Charlotte Bednar dropped another huge bomb and took down some huge names when the junior at Lawrenceville smashed her own state record in the 5K at the Big City Invitational on Friday night at Ichan Stadium on Randall's Island in NY.
Bednar, running unnattached because Lawrenveille shut down sports this season for COVID-19 related reasons, stopped the clock at 16:21.27 to place second in a stacked field. That shaved more than four seconds off the NJ record of 16:25.90 that Bednar ran during the GSTC High School Fall Showcase Series on Oct. 10.
Bednar finished behind 24-year-old Maddy Berkson, who crossed first in 16:16.00. Berkson starred at Stanford and now runs for New England Distance.
Bednar, who won the Northeast Regional title and earned All-American by placing eighth at the Team National XC Championships last year, hit 1K in 313.400, 3K in 9:52.447, ran 2:31 and change for the last 800, and closed in 1:15.085, her fastest 400 split of the race.
Among the talented runners who Bednar defeated was senior Sydney Masciarelli of Marianapolis Prep in Connecticut, fourth in 16:40.14. The University of North Carolina-bound Masciarelli won the Foot Locker National XC Championship as a sophomore in 2018.
Also competing on Friday night was junior Miranda Lorsbach of Kent Place, who placed second in the women's mile in 5:07.58.