North Girls Beat Brookline, Win Carey Title

Becca Park leads the chase pack at Larz Anderson Thursday

For all the ups, downs, and bumps in the road the team has suffered this season, The Newton North girls are still a formidable team that can rise to the challenge against a tough course and tough opponent. The 8-2 Tigers faced the 7-3 Warriors at mountainous Larz Anderson Park with the Carey Division title on the line, and came away with a 25-31 win.

Brookline's Leah Gellineau won, but Carolyn Ranti (18:48) and Becca Park (19:10) took 2nd and 3rd to even things up. Nora Barnicle ran another strong race to place 5th in 19:34, with Susannah Gleason just behind in 19:37.

But one of the most encouraging signs for the Tigers was having seniors Adina Hemley-Bronstein (9th, 20:22) and Franca Godenzi (10th, 20:24) finish well, as both placed in front of Brookline's 5th runner.

The Tigers end the season as Carey Division Champs with a final record of 9-2.

So Close! North Boys Fall to Brookline

In a race they must have all thought about since pre-season, the Newton North boys were within 200 meters of beating Brookline on the Warriors' challenging home course, and winning the league title for the first time since 2004. With the finish line in site, North had five runners in places 3-7, and a good 15 seconds back to the Brookline pack.

But the course took its toll, after all, and North's fifth runner, Ezra Lichtmann, collapsed within site of the finish line and couldn't continue. In an instant, the score "on the course" was reversed from a 25-30 advantage, to a 27-30 deficit, and Brookline was the league champion -- undefeated for the fourth straight year. The Tigers finish the season at 10-1, knowing that on this day they had the defending state champions on the ropes.

Still, the Tigers have to be extremely proud of the way they competed in this race. Brookline's Brendan Grove (15:13) and David Wilson (15:14) took the top two spots, as expected, But Dan Hamilton (15:29), Mike Goldenberg (15:47), Jared Forman (15:54), Dan Ranti (16:00), and Lichtmann ran strong races on the tough hills of Larz Anderson Park. Ranti's time of 16:00, only 31 seconds behind Hamilton is especially impressive.

Here are the top ten:

1. Grove           BRK  15:13
2. Wilson          BRK  15:14
3. Hamilton        NN   15:29
4. Goldenberg      NN   15:47
5. Forman          NN   15:54
6. Ranti           NN   16:00
7. Pratt-Otto, L.  BRK  16:13
8. Pratt-Otto, S.  BRK  16:15
9. Sklar (?)       BRK  16:17
10. Connely        BRK  16:20   

Congratulations to both teams for a tremendous effort in the regular season finale. Congratulations to Brookline for the win and their fourth straight league title.

These results and photos are courtesy of Henry Finch. You can see more of Henry's photos of the meet at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/GeorgeTToad/NewtonNorthVsBrookline30oct08#

Doing the Math; Knowing the Score

I sometimes wonder if one of the reasons cross-country meets aren't as popular or well-covered as soccer and football games is that most of the people watching have no idea what the score is.

Well, technically I suppose there is no "score" until someone finishes the race, but there is the score "on the course" meaning the score if the race were to end with the runners in their current positions.

Anyway, I find that most of the parents and friends who come out to stand around in the cold watching people run cross-country races have a very dim idea of who is winning and by how much. A few years ago I wrote a short primer on How to Watch a Cross-Country meet, in which I tried to explain the scoring and give examples of interesting situations that can occur.

So all of this is prelude to thinking about today's showdown between Brookline and Newton North. Brookline's David Wilson and Brendan Grove are expected to go 1-2, while North's Dan Hamilton and Mike Goldenberg are expected to take the next two places. So what are the possibilities after that?

If Brookline's #3 finishes 5th, North cannot score less than 28 points, even if they take the next three places. To win, North would have to displace at least one of Brookline's runners (in other words, North's SIXTH runner would have to beat Brookline's FIFTH runner). For example:

B: 1-2-5-9-11 = 28
N: 3-4-6-7-8-(10) = 28, and wins with better 6th runner

I have to say, I think this is unlikely.

If, on the other hand, North's Jared Forman finishes fifth, the task is a bit easier. Then, North's FOURTH and FIFTH runners have to beat Brookline's FOURTH. For example:

B: 1-2-6-9-10 = 28
N: 3-4-5-7-8 = 27

If North takes 3-4-5, but Brookline takes 6-7, the meet is over and Brookline wins, no matter what. For example:

B: 1-2-6-7-12 = 28
N: 3-4-5-8-9-(10)-(11) = 29

One interesting (meaning hard to figure) scenario would be if North takes 3-4-5, and Brookline takes 6-8. This would be similar to the first scenario in that the meet could be decided by North's SIXTH runner. For example:

B: 1-2-6-8-11 = 28
N: 3-4-5-7-9-(10) = 28 , and wins with better 6th runner


Anyway, you get the idea. If the race goes as forecast, there won't be much drama at the front of the race. All the action will be back in the pack where someone's good race or final sprint could make all the difference.

CMass Profile: Shrewsbury

There are lots of reasons not to take the MSTCA XC polls too seriously, but they're harmless and fun so why not take a look every now and then?

As of 10/26/08, the Boys D1 Poll looks like this:

1. Mansfield
2. Newton South
3. Amherst-Pelham
4. Methuen
5. Nashoba
6. Shrewsbury
7. St. John's (Shrewsbury)
8. St. John's Prep. (Danvers)
9. Whitman-Hanson Reg
10. Brookline
11. Lexington
12. Reading
14. Xaverian
14. Lowell
15. North Andover
16. Newton North
17. Dennis-Yarmouth
18. Hudson
19. Cathedral (Springfield)
20. Northampton

A couple of comments here: I think Brookline and Newton North are ranked a little too low. But then, there are always lots of ways to look at the lower half of a list like this and make the case for any given team.

Secondly, I think Methuen is the not-so-dark horse here. after dominating the MVC conference meet, I think they have a real shot at the State title and no one should be surprised by them any more.

But the thing that really strikes me about the list above is the presence of two teams from Shrewsbury in the top six. It's not surprising to see perpetual power St. John's there, but where did Shrewsbury H.S. come from, and why are they ranked so high?

Shrewsbury competes in the Midland Wachusett "A" Division in CMass, which includes Algonquin, Fitchburg, Leominster, Milford, North Middlesex, and Wachusett Regional. This year the Colonials won their division with a 6-0 league record, and went 8-1 on the season, losing only to Nashoba. On Wednesday, Shrewsbury won their league meet, going 1-2-3 (WITHOUT running their John Murray, their top guy).

At the Bay State Invitational Shrewsbury finished 7th behind Whitman-Hanson, Xaverian, and Newton North. Their top five were:

 11 #4114 murray, john        10 Shrewsbury               16:33   10             
 26 #4103 frissora, anthony   12 Shrewsbury               16:51   24             
 43 #4102 Favulli, chris      11 Shrewsbury               17:17   39             
 53 #4111 mcAllister, liam    12 Shrewsbury               17:25   49 
136 #4113 morrissey, max      11 Shrewsbury               18:27  130 

Obviously, that gap to their fifth man cost them dearly. On that day, they were missing their usual fith man, Matt D'Urzo, who would certainly have finished well under 18:00.

They did not race their varsity at the Wachusett Invitational (10/18), so it's a little hard to know where they stand right now.

Sophomore John Murray is a real talent, but has had a hip injury that has curtailed his racing this fall. if he's healthy when he races, he can go a lot faster. Anthony Frissora has done very well in the 800/1000 in track (1:59 800) and is having a fine season in XC. Liam McAllister also made big improvements last spring in track as an 800/1M guy and is having his best ever XC season.

To advance to the state meet from Central Mass, Shrewsbury has to finish in the top three in CMass Div I, where they will face Nashoba and SJS. If they make it, and if they find a reliable fifth man, they might just deserve that ranking.

Video: Bay State League Meet Boys Varsity Race

It looks like rain for Tuesday's showdown between the last two undefeated boys teams in the Bay State League. Brookline hosts Newton North at Larz Anderson and it should be a close meet. The girls race will also be a real battle. It wouldn't be postponed by a little rain, would it?

Well, whether it's postponed or not, here's some video inspiration: the Boys Varsity race from Saturday's league meet.

Here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgpINtFYq9c

(Be sure to watch it in high quality.)

I'm really sorry I didn't get more finishers -- I was done in by a dead battery.

Van Cott Over Waldron at Bill's 5K

Needham coach Chris Van Cott placed second overall at the "Bill's 5K" Road Race in Newton on Sunday, running 16:59. More importantly, he avoided what would have been the abject humiliation of losing to ex-Newton coach and quinquagenarian, Jon Waldron, who, despite his advanced age and obvious senility, rallied to finish third in 17:19.

1   SEAN PONT           23 M   M2029 CAMBRIDGE       MA   16:50  5:25 
2   CHRIS VAN COTT      28 M   M2029 BRIGHTON        MA   16:59  5:28 
3   JON WALDRON         50 M   M5059 NEWTON          MA   17:19  5:35 

Waldron, who has a known fondness for referring to himself in the third person, was never a serious threat to CvC. The Needham coach opened up most of his 20-second advantage in the first mile and maintained it throughout as other runners fell off the pace.


Chris Van Cott seems to be asking the camera "Why am I behind a guy with baggy shorts and a backwards cap?" Waldron lurks about 10s back. Photo: Ted Tyler


Van Cott is now 2-for-2 against Waldron at Bill's, as the two went 1-2 in 2006:

1   CHRIS VAN COTT      26   M2029 SOMERVILLE     MA   16:25  5:18 
2   JON WALDRON         48   M4049 NEWTON         MA   16:55  5:28

However, it appears that Van Cott's advantage is shrinking and that his performance is declining rapidly as he approaches 30. Projecting this trend, we can estimate that the two will finish tied for 4th in 2012 with a time of 18:07. After that, Waldron will pull away.

On another note, it was good to see Newton South English teacher and tennis coach Bob Jampol (Noah's dad), who completed the race in 24:59. It was also good to see Jim Blackburn, who stopped by to say hi after noticing the race while out for his daily six-mile run. One feels that he will outlive us all.

Brookline, Wellesley Defend Team Titles at BayState League Meet

With a mile left in the boys varsity race at the Bay State League Championships, David Wilson looked back over his shoulder at teammate Brendan Grove, a few seconds in arrears. Whether it was a look of concern, or a check to see that Grove wasn't falling off the pace, it seemed to satisfy Wilson, who maintained that same lead over Grove all the way through the finish line, as the two led Brookline to their fourth consecutive league title.

(Trivia time: Seven of the last eight years, the top two runners in the boys varsity race have been from the same school. When was the last time the top two were from DIFFERENT schools, and who were the runners? Answer below).

After Wilson (15:19) and Grove (15:24), Weymouth sophomore Steve Sallowin placed 3rd (15:37), just ahead of Newton's Dan Hamilton and Mike Goldenberg, who were both timed in 15:42. North's Jared Forman was 8th (16:06), Dan Ranti was 17th (16:29), Jake Gleason was 20th (16:43), and Mike Weinfeld was 37th (17:16). North's Ezra Lichtmann suffered a fall during the race and did not finish.

The team competition was close, but Brookline -- with 1-2-10-14-25 -- prevailed by two points over North, 52-54. Wellesley, which placed four in the top thirteen, was a strong third with 66 points. Here are your twelve automatic league all-stars... (I didn't hear whether the injured Ryan Hardiman was voted an all-star by the coaches):

  1  #68 Wilson, David        SR Brookline               5:17.1   15:19.55    1
  2  #39 Grove, Brendan       JR Brookline               5:18.7   15:24.11    2  
  3 #454 Sollowin, Steven     SO Weymouth                5:23.5   15:37.89    3
  4 #302 Hamilton, Daniel     SR Newton North            5:25.0   15:42.34    4  
  5 #301 Goldenberg, Michael  JR Newton North            5:25.2   15:42.87    5  
  6 #247 Shields, Dan         JR Needham                 5:25.4   15:43.44    6
  7 #240 Newfield, Jake       SR Needham                 5:32.0   16:02.66    7
  8 #299 Forman, Jared        SR Newton North            5:33.2   16:06.23    8
  9 #411 Volkmann, Will       SR Wellesley               5:34.5   16:10.00    9
 10  #55 Pratt-Otto, Sam      JR Brookline               5:36.6   16:16.01   10
 11 #413 Williamson, John     SO Wellesley               5:37.1   16:17.42   11
 12 #403 Littlefield, Billy   SR Wellesley               5:39.0   16:23.04   12

Girls Varsity Race: White, Wellesley Lead Herget Sweep

Let us, for a moment, consider Rebecca White's record in the Bay State League meet over the last four years. 2005 - third; 2006 - second, behind D1 State Champion Jess Barton; 2007 - 1st, in a course record 17:33; 2008 - 1st, in a course record 17:25. She started off very good, and she has improved to a new level every year.

Yesterday she needed to be very good, because Brookline sophomore Leah Gellineau ran a fabulous race to take second in 17:43, a time which usually wins this race -- by plenty.

Camille Murphy hung with the top two for quite a while, but in the end had to settle for third in 18:35. Not her best race, but she will run better -- has run better -- at Franklin Park.

While White was claiming the individual title for the Herget division, three Herget teams -- Wellesley, Milton, and Natick -- were battling it out for the team title. Natick's Caitlyn Maclellan took fourth to give Natick the early edge, but Wellesley's Jessica Kaliski and Blake Dietrich took 5th and 9th, and Milton's Emily Hughes and Olivia Collins took 7th and 8th, meaning the race would come down to depth.

Wellesley's depth was a little deeper, or a little faster, as Priyanka Fouda and Emily Nadel both crossed the line in 14th and 15th and before any other team's third runner. Sarah O'Brien's 28th-place finish clinched the win for the Raiders, with Milton second, seven points back, and Natick third.

For Newton North, it was a tough race. The Tigers were led by Carolyn Ranti, who finished 10th in 19:13 to earn her fourth straight league all-star plaque. Nora Barnicle ran a strong race, one of her best of the season, to finish 13th in 19:20. She was followed by Becca Park (22nd, 1957), Susannah Gleason (31st, 20:24), Liz Altieri (44th, 21:23), and Elena Hemler (28th, 21:38).

Here are the league all-stars:

  1 #179 White, Rebecca       SR Natick                  6:00.7   17:25.85    1
  2  #77 Gellineau, Leah      SO Brookline               6:06.9   17:43.96    2
  3 #131 Murphy, Camille      SR Framingham              6:24.7   18:35.43    3
  4 #173 MacLellan, Caitlyn   SR Natick                  6:27.9   18:44.81    4
  5 #364 Kaliski, Jessica     SO Wellesley               6:28.2   18:45.80    5
  6 #121 Bowhill, Sara        SO Framingham              6:28.7   18:46.97    6
  7 #564 Hughes, Emily        JR Milton                  6:28.9   18:47.70    7
  8 #140 Collins, Olivia      JR Milton                  6:30.8   18:53.09    8
  9 #356 Dietrick, Blake      SO Wellesley               6:35.8   19:07.74    9
 10 #279 Ranti, Carolyn       SR Newton North            6:37.8   19:13.40   10
 11 #420 Connolly, Carolyn    SR Weymouth                6:38.8   19:16.33   11
 12 #494 Lawton, Brigette     SO Walpole                 6:38.9   19:16.57   12

Good luck to all the teams in their final dual meet Tuesday, and at the State Coaches Meet and EMass meets.

(Trivia answer: In 2003, Weymouth's J.J. Pryor took 2nd behind Newton's Chris Barnicle. Since then, the top two have always been from the same school.)

Time corrections for Bay State League Meet Boys Varsity

The results for the boys varsity race posted on Coolrunning (as of 10/25/08) are inaccurate. Based on a video of the finish line, I believe these are the correct times for the top 10 finishers:

1. Wilson, Brookline 15:19.55
2. Grove, Brookline 15:24
3. Sollowin, Weymouth 15:37
4. Hamilton, NN 15:42
5. Goldenberg, NN 15:42
6. Shields, Needham 15:43
7. Newfield, Needham 16:02
8. Forman, NN 16:06
9. Volkmann, Wellesley 16:10
10. Pratt-Otto, S., Brookline 16:16.01

It appears that the times for runners 2-9 were not recorded, so Grove was given the time for 10th place, Sallowin was given the time for 11th place, and so on. So to get the time for a runner, find the time for the runner who finished 8 places behind.

Newton South Edges Lincoln-Sudbury at DCL Championships

For those who thing league meets are merely distractions on the way to bigger and better races, yesterday's girls varsity race at the DCL championships should change your mind. No, actually it should BLOW your mind.

In the most competitive girls race of the year in Massachusetts since their tri-meet earlier in the season, two of the best teams in state history battled for DCL supremacy. L-S had taken Round 1; now it was South's turn. Although there were twelve teams competing, you couldn't tell from the front pack, as the top 8 runners and 12 of the top 13 represented Newton South or Lincoln-Sudbury.

Reading the results, it's hard to find the words to put the performances of this meet into context. Kelsey Karys won the race in 18:27, which is by my reckoning the second fastest girls time of the year at Franklin Park. Lincoln-Sudbury took 2nd and 3rd, as Ellie Hylton and Andrea Keklak ran 18:30 and 18:31. Either runner would have been half a minute in front of the Girls D1 WINNER at the BayState Invitational. But that was just the beginning. Five more runners broke 19:00 -- eight runners in all -- four from Newton South, four from Lincoln-Sudbury, and they were so evenly spaced that the teams were tied in points with one runner left to score.

When South senior Olga Golovkina crossed the line in 10th (19:07), it was all over.

Newton South's top five averaged 18:44. Lincoln-Sudbury's top five averaged 18:47. Remember that Haverhill averaged 19:40 to win the Bay State Invitational easily. Oh yes, Concord-Carlisle ran a fine race for third -- averaging 20:17.

And lest we forget for even one minute, NS and LS will run against each other at least once, and likely twice more at Franklin Park -- first at the EMass championships on Nov. 8, and then again at the All-State championships Nov 15.

Here are the results from Cool Running:

DCL Championships - Girls Varsity

Meanwhile the Newton South boys, perhaps thinking about the many hard races to come, ran a controlled race to win the league title without undue strain. The Lions ceded the top four places, and then took 5th-9th for a tidy victory. Bedford's Jon Gault won the race in 16:18. Andrew Wortham was South's top runner in 16:32.

Here are the results:

DCL Championships - Boys Varsity

An Unconventional Preview of the 2008 Bay State league Meet

My daughter Joni was over for dinner last night and told me she had been reading my blog lately. "It's been a little boring," she said.

I knew exactly what she meant.

There are times when I settle for simply reporting results gleaned from newspaper accounts, DyeStat postings, and other blogs. I'm never completely satisfied with this use of my blog, however, and it's probably not terribly satisfying to my readers either. It feels like I have a choice: to write about what's on my mind at the moment (and sometimes, there's nothing running-related) on my mind, or to set myself up as a guru of the Bay State league, knowing the top ten runners on every team and what they ran at every meet this year, and make predictions about all-stars, and such.

I find that I am less and less interested in the guru path. One reason, I think, is that I feel that it leads me down a path of seeing runners as numbers, rather than as people. It's a regular temptation because I *like* numbers -- I like to pore through race results and think about the statistical properties of races. For example, last year I spent many happy hours looking at historical results from the Bay State league meet trying to identify "weak" and "strong" years, looking for trends, trying to see patterns.

Numbers don't lie, but they aren't the whole story either. Numbers can't always provide the reasons why a good runner performs relatively poorly, or why a team comes together or falls apart at a critical time. As Jim Blackburn always tried to tell me, it comes down to who WANTS to win. The agate results frequently record, but rarely explain why motivation ebbs and flows.

And by this time of year it does, indeed, ebb and flow... I can't help think about the sleep-deprived seniors working on their college applications, the underclassmen trying to navigate their way through tougher classes. It's a stressful time for everyone, and running is affected by that stress.

So here we are on the eve of the 2008 league meet and what do we know? We know that Brookline's David Wilson is the odds-on favorite to be individual champion in the boys race. We know that the resolute Becca White (Natick) -- last year's individual champion -- will have to contend with the ever-improving Camille Murphy of Framingham.

I am an unabashed fan of these three runners. I am in awe of Wilson's dedication to his training. I am amazed that I have never seen White run a bad race. I became a fan of Murphy while standing next to her mom at last year's Outdoor Track state meet. I could make a prediction about who will win, but...

I am also a fan of the Newton North girls who were so much fun to coach, and continue to be so much fun to follow. It has been a long season for them, and a long journey for the seniors from their freshman year when everything was new and exciting. My hope for them is that they have a few moments to reflect on how special it is to have shared all those training runs, team dinners, triumphs, and failures... Yes, even the failures are precious when you consider that this is the last league cross-country meet they will run together, and that all too soon, they will scatter to separate worlds.

I am a fan of Wellesley's team -- boys and girls. I remember seeing several Wellesley boys at Arthur Lydiard's talk at Regis College several years ago, only a few months before the great man passed away. I remember how Alison Griswold's dad sought me out last year to thank me for mentioning his daughter in this blog. I am excited to see the return of Will Volkmann, the progress of Billy Littlefield and Peter Krieg, and both teams' annual pursuit of state-level recognition.

I am a fan of Needham and their revival in recent years (but I also hope that CvC tires himself out on Saturday so that he'll be vulnerable at Bill's 5K on Sunday).

I am a fan of Weymouth and their manic coach. By the way, everyone should check out Mike Miller's articles in the Weymouth Times. If you think my prose is overheated, check out this article.

And I look forward to cheering for all the other teams that I don't know as well, including undefeated Milton (how did they get so good?).

On the boys side, I'll pick Newton North to win the team title because nobody wants it more, and because ever since Dan Hamilton ran 10:20 on his very first lap of Cold Spring Park his freshman year, he has been one of my favorite runners. Heck, they're ALL my favorites, even the ones I only know from seeing their names in the paper.

But mostly, I want to revel in what it means for all these schools to come together once more, once more into the fray with a group of runners who will never again gather like this in one place.

I've always felt that the league meet is a good-bye meet. Good-bye to this year's league and its stories and characters. Good things are ahead, for sure -- the State Coaches meet, the EMass meet, the State meet (if you qualify) -- but on Saturday, it's farewell to the league for another year.

Good luck to all teams. Have the time of your life.

North Boys, Girls Sweep Braintree and Norwood

Newton North took care of business on Tuesday, as both teams ran to easy wins against Braintree and Norwood at Braintree in their final dual meet before the BSC championship meet on Saturday.

The Newton North girls' top five ran in a pack and finished together in places 1-5. Franca Godenzi was credited with the win in 21:50, and was followed across the line by Nora Barnicle, Susannah Gleason, Becca Park, and Carolyn Ranti.

The Newton North boys don't appear to have been quite so organized, but the result was the same as the Tigers took the top five spots. Dan Hamilton won the 3-Mile race in 16:29, followed by Mike Goldenberg (16:52), Jarad Forman (17:03), Dan Ranti (17:26), and Ezra Lichtman (17:27). The boys record now stands at 10-0, setting up a showdown next week with 10-0 Brookline at Larz Anderson Park.

But first there is the league meet. Newton North is "old school" and I can't imagine them taking it easy at the league meet. Brookline will rest some of its varsity runners at the league meet. Will that hurt North when the two teams clash on 10/28?

The Plot Thickens

Every so often I am struck by how appropriate it is that scholastic running events are called "meets."

After a certain amount of running and preliminary racing, a deep curiosity sets in among competitors and fans alike wanting to see what will happen when every team that hopes to attain glory arrives at the same place at the same time to battle it out for the highest prize.

We're not there yet.

Early season meets were noted but served only to whet speculation, the Bay State Invitational was missing some of the top teams and athletes (SATs, you know), and yesterday teams scattered to the Catholic Memorial Invite, the Brown Meet, or the Wachusett XC Invitational. And even then, top teams were missing top runners.

So anticipation builds towards the regional championship meets and the All-State meet, with some interesting plot twists:

The Boys D1 race looks very interesting all of a sudden. Newton South has been sitting atop the MSTCA polls, but yesterday 2nd ranked Mansfield won the Championship race at Brown averaging 16:17 for their top five. Not far behind was 3rd-ranked Amherst, averaging 16:20. Brookline was 5th (with David Wilson finishing 2nd in 15:10), and unranked Acton-Boxborough ran well, placing 7th. Meanwhile at Franklin Park, Methuen (ranked way down in 12th) ran an impressive race to finish tied (after five runners) with St. John's Prep as the top Massachusetts teams, and ahead of Newton South (minus top runner Andrew Wortham). Experience counsels: never count out Methuen.

Out West, St. John's (Shrewsbury) dominated the Wachusett XC Invite, placing 5 runners in the top 9 of the large schools race. Nashoba won their division, but with a two-minute spread between 1st and 5th.

As for the girls, Lincoln-Sudbury absolutely crushed the competition at the Brown meet, placing five runners in the top 14, averaging 18:15. Senior Ellie Hylton led the Warriors, running 17:56 for 3rd overall. Back at the CMI ranch, Newton South was calmly placing four runners in the top six, led by Kelsey Karys. The Lions did not field a complete team, however, and Haverhill gladly took the team title with 5 of the top 13 finishers (averaging 19:37).

I admit my Division I bias here, but I can only follow so many threads at once!

Newton North was on the sidelines this weekend, with a dual meet on Tuesday, the league meet next Saturday, and the final league contest against Brookline on Oct. 28th. Then it's on to the EMass meet and, for some, the All-State meet.

But for now, and until teams truly meet when all are present and accounted for and the race really matters, we don't know nothin'.

NNHS Alumni Results - Oct 18, 2008

Doug Brecher earned All-State honors, placing 7th at the State of Maine Championships (a.k.a. 2008 Collegiate Maine State Championship), hosted by the University of Southern Maine. Brecher ran 26:20 for the 8K course. Ben Chebot placed 35th in the same race (out of 128 runners), running 28:18.

Added 10/19 - At the "Paddy's Pub Shillelagh Shuffle" 3M race in West Newton, NNHS Asst. Track and XC Coach Shawn Wallace ran 16:04 to place 6th overall. Nice race, coach! Meanwhile. Pat Hamilton (Dan's dad) ran under 6:00 pace to finish in 17:50.

North Girls Swept by Natick, Milton; Boys Cruise

Peter Martin's memory goes back a long ways, but even he can't remember a meet in which three undefeated girls teams met so late in the season. The historic race included Newton North, Natick, and Milton, and it lived up to its billing, with three close meets. Unfortunately for the Tigers, they were on the losing end of both their meets, as Milton prevailed 25-31 and Natick edged them 27-29.

Natick's Becca White won the meet by over a minute, running 17:52. Teammate Caitlyn MacLellan was 2nd in 18:57. After Milton runners took the next two spots, North senior Becca Park crossed the line 5th in 19:28, followed by Carolyn Ranti in 19:30. Nora Barnicle was 8th in 19:55, Susannah Gleason was 9th in 19:57, outkicking a Milton and Natick runner to keep the meet close to that point.

Milton remains unbeaten at 8-0, while Natick moves to 7-1, and North falls to 6-2.

In the boys race, Newton North took the first six places to easily sweep the meet. The Tigers were led by Dan Hamilton (16:11) who won his fifth race this year. Junior Mike Goldenberg placed 2nd in 16:24, with senior Jared Foreman (16:44) 3rd, sophomores Dan Ranti (16:49) and Ezra Lichtman (16:49) and junior Mike Weinfeld (17:07) 4th, 5th, and 6th, respectively. The boys' record now stands at a perfect 8-0, the same as defending league champ Brookline.

The Tigers race next against Braintree and Norwood.

Newton North Takes on Natick, Milton

It's one of those years when you go down to Houghton's Pond twice -- once for dual meets, and a second time for the league meet. It looks like pretty nice weather for today's meet, which means that the league meet will probably be cold and rainy.

I've always liked the Houghton's Pond course, set at the foot of the Blue Hills with miles of trails all around it. The course itself is challenging with that long hill that punishes those who run too fast in the first 3/4 mile. The steep downhill that follows is even worse than the uphill, and footing at the bottom can be treacherous. A long stretch on the path along the road, then a swing around the circle and past the bathhouse, and then a mile around the pond. It's a course that demands a plan.

Newton North will be at Houghton's Pond today, taking on Natick and Milton. The girls race will be exciting. Natick has the best runner in the league in Becca White, but hasn't found a strong pack to support her. Milton has been turning heads in the league with its deep pack, and will certainly give North a battle. As for the boys race, unless I'm missing something Newton North should win both contests easily.

Meanwhile, in a private school league far, far away, Concord Academy faces its stiffest test of the season, taking on Portsmouth Abbey School at Great Brook State Park in Carlisle. Great Brook is another course surrounded by beautiful woods. The Dual-County League held their league championship at Great Brook one year -- the year that Sam Donovan injured his ankle -- and it is still the site of a big middle school meet. I know CA vs PAS doesn't rise to the level of Newton North vs. Milton, but it's a big deal to us.

Good luck to all teams, and enjoy the woods!

Joanie is Still the Best

Former Notre Dame star Molly Huddle won a great stretch battle to take the The Tufts 10K by less than a second yesterday, running 32:52.

But I was absolutely more impressed by Joan Benoit-Samuelson, who finished 33rd, running to 36:16 to win the Seniors Division by seven (!!) minutes. Interestingly, second place in that division was Liane Pancoast, mother of Westford Academy grad Stephanie Pancoast.

The 51-year-old Benoit-Samuelson continues to amaze. In the Olympic Trials Marathon last year, she ran sub 2:50. Yesterday, she ran 5:50 pace for six miles. On Saturday, she was hanging out at the Collegiate New England championships, cheering on daughter Abby, who runs for Bates.

Other interesting notes from scanning the results:

One place ahead of Pancoast, and second in the junior (under-19) division was Lincoln-Sudbury's Andrea Keklak in 43:15. I don't know, but I'm guessing it wasn't an all-out effort for the L-S star.

the 15-year-old Keklak was not the only fast youngster in the race. 13-year-old Lee Milne (Dover, MA) ran 42:50!

Chicago 1985 - "Jonesy, You OK?"

On Sunday Evans Cheruiyot won the Chicago Marathon in 2:06:25, a spectacular time in warm weather. Letsrun.com reports that the leaders passed the halfway mark in what they called a "ridiculous" split of 1:02:27.

I couldn't help think about a race I watched on TV 23 years ago, Chicago 1985, in which Steve Jones forever raised the bar on what it means to go out fast... and finish strong... in a marathon.

The field for the 1985 mens race included Jones, a former RAF mechanic from Wales (who had won in 1984 in a world record 2:08:05), Australia's Rob DeCastella, Djibouti's Ahmed Saleh, and many other top runners.

Carlos Lopes had broken Jones world record a few months earlier running 2:07:12 at Rotterdam, using two pacemakers for 30K. Following this trend, Chicago had arranged for a pacemaker for the 1985 race. The pacemaker's job was to run 4:50 pace, and the leaders acquiesced for a mile before Jones bolted. He simply ran away from a field of world-class runners, leaving them to wonder at his suicidal pace. Jones lengthened his lead with every mile, passing the half marathon in an unthinkable time of 1:01:40 -- 4:42 pace. And remember, this was 23 years ago, with no pacemakers.

So, would he blow up? His own manager was so worried that at 18 miles, instead of urging him on with cheers, asked him "Jonesy, are you ok?" Jones, who ran without a watch, just kept pushing.

In the final miles of the race, Jones slowed to 5:00 miles, and agonizingly missed Lopes record by a second, finishing in 2:07:13. It was tantalizing to think what he could have done with more even pacing and with a little help.

Meanwhile, Joan Benoit-Samuelson was in the process of setting an American record 2:21:21 against one of the best fields ever assembled for a women's marathon. Benoit-Samuelson beat favored Ingrid Kristiansen (the world record holder) and Rosa Mota, who would go on to win the 1988 Olympic marathon. It was quite a day.

But I still remember Jones' run as the most astonishing thing I had ever witnessed to that point in running. He went out SO fast, and ran solo for SO long. While Jones might not have been able to beat Geb or Sammy Wanjiru, I can't help feel that he wouldn't feel out of place standing alongside them on the starting line.

NNHS/BayState Athletes at NE Championships

The women's 5K varsity race at the Collegiate New England Championships yesterday looked like a Bay State reunion there for a moment. Wellesley's Brielle Chabot (17:56) and Alexandra Krieg (18:02) finished 5th and 7th, respectively, while Newton North's Jess Barton was 18th in 18:25, a Franklin Park PR. Other Bay Staters included Natick's Anya Price (Tufts '12) in 19:47, and North's Anna Schindler (Wesleyan '09) in 20:11. There might have been others in the 300-person field, but if so, I missed 'em.

In the men's varsity 8K race, Dedham's Rex Radloff (UMass Lowell) placed 3rd in 24:43, ten seconds ahead of former Brockton standout Kevin Gill. Brookline's Elliot Lehane (Boston University) finished 44th (25:33), ahead of former rival, current teammate David Polgar (PR 25:49). Although I watched the entire race, I never saw David. At one point, I even joked to Colin McArdle that if David was in the race, I would certainly see him because he's so hard to miss. Well, apparently married life has not only improved his times, but given him the power of invisibility.

Moving right along, Seb Putzeys (Newton North '08, Northeastern '12) ran 26:34, ten seconds ahead of Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot (Brookline '07, Tufts '11). Former Braintree speedsters Kyle Higgins and Chris O'Day, represented Assumption, running 27:32 and 27:40, respectively. Ben Chebot (Newton North '08, Bates '12) ran 28:43.

In the men's sub-varsity race, Wesleyan's Scott Cole (Newton North '05) continued his efforts to rebound from injury, running 33:17.

If I missed anyone, let me know.

Mass Teams at Manhattan Invite Today

Today is the Manhattan College High School Cross Country Invitational (aka Manhattan Invite), held at Van Cortland Park in the Bronx (not in Manhattan). It is the largest HS cross-country meet in the East, if not in the country, and often establishes the top teams and individuals in the region.

The meet includes 40 separate races, including Eastern States Championship races for boys and girls varsity teams, as well as a number of varsity races for teams that aren't quite at the championship level, and freshman and sophomore races. The varsity races are held over a 2.5-mile course that eliminates part of the field loop from the 5K course that is used for the Footlocker Regional meet. It doesn't eliminate any of the hills, however, and the shorter distance is quite challenging.

In 2003, Belmont's Victor Gras made a splash at Manhattan, running a meet record 12:16. He wuld go on to finish 2nd at the Footlocker Regional race. Newton North competed at Manhattan in 2004 and won one of the eight varsity races that year. That was also the year that we first got to see the dominant Fayetteville-Manlius team, which took the top five places in its race with a spread of 12 seconds from 1-5.

This year there are 14 Massachusetts boys teams, and 9 Massachusetts girls teams attending Manhattan.

Brookline, Oliver Ames, and St. Johns (Shrewsbury) will be competing in the boys championship race, in which Brookline's David Wilson faces Bay State Invite winner Mike Moverman of OA. The rest of the Mass. teams are scattered among the other seven varsity races. Race assignments (for boys races A-G) are shown below:

Lowell (A)
Tewksbury (B)
North Andover (B)
Westford Academy (B)
Whitinsville Christian (C)
Medford (D)
Seekonk (D)
Xaverian (D)
St. Johns Prep (D)
Catholic Memorial (G)
Chelmsford (G)

Lincoln-Sudbury is entered in the girls championship race along with Oliver Ames. It will be intresting to see how Jenna Davidner fares, after running away from the D2 file at last week's Bay State meet.

The other Mass. girls teams are:

Bromfield (A)
Seekonk (A)
Tewksbury (B)
Chelmsford (B)
Westfield Academy (C)
Whitsinville Christian (D)
Lowell (E)

For more information, results, photos, etc. check the link below:

2008 Manhattan Invitational Meet Website

NE Collegiate XC Set for Saturday @ Franklin Park

Franklin Park hosts the New England Collegiate Cross-Country Championships this Saturday, Oct. 11 with races starting at noon.

The meet brings together DI, DII, and DIII schools and is the best chance for local fans to see former Mass. high-schoolers competing against each other in the college ranks.

The weather forecast is favorable, if a little warm for cross-country, and the Franklin Park course is in great shape for fast times.

NNHS Alum Tom Carleo Named GM at New Balance

Thanks to Josh Seeherman for alerting me to the following news: Tom Carleo, NNHS Class of 1983 and 1988 Olympic Trials qualifier at 1500m, has been named General manager for the Running and Outdoor Business Units at Boston-based New Balance. Carleo had been Senior VP of Product at Saucony.

From the press release:

"Carleo has more than twenty years of experience working in the global footwear industry, including his most recent role as Senior Vice President Product for Saucony. Prior to that, Carleo worked for Nike as their Global Footwear Product Director, Cross Training, and as the company’s Senior Global Product Line Manager for Running. He was also with Nike Running and Track & Field in Japan and Oregon for more than six years. A college track and field athlete who competed in the 1988 USA Olympic Trials qualifier in the 1500 meters, Carleo earned his Bachelor of Art at Boston College."


Josh notes that Carleo is likely the fastest NN grad ever at 1500m, having run 3:46.60 while at BC, and 3:41.9 (according to Paul Hoffman's list) after college.

North Boys, Girls Sweep Weymouth, Remain Unbeaten

The Newton North Boys and Girls won their meets against Weymouth yesterday at Cold Springs Park, remaining unbeaten on the season.

Dan Hamilton set the pace and led much of the way while battling Weymouth's Steve Solowin. In the end, Solowin had the better kick and handed Dan his first dual meet loss of the year. Solowin was clocked in 16:36, while Hamilton ran a personal best 16:39. Mike Goldenberg rebounded from a fall and a sub-par race at the Bay State Invite to place 3rd in 17:17. Sophomore Dan Ranti (17:42) was 4th, Mike Weinfeld (17:59) was 6th, and Jake Gleason (18:03) was 7th.

A special shout-out to Mike Weinfeld who broke into the top five and broke 18 minutes for the first time. Mike was a regular at our NSRP runs over the summer and his improved endurance and solid times are a nice reward to the dedication he showed. Congratulations, Mike!


Mike Weinfeld tries to hold off Weymouth's Brett Julian on Wednesday. (photo: Henry Finch)

Boys Results

1.Solowin-W-16;36
2.Hamilton-NN-16:39
3.Goldenberg-NN-17:17
4.Ranti-NN-17:32
5.Julian-W-17:58
6.Weinfeld-NN-17:59
7.Gleason-NN-18:03
8.Forman-NN-18:04
9.Connolly-W-18:04
10.Farrell-W-18:46
(Results from Jim Blackburn via DyeStat)

In the girls race, Newton's Carolyn Ranti seized the lead early and ran solo to the win in 19:35. Weymouth's own Carolyn (Connolly) finished 2nd in 20:15. Becca Park ran what Peter martin called "her best race ever at North" to finish 3rd in 20:26. Nora Barnicle (20:51) finished 4th, Susannah Gleason (20:56) 5th, and Franca Godenzi (21:04) 8th to complete North's top five, sealing a 21-36 win.


Becca Park ran a PR 20:26 to place 3rd (photo: Henry Finch)

Girls Results

1) Ranti N 19:35
2) Connolly W 20:15
3) Park N 20:26
4) Barnicle N 20:51
5) Gleason N 20:56
6) Hicks W 21:01
7) Jaklitsch W 21:02
8) Godenzi N 21:04
9) Hemley-Bronstein N 21:29
10) Bianco W 22:13
(Results from Mike Miller via DyeStat)

The Tigers next run Tuesday, 10/14, against Braintree.

For more photos of the meet, visit Henry Finch's photo album for the meet.

A Day at Franklin Park

I experienced a first yesterday: our team had a weekday dual meet on the Franklin Park XC course.

Franklin Park on a Tuesday afternoon with a couple of teams is very different than Franklin Park on a Saturday morning with 100 teams. For one thing, there's soccer going on in the middle of Playstead field. For another, there are multiple college teams working out on the course. The actual race kind of disappears into the general ambience of the area.

The course itself is kind of empty, and at the same time full of the memory of other races. It's hard for me, at least, to stay in the moment without reliving past glories or failures. I have to check myself before I become a doddering grandpa, telling everyone about the snowstorm of '04, the dustbowl at Mayor's Cup, and the world championships where many African runners ran barefoot through the March slush.

And, too, it was easy to become mesmerized by the collegians, running their long intervals or tempo pieces, flying through the course in compact formations built for speed. Harvard was there. Northeastern was there. (Seb Putzeys yelled out his greetings during a rest from the hammering pace of the intervals.)

I wondered whether it was a little overwhelming for my kids, having adult D1 runners blitzing the course around them. I hoped that it might actually serve as inspiration to see groups of very fit, very fast harriers all around them having a blast just doing their Tuesday work. In the development of a distance runner, imagination plays a part. I wished that some of the CA runners came away imagining what it would be like to be in one of those highly-trained packs.

And I wondered why there aren't more places like Franklin Park where runners can do endless loops on forgiving terrain, away from cars and traffic, having only to avoid the stray soccer ball that rolls across the course now and then.

Hey Max, Pick On Someone Your Own Age!

The Shirley Educational Foundation (SEF) puts on a 5K trail race as an annual fundraiser. The event attracts a small crowd of local runners, about sixty this year. It's not a big race by any means.

Here are the results of this year's race, held Sunday, Oct 5:

1   1/7    M0129 MAX LACHANCE          12 M            1039 MA   18:52  6:05 
2   1/20   M3054 WILL HELMS            45 M            1029      18:56  6:07 
3   2/20   M3054 TIM TERHUNE           40 M            1014      19:46  6:23 
4   3/20   M3054 ANDRES SALMERON       42 M            1041 MA   20:08  6:30 
5   4/20   M3054 BRIAN IRWIN           33 M            1011      20:49  6:43 
6   1/19   F3054 SUE LACHANCE          48 F            1038 MA   20:49  6:43 
7   5/20   M3054 PAUL VERTEFEUILLE     44 M            1044 MA   21:07  6:49 
8   1/4    M5599 PAUL FUNCH            58 M            1031 MA   21:15  6:52 
9   6/20   M3054 JASON RAKIP           34 M            1013      21:37  6:59 
10  7/20   M3054 MARK GERATH           49 M            1040 MA   23:20  7:32 

As you can see, 12-year-old Max LaChance won the race, beating 45-year-old Will Helms by 4 seconds, and beating his mom, Sue, by almost two minutes.

Like his parents, Max enjoys being out on the trails or on his bike or cross-country skiing -- anything that keeps him outside and active. Running is just one thing he does and enjoys.

Obviously he does it well. But don't expect to see Max or his family get caught up in heavy-duty training or specialization. For them, it is all about enjoying running as one of many outdoor sports.

I remember running a cross-country race with the whole LaChance family a couple of years ago. There was a kids 3K, followed by an adult 5K. Max wanted to run the 5K, but the logistics of the day made it easier for him to run the shorter race, so he did, finishing second, as I recall. After the adults had finished the 5K, Max tagged along with us as we did our cool-down -- he kept running ahead of us and circling back, exactly like a dog out on a walk with the family. You would never have known that he had run a race 45 minutes earlier. He just loved being out on the trails, and would have run for another hour if left to his own devices.

So congratulations, Max. And even though you are clearly a threat to the elder runners of Lunenberg and Shirley, I'm glad to see you out there having fun.

NNHS Alumni Results - Oct 4, 2008

Univ. of Rochester senior Dan Chebot ran his best race of the year, placing 21st overall (out of 314 runners) and 2nd on his team at the SUNY Geneseo Invitational at Letchworth State Park in 26:27.

Northeastern freshman Seb Putzeys placed 62nd at the highly competitive George Mason Invitational, running 27:00 for 8k. In the women's 6k, sophomore Jess Barton placed 38th in a time of 23:37 (4th for the Huskies).

It's good to see Univ. of Richmond Senior Tom Davis racing again after a nagging Achilles injury. At the Paul Short Invitational on Friday, Tom ran 25:26 for 8K to place 21st.

In the category of post-collegiate alumni, two former Tigers and current members of the Greater Boston Track Club competed at yesterday's Somerville "Coalition for the Homeless" 5K. John Blouin ran 17:06 to finish 13th, and historian extraordinaire Josh Seeherman ran 17:31 to finish 24th.

And in the category of non-alumni that we like to give credit to every once in a while, Brookline's Kathy Gibson (mother of last year's D1 State Champion, Robert) won the Fresh Pond 2.5 miler yesterday, running 17:11 for the one-loop course.

McIntyre/Bay State Invitational Results

The 17th McIntyre Bay State Invitational featured a terrific stretch battle in the Girls D1 varsity race, top times from a pair of runners from Oliver Ames, and big numbers in all the races despite the absence of several top teams who checked off answer (C) Take the SAT test Saturday morning.

Newton North was at full strength, however. Led by Dan Hamilton's 18th place finish (16:42), the boys placed 5th in the D1 Varsity race. The Newton North girls were led by Carolyn Ranti (20:00) and got outstanding performances from Becca Park (20:52) and Susannah Gleason (21:06) to place 7th.

Murphy a Close 2nd in Girls D1 Varsity Race

Another Bay Stater was involved in the best race of the day. Framingham's Camille Murphy battled Masconomet's Abby D'Agostino for most of the last mile, surging into the lead they emerged onto Playstead Field. The two girls went head-to-head over the last 400 meters, with neither runner giving an inch. In the final meters, D'Agostino had just enough to pull ahead by two tenths of a second at the finish. Both runners were timed in 18:59.

Here are other Bay Staters in the D1 Varsity race. Notably absent is Natick's Rebecca White (taking the SAT?):

  2  #636 Murphy, Camille     12 Framingham               18:59    2             
 16 #1238 Ranti, Carolyn      12 Newton North             20:00   16             
 21  #620 Bowhill, Sarah      10 Framingham               20:12   20             
 28 #1916 Connolly, Carolyn   12 Weymouth                 20:25   24             
 39 #1236 Park, Rebecca       12 Newton North             20:52   34             
 51  #626 Grandoni, Maria     10 Framingham               21:03   45             
 53 #1221 Gleason, Susannah   11 Newton North             21:06   47             
 64 #1172 Alpert, Hannah      10 Needham                  21:21   58             
 73 #1214 Barnicle, Nora      12 Newton North             21:31   67             
 75  #278 Liebman-Palaez, Ma  11 Brookline                21:39   69             
 76 #1919 Hicks, Andrea       10 Weymouth                 21:39   70             
 82  #291 Wang, Suzy          12 Brookline                21:46   76             
 90 #1222 Godenzi, Franca     12 Newton North             21:54   84             
104 #1166 Maichen, Anna       11 Natick                   22:08   97             
107 #1227 Hemley-Bronstein,   12 Newton North             22:09  100             
118 #1913 Bianco, Cristiana   11 Weymouth                 22:21  110             
119 #1927 Nguyen, Tammy       10 Weymouth                 22:22  111             
121 #1928 Parker, Brittany    10 Weymouth                 22:23  113             
126 #1164 Leon, Olivia        10 Natick                   22:30  118             
134 #1170 Zanchi, Katherine   10 Natick                   22:37  126             
151  #287 Steverman, Amanda   11 Brookline                22:59  142             
156 #1167 McShane, Jenny      10 Natick                   23:07  146             
158 #1178 Iyer, Nimita        10 Needham                  23:08  148             
160 #1910 Albanese, Shayna    11 Weymouth                 23:10  150             
161 #1171 Albert-Stone, Devo  10 Needham                  23:12  151             
181 #1182 Nieto, Lily         11 Needham                  23:35  169             
190  #276 LaPlante, Rose      10 Brookline                23:51  176             
195  #633 Lessing, Shea       09 Framingham               23:53  181             
196  #631 Higgins, Kasey      10 Framingham               23:54  182             
210  #263 Becker, Nicole      11 Brookline                24:22  194             
211  #290 Wang, Liyang        11 Brookline                24:23  195             
225 #1169 Soo, Kristen        11 Natick                   24:36  208             
229 #1209 Altieri, Liz        12 Newton North             24:43  212             
231 #1173 Daly, Emily         10 Needham                  24:44  214             
234 #1181 McSweeney, Andrea   09 Needham                  24:58  217             
241  #624 Ellsworth, Betsy    12 Framingham               25:06  224             
253 #1161 Francis, Jenna      10 Natick                   25:39  236             
254  #637 Nussbaum, Leah      10 Framingham               25:45  237             
265 #1179 Lu, Zoe             11 Needham                  26:35  247             
                                                                                 
                                   Team Scores                                   
=================================================================================
Rank Team                      Total    1    2    3    4    5   *6   *7   *8   *9
=================================================================================
   7 Newton North                248   16   34   47   67   84  100  212          
      Total Time:  1:45:23.00                                                    
         Average:    21:04.60                                                    
  13 Weymouth                    428   24   70  110  111  113  150               
      Total Time:  1:49:10.00                                                    
         Average:    21:50.00                                                    
  14 Framingham                  430    2   20   45  181  182  224  237          
      Total Time:  1:48:01.00                                                    
         Average:    21:36.20                                                    
  25 Brookline                   657   69   76  142  176  194  195               
      Total Time:  1:54:37.00                                                    
         Average:    22:55.40                                                    
  26 Natick                      695   97  118  126  146  208  236               
      Total Time:  1:54:58.00                                                    
         Average:    22:59.60                                                    
  27 Needham                     740   58  148  151  169  214  217  247          
      Total Time:  1:56:00.00                                                    
         Average:    23:12.00                                                    

2008 McIntyre Invitational - Girls Div I Varsity


Nashoba Goes 1-2, Mansfield Wins Team Title in Boys D1

Nashoba's Brendan Aylaian won the D1 title in 16:02, and teammate Coby Horowitz finished 2nd in 16:11, but it was Mansfield that walked off with the team title. Mansfield was led by a 6th place finish in 16:18 from sophomore Shayne Collins (son of Julie and Wally, younger brother of Ryan), who won the freshman race at this meet last year.

Newton North showed its depth, placing 1-5 in the top 67 runners with a gap of 56 seconds. That gap might have been less, but Michael Goldenberg fell early in the race and had finished farther back than expected.

The Tigers were the top Bay State team, and the second-best EMass D1 team. It must be noted that Brookline did not run their varsity, and several other teams were missing or depleted. Still, Newton North showed it is a serious contender for one of the top five spots in D1 that will qualify for the state meet.

Here are the Bay State results from the D1 Race:

 18 #3612 Hamilton, Daniel    12 Newton North             16:42   16             
 30 #5612 Sollowin, Steve     10 Weymouth                 16:59   27             
 31 #3550 Shields, Dan        11 Needham                  17:00   28             
 42 #3609 Foreman, Jared      12 Newton North             17:15   38             
 56 #3632 Ranti, Dan          10 Newton North             17:27   52             
 59 #3624 Lichtman, Ezra      10 Newton North             17:32   55             
 67 #3611 Goldenberg, Michae  11 Newton North             17:38   63             
 83 #3548 Ricci, Mike         11 Needham                  17:51   79             
 84 #2250 Eastman, John       12 Boston College High      17:51   80             
 85 #3541 Gluesing, Andy      12 Needham                  17:51   81             
 95 #3546 O'Connor, Sean      10 Needham                  17:59   91             
112 #3610 Gleason, Jake       11 Newton North             18:13  108             
114 #3638 Weinfeld, Michael   11 Newton North             18:14  110             
116 #3731 Steve, Curley       11 Norwood                  18:15                  
127 #3720 Billy, Glynn        11 Norwood                  18:20                  
138 #3552 Woodward, Charlie   11 Needham                  18:28  132             
143 #3549 Saraiva, Mark       11 Needham                  18:32  136             
158 #2322 Bohling, Daniel     11 Brookline                18:46  149             
163 #3537 Wadsworth, Noah     11 Natick                   18:47  154             
168 #3730 Sheehan, Rob        11 Norwood                  18:50                  
169 #2349 Sklar, Jerome       10 Brookline                18:51  158             
173 #2345 Rittling, Will      11 Brookline                18:53  162             
178 #5598 Connolly, Steven    10 Weymouth                 18:55  167             
189 #2782 Coukos, John        11 Framingham               19:04  176             
193 #5605 Mahoney, Michael    11 Weymouth                 19:08  180             
225 #2331 Hyde, Steven        11 Brookline                19:22  207             
229 #2333 Katzeff, Michael    10 Brookline                19:24  210             
234 #5602 Hermitage, Cory     11 Weymouth                 19:28  213             
242 #2802 Thompson, Jeremy    11 Framingham               19:34  221             
266 #2792 Lessard, Steve      11 Framingham               19:50  244             
270 #2777 Beling, Jeff        12 Framingham               19:55  247             
284 #3533 Steinberg, Charlie  10 Natick                   20:03  260             
289 #2346 Rizman, Matthew     12 Brookline                20:06  265             
290 #5614 Stuart, Ben         12 Weymouth                 20:06  266             
291 #2795 McNair, Adam        12 Framingham               20:07  267             
292 #2332 Jackson, William    10 Brookline                20:08  268             
316 #3520 Kalra, Josh         10 Natick                   20:45  287             
317 #3525 Lunn, Eric          10 Natick                   20:46  288             
322 #3531 Sawyer, Rob         10 Natick                   21:07  293             
330 #3519 Jamieson, Michael   10 Natick                   21:48  301             
331 #3534 Sullivan, James     10 Natick                   21:52  302             
336 #3728 Rob, Stanton        12 Norwood                  22:41                  
                                                                                 
                                   Team Scores                                   
=================================================================================
Rank Team                      Total    1    2    3    4    5   *6   *7   *8   *9
=================================================================================
   5 Newton North                224   16   38   52   55   63  108  110          
      Total Time:  1:26:34.00                                                    
         Average:    17:18.80                                                    
  15 Needham                     411   28   79   81   91  132  136               
      Total Time:  1:29:09.00                                                    
         Average:    17:49.80                                                    
  27 Weymouth                    853   27  167  180  213  266                    
      Total Time:  1:34:36.00                                                    
         Average:    18:55.20                                                    
  29 Brookline                   886  149  158  162  207  210  265  268          
      Total Time:  1:35:16.00                                                    
         Average:    19:03.20                                                    
  45 Framingham                 1155  176  221  244  247  267                    
      Total Time:  1:38:30.00                                                    
         Average:    19:42.00                                                    
  48 Natick                     1282  154  260  287  288  293  301  302          
      Total Time:  1:41:28.00                                                    
         Average:    20:17.60           

(Norwood didn't have a complete team)                                         

2008 McIntyre Invitational - Boys Div I Varsity

Oliver Ames' Moverman and Davidner Post Top Times

Oliver Ames Mike Moverman ran the fastest time of the day, winning the Boys D2 race in 15:48, 200 meters ahead of Seekonk's Johnny Gregorek and Bedford's Jon Gault.

The only Bay State team competing was Walpole. The Rebels had dive runners in the top 50, and placed third behind Bishop Feehan and Seekonk. Here are Walpole's times:

 17 #4395 Lotsbom, Chris      12 Walpole                  17:23   15             
 21 #4383 Doherty, Ryan       11 Walpole                  17:26   18             
 31 #4391 Goula, Ben          11 Walpole                  17:44   27             
 49 #4379 Corcoran, Brendan   12 Walpole                  18:12   43             
 50 #4392 Goula, Jarrod       12 Walpole                  18:15   44             
122 #4377 Conroy, Peter       10 Walpole                  19:25  106             
157 #4406 Pratt, Calvin       10 Walpole                  20:38  139             
                                                                                 
                                   Team Scores                                   
=================================================================================
Rank Team                      Total    1    2    3    4    5   *6   *7   *8   *9
=================================================================================
   3 Walpole                     147   15   18   27   43   44  106  139          
      Total Time:  1:29:00.00                                                    
         Average:    17:48.00                                                    

In the girls D2 race, Jenna Davidner didn't feel at her best, but still bested three-time Emass D4 champion Emily Lanois to win the race in the day's fastest time of 18:30. Lanois (18:48) led Hamilton-Wenham to the D2 team title, ahead of Bishop Feehan and Oliver Ames.

Top Bay State team was Milton, in fifth, followed by Walpole in sicth out of 24 teams.

Bay state finishers in the girls D2 race:

 16 #1104 Hughes, Emily       11 Milton                   20:21   14             
 17 #1100 Collins, Olivia     11 Milton                   20:25   15             
 27 #1771 Lawton, Brigette    11 Walpole                  20:52   24             
 31 #1780 Wiseman, Diana      12 Walpole                  20:59   28             
 37 #1097 Brennan, Jessica    12 Milton                   21:19   33             
 41 #1775 Perry, Olivia       12 Walpole                  21:25   37             
 51 #1102 Heiden, Clara       10 Milton                   21:35   45             
 60 #1114 Mitchell, Chelsea   12 Milton                   21:51   54             
 84 #1777 Russo, Kathryn      10 Walpole                  22:30   73             
110 #1769 Jelloe, Liz         10 Walpole                  23:09   96             
127 #1762 Caron, Olivia       12 Walpole                  23:36  110             
                                                                                 
                                   Team Scores                                   
=================================================================================
Rank Team                      Total    1    2    3    4    5   *6   *7   *8   *9
=================================================================================
   5 Milton                      161   14   15   33   45   54                    
      Total Time:  1:45:31.00                                                    
         Average:    21:06.20                                                    
   6 Walpole                     220   24   28   37   58   73   96  110          
      Total Time:  1:47:57.00                                                    
         Average:    21:35.40                                                    

Brookline Freshman More Impressive Than Class of 2008?

Brookline coach Mike Glennon suggested last week that his freshman class of boys might be more impressive than the recently graduated trio of Robert Gibson, Mike Burnstein, and Elliot Lehane. That might just be the Gatorade talking, but Brookline's Class of 2012 did turn in an impressive performance in the Boys D1 freshman race.

The Warriors had four runners in the top 25, led by Tharindu Weersighe who won the 3K race in 10:37. (Trivia: What did Gibson run in 2004? Answer below.)

Here are times for Brookline's top four, plus Natick's Jared Kimler:

1  2356  Weersighe, Tharindu         09  Brookline                       10:37       
8  2323  Connelly, Joe               09  Brookline                       10:54       
13 3523  Kimler, Jared               09  Natick                          11:01
15 2344  Perry, Mark                 09  Brookline                       11:03
25 2328  Goroff, Matthew             09  Brookline                       11:15       

In the girls D1 freshman race, Weymouth's Bridget Jaklitsch (12:56) was the top Bay State finisher, running 12:56 to finish 6th. Weymouth placed three more in the top 50. Emily Bader (14:43) was Newton North's top finisher.

6  1921  Jaklitsch, Bridget          09  Weymouth                        12:56
18  279  Martland, Anne              09  Brookline                       13:26
25 1933  Tevenan, Julie              09  Weymouth                        13:35
33 1914  Brady, Allison              09  Weymouth                        13:44
42 1926  Myers, Paige                09  Weymouth                        13:56
49 1163  Holman, Ellie               09  Natick                          14:04
66  634  Lin, Mia                    09  Framingham                      14:29
73  274  Grove, Kerry                09  Brookline                       14:38
79 1930  Pearce, Kate                09  Weymouth                        14:42
81 1211  Bader, Emily                09  Newton North                    14:43
83 1223  Greene, Leah                09  Newton North                    14:45
89 1929  Pearce, Julie               09  Weymouth                        14:50
93 1924  Municiello, Kellianne       09  Weymouth                        14:57
94 1160  Flick, Jourdan              09  Natick                          14:57
95 1162  Friedman, Nicole            09  Natick                          14:59
98 1229  Kaufman, Eva                09  Newton North                    15:11
101 267  Faber, Tracey               09  Brookline                       15:12
103 1917  Connolly, Fallon           09  Weymouth                        15:14
106 1225  Hamilton, Jenny            09  Newton North                    15:24
108  1244  Weikert, Melissa          09  Newton North                    15:25
109   266  Faber, Coco               09  Brookline                       15:25
127  1228  Ho, Elizabeth             09  Newton North                    15:57
162   271  Gao, Anna                 09  Brookline                       16:58
164  1210  Aquilina, Maddie          09  Newton North                    17:08
168  1224  Greenly, Savannah         09  Newton North                    17:21
178   294  Yoon, Sally               09  Brookline                       17:57
184   293  Wheeler, Marie            09  Brookline                       18:18
185  1241  Shore, Kayla              09  Newton North                    18:22
189  1920  Hubbard, Mary             09  Weymouth                        18:42
195   621  Bugrara, Narmeen          09  Framingham                      19:30
196  1245  Wishnie, Jen              09  Newton North                    19:36

Is it Time for Johnny Gregorek?

For running fans of a certain generation, it's hard to get past that name -- Gregorek -- without immediately attaching all sorts of unfair expectations to the runner now emerging as one of the best in Massachusetts.

Johnny Gregorek is a junior at Seekonk High School. Last winter and spring he showed that he was one of the best young milers in the state, running 4:28 indoors and 4:25 outdoors (7th at the All-State meet). This fall, he has shown that he is ready to make his mark in cross-country, and so far he has...

- broken Pat Benson's course record at the Bishop Feehan course by 40 seconds.

- won the Boys Varsity 1 race at the Ocean State Invitational, running 16:14 over a muddy course at Goddard State Park. (For comparison, Newton South's Andrew Wortham -- who ran 15:34 at Amherst -- ran 16:21 at Ocean State).

Gregorek is not the only outstanding junior in Mass this year. Nashoba's Brendan Aylaian finished second at Amherst in 15:32, and Mashpee's Max Darrah ran 15:49 in that same race. All three appear to be at a very high level right now.

But Gregorek has -- here's that unfairness again -- pedigree. He is the son of Christine Gregorek, an Olympic Trials finalist and still owner of a share of the U.S. 4x800m record, and John, an Olympian in the steeplechase in 1984, and owner of a 3:51 mile PR and 8:18 steeple PR. It makes it hard not to speculate about how much upside Johnny might have, and whether we have only seen the beginning.

On Saturday, Seekonk is scheduled to run in the Div II race at Franklin Park. As a small school, they don't usually get as much attention as teh Brooklines and Newton Souths of the world, but if Gregorek runs one of the fastest times of the day, he'll put Seekonk back on the map.

Round 1: Lincoln-Sudbury

Newton South leads early, but Lincoln-Sudbury came back to edge the Lions 26-29 in their first of several expected clashes (photo: Henry Finch, Newton South Running Times)


Looking every bit the defending state champions, the Lincoln-Sudbury girls won the first battle of the year against Newton South, 26-29 yesterday in a battle between the two best girls teams in Massachusetts. Sophomore Andrea Keklak and Freshman Corey Stock went 1-2 for the Warriors, overtaking South's Kelsey Karys who had led most of the way.

Incredibly, the top seven runners came in within 15 seconds of each other, and South had a microscopic 22-gap from first to fifth. But Keklak and Stock going 1-2 was huge for L-S, which beat South in the regular season for the fourth straight year.

Although it's early, the meet did nothing to dispel the notion that both teams are capable of great things, and that Lincoln-Sudbury plans to be with (or just ahead of) Newton South every step of the way.

Girls results:

1. Keklak (LS)    16:17
2. Stock (LS)     16:20
3. Karys (NS)     16:21
4. Reed (NS)      16:24
5. O'Keefe (NS)   16:27
6. Gossels (LS)   16:29
7. Hylton (LS)    16:32
8. Dahlberg (NS)  16:42
9. Golovkina (NS) 16:43
10. Arthur (LS)   17:06

In the boys meet, the number-one ranked Newton South Boys dominated L-S, taking the top five places and beating the Warriors in a dual meet for the first time in four years. Andrew Wortham ran 14:11 for the 2.75-mile course, finishing 26 seconds ahead of Arlington's John Jantz (remember that name, folks). N-S was without two of their top seven runners, making the win even more impressive.

For good local coverage of the meet and lots of quotes, check out the story in the Daily News Tribune:

Speaking of Geb,...

Over the past week, I've had a lot of conversations about the new marathon world record, mostly with non-runners. Geb's 2:03:59 record run has been big news in the mainstream media, and several people at work have mentioned it to me, looking for my reaction.

Unfortunately, this is one of those cases where I find it difficult to talk running with non-runners. I know it's my own fault, too. Somehow, I'm too too dense to understand that people are just trying to be sociable, to make a connection by bringing up a topic in which I might be expected to take an interest. But no, I always assume that a question about running is an opportunity to convey the full picture that represents the "runner's perspective". After several minutes in which I inflict that perspective on my listener, he or she usually changes the subject or wanders away with a slightly pained expression and a resolve to make the next conversation about something safe -- like politics or religion.

Why can't I be more like Amby Burfoot, who goes on NPR and gives a perfectly cogent, simple explanation of what Geb's marathon was all about?

Why do I feel compelled to make my listener understand that even ONE 4:43 mile is REALLY fast, an impossible feat for the vast majority of human beings on the planet. After even a a few hundred meters at that pace, most of us will begin experiencing a series of bio-chemical events that are the physiological equivalent of the worldwide credit crisis.

And why do I have to add that I HATE it that Geb smiles so much after these astounding time trials. Is he trying to make it seem like running a marathon in 2:04 is nothing more than a pleasant diversion, a strenuous but ultimately enjoyable romp through the streets of Berlin? Is it possible that he experiences it that way? What does that mean for the rest of us, the ones who trained and trained and trained -- back in the day -- the ones who ran ourselves silly and didn't come within a minute per mile of Geb's pace?

Do you know, I ask, how hard it is to find anyone who can even PACE Geb through a half-marathon at under 1:02 pace? Do you realize how talented and how fit and how elite you have to be even to lose badly to such a performance?

As my listener's eyes glaze over, I continue: Do you realize that Geb ran his last 5K in a time (14:29) that would have placed him 12th in the 2008 U.S. 5K Road Race championships? Do you realize that he averaged 14:42 for each 5K of a 42K race? It's pretty impressive to run even one 14:42 5K. You have to train and train and train to do it. I've never done it. None of my training buddies have done it. It's heartbreaking to think that when we were young and fit and well-trained, none of us would have been able to stay with Geb for three miles at his marathon pace.

Oh, it used to be that people won marathons in sensible times like 2:11 (5:00 pace). I could accept that. Then it seemed that if you couldn't run under 2:10, you weren't even a serious contender, and then in the last few years, people like Ryan Hall ran 2:06 and finished fifth. How are we supposed to even relate to that?

Should we just nod and say "it's just another record," exciting but nothing more or less special than the last one?

No, I say, a new world record is a traumatic event, as well as a celebration. it is a cleaning-out of the athletic closet, consigning previous records and standards of excellence to the dustbin.

In desperation, my listener pulls away and tries to leave, but I'm not done yet. You see this picture of Geb, beaming in front of a digital clock showing the new record? Don't be fooled by that wide grin; that is the smile of an assassin, my friend, and we are all the victims.