Haddonfield’s Seth Clevenger destroyed the NCAA Division 3 record for 5,000 meters Friday at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational at Boston University.
Racing in a loaded field against an assortment of Division 1 stars and pros, Clevenger, a junior at Rowan, ran 13:32.09 in the invitational section of the 5,000, breaking the Division 3 mark of 14:44.98 set by Alex Phillips of John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio, just outside Cleveland, at the same meet in 2023.
Clevenger also ran faster than the NCAA Division 3 outdoor 5,000 record of 13:41.96 set this past April by Chasen Hunt of Lynchburg (Va.) in Azusa, Calif.
Since arriving in Glassboro after starting out at Iowa State, Clevenger has run the 3rd-fastest 3,000 in D-3 history – 7:54.87 at the Armory last month – and the 4th-fastest mile – 3:59.41 at Ocean Breeze last week.
His 13:32.09 is also fastest ever by a South Jersey high school graduate, breaking the record of 13:44.57 set by Cherokee’s Jack Shea in Palo Alto, Calif., in April 2022. Others under 14 minutes are Eastern’s Karl Savage [14:48.61 in Walnut, Calif., in 2003], and two Cinnaminson runners – Jon Anderson [15:58,23 at 2009 Penn Relays] and Austin Gabay [13:58.84 in Raleigh in 2024].
Clevenger smashed the school record of 14:30.19 set by Oakcrest’s Ron Deckert in 1986. His time is 8th-fastest on the all-time New Jersey alumni list.
Clevenger’s 800 splits were 2:08.46, 2:08.88, 2:09.75. 2:12.58 and 2:11.00, closing in 2:10.75 for his final 800. He ran all 25 laps between 31.39 and 33.55. He came through 3,000 meters in 8:06.84, below the previous school record in the 3,000.
His time would rank 23rd this year in NCAA Division 1. His previous PR over 5,000 meters on the track was 14:24.57 in April 2023 in Azusa, Calif.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 