On Thursday the Newton North girls team takes on Wellesley with Bay State supremacy and an undefeated season at stake. Like the Boys meet, this one will be close, with North holding a slight edge on paper. Both teams have outstanding distance squads, and depth throughout. Here are my observations and predictions about how the meet might go.
1M: Last week, Wellesley's Anna Lukes and Anna Stoebel ran 5:34 and 5:35, respectively, and looked like they could go much faster if pushed from the gun. Immediately this raises a strategic issue for both teams: where to use their best distance runners? Will North use Carolyn Ranti or Nora Barnicle in the 1000? Will Jess Barton run the 1M? What about Marlis Gnirke? Really, it's a chess game to figure out how to deploy runners for the most points. I'll assume Barton runs and wins the mile and Wellesley stands pat with the same two. My prediction: 5-4 Newton.
1000m: I'm guessing it will be Ranti and Barnicle vs. Gnirke. Ranti has been running so well that I think she has to be the favorite. Barnicle could be second, but I'll give Gnirke the nod based on her 3:11 from January 11th. My prediction: 6-3 Newton.
600m: This is a tough event for Wellesley because they have a lot of talent and several girls capable of sub 1:45, but they have to go up against Kat Chiong and Emma Kornetsky. I think it will be close, but Newton will prevail. If Wellesley does manage a win, or even a second-pace, it's an important point swing for them. My prediction: 8-1 Newton.
300m: Having Lily Brown back is a huge plus for Newton, but Katie Pratt has run 43.3 and is the clear favorite. My prediction: 6-3 Wellesley.
55 dash: Frankly, I have no idea how the dash will go. Both teams have multiple runners under 8.00. Newton's Arie Sanchez ran 7.79 last week, but isn't a sure thing by any means. This event could be a big swing for either team. My prediction: 5-4 Newton.
55 hurdles: Newton's trip of Michelle Kaufman, Morgan Faer, and Vicki Marone are going to be hard to beat. Wellesley's Abby King has run 9.83, but she'll need to run a nearly perfect race to break into the top three. My prediction: 8-1 Newton.
2M: Again, the results could depend on how each team chooses to use its runners, but assuming that there are no big changes from previous weeks, it should be another dandy battle between North's Adina Hemley-Bronstein and Franca Godenzi, and Wellesley's Faith Richardson, who could win, place, or show. And let's not forget about North freshman Susannah Gleason who is more than capable of cracking the top three. My prediction: 6-3 Newton
SP: Wellesley's Wendy West threw the shot 29' last week. She'll need a great throw on Thursday to break up Newton's threesome of Lily Brown, Morgan Faer, and Tracy Isman, all of whom have thrown over 30' It's a tall order. My prediction: 8-1 Newton.
HJ: Hannah Muir jumped 5-5 last week. She's the odd-on favorite to win, and I'm guessing Wellesley will come up with someone else to get third. My prediction: 6-3 Wellesley.
That would leave the score 51-30 in favor of the Tigers, but a word of caution: many of these events are very close, and there could easily be swings of 8 points in some events. The meet FEELS a lot closer than the score, which reflects the closeness of many of the events. This closeness is probably reflected in the relay, as well, since both teams have excellent times, with Wellesley holding a slight edge.
It should be a great meet. Good luck to all competitors!
January 31, 2007
January 30, 2007
Will Milton End NN's Streak?
The Newton North boys compete against Milton on Thursday in a battle of unbeaten teams and Bay State divisional champions. Milton had a great meet last Thursday, knocking off Wellesley to clinch the 2007 Herget title. Can Milton end Newton North's nine-year win streak in indoor dual meets?
The two teams are very evenly matched. Milton has Eric Wornum, the fastest runner in the league, who is likely to win both the 55 and 300. North dominates the shot put, and has depth in all events. I think the meet will be won or lost in the battles for 2nd and 3rd places, and of course, it could very well come down to the relay.
Here's a preview of each event along the way:
1M: Seb Putzys is running extremely well and will be the favorite to win the mile. The only Milton runner who has a time within 10 seconds of Seb is Kevin Manning, but he will most likely stay in the 1000m. Instead, Milton will probably run Stephen Connors in the mile to try to nail down 2nd place. If Greg Cohan or Alex Ribner can come through to take 2nd it would be a huge swing in favor of North, but it would be a long shot. My projection: 6-3 Newton.
1000m: Assuming he runs this event, Kevin Manning is the favorite over Peter Sun, but the battle for 3rd will be significant. Matt Gornstein has had two great races in a row, and has excellent finishing speed. He'll most likely be battling Aaron Nemzer for the last scoring place. My projection: 5-4 Milton.
600m: Alex Lee ran a PR last week and looked very strong. Nothing is certain in the 600, but he is the favorite over Milton's Shane Setalsingh. Once again, the battle for third will be fierce, with four runners having PRs within a second of each other. My projection: 6-3 Newton.
300m: Wornum is the clear favorite in one of the best races of the day. Newton North's Avery Mitchell is also very strong and could conceivably pull off an upset. However, Mitchell must make sure to get second ahead of a hard-charging Paul Connor. My projection: 6-3 Milton.
55 dash: Wornum again. He has the fastest time in the league and is the favorite to win, although Gordon Forbes can't be counted out. If North doesn't get the victory, they'll be looking for Forbes and Hymlaire Lamisere to take 2nd and 3rd. The race for the last spots will be very close, though, decided by a lean. My projection: 5-4 Milton.
55 hurdles: One of the most important events of the meet. Milton's Chris Moore is the clear favorite, having run 8.33 last week. AJ Nelson had a great race last week and is a definite threat to take 2nd ahead of North's Ryan McCarthy. Will Hui is also in the hunt, as he went under 9.00 last week. If McCarthy can take second it will be a huge gain for North. My projection: 8-1 Milton.
2M: Milton's Ryan Connors owns a 10:31 from last week, and if he can duplicate or improve on that it will be tough for Alex Gurvitz and Ben Chebot to catch him. Still, Gurvitz and Chebot are great competitors and will make a race of it. My projection: 5-4 Milton.
SP: On paper, this is the most one-sided event of the meet, as Milton hasn't had a shot putter over 38 feet and North has three who have thrown 44. They all have to get off legal throws, though. My projection: 9-0 Newton.
HJ: Along with the hurdles, the high jump is a huge swing event. The favorite has to be Milton's Marcus Kohlman who has been clearing 5-11 consistently. Eric Wornum has cleared 5-7, giving Milton a good 1-2 punch. But Newton's Sam Arsenault is capable of jumping 6-1 on a good day. If he wins, it bolsters North's chances considerably. David Smith will also jump for Newton. Could he possibly take 3rd? My projection: 6-3 Milton.
And that brings us to the relay with the score at 41-40 Milton. I'm not going to make any predictions about the outcome of that race, but I will predict that if the result of the meet hinges on the relay, the entire building will be ROCKING.
Good luck to both schools, and may the best team win!
The two teams are very evenly matched. Milton has Eric Wornum, the fastest runner in the league, who is likely to win both the 55 and 300. North dominates the shot put, and has depth in all events. I think the meet will be won or lost in the battles for 2nd and 3rd places, and of course, it could very well come down to the relay.
Here's a preview of each event along the way:
1M: Seb Putzys is running extremely well and will be the favorite to win the mile. The only Milton runner who has a time within 10 seconds of Seb is Kevin Manning, but he will most likely stay in the 1000m. Instead, Milton will probably run Stephen Connors in the mile to try to nail down 2nd place. If Greg Cohan or Alex Ribner can come through to take 2nd it would be a huge swing in favor of North, but it would be a long shot. My projection: 6-3 Newton.
1000m: Assuming he runs this event, Kevin Manning is the favorite over Peter Sun, but the battle for 3rd will be significant. Matt Gornstein has had two great races in a row, and has excellent finishing speed. He'll most likely be battling Aaron Nemzer for the last scoring place. My projection: 5-4 Milton.
600m: Alex Lee ran a PR last week and looked very strong. Nothing is certain in the 600, but he is the favorite over Milton's Shane Setalsingh. Once again, the battle for third will be fierce, with four runners having PRs within a second of each other. My projection: 6-3 Newton.
300m: Wornum is the clear favorite in one of the best races of the day. Newton North's Avery Mitchell is also very strong and could conceivably pull off an upset. However, Mitchell must make sure to get second ahead of a hard-charging Paul Connor. My projection: 6-3 Milton.
55 dash: Wornum again. He has the fastest time in the league and is the favorite to win, although Gordon Forbes can't be counted out. If North doesn't get the victory, they'll be looking for Forbes and Hymlaire Lamisere to take 2nd and 3rd. The race for the last spots will be very close, though, decided by a lean. My projection: 5-4 Milton.
55 hurdles: One of the most important events of the meet. Milton's Chris Moore is the clear favorite, having run 8.33 last week. AJ Nelson had a great race last week and is a definite threat to take 2nd ahead of North's Ryan McCarthy. Will Hui is also in the hunt, as he went under 9.00 last week. If McCarthy can take second it will be a huge gain for North. My projection: 8-1 Milton.
2M: Milton's Ryan Connors owns a 10:31 from last week, and if he can duplicate or improve on that it will be tough for Alex Gurvitz and Ben Chebot to catch him. Still, Gurvitz and Chebot are great competitors and will make a race of it. My projection: 5-4 Milton.
SP: On paper, this is the most one-sided event of the meet, as Milton hasn't had a shot putter over 38 feet and North has three who have thrown 44. They all have to get off legal throws, though. My projection: 9-0 Newton.
HJ: Along with the hurdles, the high jump is a huge swing event. The favorite has to be Milton's Marcus Kohlman who has been clearing 5-11 consistently. Eric Wornum has cleared 5-7, giving Milton a good 1-2 punch. But Newton's Sam Arsenault is capable of jumping 6-1 on a good day. If he wins, it bolsters North's chances considerably. David Smith will also jump for Newton. Could he possibly take 3rd? My projection: 6-3 Milton.
And that brings us to the relay with the score at 41-40 Milton. I'm not going to make any predictions about the outcome of that race, but I will predict that if the result of the meet hinges on the relay, the entire building will be ROCKING.
Good luck to both schools, and may the best team win!
January 29, 2007
Girls DMR Sets Meet Record at McIntyre Relays
The Newton North girls DMR team of Carolyn Ranti (1200), Emma Kornetsky (400), Kat Chiong (800), and Jess Barton (1600) ran to victory and a meet and school record at the Bob McIntyre Elite Relays on Sunday, clocking 12:13.69 to smash the old record by 2.5 seconds. Barton's anchor leg of 4:59 brought the Tigers to the finish almost a full lap ahead of second-place Westerly, RI. The same four runners teamed up to run another outstanding race in the 4x800, running 9:28.48 to place second behind Lincoln-Sudbury (9:18.21).
North's girls shot put relay placed 8th.
North Boys Win 4x50
The Newton North boys sprint team of Gordan Forbes, Troy Peterson, Hymlaire Lamisere, and Ryan McCarthy won the 4x50m shuttle relay in 22.23, 0.3 off the meet record set by Newton North last year. In the 4x200, Avery Mitchell, Lamisere, Abasu Watanabe, and Adam Bao combined to run 1:34.45, good enough for sixth overall. In the 4x400, Alex Lee joined Bao, Watanabe, and Mitchell to run 3:31.33 for 8th.
North's long jump relay placed fourth (58-10), while the high jump was 10th (17-0).
McIntyre Elite Relays Results
North's girls shot put relay placed 8th.
North Boys Win 4x50
The Newton North boys sprint team of Gordan Forbes, Troy Peterson, Hymlaire Lamisere, and Ryan McCarthy won the 4x50m shuttle relay in 22.23, 0.3 off the meet record set by Newton North last year. In the 4x200, Avery Mitchell, Lamisere, Abasu Watanabe, and Adam Bao combined to run 1:34.45, good enough for sixth overall. In the 4x400, Alex Lee joined Bao, Watanabe, and Mitchell to run 3:31.33 for 8th.
North's long jump relay placed fourth (58-10), while the high jump was 10th (17-0).
McIntyre Elite Relays Results
January 27, 2007
NNHS Alumni Results - 1/27/07
More news from our far flung alumni:
Dan King (NNHS Class of 2003) won his heat and finished 5th overall in the 400m at the BU Terrier Classic on 1/27, recording a tome of 47.61. That's flying, even for the former Mass. State 200M champ! (By the way, at the same meet, many former MA HS runners ran PRs in the 1M, including Sean Quigley (4:02.94!!), Nick Goodman (4:03:13!), Mike Banks (4:03.48!), Keith Gill (4:07.22, and still the fastest in the family), Eric Ashe (4:14.71), and Bay Staters: Matias Carrasco (4:22.24) and Joe Ruvido (4:39.19). Also, in the 3000m Dedham alum Rex Radloff ran an outstanding time of 8:31.43, which converts to about a 9:10 2-Mile!)
Results of BU Terrier Classic (Men) - 1/27/07
There are several Newton North alumnae at Wesleyan, and I've been overlooking their results the last couple of weeks. Steph O'Brien won the 800m at the Cardinal Invitational held in Middletown, Ct. on 1/20 in a time of 2:23.88. O'Brien also anchored the winning 4x400 relay. Anna Schindler finished 2nd in the 3000m in 10:53.82. Yesterday, Wesleyan hosted the much larger Wesleyan Invitational. O'Brien won the 500m in 1:18.37, and Schindler placed 3rd in the mile in 5:26.78.
Another meet I missed: Middlebury competed last Friday, Jan. 19, in a tri-meet with McGill and UVM. Sophomore Simone Weisman (NNHS class of 2005) won the 600 meters with a time of 1:41.12.
Doug Brecher ran a strong double at the Univ. of Southern Maine Invite on Saturday, placing 2nd (by 0.2s) in the 3000m in 9:20.36, and 6th in the mile in 4:44.46.
Noah Jampol moved up to run the 3000 for Johns Hopkins at the Haverford-McElligott Invitational, finishing in 9:07.04. He probably can't wait to drop back down to the mile and 1000m.
Good to see Dan Chebot back in action. Chebot, a sophomore at Rochester ran 4:43.81 for the mile at the St. Lawrence Indoor Invitational on Saturday.
Dan King (NNHS Class of 2003) won his heat and finished 5th overall in the 400m at the BU Terrier Classic on 1/27, recording a tome of 47.61. That's flying, even for the former Mass. State 200M champ! (By the way, at the same meet, many former MA HS runners ran PRs in the 1M, including Sean Quigley (4:02.94!!), Nick Goodman (4:03:13!), Mike Banks (4:03.48!), Keith Gill (4:07.22, and still the fastest in the family), Eric Ashe (4:14.71), and Bay Staters: Matias Carrasco (4:22.24) and Joe Ruvido (4:39.19). Also, in the 3000m Dedham alum Rex Radloff ran an outstanding time of 8:31.43, which converts to about a 9:10 2-Mile!)
Results of BU Terrier Classic (Men) - 1/27/07
There are several Newton North alumnae at Wesleyan, and I've been overlooking their results the last couple of weeks. Steph O'Brien won the 800m at the Cardinal Invitational held in Middletown, Ct. on 1/20 in a time of 2:23.88. O'Brien also anchored the winning 4x400 relay. Anna Schindler finished 2nd in the 3000m in 10:53.82. Yesterday, Wesleyan hosted the much larger Wesleyan Invitational. O'Brien won the 500m in 1:18.37, and Schindler placed 3rd in the mile in 5:26.78.
Another meet I missed: Middlebury competed last Friday, Jan. 19, in a tri-meet with McGill and UVM. Sophomore Simone Weisman (NNHS class of 2005) won the 600 meters with a time of 1:41.12.
Doug Brecher ran a strong double at the Univ. of Southern Maine Invite on Saturday, placing 2nd (by 0.2s) in the 3000m in 9:20.36, and 6th in the mile in 4:44.46.
Noah Jampol moved up to run the 3000 for Johns Hopkins at the Haverford-McElligott Invitational, finishing in 9:07.04. He probably can't wait to drop back down to the mile and 1000m.
Good to see Dan Chebot back in action. Chebot, a sophomore at Rochester ran 4:43.81 for the mile at the St. Lawrence Indoor Invitational on Saturday.
January 26, 2007
Bay State Meet results - 1/25/2007
Another exciting day in the Bay State League, as the Milton boys staged an exciting victory over Wellesley to win the Herget division title and set up a showdown next Thursday against perpetual Carey division champ Newton North. Another great match-up is in the offing on the girls side, as Wellesley locked up the Herget with an impressively easy win over Milton, and North dominated Framingham to win the Carey. Wellesley-Newton North should be a good meet. I'll save the previews for another day, but already the anticipation builds.
Results of Bay State Meet #5
In addition to the team battles, the fifth meet of the year yielded a slew of impressive individual results. Jordan Maddocks jumped a PR 6-9 in the high jump and his teammate Aaron Everette also PR'd at 6-5. It never gets old to watch someone jump over a bar that is higher than their own head. In the shot put, David Smith uncorked a winning throw of 56-1, but not far behind was Dedham's Dan Withrow at 54-10.50. That was 10' better than the next thrower! Eric Wornum had himself a fast day, running an eye-opening 6.59 in the dash and 36.08 in the 300 (he also high jumped 5-7). Wornum will be a big problem for Newton North next week. Seb Putzys had the fastest time of the day in the mile and broke 4:40 for the first time, running nearly a 4-second PR of 4:36.90. Alex Lee showed that his hard work is paying off as he went out fast in the 600 and hung on for his fastest time of the year in 1:28.84. In the 2-Mile, Brookline's Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot (10:09.05) won an exciting race over Wellesley's Will Volkman (10:12.26). Alex Gurvitz ran a PR 10:43.70 to take 6th overall.
For the girls, Kat Chiong (1:41.96) and Emma Kornetsky (1:42.99) had the two fastest times of the meet in the 600. Arie Sanchez had the fastest time of the meet in the 55 (7.79). Michelle Kaufman ran a very good race in the hurdles to record the day's fastest time of 9.31. Carolyn Ranti once again had the fastest time in the 1000, running a ridiculously even-paced race to finish in 3:10.00. Ranti's solid pacing helped Weymouth's Sam Sacchetti (3:11.28) and Carolyn Connolly (3:11.67) record personal bests as well. In a very encouraging development, Lily Brown ran her first track race of the winter and had the day's second fastest time in the 300 at 44.10. Lily's return bodes well for North's overall depth and the chances of its 4x400 relay team. In the mile, Nora Barnicle set a PR in the mile (5:35.41), but fell victim to a devastating kick by Weymouth's Nicole Pearce (5:31.96).
In the 2-mile, Needham's Emily Lipman scored an upset over Kristen Mahoney, winning in what I believe is a personal best 11:45.35. North's Adina Hemley-Bronstein (12:25) and Franca Godenzi (12:31) finished 3rd and 4th.
Bay State League Standings
Carey Division - Boys
Newton North 5-0
Brookline 4-1
Weymouth 3-2
Framingham 2-3
Braintree 1-4
Needham 0-5
Carey Division - Girls
Newton North 5-0
Weymouth 4-1
Brookline 3-2
Braintree 2-3
Framingham 1-4
Needham 0-5
Herget Division - Boys
Milton 5-0
Wellesley 3-2
Walpole 3-2
Dedham 2-3
Natick 2-3
Norwood 0-5
Herget Division - Girls
Wellesley 5-0
Natick 4-1
Walpole 3-2
Milton 2-3
Dedham 1-4
Norwood 0-5
Results of Bay State Meet #5
In addition to the team battles, the fifth meet of the year yielded a slew of impressive individual results. Jordan Maddocks jumped a PR 6-9 in the high jump and his teammate Aaron Everette also PR'd at 6-5. It never gets old to watch someone jump over a bar that is higher than their own head. In the shot put, David Smith uncorked a winning throw of 56-1, but not far behind was Dedham's Dan Withrow at 54-10.50. That was 10' better than the next thrower! Eric Wornum had himself a fast day, running an eye-opening 6.59 in the dash and 36.08 in the 300 (he also high jumped 5-7). Wornum will be a big problem for Newton North next week. Seb Putzys had the fastest time of the day in the mile and broke 4:40 for the first time, running nearly a 4-second PR of 4:36.90. Alex Lee showed that his hard work is paying off as he went out fast in the 600 and hung on for his fastest time of the year in 1:28.84. In the 2-Mile, Brookline's Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot (10:09.05) won an exciting race over Wellesley's Will Volkman (10:12.26). Alex Gurvitz ran a PR 10:43.70 to take 6th overall.
For the girls, Kat Chiong (1:41.96) and Emma Kornetsky (1:42.99) had the two fastest times of the meet in the 600. Arie Sanchez had the fastest time of the meet in the 55 (7.79). Michelle Kaufman ran a very good race in the hurdles to record the day's fastest time of 9.31. Carolyn Ranti once again had the fastest time in the 1000, running a ridiculously even-paced race to finish in 3:10.00. Ranti's solid pacing helped Weymouth's Sam Sacchetti (3:11.28) and Carolyn Connolly (3:11.67) record personal bests as well. In a very encouraging development, Lily Brown ran her first track race of the winter and had the day's second fastest time in the 300 at 44.10. Lily's return bodes well for North's overall depth and the chances of its 4x400 relay team. In the mile, Nora Barnicle set a PR in the mile (5:35.41), but fell victim to a devastating kick by Weymouth's Nicole Pearce (5:31.96).
In the 2-mile, Needham's Emily Lipman scored an upset over Kristen Mahoney, winning in what I believe is a personal best 11:45.35. North's Adina Hemley-Bronstein (12:25) and Franca Godenzi (12:31) finished 3rd and 4th.
Bay State League Standings
Carey Division - Boys
Newton North 5-0
Brookline 4-1
Weymouth 3-2
Framingham 2-3
Braintree 1-4
Needham 0-5
Carey Division - Girls
Newton North 5-0
Weymouth 4-1
Brookline 3-2
Braintree 2-3
Framingham 1-4
Needham 0-5
Herget Division - Boys
Milton 5-0
Wellesley 3-2
Walpole 3-2
Dedham 2-3
Natick 2-3
Norwood 0-5
Herget Division - Girls
Wellesley 5-0
Natick 4-1
Walpole 3-2
Milton 2-3
Dedham 1-4
Norwood 0-5
January 25, 2007
Track rats
I'll be heading over to the Reggie Lewis Center again this afternoon for a Bay State meet. I was just there last night for a track workout. I'll be there again on Saturday for the Boston Indoor Games. Sunday is the McIntyre Elite Relays.
Last Sunday I spent much of the day at the Harvard track for the Greater Boston Track Club meet. I know a bunch of people running Saturday at the Terrier Classic at BU -- maybe I should drop in to watch them.
In basketball, they are called "gym rats," those kids who are always hanging around the gym, shooting hoops or watching games. They never seem to leave. They spend more time at the gym than at their own houses. By this time of the winter, I feel like a track rat. I spend so much time at Reggie that i should have my mail delivered there. I've become such a familiar face to the staff that they no longer bother swiping my card, but just wave me in.
Whether it's watching a meet, running a race, or doing yet another interval workout, my life seems to revolve around my trips to and from the indoor track. I feel i could use a change of pace, but what's a runner to do in the middle of winter? I can't very well run 400s outdoors at night in this weather. Plus everyone else is at the track, and the camaraderie is one of the things that gets us through the hardships of the season.
I've come to appreciate the different mood of Reggie on different nights. Once the high school meets clear out, the adults take over. Tuesday night is a circus, with dozens of groups careening around the track in what seems like a non-stop orgy of anaerobic excess. Wednesday night is quietly efficient, with the BAA runners swiftly circling the track with effortless speed. Thursday is busier, but not crazy like Tuesday. The GBTC folks are there, along with several colleges. Everybody knows everybody. Somehow the distance runners and sprinters manage to share the six lanes of blue tartan without mishap.
After running, you would think we would want to get out of there as fast as possible, but no, we linger. We talk about races run and races to come. We talk about who looks good and who's injured. We reminisce. If they didn't turn the lights out, we might never leave.
Last Sunday I spent much of the day at the Harvard track for the Greater Boston Track Club meet. I know a bunch of people running Saturday at the Terrier Classic at BU -- maybe I should drop in to watch them.
In basketball, they are called "gym rats," those kids who are always hanging around the gym, shooting hoops or watching games. They never seem to leave. They spend more time at the gym than at their own houses. By this time of the winter, I feel like a track rat. I spend so much time at Reggie that i should have my mail delivered there. I've become such a familiar face to the staff that they no longer bother swiping my card, but just wave me in.
Whether it's watching a meet, running a race, or doing yet another interval workout, my life seems to revolve around my trips to and from the indoor track. I feel i could use a change of pace, but what's a runner to do in the middle of winter? I can't very well run 400s outdoors at night in this weather. Plus everyone else is at the track, and the camaraderie is one of the things that gets us through the hardships of the season.
I've come to appreciate the different mood of Reggie on different nights. Once the high school meets clear out, the adults take over. Tuesday night is a circus, with dozens of groups careening around the track in what seems like a non-stop orgy of anaerobic excess. Wednesday night is quietly efficient, with the BAA runners swiftly circling the track with effortless speed. Thursday is busier, but not crazy like Tuesday. The GBTC folks are there, along with several colleges. Everybody knows everybody. Somehow the distance runners and sprinters manage to share the six lanes of blue tartan without mishap.
After running, you would think we would want to get out of there as fast as possible, but no, we linger. We talk about races run and races to come. We talk about who looks good and who's injured. We reminisce. If they didn't turn the lights out, we might never leave.
January 20, 2007
NNHS Alumni Results - 1/20/07
These alumni were in action on Saturday:
At the Razorback Invite in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Chris Barnicle took another step back to fitness after suffering first low iron, and then mono this fall. Chris ran 4:17.44 for the mile, a time well off his best, but another chance to regain strength in real races.
At the Tufts Indoor Invitational, Thomas Foote (Amherst) finished 10th in the 500, a new event for him, I believe, running 1:11.69.
In the same meet, Doug Brecher (Bates) dropped down to the 1000, and ran 2:48.03.
At the Razorback Invite in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Chris Barnicle took another step back to fitness after suffering first low iron, and then mono this fall. Chris ran 4:17.44 for the mile, a time well off his best, but another chance to regain strength in real races.
At the Tufts Indoor Invitational, Thomas Foote (Amherst) finished 10th in the 500, a new event for him, I believe, running 1:11.69.
In the same meet, Doug Brecher (Bates) dropped down to the 1000, and ran 2:48.03.
January 18, 2007
The All-State Meet Should Not be a Team Championship
It doesn't make sense to me that Indoor Track, alone among MIAA sports, holds both statewide divisional team competitions and an "all-state" team competition that combines all the divisions. Other MIAA sports do one of the following:
1. Hold statewide team championships by division (Baseball, Basketball, Cross-Country, Field Hockey, Football, Golf, Hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Swimming and Diving, Tennis, Volleyball, Wrestling)
2. For sports with smaller numbers, hold regional meets (all divisions) followed by a single statewide team championship (Alpine Skiing, Nordic Skiing, Gymnastics)
(Outdoor track doesn't really fit in either category, since it holds regional divisional Meets, followed by a single statewide competition. As with indoor track, I like the all-state meet format for individuals, but not for teams. The problem is that if you eliminated the team competition from the all-state meet in outdoor track, you would be left with NO statewide team championships, so outdoor track can stay the way it is.)
However, it makes NO sense to me to hold a statewide team championship for Division I, and then the next week hold an All-State team championship for all divisions. Here are six reasons why I think it's a flawed idea:
1. It dilutes the meaning of the State Division Championships. Other sports don't create this dilution; why does indoor track?
2. The division championship is a truer test of team strength. While the division championships are truly team competitions, the All-State meet tends to be dominated by a much smaller number of outstanding individuals. Indeed, it is quite possible for a "team" to win the All-State meet with one or two athletes.
3. It values the same performances differently. What I mean is, the exact same performance (time, distance, height) will typically earn a different score in the divisional meet than in the all-state meet. Theoretically two teams could perform IDENTICALLY in the two meets, but Team A wins the first meet, and Team B wins the second.
4. It creates a conflict between competing as an individual and competing as a team. The divisional meet is the perfect meet to focus on team performance; the all-state meet is the perfect meet to focus on individual performance. But because there is a team competition at all-state, athletes are competing in multiple events for team points (perhaps weakening their chances in individual events), or competing in events that are not their best. Coaches and athletes make decisions about which events to run in the divisional meets based on maximizing team points. For example, a natural two-miler runs in the mile to have more time to recover for the 4x800 relay. One of the best high jumpers in the state fails to qualify because after doubling in the 600, he misses three times at a height he could clear easily were his legs not completely dead from his race.
I acknowledge that these conflicts might occur anyway, but the chase for team points makes them more frequent. Of course, since the State Division championships serve as qualifier for the All-State championships, once committed to an event, the athlete is locked in. So if the 4x800 team fails to advance, the two-miler who entered the mile to have more time to recover for the relay, can't switch but must stay in the mile.
5. For all the but the very deepest teams, the all-state meet involves a tiny fraction of the actual team. For example, last year at the Indoor All-State Meet, Brookline won with six athletes scoring. Xaverian, third, scored 20 points in three events with five athletes. Minnechaug, fourth, scored 18 points in two events with four athletes. (Newton was an exception, scoring 21 points with 9 athletes.) In the girls meet, I'm not sure how many athletes scored for Acton-Boxboro, but the second-place team, Wachusett scored 22 points in two events with four athletes. Newton South tied for third with 20 points, using five athletes. Medford also had twenty points with only one athlete (Aranxta King)!
6. And finally, the result is often an anti-climax. At the conclusion of last year's all-state meet, the few remaining members of the Brookline team seemed bemused that they had won. They had not realized that their team had been in contention. When the trophies were presented, there were only a handful of people left in the Reggie Lewis Center.
So let's keep the meet, but change the focus. Make it a championship for the individual athletes, not the teams.
1. Hold statewide team championships by division (Baseball, Basketball, Cross-Country, Field Hockey, Football, Golf, Hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Swimming and Diving, Tennis, Volleyball, Wrestling)
2. For sports with smaller numbers, hold regional meets (all divisions) followed by a single statewide team championship (Alpine Skiing, Nordic Skiing, Gymnastics)
(Outdoor track doesn't really fit in either category, since it holds regional divisional Meets, followed by a single statewide competition. As with indoor track, I like the all-state meet format for individuals, but not for teams. The problem is that if you eliminated the team competition from the all-state meet in outdoor track, you would be left with NO statewide team championships, so outdoor track can stay the way it is.)
However, it makes NO sense to me to hold a statewide team championship for Division I, and then the next week hold an All-State team championship for all divisions. Here are six reasons why I think it's a flawed idea:
1. It dilutes the meaning of the State Division Championships. Other sports don't create this dilution; why does indoor track?
2. The division championship is a truer test of team strength. While the division championships are truly team competitions, the All-State meet tends to be dominated by a much smaller number of outstanding individuals. Indeed, it is quite possible for a "team" to win the All-State meet with one or two athletes.
3. It values the same performances differently. What I mean is, the exact same performance (time, distance, height) will typically earn a different score in the divisional meet than in the all-state meet. Theoretically two teams could perform IDENTICALLY in the two meets, but Team A wins the first meet, and Team B wins the second.
4. It creates a conflict between competing as an individual and competing as a team. The divisional meet is the perfect meet to focus on team performance; the all-state meet is the perfect meet to focus on individual performance. But because there is a team competition at all-state, athletes are competing in multiple events for team points (perhaps weakening their chances in individual events), or competing in events that are not their best. Coaches and athletes make decisions about which events to run in the divisional meets based on maximizing team points. For example, a natural two-miler runs in the mile to have more time to recover for the 4x800 relay. One of the best high jumpers in the state fails to qualify because after doubling in the 600, he misses three times at a height he could clear easily were his legs not completely dead from his race.
I acknowledge that these conflicts might occur anyway, but the chase for team points makes them more frequent. Of course, since the State Division championships serve as qualifier for the All-State championships, once committed to an event, the athlete is locked in. So if the 4x800 team fails to advance, the two-miler who entered the mile to have more time to recover for the relay, can't switch but must stay in the mile.
5. For all the but the very deepest teams, the all-state meet involves a tiny fraction of the actual team. For example, last year at the Indoor All-State Meet, Brookline won with six athletes scoring. Xaverian, third, scored 20 points in three events with five athletes. Minnechaug, fourth, scored 18 points in two events with four athletes. (Newton was an exception, scoring 21 points with 9 athletes.) In the girls meet, I'm not sure how many athletes scored for Acton-Boxboro, but the second-place team, Wachusett scored 22 points in two events with four athletes. Newton South tied for third with 20 points, using five athletes. Medford also had twenty points with only one athlete (Aranxta King)!
6. And finally, the result is often an anti-climax. At the conclusion of last year's all-state meet, the few remaining members of the Brookline team seemed bemused that they had won. They had not realized that their team had been in contention. When the trophies were presented, there were only a handful of people left in the Reggie Lewis Center.
So let's keep the meet, but change the focus. Make it a championship for the individual athletes, not the teams.
January 17, 2007
Happy Birthday, Kip Keino!
Kipchoge ("Kip") Keino turns 66 today. For those of you too young to remember, there was a time when Kenya was not known for producing world class middle distance runners. Kip Keino was one of the first Kenyans to win at the highest levels, and his success has inspired Kenyan runners ever since.
As a 24-year-old, Keino went to the Summer Olympics in Tokyo and finished 5th in the 5000m and missed the final of the 1500m. The next year he broke out, setting world records at both 3000m and 5000m. He won the mile and 3-mile at the 1966 Commonwealth Games. In the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, he contested three events: the 10,000m, the 5000m, and the 1500m. He dropped out of the 10,000 after suffering severe gastrointestinal pain, which was caused by a gall bladder infection (diagnosed after the games). In the 5000m, he finished second, narrowly missing the gold. Then, in his sixth race of the games, he beat the unbeatable Jim Ryun of the U.S. in the 1500m by rocketing into the lead early, running the first 800m in 1:55.3. His victory -- the first ever gold medal for an African athlete in the 1500m -- inspired a generation of young African runners. Four years later in Munich, he won Olympic Gold again in the 3000m steeplechase and silver in the 1500m.
Since retiring from running, Keino has spent much of his energy on humanitarian causes. He runs a charitable organization in Western Kenya for orphans. According to Wikipedia he is also president of the Kenyan Olympic Committee, and in 1996 was inducted into the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame.
January 14, 2007
MSTCA Div I STate Relays Results
They won three events (Sprint medley, Distance medley, Shot Put), finished 2nd AND 5th in the 4x50 hurdle relay, and scored in three other events, but in the end the Newton North girls were one point short against Lincoln-Sudbury, which won the Div I State Relays yesterday with 49 points.
Coach Joe Tranchita was pleased with the outstanding effort of the team, especially the underclassmen who handled the pressure of the meet with poise.
In the winning sprint medley, Jess Barton opened a big lead with a 2:21 opening 800, and the team never trailed. Barton handed off to Arie Sanchez (28.2 200), who held the lead for Kat Chiong (28.0 200), before Emma Kornetsky sealed the win with a 61.2 final 400. In the winning distance medley, Carolyn Ranti took the lead from the gun and pulled away from the field with a 3:51 opening 1200. Emma Kornetsky (62) and Kat Chiong (2:27) extended the lead to 50 meters, before Kat handed off to Barton, who was never challenged. In the shot put, Tracy Isman threw over 32 feet for the first time this year, and Lily Brown and Morgan Faer were just under 30 feet as the team recorded an aggregate distance of 93-1 for a convincing win.
Meanwhile, the boys got a second in the 4x200, a fourth in the 4x400 (after the winning team was disqualified for a uniform violation), and sixth in the high jump to score 13 points and tie for 10th place. The Tigers' best hope for a gold medal might have been the shot put, but after three fouls, Marvin Chan didn't have a legal throw and the team was given "No distance."
Newton North Girls Results
Girls 4x50 Yard Relay
5 Newton North H.S. 'A' 25.84 9 2
13 Newton North H.S. 'B' 26.73 7
Girls 4x200 Meter Relay
36 Newton North H.S. 'A' 2:03.43 1
39 Newton North H.S. 'B' 2:06.98 1
Girls 4x400 Meter Relay
12 Newton North H.S. 'A' 4:23.29 3
Girls 4x800 Meter Relay
8 Newton North H.S. 'A' 10:24.54
Girls 1600 Sprint Medley
1 Newton North H.S. 'A' 4:19.21 4 10
Girls Distance Medley
1 Newton North H.S. 'A' 12:32.54 10
Girls 4x50 Yard Shuttle Hurdle
2 Newton North H.S. 'A' 30.26 5 8
5 Newton North H.S. 'B' 32.39 3 2
Girls High Jump
3 Newton North, Girls Newton No. 4.32m 14-02.00 6
Girls Long Jump
8 Newton North, Girls Newton No. 12.95m 42-06.00
Girls Shot Put
1 Newton North, Girls Newton No. 28.37m 93-01.00 10
Team Scores:
1) LINCOLN-SUDBURY REG. H.S. 49
2) NEWTON NORTH H.S. 48
3) ACTON-BOXBORO REG. H.S. 28
3) NEWTON SOUTH H.S. 28
5) NEW BEDFORD H.S. 26
6) ANDOVER HS 24
6) BRIDGEWATER-RAYNHAM R.H.S 24
8) WEYMOUTH H.S. 19
9) ATTLEBORO H.S. 18
10) WACHUSETT REG.-HOLDEN 11
11) LOWELL H.S. 6
11) HAVERHILL H.S. 6
11) QUINCY/NO. QUINCY COOP 6
14) LEXINGTON H.S. 5
14) METHUEN H.S. 5
16) BROCKTON H.S. 4
17) AMHERST REG. H.S. 1
17) CHELMSFORD H.S. 1
17) SOMERVILLE H.S. 1
Newton North Boys Results
Boys 4x50 Yard Relay
36 Newton North H.S. 'A' 25.19 10
Boys 4x200 Meter Relay
2 Newton North H.S. 'A' 1:35.41 9 8
Boys 4x400 Meter Relay
4 Newton North H.S. 'A' 3:33.55 6 4
Boys 4x800 Meter Relay
12 Newton North H.S. 'A' 8:42.53
Boys Distance Medley
16 Newton North H.S. 'A' 11:19.71
Boys 4x50 Yard Shuttle Hurdle
13 Newton North H.S. 'A' 30.01 4
Boys High Jump
6 Newton North, Boys Newton No. J5.10m 16-08.75 1
Boys Long Jump
-- Newton North, Boys Newton No. ND
Boys Shot Put
-- Newton North, Boys Newton No. ND
Team Scores:
1) ST. JOHN'S PREP-DANVERS 46
2) BROCKTON H.S. 40
3) XAVERIAN BROS H.S-.WESTWOO 26
4) ST. JOHN'S H.S.-SHREWSBRY 25
5) BOSTON COLLEGE H.S.-DORCH 22
6) LINCOLN-SUDBURY REG. H.S. 20
7) NEW BEDFORD H.S. 17
8) NEWTON SOUTH H.S. 15
9) ATTLEBORO H.S. 14
10) NEWTON NORTH H.S. 13
10) HAVERHILL H.S. 13
12) LEXINGTON H.S. 12
13) FRAMINGHAM H.S. 10
13) ANDOVER HS 10
15) WEYMOUTH H.S. 7
16) BROOKLINE H.S. 6
16) CHELMSFORD H.S. 6
18) LOWELL H.S. 3
19) METHUEN H.S. 2
19) REVERE H.S. 2
21) SOMERVILLE H.S. 1
Coach Joe Tranchita was pleased with the outstanding effort of the team, especially the underclassmen who handled the pressure of the meet with poise.
In the winning sprint medley, Jess Barton opened a big lead with a 2:21 opening 800, and the team never trailed. Barton handed off to Arie Sanchez (28.2 200), who held the lead for Kat Chiong (28.0 200), before Emma Kornetsky sealed the win with a 61.2 final 400. In the winning distance medley, Carolyn Ranti took the lead from the gun and pulled away from the field with a 3:51 opening 1200. Emma Kornetsky (62) and Kat Chiong (2:27) extended the lead to 50 meters, before Kat handed off to Barton, who was never challenged. In the shot put, Tracy Isman threw over 32 feet for the first time this year, and Lily Brown and Morgan Faer were just under 30 feet as the team recorded an aggregate distance of 93-1 for a convincing win.
Meanwhile, the boys got a second in the 4x200, a fourth in the 4x400 (after the winning team was disqualified for a uniform violation), and sixth in the high jump to score 13 points and tie for 10th place. The Tigers' best hope for a gold medal might have been the shot put, but after three fouls, Marvin Chan didn't have a legal throw and the team was given "No distance."
Newton North Girls Results
Girls 4x50 Yard Relay
5 Newton North H.S. 'A' 25.84 9 2
13 Newton North H.S. 'B' 26.73 7
Girls 4x200 Meter Relay
36 Newton North H.S. 'A' 2:03.43 1
39 Newton North H.S. 'B' 2:06.98 1
Girls 4x400 Meter Relay
12 Newton North H.S. 'A' 4:23.29 3
Girls 4x800 Meter Relay
8 Newton North H.S. 'A' 10:24.54
Girls 1600 Sprint Medley
1 Newton North H.S. 'A' 4:19.21 4 10
Girls Distance Medley
1 Newton North H.S. 'A' 12:32.54 10
Girls 4x50 Yard Shuttle Hurdle
2 Newton North H.S. 'A' 30.26 5 8
5 Newton North H.S. 'B' 32.39 3 2
Girls High Jump
3 Newton North, Girls Newton No. 4.32m 14-02.00 6
Girls Long Jump
8 Newton North, Girls Newton No. 12.95m 42-06.00
Girls Shot Put
1 Newton North, Girls Newton No. 28.37m 93-01.00 10
Team Scores:
1) LINCOLN-SUDBURY REG. H.S. 49
2) NEWTON NORTH H.S. 48
3) ACTON-BOXBORO REG. H.S. 28
3) NEWTON SOUTH H.S. 28
5) NEW BEDFORD H.S. 26
6) ANDOVER HS 24
6) BRIDGEWATER-RAYNHAM R.H.S 24
8) WEYMOUTH H.S. 19
9) ATTLEBORO H.S. 18
10) WACHUSETT REG.-HOLDEN 11
11) LOWELL H.S. 6
11) HAVERHILL H.S. 6
11) QUINCY/NO. QUINCY COOP 6
14) LEXINGTON H.S. 5
14) METHUEN H.S. 5
16) BROCKTON H.S. 4
17) AMHERST REG. H.S. 1
17) CHELMSFORD H.S. 1
17) SOMERVILLE H.S. 1
Newton North Boys Results
Boys 4x50 Yard Relay
36 Newton North H.S. 'A' 25.19 10
Boys 4x200 Meter Relay
2 Newton North H.S. 'A' 1:35.41 9 8
Boys 4x400 Meter Relay
4 Newton North H.S. 'A' 3:33.55 6 4
Boys 4x800 Meter Relay
12 Newton North H.S. 'A' 8:42.53
Boys Distance Medley
16 Newton North H.S. 'A' 11:19.71
Boys 4x50 Yard Shuttle Hurdle
13 Newton North H.S. 'A' 30.01 4
Boys High Jump
6 Newton North, Boys Newton No. J5.10m 16-08.75 1
Boys Long Jump
-- Newton North, Boys Newton No. ND
Boys Shot Put
-- Newton North, Boys Newton No. ND
Team Scores:
1) ST. JOHN'S PREP-DANVERS 46
2) BROCKTON H.S. 40
3) XAVERIAN BROS H.S-.WESTWOO 26
4) ST. JOHN'S H.S.-SHREWSBRY 25
5) BOSTON COLLEGE H.S.-DORCH 22
6) LINCOLN-SUDBURY REG. H.S. 20
7) NEW BEDFORD H.S. 17
8) NEWTON SOUTH H.S. 15
9) ATTLEBORO H.S. 14
10) NEWTON NORTH H.S. 13
10) HAVERHILL H.S. 13
12) LEXINGTON H.S. 12
13) FRAMINGHAM H.S. 10
13) ANDOVER HS 10
15) WEYMOUTH H.S. 7
16) BROOKLINE H.S. 6
16) CHELMSFORD H.S. 6
18) LOWELL H.S. 3
19) METHUEN H.S. 2
19) REVERE H.S. 2
21) SOMERVILLE H.S. 1
January 13, 2007
NNHS Alumni Indoor Results - 1/13/07
I'll update this entry as results are posted.
At the Arkansas Invitational on Friday, Chris Barnicle ran his first track race in over nine months, leading off for the Arkansas distance medley relay team. Chris, who battled anemia and then mono this fall, felt a little rusty on his way to a 3:05 for 1200 meters, but is glad to be back in action. He also points out that this was the first time he has ever led a college race!
Also on Friday, Noah Jampol competed at the Gotham Invite at the Armory in NYC. In the 1000, Jampol ran 2:38.14 to finish second in his heat. Later, he ran a 4:30 1600 split for the Johns Hopkins DMR team, which ran 10:53 to finish 12th.
Amherst College sophomore Thomas Foote (NNHS Class of 2005) ran 1:27.82 in the 600m at the Tufts Invitational on Saturday. Two other Bay Staters now teammates at U Lowell ran the 1000: Rex Radloff (Dedham Class of 2005) finished 3rd in 2:37.45 and Matias Carrasco (Brookline Class of 2006) finished 9th in 2:39.34.
Tufts Invite Men's Results
Doug Brecher ran his first indoor race of the year, running 9:35.44 for 3K at a tri-meet in Lewiston between Bates, MIT, and Coast Guard.
At the Arkansas Invitational on Friday, Chris Barnicle ran his first track race in over nine months, leading off for the Arkansas distance medley relay team. Chris, who battled anemia and then mono this fall, felt a little rusty on his way to a 3:05 for 1200 meters, but is glad to be back in action. He also points out that this was the first time he has ever led a college race!
Also on Friday, Noah Jampol competed at the Gotham Invite at the Armory in NYC. In the 1000, Jampol ran 2:38.14 to finish second in his heat. Later, he ran a 4:30 1600 split for the Johns Hopkins DMR team, which ran 10:53 to finish 12th.
Amherst College sophomore Thomas Foote (NNHS Class of 2005) ran 1:27.82 in the 600m at the Tufts Invitational on Saturday. Two other Bay Staters now teammates at U Lowell ran the 1000: Rex Radloff (Dedham Class of 2005) finished 3rd in 2:37.45 and Matias Carrasco (Brookline Class of 2006) finished 9th in 2:39.34.
Tufts Invite Men's Results
Doug Brecher ran his first indoor race of the year, running 9:35.44 for 3K at a tri-meet in Lewiston between Bates, MIT, and Coast Guard.
January 12, 2007
Bay State Meet results - 1/11/07
Both Newton North teams won easily over Braintree at yesterday's Bay State Meet #4. The boys won 58-28, while the girls overwhelmed the Wamps 66-20.
There were some very impressive performances. among them:
Arie Sanchez jumped 14-7.25 to win the event. With Vicki Marone and Laryssa Manigat both over 14', North's long jump relay looks good for Sunday. On the boy's side, Gordon Forbes (20-2.75) won the long jump, going over 20' for the first time this winter. North's Ivan Kostadinov was second at 19-1.75, and Sam Arsenault showed he's not just a vertical leaper, as he jumped 18-8.25.
Carolyn Ranti started fast in the 1000, and never slowed down, winning by nearly half a lap and recording the state's fifth fastest time this year at 3:08.28. The North boys put four runners under 3:00, led by Peter Sun (PR 2:47.83).
Tracy Isman threw the shot 31-3.75, as North's shot put team continues to look strong for the State Relays.
Kat Chiong and Emma Kornetsky went 1-2 in the 600, running 1:43.47 and 1:43.90, respectively. In the 2-mile, Adina Hemley-Bronstein (12:19.98) PR'd by nearly half a minute, and Franca Godenzi (12:25.36) set her second PR in four days, this one by 11 seconds, as the two finished 3rd and 4th overall.
Seb Putzys won a tactical race against Kyle Higgins in the mile, running 4:40.86. Alex Gurvitz dropped down from the 2-mile and ran a nice debut at 5:01. There's no doubt he can run 6-8 seconds faster, as he was barely tired after finishing with a 71 last 400.
Avery Mitchell led all runners in the 300, running 36.74.
Bay State Standings
There were two close meets among the boys teams that came down to the 4x400 relay: Weymouth prevailed over Framingham, 47-39, and Walpole dispatched Natick 46-40. With the fourth of five intra-division meets complete, here are the latest BSL standings:
Carey Division - Boys
Newton North 4-0
Brookline 3-1
Weymouth 3-1
Framingham 2-2
Braintree 0-4
Needham 0-4
Carey Division - Girls
Newton North 4-0
Brookline 3-1
Weymouth 3-1
Braintree 1-3
Framingham 1-3
Needham 0-4
Herget Division - Boys
Milton 4-0
Wellesley 3-1
Dedham 2-2
Walpole 2-2
Natick 1-3
Norwood 0-4
Herget Division - Girls
Wellesley 4-0
Natick 3-1
Milton 2-2
Walpole 2-2
Dedham 1-3
Norwood 0-4
There were some very impressive performances. among them:
Arie Sanchez jumped 14-7.25 to win the event. With Vicki Marone and Laryssa Manigat both over 14', North's long jump relay looks good for Sunday. On the boy's side, Gordon Forbes (20-2.75) won the long jump, going over 20' for the first time this winter. North's Ivan Kostadinov was second at 19-1.75, and Sam Arsenault showed he's not just a vertical leaper, as he jumped 18-8.25.
Carolyn Ranti started fast in the 1000, and never slowed down, winning by nearly half a lap and recording the state's fifth fastest time this year at 3:08.28. The North boys put four runners under 3:00, led by Peter Sun (PR 2:47.83).
Tracy Isman threw the shot 31-3.75, as North's shot put team continues to look strong for the State Relays.
Kat Chiong and Emma Kornetsky went 1-2 in the 600, running 1:43.47 and 1:43.90, respectively. In the 2-mile, Adina Hemley-Bronstein (12:19.98) PR'd by nearly half a minute, and Franca Godenzi (12:25.36) set her second PR in four days, this one by 11 seconds, as the two finished 3rd and 4th overall.
Seb Putzys won a tactical race against Kyle Higgins in the mile, running 4:40.86. Alex Gurvitz dropped down from the 2-mile and ran a nice debut at 5:01. There's no doubt he can run 6-8 seconds faster, as he was barely tired after finishing with a 71 last 400.
Avery Mitchell led all runners in the 300, running 36.74.
Bay State Standings
There were two close meets among the boys teams that came down to the 4x400 relay: Weymouth prevailed over Framingham, 47-39, and Walpole dispatched Natick 46-40. With the fourth of five intra-division meets complete, here are the latest BSL standings:
Carey Division - Boys
Newton North 4-0
Brookline 3-1
Weymouth 3-1
Framingham 2-2
Braintree 0-4
Needham 0-4
Carey Division - Girls
Newton North 4-0
Brookline 3-1
Weymouth 3-1
Braintree 1-3
Framingham 1-3
Needham 0-4
Herget Division - Boys
Milton 4-0
Wellesley 3-1
Dedham 2-2
Walpole 2-2
Natick 1-3
Norwood 0-4
Herget Division - Girls
Wellesley 4-0
Natick 3-1
Milton 2-2
Walpole 2-2
Dedham 1-3
Norwood 0-4
January 11, 2007
MSTCA "Top 50" Lists
Beginning in the 2005-2006 indoor track season, the Mass. State Track Coaches Association (MSTCA) began maintaining lists of the top 50 performances in each indoor event. This season, the MSTCA has been trying to update these lists approximately once a week. You can find the latest list at the following link:
MSTCA Top 50 Performance Lists - Jan 8, 2007
Browsing the lists is fun, especially as the season heads towards the bigger meets. Here are a few observations based on the latest update.
Too bad some big meets are not included
It's too bad that results from some big meets (Brown Invite, Dartmouth Relays, Hispanic Games) are not yet included. Of course, Newton North fans will know that were those meets in the mix, Jess Barton would have the state's leading time in the mile at 5:07.35 (from Brown). Her 5:00 from BU wouldn't count, since it wasn't set in a sanctioned HS meet.
Lincoln-Sudbury Girls Own the 600!
Dana Jamieson of L-S has the fastest time in the state at 1:35.70, nearly 2.5 seconds faster than last year's state runner-up Meg Looney. What's really impressive is that Jessica Griffin and Molly Binder, also of L-S, have the 3rd and 4th fastest times in the state, at 1:38.70 and 1:38.80. Not surprisingly, the L-S girls have by far the fastest 4x400 relay time so far this year.
Bromfield Girls Own the 2-Mile!
Emily Jones has that outrageous 10:38 sitting there, forty seconds faster than anyone else. Then her teammates Liz Lee and Eliza Ives have the third and fastest marks at 11:19 and 11:27. If Bromfield were to go, say 1-3-5 in the 2-mile at states, and then finish, say 2nd in the 4x800 relay, that would be 26 points. Maybe good enough to finish in the top two?
Amirault has range
Mark Amirault, the defending indoor mile champion and outdoor 2-Mile champion currently has the second-best mark in three separate events: 600, 1-Mile, and 2-Mile, and fourth in the 1000! That's remarkable on its own merits, but I think it also indicates that he's just toying with us so far, and will soon run some times that put him on top -- in the 1M and 2M anyway. In all of these events, it seems that no one has recorded a really fast time. Well, that's not quite true. Kevin Gill ran a 4:18 mile at the Hispanic Games last weekend, but the time is not on the list yet.
Watch out for St. John's Prep
The Prep is back. After a couple of years of non-factordom, St. John's Prep is a contendah again. I know everyone will talk about Lexington, Xaverian, Brockton, St. John's of Shrewsbury, and they are right to note those teams. They are probably better, but the Prep has some athletes, and will score some points, perhaps more in the class meet than in the all-state. Here's a quick rundown:
Matt Sullivan - #1 ranked in the 55 hurdles
Chris Langston - #6 performer in the 55 hurdles
John Quezada - #7 performer in the 300
Tim Prior - #3 ranked in the 600 (three runners at 1:28 or better)
Mike Masse - #9 ranked in the 1000 (but FOUR runners at 2:44 or better)
Zack Lankow = #8 ranked in the 2-Mile
In other words, points in the hurdles, and very solid 4x400 and 4x800 relay teams. An outside chance at some points in the 600 and 1000, and even in some events I didn't mention, such as the HJ.
Well, the refrain is the same for all teams at this point in the season. Let's see how they improve. But for the time being, having the performance list offers plenty of fuel for speculation.
MSTCA Top 50 Performance Lists - Jan 8, 2007
Browsing the lists is fun, especially as the season heads towards the bigger meets. Here are a few observations based on the latest update.
Too bad some big meets are not included
It's too bad that results from some big meets (Brown Invite, Dartmouth Relays, Hispanic Games) are not yet included. Of course, Newton North fans will know that were those meets in the mix, Jess Barton would have the state's leading time in the mile at 5:07.35 (from Brown). Her 5:00 from BU wouldn't count, since it wasn't set in a sanctioned HS meet.
Lincoln-Sudbury Girls Own the 600!
Dana Jamieson of L-S has the fastest time in the state at 1:35.70, nearly 2.5 seconds faster than last year's state runner-up Meg Looney. What's really impressive is that Jessica Griffin and Molly Binder, also of L-S, have the 3rd and 4th fastest times in the state, at 1:38.70 and 1:38.80. Not surprisingly, the L-S girls have by far the fastest 4x400 relay time so far this year.
Bromfield Girls Own the 2-Mile!
Emily Jones has that outrageous 10:38 sitting there, forty seconds faster than anyone else. Then her teammates Liz Lee and Eliza Ives have the third and fastest marks at 11:19 and 11:27. If Bromfield were to go, say 1-3-5 in the 2-mile at states, and then finish, say 2nd in the 4x800 relay, that would be 26 points. Maybe good enough to finish in the top two?
Amirault has range
Mark Amirault, the defending indoor mile champion and outdoor 2-Mile champion currently has the second-best mark in three separate events: 600, 1-Mile, and 2-Mile, and fourth in the 1000! That's remarkable on its own merits, but I think it also indicates that he's just toying with us so far, and will soon run some times that put him on top -- in the 1M and 2M anyway. In all of these events, it seems that no one has recorded a really fast time. Well, that's not quite true. Kevin Gill ran a 4:18 mile at the Hispanic Games last weekend, but the time is not on the list yet.
Watch out for St. John's Prep
The Prep is back. After a couple of years of non-factordom, St. John's Prep is a contendah again. I know everyone will talk about Lexington, Xaverian, Brockton, St. John's of Shrewsbury, and they are right to note those teams. They are probably better, but the Prep has some athletes, and will score some points, perhaps more in the class meet than in the all-state. Here's a quick rundown:
Matt Sullivan - #1 ranked in the 55 hurdles
Chris Langston - #6 performer in the 55 hurdles
John Quezada - #7 performer in the 300
Tim Prior - #3 ranked in the 600 (three runners at 1:28 or better)
Mike Masse - #9 ranked in the 1000 (but FOUR runners at 2:44 or better)
Zack Lankow = #8 ranked in the 2-Mile
In other words, points in the hurdles, and very solid 4x400 and 4x800 relay teams. An outside chance at some points in the 600 and 1000, and even in some events I didn't mention, such as the HJ.
Well, the refrain is the same for all teams at this point in the season. Let's see how they improve. But for the time being, having the performance list offers plenty of fuel for speculation.
January 10, 2007
January, Finally
This morning, ten days into the new year, it finally felt like January.
I woke up and could tell immediately what season it was. Gone was the thick, moist air circulating up from the Gulf of Mexico. Gone were the Chinook-like winds holding winter at bay. The sky was clear and cold, and not a wisp of cloud anywhere to trap heat. About time, I thought, as I pulled on my winter gloves and ambled off for my morning run.
I try not to let the weather affect my running much, but I admit it affects my mood. I like the weather to follow predictable patterns, with reliable and understandable ups and downs. I always become nervous when the weather starts acting too friendly, when a month goes by with nothing but sunny days, for example, or when winter itself seems to have gone on vacation. I like there to be a balance in things meteorological. I like to experience foul weather a little at a time, not all at once.
But the mildest December on record serves to remind me that the weather always ignores what I want, even when it serves up what I might have hoped for. All-in-all, I would have preferred a little adversity over the last several weeks. It would have put me solidly in the mood for watching people run fast around tiny little tracks. But who can run fast indoors when it's 60 degrees outdoors? Is it my imagination or has the weather left everyone a little sluggish? Maybe we need cold, crisp air outside to get fast times inside.
I do have the feeling that just as we haven't yet seen real winter, we haven't seen real speed on the boards. There's no question there's a lot of talent waiting to burst forth, but for whatever reason -- maybe it's still to early -- there have been few dazzling performances, especially above 600m.
That all could change -- could change as dramatically as the weather -- with January's State Relays and State Coaches meets coming up. This will also be the month we start seeing collegians running fast, as they seek to get NCAA qualifying times.
We may or may not be experiencing global warming, but I refuse to believe in global slowing.
I woke up and could tell immediately what season it was. Gone was the thick, moist air circulating up from the Gulf of Mexico. Gone were the Chinook-like winds holding winter at bay. The sky was clear and cold, and not a wisp of cloud anywhere to trap heat. About time, I thought, as I pulled on my winter gloves and ambled off for my morning run.
I try not to let the weather affect my running much, but I admit it affects my mood. I like the weather to follow predictable patterns, with reliable and understandable ups and downs. I always become nervous when the weather starts acting too friendly, when a month goes by with nothing but sunny days, for example, or when winter itself seems to have gone on vacation. I like there to be a balance in things meteorological. I like to experience foul weather a little at a time, not all at once.
But the mildest December on record serves to remind me that the weather always ignores what I want, even when it serves up what I might have hoped for. All-in-all, I would have preferred a little adversity over the last several weeks. It would have put me solidly in the mood for watching people run fast around tiny little tracks. But who can run fast indoors when it's 60 degrees outdoors? Is it my imagination or has the weather left everyone a little sluggish? Maybe we need cold, crisp air outside to get fast times inside.
I do have the feeling that just as we haven't yet seen real winter, we haven't seen real speed on the boards. There's no question there's a lot of talent waiting to burst forth, but for whatever reason -- maybe it's still to early -- there have been few dazzling performances, especially above 600m.
That all could change -- could change as dramatically as the weather -- with January's State Relays and State Coaches meets coming up. This will also be the month we start seeing collegians running fast, as they seek to get NCAA qualifying times.
We may or may not be experiencing global warming, but I refuse to believe in global slowing.
January 07, 2007
Dartmouth Relays/Auerbach Frosh-Soph Results
A number of Newton North athletes headed up to Hanover, NH, on Friday to compete in the Dartmouth Relays. On Sunday, many of the same athletes were back on the Reggie Lewis Track competing in the Auerbach Freshman/Sophomore Meet. It made for a long weekend, the first of several over the next few weeks.
Dartmouth - Barton, SMR Place 3rd
On Friday night, North's sprint medley relay team finished 3rd with time of 4:24.88. North's distance medley ran 13:50.72 and finished 16th.
On Saturday, individuals competed. In the field events, North's trio of thirty-foot shot putters finished fifth, seventh, and eight in the unseeded section, as follows:
5 Isman, Tracy 9.32m 30-07.00
7 Brown, Lily 9.20m 30-02.25
8 Faer, Morgan 9.13m 29-11.50
(In the boys shot put, David Smith made the trip to Dartmouth and finished 6th with a throw of 52-2.5.)
In the long jump, Arie Sanchez and Laryssa Manigat went beyond 14' and Alex Blenis wasn't far behind in the unseeded section:
6 Sanchez, Arie 14-04.00
7 Manigat, Laryssa 14-02.25
10 Blenis, Alex 13-06.00
Sarah Berkland cleared 4-8 in the HJ. In the 55 hurdles, Vicki Marone ran 9.94 for the fastest North time of the day, with Morgan Faer (10.26), and Michelle Kaufman (10.51) trailing.
In the 55 dash, Latifah Smalls led North with an 8.24. Arie Sanchez ran 8.47 and Kristie Grimes-Mallard ran 8.96. Sally Leung ran 1:52.69 in the 600, while Sam Gluck ran 2:44.18 in the 800.
In the seeded mile, Jess Barton finished third, running 5:07.36, which is, I believe, the best time in a sanctioned meet by a MA girl this winter.
Auerbach - Kornetsky Wins 600, Arsenault 2nd in HJ
Only a sophomore, Emma Kornetsky seems like a veteran. On Sunday, she won the 600m in 1:44.10 and anchored the 4x400 relay (Jaya Tripathi, Sam Gluck, Carolyn Ranti, Kornetsky) to a 10th-place finish with a 63-second split. Jaya also ran the 600, recording a 1:53.79.
Other medalists included Michelle Kaufman in the 55 hurdles, who ran a PR 9.36 (3rd fastest runner of the day) in the semi-finals and then after an interminable delay, came back to run 9.58 for 5th place in the finals. Also running well, Paris Mongo ran 10.12 to place 12th in the semis. Carolyn Ranti finished 4th in the mile run, with a PR 5:29.24. Adina Hemley-Bronstein was 13th in 5:47.61.
In the 1000, Nora Barnicle just missed a medal, placing 7th in 3:15.02, while Sam Gluck ran 3:27.49. In the 2-mile, Franca Godenzi ran 12:36.56, and Susannah Gleason ran 12:44.40, as the pair finished 11th and 15th overall. Arie Sanchez ran 7.93 in the her first heat, and 7.98 in her semi of the 55 (12th best). Latifah Smalls ran 8.31 in her heat. Sanchez also long-jumped 13-7.75, placing 10th.
The boys team sent only a few athletes to the Auerbach meet, but got a medal-winning performance from Sam Arsenault, who placed 2nd in the high jump with a seasons-best 6-1. Other North runners included Ethan Goldman, who ran 10.17 in his heat, and 9.97 in his semi of the 55 hurdles, Alon Soran who ran 40.94 in the 300, Greg Cohan who PR'd in the 1000 with a 2:58.62, and Jake Gleason, who continued his steady improvement in the 2-mile, running 11:23.76 for 28th (6th fastest freshman!).
This week, North is in action against Braintree on Thursday, Jan. 11, and then runs at the Div. I State Relays on Sunday, Jan 14.
Dartmouth - Barton, SMR Place 3rd
On Friday night, North's sprint medley relay team finished 3rd with time of 4:24.88. North's distance medley ran 13:50.72 and finished 16th.
On Saturday, individuals competed. In the field events, North's trio of thirty-foot shot putters finished fifth, seventh, and eight in the unseeded section, as follows:
5 Isman, Tracy 9.32m 30-07.00
7 Brown, Lily 9.20m 30-02.25
8 Faer, Morgan 9.13m 29-11.50
(In the boys shot put, David Smith made the trip to Dartmouth and finished 6th with a throw of 52-2.5.)
In the long jump, Arie Sanchez and Laryssa Manigat went beyond 14' and Alex Blenis wasn't far behind in the unseeded section:
6 Sanchez, Arie 14-04.00
7 Manigat, Laryssa 14-02.25
10 Blenis, Alex 13-06.00
Sarah Berkland cleared 4-8 in the HJ. In the 55 hurdles, Vicki Marone ran 9.94 for the fastest North time of the day, with Morgan Faer (10.26), and Michelle Kaufman (10.51) trailing.
In the 55 dash, Latifah Smalls led North with an 8.24. Arie Sanchez ran 8.47 and Kristie Grimes-Mallard ran 8.96. Sally Leung ran 1:52.69 in the 600, while Sam Gluck ran 2:44.18 in the 800.
In the seeded mile, Jess Barton finished third, running 5:07.36, which is, I believe, the best time in a sanctioned meet by a MA girl this winter.
Auerbach - Kornetsky Wins 600, Arsenault 2nd in HJ
Only a sophomore, Emma Kornetsky seems like a veteran. On Sunday, she won the 600m in 1:44.10 and anchored the 4x400 relay (Jaya Tripathi, Sam Gluck, Carolyn Ranti, Kornetsky) to a 10th-place finish with a 63-second split. Jaya also ran the 600, recording a 1:53.79.
Other medalists included Michelle Kaufman in the 55 hurdles, who ran a PR 9.36 (3rd fastest runner of the day) in the semi-finals and then after an interminable delay, came back to run 9.58 for 5th place in the finals. Also running well, Paris Mongo ran 10.12 to place 12th in the semis. Carolyn Ranti finished 4th in the mile run, with a PR 5:29.24. Adina Hemley-Bronstein was 13th in 5:47.61.
In the 1000, Nora Barnicle just missed a medal, placing 7th in 3:15.02, while Sam Gluck ran 3:27.49. In the 2-mile, Franca Godenzi ran 12:36.56, and Susannah Gleason ran 12:44.40, as the pair finished 11th and 15th overall. Arie Sanchez ran 7.93 in the her first heat, and 7.98 in her semi of the 55 (12th best). Latifah Smalls ran 8.31 in her heat. Sanchez also long-jumped 13-7.75, placing 10th.
The boys team sent only a few athletes to the Auerbach meet, but got a medal-winning performance from Sam Arsenault, who placed 2nd in the high jump with a seasons-best 6-1. Other North runners included Ethan Goldman, who ran 10.17 in his heat, and 9.97 in his semi of the 55 hurdles, Alon Soran who ran 40.94 in the 300, Greg Cohan who PR'd in the 1000 with a 2:58.62, and Jake Gleason, who continued his steady improvement in the 2-mile, running 11:23.76 for 28th (6th fastest freshman!).
This week, North is in action against Braintree on Thursday, Jan. 11, and then runs at the Div. I State Relays on Sunday, Jan 14.
January 05, 2007
Bay State Meet Results - 1/04/07
As expected, Newton dominated both sides of their meet with Needham on Thursday. Overall, it seemed that times on the track were a bit sluggish for many, either the result of the layoff from racing over the last two weeks, or simply the runners taking it easy in preparation for this weekend's bigger meets at Dartmouth and at the Frosh/Soph meet.
Although track times seemed slow, the field events produced some outstanding performances for North athletes. In the girls shot put, Newton took the top two and three of the top four places. Lily Brown won the event with a throw of 31-11.5, and Tracy Isman took second, throwing 30-11.75. Morgan Faer finished 4th with a throw of 30-1. The shot put ring must have been on fire, because the North boys were equally impressive, as David Smith, Marvin Chan, and Steve Long took three of the top four places. Smith won (52-2.25), while Chan (47-4) and Long (45-1.5) threw personal bests. The emergence of Steve Long gives North a formidable team heading into the State Div I relays a week from Sunday.
Gordon Forbes won the boys long jump with seasons-best 19-7.75, as he approaches his 20'-plus form of a year ago. In the boys high jump, Sam Arsenault tied for third with a leap of 5-11. In the girls long jump, Arie Sanchez got off a leap of 14-7.75 to take second overall.
Ok, on to the track events.
In the mile, Carolyn Ranti led Natick's Becca White for seven-plus laps, but couldn't match White's acceleration in the final 150 meters, finishing second in 5:33.19. In the 1000, Jess Barton ran as slowly as she could for four laps (2:44, her two mile pace), and then as fast as she could for the last lap (33), winning easily in 3:17.30. Sam Gluck (3:25.95) ran a solid race to take second. Sally Leung led a North sweep in the 600 (1:52.59), while freshman Jen Liu took second in the 300 (48.73), as North rested Kat Chiong and Emma Kornetsky for the Dartmouth Relays. In the 2-mile, North's trio of Adina Hemley-Bronstein, Susannah Gleason, and Franca Godenzi ran together the whole way. Franca decided to fall during her first-ever indoor 2-mile, but seemed to suffer no lasting ill affects. Let's hope it doesn't affect her enjoyment of the event. (Trivia: what other Newton North standout fell in his/her first indoor deuce? - answer below.)
Michelle Kaufman won the hurdles in 9.77, and Arie Sanchez won the 55 in 7.97, with Kaufman second in 8.01.
In the boys events, Alex Ribner celebrated his first-ever sub-5:00 mile, running 4:58.76 to take first against Needham, and fourth in his heat. Sophomore Greg Cohen ran a very solid 5:03.75 for third. Seb Putzys led the 1000 from wire-to-wire, and had the fastest time of the day from any school, running 2:44.03. Alex Lee won the 600 in 1:33.33, with Gabe Feinberg taking third in 1:35.30. One of the most impressive races of the day belonged to Avery Mitchell who scorched the 300 in a PR(?) 36.65, the fastest time of the day in any race. Adam Bao ran 39.04 to take second. In the two-mile, Alex Gurvitz returned to form following a hamstring injury, running 10:58.49 to place second.
In the sprints, Ryan McCarthey (8.97) led a North sweep in the hurdles, and Gordon Forbes (6.89) won his second event in the 55 for another North sweep. North finished the day by winning the 4x400 relay.
[Answer: Chris Barnicle fell in his first indoor 2-mile.]
Although track times seemed slow, the field events produced some outstanding performances for North athletes. In the girls shot put, Newton took the top two and three of the top four places. Lily Brown won the event with a throw of 31-11.5, and Tracy Isman took second, throwing 30-11.75. Morgan Faer finished 4th with a throw of 30-1. The shot put ring must have been on fire, because the North boys were equally impressive, as David Smith, Marvin Chan, and Steve Long took three of the top four places. Smith won (52-2.25), while Chan (47-4) and Long (45-1.5) threw personal bests. The emergence of Steve Long gives North a formidable team heading into the State Div I relays a week from Sunday.
Gordon Forbes won the boys long jump with seasons-best 19-7.75, as he approaches his 20'-plus form of a year ago. In the boys high jump, Sam Arsenault tied for third with a leap of 5-11. In the girls long jump, Arie Sanchez got off a leap of 14-7.75 to take second overall.
Ok, on to the track events.
In the mile, Carolyn Ranti led Natick's Becca White for seven-plus laps, but couldn't match White's acceleration in the final 150 meters, finishing second in 5:33.19. In the 1000, Jess Barton ran as slowly as she could for four laps (2:44, her two mile pace), and then as fast as she could for the last lap (33), winning easily in 3:17.30. Sam Gluck (3:25.95) ran a solid race to take second. Sally Leung led a North sweep in the 600 (1:52.59), while freshman Jen Liu took second in the 300 (48.73), as North rested Kat Chiong and Emma Kornetsky for the Dartmouth Relays. In the 2-mile, North's trio of Adina Hemley-Bronstein, Susannah Gleason, and Franca Godenzi ran together the whole way. Franca decided to fall during her first-ever indoor 2-mile, but seemed to suffer no lasting ill affects. Let's hope it doesn't affect her enjoyment of the event. (Trivia: what other Newton North standout fell in his/her first indoor deuce? - answer below.)
Michelle Kaufman won the hurdles in 9.77, and Arie Sanchez won the 55 in 7.97, with Kaufman second in 8.01.
In the boys events, Alex Ribner celebrated his first-ever sub-5:00 mile, running 4:58.76 to take first against Needham, and fourth in his heat. Sophomore Greg Cohen ran a very solid 5:03.75 for third. Seb Putzys led the 1000 from wire-to-wire, and had the fastest time of the day from any school, running 2:44.03. Alex Lee won the 600 in 1:33.33, with Gabe Feinberg taking third in 1:35.30. One of the most impressive races of the day belonged to Avery Mitchell who scorched the 300 in a PR(?) 36.65, the fastest time of the day in any race. Adam Bao ran 39.04 to take second. In the two-mile, Alex Gurvitz returned to form following a hamstring injury, running 10:58.49 to place second.
In the sprints, Ryan McCarthey (8.97) led a North sweep in the hurdles, and Gordon Forbes (6.89) won his second event in the 55 for another North sweep. North finished the day by winning the 4x400 relay.
[Answer: Chris Barnicle fell in his first indoor 2-mile.]
January 04, 2007
Momentum
There is momentum in training. When workouts are going well, they build on each other. Things that were hard earlier in the season become routine; interval sessions that were mentally taxing at the start of the indoor campaign become standard weekly fare. If all goes according to plan, we'll all get stronger and faster, carrying our training momentum into bigger and bigger races.
But woe to any of us if we over-reach and pull a hamstring muscle, or suffer a stress fracture as we churn out those fast reps on unforgiving tracks. When once we lose momentum in our training, it can start a downward spiral. There's nothing worse than the lack of confidence brought about when workouts get harder and times get slower, whether due to injury, illness, or other unplanned time off.
The holidays are over now, and dual meets have begun again. We will soon see who has been training over the break and who has been eating too many Christmas cookies.
We are also now into the middle part of the indoor season. For the Newton North girls, that means the two biggest weekends of the year are imminent: this weekend, in which the team divides its athletes between the Dartmouth Relays in NH and the Auerbach FR/SO meet in MA, and next weekend, which is the State Class A Relays (January 14th). Coach Joe Tranchita always emphasizes the State Relays as the true team championship meet, and the squad will hope to be in top form then.
In the college scene, kids are heading back to their schools and are looking forward to serious meets later this month. For many of them, the winter break is considerably longer than it is for high school kids, and it has taken a great deal of discipline to keep their training momentum while away from their teams.
And for runners who are out of college, the emphasis is likely to be on establishing a different kind of training momentum. As a runner in our group last night said, there are only 15 weeks until the Boston Marathon. For anyone thinking that far ahead, this is the time to be building up serious mileage and extending those long runs to 20+ miles.
Whether your focus is on dual meets, relays, invitational meets, or the Boston Marathon, I wish you the best of luck with your preparations. Keep that momentum!
But woe to any of us if we over-reach and pull a hamstring muscle, or suffer a stress fracture as we churn out those fast reps on unforgiving tracks. When once we lose momentum in our training, it can start a downward spiral. There's nothing worse than the lack of confidence brought about when workouts get harder and times get slower, whether due to injury, illness, or other unplanned time off.
The holidays are over now, and dual meets have begun again. We will soon see who has been training over the break and who has been eating too many Christmas cookies.
We are also now into the middle part of the indoor season. For the Newton North girls, that means the two biggest weekends of the year are imminent: this weekend, in which the team divides its athletes between the Dartmouth Relays in NH and the Auerbach FR/SO meet in MA, and next weekend, which is the State Class A Relays (January 14th). Coach Joe Tranchita always emphasizes the State Relays as the true team championship meet, and the squad will hope to be in top form then.
In the college scene, kids are heading back to their schools and are looking forward to serious meets later this month. For many of them, the winter break is considerably longer than it is for high school kids, and it has taken a great deal of discipline to keep their training momentum while away from their teams.
And for runners who are out of college, the emphasis is likely to be on establishing a different kind of training momentum. As a runner in our group last night said, there are only 15 weeks until the Boston Marathon. For anyone thinking that far ahead, this is the time to be building up serious mileage and extending those long runs to 20+ miles.
Whether your focus is on dual meets, relays, invitational meets, or the Boston Marathon, I wish you the best of luck with your preparations. Keep that momentum!
January 02, 2007
Spirit of the Marathon
On Thursday, January 24th, movie theaters around the U.S. will hold a one-night screening of "Spirit of the Marathon," a full-length documentary that follows six runners preparing for and competing in the Chicago Marathon.
The runners vary in talent and experience, and include an elite male athlete hoping to win, and a first-timer hoping to finish. You can read about the movie and see a trailer at the movie's web site:
Spirit of the Marathon Web Site
Some quotes from the trailer:
"People talk about the 'runner's high'... the only runner's high I've really felt is when I stop running."
To find a theater and buy tickets:
Spirit of the Marathon - Find a theater
The runners vary in talent and experience, and include an elite male athlete hoping to win, and a first-timer hoping to finish. You can read about the movie and see a trailer at the movie's web site:
Spirit of the Marathon Web Site
Some quotes from the trailer:
"People talk about the 'runner's high'... the only runner's high I've really felt is when I stop running."
To find a theater and buy tickets:
Spirit of the Marathon - Find a theater
January 01, 2007
Four Old Guys
At the BU meet, I was watching the seeded heat of the 4x1600 relay with Noah and Dan, and while they watched the top teams battle for the lead, my attention was focused instead on the team plugging away in fifth. It was four old guys from the Whirlaway Racing Team, and they were just about to be lapped, early in the third leg. I wanted Noah to watch their third runner, Craig Fram, because I knew he would run a good, hard leg, regardless of how far behind his team was. I also wanted Noah to pay attention to Fram and these other old guys, because they had something no one else in the race had: a world record.
Yes, it was five years ago, February 9 2002, when Mike Cooney (4:27.3), Paul Hammond (4:27.3), Doug Martyn (4:22.8), and Fram (4:26.8) set a world age group (40+) record 17:44.35 for the 4 x 1600m relay on this same track. I wanted Noah to realize how good they were -- their times a bit slower, but still impressive. On Saturday, five years older, their splits were 4:41 (Cooney), 4:45 (Hammond), 4:38 (Fram), and 4:32 (Martyn). So who are these guys?
Mike Cooney is originally from Brockton, and although he is very good-natured, he is also Brockton-tough. He regulary beats me at almost every distance, including the mile, where he excels. Last year, Mike started dabbling in his old favorite event, the 400m, and ran 57 seconds.
Paul Hammond runs every distance well, and in his forties has run under 2:30 for the marathon and under 4:30 for the mile. Several years ago he was inducted into the Maine Hall of Fame. Here is a link if you want to read Paul's biography.
Doug Martyn is Paul's brother in law. Unlike Paul, Doug realized his talent a little later in life, but has been making up for lost time, especially in the mile event, where there are few better. Doug has won the Boston Indoor Games Masters Mile twice, and on Dec 23rd of this year, ran 4:30 for the mile at age 46.
Craig Fram is simply one of the best runners in the world in his age group. Two years ago, he set the world M45 indoor best for 3000m, running 8:35.70 at Harvard's Gordon track. That's the equivalent of a 9:14 two-mile, better than all but the very best young runners can manage. He is even tougher on the roads, especially at distances of 10k and up. This fall, a couple of weeks after turning 48, Craig ran 53:27 (5:21/mile pace) for a hilly 10-miles at the NE championships. He has won more New England road racing titles than I can count. On Saturday, he ran a "warmup" 3000m in 9:08 prior to his 4:38 relay split. Unbelievable.
So on this, the first day of the new year, when we are used to ushering the old guys out the door and welcoming the fresh-faced kid in, take a moment to admire four old guys who aren't ready to be ushered anywhere yet.
(L toR) Craig Fram, Mike Cooney, Doug Martyn and Paul Hammond.
Yes, it was five years ago, February 9 2002, when Mike Cooney (4:27.3), Paul Hammond (4:27.3), Doug Martyn (4:22.8), and Fram (4:26.8) set a world age group (40+) record 17:44.35 for the 4 x 1600m relay on this same track. I wanted Noah to realize how good they were -- their times a bit slower, but still impressive. On Saturday, five years older, their splits were 4:41 (Cooney), 4:45 (Hammond), 4:38 (Fram), and 4:32 (Martyn). So who are these guys?
Mike Cooney is originally from Brockton, and although he is very good-natured, he is also Brockton-tough. He regulary beats me at almost every distance, including the mile, where he excels. Last year, Mike started dabbling in his old favorite event, the 400m, and ran 57 seconds.
Paul Hammond runs every distance well, and in his forties has run under 2:30 for the marathon and under 4:30 for the mile. Several years ago he was inducted into the Maine Hall of Fame. Here is a link if you want to read Paul's biography.
Doug Martyn is Paul's brother in law. Unlike Paul, Doug realized his talent a little later in life, but has been making up for lost time, especially in the mile event, where there are few better. Doug has won the Boston Indoor Games Masters Mile twice, and on Dec 23rd of this year, ran 4:30 for the mile at age 46.
Craig Fram is simply one of the best runners in the world in his age group. Two years ago, he set the world M45 indoor best for 3000m, running 8:35.70 at Harvard's Gordon track. That's the equivalent of a 9:14 two-mile, better than all but the very best young runners can manage. He is even tougher on the roads, especially at distances of 10k and up. This fall, a couple of weeks after turning 48, Craig ran 53:27 (5:21/mile pace) for a hilly 10-miles at the NE championships. He has won more New England road racing titles than I can count. On Saturday, he ran a "warmup" 3000m in 9:08 prior to his 4:38 relay split. Unbelievable.
So on this, the first day of the new year, when we are used to ushering the old guys out the door and welcoming the fresh-faced kid in, take a moment to admire four old guys who aren't ready to be ushered anywhere yet.
(L toR) Craig Fram, Mike Cooney, Doug Martyn and Paul Hammond.
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