Northern Burlington senior Liliah Gordon, needing a 38.56 final lap to break the South Jersey record for 5,000 meters, closed in 37.46 to etch her name into the record books and earn All-America honors Thursday evening at Boston Nationals.
Gordon placed 5th in 16:48.89, breaking the New Jersey high school record of 16:49.00 set by Cherokee’s Megan Lacy at 2012 Armory Nationals (which in 2012 was the same meet as Boston Nationals is this year).
Briana Jackucewicz ran 16:43.02 as a 7th grader at Howell Middle School North at 2004 Armory Nationals, which some may consider the state record, but she wasn’t in high school at the time, so it can’t be a high school record. She eventually ran for Colts Neck and Harvard but never ran faster for an indoor track 5,000.
Lacy’s 16:49.00 was the fastest time indoors or outdoors by a South Jersey runner, so Gordon’s performance is an overall South Jersey record. The South Jersey outdoor 5,000 record is Lacy’s 16:50.75 in 2011 at a meet in Princeton.
Gordon came through 4,600 meters in 15:31.81, so she needed to run her final 400 in 77.19 or faster to break Lacy’s record, and she closed in 77.08. She ran her final 800 in 2:38.04.
Including both indoor and outdoor marks, Gordon’s 16:48.89 is 5th-fastest in state history.
Gordon’s previous PR was 17:02.44 last March at Armory Nationals. Her outdoor PR is 17:04.54 at Princeton this past April.
Gordon won her 1st Meet of Champions title earlier this month at Ocean Breeze with a 10:13.41, the 3rd-fastest indoor 3,200 time in state history.
All-Time New Jersey Indoor 5,000 List
*16:43.02 … Briana Jackucewicz [Colts Neck], 2009
16:48.89 … Liliah Gordon [Northern Burlington], 2025
16:49.00 … Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 2012
16:53.91 … Monica Hebner [Northern Highlands], 2018
16:55.69 … Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2010
16:57.99 … Mackenzie Barry [Mendham], 2013
17:02.44 … Liliah Gordon [Northern Burlington], 2024
17:02.78 … Sarah DiSanza [High Point Reg.], 2013
17:03.79 … Chelsea Ley [Kingsway], 2008
17:09.31 … Isabel Hebner [Northern Highlands], 2018
17:12.38 … Holly Bischof [Bishop Eustace], 2012
17:18.03 … Dina Iacone [Washington Twp.], 2012
17:20.33 … Emily O’Day [Boonton], 2023
17:22.84 … Megan Venables [Highland], 2010
17:24.43 … Alyssa Aldridge [Mainland Reg.], 2016
17:24.89 … Amy Van Alstine [Midland Park], 2003
* – Not a high school student
All-Time New Jersey combined Indoor-Outdoor 5,000 List
15:52.10 … Charlotte Bednar [The Lawrenceville School], 2021 [o]
16:34.66 … Alexa Westley [Warren Hills], 2019 [o]
16:38.51 … Ashley Higginson [Colts Neck], 2007 [o]
16:43.02 … Briana Jackucewicz [Colts Neck], 2009 [i]
16:45.86 … Megan Curham [Villa Walsh], 2013 [o]
16:48.89 … Liliah Gordon [Northern Burlington], 2025 [i]
16:49.00 … Megan Lacy [Cherokee], 2012 [i]
16:53.91 … Monica Hebner [Northern Highlands], 2018 [i]
16:55.69 … Marielle Hall [Haddonfield], 2010 [i]
16:57.99 … Mackenzie Barry [Mendham], 2013 [i]
16:58.19 … Carleen Jeffers [Ridgewood], 2015 [o]
* – Not a high school student
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 