Weitzel Leads Greenville Track Club-ELITE at Charlotte Invitational

Jason Weitzel

Jack Mastandrea

Ryan Drew

Jason Weitzel led his Greenville Track Club-ELITE teammates to their fastest seasonal performances on the track this year in the Charlotte Invitational hosted by Charlotte University on Friday evening. Weitzel cut a whopping ten seconds from his previous 5,000-meter personal best of 14:05.29 with his 13:54.88 clocking, which was good for third place in the race. His teammate Jack Mastandrea placed fifth with his 13:58.52. Those performances now rank first and fourth in GTC-ELITE program history. 

Their teammate Ryan Drew improved his seasonal best (SB) by over three seconds as he ran 3:45.53 over 1500 meters. He covered the first 300 meters in 43.45 and passed 700m at 1:43.41 (59.96 lap) and 1100m in 2:44.07 (1:00.67 lap). Ryan placed 8th among the 34 participants, which were split among three heats. Drew's performance moved him past GTC-ELITE alum Avery Martin's 3:45.91 from 2019 as the program's best.  

Jack Mastandrea and Jason Weitzel after their 5000m race.

Greenville Track Club-ELITE was established in 2012 and is in its second decade as a post-collegiate, Olympic-development program. The program produced four qualifiers for the 2016 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Los Angeles, one qualifier/participant for the 2019 Pam American Games Marathon in. Lima, Peru, three qualifiers/two participants for the 2020 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Atlanta, GA, one qualifier and participant in the 2021 USATF Olympic Track & Field Trials in the 3000m Steeplechase and three qualifiers for the 2024 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Orlando, FL. The program's runners set four South Carolina State road race records in 2020 (5K, 15K and Half Marathon--twice) and three (15K, 10-Mile and 20K) in 2021. GTC-ELITE also produced the South Carolina Men's 2020 Long Distance Runner of the Year. 

​The program is sponsored and supported by the 52-year-old Greenville Track Club, ASICS, Joy Real Estate (Adopt an Athlete partner), generous individual contributors and partnerships with Performance Therapy, Carolina Spine and Rehab, Roll Recovery products, FinalSurge (on-line training log), ElliptiGO, NormaTec Recovery Boots, Coach Bob Williams Pace Calculator, the DorsiFlex (stretching device), the MOBO board (balance & mobility), On Pace Wellness (nutrition coaching) and LEVER Movement (treadmill body weight support). The club is a proud and active member of both the Road Runners Club of America and USATF.​