Smitty Blasts Through 15.24m Barrier!
Yale junior David Smith threw 15.29m (50-2) at the Heptagonals to break the 15.24m barrier in the shot put and place 8th. Smitty's PR 15.40 (50-6.25) came two weeks ago, but I missed it then. Smith also competed in the weight throw at Heps, placing 12th with a toss of 14.43m (47-04.25).
Brecher, Polgar Set Personal Bests at BU
There were some impressive performances from NNHS alumni at the New England Indoor championships at BU this weekend. On Friday, Doug Brecher ran a personal best 15:06.97 to take 14th in the 5000m. One spot and 1.5s ahead was his Bates teammate and Newton South alum Andrew Wortham, who ran 15:05.47.
On Saturday, David Polgar ran a three-second personal best in the mile, clocking 4:12.88 for 9th place overall.
Actually, the best finish for an NNHS alum came In the 55m dash where Wheaton's Cailean Robinson ran 6.44 in the preliminaries and 6.45 in the finals to place 5th. Hymlaire Lamisere also ran the 55, clocking 6.64 in the prelims, but not qualifying for the finals.
February 28, 2010
February 27, 2010
Tigers Cap Dream Season With State Title
At about 5:40 Friday afternoon at her first Massachusetts Indoor State Meet, Newton North freshman Carla Forbes stood at the end of the runway getting ready for her last of six jumps in the long jump competition. She had certainly jumped well up to that point, well enough to have secured 3rd place and six points behind Pembroke's Berkeley Hall and Triton's Deanna Latham, both of whom had jumps over 18-7.
Six points was not bad, but the Tigers were at that moment trailing Newton South by 18 points. A half hour earlier, Newton South's Kathy O'Keefe and Melanie Fineman had run wonderful races -- both well under 5:00 -- to take 1-2 in the girls mile to give South a huge head start on the race for the team championship.
Now Forbes had to jump. By coincidence, as she started her approach, North junior Margo Gillis and the rest of the field for the fast heat of the girls 1000m were about to be called to their marks. Seeded 5th, Gillis was hoping to improve on that and gain back a few points on North's crosstown competition.
Forbes sprinted toward the board, hit it perfectly, lifted, and flew, landing 18 feet 8 and three-quarter inches away. It wasn't official yet, but after Hall's and Latham's final attempts, Carla Forbes had won the state championship.
Meanwhile, Gills had boldly taken the lead in the 1000, and then relinquished it again after two laps to Bishop Feehen's Jenn Thomas. On the backstretch of the penultimate lap, DI Champion and top seed Andrea Keklak strongly took the lead, with Gillis in pursuit. Keklak flew, but Gillis was not dropped. With a lap to go, the two had opened a gap on the rest of the field. That final 200 meters was as intense as it gets. Keklak went to another gear, but Gillis hung on around the final turn. Into the homestretch, Gillis finally pulled even on the outside, and then inched ahead. With 15 meters to go, Keklak tried to find another gear, but with no gears left, she made a tiny stumble instead, and it was over. In the space of three minutes, North had seen two upsets and two individual state championships.
That wasn't the end of the meet by any means, but it was the sign that North would be the team to beat this year. The truly shocking result would come later in the 55, where Forbes was seeded a distant 11th. In the prelims, Forbes ran a PR 7.34 to make the finals. In the finals, she ran another PR 7.27 (!) to take 3rd. Those six unexpected points would end up being the difference in the meet.
Statistic of the night:
Points scored at the state meet by Carla Forbes: 16
Points scored by all other freshmen girls from all other schools: 0.4
The meet still wasn't over. Bishop Feehan and Mansfield were within striking distance with the relays coming up. But the Tigers clinched the win by taking 3rd in the 4x800 relay. Maggie Heffernan led off with a solid leg of 2:22.9 to put the Tigers in the thick of things. Arianna Tabatabaie also split 2:22, bringing the Tigers from 4th to 2nd. Jaya Tripathi ran 2:28, and passed off in 3rd, but right with the second-place team. Gillis anchored, and gave chase but settled for 3rd in the end. With 32 points, the Tigers were home free.
In the end, it didn't matter that the 4x200 team messed up the first exchange and was disqualified. North's 32 points were unassailable. Mansfield finished 2nd with 26 points, followed by Bishop Feehan (25), and Newton South (23).
All-State Meet Results on Cool Running (Girls team scores not yet posted)
Six points was not bad, but the Tigers were at that moment trailing Newton South by 18 points. A half hour earlier, Newton South's Kathy O'Keefe and Melanie Fineman had run wonderful races -- both well under 5:00 -- to take 1-2 in the girls mile to give South a huge head start on the race for the team championship.
Now Forbes had to jump. By coincidence, as she started her approach, North junior Margo Gillis and the rest of the field for the fast heat of the girls 1000m were about to be called to their marks. Seeded 5th, Gillis was hoping to improve on that and gain back a few points on North's crosstown competition.
Forbes sprinted toward the board, hit it perfectly, lifted, and flew, landing 18 feet 8 and three-quarter inches away. It wasn't official yet, but after Hall's and Latham's final attempts, Carla Forbes had won the state championship.
Meanwhile, Gills had boldly taken the lead in the 1000, and then relinquished it again after two laps to Bishop Feehen's Jenn Thomas. On the backstretch of the penultimate lap, DI Champion and top seed Andrea Keklak strongly took the lead, with Gillis in pursuit. Keklak flew, but Gillis was not dropped. With a lap to go, the two had opened a gap on the rest of the field. That final 200 meters was as intense as it gets. Keklak went to another gear, but Gillis hung on around the final turn. Into the homestretch, Gillis finally pulled even on the outside, and then inched ahead. With 15 meters to go, Keklak tried to find another gear, but with no gears left, she made a tiny stumble instead, and it was over. In the space of three minutes, North had seen two upsets and two individual state championships.
That wasn't the end of the meet by any means, but it was the sign that North would be the team to beat this year. The truly shocking result would come later in the 55, where Forbes was seeded a distant 11th. In the prelims, Forbes ran a PR 7.34 to make the finals. In the finals, she ran another PR 7.27 (!) to take 3rd. Those six unexpected points would end up being the difference in the meet.
Statistic of the night:
Points scored at the state meet by Carla Forbes: 16
Points scored by all other freshmen girls from all other schools: 0.4
The meet still wasn't over. Bishop Feehan and Mansfield were within striking distance with the relays coming up. But the Tigers clinched the win by taking 3rd in the 4x800 relay. Maggie Heffernan led off with a solid leg of 2:22.9 to put the Tigers in the thick of things. Arianna Tabatabaie also split 2:22, bringing the Tigers from 4th to 2nd. Jaya Tripathi ran 2:28, and passed off in 3rd, but right with the second-place team. Gillis anchored, and gave chase but settled for 3rd in the end. With 32 points, the Tigers were home free.
In the end, it didn't matter that the 4x200 team messed up the first exchange and was disqualified. North's 32 points were unassailable. Mansfield finished 2nd with 26 points, followed by Bishop Feehan (25), and Newton South (23).
All-State Meet Results on Cool Running (Girls team scores not yet posted)
Mansfield Shocks Andover
I figured there was no way Andover wouldn't win the state meet, no way.
Mansfield found a way. The Hockomock and DII champs won the meet on the final event by running the fastest 4x400 in the state this year, but more importantly, a few tenths of a second better than Andover's second-best time in the state this year. That victory pushed Mansfield over the top, and gave them the team victory by two-thirds of a point.
Of course, those final 10 points came on top of 25 other points. Some of them came in surprising ways. Only the 9th seed in the 300, Mansfield senior Kyle Kilduff finished 3rd in 36:02. Brendan Boyle nabbed 6th in the mile for an all-important point. Curiously, Andover chose not to run their best miler Simon Voorhees, who was seeded 4th. Patrick McGowan ran a great race in the 1000 to finish 2nd to Westborough's Byron Jones.
And then there were the relays. Last week in DI, Andover owned them. This week, they finished 3rd in the 4x800 (Mansfield 4th), first in the 4x200 (Mansfield 3rd), and 2nd in the 4x400 (Mansfield 1st). Total relay points -- Andover 24, Mansfield 20.
Andover still got a win in the 55 from Chris McConnell, but didn't score any points in the long jump, and only a third of a point in the high jump. Voorhees might have scored in the mile, but Andover probably didn't think they needed him there.
The only thing I was right about with this meet is that the 2-Mile was a fantastic race. After leading the pack through a 4:44 first mile, Antony Taylor did everything he could to open a gap on the kickers in the race. He almost succeeded, but 2009 outdoor champion Coby Horowitz brought the noise with a sub-30s final 200, catching Taylor 10 meters from the line. Shrewsbury's John Murray looked like he might have a chance, as he was matching strides with Horowitz, but a slight bump on the final turn threw him off-stride, and he came in third.
For the Newton North boys, it was a quiet end to the season. Jake Gleason ran 10:10 in the 2-Mile, and Conor Ebbs had three fouls in the shot put. North's other entry, Isaiah Penn didn't compete in the 600.
Mansfield found a way. The Hockomock and DII champs won the meet on the final event by running the fastest 4x400 in the state this year, but more importantly, a few tenths of a second better than Andover's second-best time in the state this year. That victory pushed Mansfield over the top, and gave them the team victory by two-thirds of a point.
Of course, those final 10 points came on top of 25 other points. Some of them came in surprising ways. Only the 9th seed in the 300, Mansfield senior Kyle Kilduff finished 3rd in 36:02. Brendan Boyle nabbed 6th in the mile for an all-important point. Curiously, Andover chose not to run their best miler Simon Voorhees, who was seeded 4th. Patrick McGowan ran a great race in the 1000 to finish 2nd to Westborough's Byron Jones.
And then there were the relays. Last week in DI, Andover owned them. This week, they finished 3rd in the 4x800 (Mansfield 4th), first in the 4x200 (Mansfield 3rd), and 2nd in the 4x400 (Mansfield 1st). Total relay points -- Andover 24, Mansfield 20.
Andover still got a win in the 55 from Chris McConnell, but didn't score any points in the long jump, and only a third of a point in the high jump. Voorhees might have scored in the mile, but Andover probably didn't think they needed him there.
The only thing I was right about with this meet is that the 2-Mile was a fantastic race. After leading the pack through a 4:44 first mile, Antony Taylor did everything he could to open a gap on the kickers in the race. He almost succeeded, but 2009 outdoor champion Coby Horowitz brought the noise with a sub-30s final 200, catching Taylor 10 meters from the line. Shrewsbury's John Murray looked like he might have a chance, as he was matching strides with Horowitz, but a slight bump on the final turn threw him off-stride, and he came in third.
For the Newton North boys, it was a quiet end to the season. Jake Gleason ran 10:10 in the 2-Mile, and Conor Ebbs had three fouls in the shot put. North's other entry, Isaiah Penn didn't compete in the 600.
February 26, 2010
NN Outdoor 2M All-Decade List (So far...)
By popular demand, I've sifted through the archives to produce the following list of all NNHS boys who ran times under 10:00 for the 2 Mile over the last nine seasons. It seems like there is a good chance for members of the 2010 team to add their names to this list.
I have tried to find the times from the meet at Milton where Evan Morse won and Dan Chebot finished second, both under 10:00. I *thought* Evan ran closer to 9:52, but Dan thinks it was 9:55. If anyone has any definite information about that meet, I'd appreciate it. If not, I'll go to the library and check microfilm to see if those results were reported in the paper.
Here's the list:
I have tried to find the times from the meet at Milton where Evan Morse won and Dan Chebot finished second, both under 10:00. I *thought* Evan ran closer to 9:52, but Dan thinks it was 9:55. If anyone has any definite information about that meet, I'd appreciate it. If not, I'll go to the library and check microfilm to see if those results were reported in the paper.
Here's the list:
1. Chris Barnicle 8:50.82 May 8, 2004 Hartford
2. Tom Davis 9:28.76 Jun 5, 2004 All-State Meet
3. Dan Hamilton 9:35.09 May 2, 2009 Weston
4. Doug Brecher 9:41.39 May 15, 2005 State Coaches
5. William Clayton Lloyd 9:51.95, May 28, 2005 Class Meet
6. Mike Goldenberg 9:52.69 May 2, 2009 Weston
7. Ciaran O’Donovan 9:54.06 May 10, 2003 State Coaches
8. Pat Pierce 9:55.09 May 8, 2004 State Coaches
9. Evan Morse 9:55h April ?, 2005 Milton dual meet
10. Dan Chebot 9:57h April ?, 2005 Milton dual meet
February 25, 2010
2010 Indoor State Meet Preview
The 2010 Indoor All-State meet is Friday evening. Here's a less-than-exhaustive look at the most intriguing team and individual battles:
Girls Team and Individual
The girls team competition will be a tense battle between a half dozen schools, including D1 champs Newton North, D2 champs Mansfield, Newton South, Franklin, Boston Latin, Lincoln-Sudbury, and Wachusett. It seems to me that the winning score will be in the low to mid-20's, which means that there's an outside chance for teams like Triton, Beverly, and Andover to be in the mix.
Newton North will expect big points from Margo Gillis in the 1000 and Carla Forbes in the Long Jump. North is also seeded 2nd in the 4x800 relay. if Forbes can score in the 55, or if Emily Hutchinson and Kayla Wong can pick up any points in the high jump or hurdles, that would be a huge bonus. Another upside possibility is the team's 4x200 relay, which is seeded 7th. On the seeds alone, North projects to 18 points, but I think Gillis will finish better than her 5th seed, and I think the 4x200 will pick up 1-2 points. I predict North will be around 22-23 points, with 24-25 a distinct possibility.
Mansfield threatens to crash the D1 party with scoring potential in four events. Kristen McDonagh is tied for the top seed in the high jump, having jumped 5-7 last week. They have the 4th seed in the 300 and the 5th seed in the 55. They also have the 2nd seed in the 4x200. The good news is that four strong events gives them upside, but they need to score in all of those events. I would guess they'll be around 21-22 points.
At the Div I meet, Newton South coach Steve McChesney told me that in some ways, his team was better-positioned to compete for the State Meet title than the Divisional crown. South finished 5th in the team standings last Saturday, but has three strong events this Friday. Ezra Banks should be in the top three in the 55, and I have no reason to doubt that Kathy O'Keefe and Melanie Fineman can't pick up lots of points in the mile. I think it's reasonable for South to hope for 18-20 points from these two events. If the team can then meet or beat its fourth seed in the 4x800 relay, that's 22-24 points, with some upside. I think 24 points might be enough to win the meet, so for the second week in a row, I'll say South has the best chance to win.
Wachusett was outstanding last week, and certainly made me look foolish for not ranking them higher. they have the top seed in the 600 (Laura Williamson) and the 3rd seed in the 4x400, which projects to 16 points. They also have runners just outside the top six in the 600, 1000, and 2-Mile. If a couple of their athletes can break into the scoring, then they could also exceed that 20-point barrier.
Lincoln-Sudbury has an excellent chance to win the 1000 (with the state's fastest performer in Andrea Keklak) and the 4x800 relay. They'll need more points from somewhere, and they might come from sophomore Madison Acton in the 600 (seeded 8th at 1:38) or their 4x400 relay team (seeded 10th).
Boston Latin is in the mix based on the strength of its sprinting. Latin has the top-seeded 4x200 team, and two strong contenders -- Meisha Brooks and Emma Rice in the 300.
I've left out some teams and individuals in the above summary. One of the state's best athletes, Triton's Deanna Latham, could win two events (LJ and 55 hurdles) and give her team 20 points, but I think that won't be enough to place in the team standings. Beverly has two superb distance runners in Monica Adler (top seed in the mile) and freshman Millie Chapman (3rd seed in the 2-Mile), and might score in the 4x800, but I don't think they'll reach 20 points.
Race of the night? For the girls, I think it's the mile, with 7 runners at 5:06 or better and no dominant favorite. I think its also one of the most pivotal races, along with the relays, of course.
Boys - What is There to Say?
There's no more doubting Andover. Their relay performance last week was without precedent, as they won all three, setting records in two. They could win the meet without scoring any individual points, but of course they have the State's fastest sprinter in Chris McConnell, and potential points in the mile and long jump.
The battle is for 2nd, and there I'd say the contenders are Mansfield, Falmouth, and St. John's Prep.
The race of the day, in my opinion is the boys 2-mile, although it will have little impact on the team standings. The field is extraordinary, and I can easily construct scenarios to convince myself why one or another of the runners wins it.
Arlington's Antony Taylor has the top seed, at 9:19. Taylor is tremendously strong, and is known for pushing the pace. He does not have the best kick, however, so has every incentive in the world to run hard from way out. If I were him, I'd wait around for the first mile, and then run the next 8 laps as hard as I could. It wouldn't surprise me to see him go 4:45-4:30. would that be enough?
The second seed is Shrewsbury's John Murray. I saw him run for the first time last week, and I came away in awe of his kick. After spotting Jared Reddy a 10-meter lead, Murray dropped a 29-second last lap that looked so heart-breakingly smooth and controlled that I couldn't help wonder what would have happened if he had started that kick earlier. Murray's vulnerability is getting separated from the front runners too early in the race, but if he is there with 300 to go, watch out. There is no one more talented in the field.
Third seed is Westborough's Jeff Bush, who placed third in last Spring's State finals with a 9:18.
Fourth seed is Whitman-Hanson junior Tyler Sullivan, who ran 9:26 last week. Fifth seed is last week's D1 runner-up (and new Methuen school record holder) Jared Reddy. either of these two will expect to be fighting for a place on the podium.
Catholic Memorial's Ed Colvin is the 6th seed (9:31). He is joined in the top ten by three outstanding underclassmen: Mansfield junior Shayne Collins (9:32), Brookline sophomore Chernet Sisay (9:36), and King Phillip sophomore Chris Allen (9:38).
And I haven't even mentioned the 8th seed, Nashoba's Coby Horowitz who is merely the defending outdoor 2-Mile champion. Horowitz ran down Alex Kramer in last year's State Meet, recording a time of 9:16.90.
It's a great field, and should be a great race.
The meet gets underway at 4:30. For performance lists, see the following link:
2010 Indoor State Meet Performance Lists
Girls Team and Individual
The girls team competition will be a tense battle between a half dozen schools, including D1 champs Newton North, D2 champs Mansfield, Newton South, Franklin, Boston Latin, Lincoln-Sudbury, and Wachusett. It seems to me that the winning score will be in the low to mid-20's, which means that there's an outside chance for teams like Triton, Beverly, and Andover to be in the mix.
Newton North will expect big points from Margo Gillis in the 1000 and Carla Forbes in the Long Jump. North is also seeded 2nd in the 4x800 relay. if Forbes can score in the 55, or if Emily Hutchinson and Kayla Wong can pick up any points in the high jump or hurdles, that would be a huge bonus. Another upside possibility is the team's 4x200 relay, which is seeded 7th. On the seeds alone, North projects to 18 points, but I think Gillis will finish better than her 5th seed, and I think the 4x200 will pick up 1-2 points. I predict North will be around 22-23 points, with 24-25 a distinct possibility.
Mansfield threatens to crash the D1 party with scoring potential in four events. Kristen McDonagh is tied for the top seed in the high jump, having jumped 5-7 last week. They have the 4th seed in the 300 and the 5th seed in the 55. They also have the 2nd seed in the 4x200. The good news is that four strong events gives them upside, but they need to score in all of those events. I would guess they'll be around 21-22 points.
At the Div I meet, Newton South coach Steve McChesney told me that in some ways, his team was better-positioned to compete for the State Meet title than the Divisional crown. South finished 5th in the team standings last Saturday, but has three strong events this Friday. Ezra Banks should be in the top three in the 55, and I have no reason to doubt that Kathy O'Keefe and Melanie Fineman can't pick up lots of points in the mile. I think it's reasonable for South to hope for 18-20 points from these two events. If the team can then meet or beat its fourth seed in the 4x800 relay, that's 22-24 points, with some upside. I think 24 points might be enough to win the meet, so for the second week in a row, I'll say South has the best chance to win.
Wachusett was outstanding last week, and certainly made me look foolish for not ranking them higher. they have the top seed in the 600 (Laura Williamson) and the 3rd seed in the 4x400, which projects to 16 points. They also have runners just outside the top six in the 600, 1000, and 2-Mile. If a couple of their athletes can break into the scoring, then they could also exceed that 20-point barrier.
Lincoln-Sudbury has an excellent chance to win the 1000 (with the state's fastest performer in Andrea Keklak) and the 4x800 relay. They'll need more points from somewhere, and they might come from sophomore Madison Acton in the 600 (seeded 8th at 1:38) or their 4x400 relay team (seeded 10th).
Boston Latin is in the mix based on the strength of its sprinting. Latin has the top-seeded 4x200 team, and two strong contenders -- Meisha Brooks and Emma Rice in the 300.
I've left out some teams and individuals in the above summary. One of the state's best athletes, Triton's Deanna Latham, could win two events (LJ and 55 hurdles) and give her team 20 points, but I think that won't be enough to place in the team standings. Beverly has two superb distance runners in Monica Adler (top seed in the mile) and freshman Millie Chapman (3rd seed in the 2-Mile), and might score in the 4x800, but I don't think they'll reach 20 points.
Race of the night? For the girls, I think it's the mile, with 7 runners at 5:06 or better and no dominant favorite. I think its also one of the most pivotal races, along with the relays, of course.
Boys - What is There to Say?
There's no more doubting Andover. Their relay performance last week was without precedent, as they won all three, setting records in two. They could win the meet without scoring any individual points, but of course they have the State's fastest sprinter in Chris McConnell, and potential points in the mile and long jump.
The battle is for 2nd, and there I'd say the contenders are Mansfield, Falmouth, and St. John's Prep.
The race of the day, in my opinion is the boys 2-mile, although it will have little impact on the team standings. The field is extraordinary, and I can easily construct scenarios to convince myself why one or another of the runners wins it.
Arlington's Antony Taylor has the top seed, at 9:19. Taylor is tremendously strong, and is known for pushing the pace. He does not have the best kick, however, so has every incentive in the world to run hard from way out. If I were him, I'd wait around for the first mile, and then run the next 8 laps as hard as I could. It wouldn't surprise me to see him go 4:45-4:30. would that be enough?
The second seed is Shrewsbury's John Murray. I saw him run for the first time last week, and I came away in awe of his kick. After spotting Jared Reddy a 10-meter lead, Murray dropped a 29-second last lap that looked so heart-breakingly smooth and controlled that I couldn't help wonder what would have happened if he had started that kick earlier. Murray's vulnerability is getting separated from the front runners too early in the race, but if he is there with 300 to go, watch out. There is no one more talented in the field.
Third seed is Westborough's Jeff Bush, who placed third in last Spring's State finals with a 9:18.
Fourth seed is Whitman-Hanson junior Tyler Sullivan, who ran 9:26 last week. Fifth seed is last week's D1 runner-up (and new Methuen school record holder) Jared Reddy. either of these two will expect to be fighting for a place on the podium.
Catholic Memorial's Ed Colvin is the 6th seed (9:31). He is joined in the top ten by three outstanding underclassmen: Mansfield junior Shayne Collins (9:32), Brookline sophomore Chernet Sisay (9:36), and King Phillip sophomore Chris Allen (9:38).
And I haven't even mentioned the 8th seed, Nashoba's Coby Horowitz who is merely the defending outdoor 2-Mile champion. Horowitz ran down Alex Kramer in last year's State Meet, recording a time of 9:16.90.
It's a great field, and should be a great race.
The meet gets underway at 4:30. For performance lists, see the following link:
2010 Indoor State Meet Performance Lists
February 21, 2010
Jake Gleason Moves to #3 on All-Decade List
In the last decade (2001 to 2010), eight Newton North H.S. male runners have run sub-10:00 for the two miles indoors. This season Jake Gleason joined that group with a 9:52 against Brookline, and improved his PR to 9:45.24 in the DI State Championships. Here's how he stands on the all-decade list:
1. Chris Barnicle 9:01.45 (2/25/05)
2. Seb Putzeys 9:38.93 (1/10/08)
3. Jake Gleason 9:45.24 (2/20/10)
4. David Polgar 9:46.77 (2/03/05)
5. Tom Davis 9:51.57 (2/14/04)
6. Dan Hamilton 9:52.10 (2/21/09)
7. Dan Chebot 9:55.49 (12/18/04)
8. Doug Brecher 9:59.90 (12/18/05)
February 20, 2010
NN Girls Win D1 State Championships
There was something methodical about the way Newton North won the DI State championship on Saturday. In every event where points were available, points were earned, often a couple of points more than were expected. In the end, the Tigers had too many weapons, using them all to amass 46 points and clinch the championship with no need to worry about the results of the 4x400 relay.
A surprisingly strong Wachusett team took home the runner-up trophy by the slimmest of margins, with 38.33 points, a third of a point ahead of Boston Latin.
For Newton North, things started out well when Emily Hutchinson placed 3rd in the high jump with a 5-3 clearance. Although Andover's Moira Cronin won, as expected, second-seed Jess Salley finished in a three-way tie for 4th along with another teammate, and Andover came away with 14.67 points, instead of the hoped-for 18. Lucia Grigoli also cleared 5-1, but was 7th on total misses.
In the mile, Newton South's duo of Melanie Fineman and Kathy O'Keefe opened with a 71 first 400, opening a big gap on the field. The two would trade the lead, with Fineman surging ahead for good in the final 400 to take the win in 5:00.02.
In the 1000, what some expected to be a blazing race turned tactical as Margo Gillis first took the lead and then slowed the pace over the second and third laps. With the field bunching up, Lincoln-Sudbury's Andrea Keklak made a decisive move, surging into the lead and almost instantly opening up a 10-meter gap. Gillis gave chase, and the two pulled away from the field, but Keklak was too strong and took the win in 3:00.16 to 3:00.77. Actually, it didn't seem that close. Regardless, North had another 8 points.
Over at the long jump, Carla Forbes was dominating the field with at least two jumps over 18 feet. That was well beyond what anyone else could muster, and the freshman had won her first DI state championship, and more importantly, 10 more points for the cause.
In the hurdles, Kayla Wong ran 8.91 to qualify for the finals in the 55 hurdles, and then a PR 8.76 to take 4th in the finals, earning the Tigers another 4 points. Amy Ren was the fastest non-qualifier, running 9.14 in the prelims but failing to advance.
Forbes ran 7.42 in the prelims of the 55 dash, the third-fastest qualifier, and then nearly repeated the effort with a 7.43 in the finals to take 4th place.
With the relays left to run, North had the lead with 32 points, and needed good performances in the 4x800, where they were top seed, and the 4x200, where they were seeded fourth.
The 4x800 developed into a battle between five teams. Franklin took the early lead on the first leg, with Newton North's Meghan Bellerose running a 2:24 leg to keep Newton North in 3rd. On the next leg, Lincoln-Sudbury roared ahead into the lead, and North's Arianna Tabatabaie also passed Franklin, bringing the Tigers into second. With Lincoln-Sudbury extending their advantage, North's Jaya Tripathi maintained North's lead, as Newton South and Weymouth began closing the gap. The last leg was one of the best races of the day, and featured four of the top runners in the meet, with Keklak (1st in the 1000), Gillis (2nd in the 1000), O'Keefe (2nd in the mile), and Weymouth's Jill Corcoran (3rd in the mile). Keklak was gone, not to be caught, but Corcoran ran a brilliant leg to bring Weymouth into 3rd, and very nearly run down Gillis, who hung on to give the Tigers 2nd, and another 8 points.
As it turned out, that 8 points would be enough to win the meet, but for good measure, North's 4x200 quartet of Kayla Wong, Forbes, Stephanie Brown, and Meghan Pursley (two sophs, a freshman, and a junior) ran 1:47.15 to take 3rd, just behind Andover. Ever the perfectionist, North coach Joe Tranchita probably found flaws in the team's baton passes, but the first exchange -- Wong to Forbes -- was nearly perfect, and resulted in the Tigers being able to draft off the top two teams for the rest of the race.
So... congratulations to the Tigers, who have so far finished 2nd at the Dartmouth Relays, won the Bay State championship, won the DI State Relays, won the MSTCA Team Pentathlon, and now won the DI State Championships. On to All-States.
Ebbs, Gleason Lead Depleted Boys
Ben Kiley was MIA, and Ezra Lichtman was still suffering from illness, so the Newton North boys weren't at full strength on Saturday. Nevertheless, they produced several fine performances.
Conor Ebbs, apparently drawing motivation from a perceived but unintentional slight by yours truly, was one of only two throwers to break 50-feet in D1, and that was good enough for 2nd place and 8 points for the Tigers. Ebbs gets to go for 54 feet next week at All-States.
Isaiah Penn very nearly scored in the 600, but ran a PR 1:24.97 to take 7th, running out of the second-to-last heat.
Justin Keefe continued inching his way towards an eventual sub 2:40 clocking in the 1000, running 2:40.01 (I am not making this up) to take 11th in a deep field.
But the race of the day for North was Jake Gleason's brilliant race in the 2-Mile. Maybe I need to stop acting surprised when Jake breaks through another barrier, but I was jumping up and down, as the senior ran at the back of the lead pack through a 4:48 first mile, then sensibly maintained an even pace as the leaders surged, finally charging through the wreckage of the field to take 5th in the seeded heat (6th overall) in a PR 9:45.24. That run qualifies him for the All-State meet, and puts him in select company as far as indoor performances go. I'll write about that in a separate post...
Results of 2010 DI State Championship Meet
A surprisingly strong Wachusett team took home the runner-up trophy by the slimmest of margins, with 38.33 points, a third of a point ahead of Boston Latin.
For Newton North, things started out well when Emily Hutchinson placed 3rd in the high jump with a 5-3 clearance. Although Andover's Moira Cronin won, as expected, second-seed Jess Salley finished in a three-way tie for 4th along with another teammate, and Andover came away with 14.67 points, instead of the hoped-for 18. Lucia Grigoli also cleared 5-1, but was 7th on total misses.
In the mile, Newton South's duo of Melanie Fineman and Kathy O'Keefe opened with a 71 first 400, opening a big gap on the field. The two would trade the lead, with Fineman surging ahead for good in the final 400 to take the win in 5:00.02.
In the 1000, what some expected to be a blazing race turned tactical as Margo Gillis first took the lead and then slowed the pace over the second and third laps. With the field bunching up, Lincoln-Sudbury's Andrea Keklak made a decisive move, surging into the lead and almost instantly opening up a 10-meter gap. Gillis gave chase, and the two pulled away from the field, but Keklak was too strong and took the win in 3:00.16 to 3:00.77. Actually, it didn't seem that close. Regardless, North had another 8 points.
Over at the long jump, Carla Forbes was dominating the field with at least two jumps over 18 feet. That was well beyond what anyone else could muster, and the freshman had won her first DI state championship, and more importantly, 10 more points for the cause.
In the hurdles, Kayla Wong ran 8.91 to qualify for the finals in the 55 hurdles, and then a PR 8.76 to take 4th in the finals, earning the Tigers another 4 points. Amy Ren was the fastest non-qualifier, running 9.14 in the prelims but failing to advance.
Forbes ran 7.42 in the prelims of the 55 dash, the third-fastest qualifier, and then nearly repeated the effort with a 7.43 in the finals to take 4th place.
With the relays left to run, North had the lead with 32 points, and needed good performances in the 4x800, where they were top seed, and the 4x200, where they were seeded fourth.
The 4x800 developed into a battle between five teams. Franklin took the early lead on the first leg, with Newton North's Meghan Bellerose running a 2:24 leg to keep Newton North in 3rd. On the next leg, Lincoln-Sudbury roared ahead into the lead, and North's Arianna Tabatabaie also passed Franklin, bringing the Tigers into second. With Lincoln-Sudbury extending their advantage, North's Jaya Tripathi maintained North's lead, as Newton South and Weymouth began closing the gap. The last leg was one of the best races of the day, and featured four of the top runners in the meet, with Keklak (1st in the 1000), Gillis (2nd in the 1000), O'Keefe (2nd in the mile), and Weymouth's Jill Corcoran (3rd in the mile). Keklak was gone, not to be caught, but Corcoran ran a brilliant leg to bring Weymouth into 3rd, and very nearly run down Gillis, who hung on to give the Tigers 2nd, and another 8 points.
As it turned out, that 8 points would be enough to win the meet, but for good measure, North's 4x200 quartet of Kayla Wong, Forbes, Stephanie Brown, and Meghan Pursley (two sophs, a freshman, and a junior) ran 1:47.15 to take 3rd, just behind Andover. Ever the perfectionist, North coach Joe Tranchita probably found flaws in the team's baton passes, but the first exchange -- Wong to Forbes -- was nearly perfect, and resulted in the Tigers being able to draft off the top two teams for the rest of the race.
So... congratulations to the Tigers, who have so far finished 2nd at the Dartmouth Relays, won the Bay State championship, won the DI State Relays, won the MSTCA Team Pentathlon, and now won the DI State Championships. On to All-States.
Ebbs, Gleason Lead Depleted Boys
Ben Kiley was MIA, and Ezra Lichtman was still suffering from illness, so the Newton North boys weren't at full strength on Saturday. Nevertheless, they produced several fine performances.
Conor Ebbs, apparently drawing motivation from a perceived but unintentional slight by yours truly, was one of only two throwers to break 50-feet in D1, and that was good enough for 2nd place and 8 points for the Tigers. Ebbs gets to go for 54 feet next week at All-States.
Isaiah Penn very nearly scored in the 600, but ran a PR 1:24.97 to take 7th, running out of the second-to-last heat.
Justin Keefe continued inching his way towards an eventual sub 2:40 clocking in the 1000, running 2:40.01 (I am not making this up) to take 11th in a deep field.
But the race of the day for North was Jake Gleason's brilliant race in the 2-Mile. Maybe I need to stop acting surprised when Jake breaks through another barrier, but I was jumping up and down, as the senior ran at the back of the lead pack through a 4:48 first mile, then sensibly maintained an even pace as the leaders surged, finally charging through the wreckage of the field to take 5th in the seeded heat (6th overall) in a PR 9:45.24. That run qualifies him for the All-State meet, and puts him in select company as far as indoor performances go. I'll write about that in a separate post...
Results of 2010 DI State Championship Meet
February 19, 2010
2010 Indoor Div I Preview - Girls
In indoor track, at least, the era of Newton South and Lincoln-Sudbury dividing up all the championship hardware between them appears to have passed, and this year the girls team championship looks like a battle among Newton North, Newton South, Andover, and Boston Latin. However, Wachusett and Franklin are right behind those four, and both Lincoln-Sudbury and Weymouth are strong candidates to over-achieve and crack the top five.
On paper, at least, Newton North appears to have the edge. They have two big stars in Margo Gillis and Carla Forbes, and as much depth as any other team. But to win, they must get strong performances from their hurdlers and jumpers, and then take care of business in the relays. If I might channel Joe Tranchita for a moment, the road for Newton North is full of potholes and hazards, and ony of which might ruin the Tigers' chances, in which case that whooshing you hear will be the sound of Andover and Newton South rushing by.
But let's be a bit more optimistic. NN should get pretty big points from Forbes in the LJ and 55 and from Gillis in the 1000. If they can earn a few in the hurdles and a few in the high jump, win or place in the 4x800 relay, then the only big question is whether their 4x200 team can withstand the pressure and the competition and live up to its fourth seed. Why not? What could possibly go wrong?
With that question hanging in the air, let's go through the individual events.
High Jump
Andover would like nothing better than to land a knockout punch in the high jump, whether they could very possibly go 1-2 and score 18 points. Weymouth's Emily Clark has proven she can jump when the pressure is on and will make a strong bid to finish higher than her 4th seed. Emily Hutchinson will need a big meet to get points in this event. Scoring the four top teams, I'll say: Andover 16, Newton No. 2, Newton So. 0, Boston Latin 0.
1 Mile
Newton South is going to clean up here. Kathy O'Keefe is running as well as she ever has, and both she and Mel Fineman are battle-tested and ready. I think that Weymouth's Jill Corcoran will battle them the whole way, and Peabody's Catarina Rocha is a scary talent who might be in the mix, but the Newton South girls will go 1-2 in the end. Andover 0, Newton No. 0, Newton So. 18, Boston Latin 0.
600m
Wachusett has two 1:38 runners in this race. Unfortunately, they'll be going up against two 1:35 runners in Haverill's Rebecca Stabile and Franklin's Kendall Knouse. The fastest 600 runner in the state is Lincoln-Sudbury's Andrea Keklak, but she's in the 1000...
1000m
This is one of the must-see races of the day. Last year's Outdoor 800m champion against last year's 800m runner-up. Andrea Keklak has been incredible this season, showing amazing range from the 600 up to the mile (and she could run a great 2-mile, if asked to do so). Keklak beat Kathy O'Keefe last week at the DCL champs, running 2:52 to O'Keefe's 2:53. It's too bad Kathy isn't in the 1000, too, but Gillis is a worthy challenger to Keklak. No one else will be close.
Boston Latin has a runner seeded 6th, but I like the chances of Weymouth's Morgan Fitzgibbon to deprive Latin of that point. Andover 0, Newton No. 8, Newton So. 0, Boston Latin 0.
Shot Put
Newton South has Kayla Jackson and Ezra Banks lurking as the 7th and 8th seeds. If they can pop big throws and garner some shot put points, it will be a huge boost to their title chances. Andover 0, Newton No. 0, Newton So. 2, Boston Latin 0.
300m Final
Boston Latin has the top two seeds in Emma Rice (40.94) and Meisha Brooks (41.14). Andover's Eve Bishop is seeded fourth. Boston Latin has to sweep the top two places to have a shot at the title. Andover 6, Newton No. 0, Newton So. 0, Boston Latin 18.
2 Mile
No Emily Jones. No Kelsey Karys. None of the contending teams has a runner seeded in the top ten. Weird. Franklin could score a lot of points here, and maybe claw their way into the top four.
55 Dash - KEY EVENT
the 55 dash features contenders from the top teams: Newton South's Ezra Banks has the top seed, with Boston Latin's Alexandra Williams .08 behind. It's a tall order for Carla Forbes to hold he fourth place seed in this field, but crucial for North's chances. Andover's Kayla Baldwin would dearly love to be in the top three. Hundredths of a second could decide the meet. Instead of predicting, I'll just assign points based on the seeds and you can make your own predictions: Andover 2, Newton No. 4, Newton So. 10, Boston Latin 8.
55 Hurdles
Kayla Wong (8.85) and Amy Ren (8.87) are seeded 4th and 5th. With three races to run, consistency counts for a lot here. I'll give Newton 2 points in this event.
Long Jump - KEY EVENT
This is another swing event. Carla Forbes has been a foot better than anyone else in the field, and should win here (although she might not jump 18-7 again!). Newton South's Christie Lee has jumped 16-9, and Andover's Abbey Tetterutto has jumped 16-4. I'm scoring this: Andover 1, Newton No. 10, Newton So. 8, Boston Latin 0.
That 8 points for Newton South might be the key to the meet.
4x800 Relay
Newton North, the top seed at 9:29, will be challenged from all sides in this race, as I expect four, maybe five teams to be at or under 9:30 tomorrow. Newton South will be very fast, as will Franklin, and if Weymouth stacks the 4x800 at the expense of the 4x400, they will be right in it. In the end, I think Newton North has the best chance to win because only Gillis will be doubling (I assume, although I could be wrong). I'll say: Andover 0, Newton No. 10, Newton So. 6, Boston Latin 0.
4x200
Boston Latin looks untouchable, and Andover is the clear favorite to take second. Newton North needs to be great in this event, and Carla Forbes will have run three races when she races here. I don't want to be standing near Coach Tranchita when this race is going on. Andover 8, Newton No. 2, Newton So. 0, Boston Latin 10
4x400
Adding up my fantasy scores, we reach the final event with the top four teams in these positions:
Newton South 44
Newton North 38
Boston Latin 36
Andover 33
If that's the way it is, the meet's over, since no one will be able to catch Newton south. So from a purely competive point of view, let's hope that Newton South doesn't score quite that many points, that Andover score a couple more somewhere along the line, that Newton North finds some points in the jumps or hurdles, and that it all comes down to how second-seeded Andover runs in the relay.
But I have a feeling it will be Newton South repeating as D1 champs.
On paper, at least, Newton North appears to have the edge. They have two big stars in Margo Gillis and Carla Forbes, and as much depth as any other team. But to win, they must get strong performances from their hurdlers and jumpers, and then take care of business in the relays. If I might channel Joe Tranchita for a moment, the road for Newton North is full of potholes and hazards, and ony of which might ruin the Tigers' chances, in which case that whooshing you hear will be the sound of Andover and Newton South rushing by.
But let's be a bit more optimistic. NN should get pretty big points from Forbes in the LJ and 55 and from Gillis in the 1000. If they can earn a few in the hurdles and a few in the high jump, win or place in the 4x800 relay, then the only big question is whether their 4x200 team can withstand the pressure and the competition and live up to its fourth seed. Why not? What could possibly go wrong?
With that question hanging in the air, let's go through the individual events.
High Jump
Andover would like nothing better than to land a knockout punch in the high jump, whether they could very possibly go 1-2 and score 18 points. Weymouth's Emily Clark has proven she can jump when the pressure is on and will make a strong bid to finish higher than her 4th seed. Emily Hutchinson will need a big meet to get points in this event. Scoring the four top teams, I'll say: Andover 16, Newton No. 2, Newton So. 0, Boston Latin 0.
1 Mile
Newton South is going to clean up here. Kathy O'Keefe is running as well as she ever has, and both she and Mel Fineman are battle-tested and ready. I think that Weymouth's Jill Corcoran will battle them the whole way, and Peabody's Catarina Rocha is a scary talent who might be in the mix, but the Newton South girls will go 1-2 in the end. Andover 0, Newton No. 0, Newton So. 18, Boston Latin 0.
600m
Wachusett has two 1:38 runners in this race. Unfortunately, they'll be going up against two 1:35 runners in Haverill's Rebecca Stabile and Franklin's Kendall Knouse. The fastest 600 runner in the state is Lincoln-Sudbury's Andrea Keklak, but she's in the 1000...
1000m
This is one of the must-see races of the day. Last year's Outdoor 800m champion against last year's 800m runner-up. Andrea Keklak has been incredible this season, showing amazing range from the 600 up to the mile (and she could run a great 2-mile, if asked to do so). Keklak beat Kathy O'Keefe last week at the DCL champs, running 2:52 to O'Keefe's 2:53. It's too bad Kathy isn't in the 1000, too, but Gillis is a worthy challenger to Keklak. No one else will be close.
Boston Latin has a runner seeded 6th, but I like the chances of Weymouth's Morgan Fitzgibbon to deprive Latin of that point. Andover 0, Newton No. 8, Newton So. 0, Boston Latin 0.
Shot Put
Newton South has Kayla Jackson and Ezra Banks lurking as the 7th and 8th seeds. If they can pop big throws and garner some shot put points, it will be a huge boost to their title chances. Andover 0, Newton No. 0, Newton So. 2, Boston Latin 0.
300m Final
Boston Latin has the top two seeds in Emma Rice (40.94) and Meisha Brooks (41.14). Andover's Eve Bishop is seeded fourth. Boston Latin has to sweep the top two places to have a shot at the title. Andover 6, Newton No. 0, Newton So. 0, Boston Latin 18.
2 Mile
No Emily Jones. No Kelsey Karys. None of the contending teams has a runner seeded in the top ten. Weird. Franklin could score a lot of points here, and maybe claw their way into the top four.
55 Dash - KEY EVENT
the 55 dash features contenders from the top teams: Newton South's Ezra Banks has the top seed, with Boston Latin's Alexandra Williams .08 behind. It's a tall order for Carla Forbes to hold he fourth place seed in this field, but crucial for North's chances. Andover's Kayla Baldwin would dearly love to be in the top three. Hundredths of a second could decide the meet. Instead of predicting, I'll just assign points based on the seeds and you can make your own predictions: Andover 2, Newton No. 4, Newton So. 10, Boston Latin 8.
55 Hurdles
Kayla Wong (8.85) and Amy Ren (8.87) are seeded 4th and 5th. With three races to run, consistency counts for a lot here. I'll give Newton 2 points in this event.
Long Jump - KEY EVENT
This is another swing event. Carla Forbes has been a foot better than anyone else in the field, and should win here (although she might not jump 18-7 again!). Newton South's Christie Lee has jumped 16-9, and Andover's Abbey Tetterutto has jumped 16-4. I'm scoring this: Andover 1, Newton No. 10, Newton So. 8, Boston Latin 0.
That 8 points for Newton South might be the key to the meet.
4x800 Relay
Newton North, the top seed at 9:29, will be challenged from all sides in this race, as I expect four, maybe five teams to be at or under 9:30 tomorrow. Newton South will be very fast, as will Franklin, and if Weymouth stacks the 4x800 at the expense of the 4x400, they will be right in it. In the end, I think Newton North has the best chance to win because only Gillis will be doubling (I assume, although I could be wrong). I'll say: Andover 0, Newton No. 10, Newton So. 6, Boston Latin 0.
4x200
Boston Latin looks untouchable, and Andover is the clear favorite to take second. Newton North needs to be great in this event, and Carla Forbes will have run three races when she races here. I don't want to be standing near Coach Tranchita when this race is going on. Andover 8, Newton No. 2, Newton So. 0, Boston Latin 10
4x400
Adding up my fantasy scores, we reach the final event with the top four teams in these positions:
Newton South 44
Newton North 38
Boston Latin 36
Andover 33
If that's the way it is, the meet's over, since no one will be able to catch Newton south. So from a purely competive point of view, let's hope that Newton South doesn't score quite that many points, that Andover score a couple more somewhere along the line, that Newton North finds some points in the jumps or hurdles, and that it all comes down to how second-seeded Andover runs in the relay.
But I have a feeling it will be Newton South repeating as D1 champs.
February 18, 2010
2010 Indoor Div I Preview - Boys
The 2010 Indoor Division Championship Meets begin today and continue through the weekend.
The DI meet is Saturday morning (beginning at 9:00 a.m.), and among boys teams, Andover is the clear favorite. The Golden Warriors have the State's fastest sprinter, and the top seeds in all three relays. However, there are no points awarded for being seeded first, and there are reasons to believe that St. John's Prep has a good shot to pull off an upset. Whichever way it goes, I expect those two teams to be duking it out with scores near 50 points. After that, a handful of teams -- including Methuen, Newton South, Newton North, Weymouth, and Xaverian -- will be fighting for third with scores in the low 20's.
I might as well go out on a limb and predict the top three teams, in order:
1. St. John's Prep
2. Andover
3. Xaverian
Herewith, a preview of the individual events, in roughly the order they will be run:
High Jump
The high jump as contested in the big meets is always a different beast than the event contested in dual meets. The bar starts much higher, and the field is quickly whittled down to a few scorers. Two jumpers (Toby Belton from St. John's Shrewsbury and Nick Staley from B.C. High) have jumped 6-8. After that, it will be a free-for-all. St. John's Prep (SJP) will have 6-4 jumper Jack Durkin. Andover has two jumpers seeded at 6-2. My entire case for SJP is that they will get the points that they are supposed to get (maybe a few more) and Andover will not get all the points they are supposed to get. The high jump could decide the issue early. If the Andover jumpers do well, forget my prediction. But, if I'm right (big if), score it SJP 6, Andover 2.
1 Mile
Xaverian's John Bleday will win. Andover's Simon Voorhees is seeded second, but he will have his hands full with Weymouth's Steve Sollowin and Methuen's Andrew Stamatopulos and Ben Pare. Newton North's Ezra Lichtman is seeded 6th and is a threat as well. Methuen is always great at peaking for the big meets, and I think this will be no exception. I'll give Voorhees 4th, and Andover 4 points.
600m
The 600 in these big meets is always a crazy race, and results are often wildly different than the form chart. Andover's Mark Vetere has the top seed (1:22.74), and I give him the nod for the win, but it won't be easy. For one, there's Somerville freshman Andre Rolim, who has somewhat spectacularly run 1:23.15, and Durfee's Scott Souza, seeded second at 1:23.06. SJP's Mike Galasso is seeded 4th, and needs to get those points for the Prep. With some trepidation, I'll say 10 for Andover and 4 for the Prep, although the results might be upside down.
1000m
The Prep's Chris Oesterlin has the top seed by over a second at 2:31.82, and is the clear favorite in this race. He'll face fierce challenges from Weymouth's Chris Dooley and Newton South's Yuji Wakimoto. Andover has two runners seeded in the top ten, and I'm going to say Adam Vetere fights into sixth to pick up a point. Score it 10 for SJP and 1 for Andover.
Shot Put
Switching to the field events, the shot put is a critical event for the Prep. While Lowell's Ryan Davila is the heavy favorite (no pun intended), having thrown 61 feet this season, I'll pick the Prep's Sean Enos for second. To earn those points, he'll have to throw at or better than his seed mark of 52 feet, and he'll be dealing with the likes of Newton North's Conor Ebbs, who has a monster throw of 53-7 to his credit. But I'm sticking with my prediction that SJP earns 8 points here.
300m Final
Back to the oval and the finals of the 300m. SJP Senior Jared Kadich is seeded half a second faster than anyone else in the field at 35.29 and it would be folly to pick against him. Andover has Kerrick Stevens (seeded 5th), and the Prep has Chris Crosby (seeded 7th). I expect to see them both make the finals, but perhaps in the slower of two heats. That's not necessarily a disadvantage. I'll go out on a fairly flimsy limb here and say that Crosby picks up a point by finishing 6th, and Stevens doesn't score. Of course, this assumes that both runners are competing and aren't being saved for the relays. Not every runner can handle two hard 300s and a scorching relay leg. Well, we'll see, but I'll still tally this 11 for the Prep and none for Andover.
2 Mile
The 2-Mile seems wide open to me. Methuen's Jared Reddy has the top seed (9:37), but Shrewsbury's John Murray is better than his 9:50 seed time, as is Brookline's Chernet Sisay. I wouldn't be surprised to see Methuen's Tyler Sullivan or Newton South's David Mely in the top three either. Newton North's Jake Gleason is seeded 7th, and Andover's Nick Shumacher is seeded 8th. Anything could happen, but I hesitate to give Andover any points in this event.
55 Dash
Chris McConnell is the defending State Champ, top seed (6.43), and the odds-on favorite to repeat in the dash. Medford's DeAundrey Williams (6.50) is the only one close. 10 points Andover.
55 Hurdles
Brockton's Sidney Chambers is the top seed here (7.62), but Xaverian (remember them) has Nick McDaniels seeded at 7.71, and could win the whole thing.
Long Jump
Newton South's Ross MacDonald reminds me a little bit of Ben Fulton. He (MacDonald) is the top seed in the long jump, and if he's on, will be tough to beat. Andover's Mark Vetere is seeded 5th, but it's not a stretch to see him finishing higher, and I'm going to put him third, earning six points for Andover.
4x800 Relay
If my math and my predictions are both correct, SJP will be holding a slim lead (37-33) going into the relays. Won't Andover dominate here? Not necessarily. Let's start with the 4x800. Andover has the top seed at 8:04, but that's not going to stand up for the win, not with the likes of Methuen and Peabody in the mix. These teams always make huge improvements in the latter part of the season. I like Methuen for the win. The other consideration is how Andover spreads its runners over the relays. The Golden Warriors swept the relays at the D1 State Relays meet, but that was with no individual events. Surely they must run out of bodies at some point? Anyway, I'll say that Andover finished 4th here, and that SJP will improve enough to take 5th. 4 - 2 Andover.
4x200
Andover has absolutely owned this event all year long, and even though I would never ever want a meet to come down to the 4x200 (those baton passes are too scary!), I see no reason that Andover won't blow everyone away here. The Prep has had great teams in this event in the past, but not this year. 10-0 Andover.
4x400
It's perfect that the top two teams in the final event are the top two teams in the meet. If you've followed my script so far, Andover will go into the final event up 47-39. The truth is, they'll probably win or place here as well, and win the meet. Even if SJP runs out of their minds, they won't be able to overtake an Andover team that is just too deep.
So I lied at the beginning. Seeding is destiny. Andover will win, and the Prep will fall short after a noble effort.
Unless, of course, one tiny thread unravels -- one handoff goes awry, one runner tweaks a hamstring, one athlete picks the wrong moment to shed their shirt on the infield. All I know is, this is a meet you'll want to watch to the very end.
The DI meet is Saturday morning (beginning at 9:00 a.m.), and among boys teams, Andover is the clear favorite. The Golden Warriors have the State's fastest sprinter, and the top seeds in all three relays. However, there are no points awarded for being seeded first, and there are reasons to believe that St. John's Prep has a good shot to pull off an upset. Whichever way it goes, I expect those two teams to be duking it out with scores near 50 points. After that, a handful of teams -- including Methuen, Newton South, Newton North, Weymouth, and Xaverian -- will be fighting for third with scores in the low 20's.
I might as well go out on a limb and predict the top three teams, in order:
1. St. John's Prep
2. Andover
3. Xaverian
Herewith, a preview of the individual events, in roughly the order they will be run:
High Jump
The high jump as contested in the big meets is always a different beast than the event contested in dual meets. The bar starts much higher, and the field is quickly whittled down to a few scorers. Two jumpers (Toby Belton from St. John's Shrewsbury and Nick Staley from B.C. High) have jumped 6-8. After that, it will be a free-for-all. St. John's Prep (SJP) will have 6-4 jumper Jack Durkin. Andover has two jumpers seeded at 6-2. My entire case for SJP is that they will get the points that they are supposed to get (maybe a few more) and Andover will not get all the points they are supposed to get. The high jump could decide the issue early. If the Andover jumpers do well, forget my prediction. But, if I'm right (big if), score it SJP 6, Andover 2.
1 Mile
Xaverian's John Bleday will win. Andover's Simon Voorhees is seeded second, but he will have his hands full with Weymouth's Steve Sollowin and Methuen's Andrew Stamatopulos and Ben Pare. Newton North's Ezra Lichtman is seeded 6th and is a threat as well. Methuen is always great at peaking for the big meets, and I think this will be no exception. I'll give Voorhees 4th, and Andover 4 points.
600m
The 600 in these big meets is always a crazy race, and results are often wildly different than the form chart. Andover's Mark Vetere has the top seed (1:22.74), and I give him the nod for the win, but it won't be easy. For one, there's Somerville freshman Andre Rolim, who has somewhat spectacularly run 1:23.15, and Durfee's Scott Souza, seeded second at 1:23.06. SJP's Mike Galasso is seeded 4th, and needs to get those points for the Prep. With some trepidation, I'll say 10 for Andover and 4 for the Prep, although the results might be upside down.
1000m
The Prep's Chris Oesterlin has the top seed by over a second at 2:31.82, and is the clear favorite in this race. He'll face fierce challenges from Weymouth's Chris Dooley and Newton South's Yuji Wakimoto. Andover has two runners seeded in the top ten, and I'm going to say Adam Vetere fights into sixth to pick up a point. Score it 10 for SJP and 1 for Andover.
Shot Put
Switching to the field events, the shot put is a critical event for the Prep. While Lowell's Ryan Davila is the heavy favorite (no pun intended), having thrown 61 feet this season, I'll pick the Prep's Sean Enos for second. To earn those points, he'll have to throw at or better than his seed mark of 52 feet, and he'll be dealing with the likes of Newton North's Conor Ebbs, who has a monster throw of 53-7 to his credit. But I'm sticking with my prediction that SJP earns 8 points here.
300m Final
Back to the oval and the finals of the 300m. SJP Senior Jared Kadich is seeded half a second faster than anyone else in the field at 35.29 and it would be folly to pick against him. Andover has Kerrick Stevens (seeded 5th), and the Prep has Chris Crosby (seeded 7th). I expect to see them both make the finals, but perhaps in the slower of two heats. That's not necessarily a disadvantage. I'll go out on a fairly flimsy limb here and say that Crosby picks up a point by finishing 6th, and Stevens doesn't score. Of course, this assumes that both runners are competing and aren't being saved for the relays. Not every runner can handle two hard 300s and a scorching relay leg. Well, we'll see, but I'll still tally this 11 for the Prep and none for Andover.
2 Mile
The 2-Mile seems wide open to me. Methuen's Jared Reddy has the top seed (9:37), but Shrewsbury's John Murray is better than his 9:50 seed time, as is Brookline's Chernet Sisay. I wouldn't be surprised to see Methuen's Tyler Sullivan or Newton South's David Mely in the top three either. Newton North's Jake Gleason is seeded 7th, and Andover's Nick Shumacher is seeded 8th. Anything could happen, but I hesitate to give Andover any points in this event.
55 Dash
Chris McConnell is the defending State Champ, top seed (6.43), and the odds-on favorite to repeat in the dash. Medford's DeAundrey Williams (6.50) is the only one close. 10 points Andover.
55 Hurdles
Brockton's Sidney Chambers is the top seed here (7.62), but Xaverian (remember them) has Nick McDaniels seeded at 7.71, and could win the whole thing.
Long Jump
Newton South's Ross MacDonald reminds me a little bit of Ben Fulton. He (MacDonald) is the top seed in the long jump, and if he's on, will be tough to beat. Andover's Mark Vetere is seeded 5th, but it's not a stretch to see him finishing higher, and I'm going to put him third, earning six points for Andover.
4x800 Relay
If my math and my predictions are both correct, SJP will be holding a slim lead (37-33) going into the relays. Won't Andover dominate here? Not necessarily. Let's start with the 4x800. Andover has the top seed at 8:04, but that's not going to stand up for the win, not with the likes of Methuen and Peabody in the mix. These teams always make huge improvements in the latter part of the season. I like Methuen for the win. The other consideration is how Andover spreads its runners over the relays. The Golden Warriors swept the relays at the D1 State Relays meet, but that was with no individual events. Surely they must run out of bodies at some point? Anyway, I'll say that Andover finished 4th here, and that SJP will improve enough to take 5th. 4 - 2 Andover.
4x200
Andover has absolutely owned this event all year long, and even though I would never ever want a meet to come down to the 4x200 (those baton passes are too scary!), I see no reason that Andover won't blow everyone away here. The Prep has had great teams in this event in the past, but not this year. 10-0 Andover.
4x400
It's perfect that the top two teams in the final event are the top two teams in the meet. If you've followed my script so far, Andover will go into the final event up 47-39. The truth is, they'll probably win or place here as well, and win the meet. Even if SJP runs out of their minds, they won't be able to overtake an Andover team that is just too deep.
So I lied at the beginning. Seeding is destiny. Andover will win, and the Prep will fall short after a noble effort.
Unless, of course, one tiny thread unravels -- one handoff goes awry, one runner tweaks a hamstring, one athlete picks the wrong moment to shed their shirt on the infield. All I know is, this is a meet you'll want to watch to the very end.
February 16, 2010
NN Girls Take MSTCA Team Pentathlon Title(s)
The State Relays championship was obviously a bigger deal, but Newton North's girls added another piece of hardware to the trophy case on Sunday, dominating the MSTCA team pentathlon with 3436 points, one of the highest totals ever scored in the event. For good measure, North's freshman-sophomore team also won its division with a point total that would have placed them fourth overall.
Indeed, had the Tigers chosen to use Carla Forbes on the their frosh-soph team, the youngsters would have won the team title outright, relegating their big sister teammates to second. Yikes.
In the upper division, North's team was Amy Ren (9.24 in the 55 hurdles), Semira Azadoi (26-5.5 in the shot put), Carla Forbes (a huge 18-7 in the long jump!), Emily Hutchinson (5-1 in the high jump), and Margo Gillis (an impressive solo 2:17.06 in the 800). That gave North a total of 3436, far ahead of Bay State rival Milton's 3171.
In the Fr-So division, the team consisted of Kayla Wong (9.14), Michela Salucci (27-8), Steph Brown (15-5.5), Lucia Grigoli (4-10.5), and Maggie Heffernan (2:27.98).
The Tigers scored 3001 points, well ahead of Brockton for the win.
MSTCA Team Pentathlon Results
Indeed, had the Tigers chosen to use Carla Forbes on the their frosh-soph team, the youngsters would have won the team title outright, relegating their big sister teammates to second. Yikes.
In the upper division, North's team was Amy Ren (9.24 in the 55 hurdles), Semira Azadoi (26-5.5 in the shot put), Carla Forbes (a huge 18-7 in the long jump!), Emily Hutchinson (5-1 in the high jump), and Margo Gillis (an impressive solo 2:17.06 in the 800). That gave North a total of 3436, far ahead of Bay State rival Milton's 3171.
In the Fr-So division, the team consisted of Kayla Wong (9.14), Michela Salucci (27-8), Steph Brown (15-5.5), Lucia Grigoli (4-10.5), and Maggie Heffernan (2:27.98).
The Tigers scored 3001 points, well ahead of Brockton for the win.
MSTCA Team Pentathlon Results
February 14, 2010
It's Time to Get It Done, New Zealand!
At last weekend's Boston Indoor Games, 2008 Olympic 1500 Silver Medalist Nick Willis looked oh-so-smooth in winning the mile in 3:55.26. For those keeping score at home, that's the fastest indoor mile time in the world this season. In that same race, another New Zealander, Tom Osborne, finished 10th in 4:07.44. And in January, yet another Kiwi, Adrian Blincoe, ran a 3:58.53 at the New Balance Games in New York.
So what, you ask.
Well you might not care, but I have been troubled for some time by the fact that New Zealand -- a country with a long and proud history of great middle distance runners (Jack Lovelock, Murray Halberg, Peter Snell, John Walker) -- has a sad and feeble national record in the 4 x 800m. How feeble you ask? The Kiwi NR, set almost forty years ago, stands at 7:27.2 (hand-timed) -- an average of 1:51.8 per runner. That's half a lap behind the world record (Team Kenya's 7:02.43), and only slightly better than the U.S. High School record (7:32.89).
Now I know what you're going to say. It's a different era in sports, and it's hard to get a bunch of professional runners together for what would essentially be an exhibition. It's not like in the old days where New Zealand stars like Snell and Halberg would run 4 x 1 mile relays against the likes of the U.S. and Ireland, setting world records in the process. That kind of event seems hopelessly quaint now, doesn't it?
(For the record, New Zealand's NR in the 4x1500 featuring Olympic gold medalist Walker, is 35 years old, but still mighty impressive at 14:50.2, or 3:42.6 per runner.)
But 7:27? C'mon, now, that's just too soft not to have a go.
It's already just a little curious that NZ's national mark in the 800, 1:44.3, still belongs to Snell some forty-eight years after he set the record. Where's the improvement?
But never mind that. The time is ripe for a 21st-century Kiwi team to add their names to the record book. I figure Willis can go 1:46 with a running start, and Blincoe would be no worse than 1:48. After that, there are several choices for third and fourth men. Osborne would have no problem splitting 1:52 or better. How about Jason Woolhouse (3:42 1500 last summer) or Richard Olsen (1:52.28 this winter) or Simon Rogers (2:28.22 1000 this winter), or Malcolm Hicks or Hamish Carson, or Villanova's Carl McKenzie?
So let's get it done, New Zealand. It's time to put up a mark that we'll be talking about thirty years from now.
So what, you ask.
Well you might not care, but I have been troubled for some time by the fact that New Zealand -- a country with a long and proud history of great middle distance runners (Jack Lovelock, Murray Halberg, Peter Snell, John Walker) -- has a sad and feeble national record in the 4 x 800m. How feeble you ask? The Kiwi NR, set almost forty years ago, stands at 7:27.2 (hand-timed) -- an average of 1:51.8 per runner. That's half a lap behind the world record (Team Kenya's 7:02.43), and only slightly better than the U.S. High School record (7:32.89).
Now I know what you're going to say. It's a different era in sports, and it's hard to get a bunch of professional runners together for what would essentially be an exhibition. It's not like in the old days where New Zealand stars like Snell and Halberg would run 4 x 1 mile relays against the likes of the U.S. and Ireland, setting world records in the process. That kind of event seems hopelessly quaint now, doesn't it?
(For the record, New Zealand's NR in the 4x1500 featuring Olympic gold medalist Walker, is 35 years old, but still mighty impressive at 14:50.2, or 3:42.6 per runner.)
But 7:27? C'mon, now, that's just too soft not to have a go.
It's already just a little curious that NZ's national mark in the 800, 1:44.3, still belongs to Snell some forty-eight years after he set the record. Where's the improvement?
But never mind that. The time is ripe for a 21st-century Kiwi team to add their names to the record book. I figure Willis can go 1:46 with a running start, and Blincoe would be no worse than 1:48. After that, there are several choices for third and fourth men. Osborne would have no problem splitting 1:52 or better. How about Jason Woolhouse (3:42 1500 last summer) or Richard Olsen (1:52.28 this winter) or Simon Rogers (2:28.22 1000 this winter), or Malcolm Hicks or Hamish Carson, or Villanova's Carl McKenzie?
So let's get it done, New Zealand. It's time to put up a mark that we'll be talking about thirty years from now.
February 13, 2010
NNHS Alumni at Valentine Invitational
This weekend's Valentine Invitational meet at BU had deep fields and great performances.
One of the best performances from an NNHS alum was Doug Brecher's race in the 3000. The Bates senior ran 8:41.68 to knock seven seconds off his career best.
Cailean Robinson was fourth overall in the 55 dash. The Wheaton sophomore ran 6.46 to win his qualifying heat, and then clocked 6.47 to take 4th overall in the finals. the highest finish of any NNHS athlete at the meet.
The mile is always ridiculously deep at this meet, and this year was no exception with no fewer than 100 men running faster than 4:26. Among them, BU senior David Polgar ran 4:19.39.
In the 800, Dave Cahill ran 2:00.98, and in the shot put, Bentley's Steve Long threw 13.14 (43-01.5).
On Friday, Northeastern's Jess Barton competed in the 5000, running 18:07.41
2010 BU Valentine Invitational Results
One of the best performances from an NNHS alum was Doug Brecher's race in the 3000. The Bates senior ran 8:41.68 to knock seven seconds off his career best.
Cailean Robinson was fourth overall in the 55 dash. The Wheaton sophomore ran 6.46 to win his qualifying heat, and then clocked 6.47 to take 4th overall in the finals. the highest finish of any NNHS athlete at the meet.
The mile is always ridiculously deep at this meet, and this year was no exception with no fewer than 100 men running faster than 4:26. Among them, BU senior David Polgar ran 4:19.39.
In the 800, Dave Cahill ran 2:00.98, and in the shot put, Bentley's Steve Long threw 13.14 (43-01.5).
On Friday, Northeastern's Jess Barton competed in the 5000, running 18:07.41
2010 BU Valentine Invitational Results
February 08, 2010
North 4x800 Team Runs 9:29.80
The Newton North girls sent several teams to the McIntyre Elite relays on Sunday, where the track was still humming from Bernard Lagat's American 5000m record and all the other fast running from the previous night.
The girls 4x800 team of Margo Gillis, Ariana Tabatabaie, Jaya Tripathi, and Maggie Heffernan ran an impressive time of 9:29.80, and finished less than a second behind the winning Bishop Feehan team.
The 4x200 team (Kayla Wong, Carla Forbes, Steph Brown, and Meghan Pursley) ran their best time of the year by over two seconds, finsihing 5th in 1:47.62.
The long jump relay (Forbes 17-11.5, Pryor 15-02.75, and Amy Ren 14-8) placed 2nd, while the high jump relay (Emily Hutchinson 5-01.75, Lucia Grigoli 4-11.75, and Ren 4-6) placed 5th.
North also fielded a shot put relay (Smira Azadzoi 28-03.75, Kate Bellerose 28-02.75, and Michela Salvucci 22-03.50) and a distance medley team (13:30.97).
The girls 4x800 team of Margo Gillis, Ariana Tabatabaie, Jaya Tripathi, and Maggie Heffernan ran an impressive time of 9:29.80, and finished less than a second behind the winning Bishop Feehan team.
The 4x200 team (Kayla Wong, Carla Forbes, Steph Brown, and Meghan Pursley) ran their best time of the year by over two seconds, finsihing 5th in 1:47.62.
The long jump relay (Forbes 17-11.5, Pryor 15-02.75, and Amy Ren 14-8) placed 2nd, while the high jump relay (Emily Hutchinson 5-01.75, Lucia Grigoli 4-11.75, and Ren 4-6) placed 5th.
North also fielded a shot put relay (Smira Azadzoi 28-03.75, Kate Bellerose 28-02.75, and Michela Salvucci 22-03.50) and a distance medley team (13:30.97).
NNHS Alumni Results - 2/6/10
On Saturday, Harvard hosted "The Battle of Beantown," a four-way track meet with Boston Div I schools Harvard, Boston College, Boston University, and Northeastern. In one of the more interesting races for NNHS fans, Seb Putzeys (NU) and David Polgar (BU) faced off in the 1000m, with Putzeys finishing 6th in 2:31.95 and Polgar right behind in 2:32.75. At the same meet, Northeastern's Jess Barton ran 10:22.20 to finish 6th in the 3000m.
Bates College competed in the State of Maine Indoor Championships on Saturday, hosted by the Inv. of Southern Maine. Bates senior Doug Brecher finished 6th in the 5000m, running 15:26.3 (right behind Newton South grad Andrew Wortham in 15:22.7). Ben Chebot also competed in the 5K, running 17:06.6.
Yale junior David Smith placed 5th in the shot put with a toss of 14.81 (48-07.25) at the Giegengack Invitational this weekend. Smith also competed in the weight throw, with a best mark of 13.45 (44-01.5).
At the Tufts Stampede on Saturday, UMass Dartmouth freshman Hymlaire Lamisere placed 6th in the 55m dash in 6.67 (after running 6.72 in the semi-final). Lamisere also anchored his team's 4x200 relay, which finished 2nd in 1:35.85.
Bates College competed in the State of Maine Indoor Championships on Saturday, hosted by the Inv. of Southern Maine. Bates senior Doug Brecher finished 6th in the 5000m, running 15:26.3 (right behind Newton South grad Andrew Wortham in 15:22.7). Ben Chebot also competed in the 5K, running 17:06.6.
Yale junior David Smith placed 5th in the shot put with a toss of 14.81 (48-07.25) at the Giegengack Invitational this weekend. Smith also competed in the weight throw, with a best mark of 13.45 (44-01.5).
At the Tufts Stampede on Saturday, UMass Dartmouth freshman Hymlaire Lamisere placed 6th in the 55m dash in 6.67 (after running 6.72 in the semi-final). Lamisere also anchored his team's 4x200 relay, which finished 2nd in 1:35.85.
February 06, 2010
One For One
At the end of last month, I realized that I had a running streak going.
Uh-oh.
It started innocently enough. I didn't run on Christmas Day (what with all the driving and visiting and eating), but made up for it with plenty of running over the next few days, including a race on the 26th. I was off work that week, so it was easy to get runs in. Of course, I had to run on New Year's Day. And it seemed a shame to take a day off so early in the year, so I didn't, despite snow storms, slippery streets, bitter cold, and the usual entertainments of January.
One night I came really close to missing a day, but it was that really warm day -- the one with temperatures in the mid-50s -- so even though it was after dinner and I should have gone to bed I thought, "what self-respecting runner misses the chance to run in shorts in the middle of the winter?" So I headed out the door at 10:30 that night and got in an easy four miles.
That was it. Once you've snuck out at bedtime for a run, you've got to admit that it's no longer a matter of "Oh, look at my training log! I haven't taken a day off in several weeks... ha ha..." No, for me it was the evidence that I was now firmly in the grip of streak-mania. I finished January without taking a day off and thought to myself, "Ok, you're one for one."
I know that my month-long streak is laughably tenuous in comparison with the monster streaks some folks have going. I know Ron Hill hasn't missed a day in something like 30 years. I'm sure there are dozens of runners in the Boston area who have been running without a day off for a decade or more. But although mine is just a baby streak, I feel sure that it shares all the characteristics of the adult version. The mania is the same. I'm becoming like someone who collects string, or saves old movie tickets and playbills... Once you start, it becomes harder and harder to stop. What begins as a pleasant diversion takes on an irrational importance and value.
On the positive side, there's something to be said for the discipline that a streak brings to running. Having that little extra motivation to get out the door is sometimes a good thing. And running every day, even when I don't feel so great, gives me a little more confidence in my willpower. I'm liking this feeling of toughing out the winter, not giving in to bad days, putting in the miles no matter what.
But I worry that the streak will become an end in itself. At some point, I might start bending my training in the direction of maintaining this foolish consistency, rather than focusing on what will help me race well. Should I rest that sore hamstring? Give my tight calf muscles a rest? Yeah, probably, but...
One part of me didn't want to write about the streak, just like I wouldn't want to tell anyone if I was starting to write a novel -- I wouldn't want to jinx it. But then I thought that maybe if I wrote about it, I WOULD jinx it, and maybe that would be a good thing. And as soon as I started writing, I felt a twinge in the area of my Achilles tendon. Arghh!
Uh-oh.
It started innocently enough. I didn't run on Christmas Day (what with all the driving and visiting and eating), but made up for it with plenty of running over the next few days, including a race on the 26th. I was off work that week, so it was easy to get runs in. Of course, I had to run on New Year's Day. And it seemed a shame to take a day off so early in the year, so I didn't, despite snow storms, slippery streets, bitter cold, and the usual entertainments of January.
One night I came really close to missing a day, but it was that really warm day -- the one with temperatures in the mid-50s -- so even though it was after dinner and I should have gone to bed I thought, "what self-respecting runner misses the chance to run in shorts in the middle of the winter?" So I headed out the door at 10:30 that night and got in an easy four miles.
That was it. Once you've snuck out at bedtime for a run, you've got to admit that it's no longer a matter of "Oh, look at my training log! I haven't taken a day off in several weeks... ha ha..." No, for me it was the evidence that I was now firmly in the grip of streak-mania. I finished January without taking a day off and thought to myself, "Ok, you're one for one."
I know that my month-long streak is laughably tenuous in comparison with the monster streaks some folks have going. I know Ron Hill hasn't missed a day in something like 30 years. I'm sure there are dozens of runners in the Boston area who have been running without a day off for a decade or more. But although mine is just a baby streak, I feel sure that it shares all the characteristics of the adult version. The mania is the same. I'm becoming like someone who collects string, or saves old movie tickets and playbills... Once you start, it becomes harder and harder to stop. What begins as a pleasant diversion takes on an irrational importance and value.
On the positive side, there's something to be said for the discipline that a streak brings to running. Having that little extra motivation to get out the door is sometimes a good thing. And running every day, even when I don't feel so great, gives me a little more confidence in my willpower. I'm liking this feeling of toughing out the winter, not giving in to bad days, putting in the miles no matter what.
But I worry that the streak will become an end in itself. At some point, I might start bending my training in the direction of maintaining this foolish consistency, rather than focusing on what will help me race well. Should I rest that sore hamstring? Give my tight calf muscles a rest? Yeah, probably, but...
One part of me didn't want to write about the streak, just like I wouldn't want to tell anyone if I was starting to write a novel -- I wouldn't want to jinx it. But then I thought that maybe if I wrote about it, I WOULD jinx it, and maybe that would be a good thing. And as soon as I started writing, I felt a twinge in the area of my Achilles tendon. Arghh!
February 04, 2010
Tigers Wrap-Up Duals With Wins Against Milton: Ebbs Throws 53-6!!
Newton North's indoor track teams wrapped up matching 6-0 seasons last night, as the boys defeated the Milton boys 50-32, and the girls topped the Milton girls 62-24.
For the boys it was their 13th straight undefeated indoor season.
In one of the highlights of the meet, North senior Conor Ebbs crashed through the 50-foot barrier like it wasn't even there with a four-foot personal best of throw of 53-6 in the shot put, an immense heave that immediately makes him a contender at the state level. It was a great night for North throwers, generally, as the boys took four of the top five places overall (Ebbs, Ryan Donovan 47-1, Swardick Mayanja 45-7, and Young Guang 44-0), and the girls had three throwers over 27-10 (Kate Bellerose 29-05, Semira Azadzoi 28-08, and Michela Salvucci 27-10).
According to the story in the Newton Tab, it was the first time in Jim Blackburn's tenure as head coach at North, that the boys had four throwers get state-qualifying marks in the same meet. The girls also earned a sweep in the shot put.
Other highlights for the boys included wins from Ezra Lichtman (1000), Isaiah Penn (600), Dan Ranti (2M), Tylor Hart (HJ), and the 4x400 relay team. Actually, that leaves out two fine performances in second-place efforts: Justin Keefe's 4:41 in the mile, and Terrell Doyle's 37.96 in the 300.
Other highlights for the girls included wins from Margo Gillis (1M), Ariana Tabatabaie (600), Carla Forbes (300 and 55), Emily Hutchinson (HJ), and Kayla Wong (PR 8.85 in the 55 hurdles).
Complete Results on Cool Running
For the boys it was their 13th straight undefeated indoor season.
In one of the highlights of the meet, North senior Conor Ebbs crashed through the 50-foot barrier like it wasn't even there with a four-foot personal best of throw of 53-6 in the shot put, an immense heave that immediately makes him a contender at the state level. It was a great night for North throwers, generally, as the boys took four of the top five places overall (Ebbs, Ryan Donovan 47-1, Swardick Mayanja 45-7, and Young Guang 44-0), and the girls had three throwers over 27-10 (Kate Bellerose 29-05, Semira Azadzoi 28-08, and Michela Salvucci 27-10).
According to the story in the Newton Tab, it was the first time in Jim Blackburn's tenure as head coach at North, that the boys had four throwers get state-qualifying marks in the same meet. The girls also earned a sweep in the shot put.
Other highlights for the boys included wins from Ezra Lichtman (1000), Isaiah Penn (600), Dan Ranti (2M), Tylor Hart (HJ), and the 4x400 relay team. Actually, that leaves out two fine performances in second-place efforts: Justin Keefe's 4:41 in the mile, and Terrell Doyle's 37.96 in the 300.
Other highlights for the girls included wins from Margo Gillis (1M), Ariana Tabatabaie (600), Carla Forbes (300 and 55), Emily Hutchinson (HJ), and Kayla Wong (PR 8.85 in the 55 hurdles).
Complete Results on Cool Running
February 02, 2010
Lives of the Cells
I sometimes wonder what people of the 22nd century will think about our current level of understanding of basic physiology and medicine. Surely, future generations will have a better and more profound grasp of the basic processes of life, from the effects of diet on health, to the value of exercise, to the mystery of aging.
I thought about this while reading a story in the NY Times that cited studies of "serious middle-aged longtime runners" that found significant differences at the cellular level, when compared to sedentary subjects.
How Exercising Keeps Your Cells Young
One study looked at the length of telomeres in white blood cells. I'll quote the article here:
"Telomeres are tiny caps on the end of DNA strands... When cells divide and replicate these long strands of DNA, the telomere cap is snipped, a process that is believed to protect the rest of the DNA but leaves an increasingly abbreviated telomere. Eventually, if a cell’s telomeres become too short, the cell ‘either dies or enters a kind of suspended state... Most researchers now accept telomere length as a reliable marker of cell age."
The study found that the cells of the athletes had longer telomeres, meaning that the cells were "younger," or rather had resisted aging more effectively. In other words, the athletes who had kept on running and competing into middle age had bodies full of "younger" cells. Another study correlated the presence of younger cells with maximum oxygen capacity.
I think at some level we all know this to be true on the macro level -- if you keep training, you'll slow down less. But still, it's very intriguing to understand what's happening deep in the cells that might explain why it is true.
I thought about this while reading a story in the NY Times that cited studies of "serious middle-aged longtime runners" that found significant differences at the cellular level, when compared to sedentary subjects.
How Exercising Keeps Your Cells Young
One study looked at the length of telomeres in white blood cells. I'll quote the article here:
"Telomeres are tiny caps on the end of DNA strands... When cells divide and replicate these long strands of DNA, the telomere cap is snipped, a process that is believed to protect the rest of the DNA but leaves an increasingly abbreviated telomere. Eventually, if a cell’s telomeres become too short, the cell ‘either dies or enters a kind of suspended state... Most researchers now accept telomere length as a reliable marker of cell age."
The study found that the cells of the athletes had longer telomeres, meaning that the cells were "younger," or rather had resisted aging more effectively. In other words, the athletes who had kept on running and competing into middle age had bodies full of "younger" cells. Another study correlated the presence of younger cells with maximum oxygen capacity.
I think at some level we all know this to be true on the macro level -- if you keep training, you'll slow down less. But still, it's very intriguing to understand what's happening deep in the cells that might explain why it is true.
February 01, 2010
Lichtman Runs 4:27 at MSTCA Meet
Ezra Lichtman's 4:27.09 in the mile, and Charles Ebbs' 49-6 throw in the shot put were the highlights for the Newton North boys at the MSTCA Elite meet on Sunday at the Reggie Lewis Track. Lichtman made the awards by placing 6th, while Ebbs' throw was good enough for 7th.
Ryan Donovan also competed in the shot, throwing 44-3.25,
Jake Gleason (personal best 9:51.67) and Dan Ranti (10:08.75) represented North in the 2-mile. Isaiah Penn ran 1:25.81 in the 600 against a very deep and competitive field. Alon Soran had a leap of 19-8.25 for 11th in the long jump.
North's 4x400 team of Terry Doyle, Alon Soran, Hao-Kai Wu, and Isaiah Penn ran a season's best 3:32.52 for 8th place.
North's 4x200 team of Ben Kiley, Doyle, Wu, and Penn ran 1:36.75.
MSTCA Results on Cool Running
Ryan Donovan also competed in the shot, throwing 44-3.25,
Jake Gleason (personal best 9:51.67) and Dan Ranti (10:08.75) represented North in the 2-mile. Isaiah Penn ran 1:25.81 in the 600 against a very deep and competitive field. Alon Soran had a leap of 19-8.25 for 11th in the long jump.
North's 4x400 team of Terry Doyle, Alon Soran, Hao-Kai Wu, and Isaiah Penn ran a season's best 3:32.52 for 8th place.
North's 4x200 team of Ben Kiley, Doyle, Wu, and Penn ran 1:36.75.
MSTCA Results on Cool Running
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