Widener sophomore Thomas Flear from Clearview ran the 4th-fastest 10,000 in school history this weekend on his home track in Chester, Pa.
Flear ran 30:37.76 at Widener’s own Danny Curran Invitational on Saturday. That’s fastest so far this year in the NCAA Division 3 Metro Region and it’s 4th-fastest in the Middle Atlantic Conference but only 12 seconds out of the top spot. Runners from Lebanon Valley and Messiah who are ahead of him on the conference list compete in a different region – the Middle Atlantic.
In any case, Flear’s time is fastest by a Widener distance runner in six years and trails only the Sudanese refugee and West Philadelphia High graduate Macharia Yuot [29:21.08 at the 2005 Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif.], Will McDermott of Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast Catholic in Upper Darby, Delaware County, Pa. [30:13.41 at Widener in 2018] and Matthew Kazanjian of Penncrest High in Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pa. [30;32.53 at Widener in 2019] on the all-time Widener performance list.
Flear’s previous 10,000 PR was 30:46.66 at the same meet on the same track last March.
Flear also ranks 6th in school history in the 5,000 [14:39.41 last year at Widener] and 10th on the indoor 5,000 list [14:58.93 last year at Ocean Breeze].
At Clearview, Flear had PRs of 4:47.26 and 10:19.51. His 10,000 pace this weekend – 4:54 per 1,600 meters – is only 6 ½ seconds per mile over 6.2 miles slower than he ran for his 1,600 PR in high school.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 