Syracuse’s Ethan Wechsler, a junior from Cherokee, destroyed his 10,000 PR Thursday night in Raleigh, and turned in the 4th-fastest time ever recorded by a South Jersey runner.
Closing in 63.47 for his final 400, Wechsler ran 29:22.69 at the Raleigh Relays, shattering his PR of 29:58.28 from this meet last year. He ran that race unattached and his previous official collegiate PR was 30:07.87 at the 2022 Raleigh Relays.
He’s the fastest South Jersey runner over 10,000 meters since Kevin O’Donnell of Camden Catholic ran 29:16.01 at Bucknell in 2013. The only other South Jersey runners to go faster are Eric Lorenz of Holy Cross, who ran 29:17.04 at the 1992 Penn Relays, and Moorestown’s Paul Friedman, who ran 29:20.80 in 1980 (haven’t figured out where yet).
Wechsler broke the Cherokee alumni record of 29:53.85 set by Keith Krieger at the 2005 Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif.
The official splits are a little messed up, but Wechsler negatived the race, passing through 5,000 meters in about 14:49 before coming back in 14:33. That 14:33 second half of his race is only 15 seconds slower than his 5,000 PR of 14:18.28, set at the 2023 indoor ACC Championships in Louisville.
All-Time South Jersey 10,000 Top-10
29:16.01 … Kevin O’Donnell [Camden Catholic], April 13, 2013, Lewisburg, Pa.
29:17.04 … Eric Lorenz [Holy Cross], April 23, 1992, Philadelphia
29:20.80 … Paul Friedman [Moorestown], June 2, 1980, Philadelphia
29:22.69 … Ethan Wechsler [Cherokee], March 28, Raleigh, N.C.
29:35.97 … Andy Arnold [Bishop Eustace], May 16, 2014, West Lafayette, Ind.
29:53.85 … Keith Krieger [Cherokee], March 25, 2005, Palo Alto, Calif.
30:16.81 … Sebastien Reed [Pitman], May 7, 2022, Lawrenceville, N.J.
30:17.4h … Jack Kruse [Cherry Hill East], 1980 ???
30:22.55 … Ben Woodward [Highland], May 8, 2021, Lawrenceville
30:22.60 … Anthony Dentino [Washington Twp.], 2012
If you see any mistakes or omissions, please let me know in the comment section! This top-10 list is my best effort but it’s very difficult putting together accurate all-time South Jersey lists and I rely on you guys to help out if you see a mistake!
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 