Joe Barrett of CBA finished a very strong third in the boys 2-mile in 8:52.18, No. 5 in NJ history, at Sunday's Brooks PR Invitational at Renton Memorial Stadium in Renton, Washington.
The University of North Carolina-bound Barrett, who ran a NJ record 8:43.26 for 3,200 at the 2024 Arcadia Invitational in California, ran 4:20.69 over the final mile to move from sixth to third and closed in in 61.51.
Juan Gonzalez of Fremont High in Nebraska won the race in 8:47.06 and Caden Leonard of Southlake Carroll in Texas was second in 8:50.22. The times by Gonzalez, Leonard and Barrett are the three fastest times run in the U.S. this season.
Barrett's 8:52.18 breaks his previous outdoor 2-mile PR of 8:52.44 that he ran at the Brooks PR Invit. last year when he finished ninth.
The NJ 2-mile state record is 8:44.06, which was set by Joe Rosa of West Windsor-Plainsboro North when he finished first during his junior year at the 2010 New Balance National Championships at the University of North Carolina A&T in Greensboro.
The only other NJ runners who have run faster for 2-miles outdoors than Barrett are Craig Forys of Colts Neck (8:44.53 in 2007), Jim Rosa of WW North (8:51.46 in 2010) and Buck Logan of Bernards (8:52.0 in 1979).
