North Carolina State junior Kevin Antczak from Mainland Regional ran one of the fastest 5,000s ever by a South Jersey runner Thursday afternoon at the ACC Championships in Boston.
Antczak ran 14:08.24, lowering his PR from 14:21.54 from the 2022 Raleigh (N.C.) Relays outdoors on his home track. That’s on the heels of a big PR 8:04.87 last weekend on a different track in Boston that’s No. 6 ever by a South Jersey runner.
That’s No. 6 on the all-time South Jersey alumni list.
Unless his TFRRS page is wrong, this was Antczak’s first indoor 5,000 ever as a collegian and it looks like his first indoor 5,000 anywhere since his junior year at Mainland, when he ran 15:43.45 at Armory Nationals.
Splits in the live results for the Atlantic Coast Conference meet are messed up, but if they ever fix them they’ll be here.
In the same race, Cherokee’s Ethan Wechsler, a Syracuse junior, ran 14:20.38, his fastest time this year and just off his PR of 14:18.28 from last year’s ACC meet in Louisville.
Antzcak and Cinnaminson’s Austin Gabay of Duke are both entered in the 3,000, which is scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
Here’s my best attempt at an all-time South Jersey alumni 5,000 list going down to 14:20. If you see anyone missing, let me know in the comment section!
13:44.57 … Jack Shea [Cherokee], April 29, 2022, Palo Alto, Calif.
13:48.61 …Karl Savage [Eastern], April 17, 2003, Walnut, Calif.
13:58.23 … Jon Anderson [Cinnaminson], April 23, 2009, Philadelphia
14:03.52 … Kevin McDonnell [Camden Catholic], April 5, 2013, Williamsburg
14:06.23 … Sam Gerstenbacher [Schalick], April 29, 2022, Philadelphia
14:08.24 … Kevin Antczak [Mainland Regional], Feb. 21, 2024, Boston
14:09.10 … Andy Arnold [Bishop Eustace], April 4, 2014, San Francisco
14:09.37 … Jon Vitez [Haddonfield], March 30, 2012, Raleigh, N.C.
14:12.0h … Mike Elder [Haddon Twp.], 1977
14:13.72 … Miles Schoedler [Ocean City], April 5, 2013, Williamsburg, Va.
14:15.73 … Conor Melko [Bishop Eustace], May 15, 2021, Springfield, Mass.
14:15.94 … Sebastien Reed [Pitman], April 29, 2022, Philadelphia
14:16.10 … John Richardson [Ocean City], April, 2008, Palo Alto, Calif.
14:17.77 … Keith Krieger [Cherokee], April 6, 2007, Durham, N.C.
14:17.98 … Austin Gabay [Cinnaminson], April 14, 2023, Azusa, Calif.
14:17.99 … Marc Pelerin [Cherokee], May 7, 2006, Storrs, Ct.
14:18.28 … Ethan Wechsler [Cherokee], Feb. 23, 2023, Louisville, Ky.
14:20.26 … Eric Lorenz [Holy Cross], 1992
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 