Ryan Pajak in the fast section of the 5000m at NBNI (Photo by David Nguyen)
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Lost in the chaos of the previous weekend was Ryan Pajak's state record shattering 5000m at New Balance Nationals.
At the Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center on Saturday evening, Pajak finished fourth in a talented heat of boys with his 14:25.8 effort.
Thus, he shattered the previous indoor state 5000m record of 14:45.09, set by Dominic Hockenbury (Lake Lehman) in 2016 at New Balance Nationals. Hockenbury recently finished 71st at the US Olympic Team Marathon Trials.
Through the opening 1600m, Pajak went out in a 4:31.19. That put him on pace for a 13:59 effort. Over the next mile he seemed to settle in and clicked off a 4:40. He was at 9:10 through 3200m, a time which would rank him eighth in the state.
He covered the remaining 1800m in 5:15.
Brady Ott (Council Rock North) was also in the race on Saturday. He covered the 25-lap race in 14:59.64, narrowly dipping below the 15-minute barrier. That effort moved Ott to No. 8 on the All-Time List.
His previous 5K best was 15:29 on the XC Course. His best track time was a 15:42.