Austin Gabay of Cinnaminson, one of the the top distance runners in the state, made a big announcement while being interviewed after his big victory at Saturday's Shore Coaches Invitational at Holmdel Park.
"I have one more thing I'd like to say,'' Gabay said moments after he won the E Division race for the second straight year in a Holmdel PR of 15:58. "I have committed to Duke University.''
Gabay, the state Group 2 champion last spring in the 1,600, also took official visits to Yale and Penn before making his decision.
Gabay said that he loved all three schools, but that Duke just felt like the best fit for him.
At Duke, Gabay will be reunited with his friend and former Cinnaminson teammate, Mike Ungvarsky. Ungvarsky. Ungvarsky, a junior at Duke, won the state Group 2 XC title in 2016 for Cinnaminson.
Gabay has built a very impressive resume during his days at Cinnaminson. He has PR's of 4:16.02 for 1,600, 1:54.73 for 800, and 9:15.13 for 3,200. Last fall, he placed third in the SJ Group 2 race, third at the State Group 2 meet, 13th at the Meet of Championships, and took 23rd at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional Championships.