
All-Time South Jersey Alumni 3,000 List
7:57.65i … Ford Palmer [Absegami], Jan. 28, 2017, New York
7:58.94i … Austin Gabay [Cinnaminson], Feb. 10, 2024, Boston
7:59.31 … Jimmy Wyner [Mainland Regional], New York, Feb. 14, 2009
7:59.26i … John Richardson [Ocean City], Feb. 16, 2008, Seattle
8:01.24i … Samuel Gerstenbacher [Schalick], Feb. 26, 2023, Boston
8:04.87i … Kevin Antczak [Mainland Regional], Feb. 10, 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
8:12.00 … Seth Clevenger [Haddonfield], Feb. 9, 2024, Fayetteville, Ark.
8:12.50i … Matt Coffey [Paul VI], Jan. 26, 2024, New York
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
8:18.71i … George Andrus [Haddonfield], Feb. 9, 2024, Staten Island
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
8:22.04i … Zeb Hinker [Egg Harbor Township], Feb. 10, 2024, Boston
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
All-Time New Jersey Alumni 3,000 List
7:41.94 … Travis Mahoney [Old Bridge], Boston, Feb. 27, 2020
7:43.23 … Marty Liquori [Essex Catholic], London, Sept. 9, 1977
7:45.67 … Liam Murphy [Allentown], Boston, Feb. 11 2023
7:48.86 … Ed Moran [Notre Dame], Stockholm, Sweden, July 22, 2008
7:48.48 … Jeremy Elkaim [Livingston], Seattle, Feb. 28, 2015
7:49.46 … Morgan Pearson [Morristown], New York, Feb. 4, 2017
7:50.76 … Steve Slattery [Mount Olive], Palo Alto, June 7, 2003
7:51.85 … Devin Hart [Point Pleasant Boro], Seattle Jan. 15, 2022
7:52.39 … Craig Forys [Colts Neck], Nashville, Feb. 13, 2016
7:53.08 … Blaise Ferro [CBA],
7:53.18 … Chris Hatler [Pope John XXIII], Boston Feb. 15, 2000
7:53.24 … Zach Michon [Robbinsville], Boston, Jan. 27, 2023
7:54.75 … Eric Savoth [CBA], Seattle, Jan. 31, 2004
7:56.36 … Jack Jennings [Mendham], Boston, Feb. 11, 2023
7:57.65 … Ford Palmer [Absegami], New York, Jan. 28, 2017
7:58.94 … Austin Gabay [Cinnaminson], Boston, Feb. 10, 2024
7:59.31 … Jimmy Wyner [Mainland Regional], New York, Feb. 14, 2009
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 