Junior Benjamin Andrus and senior Bennett Wright became the 4th- and 5th-fastest two-milers in Haddonfield history Monday night in Holmdel.
Andrus ran 9:08.27 and Wright 9:09.17 at the Holmdel Twilight Series Night of 3200s at Bob Roggy Stadium. They placed 2nd and 4th of more than 400 runners in 18 sections of 3200s.
Manalapan junior Clay Stevens won the race in 9:07.30 and Colts Neck junior Jay Admala was 3rd in 9:08.33.
Haddonfield had three sub-9:10 runners in its history before adding two more on Monday. Jim Smith ran 9:00.3 (converted from 9:03.4 for two miles) in 1980, Seth Clevenger ran 9:03.65 in 2022 and Jonathan Vitez ran 9:06.47 in 2010.
The race produced the six-fastest times in New Jersey this year.
Andrus and Wright both ran their previous PRs at Cherokee Night of Racing earlier this month, Andrus with 9:17.23 and Wright 9:18.81.
Another Haddonfield two-miler, junior Peter Simpson broke 9:20, placing 8th in 9:17.54. His previous PR was 9:26.05 indoors at the Meet of Champions at Ocean Breeze last month. And junior Ryan Gibson PR’d at 9:25.67.
Glassboro’s Joey Saicic was the 2nd-fastest freshman in the race, taking 23rd overall in 9:34.21. That’s 5th-fastest ever by a South Jersey freshman and the fastest New Jersey Group 1 freshman since Ben Devenezia of Mountain Lakes ran 9:32.80 at 2012 states at Old Bridge. Saicic’s previous PR was a 9:58.80 indoors in January at the Armory. This was his first open outdoor race in high school.
All-Time South Jersey 3,200-Meter List
8:54.11 … Peyton Shute [Woodbury], 2024
8:55.43 … Murad Campbell [Overbrook], 1999
8:58.32 … Luke Petela [Haddon Twp.], 2015
8:59.6y … Mike Butynes [Sterling], 1972
8:59.8y … Jason DeJoseph [Paul VI], 1987
9:00.3y … Jim Smith [Haddonfield], 1980
9:00.30 … Jimmy Daniels [Sterling], 2013
9:01.89 … Marc Pelerin [Cherokee], 2002
9:01.9y … Mike Mantini [Gateway], 1979
9:03.1y … Jerry Andrews [Highland], 1979
9:03.65 … Seth Clevenger [Haddonfield], 2022
9:03.7y … Ed Blakeley [Haddon Twp.], 1975
9:03.9h … Mike Elder [Haddon Twp.], 1973
9:04.05 … Shawn Wilson [Cherokee], 2013
9:04.94 … Louis Corgiano [Hammonton], 2014
9:05.12 … Sean MacPherson [Sterling], 2015
9:05.87 … Nick Kuenkel [Cherokee], 2024
9:05.98 … Steve Maine [Highland], 2014
9:06.2y … Greg Stremmel [Gateway], 1974
9:06.47 … Jonathan Vitez [Haddonfield], 2010
9:06.52 … Connor Melko [Bishop Eustace], 2019
9:06.70 … Joshua Clark [Highland], 2016
9:07.03 … Greg Hughes [Mainland], 2004
9:07.2h … Ron Faith [Paul VI], 1985
9:07.2h … Kevin Pumphrey [Highland], 1986
9:07.42 … Aaron Groff [Cherry Hill East], 2016
9:07.7h … Marty Ludwikowski [Cherry Hill West], 1975
9:08.22 … Jon Anderson [Cinnaminson], 2004
9:08.27 … Ben Andrus [Haddonfield], 2025
9:09.17 … Bennett Wright [Haddonfield], 2025
9:09.27 … David Forward [Shawnee], 2009
9:09.38 … Kevin Antczak [Mainland Reg.], 2019
9:09.38 … George Andrus [Haddonfield], 2022
9:09.80 … Todd Campbell [Cinnaminson], 2009
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 