Nate Kidwell, a junior from Washington Township, placed 5th out of 56 runners and helped The College of New Jersey to a two-point win in the Lions’ own Herb Lorenz Invitational Friday at the Green Lane Fields in Ewing Township.
Kidwell ran a lifetime all-course best of 20:18 for 6,000 meters. His previous 6,000 PR was a 20:23 at a meet at Unionville High School in East Marlborough Township, Chester County.
TCNJ sophomore Sawyer Stellitano, a sophomore from Hunterdon Central, was TCNJ’s first finisher, in 4th place in 20:03, and Kidwell was the Lions’ No. 2 runner.
Goldey-Beacom of Wilmington, Del., swept the first three spots, but TCNJ went 4-5-6-7-8-(9-10) to eke out the two-point win, with their 6th and 7th runners bumping Goldey-Beacom’s 4th and 5th finishers.
TCNJ didn’t run its full lineup, but sophomore Tyler Smith from Paul VI took 16th overall in 21:57.
Holy Family placed 3rd, and the Tigers’ No. 3 runner was sophomore Andrae Johnson of Oakcrest in 22nd place.
The meet honors legendary Masters runner Herb Lorenz, a member of the Road Runners Club of America Hall of Fame, the South Jersey Track and Field Hall of Fame, the South Jersey Coaches Hall of Fame, the Burlington County Track Hall of Fame and The College of New Jersey Hall of Fame.
Lorenz grew up in Pemberton and graduated from TCNJ – when it was still called Trenton State – before embarking on a remarkable post-collegiate career. Among his many accomplishments, in 1975, he set an American age-36 record of 2:17:43 at the Boston Marathon. He coached at Burlington Township for 30 years and also coached at Lenape.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 