Watch the full AAA Race above.
Ahead of the WPIAL Championships this week, teams descended on Pennwest Cal to preview the challenging course.
At least, it's supposed to be challenging. Drew Griffith (Butler) made it seem anything but that on Thursday.
Griffith got off the line quickly, and by the first 20-meter bump, he had already commanded a ten-meter lead on Brett Kroboth (Peters Township). He rounded the first-mile loop and delicately positioned himself for the steep downhill, which had already become slick with mud.
He stayed tight to the inside berm and scampered down the hills before letting loose on the flats again. He worked the uphills with ease as onlookers were stunned by his fluidity.
Gliding over the course, he bolstered his lead to 35-seconds by Mile 2. The rest was history. He comfortably strode into the finish, setting a new course record of 15:32 and smashing Patrick Anderson's previous record of 15:41.
Usurping Anderson's mark is another resume item for Griffith, who has risen to elite status. The junior is rounding into form just in time for state and national-level meets at the end of the season.
But first, he'll eye up Districts this week, where he'll be the unquestioned favorite in the WPIAL. At states, he is eying up another one of Patrick Anderson's records, the 15:25 he ran at the 2019 state championship.
Watch Griffith's post-race interview.
He'll undoubtedly have the competition to push him toward that goal. Brian DiCola still holds the current PA #1, after he ran the second fastest time in Pennsylvania history at Paul Short earlier this year, a 14:43.
It is hard to believe that Griffith is still a junior. He holds the 26th fastest 5k time of the year and the sixth fastest time by a junior.