Griffith discusses his race after-the-fact
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PHILADELPHIA - History is going to look back on the 2023 outdoor track season in Pennsylvania as one of the greatest years to be a distance runner.
And it's all because the TIMES have been outstanding.
Soon-to-be Butler senior, Drew Griffith, set a state record and narrowly missed another under the lights Friday at historic Franklin Field, putting his name in the books as the fastest Pennsylvania boy ever outdoor at 2 miles.
The Notre Dame commit was near the front of the pack of the Championship Boys 2 Mile of this year's New Balance Nationals Outdoor as the leader and eventual race winner hit the midpoint in just over 4:20. Griffith dropped back a few spots in the final laps, with his 8:52.74 clocking sliding under the old record of 8:52.77 set by former Unionville standout Paul Springer at the Nike Outdoor Nationals in 2007.
En route to finishing sixth, Griffith passed the 3K mark in 8:16.55, superior to the 8:18.40 that Springer registered in the 2nd Henderson Invitational back in '07 and the indoor record 8:16.56 by Noah Affolder in the New Balance Nationals Indoor in 2017. Only the 8:16.40 by Gary Martin in the Polar Bear 3K and 200 Champs at Henderson in March 2022 is faster in state history.
Griffith already owned the 2nd fastest 2-mile under cover, having run 8:48.01 at this year's New Balance Nationals Indoor.
Another member of the Class of 2024, Daniel Simmons of American Fork in Utah, set a meet record Friday by going wire-to-wire in the 2 mile. He covered the full distance in 8:41.23 and was timed at 8:09.16 at 3000m.
