Today is the Bay State league meet, in my opinion one of the strangest meets of the year.
Sandwiched between the McIntrye Elite Relays and the State Coaches meet, the league meet has no team competition (as in cross-country). Furthermore, since all the teams have been co-habiting Reggie Lewis center for six weeks already, there's little sense of excitement about seeing athletes you haven't seen already (as is the case in outdoor). It's generally less exciting than an average league meet.
In the distance races, the best runners don't always run their best events. The best two-milers often skip the two-mile, being wary of running hard on Thursday and then hard again on Sunday, or they look for variety and speed in shorter events.
Although the meet determines league all-stars, that doesn't seem to be sufficient motivation for many of the athletes to do their best.
This year, because the first meet was snowed out, the league meet occupies the date that would have been used for the inter-league meet. It's too bad that the schedule made it necessary to lose that meet, which is typically very exciting, and keep the league meet, which is less so.
January 31, 2008
Rupp in New York, Salazar in Boston
Yesterday's NY Times had an short article about Galen Rupp, who ran the mile at the Boston Indoor Games last Saturday, and is scheduled to run in the Wanamaker Mile at Madison Square Garden this Friday.
Young Runner Lets a Champion Dictate His Pace
The article talks about Alberto Salazar, who is coaching Rupp to focus on shorter distances now, and think about marathons later in his career. at the end of the article, there is this tidbit about Salazar, who grew up in Wayland:
"Salazar, 49, still runs. On Sunday, on snowy and icy paths alongside the Charles River in Boston, he ran seven miles at an 8:30 pace. If that sounds a bit slow for him, consider that he had a heart attack June 30 and had a defibrillator implanted in October."
So... if you weren't running at the McIntyre relays, were you out running on Sunday in the snow? If Salazar, who nearly died last fall from his heart attack was out there "cranking out" 8:30's, what possible excuse do you have?
Young Runner Lets a Champion Dictate His Pace
The article talks about Alberto Salazar, who is coaching Rupp to focus on shorter distances now, and think about marathons later in his career. at the end of the article, there is this tidbit about Salazar, who grew up in Wayland:
"Salazar, 49, still runs. On Sunday, on snowy and icy paths alongside the Charles River in Boston, he ran seven miles at an 8:30 pace. If that sounds a bit slow for him, consider that he had a heart attack June 30 and had a defibrillator implanted in October."
So... if you weren't running at the McIntyre relays, were you out running on Sunday in the snow? If Salazar, who nearly died last fall from his heart attack was out there "cranking out" 8:30's, what possible excuse do you have?
January 27, 2008
Immortality, Mortality at the Boston Indoor Games
Immortality was on display at the Boston Indoor Games Saturday night in Roxbury, but so was mortality, and the two jostled each other for attention all evening.
Meseret Defar, the Olympic and World 5000 champion, obliterated the world indoor 2-Mile record, running 9:10.50, erasing Regina Jacobs' old mark of 9:23.38 by nearly 13 seconds. Former Providence star Kim Smith chased Defar the entire way and was also well under the old standard, finishing in 9:13.93. It's true, the old record was a bit soft since the 2-Mile is rarely run at the elite level indoors, but it's a good deal less soft this morning than it was last night. As befits an immortal, Defar hinted at faster times, "I'm not running today 100 percent," she said. "I could have run faster."
It was a shame that Defar wasn't matched against Tirunesh Dibaba in the 3000, but I have no doubt that Dibaba didn't want to face Defar in a 2-Mile at this point in the season. Instead, Dibaba ran a very creditable 8:33 3000, despite a painful side stitch that seemed to hit her just past the halfway mark of the race. At that point her sister, Ejegayehu, took the lead for a couple of laps, before Tiru took command in the final laps and fought off the discomfort to win going away.
In the field events, some of the world's best athletes struggled all night. With four of the the top six shot putters in the world prowling the infield, you figured someone would get off a good throw, but the big men struggled with their timing and mechanics. After six throws each, only Christian Cantwell had managed to break 68 feet. Perhaps these guys have just seen too much of each other over the last several years. Even the usually explosive Adam Nelson seemed a bit subdued.
The women's long jump figured to be a showcase for defending Olympic heptathlon champion, and three-time defending World Champion, Carolina Kluft. On paper, no one else was even in her league. But the immortal Kluft looked like someone had slipped her Kryptonite-flavored gatorade. After her six jumps, Kluft had managed only 20-9, and had to settle for 3rd behind Lela Nelson's 21-4.
There were five separate mile races contested: the masters mile (to open the meet), the boys and girls junior invitational miles, and the men's and women's open miles.
Only the men's open mile was a disappointment.
As usual, the kids and the old guys ran hard from the gun, with a maximum of guts and a minimum of tactics. Kent Lemme won the masters mile wire-to-wire in 4:25. His opening quarter of 65 seconds stretched out the field of weathered veterans behind him like a string of burned out, barely flickering Christmas lights. In the boys mile, Luke Puskedra opened with a 60-second quarter, yielded the lead at 1000m to Colby Lowe, regained the lead with 300m to go, and had just enough strength left to repel Lowe's final kick, winning in 4:08.77 to Lowe's 4:08.99. In the girls mile, Jillian Smith followed the fast early pace and then blew away the field in the final 250 meters to win by 5 seconds in 4:48.53. Local girl Bridget Dahlberg finished strongly to nab 5th in 4:58.
In the men's and women's miles, Jenelle Deatherage (4:32.95) and Pablo Solares (4:00.34) won in races that were fairly conservative. The men's mile, in particular, looked like a race among a lot of guys who haven't done enough speedwork yet, a far cry from last year's duel between Gabe Jennings and Alan Webb.
The men's 3000m concluded the meet, and Craig Mottram sent everyone but Nick Willis home happy. Mottram, the Olympic bronze medalist, applied steady pressure over the final 8 laps to wreck Willis, who tried vainly to maintain contact but paid the price, dropping from 2nd to 5th in the final 400m. Mottram's winning time of 7:34.50 is a meet and U.S. all-comers record, eclipsing Haile Gebrsellasie's 7:35.24 from the 2004 meet.
2007 Boston Indoor Games Results
Meseret Defar, the Olympic and World 5000 champion, obliterated the world indoor 2-Mile record, running 9:10.50, erasing Regina Jacobs' old mark of 9:23.38 by nearly 13 seconds. Former Providence star Kim Smith chased Defar the entire way and was also well under the old standard, finishing in 9:13.93. It's true, the old record was a bit soft since the 2-Mile is rarely run at the elite level indoors, but it's a good deal less soft this morning than it was last night. As befits an immortal, Defar hinted at faster times, "I'm not running today 100 percent," she said. "I could have run faster."
It was a shame that Defar wasn't matched against Tirunesh Dibaba in the 3000, but I have no doubt that Dibaba didn't want to face Defar in a 2-Mile at this point in the season. Instead, Dibaba ran a very creditable 8:33 3000, despite a painful side stitch that seemed to hit her just past the halfway mark of the race. At that point her sister, Ejegayehu, took the lead for a couple of laps, before Tiru took command in the final laps and fought off the discomfort to win going away.
In the field events, some of the world's best athletes struggled all night. With four of the the top six shot putters in the world prowling the infield, you figured someone would get off a good throw, but the big men struggled with their timing and mechanics. After six throws each, only Christian Cantwell had managed to break 68 feet. Perhaps these guys have just seen too much of each other over the last several years. Even the usually explosive Adam Nelson seemed a bit subdued.
The women's long jump figured to be a showcase for defending Olympic heptathlon champion, and three-time defending World Champion, Carolina Kluft. On paper, no one else was even in her league. But the immortal Kluft looked like someone had slipped her Kryptonite-flavored gatorade. After her six jumps, Kluft had managed only 20-9, and had to settle for 3rd behind Lela Nelson's 21-4.
There were five separate mile races contested: the masters mile (to open the meet), the boys and girls junior invitational miles, and the men's and women's open miles.
Only the men's open mile was a disappointment.
As usual, the kids and the old guys ran hard from the gun, with a maximum of guts and a minimum of tactics. Kent Lemme won the masters mile wire-to-wire in 4:25. His opening quarter of 65 seconds stretched out the field of weathered veterans behind him like a string of burned out, barely flickering Christmas lights. In the boys mile, Luke Puskedra opened with a 60-second quarter, yielded the lead at 1000m to Colby Lowe, regained the lead with 300m to go, and had just enough strength left to repel Lowe's final kick, winning in 4:08.77 to Lowe's 4:08.99. In the girls mile, Jillian Smith followed the fast early pace and then blew away the field in the final 250 meters to win by 5 seconds in 4:48.53. Local girl Bridget Dahlberg finished strongly to nab 5th in 4:58.
In the men's and women's miles, Jenelle Deatherage (4:32.95) and Pablo Solares (4:00.34) won in races that were fairly conservative. The men's mile, in particular, looked like a race among a lot of guys who haven't done enough speedwork yet, a far cry from last year's duel between Gabe Jennings and Alan Webb.
The men's 3000m concluded the meet, and Craig Mottram sent everyone but Nick Willis home happy. Mottram, the Olympic bronze medalist, applied steady pressure over the final 8 laps to wreck Willis, who tried vainly to maintain contact but paid the price, dropping from 2nd to 5th in the final 400m. Mottram's winning time of 7:34.50 is a meet and U.S. all-comers record, eclipsing Haile Gebrsellasie's 7:35.24 from the 2004 meet.
2007 Boston Indoor Games Results
NNHS Alumni Results - January 26, 2007
More marks from NNHS alumni on one of the busiest weekends of the indoor season:
Noah Jampol ran 4:28.75 to place 9th in the mile at the Patriot Games, hosted by George Mason University. Not sure whether Jampol doubled back in either the JHU 4x800 or distance medley relays.
At the BU Terrier Invitational, Caroline Occean continued her outstanding winter by placing 4th in the 1000 in a blazing 2:56.50. That was on Friday. The next day, she helped the Greater Boston TC win the women's distance medley.
Also at BU, Yale freshman David Smith placed 8th in the shot put with a toss of 14.11m (46-03.50), and 18th in the weight throw, heaving the big ball 12.81m (42-00.50). Dave Cahill placed 15th in the 500m, running 1:05.49.
No sign of David Polgar on his home track, though. Dave ran last weekend against Boston College and Sacred Heart, placing 4th in the 1000 with a time of 2:36.40. We hope he's not hurt.
The Terrier Invitational has become one of the deepest indoor meets in the country. Consider these numbers from the men's meet on Saturday:
27 runners under 50 in the 400.
24 runners under 1:58 in the 800.
13 runners under 2:30 in the 1000.
35 runners under 4:20 in the mile.
24 runners under 8:30 in the 3000
(Former Mass. Xc champion Sean Quigley won in 7:52).
15 runners under 15:00 in the 5K.
I'll also mention a couple of Brookline grads who did well at BU: Vanessa Mazandi, now running for Central Park Track Club, finished 5th in the 800, running 2:11.63. Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot ran 16:13.35 in the 5000.
Haleigh Smith and Steph O'Brien both won their events at the Wesleyan Invitational Saturday. Smith won the mile in 5:22.38, while O'Brien took the 500 in 1:18.96.
Noah Jampol ran 4:28.75 to place 9th in the mile at the Patriot Games, hosted by George Mason University. Not sure whether Jampol doubled back in either the JHU 4x800 or distance medley relays.
At the BU Terrier Invitational, Caroline Occean continued her outstanding winter by placing 4th in the 1000 in a blazing 2:56.50. That was on Friday. The next day, she helped the Greater Boston TC win the women's distance medley.
Also at BU, Yale freshman David Smith placed 8th in the shot put with a toss of 14.11m (46-03.50), and 18th in the weight throw, heaving the big ball 12.81m (42-00.50). Dave Cahill placed 15th in the 500m, running 1:05.49.
No sign of David Polgar on his home track, though. Dave ran last weekend against Boston College and Sacred Heart, placing 4th in the 1000 with a time of 2:36.40. We hope he's not hurt.
The Terrier Invitational has become one of the deepest indoor meets in the country. Consider these numbers from the men's meet on Saturday:
27 runners under 50 in the 400.
24 runners under 1:58 in the 800.
13 runners under 2:30 in the 1000.
35 runners under 4:20 in the mile.
24 runners under 8:30 in the 3000
(Former Mass. Xc champion Sean Quigley won in 7:52).
15 runners under 15:00 in the 5K.
I'll also mention a couple of Brookline grads who did well at BU: Vanessa Mazandi, now running for Central Park Track Club, finished 5th in the 800, running 2:11.63. Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot ran 16:13.35 in the 5000.
Haleigh Smith and Steph O'Brien both won their events at the Wesleyan Invitational Saturday. Smith won the mile in 5:22.38, while O'Brien took the 500 in 1:18.96.
January 25, 2008
Bay State Meet Results - Jan. 24, 2008
Weymouth Girls Crush Newton North
So much for the expert predictions!
I expected the contest between unbeaten Newton North and unbeaten Weymouth to be a tense battle that came down to the final event. Instead, Weymouth crushed Newton 56-30, winning the Carey Division, and establishing themselves as the strongest team in the league. The meet was all but over after the 300, a pivotal event in which Newton gambled with two of their best runners (sacrificing their 4x400 relay), and watched helplessly as Carolyn Ranti and Michelle Kaufman both set PRs, but were beaten to the line by Jenn Bell and Kayla Sullivan. Later, Weymouth would win the 55 hurdles (a Newton strength) and sweep the 55. In the sprints and relay, Weymouth outscored Newton by a staggering 27-5.
The girls meet of the day turned out to be Wellesley-Natick, which went back and forth throughout, and came down to the relay. With Natick leading 41-40, Wellesley's 4x400 quartet ran 4:13.41 (second on the day only to Weymouth's 4:13.02) to win the meet and the Herget Division crown.
Back to the Newton North-Weymouth meet: it all started well for the Tigers, with Carolyn Ranti winning the mile in 5:13.91 over Weymouth's Jill Corcoran (PR 5:18.83). It would be the last time Newton led the meet. Weymouth countered immediately with Carolyn Connolly in the 1000, and she dominated the race with a PR 3:04.93. After Nora Barnicle took second, the battle for third was revealing. Four runners from the two teams were in contention until the final meters, with Cristiana Bianco outkicking Shoshana Kruskal and Maalika Banerjee for third. A pattern was emerging. Newton North runners were running very good times, and Weymouth runners were beating them with ven better times.
In the 600, Sam Bennett won easily in 1:41.38, and Melissa Kimball ran a 3-second PR to come within 0.1 of beating Emma Kornetsky for 2nd. Weymouth now led 15-12 going into the fateful 300.
One of the best events of the meet turned out to be the shot put, where all three Newton shot putters had PR's and were in a position to sweep the meet going into the final throws. That's when Weymouth's Emily Clark and Christine Candler uncorked PR's of their own and turned a 9-0 Newton advantage into a mere 5-4 edge. it was like that all day for Weymouth, as they stepped up and showed not only their talent but their ability to rise to the competitive occasion.
When Sullivan, Bell, and Clark swept the 55 ahead of Kaufman, the meet was over. For good measure, Weymouth went 1-3 in the 2-Mile, 2-3 in the high jump, and won the relay by 25 seconds!
Newton Boys Wrap Up Carey Title
The Newton North boys made it official as they beat Weymouth 66-20 to win the Bay State Carey Division. The Tigers swept the 1M, 2M, 1000, shot put, and high jump, and won all but one event.
Notable performances for the Tigers included Dan Hamilton's terrific PR run of 10:04.88 in the 2-Mile to take 2nd overall and qualify for the meet, Alex Gurvitz, Matt Gornstein, and Eric Selke all running PRs in the 1000 (with Gornstein and Selke) going under 2:50 for the first time, and Hymlaire Lamisere's blazing 6.79 in the 55 (fastest time of the day).
It would also be easy to overlook Sam Arsenault's outstanding performance in the (NON-SCORING) long jump, as he leapt 20-8 for the win. Will Sam consider the individual Pentathlon? With PR's of 6-5 in the HJ, 20-8 in the LJ, 8.10 in the 55 hurdles, and supposedly a 40+ throw in the shot put (in practice), and excellent 400 speed that could, perhaps, be stretched to run a decent 1000, who will beat him?
Other Shout-Outs
Wellesley's Yuri Brown won the 2-mile in a PR 9:56.47. He is has been running excellent times of late, so congratulations to him on the win!
I have seen the future of girls distance running in the BSC and her name is Sarah Bowhill. The Framingham freshman still hasn't figured out how to use her arms when she runs, and racing in training shoes, but who cares? She broke 12:00 for the first time, running 11:57.46, and had a super strong finish, indicating that she can go faster. With Bowhill and junior Camille Murphy (5:21 mile), Framingham has two outstanding distance runners.
So much for the expert predictions!
I expected the contest between unbeaten Newton North and unbeaten Weymouth to be a tense battle that came down to the final event. Instead, Weymouth crushed Newton 56-30, winning the Carey Division, and establishing themselves as the strongest team in the league. The meet was all but over after the 300, a pivotal event in which Newton gambled with two of their best runners (sacrificing their 4x400 relay), and watched helplessly as Carolyn Ranti and Michelle Kaufman both set PRs, but were beaten to the line by Jenn Bell and Kayla Sullivan. Later, Weymouth would win the 55 hurdles (a Newton strength) and sweep the 55. In the sprints and relay, Weymouth outscored Newton by a staggering 27-5.
The girls meet of the day turned out to be Wellesley-Natick, which went back and forth throughout, and came down to the relay. With Natick leading 41-40, Wellesley's 4x400 quartet ran 4:13.41 (second on the day only to Weymouth's 4:13.02) to win the meet and the Herget Division crown.
Back to the Newton North-Weymouth meet: it all started well for the Tigers, with Carolyn Ranti winning the mile in 5:13.91 over Weymouth's Jill Corcoran (PR 5:18.83). It would be the last time Newton led the meet. Weymouth countered immediately with Carolyn Connolly in the 1000, and she dominated the race with a PR 3:04.93. After Nora Barnicle took second, the battle for third was revealing. Four runners from the two teams were in contention until the final meters, with Cristiana Bianco outkicking Shoshana Kruskal and Maalika Banerjee for third. A pattern was emerging. Newton North runners were running very good times, and Weymouth runners were beating them with ven better times.
In the 600, Sam Bennett won easily in 1:41.38, and Melissa Kimball ran a 3-second PR to come within 0.1 of beating Emma Kornetsky for 2nd. Weymouth now led 15-12 going into the fateful 300.
One of the best events of the meet turned out to be the shot put, where all three Newton shot putters had PR's and were in a position to sweep the meet going into the final throws. That's when Weymouth's Emily Clark and Christine Candler uncorked PR's of their own and turned a 9-0 Newton advantage into a mere 5-4 edge. it was like that all day for Weymouth, as they stepped up and showed not only their talent but their ability to rise to the competitive occasion.
When Sullivan, Bell, and Clark swept the 55 ahead of Kaufman, the meet was over. For good measure, Weymouth went 1-3 in the 2-Mile, 2-3 in the high jump, and won the relay by 25 seconds!
Newton Boys Wrap Up Carey Title
The Newton North boys made it official as they beat Weymouth 66-20 to win the Bay State Carey Division. The Tigers swept the 1M, 2M, 1000, shot put, and high jump, and won all but one event.
Notable performances for the Tigers included Dan Hamilton's terrific PR run of 10:04.88 in the 2-Mile to take 2nd overall and qualify for the meet, Alex Gurvitz, Matt Gornstein, and Eric Selke all running PRs in the 1000 (with Gornstein and Selke) going under 2:50 for the first time, and Hymlaire Lamisere's blazing 6.79 in the 55 (fastest time of the day).
It would also be easy to overlook Sam Arsenault's outstanding performance in the (NON-SCORING) long jump, as he leapt 20-8 for the win. Will Sam consider the individual Pentathlon? With PR's of 6-5 in the HJ, 20-8 in the LJ, 8.10 in the 55 hurdles, and supposedly a 40+ throw in the shot put (in practice), and excellent 400 speed that could, perhaps, be stretched to run a decent 1000, who will beat him?
Other Shout-Outs
Wellesley's Yuri Brown won the 2-mile in a PR 9:56.47. He is has been running excellent times of late, so congratulations to him on the win!
I have seen the future of girls distance running in the BSC and her name is Sarah Bowhill. The Framingham freshman still hasn't figured out how to use her arms when she runs, and racing in training shoes, but who cares? She broke 12:00 for the first time, running 11:57.46, and had a super strong finish, indicating that she can go faster. With Bowhill and junior Camille Murphy (5:21 mile), Framingham has two outstanding distance runners.
January 23, 2008
Weymouth vs Newton North Girls Preview
The Bay State Carey Division girls champions will be decided Thursday night, as undefeated Weymouth and undefeated Newton North square off in their dual meet at the Reggie Lewis Center. The meet was originally scheduled for the first week of the season, but was postponed because of the Decemeber 13th snowstorm. Now it's fitting that the two strongest teams meet at the end of the season to decide the league.
Others have already handicapped the races (and done a great job at it), so I'll try to bring a little bit different perspective: I'll try to outline a winning strategy for each team in turn. Remember, this is all for fun. I don't talk to the coaches, I don't really know anything, and I like ALL the runners equally. In fact, if you're easily offended you should stop reading right now.
Ok? Let's start with Weymouth...
How the Weymouth girls can beat Newton North
Carolyn Ranti is the odds-on favorite to win either the mile or 1000. If Weymouth runs Jill Corcoran in the mile, Corcoran has a great shot at winning (if Ranti is in the 1000) or taking second (if Ranti is in the mile). Let's assume Carolyn runs the mile, along with Adina Hemley-Bronstein. Score it 6-3 Newton.
Weymouth has to make a big choice in the 1000. Run Carolyn Connolly and she's not available for the 600. I think they might run Sarah McCarthy, and expect that she'll take no worse than second behind either Nora Barnicle or Ranti. Shoshana Kruskal nabs the third spot, and again Newton takes the event 6-3. (If Ranti is in the 1000, which is not unlikely, this deployment gives Weymouth a good chance to win the mile and still pick up three points in the 1000.)
Now Weymouth can run Carolyn Connolly in the 600, where she is the league leader and almost a full second faster than Emma Kornetsky. Melissa Kimball takes third for the Wildcats, so score it 6-3 Weymouth.
Sam Bennett has run 43.99 in the 300, and would be the favorite to beat Michelle Kaufman or anyone else Newton could throw out there. Felicia Hopkins has run 46.07 and is improving every week. I say this event goes to Weymouth 6-3, tying the meet.
Before moving on to the sprints, let's handicap the field events.
High jump results have been pretty consistent over the last four meets. Newton's Amy Ren is the favorite to win, and Jenn Bell and Carolyn Connolly should take 2nd and 3rd. 5-4 Newton.
In the shot put, Bonny Guang has been solid for Newton and should win. Weymouth's Christine Candler has been consistently over 26 feet, so I think she takes second. Weymouth would celebrate if Felice Campbell or Jenna Willard could take 3rd, but it's unlucky to bet against any Newton North team in the shot put. Score this 6-3 Newton.
In the 55 hurdles, Newton has the edge with Vicki Marone and Paris Mungo. Weymouth's Jenna Clifford has been coming on strong of late, but I have to say this event goes 8-1 to Newton. Weymouth turns the tables in the dash, and actually has a good chance to sweep with Kayla Sullivan, Jenn Bell, and Emily Clark. Perhaps Michelle Kaufman or Latifah Smalls can take third. I'll score it 8-1, Weymouth.
In the two-mile, Kristin Mahoney takes first and earns five points for Weymouth. The Wildcats will hope for a third place from Amanda Hicks, and it could happen, but I think it's more likely that Susannah Gleason secures the third spot, and this event goes 5-4 to Weymouth.
That puts the score at 42-39 Newton going into the relay. Now Weymouth just has to take care of business with their best team. I'm guessing that's Bennett, Kimball, Bell, and Connolly, a formidable quartet!
How the Newton North Girls Can Beat Weymouth
This meet will be won or lost in the sprints, hurdles, and relay, so a winning strategy should mean putting together the best possible lineup for those events. IN particular, who should be in that relay?
I think Newton should keep Michelle Kaufman in the 300, which allows them to have Ranti (a 60-something 400 runner) in the relay. Likewise, they certainly need Emma Kornetsky, the lion-hearted anchor there.
Newton could choose to double Kaufman in the 55 hurdles and go for the sweep, or have her run the 55 dash, and try to break up Weymouth's potential sweep. But why not have her run the relay as well? Kaufman ran 44.46 for 300 last week, surely she is no worse than 62-63 in the 400. The other member of the team could be Jaya Tripathi, who PR'd at 600 last week, or Nora Barnicle, who PR'd at 1000, or Jen Liu. Win the relay and you likely win the meet.
Are there any other trick moves North could make? Well, I don't see that there's any value to shuffling the distance runners around. It's important to take thirds in the mile and two mile, but otherwise it doesn't look like this is a time for devious strategy.
Will it happen this way, probably not! But it should be an exciting meet, and I wish both teams the very best of luck and lots of personal bests as they compete for the league title!
Others have already handicapped the races (and done a great job at it), so I'll try to bring a little bit different perspective: I'll try to outline a winning strategy for each team in turn. Remember, this is all for fun. I don't talk to the coaches, I don't really know anything, and I like ALL the runners equally. In fact, if you're easily offended you should stop reading right now.
Ok? Let's start with Weymouth...
How the Weymouth girls can beat Newton North
Carolyn Ranti is the odds-on favorite to win either the mile or 1000. If Weymouth runs Jill Corcoran in the mile, Corcoran has a great shot at winning (if Ranti is in the 1000) or taking second (if Ranti is in the mile). Let's assume Carolyn runs the mile, along with Adina Hemley-Bronstein. Score it 6-3 Newton.
Weymouth has to make a big choice in the 1000. Run Carolyn Connolly and she's not available for the 600. I think they might run Sarah McCarthy, and expect that she'll take no worse than second behind either Nora Barnicle or Ranti. Shoshana Kruskal nabs the third spot, and again Newton takes the event 6-3. (If Ranti is in the 1000, which is not unlikely, this deployment gives Weymouth a good chance to win the mile and still pick up three points in the 1000.)
Now Weymouth can run Carolyn Connolly in the 600, where she is the league leader and almost a full second faster than Emma Kornetsky. Melissa Kimball takes third for the Wildcats, so score it 6-3 Weymouth.
Sam Bennett has run 43.99 in the 300, and would be the favorite to beat Michelle Kaufman or anyone else Newton could throw out there. Felicia Hopkins has run 46.07 and is improving every week. I say this event goes to Weymouth 6-3, tying the meet.
Before moving on to the sprints, let's handicap the field events.
High jump results have been pretty consistent over the last four meets. Newton's Amy Ren is the favorite to win, and Jenn Bell and Carolyn Connolly should take 2nd and 3rd. 5-4 Newton.
In the shot put, Bonny Guang has been solid for Newton and should win. Weymouth's Christine Candler has been consistently over 26 feet, so I think she takes second. Weymouth would celebrate if Felice Campbell or Jenna Willard could take 3rd, but it's unlucky to bet against any Newton North team in the shot put. Score this 6-3 Newton.
In the 55 hurdles, Newton has the edge with Vicki Marone and Paris Mungo. Weymouth's Jenna Clifford has been coming on strong of late, but I have to say this event goes 8-1 to Newton. Weymouth turns the tables in the dash, and actually has a good chance to sweep with Kayla Sullivan, Jenn Bell, and Emily Clark. Perhaps Michelle Kaufman or Latifah Smalls can take third. I'll score it 8-1, Weymouth.
In the two-mile, Kristin Mahoney takes first and earns five points for Weymouth. The Wildcats will hope for a third place from Amanda Hicks, and it could happen, but I think it's more likely that Susannah Gleason secures the third spot, and this event goes 5-4 to Weymouth.
That puts the score at 42-39 Newton going into the relay. Now Weymouth just has to take care of business with their best team. I'm guessing that's Bennett, Kimball, Bell, and Connolly, a formidable quartet!
How the Newton North Girls Can Beat Weymouth
This meet will be won or lost in the sprints, hurdles, and relay, so a winning strategy should mean putting together the best possible lineup for those events. IN particular, who should be in that relay?
I think Newton should keep Michelle Kaufman in the 300, which allows them to have Ranti (a 60-something 400 runner) in the relay. Likewise, they certainly need Emma Kornetsky, the lion-hearted anchor there.
Newton could choose to double Kaufman in the 55 hurdles and go for the sweep, or have her run the 55 dash, and try to break up Weymouth's potential sweep. But why not have her run the relay as well? Kaufman ran 44.46 for 300 last week, surely she is no worse than 62-63 in the 400. The other member of the team could be Jaya Tripathi, who PR'd at 600 last week, or Nora Barnicle, who PR'd at 1000, or Jen Liu. Win the relay and you likely win the meet.
Are there any other trick moves North could make? Well, I don't see that there's any value to shuffling the distance runners around. It's important to take thirds in the mile and two mile, but otherwise it doesn't look like this is a time for devious strategy.
Will it happen this way, probably not! But it should be an exciting meet, and I wish both teams the very best of luck and lots of personal bests as they compete for the league title!
January 22, 2008
40 to 50
As decades go, the last one was pretty good for me.
When I turned 40, I would say that my goals and my training were pretty random. Although I was running ok in road races, I wasn't really learning anything, and my enthusiasm for the sport was waning. I was in the midst of a flirtation with orienteering, which probably indicated a certain lack of direction. Work was very demanding, my kids were both teenagers, and athletically I was in a rut. You might think that I was excited to start competing against other 40-year-olds, but actually, that wasn't much of a motivating factor for me. I didn't see myself in a separate category from the other younger runners around me, and as for older runners... well, I really didn't know what to think about those 50- and 60-year-olds, except to be mildly impressed that they were out there at all...
I didn't run much track when I was 40. In fact, I hadn't run much track for several years. On a whim, I entered a masters track meet in January and ran something like 4:47 for the mile. That motivated me to train a little bit for the National Indoor meet in March, and I brought my time down to 4:36, and finished something like 8th in a relatively weak field. Not very impressive, but it turned out to be the start of a decade-long renaissance in my desire to run short, fast races.
The best thing that happened to me in my 40's was coaching. Specifically, I started working at Newton North with Jim Blackburn -- first as a volunteer, and then as an assistant coach. It's hard to sum up in a few words how much this has meant to me, but the experience was gratifying on many levels: being able to work with unbelievable athletes and a first-rate coach, being challenged everyday to think and learn and question my assumptions, being part of the accomplishments of several great teams, and finally discovering that I had something important to give back to the sport. Surprisingly, it also generated a tremendous desire to improve as a runner. I don't just mean that I wanted to run faster times... I mean that I wanted to train and compete at a higher mental level. I knew that my body couldn't do the same kind of workouts it had done 10-15 years earlier, but I found that my mind could play a greater role in my training and racing.
In 2003, I accomplished a few things that I would never have thought possible. Oh no, I didn't discover "the secret," and I can't point to any one workout or training technique. I would describe it instead as a process in which I learned to accept that my results were the outcome of my commitment. This realization caused me to train with a different set of expectations of myself. When the results came, I could see them as the outcome of a long, hard, but ultimately satisfying process. That year brought peak experiences that I will remember forever.
I guess I have to mention that I did, in fact, get slower at a fairly steady rate. When I started coaching, it was a pleasant easy run to go out and do distance with my athletes. I also had the speed and endurance to enforce the "no racing on distance days" rule. Within a couple of years, my easy runs with the team were a lot more challenging, and I couldn't enforce anything. Nowadays, I simply can't keep up on most runs. One part of me feels like a charity case, and I find myself apologizing for being slow. Another part of me has come to accept it, and even to use my slowness as a teaching point about the nature of speed and endurance. I have also learned that you can't afford to ever abandon speed. You always have to include it somewhere in your training, even when you start receiving applications to join AARP.
As I start out in my new age group, I have no idea what the next several years will bring. I no longer feel compelled to project my current times forward. I know the general direction that they are heading, but from month-to-month, I can still be surprised and pleased to see a little progress here and there.
The biggest and most important change wrought by all the running, coaching, writing, and talking in the last ten years, is that this sport has become a story about shared work, shared aspirations, and shared achievements. It used to be a solitary pursuit, and I doubted that anyone else would ever understand. What a difference now, to feel surrounded and supported by a community of people who share this passion. It makes me feel tremendously fortunate every day.
When I turned 40, I would say that my goals and my training were pretty random. Although I was running ok in road races, I wasn't really learning anything, and my enthusiasm for the sport was waning. I was in the midst of a flirtation with orienteering, which probably indicated a certain lack of direction. Work was very demanding, my kids were both teenagers, and athletically I was in a rut. You might think that I was excited to start competing against other 40-year-olds, but actually, that wasn't much of a motivating factor for me. I didn't see myself in a separate category from the other younger runners around me, and as for older runners... well, I really didn't know what to think about those 50- and 60-year-olds, except to be mildly impressed that they were out there at all...
I didn't run much track when I was 40. In fact, I hadn't run much track for several years. On a whim, I entered a masters track meet in January and ran something like 4:47 for the mile. That motivated me to train a little bit for the National Indoor meet in March, and I brought my time down to 4:36, and finished something like 8th in a relatively weak field. Not very impressive, but it turned out to be the start of a decade-long renaissance in my desire to run short, fast races.
The best thing that happened to me in my 40's was coaching. Specifically, I started working at Newton North with Jim Blackburn -- first as a volunteer, and then as an assistant coach. It's hard to sum up in a few words how much this has meant to me, but the experience was gratifying on many levels: being able to work with unbelievable athletes and a first-rate coach, being challenged everyday to think and learn and question my assumptions, being part of the accomplishments of several great teams, and finally discovering that I had something important to give back to the sport. Surprisingly, it also generated a tremendous desire to improve as a runner. I don't just mean that I wanted to run faster times... I mean that I wanted to train and compete at a higher mental level. I knew that my body couldn't do the same kind of workouts it had done 10-15 years earlier, but I found that my mind could play a greater role in my training and racing.
In 2003, I accomplished a few things that I would never have thought possible. Oh no, I didn't discover "the secret," and I can't point to any one workout or training technique. I would describe it instead as a process in which I learned to accept that my results were the outcome of my commitment. This realization caused me to train with a different set of expectations of myself. When the results came, I could see them as the outcome of a long, hard, but ultimately satisfying process. That year brought peak experiences that I will remember forever.
I guess I have to mention that I did, in fact, get slower at a fairly steady rate. When I started coaching, it was a pleasant easy run to go out and do distance with my athletes. I also had the speed and endurance to enforce the "no racing on distance days" rule. Within a couple of years, my easy runs with the team were a lot more challenging, and I couldn't enforce anything. Nowadays, I simply can't keep up on most runs. One part of me feels like a charity case, and I find myself apologizing for being slow. Another part of me has come to accept it, and even to use my slowness as a teaching point about the nature of speed and endurance. I have also learned that you can't afford to ever abandon speed. You always have to include it somewhere in your training, even when you start receiving applications to join AARP.
As I start out in my new age group, I have no idea what the next several years will bring. I no longer feel compelled to project my current times forward. I know the general direction that they are heading, but from month-to-month, I can still be surprised and pleased to see a little progress here and there.
The biggest and most important change wrought by all the running, coaching, writing, and talking in the last ten years, is that this sport has become a story about shared work, shared aspirations, and shared achievements. It used to be a solitary pursuit, and I doubted that anyone else would ever understand. What a difference now, to feel surrounded and supported by a community of people who share this passion. It makes me feel tremendously fortunate every day.
January 21, 2008
Bay State Meet Results - Jan. 17, 2008
Time to head back and recognize some great performances from last Thursday's Bay State meet.
Ranti Sets NN School Record in 1000
Carolyn Ranti made NN history, running a school record 3:00.43 in the 1000. Ranti, who makes the 1000 look like a 600, now has the second-fastest time in the state. Not to be overlooked, Framingham's Camille Murphy ran an outstanding time of 3:06.83 to win her heat. Weymouth freshman Jill Corocoran continues to run impressive times, and she recorded a 3:11.48.
Franca Godenzi ran 12:11.94 to set a PR and win the 2-Mile by 20 seconds. She took the lead early and then ran like a deer. Speaking of PR's, Nora Barnicle had an indoor PR in the mile, running 5:33.74 to take third behind Needham's Emily Lipman and Weymouth's Kristin Mahoney. Adina Hemley-Bronstein was right behind in 5:37.09.
Weymouth junior Carolyn Connolly ran the fastest time of the day in the 600, 1:40.79, more than a second faster than North's Emma Kornetsky. North sophomore Jaya Tribathi had a nice breakthrough, running 1:47.77 to go under 1:50 for the first time.
Dedham's Madison Farrell ran 44.05 in the 300. fastest time of the day. North's Michelle Kaufman moved up from the 55 to clock 44.46. Braintree's Jacky Hull ran 44.35, and then had the best time in the 55 at 7.70.
In the field events, Walpole soph Erica Hawley won both the high jump (4-11) and the long jump (15-2.5). North's Vicki Marone had a nice jump of 14-11 for third best. Actually, it was a very close competition, as the top six -- including Michelle Kaufman at 14-9 -- finished within 5.5 inches.
The 4x400 relay was a barn-burner, with Newton North's Emma Kornetsky running a brilliant anchor leg to overtake Weymouth and bring the Tigers home in 4:14.54.
Looking ahead to next week, the relay could be huge, as Newton North and Weymouth square off for league supremacy.
A Few Notable Boys Results
There WERE other teams competing on Thursday, and a few performances stand out in my mind. First of all, nice runs by Yuri Brown (4:42.27) and Rob Keegan (4:43.96) in the mile. I believe these are both pretty substantial PRs.
Weymouth's Sean Galligan came oh-so-close to qualifying for the Div I State meet in the 1000, running 2:45.43, less than 2/10th of a second from the 2:45.24 standard.
Dedham's Phil Weltman moved up to the 600 and ran 1:28.29. Would he consider a move up for the Div 4 State meet?
In the 2M, Wellesley had two good performances from Billy Littlefield (10:34.63) and freshman Peter Krieg (10:34.88). Krieg's time is remarkable, since I don't believe he has broken 5:00 for the mile yet. Both are within a few seconds of the Div 3 state qualifying standard (10:30.24).
In the shot put, Wellesley's Sam and Alex Stone threw 45-9 and 44-3 feet, respectively. Could Sam (a junior) be the Bay State's next 50-footer?
Ranti Sets NN School Record in 1000
Carolyn Ranti made NN history, running a school record 3:00.43 in the 1000. Ranti, who makes the 1000 look like a 600, now has the second-fastest time in the state. Not to be overlooked, Framingham's Camille Murphy ran an outstanding time of 3:06.83 to win her heat. Weymouth freshman Jill Corocoran continues to run impressive times, and she recorded a 3:11.48.
Franca Godenzi ran 12:11.94 to set a PR and win the 2-Mile by 20 seconds. She took the lead early and then ran like a deer. Speaking of PR's, Nora Barnicle had an indoor PR in the mile, running 5:33.74 to take third behind Needham's Emily Lipman and Weymouth's Kristin Mahoney. Adina Hemley-Bronstein was right behind in 5:37.09.
Weymouth junior Carolyn Connolly ran the fastest time of the day in the 600, 1:40.79, more than a second faster than North's Emma Kornetsky. North sophomore Jaya Tribathi had a nice breakthrough, running 1:47.77 to go under 1:50 for the first time.
Dedham's Madison Farrell ran 44.05 in the 300. fastest time of the day. North's Michelle Kaufman moved up from the 55 to clock 44.46. Braintree's Jacky Hull ran 44.35, and then had the best time in the 55 at 7.70.
In the field events, Walpole soph Erica Hawley won both the high jump (4-11) and the long jump (15-2.5). North's Vicki Marone had a nice jump of 14-11 for third best. Actually, it was a very close competition, as the top six -- including Michelle Kaufman at 14-9 -- finished within 5.5 inches.
The 4x400 relay was a barn-burner, with Newton North's Emma Kornetsky running a brilliant anchor leg to overtake Weymouth and bring the Tigers home in 4:14.54.
Looking ahead to next week, the relay could be huge, as Newton North and Weymouth square off for league supremacy.
A Few Notable Boys Results
There WERE other teams competing on Thursday, and a few performances stand out in my mind. First of all, nice runs by Yuri Brown (4:42.27) and Rob Keegan (4:43.96) in the mile. I believe these are both pretty substantial PRs.
Weymouth's Sean Galligan came oh-so-close to qualifying for the Div I State meet in the 1000, running 2:45.43, less than 2/10th of a second from the 2:45.24 standard.
Dedham's Phil Weltman moved up to the 600 and ran 1:28.29. Would he consider a move up for the Div 4 State meet?
In the 2M, Wellesley had two good performances from Billy Littlefield (10:34.63) and freshman Peter Krieg (10:34.88). Krieg's time is remarkable, since I don't believe he has broken 5:00 for the mile yet. Both are within a few seconds of the Div 3 state qualifying standard (10:30.24).
In the shot put, Wellesley's Sam and Alex Stone threw 45-9 and 44-3 feet, respectively. Could Sam (a junior) be the Bay State's next 50-footer?
January 20, 2008
NN Boys Set LJ Record at DI State Relays
After an an emotional meet Thursday, the Newton North boys had their chances to win the State D1 Relays on Saturday, but came up five points short, settling for third behind St. Johns of Shrewsbury and Brockton. The Tigers' lone victory came in the long jump relay, in which Adam Bao, Ivan Kostadinvo, and Sam Arsenault combined for a distance of 19.17m (62-10.75) to set an all-class record, eclipsing by over 10 inches the mark set by Brockton in 2003.
The Newton North girls also won one event, finishing first in the 4x50yd shuttle hurdles with a time of 30.00. That's only 0.13 shy of their own Class A record set three years ago. The Tiger girls also got single points in the distance medley, long jump, and shot put.
In addition to the long jump, the Tiger boys scored via a second-place finish in the sprint medley (3:39.69, behind St. John's 3:37.57), third-place finishes in the 4x50 yd shuttle relay and high jump relays, and another second place in the final event, the 4x400 relay.
Entering the final event, Brockton led St. John's by 9 points and Newton North by 12. the Tigers thus had no chance to win, but certainly had a shot to overtake St. John's for second. In the final leg, the two teams battled, but St. John's anchor Sean Mitchell fought ahead on the backstretch and held on to win the meet for his team (3:28.95). North went under 3:30 for the first time this season, running 3:29.12.
The Newton North girls also won one event, finishing first in the 4x50yd shuttle hurdles with a time of 30.00. That's only 0.13 shy of their own Class A record set three years ago. The Tiger girls also got single points in the distance medley, long jump, and shot put.
In addition to the long jump, the Tiger boys scored via a second-place finish in the sprint medley (3:39.69, behind St. John's 3:37.57), third-place finishes in the 4x50 yd shuttle relay and high jump relays, and another second place in the final event, the 4x400 relay.
Entering the final event, Brockton led St. John's by 9 points and Newton North by 12. the Tigers thus had no chance to win, but certainly had a shot to overtake St. John's for second. In the final leg, the two teams battled, but St. John's anchor Sean Mitchell fought ahead on the backstretch and held on to win the meet for his team (3:28.95). North went under 3:30 for the first time this season, running 3:29.12.
January 19, 2008
NNHS Alumni Results - January 19, 2007
Wesleyan was in town Saturday to run in the 2008 Reggie Poyau Invitational at Brandeis University, and two NNHS alumnae scored in the middle distance events. Stephanie O'Brien placed fourth in the 1000m, running 3:08.78. Haleigh Smith placed 6th in the mile in 5:22.91.
Yale freshman David Smith placed 2nd in the shot put in a tri-meet with Columbia and Dartmouth. Smitty threw 14.72m (48-03.50), a PR with the college shot.
Williams hosted a meet this weekend, and I checked the results looking for Liz Gleason. It doesn't appear that Liz ran, but I encountered the name of another NN grad, better known for soccer than for track. Katie McLean, a freshman at Union College, placed third in the mile, running 5:45.21.
At the RIT Invitatational, Dan Chebot ran 4:51 for the mile. I know that running at RIT is not the same as running at Reggie Lewis, but I wonder how often younger brother Ben has been able to boast the best mile time of the week?
Brookline alum Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot clcoked a nice 3K at the Tufts Invitational on Saturday, running 9:10.18.
Yale freshman David Smith placed 2nd in the shot put in a tri-meet with Columbia and Dartmouth. Smitty threw 14.72m (48-03.50), a PR with the college shot.
Williams hosted a meet this weekend, and I checked the results looking for Liz Gleason. It doesn't appear that Liz ran, but I encountered the name of another NN grad, better known for soccer than for track. Katie McLean, a freshman at Union College, placed third in the mile, running 5:45.21.
At the RIT Invitatational, Dan Chebot ran 4:51 for the mile. I know that running at RIT is not the same as running at Reggie Lewis, but I wonder how often younger brother Ben has been able to boast the best mile time of the week?
Brookline alum Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot clcoked a nice 3K at the Tufts Invitational on Saturday, running 9:10.18.
January 17, 2008
Tigers Edge Warriors 44-42 in Epic Meet
It's January 2073, and best friends Seb Putzeys, Michael Bennett, Sam Arsenault, and Robert Gibson are sitting together in shirtsleeves on the front porch of the assisted living center. After lazy conversation about the weather, politics, and football, the conversation drifts back to the golden days of their youth.
"That was a hell of meet," Seb says.
"It sure was," Gibby replies. "We should have beaten you that day -- but you had that insane kick in the 1000."
Seb cackles, but then remembers how close it all was. "That was only one event -- EVERY event was close, remember? It went back and forth all day."
Bennett chimes in: "Two inches. If I had thrown the shot two more inches, I would have taken second and then..." His voice trails off, and it almost seems like he is ready to go out there and run and throw like he did when he was young and strong and full of competitive fire.
"We couldn't believe it," Arsenault says. We threw everything we had at you guys, and you almost won it in the second event - in the shot put, for god's sake."
"Yeah, well Brookline had the last laugh," says Seb. "Gibby beat me at Class A's, and then again when we went 1-2 in the All-State mile."
"Yeah," says Bennett. "We were state champions that year, but we couldn't beat you in that dual meet. You guys really stepped up that day."
Arsenault answers, "We had guys run faster that day than they ever ran again in their lives. It was a great meet. It was the BEST meet we ever had."
They all rock in silence for a few minutes, and then Gibby says, "You know, I think I'd rather have beaten you that day than win the All-State meet." Seb ponders this for a moment and then says, "The important thing was that we all cared about it so much, and you know, we were ALL part of something pretty special, not just that one meet, but that whole time in our lives, and here we are still talking about it. I'm just glad there are still a few old guys like you who remember how it was..."
Newton North prevailed over Brookline 44-42 in a meet that was as close as they come. Anticipated from the beginning of the season, this meet lived up to all the hype. It was a GREAT meet from start to finish, full of twists and turns, and a competition that seemed to bring out great performances from both teams.
What kind of meet was it? I was standing by the railing with Susannah Gleason's aunt Kate, and we were watching the high jump. When Brookline's Alex Lippincott cleared six feet, Kate started clapping and cheering. "Wait a minute," I said, "that's a BROOKLINE jumper." "But that was such a good jump," she said, and I had to agree.
The meet started out with the excitement of the mile. With Gibson and Putzeys moving down to the 1000, Ben Chebot (#804 in your program) ran an 8-second PR (4:49.64) to take third behind Elliot Lehane and Brendan Grove. Not a big deal? It was a HUGE deal. It was the kind of meet where every third place counts.
But before anyone could get too excited about that one point in the mile, word came back from the Shot Put that Michael Bennett had broken up the expected Newton sweep and regained the lost point with a toss of 42-8. (I don't know why the shot put results havene't been posted, by the way.)
That brough us to the 1000 -- a race which matched 2007 indoor All-State mile and XC champion Rob Gibson with Newton's Seb Putzeys. I happened to be sitting near the Brookline team, and they were three deep against the track cheering the race. After a reasonably quick first lap (in which Gibson got caught on the rail and had to extricate himself from fifth place with a bug surge), the pace slowed and the race became tactical. With the runners bunching, strange things started happening at the front. Eric Selke shared the lead for a while. The lead pack split 65, then 1:39. With a little less than 400m to go, Chris Mercurio bolted to the lead, and Gibson followed. With just over a lap to go, Seb shifted to a gear that surprised almost everyone in the building. Rocketing from third into the lead, Seb covered the final 200 meters in 28.7, and the final 400 in 59.8 to win by two seconds. It was a huge swing, and a huge boost for the Tigers, who were full of hope, although they still had their work cut out for them.
(In retrospect, had Gibson stayed in the mile, with Lehane or Grove moving to the 1000, the resulting points would most likely have been the same, so it was a good risk for Brookline to take. I wonder, though, how the race would have developed differently off a very fast pace.)
So now Newton had a one point lead. That lasted exactly one event, as Brookline re-took the lead with a win in the 600 by Ian Sandler. It wasn't all bad news for Newton, as Adam Bao ran a stellar 1:28 (a PR by 2+ seconds) to take second, just ahead of Irwin Scott. Now Brookline had the lead back.
Michael Bennett came within a few hundredths of a second of adding to that lead in the 300, but Ivan Kostadinov ran brilliantly to get the inside lane and then hang on through an agonizing home stretch to win in a PR 37.18, only 0.06 ahead of Bennett. Jeremy Miller took third for the Warriors, who clung to a one point lead.
In many ways, the high jump was THE central event of the meet. It went back in forth, with first ALex Lippincott clearing a height, and then Sam Arsenault matching him. When Lippincott cleared 6-2 (I think it was 6-2) on his final attempt, the meet hung in the balance. Arsenault answered like a champion, and the bar went up for both jumpers. After Lippincott missed twice at 6-4, Arsenault cleared on his second attempt, and unwittingly set in motion a bizarre and unfortunate series of events. Here's what happened: the bar was obviously set unevenly, with one standard slightly higher than the other. After Arsenault cleared, he called the official's attention to this fact. The official should have simply let Lippincott jump, since whether it was even or not, it should be the same for both jumpers. Instead, the official raised the bar on one side, sparking a protest from Brookline. Ultimately, there was an attempt to restore the bar to the way that it had been, but the confusion must have made it tough to focus on the jump. Lippincott missed his third attempt, and the event was over.
Now Newton had a two-point lead, and they extended it to five points as Arsenault won the hurdles (8.18), with Tony Chen taking third behind Brookline's Joel Parent.
Meanwhile, the two-mile was in progress. It figured to be a strong event for Brookline, and sure enough, Mike Burnstein and Ryan Hardiman broke away from Dan Hamilton in the middle of the race and became the fourth and fifth Breookline runners to go under ten minutes this season. Hamilton hung on for a PR 10:11 to take third, but now Brookline led by two.
The 55 was next, and Bennett won decisively in 6.80, ahead of Hymlaire Lamisere and Adam Bao. It was 42-39 going into the 4x400 relay.
The relay was a microcosm of the meet itself. Brookline took a strong early lead over Newton's Ilan Sarin. Kostadinov ran a strong second leg to get Newton back into it. Seb ran brilliantly to take the lead, but Brookline responded as their third runner came back and drew even or slightly ahead at the final exchange. Now it was Arsenault vs. Gibson, and for a moment, it looked like Gibson was ready to pass, but Arsenault held him off. The moment was gone, and Arsenault lengthened his advantage inch by inch, finally pulling away in the last 50 meters to lead North to the win, and a meet victory by the slimmest of margins.
This was a meet that truly ennobled both teams. The athletes and the coaches are very competitive, but obviously have a lot of respect for each other, and the result was something special. We were all fortunate to see it.
Bay State Meet REsults - Jan 17, 2008
I know there were 11 OTHER Meets going on. I'll talk about them in another post.
"That was a hell of meet," Seb says.
"It sure was," Gibby replies. "We should have beaten you that day -- but you had that insane kick in the 1000."
Seb cackles, but then remembers how close it all was. "That was only one event -- EVERY event was close, remember? It went back and forth all day."
Bennett chimes in: "Two inches. If I had thrown the shot two more inches, I would have taken second and then..." His voice trails off, and it almost seems like he is ready to go out there and run and throw like he did when he was young and strong and full of competitive fire.
"We couldn't believe it," Arsenault says. We threw everything we had at you guys, and you almost won it in the second event - in the shot put, for god's sake."
"Yeah, well Brookline had the last laugh," says Seb. "Gibby beat me at Class A's, and then again when we went 1-2 in the All-State mile."
"Yeah," says Bennett. "We were state champions that year, but we couldn't beat you in that dual meet. You guys really stepped up that day."
Arsenault answers, "We had guys run faster that day than they ever ran again in their lives. It was a great meet. It was the BEST meet we ever had."
They all rock in silence for a few minutes, and then Gibby says, "You know, I think I'd rather have beaten you that day than win the All-State meet." Seb ponders this for a moment and then says, "The important thing was that we all cared about it so much, and you know, we were ALL part of something pretty special, not just that one meet, but that whole time in our lives, and here we are still talking about it. I'm just glad there are still a few old guys like you who remember how it was..."
Newton North prevailed over Brookline 44-42 in a meet that was as close as they come. Anticipated from the beginning of the season, this meet lived up to all the hype. It was a GREAT meet from start to finish, full of twists and turns, and a competition that seemed to bring out great performances from both teams.
What kind of meet was it? I was standing by the railing with Susannah Gleason's aunt Kate, and we were watching the high jump. When Brookline's Alex Lippincott cleared six feet, Kate started clapping and cheering. "Wait a minute," I said, "that's a BROOKLINE jumper." "But that was such a good jump," she said, and I had to agree.
The meet started out with the excitement of the mile. With Gibson and Putzeys moving down to the 1000, Ben Chebot (#804 in your program) ran an 8-second PR (4:49.64) to take third behind Elliot Lehane and Brendan Grove. Not a big deal? It was a HUGE deal. It was the kind of meet where every third place counts.
But before anyone could get too excited about that one point in the mile, word came back from the Shot Put that Michael Bennett had broken up the expected Newton sweep and regained the lost point with a toss of 42-8. (I don't know why the shot put results havene't been posted, by the way.)
That brough us to the 1000 -- a race which matched 2007 indoor All-State mile and XC champion Rob Gibson with Newton's Seb Putzeys. I happened to be sitting near the Brookline team, and they were three deep against the track cheering the race. After a reasonably quick first lap (in which Gibson got caught on the rail and had to extricate himself from fifth place with a bug surge), the pace slowed and the race became tactical. With the runners bunching, strange things started happening at the front. Eric Selke shared the lead for a while. The lead pack split 65, then 1:39. With a little less than 400m to go, Chris Mercurio bolted to the lead, and Gibson followed. With just over a lap to go, Seb shifted to a gear that surprised almost everyone in the building. Rocketing from third into the lead, Seb covered the final 200 meters in 28.7, and the final 400 in 59.8 to win by two seconds. It was a huge swing, and a huge boost for the Tigers, who were full of hope, although they still had their work cut out for them.
(In retrospect, had Gibson stayed in the mile, with Lehane or Grove moving to the 1000, the resulting points would most likely have been the same, so it was a good risk for Brookline to take. I wonder, though, how the race would have developed differently off a very fast pace.)
So now Newton had a one point lead. That lasted exactly one event, as Brookline re-took the lead with a win in the 600 by Ian Sandler. It wasn't all bad news for Newton, as Adam Bao ran a stellar 1:28 (a PR by 2+ seconds) to take second, just ahead of Irwin Scott. Now Brookline had the lead back.
Michael Bennett came within a few hundredths of a second of adding to that lead in the 300, but Ivan Kostadinov ran brilliantly to get the inside lane and then hang on through an agonizing home stretch to win in a PR 37.18, only 0.06 ahead of Bennett. Jeremy Miller took third for the Warriors, who clung to a one point lead.
In many ways, the high jump was THE central event of the meet. It went back in forth, with first ALex Lippincott clearing a height, and then Sam Arsenault matching him. When Lippincott cleared 6-2 (I think it was 6-2) on his final attempt, the meet hung in the balance. Arsenault answered like a champion, and the bar went up for both jumpers. After Lippincott missed twice at 6-4, Arsenault cleared on his second attempt, and unwittingly set in motion a bizarre and unfortunate series of events. Here's what happened: the bar was obviously set unevenly, with one standard slightly higher than the other. After Arsenault cleared, he called the official's attention to this fact. The official should have simply let Lippincott jump, since whether it was even or not, it should be the same for both jumpers. Instead, the official raised the bar on one side, sparking a protest from Brookline. Ultimately, there was an attempt to restore the bar to the way that it had been, but the confusion must have made it tough to focus on the jump. Lippincott missed his third attempt, and the event was over.
Now Newton had a two-point lead, and they extended it to five points as Arsenault won the hurdles (8.18), with Tony Chen taking third behind Brookline's Joel Parent.
Meanwhile, the two-mile was in progress. It figured to be a strong event for Brookline, and sure enough, Mike Burnstein and Ryan Hardiman broke away from Dan Hamilton in the middle of the race and became the fourth and fifth Breookline runners to go under ten minutes this season. Hamilton hung on for a PR 10:11 to take third, but now Brookline led by two.
The 55 was next, and Bennett won decisively in 6.80, ahead of Hymlaire Lamisere and Adam Bao. It was 42-39 going into the 4x400 relay.
The relay was a microcosm of the meet itself. Brookline took a strong early lead over Newton's Ilan Sarin. Kostadinov ran a strong second leg to get Newton back into it. Seb ran brilliantly to take the lead, but Brookline responded as their third runner came back and drew even or slightly ahead at the final exchange. Now it was Arsenault vs. Gibson, and for a moment, it looked like Gibson was ready to pass, but Arsenault held him off. The moment was gone, and Arsenault lengthened his advantage inch by inch, finally pulling away in the last 50 meters to lead North to the win, and a meet victory by the slimmest of margins.
This was a meet that truly ennobled both teams. The athletes and the coaches are very competitive, but obviously have a lot of respect for each other, and the result was something special. We were all fortunate to see it.
Bay State Meet REsults - Jan 17, 2008
I know there were 11 OTHER Meets going on. I'll talk about them in another post.
January 15, 2008
Brookline vs Newton North Preview
On Thursday, Brookline and Newton North will compete for the Bay State Carey indoor track title. Brookline has an excellent chance to become the first team to beat Newton North in an indoor dual meet in eight years, but it won't be easy. Here's what to watch for in this classic match-up:
One Mile - The tension starts before the starter has even called the runners to the "set" position. Because distance runners are limited to one event of 600m or longer, deployment of scarce resources is everything. Brookline's Robert Gibson is a sure winner in the mile or two-mile, and a favorite, but not a lock in the 1000. Newton's Seb Putzeys will beat anyone but Gibson in the 1000 or mile, and maybe in the 2-mile, too, although he would have his hands full with David Wilson. So where do the coaches deploy them? Mike Glennon says Gibson will run the mile... If both Gibson and Putzeys are in the mile, that's 6-3 Brookline. (Could Putzeys beat Gibson in a tactical race? YES! So I don't expect it to be too tactical.) If Putzeys moves down to the 1000, he'll win it. One needs a Ph.D in game theory to determine how to play this one. I'll score it 6-3 Brookline.
1000 (KEY EVENT)- If Putzeys runs the mile, Brookline could try to sweep the 1000 by using Elliot Lehane, Ryan Hardiman, and one other runner who has a shot of breaking 2:50. It will be very important for Newton to try to get third place at least, with Alex Gurvitz, perhaps. Of course, if Putzeys runs, it goes 5-4 for Newton. I'll assume Putzeys is in the mile and score this one 8-1 Brookline, but that one point is in play.
600 - After last week, it seems to make sense for Brookline to run Ian Sandler and Chris Mercurio and take the eight points to the bank. Of course, Mercurio is valuable in the 1000 or mile, but a second place in the 600 is worth more. This looks like another 8-1 for Brookline unless Adam Bao can drop two seconds and challenge for second place.
300 (KEY EVENT) - The 300 is a huge swing event, matching Brookline's Michael Bennett with Newton's Ivan Kostadinov and Hymlaire Lamisere (or Adam Bao?). Bennett could win or he could get third, an 8-point swing. I'll split the difference and say that Kostadinov wins, with Bennett second, giving Newton a 6-3 edge.
2-Mile - Brookline is rich in two-milers, and can sweep this event if they run David Wilson, Michael Burnstein, and Brendan Grove. On the other hand, Dan Hamilton has run 10:16 and is certainly capable of taking the third spot. I don't know why, but I've never yet correctly predicted Brookline's deployment of their distance runners, but I'll still give them the benefit of the doubt and score this one 9-0 Brookline.
55 Hurdles (KEY EVENT) - The hurdles is NEVER an easy event to predict, but I think Sam Arsenault will win, and I think Tony Chen has a shot of beating Joel Parent and taking second. That would be an enormous swing for the Tigers, if they can pull it off. (If they don't, then the meet might very well be over before the teams line up for the 4x400 relay.) I'll go out on a limb and say that Tony Chen runs 8.46, Newton takes 1-2, and the relay will matter. I'm scoring it 8-1 Newton.
55 dash (KEY EVENT) - With Michael Bennett in the dash, this is another event in whcih Brookline could win or finish third. Troy Peterson and Hymlaire could go 1-2 or 2-3, and regardless of the outcome of the relay, that would be the meet. As I did in the 300, I'll split the difference and give Newton first and third, for a 6-3 edge.
Shot Put - Barring a disaster, Steve Long should lead the Newton North shot putters to a sweep of this event and its 9 points. Do yourself a favor and go watch some of the action anyway.
High Jump (KEY EVENT) - I think Newton North MUST win the high jump to have a chance in this meet. Sam Arsenault has cleared 6-4, and if he can come through with a jump like that on Thursday (without taking too many misses at lower heights), he should win over Brookline's Alex Lippincott. Either Ben Kiley and Adrian Dmitrov are a good bet to get the other point for Newton. I'll score this 6-3 in favor of the Tigers.
And that brings us to the relay with Brookline holding a 42-39 advantage. So many things could break differently than I have outlined above, and of course, I have no knowledge of how the coaches might redeploy their runners to scrape for that extra point or two. But if it DOES come down to the relay... if Newton still is alive at that point, it will be a hell of a race.
One Mile - The tension starts before the starter has even called the runners to the "set" position. Because distance runners are limited to one event of 600m or longer, deployment of scarce resources is everything. Brookline's Robert Gibson is a sure winner in the mile or two-mile, and a favorite, but not a lock in the 1000. Newton's Seb Putzeys will beat anyone but Gibson in the 1000 or mile, and maybe in the 2-mile, too, although he would have his hands full with David Wilson. So where do the coaches deploy them? Mike Glennon says Gibson will run the mile... If both Gibson and Putzeys are in the mile, that's 6-3 Brookline. (Could Putzeys beat Gibson in a tactical race? YES! So I don't expect it to be too tactical.) If Putzeys moves down to the 1000, he'll win it. One needs a Ph.D in game theory to determine how to play this one. I'll score it 6-3 Brookline.
1000 (KEY EVENT)- If Putzeys runs the mile, Brookline could try to sweep the 1000 by using Elliot Lehane, Ryan Hardiman, and one other runner who has a shot of breaking 2:50. It will be very important for Newton to try to get third place at least, with Alex Gurvitz, perhaps. Of course, if Putzeys runs, it goes 5-4 for Newton. I'll assume Putzeys is in the mile and score this one 8-1 Brookline, but that one point is in play.
600 - After last week, it seems to make sense for Brookline to run Ian Sandler and Chris Mercurio and take the eight points to the bank. Of course, Mercurio is valuable in the 1000 or mile, but a second place in the 600 is worth more. This looks like another 8-1 for Brookline unless Adam Bao can drop two seconds and challenge for second place.
300 (KEY EVENT) - The 300 is a huge swing event, matching Brookline's Michael Bennett with Newton's Ivan Kostadinov and Hymlaire Lamisere (or Adam Bao?). Bennett could win or he could get third, an 8-point swing. I'll split the difference and say that Kostadinov wins, with Bennett second, giving Newton a 6-3 edge.
2-Mile - Brookline is rich in two-milers, and can sweep this event if they run David Wilson, Michael Burnstein, and Brendan Grove. On the other hand, Dan Hamilton has run 10:16 and is certainly capable of taking the third spot. I don't know why, but I've never yet correctly predicted Brookline's deployment of their distance runners, but I'll still give them the benefit of the doubt and score this one 9-0 Brookline.
55 Hurdles (KEY EVENT) - The hurdles is NEVER an easy event to predict, but I think Sam Arsenault will win, and I think Tony Chen has a shot of beating Joel Parent and taking second. That would be an enormous swing for the Tigers, if they can pull it off. (If they don't, then the meet might very well be over before the teams line up for the 4x400 relay.) I'll go out on a limb and say that Tony Chen runs 8.46, Newton takes 1-2, and the relay will matter. I'm scoring it 8-1 Newton.
55 dash (KEY EVENT) - With Michael Bennett in the dash, this is another event in whcih Brookline could win or finish third. Troy Peterson and Hymlaire could go 1-2 or 2-3, and regardless of the outcome of the relay, that would be the meet. As I did in the 300, I'll split the difference and give Newton first and third, for a 6-3 edge.
Shot Put - Barring a disaster, Steve Long should lead the Newton North shot putters to a sweep of this event and its 9 points. Do yourself a favor and go watch some of the action anyway.
High Jump (KEY EVENT) - I think Newton North MUST win the high jump to have a chance in this meet. Sam Arsenault has cleared 6-4, and if he can come through with a jump like that on Thursday (without taking too many misses at lower heights), he should win over Brookline's Alex Lippincott. Either Ben Kiley and Adrian Dmitrov are a good bet to get the other point for Newton. I'll score this 6-3 in favor of the Tigers.
And that brings us to the relay with Brookline holding a 42-39 advantage. So many things could break differently than I have outlined above, and of course, I have no knowledge of how the coaches might redeploy their runners to scrape for that extra point or two. But if it DOES come down to the relay... if Newton still is alive at that point, it will be a hell of a race.
January 14, 2008
"The Whole World Spread Below Him"
Sir Edmund Hillary passed away Friday in Auckland, New Zealand.
A year before Roger Bannister stepped on the Iffley Road track and made history by completing four circuits of that oval in slightly less than four minutes, Hillary and his sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay reached the top of the world's tallest mountain.
On May 29, 1953, the two became the first men to climb Mt. Everest. For degree of difficulty, I think the original Everest expedition surpasses the original four-minute mile. These days, assisted by better technical equipment, pre-set climbing lines, and the assistance of paid teams, successful Everest ascents are considerably easier than successful four-minute mile attempts! On the other hand, few people have died attempting a four-minute mile (although they might have felt like they were dying in the last 100 meters). Nearly 200 people have died attempting Everest.
Tributes for Everest 'colossus'
NY Times Obituary
More Everest trivia:
The first woman to climb Mount Everest was Junko Tabei (1975)
Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler were the first to climb Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen (1978)
Yuichiro Miura at age 70 is the oldest person ever to reach the summit (2003).
Temba Tsheri at age 15 is the youngest (2001).
Erik Weihenmayer is the first blind climber to conquer Mount Everest (2001).
A year before Roger Bannister stepped on the Iffley Road track and made history by completing four circuits of that oval in slightly less than four minutes, Hillary and his sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay reached the top of the world's tallest mountain.
On May 29, 1953, the two became the first men to climb Mt. Everest. For degree of difficulty, I think the original Everest expedition surpasses the original four-minute mile. These days, assisted by better technical equipment, pre-set climbing lines, and the assistance of paid teams, successful Everest ascents are considerably easier than successful four-minute mile attempts! On the other hand, few people have died attempting a four-minute mile (although they might have felt like they were dying in the last 100 meters). Nearly 200 people have died attempting Everest.
Tributes for Everest 'colossus'
NY Times Obituary
More Everest trivia:
The first woman to climb Mount Everest was Junko Tabei (1975)
Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler were the first to climb Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen (1978)
Yuichiro Miura at age 70 is the oldest person ever to reach the summit (2003).
Temba Tsheri at age 15 is the youngest (2001).
Erik Weihenmayer is the first blind climber to conquer Mount Everest (2001).
January 13, 2008
NNHS Alumni Results - Jan 12, 2008
Competing at the Yale Invitational, Wesleyan senior Steph O'Brien finished 2nd in the 800m with a time of 2:21.36, just 0.04 behind the winner.
In the same meeet, David Smith finished 19th in the weight throw (12.82m / 42-0.75) and 13th in the shot put (13.63m / 44-8.75).
Dave Cahill won the open/masters 800m at the Dartmouth Relays on Friday, running 2:02.97. He also won his age group in the 60m hurdles with an excellent time of 8.90 (when was the last time he competed in that event?).
January 11, 2008
Bay State Meet Results - Jan. 10, 2008
I may have been slow to post results, but there was nothing else slow about Thursday's Bay State meet. Impressive times and performances -- some from veterans in new events, and some from fresh faces.
Newton North teams fared well, winning both meets, and there was no post-meet confusion about the results this time. The boys handled Framingham without difficulty, while the girls won by about twenty points.
With Seb Putzeys doing some over-distance work in the deuce, there were some nice performances in the mile, with Kyle Higgins running the fastest time of the day (4:34.01), eking it out over Elliot Lehane (4:34.09). Sam Miller ran 4:36 (I think that's an indoor PR for Sam), and now we know what Dan Hamilton can run for 1 mile when it isn't immediately followed by another one (4:48.59).
Robert Gibson stretched his very fast legs in the 1000, running 2:34.42, with Michael Burnstein 9 seconds back. Brookline also took 1-2 in the 600, with Ian Sandler beating Chris Mercurio to the line in 1:28.28. (Newton's Adam Bao and Jared Plotkin both ran 1:31). In the 300, Dedham's Phil Weltman went under 37 for the first time this season (36.85), while Milton's Paul Connor continued to impress, running 37.28. Newton's Ivan Kostadinov ran 37.52, just barely ahead of Brookline's Michael Bennett (37.60) and Hymlaire Lamisere (37.69) in what is sure to be a key race next week when the Warriors try to put an end to Newton's streak of dual meet wins.
I mentioned that Seb was in the 2-mile. He showed his range by winning in 9:38, a time that would put him in contention for one of the top six spots in the state, if he chose to run that event. Equally impressive, freshman Ezra Lichtmann ran 10:18 and is close to qualifying for the state meet.
In the sprints, Sam Arsenault won the hurdles (8.13), and Tony Chen seems to be getting better every week, as he clocked 8.69. Natick's Mike Searcy won the 55 dash in 6.82, with Lamisere tied for 2nd in 6.86. Troy Peterson also dipped under 7.00 (I believe for the first time), running 6.99. In the HJ, Arsenault jumped 6'0" but took second (on jumps) to Brookline's Alex Lippincott. Ben Kiley and Adrian Dimitrov both cleared 5-8, a fine team total of 17-4, if you're thinking ahead to the State relays.
Steve Long had a big throw in the shot put -- I mean a BIG throw, as he cracked 50 feet for the first time, recording a best mark of 50-5. With two other Newton throwers over 41 feet, the shot put relay looks pretty strong for the Tigers. In the (NON-SCORING) long jump, Kostadinov jumped 21-0.5 to win by over a foot. He looks like a threat to score points at the state level.
Finally, the NN boys won the 4x400 relay in 3:34.77, leading Brookline by 5 seconds. I can't wait to see these teams clash next Thursday!
In the girls meet, there was also some shuffling of runners into new events. Not so much for Newton North, whose distance runners stayed put in their events and ran very well. Carolyn Ranti took the mile in a league-leading time of 5:13.08, nine seconds ahead of Framingham's Camille Murphy. Nora Barnicle had the best time of the day in the 1000 and her best time of the season, running 3:12.47. Weymouth's Jill Corcoran looks very, very good as she ran 3:15.96 for the third best time of the day (edging out senior teammate Kristin Mahoney). Sam Bennett ran 1:41.45 for the best time in the 600, and Newton's Emma Kornetsky was right behind with a season's best 1:41.65.
Wellesley's Najauna Muschetta took the 300 (44.05), with Michelle Kaufman moving up in distance to win her heat in 44.82. Natick's Kim Perry won the hurdles in 9.40, and Milton's Kelly Madigan won the dash in 7.72.
In the two mile, Needham's Emily Lipmann won by half a minute with an excellent time of 11:42.33, but the most exciting performance was turned in by Framingham freshman Sarah Bowhill, who improved her PR by 35 seconds and won a close battle with Newton's Franca Godenzi, 12:12.89 to 12:15.10. Remember the name, folks.
In the field events, Wellesley's Hannah Muir was close to state-meet-champion territory, as she cleared 5-6 to win by half a foot. Newton freshman Amy Ren was second, clearing 5 feet. In the shot put, Bonny Guang rebounded from an off-day last week to throw 32-3.5 for third overall. In the (NON-SCORING) long jump, two sophomores from Walpole, Jeannette Thulin and Erica Hawley were both over 15 feet and went 1-2.
Finally, Wellesley had the best time in the 4x400 relay in 4:23 (Newton North winning their heat in 4:28).
Newton North teams fared well, winning both meets, and there was no post-meet confusion about the results this time. The boys handled Framingham without difficulty, while the girls won by about twenty points.
With Seb Putzeys doing some over-distance work in the deuce, there were some nice performances in the mile, with Kyle Higgins running the fastest time of the day (4:34.01), eking it out over Elliot Lehane (4:34.09). Sam Miller ran 4:36 (I think that's an indoor PR for Sam), and now we know what Dan Hamilton can run for 1 mile when it isn't immediately followed by another one (4:48.59).
Robert Gibson stretched his very fast legs in the 1000, running 2:34.42, with Michael Burnstein 9 seconds back. Brookline also took 1-2 in the 600, with Ian Sandler beating Chris Mercurio to the line in 1:28.28. (Newton's Adam Bao and Jared Plotkin both ran 1:31). In the 300, Dedham's Phil Weltman went under 37 for the first time this season (36.85), while Milton's Paul Connor continued to impress, running 37.28. Newton's Ivan Kostadinov ran 37.52, just barely ahead of Brookline's Michael Bennett (37.60) and Hymlaire Lamisere (37.69) in what is sure to be a key race next week when the Warriors try to put an end to Newton's streak of dual meet wins.
I mentioned that Seb was in the 2-mile. He showed his range by winning in 9:38, a time that would put him in contention for one of the top six spots in the state, if he chose to run that event. Equally impressive, freshman Ezra Lichtmann ran 10:18 and is close to qualifying for the state meet.
In the sprints, Sam Arsenault won the hurdles (8.13), and Tony Chen seems to be getting better every week, as he clocked 8.69. Natick's Mike Searcy won the 55 dash in 6.82, with Lamisere tied for 2nd in 6.86. Troy Peterson also dipped under 7.00 (I believe for the first time), running 6.99. In the HJ, Arsenault jumped 6'0" but took second (on jumps) to Brookline's Alex Lippincott. Ben Kiley and Adrian Dimitrov both cleared 5-8, a fine team total of 17-4, if you're thinking ahead to the State relays.
Steve Long had a big throw in the shot put -- I mean a BIG throw, as he cracked 50 feet for the first time, recording a best mark of 50-5. With two other Newton throwers over 41 feet, the shot put relay looks pretty strong for the Tigers. In the (NON-SCORING) long jump, Kostadinov jumped 21-0.5 to win by over a foot. He looks like a threat to score points at the state level.
Finally, the NN boys won the 4x400 relay in 3:34.77, leading Brookline by 5 seconds. I can't wait to see these teams clash next Thursday!
In the girls meet, there was also some shuffling of runners into new events. Not so much for Newton North, whose distance runners stayed put in their events and ran very well. Carolyn Ranti took the mile in a league-leading time of 5:13.08, nine seconds ahead of Framingham's Camille Murphy. Nora Barnicle had the best time of the day in the 1000 and her best time of the season, running 3:12.47. Weymouth's Jill Corcoran looks very, very good as she ran 3:15.96 for the third best time of the day (edging out senior teammate Kristin Mahoney). Sam Bennett ran 1:41.45 for the best time in the 600, and Newton's Emma Kornetsky was right behind with a season's best 1:41.65.
Wellesley's Najauna Muschetta took the 300 (44.05), with Michelle Kaufman moving up in distance to win her heat in 44.82. Natick's Kim Perry won the hurdles in 9.40, and Milton's Kelly Madigan won the dash in 7.72.
In the two mile, Needham's Emily Lipmann won by half a minute with an excellent time of 11:42.33, but the most exciting performance was turned in by Framingham freshman Sarah Bowhill, who improved her PR by 35 seconds and won a close battle with Newton's Franca Godenzi, 12:12.89 to 12:15.10. Remember the name, folks.
In the field events, Wellesley's Hannah Muir was close to state-meet-champion territory, as she cleared 5-6 to win by half a foot. Newton freshman Amy Ren was second, clearing 5 feet. In the shot put, Bonny Guang rebounded from an off-day last week to throw 32-3.5 for third overall. In the (NON-SCORING) long jump, two sophomores from Walpole, Jeannette Thulin and Erica Hawley were both over 15 feet and went 1-2.
Finally, Wellesley had the best time in the 4x400 relay in 4:23 (Newton North winning their heat in 4:28).
January 10, 2008
Newton South Edges Lincoln-Sudbury
Two of the top girls track programs in the state clashed in a dual meet last night at the Reggie Lewis track, with Newton South gaining a narrow 52-43 victory over Lincoln-Sudbury. Trailing 47-43 going into the relay, L-S appeared to have an excellent chance to win the meet. Although their 4x400 quartet appeared to get the job done, running a time close to four minutes, they were disqualified for a baton pass out of the exchange zone. It was an unfortunate finish for what had been a classic battle.
The meet had a slew of fine performances, including a double-double punch from South's Kelsey Karys and Bridget Dahlberg who went 1-2 in the two-mile, and then doubled back to finish 2-1 in the 1 Mile. And remember they did this against a Lincoln-Sudbury distance crew that "merely" won the State D1 XC championships two months ago.
It was like that all night long. In the 1000, Newton's Katherine O'Keefe ran 3:08.50 and didn't score a point!
In the 600, Diana Braver ran 1:39.70 and finished third!
All, in all it was a great preview of what these two teams will do at the state level. When I mentioned to Newton South Coach Steve McChesney that his team would get to compete again this weekend against L-S, he said that he felt his team would be competing against them for the rest of their lives.
It's exciting to see two programs obviously at the top of their games.
Cool Running: Dual County League Meet #2
Local Coverage form the Daily News Tribune
The meet had a slew of fine performances, including a double-double punch from South's Kelsey Karys and Bridget Dahlberg who went 1-2 in the two-mile, and then doubled back to finish 2-1 in the 1 Mile. And remember they did this against a Lincoln-Sudbury distance crew that "merely" won the State D1 XC championships two months ago.
It was like that all night long. In the 1000, Newton's Katherine O'Keefe ran 3:08.50 and didn't score a point!
1 Mepham, Emily SR Lincoln Sudb 3:01.70
2 Ryan-Davis, Juliet JR Newton South 3:04.50
3 Arthur, Claire SO Lincoln Sudb 3:08.40
4 O'Keefe, Katherine FR Newton South 3:08.50
In the 600, Diana Braver ran 1:39.70 and finished third!
1 Griffin, Jess JR Lincoln Sudb 1:37.60
2 Binder, Molly SR Lincoln Sudb 1:39.10
3 Diana, Braver Newton South 1:39.70
4 Natalie, Sullivan SR Westford Aca 1:41.20
5 Frieze, Julia SR Newton South 1:42.20
6 Dennis, Ashley JR Newton South 1:44.40
All, in all it was a great preview of what these two teams will do at the state level. When I mentioned to Newton South Coach Steve McChesney that his team would get to compete again this weekend against L-S, he said that he felt his team would be competing against them for the rest of their lives.
It's exciting to see two programs obviously at the top of their games.
Cool Running: Dual County League Meet #2
Local Coverage form the Daily News Tribune
January 04, 2008
Bay State Meet Results - Jan. 3, 2008
They lost! They tied! They won!
Who the heck knows the actual result of the girls meet between Newton North and Braintree last night? Joe Tranchita told me the girls had lost by 2, Peter Martin told me it was a tie, and the posted results (not always reliable) say they won by 2. It is so weird to watch a sport where the score is treated in such a cavalier way. Can you imagine watching the last few minutes of a football game without know the score?
Well, whatever the score, the Braintree girls performed extremely well and the Newton North girls looked like they were only partially back from their winter break. Braintree's Jacky Hull won two close events (300 and 55 dash), Adrienne Lutz won the high jump and finished second in the hurdles, Siobhan Flaherty had a tremendous kick in the 1000m to just edge Nora Barnicle for the win, Michelina Burbank won the shot, and Erynn Sweeney took a critical second-place in the mile.
For Newton, Carolyn Ranti won the mile and ran a PR 44.52 to take second in the 300, Michelle Kaufman won the 55 hurdles (9.41), finished a close second to Hull in the 55 dash (7.97), won the (non-scoring) long jump, and also tried the high jump. Emma Kornetsky won the 600 and anchored the victorious 4x400 relay team, Franca Godenzi won the 2-Mile.
Other notable performances: Framingham's Camille Murphy ran 3:10.88 to edge out Needham's Emily Lipman 3:11.58 for best time of the day. Weymouth's Carolyn Connolly blazed a 1:41.45 to win the 600 going away. Weymouth had a good day overall, as Sam Bennett ran 43.99 for the top time in the 300, and freshman Jillian Corcoran ran an impressive 12:14.99 in the two-mile. Wellesley's Najauna Muschetta continues to impress, as she ran the day's second-best time in the 300 (44.04) and had the best (non-scoring) long jump of the day at 15-10. In spite of having 19 girls and 18 boys, the (non-scoring) long jump was completed long before the relay events, providing evidence that there is plenty of time to conduct the event as a regular scoring part of the meet.
The Newton North boys crushed Braintree, and seemed to be in fine form despite the winter break. Seb Putzys won the mile and ran a 52.1 leg on the 4x400 relay. Alex Gurvitz (2:51.50) led a NN sweep in the 1000, and Adam Bao (1:33.31) led a NN sweep in the 600. In the 300, a disqualification interrupted the sweep, but Ivan Kostadinov and Hymlaire Lamisere went 1-2. The sweeps continued in the two-mile, as Dan Hamilton led NN in 10:32. Sam Arsenault was busy, as usual, winning the 55 hurdles (8.18), high jump (6-1), (non-scoring) long jump (20-1.75), and anchoring the winning 4x400 relay. Lamisere won the 55 dash, while Steven Long (47-8) led a NN sweep in the shot put and finished second in the 55 dash. Was Smitty that fast?
Looking forward to the State relays, Newton North seems to have excellent scoring potential in the shot put, long jump and high jump relays, as well as in the sprint medley and/or 4x400 (depending on how Coach Blackburn decides to use Putzeys). They also could do well in the shuttle hurdles or shuttle dash, or 4x200.
Other notable results: Well, Brookline dominated most of the longer races on the oval. Elliot Lehane ran a 9:41 two-mile, making the third Brookline runner to run under 9:45 (which would have taken 8th in last year's all-state meet) so far this season. Mike Burnstein (4:38) finished third in the mile. Chris Mercurio (2:44) and Ryan Hardiman (2:46) went 1-2 in the 1000. Milton's Paul Connor (37.42) had the best time of the day in the 300, edging out Dedham's Phil Weltman. Natick's Mike Searcy ran 6.78 for the best time of the day in the 55 dash. Milton's Craig Bennet won the HJ at 6-3, and Milton's 4x400 team ran a 3:35 for the fastest time of the day.
Complete Boys Results
Complete Girls Results
Who the heck knows the actual result of the girls meet between Newton North and Braintree last night? Joe Tranchita told me the girls had lost by 2, Peter Martin told me it was a tie, and the posted results (not always reliable) say they won by 2. It is so weird to watch a sport where the score is treated in such a cavalier way. Can you imagine watching the last few minutes of a football game without know the score?
Well, whatever the score, the Braintree girls performed extremely well and the Newton North girls looked like they were only partially back from their winter break. Braintree's Jacky Hull won two close events (300 and 55 dash), Adrienne Lutz won the high jump and finished second in the hurdles, Siobhan Flaherty had a tremendous kick in the 1000m to just edge Nora Barnicle for the win, Michelina Burbank won the shot, and Erynn Sweeney took a critical second-place in the mile.
For Newton, Carolyn Ranti won the mile and ran a PR 44.52 to take second in the 300, Michelle Kaufman won the 55 hurdles (9.41), finished a close second to Hull in the 55 dash (7.97), won the (non-scoring) long jump, and also tried the high jump. Emma Kornetsky won the 600 and anchored the victorious 4x400 relay team, Franca Godenzi won the 2-Mile.
Other notable performances: Framingham's Camille Murphy ran 3:10.88 to edge out Needham's Emily Lipman 3:11.58 for best time of the day. Weymouth's Carolyn Connolly blazed a 1:41.45 to win the 600 going away. Weymouth had a good day overall, as Sam Bennett ran 43.99 for the top time in the 300, and freshman Jillian Corcoran ran an impressive 12:14.99 in the two-mile. Wellesley's Najauna Muschetta continues to impress, as she ran the day's second-best time in the 300 (44.04) and had the best (non-scoring) long jump of the day at 15-10. In spite of having 19 girls and 18 boys, the (non-scoring) long jump was completed long before the relay events, providing evidence that there is plenty of time to conduct the event as a regular scoring part of the meet.
The Newton North boys crushed Braintree, and seemed to be in fine form despite the winter break. Seb Putzys won the mile and ran a 52.1 leg on the 4x400 relay. Alex Gurvitz (2:51.50) led a NN sweep in the 1000, and Adam Bao (1:33.31) led a NN sweep in the 600. In the 300, a disqualification interrupted the sweep, but Ivan Kostadinov and Hymlaire Lamisere went 1-2. The sweeps continued in the two-mile, as Dan Hamilton led NN in 10:32. Sam Arsenault was busy, as usual, winning the 55 hurdles (8.18), high jump (6-1), (non-scoring) long jump (20-1.75), and anchoring the winning 4x400 relay. Lamisere won the 55 dash, while Steven Long (47-8) led a NN sweep in the shot put and finished second in the 55 dash. Was Smitty that fast?
Looking forward to the State relays, Newton North seems to have excellent scoring potential in the shot put, long jump and high jump relays, as well as in the sprint medley and/or 4x400 (depending on how Coach Blackburn decides to use Putzeys). They also could do well in the shuttle hurdles or shuttle dash, or 4x200.
Other notable results: Well, Brookline dominated most of the longer races on the oval. Elliot Lehane ran a 9:41 two-mile, making the third Brookline runner to run under 9:45 (which would have taken 8th in last year's all-state meet) so far this season. Mike Burnstein (4:38) finished third in the mile. Chris Mercurio (2:44) and Ryan Hardiman (2:46) went 1-2 in the 1000. Milton's Paul Connor (37.42) had the best time of the day in the 300, edging out Dedham's Phil Weltman. Natick's Mike Searcy ran 6.78 for the best time of the day in the 55 dash. Milton's Craig Bennet won the HJ at 6-3, and Milton's 4x400 team ran a 3:35 for the fastest time of the day.
Complete Boys Results
Complete Girls Results
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