Maple Shade senior Michael Smith edged Moorestown Friends junior Arjun Khandhar by 5-100ths of a second to win the BCSL Freedom Division race Wednesday at Palmyra Cove Park.
But Khandhar led Moorestown Friends to a three-point team title over Maple Shade in its 3rd year in the BCSL.
Smith ran 17:46.80 and Khandhar 17:46.85, and the margin of victory was about 9 ½ inches.
That time is an all-course 5,000 PR for Smith, whose previous 5K best was 17:52 at the South Jersey Open at DREAM Park in Logan Township. Khandhar also ran a big all-course PR, dropping his best time on any 5K course from 18:34 from a meet last November at DREAM Park.
Moorestown Friends had three in the top 10, with seniors Jason Youssef and Zev Smith joining Khandhar. Youssef placed 6th in 18:48 and Smith ran 19:22 for 10th. Junior Aaron Linden [13th, 19:43] and junior Zicong Chen [17th, 19:47] rounded out Friends’ scoring group. Sophomores Nolan Youssef [26th, 20:34] and Stefan Grimmelikhuijsen [29th, 20:37] also ran for the Foxes.
Also in the top 10 were Maple Shade senior Ries Fox [3rd, 18:00], Palmyra junior John Hammond [4th, 18:27], Doane Academy junior Marlon Addison [5th, 18:42], Riverside junior Ronald McMahon [7th, 19:01], Pemberton senior Jeremy Allen [8th, 19:03] and Maple Shade sophomore Steve Guinansaca [9th, 19:04].
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 