The Bay State Carey Division girls champions will be decided Thursday night, as undefeated Weymouth and undefeated Newton North square off in their dual meet at the Reggie Lewis Center. The meet was originally scheduled for the first week of the season, but was postponed because of the Decemeber 13th snowstorm. Now it's fitting that the two strongest teams meet at the end of the season to decide the league.
Others have already handicapped the races (and done a great job at it), so I'll try to bring a little bit different perspective: I'll try to outline a winning strategy for each team in turn. Remember, this is all for fun. I don't talk to the coaches, I don't really know anything, and I like ALL the runners equally. In fact, if you're easily offended you should stop reading right now.
Ok? Let's start with Weymouth...
How the Weymouth girls can beat Newton North
Carolyn Ranti is the odds-on favorite to win either the mile or 1000. If Weymouth runs Jill Corcoran in the mile, Corcoran has a great shot at winning (if Ranti is in the 1000) or taking second (if Ranti is in the mile). Let's assume Carolyn runs the mile, along with Adina Hemley-Bronstein. Score it 6-3 Newton.
Weymouth has to make a big choice in the 1000. Run Carolyn Connolly and she's not available for the 600. I think they might run Sarah McCarthy, and expect that she'll take no worse than second behind either Nora Barnicle or Ranti. Shoshana Kruskal nabs the third spot, and again Newton takes the event 6-3. (If Ranti is in the 1000, which is not unlikely, this deployment gives Weymouth a good chance to win the mile and still pick up three points in the 1000.)
Now Weymouth can run Carolyn Connolly in the 600, where she is the league leader and almost a full second faster than Emma Kornetsky. Melissa Kimball takes third for the Wildcats, so score it 6-3 Weymouth.
Sam Bennett has run 43.99 in the 300, and would be the favorite to beat Michelle Kaufman or anyone else Newton could throw out there. Felicia Hopkins has run 46.07 and is improving every week. I say this event goes to Weymouth 6-3, tying the meet.
Before moving on to the sprints, let's handicap the field events.
High jump results have been pretty consistent over the last four meets. Newton's Amy Ren is the favorite to win, and Jenn Bell and Carolyn Connolly should take 2nd and 3rd. 5-4 Newton.
In the shot put, Bonny Guang has been solid for Newton and should win. Weymouth's Christine Candler has been consistently over 26 feet, so I think she takes second. Weymouth would celebrate if Felice Campbell or Jenna Willard could take 3rd, but it's unlucky to bet against any Newton North team in the shot put. Score this 6-3 Newton.
In the 55 hurdles, Newton has the edge with Vicki Marone and Paris Mungo. Weymouth's Jenna Clifford has been coming on strong of late, but I have to say this event goes 8-1 to Newton. Weymouth turns the tables in the dash, and actually has a good chance to sweep with Kayla Sullivan, Jenn Bell, and Emily Clark. Perhaps Michelle Kaufman or Latifah Smalls can take third. I'll score it 8-1, Weymouth.
In the two-mile, Kristin Mahoney takes first and earns five points for Weymouth. The Wildcats will hope for a third place from Amanda Hicks, and it could happen, but I think it's more likely that Susannah Gleason secures the third spot, and this event goes 5-4 to Weymouth.
That puts the score at 42-39 Newton going into the relay. Now Weymouth just has to take care of business with their best team. I'm guessing that's Bennett, Kimball, Bell, and Connolly, a formidable quartet!
How the Newton North Girls Can Beat Weymouth
This meet will be won or lost in the sprints, hurdles, and relay, so a winning strategy should mean putting together the best possible lineup for those events. IN particular, who should be in that relay?
I think Newton should keep Michelle Kaufman in the 300, which allows them to have Ranti (a 60-something 400 runner) in the relay. Likewise, they certainly need Emma Kornetsky, the lion-hearted anchor there.
Newton could choose to double Kaufman in the 55 hurdles and go for the sweep, or have her run the 55 dash, and try to break up Weymouth's potential sweep. But why not have her run the relay as well? Kaufman ran 44.46 for 300 last week, surely she is no worse than 62-63 in the 400. The other member of the team could be Jaya Tripathi, who PR'd at 600 last week, or Nora Barnicle, who PR'd at 1000, or Jen Liu. Win the relay and you likely win the meet.
Are there any other trick moves North could make? Well, I don't see that there's any value to shuffling the distance runners around. It's important to take thirds in the mile and two mile, but otherwise it doesn't look like this is a time for devious strategy.
Will it happen this way, probably not! But it should be an exciting meet, and I wish both teams the very best of luck and lots of personal bests as they compete for the league title!
January 23, 2008
January 22, 2008
40 to 50
As decades go, the last one was pretty good for me.
When I turned 40, I would say that my goals and my training were pretty random. Although I was running ok in road races, I wasn't really learning anything, and my enthusiasm for the sport was waning. I was in the midst of a flirtation with orienteering, which probably indicated a certain lack of direction. Work was very demanding, my kids were both teenagers, and athletically I was in a rut. You might think that I was excited to start competing against other 40-year-olds, but actually, that wasn't much of a motivating factor for me. I didn't see myself in a separate category from the other younger runners around me, and as for older runners... well, I really didn't know what to think about those 50- and 60-year-olds, except to be mildly impressed that they were out there at all...
I didn't run much track when I was 40. In fact, I hadn't run much track for several years. On a whim, I entered a masters track meet in January and ran something like 4:47 for the mile. That motivated me to train a little bit for the National Indoor meet in March, and I brought my time down to 4:36, and finished something like 8th in a relatively weak field. Not very impressive, but it turned out to be the start of a decade-long renaissance in my desire to run short, fast races.
The best thing that happened to me in my 40's was coaching. Specifically, I started working at Newton North with Jim Blackburn -- first as a volunteer, and then as an assistant coach. It's hard to sum up in a few words how much this has meant to me, but the experience was gratifying on many levels: being able to work with unbelievable athletes and a first-rate coach, being challenged everyday to think and learn and question my assumptions, being part of the accomplishments of several great teams, and finally discovering that I had something important to give back to the sport. Surprisingly, it also generated a tremendous desire to improve as a runner. I don't just mean that I wanted to run faster times... I mean that I wanted to train and compete at a higher mental level. I knew that my body couldn't do the same kind of workouts it had done 10-15 years earlier, but I found that my mind could play a greater role in my training and racing.
In 2003, I accomplished a few things that I would never have thought possible. Oh no, I didn't discover "the secret," and I can't point to any one workout or training technique. I would describe it instead as a process in which I learned to accept that my results were the outcome of my commitment. This realization caused me to train with a different set of expectations of myself. When the results came, I could see them as the outcome of a long, hard, but ultimately satisfying process. That year brought peak experiences that I will remember forever.
I guess I have to mention that I did, in fact, get slower at a fairly steady rate. When I started coaching, it was a pleasant easy run to go out and do distance with my athletes. I also had the speed and endurance to enforce the "no racing on distance days" rule. Within a couple of years, my easy runs with the team were a lot more challenging, and I couldn't enforce anything. Nowadays, I simply can't keep up on most runs. One part of me feels like a charity case, and I find myself apologizing for being slow. Another part of me has come to accept it, and even to use my slowness as a teaching point about the nature of speed and endurance. I have also learned that you can't afford to ever abandon speed. You always have to include it somewhere in your training, even when you start receiving applications to join AARP.
As I start out in my new age group, I have no idea what the next several years will bring. I no longer feel compelled to project my current times forward. I know the general direction that they are heading, but from month-to-month, I can still be surprised and pleased to see a little progress here and there.
The biggest and most important change wrought by all the running, coaching, writing, and talking in the last ten years, is that this sport has become a story about shared work, shared aspirations, and shared achievements. It used to be a solitary pursuit, and I doubted that anyone else would ever understand. What a difference now, to feel surrounded and supported by a community of people who share this passion. It makes me feel tremendously fortunate every day.
When I turned 40, I would say that my goals and my training were pretty random. Although I was running ok in road races, I wasn't really learning anything, and my enthusiasm for the sport was waning. I was in the midst of a flirtation with orienteering, which probably indicated a certain lack of direction. Work was very demanding, my kids were both teenagers, and athletically I was in a rut. You might think that I was excited to start competing against other 40-year-olds, but actually, that wasn't much of a motivating factor for me. I didn't see myself in a separate category from the other younger runners around me, and as for older runners... well, I really didn't know what to think about those 50- and 60-year-olds, except to be mildly impressed that they were out there at all...
I didn't run much track when I was 40. In fact, I hadn't run much track for several years. On a whim, I entered a masters track meet in January and ran something like 4:47 for the mile. That motivated me to train a little bit for the National Indoor meet in March, and I brought my time down to 4:36, and finished something like 8th in a relatively weak field. Not very impressive, but it turned out to be the start of a decade-long renaissance in my desire to run short, fast races.
The best thing that happened to me in my 40's was coaching. Specifically, I started working at Newton North with Jim Blackburn -- first as a volunteer, and then as an assistant coach. It's hard to sum up in a few words how much this has meant to me, but the experience was gratifying on many levels: being able to work with unbelievable athletes and a first-rate coach, being challenged everyday to think and learn and question my assumptions, being part of the accomplishments of several great teams, and finally discovering that I had something important to give back to the sport. Surprisingly, it also generated a tremendous desire to improve as a runner. I don't just mean that I wanted to run faster times... I mean that I wanted to train and compete at a higher mental level. I knew that my body couldn't do the same kind of workouts it had done 10-15 years earlier, but I found that my mind could play a greater role in my training and racing.
In 2003, I accomplished a few things that I would never have thought possible. Oh no, I didn't discover "the secret," and I can't point to any one workout or training technique. I would describe it instead as a process in which I learned to accept that my results were the outcome of my commitment. This realization caused me to train with a different set of expectations of myself. When the results came, I could see them as the outcome of a long, hard, but ultimately satisfying process. That year brought peak experiences that I will remember forever.
I guess I have to mention that I did, in fact, get slower at a fairly steady rate. When I started coaching, it was a pleasant easy run to go out and do distance with my athletes. I also had the speed and endurance to enforce the "no racing on distance days" rule. Within a couple of years, my easy runs with the team were a lot more challenging, and I couldn't enforce anything. Nowadays, I simply can't keep up on most runs. One part of me feels like a charity case, and I find myself apologizing for being slow. Another part of me has come to accept it, and even to use my slowness as a teaching point about the nature of speed and endurance. I have also learned that you can't afford to ever abandon speed. You always have to include it somewhere in your training, even when you start receiving applications to join AARP.
As I start out in my new age group, I have no idea what the next several years will bring. I no longer feel compelled to project my current times forward. I know the general direction that they are heading, but from month-to-month, I can still be surprised and pleased to see a little progress here and there.
The biggest and most important change wrought by all the running, coaching, writing, and talking in the last ten years, is that this sport has become a story about shared work, shared aspirations, and shared achievements. It used to be a solitary pursuit, and I doubted that anyone else would ever understand. What a difference now, to feel surrounded and supported by a community of people who share this passion. It makes me feel tremendously fortunate every day.
January 21, 2008
Bay State Meet Results - Jan. 17, 2008
Time to head back and recognize some great performances from last Thursday's Bay State meet.
Ranti Sets NN School Record in 1000
Carolyn Ranti made NN history, running a school record 3:00.43 in the 1000. Ranti, who makes the 1000 look like a 600, now has the second-fastest time in the state. Not to be overlooked, Framingham's Camille Murphy ran an outstanding time of 3:06.83 to win her heat. Weymouth freshman Jill Corocoran continues to run impressive times, and she recorded a 3:11.48.
Franca Godenzi ran 12:11.94 to set a PR and win the 2-Mile by 20 seconds. She took the lead early and then ran like a deer. Speaking of PR's, Nora Barnicle had an indoor PR in the mile, running 5:33.74 to take third behind Needham's Emily Lipman and Weymouth's Kristin Mahoney. Adina Hemley-Bronstein was right behind in 5:37.09.
Weymouth junior Carolyn Connolly ran the fastest time of the day in the 600, 1:40.79, more than a second faster than North's Emma Kornetsky. North sophomore Jaya Tribathi had a nice breakthrough, running 1:47.77 to go under 1:50 for the first time.
Dedham's Madison Farrell ran 44.05 in the 300. fastest time of the day. North's Michelle Kaufman moved up from the 55 to clock 44.46. Braintree's Jacky Hull ran 44.35, and then had the best time in the 55 at 7.70.
In the field events, Walpole soph Erica Hawley won both the high jump (4-11) and the long jump (15-2.5). North's Vicki Marone had a nice jump of 14-11 for third best. Actually, it was a very close competition, as the top six -- including Michelle Kaufman at 14-9 -- finished within 5.5 inches.
The 4x400 relay was a barn-burner, with Newton North's Emma Kornetsky running a brilliant anchor leg to overtake Weymouth and bring the Tigers home in 4:14.54.
Looking ahead to next week, the relay could be huge, as Newton North and Weymouth square off for league supremacy.
A Few Notable Boys Results
There WERE other teams competing on Thursday, and a few performances stand out in my mind. First of all, nice runs by Yuri Brown (4:42.27) and Rob Keegan (4:43.96) in the mile. I believe these are both pretty substantial PRs.
Weymouth's Sean Galligan came oh-so-close to qualifying for the Div I State meet in the 1000, running 2:45.43, less than 2/10th of a second from the 2:45.24 standard.
Dedham's Phil Weltman moved up to the 600 and ran 1:28.29. Would he consider a move up for the Div 4 State meet?
In the 2M, Wellesley had two good performances from Billy Littlefield (10:34.63) and freshman Peter Krieg (10:34.88). Krieg's time is remarkable, since I don't believe he has broken 5:00 for the mile yet. Both are within a few seconds of the Div 3 state qualifying standard (10:30.24).
In the shot put, Wellesley's Sam and Alex Stone threw 45-9 and 44-3 feet, respectively. Could Sam (a junior) be the Bay State's next 50-footer?
Ranti Sets NN School Record in 1000
Carolyn Ranti made NN history, running a school record 3:00.43 in the 1000. Ranti, who makes the 1000 look like a 600, now has the second-fastest time in the state. Not to be overlooked, Framingham's Camille Murphy ran an outstanding time of 3:06.83 to win her heat. Weymouth freshman Jill Corocoran continues to run impressive times, and she recorded a 3:11.48.
Franca Godenzi ran 12:11.94 to set a PR and win the 2-Mile by 20 seconds. She took the lead early and then ran like a deer. Speaking of PR's, Nora Barnicle had an indoor PR in the mile, running 5:33.74 to take third behind Needham's Emily Lipman and Weymouth's Kristin Mahoney. Adina Hemley-Bronstein was right behind in 5:37.09.
Weymouth junior Carolyn Connolly ran the fastest time of the day in the 600, 1:40.79, more than a second faster than North's Emma Kornetsky. North sophomore Jaya Tribathi had a nice breakthrough, running 1:47.77 to go under 1:50 for the first time.
Dedham's Madison Farrell ran 44.05 in the 300. fastest time of the day. North's Michelle Kaufman moved up from the 55 to clock 44.46. Braintree's Jacky Hull ran 44.35, and then had the best time in the 55 at 7.70.
In the field events, Walpole soph Erica Hawley won both the high jump (4-11) and the long jump (15-2.5). North's Vicki Marone had a nice jump of 14-11 for third best. Actually, it was a very close competition, as the top six -- including Michelle Kaufman at 14-9 -- finished within 5.5 inches.
The 4x400 relay was a barn-burner, with Newton North's Emma Kornetsky running a brilliant anchor leg to overtake Weymouth and bring the Tigers home in 4:14.54.
Looking ahead to next week, the relay could be huge, as Newton North and Weymouth square off for league supremacy.
A Few Notable Boys Results
There WERE other teams competing on Thursday, and a few performances stand out in my mind. First of all, nice runs by Yuri Brown (4:42.27) and Rob Keegan (4:43.96) in the mile. I believe these are both pretty substantial PRs.
Weymouth's Sean Galligan came oh-so-close to qualifying for the Div I State meet in the 1000, running 2:45.43, less than 2/10th of a second from the 2:45.24 standard.
Dedham's Phil Weltman moved up to the 600 and ran 1:28.29. Would he consider a move up for the Div 4 State meet?
In the 2M, Wellesley had two good performances from Billy Littlefield (10:34.63) and freshman Peter Krieg (10:34.88). Krieg's time is remarkable, since I don't believe he has broken 5:00 for the mile yet. Both are within a few seconds of the Div 3 state qualifying standard (10:30.24).
In the shot put, Wellesley's Sam and Alex Stone threw 45-9 and 44-3 feet, respectively. Could Sam (a junior) be the Bay State's next 50-footer?
January 20, 2008
NN Boys Set LJ Record at DI State Relays
After an an emotional meet Thursday, the Newton North boys had their chances to win the State D1 Relays on Saturday, but came up five points short, settling for third behind St. Johns of Shrewsbury and Brockton. The Tigers' lone victory came in the long jump relay, in which Adam Bao, Ivan Kostadinvo, and Sam Arsenault combined for a distance of 19.17m (62-10.75) to set an all-class record, eclipsing by over 10 inches the mark set by Brockton in 2003.
The Newton North girls also won one event, finishing first in the 4x50yd shuttle hurdles with a time of 30.00. That's only 0.13 shy of their own Class A record set three years ago. The Tiger girls also got single points in the distance medley, long jump, and shot put.
In addition to the long jump, the Tiger boys scored via a second-place finish in the sprint medley (3:39.69, behind St. John's 3:37.57), third-place finishes in the 4x50 yd shuttle relay and high jump relays, and another second place in the final event, the 4x400 relay.
Entering the final event, Brockton led St. John's by 9 points and Newton North by 12. the Tigers thus had no chance to win, but certainly had a shot to overtake St. John's for second. In the final leg, the two teams battled, but St. John's anchor Sean Mitchell fought ahead on the backstretch and held on to win the meet for his team (3:28.95). North went under 3:30 for the first time this season, running 3:29.12.
The Newton North girls also won one event, finishing first in the 4x50yd shuttle hurdles with a time of 30.00. That's only 0.13 shy of their own Class A record set three years ago. The Tiger girls also got single points in the distance medley, long jump, and shot put.
In addition to the long jump, the Tiger boys scored via a second-place finish in the sprint medley (3:39.69, behind St. John's 3:37.57), third-place finishes in the 4x50 yd shuttle relay and high jump relays, and another second place in the final event, the 4x400 relay.
Entering the final event, Brockton led St. John's by 9 points and Newton North by 12. the Tigers thus had no chance to win, but certainly had a shot to overtake St. John's for second. In the final leg, the two teams battled, but St. John's anchor Sean Mitchell fought ahead on the backstretch and held on to win the meet for his team (3:28.95). North went under 3:30 for the first time this season, running 3:29.12.
January 19, 2008
NNHS Alumni Results - January 19, 2007
Wesleyan was in town Saturday to run in the 2008 Reggie Poyau Invitational at Brandeis University, and two NNHS alumnae scored in the middle distance events. Stephanie O'Brien placed fourth in the 1000m, running 3:08.78. Haleigh Smith placed 6th in the mile in 5:22.91.
Yale freshman David Smith placed 2nd in the shot put in a tri-meet with Columbia and Dartmouth. Smitty threw 14.72m (48-03.50), a PR with the college shot.
Williams hosted a meet this weekend, and I checked the results looking for Liz Gleason. It doesn't appear that Liz ran, but I encountered the name of another NN grad, better known for soccer than for track. Katie McLean, a freshman at Union College, placed third in the mile, running 5:45.21.
At the RIT Invitatational, Dan Chebot ran 4:51 for the mile. I know that running at RIT is not the same as running at Reggie Lewis, but I wonder how often younger brother Ben has been able to boast the best mile time of the week?
Brookline alum Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot clcoked a nice 3K at the Tufts Invitational on Saturday, running 9:10.18.
Yale freshman David Smith placed 2nd in the shot put in a tri-meet with Columbia and Dartmouth. Smitty threw 14.72m (48-03.50), a PR with the college shot.
Williams hosted a meet this weekend, and I checked the results looking for Liz Gleason. It doesn't appear that Liz ran, but I encountered the name of another NN grad, better known for soccer than for track. Katie McLean, a freshman at Union College, placed third in the mile, running 5:45.21.
At the RIT Invitatational, Dan Chebot ran 4:51 for the mile. I know that running at RIT is not the same as running at Reggie Lewis, but I wonder how often younger brother Ben has been able to boast the best mile time of the week?
Brookline alum Jerzy Eisenberg-Guyot clcoked a nice 3K at the Tufts Invitational on Saturday, running 9:10.18.
January 17, 2008
Tigers Edge Warriors 44-42 in Epic Meet
It's January 2073, and best friends Seb Putzeys, Michael Bennett, Sam Arsenault, and Robert Gibson are sitting together in shirtsleeves on the front porch of the assisted living center. After lazy conversation about the weather, politics, and football, the conversation drifts back to the golden days of their youth.
"That was a hell of meet," Seb says.
"It sure was," Gibby replies. "We should have beaten you that day -- but you had that insane kick in the 1000."
Seb cackles, but then remembers how close it all was. "That was only one event -- EVERY event was close, remember? It went back and forth all day."
Bennett chimes in: "Two inches. If I had thrown the shot two more inches, I would have taken second and then..." His voice trails off, and it almost seems like he is ready to go out there and run and throw like he did when he was young and strong and full of competitive fire.
"We couldn't believe it," Arsenault says. We threw everything we had at you guys, and you almost won it in the second event - in the shot put, for god's sake."
"Yeah, well Brookline had the last laugh," says Seb. "Gibby beat me at Class A's, and then again when we went 1-2 in the All-State mile."
"Yeah," says Bennett. "We were state champions that year, but we couldn't beat you in that dual meet. You guys really stepped up that day."
Arsenault answers, "We had guys run faster that day than they ever ran again in their lives. It was a great meet. It was the BEST meet we ever had."
They all rock in silence for a few minutes, and then Gibby says, "You know, I think I'd rather have beaten you that day than win the All-State meet." Seb ponders this for a moment and then says, "The important thing was that we all cared about it so much, and you know, we were ALL part of something pretty special, not just that one meet, but that whole time in our lives, and here we are still talking about it. I'm just glad there are still a few old guys like you who remember how it was..."
Newton North prevailed over Brookline 44-42 in a meet that was as close as they come. Anticipated from the beginning of the season, this meet lived up to all the hype. It was a GREAT meet from start to finish, full of twists and turns, and a competition that seemed to bring out great performances from both teams.
What kind of meet was it? I was standing by the railing with Susannah Gleason's aunt Kate, and we were watching the high jump. When Brookline's Alex Lippincott cleared six feet, Kate started clapping and cheering. "Wait a minute," I said, "that's a BROOKLINE jumper." "But that was such a good jump," she said, and I had to agree.
The meet started out with the excitement of the mile. With Gibson and Putzeys moving down to the 1000, Ben Chebot (#804 in your program) ran an 8-second PR (4:49.64) to take third behind Elliot Lehane and Brendan Grove. Not a big deal? It was a HUGE deal. It was the kind of meet where every third place counts.
But before anyone could get too excited about that one point in the mile, word came back from the Shot Put that Michael Bennett had broken up the expected Newton sweep and regained the lost point with a toss of 42-8. (I don't know why the shot put results havene't been posted, by the way.)
That brough us to the 1000 -- a race which matched 2007 indoor All-State mile and XC champion Rob Gibson with Newton's Seb Putzeys. I happened to be sitting near the Brookline team, and they were three deep against the track cheering the race. After a reasonably quick first lap (in which Gibson got caught on the rail and had to extricate himself from fifth place with a bug surge), the pace slowed and the race became tactical. With the runners bunching, strange things started happening at the front. Eric Selke shared the lead for a while. The lead pack split 65, then 1:39. With a little less than 400m to go, Chris Mercurio bolted to the lead, and Gibson followed. With just over a lap to go, Seb shifted to a gear that surprised almost everyone in the building. Rocketing from third into the lead, Seb covered the final 200 meters in 28.7, and the final 400 in 59.8 to win by two seconds. It was a huge swing, and a huge boost for the Tigers, who were full of hope, although they still had their work cut out for them.
(In retrospect, had Gibson stayed in the mile, with Lehane or Grove moving to the 1000, the resulting points would most likely have been the same, so it was a good risk for Brookline to take. I wonder, though, how the race would have developed differently off a very fast pace.)
So now Newton had a one point lead. That lasted exactly one event, as Brookline re-took the lead with a win in the 600 by Ian Sandler. It wasn't all bad news for Newton, as Adam Bao ran a stellar 1:28 (a PR by 2+ seconds) to take second, just ahead of Irwin Scott. Now Brookline had the lead back.
Michael Bennett came within a few hundredths of a second of adding to that lead in the 300, but Ivan Kostadinov ran brilliantly to get the inside lane and then hang on through an agonizing home stretch to win in a PR 37.18, only 0.06 ahead of Bennett. Jeremy Miller took third for the Warriors, who clung to a one point lead.
In many ways, the high jump was THE central event of the meet. It went back in forth, with first ALex Lippincott clearing a height, and then Sam Arsenault matching him. When Lippincott cleared 6-2 (I think it was 6-2) on his final attempt, the meet hung in the balance. Arsenault answered like a champion, and the bar went up for both jumpers. After Lippincott missed twice at 6-4, Arsenault cleared on his second attempt, and unwittingly set in motion a bizarre and unfortunate series of events. Here's what happened: the bar was obviously set unevenly, with one standard slightly higher than the other. After Arsenault cleared, he called the official's attention to this fact. The official should have simply let Lippincott jump, since whether it was even or not, it should be the same for both jumpers. Instead, the official raised the bar on one side, sparking a protest from Brookline. Ultimately, there was an attempt to restore the bar to the way that it had been, but the confusion must have made it tough to focus on the jump. Lippincott missed his third attempt, and the event was over.
Now Newton had a two-point lead, and they extended it to five points as Arsenault won the hurdles (8.18), with Tony Chen taking third behind Brookline's Joel Parent.
Meanwhile, the two-mile was in progress. It figured to be a strong event for Brookline, and sure enough, Mike Burnstein and Ryan Hardiman broke away from Dan Hamilton in the middle of the race and became the fourth and fifth Breookline runners to go under ten minutes this season. Hamilton hung on for a PR 10:11 to take third, but now Brookline led by two.
The 55 was next, and Bennett won decisively in 6.80, ahead of Hymlaire Lamisere and Adam Bao. It was 42-39 going into the 4x400 relay.
The relay was a microcosm of the meet itself. Brookline took a strong early lead over Newton's Ilan Sarin. Kostadinov ran a strong second leg to get Newton back into it. Seb ran brilliantly to take the lead, but Brookline responded as their third runner came back and drew even or slightly ahead at the final exchange. Now it was Arsenault vs. Gibson, and for a moment, it looked like Gibson was ready to pass, but Arsenault held him off. The moment was gone, and Arsenault lengthened his advantage inch by inch, finally pulling away in the last 50 meters to lead North to the win, and a meet victory by the slimmest of margins.
This was a meet that truly ennobled both teams. The athletes and the coaches are very competitive, but obviously have a lot of respect for each other, and the result was something special. We were all fortunate to see it.
Bay State Meet REsults - Jan 17, 2008
I know there were 11 OTHER Meets going on. I'll talk about them in another post.
"That was a hell of meet," Seb says.
"It sure was," Gibby replies. "We should have beaten you that day -- but you had that insane kick in the 1000."
Seb cackles, but then remembers how close it all was. "That was only one event -- EVERY event was close, remember? It went back and forth all day."
Bennett chimes in: "Two inches. If I had thrown the shot two more inches, I would have taken second and then..." His voice trails off, and it almost seems like he is ready to go out there and run and throw like he did when he was young and strong and full of competitive fire.
"We couldn't believe it," Arsenault says. We threw everything we had at you guys, and you almost won it in the second event - in the shot put, for god's sake."
"Yeah, well Brookline had the last laugh," says Seb. "Gibby beat me at Class A's, and then again when we went 1-2 in the All-State mile."
"Yeah," says Bennett. "We were state champions that year, but we couldn't beat you in that dual meet. You guys really stepped up that day."
Arsenault answers, "We had guys run faster that day than they ever ran again in their lives. It was a great meet. It was the BEST meet we ever had."
They all rock in silence for a few minutes, and then Gibby says, "You know, I think I'd rather have beaten you that day than win the All-State meet." Seb ponders this for a moment and then says, "The important thing was that we all cared about it so much, and you know, we were ALL part of something pretty special, not just that one meet, but that whole time in our lives, and here we are still talking about it. I'm just glad there are still a few old guys like you who remember how it was..."
Newton North prevailed over Brookline 44-42 in a meet that was as close as they come. Anticipated from the beginning of the season, this meet lived up to all the hype. It was a GREAT meet from start to finish, full of twists and turns, and a competition that seemed to bring out great performances from both teams.
What kind of meet was it? I was standing by the railing with Susannah Gleason's aunt Kate, and we were watching the high jump. When Brookline's Alex Lippincott cleared six feet, Kate started clapping and cheering. "Wait a minute," I said, "that's a BROOKLINE jumper." "But that was such a good jump," she said, and I had to agree.
The meet started out with the excitement of the mile. With Gibson and Putzeys moving down to the 1000, Ben Chebot (#804 in your program) ran an 8-second PR (4:49.64) to take third behind Elliot Lehane and Brendan Grove. Not a big deal? It was a HUGE deal. It was the kind of meet where every third place counts.
But before anyone could get too excited about that one point in the mile, word came back from the Shot Put that Michael Bennett had broken up the expected Newton sweep and regained the lost point with a toss of 42-8. (I don't know why the shot put results havene't been posted, by the way.)
That brough us to the 1000 -- a race which matched 2007 indoor All-State mile and XC champion Rob Gibson with Newton's Seb Putzeys. I happened to be sitting near the Brookline team, and they were three deep against the track cheering the race. After a reasonably quick first lap (in which Gibson got caught on the rail and had to extricate himself from fifth place with a bug surge), the pace slowed and the race became tactical. With the runners bunching, strange things started happening at the front. Eric Selke shared the lead for a while. The lead pack split 65, then 1:39. With a little less than 400m to go, Chris Mercurio bolted to the lead, and Gibson followed. With just over a lap to go, Seb shifted to a gear that surprised almost everyone in the building. Rocketing from third into the lead, Seb covered the final 200 meters in 28.7, and the final 400 in 59.8 to win by two seconds. It was a huge swing, and a huge boost for the Tigers, who were full of hope, although they still had their work cut out for them.
(In retrospect, had Gibson stayed in the mile, with Lehane or Grove moving to the 1000, the resulting points would most likely have been the same, so it was a good risk for Brookline to take. I wonder, though, how the race would have developed differently off a very fast pace.)
So now Newton had a one point lead. That lasted exactly one event, as Brookline re-took the lead with a win in the 600 by Ian Sandler. It wasn't all bad news for Newton, as Adam Bao ran a stellar 1:28 (a PR by 2+ seconds) to take second, just ahead of Irwin Scott. Now Brookline had the lead back.
Michael Bennett came within a few hundredths of a second of adding to that lead in the 300, but Ivan Kostadinov ran brilliantly to get the inside lane and then hang on through an agonizing home stretch to win in a PR 37.18, only 0.06 ahead of Bennett. Jeremy Miller took third for the Warriors, who clung to a one point lead.
In many ways, the high jump was THE central event of the meet. It went back in forth, with first ALex Lippincott clearing a height, and then Sam Arsenault matching him. When Lippincott cleared 6-2 (I think it was 6-2) on his final attempt, the meet hung in the balance. Arsenault answered like a champion, and the bar went up for both jumpers. After Lippincott missed twice at 6-4, Arsenault cleared on his second attempt, and unwittingly set in motion a bizarre and unfortunate series of events. Here's what happened: the bar was obviously set unevenly, with one standard slightly higher than the other. After Arsenault cleared, he called the official's attention to this fact. The official should have simply let Lippincott jump, since whether it was even or not, it should be the same for both jumpers. Instead, the official raised the bar on one side, sparking a protest from Brookline. Ultimately, there was an attempt to restore the bar to the way that it had been, but the confusion must have made it tough to focus on the jump. Lippincott missed his third attempt, and the event was over.
Now Newton had a two-point lead, and they extended it to five points as Arsenault won the hurdles (8.18), with Tony Chen taking third behind Brookline's Joel Parent.
Meanwhile, the two-mile was in progress. It figured to be a strong event for Brookline, and sure enough, Mike Burnstein and Ryan Hardiman broke away from Dan Hamilton in the middle of the race and became the fourth and fifth Breookline runners to go under ten minutes this season. Hamilton hung on for a PR 10:11 to take third, but now Brookline led by two.
The 55 was next, and Bennett won decisively in 6.80, ahead of Hymlaire Lamisere and Adam Bao. It was 42-39 going into the 4x400 relay.
The relay was a microcosm of the meet itself. Brookline took a strong early lead over Newton's Ilan Sarin. Kostadinov ran a strong second leg to get Newton back into it. Seb ran brilliantly to take the lead, but Brookline responded as their third runner came back and drew even or slightly ahead at the final exchange. Now it was Arsenault vs. Gibson, and for a moment, it looked like Gibson was ready to pass, but Arsenault held him off. The moment was gone, and Arsenault lengthened his advantage inch by inch, finally pulling away in the last 50 meters to lead North to the win, and a meet victory by the slimmest of margins.
This was a meet that truly ennobled both teams. The athletes and the coaches are very competitive, but obviously have a lot of respect for each other, and the result was something special. We were all fortunate to see it.
Bay State Meet REsults - Jan 17, 2008
I know there were 11 OTHER Meets going on. I'll talk about them in another post.
January 15, 2008
Brookline vs Newton North Preview
On Thursday, Brookline and Newton North will compete for the Bay State Carey indoor track title. Brookline has an excellent chance to become the first team to beat Newton North in an indoor dual meet in eight years, but it won't be easy. Here's what to watch for in this classic match-up:
One Mile - The tension starts before the starter has even called the runners to the "set" position. Because distance runners are limited to one event of 600m or longer, deployment of scarce resources is everything. Brookline's Robert Gibson is a sure winner in the mile or two-mile, and a favorite, but not a lock in the 1000. Newton's Seb Putzeys will beat anyone but Gibson in the 1000 or mile, and maybe in the 2-mile, too, although he would have his hands full with David Wilson. So where do the coaches deploy them? Mike Glennon says Gibson will run the mile... If both Gibson and Putzeys are in the mile, that's 6-3 Brookline. (Could Putzeys beat Gibson in a tactical race? YES! So I don't expect it to be too tactical.) If Putzeys moves down to the 1000, he'll win it. One needs a Ph.D in game theory to determine how to play this one. I'll score it 6-3 Brookline.
1000 (KEY EVENT)- If Putzeys runs the mile, Brookline could try to sweep the 1000 by using Elliot Lehane, Ryan Hardiman, and one other runner who has a shot of breaking 2:50. It will be very important for Newton to try to get third place at least, with Alex Gurvitz, perhaps. Of course, if Putzeys runs, it goes 5-4 for Newton. I'll assume Putzeys is in the mile and score this one 8-1 Brookline, but that one point is in play.
600 - After last week, it seems to make sense for Brookline to run Ian Sandler and Chris Mercurio and take the eight points to the bank. Of course, Mercurio is valuable in the 1000 or mile, but a second place in the 600 is worth more. This looks like another 8-1 for Brookline unless Adam Bao can drop two seconds and challenge for second place.
300 (KEY EVENT) - The 300 is a huge swing event, matching Brookline's Michael Bennett with Newton's Ivan Kostadinov and Hymlaire Lamisere (or Adam Bao?). Bennett could win or he could get third, an 8-point swing. I'll split the difference and say that Kostadinov wins, with Bennett second, giving Newton a 6-3 edge.
2-Mile - Brookline is rich in two-milers, and can sweep this event if they run David Wilson, Michael Burnstein, and Brendan Grove. On the other hand, Dan Hamilton has run 10:16 and is certainly capable of taking the third spot. I don't know why, but I've never yet correctly predicted Brookline's deployment of their distance runners, but I'll still give them the benefit of the doubt and score this one 9-0 Brookline.
55 Hurdles (KEY EVENT) - The hurdles is NEVER an easy event to predict, but I think Sam Arsenault will win, and I think Tony Chen has a shot of beating Joel Parent and taking second. That would be an enormous swing for the Tigers, if they can pull it off. (If they don't, then the meet might very well be over before the teams line up for the 4x400 relay.) I'll go out on a limb and say that Tony Chen runs 8.46, Newton takes 1-2, and the relay will matter. I'm scoring it 8-1 Newton.
55 dash (KEY EVENT) - With Michael Bennett in the dash, this is another event in whcih Brookline could win or finish third. Troy Peterson and Hymlaire could go 1-2 or 2-3, and regardless of the outcome of the relay, that would be the meet. As I did in the 300, I'll split the difference and give Newton first and third, for a 6-3 edge.
Shot Put - Barring a disaster, Steve Long should lead the Newton North shot putters to a sweep of this event and its 9 points. Do yourself a favor and go watch some of the action anyway.
High Jump (KEY EVENT) - I think Newton North MUST win the high jump to have a chance in this meet. Sam Arsenault has cleared 6-4, and if he can come through with a jump like that on Thursday (without taking too many misses at lower heights), he should win over Brookline's Alex Lippincott. Either Ben Kiley and Adrian Dmitrov are a good bet to get the other point for Newton. I'll score this 6-3 in favor of the Tigers.
And that brings us to the relay with Brookline holding a 42-39 advantage. So many things could break differently than I have outlined above, and of course, I have no knowledge of how the coaches might redeploy their runners to scrape for that extra point or two. But if it DOES come down to the relay... if Newton still is alive at that point, it will be a hell of a race.
One Mile - The tension starts before the starter has even called the runners to the "set" position. Because distance runners are limited to one event of 600m or longer, deployment of scarce resources is everything. Brookline's Robert Gibson is a sure winner in the mile or two-mile, and a favorite, but not a lock in the 1000. Newton's Seb Putzeys will beat anyone but Gibson in the 1000 or mile, and maybe in the 2-mile, too, although he would have his hands full with David Wilson. So where do the coaches deploy them? Mike Glennon says Gibson will run the mile... If both Gibson and Putzeys are in the mile, that's 6-3 Brookline. (Could Putzeys beat Gibson in a tactical race? YES! So I don't expect it to be too tactical.) If Putzeys moves down to the 1000, he'll win it. One needs a Ph.D in game theory to determine how to play this one. I'll score it 6-3 Brookline.
1000 (KEY EVENT)- If Putzeys runs the mile, Brookline could try to sweep the 1000 by using Elliot Lehane, Ryan Hardiman, and one other runner who has a shot of breaking 2:50. It will be very important for Newton to try to get third place at least, with Alex Gurvitz, perhaps. Of course, if Putzeys runs, it goes 5-4 for Newton. I'll assume Putzeys is in the mile and score this one 8-1 Brookline, but that one point is in play.
600 - After last week, it seems to make sense for Brookline to run Ian Sandler and Chris Mercurio and take the eight points to the bank. Of course, Mercurio is valuable in the 1000 or mile, but a second place in the 600 is worth more. This looks like another 8-1 for Brookline unless Adam Bao can drop two seconds and challenge for second place.
300 (KEY EVENT) - The 300 is a huge swing event, matching Brookline's Michael Bennett with Newton's Ivan Kostadinov and Hymlaire Lamisere (or Adam Bao?). Bennett could win or he could get third, an 8-point swing. I'll split the difference and say that Kostadinov wins, with Bennett second, giving Newton a 6-3 edge.
2-Mile - Brookline is rich in two-milers, and can sweep this event if they run David Wilson, Michael Burnstein, and Brendan Grove. On the other hand, Dan Hamilton has run 10:16 and is certainly capable of taking the third spot. I don't know why, but I've never yet correctly predicted Brookline's deployment of their distance runners, but I'll still give them the benefit of the doubt and score this one 9-0 Brookline.
55 Hurdles (KEY EVENT) - The hurdles is NEVER an easy event to predict, but I think Sam Arsenault will win, and I think Tony Chen has a shot of beating Joel Parent and taking second. That would be an enormous swing for the Tigers, if they can pull it off. (If they don't, then the meet might very well be over before the teams line up for the 4x400 relay.) I'll go out on a limb and say that Tony Chen runs 8.46, Newton takes 1-2, and the relay will matter. I'm scoring it 8-1 Newton.
55 dash (KEY EVENT) - With Michael Bennett in the dash, this is another event in whcih Brookline could win or finish third. Troy Peterson and Hymlaire could go 1-2 or 2-3, and regardless of the outcome of the relay, that would be the meet. As I did in the 300, I'll split the difference and give Newton first and third, for a 6-3 edge.
Shot Put - Barring a disaster, Steve Long should lead the Newton North shot putters to a sweep of this event and its 9 points. Do yourself a favor and go watch some of the action anyway.
High Jump (KEY EVENT) - I think Newton North MUST win the high jump to have a chance in this meet. Sam Arsenault has cleared 6-4, and if he can come through with a jump like that on Thursday (without taking too many misses at lower heights), he should win over Brookline's Alex Lippincott. Either Ben Kiley and Adrian Dmitrov are a good bet to get the other point for Newton. I'll score this 6-3 in favor of the Tigers.
And that brings us to the relay with Brookline holding a 42-39 advantage. So many things could break differently than I have outlined above, and of course, I have no knowledge of how the coaches might redeploy their runners to scrape for that extra point or two. But if it DOES come down to the relay... if Newton still is alive at that point, it will be a hell of a race.
January 14, 2008
"The Whole World Spread Below Him"
Sir Edmund Hillary passed away Friday in Auckland, New Zealand.
A year before Roger Bannister stepped on the Iffley Road track and made history by completing four circuits of that oval in slightly less than four minutes, Hillary and his sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay reached the top of the world's tallest mountain.
On May 29, 1953, the two became the first men to climb Mt. Everest. For degree of difficulty, I think the original Everest expedition surpasses the original four-minute mile. These days, assisted by better technical equipment, pre-set climbing lines, and the assistance of paid teams, successful Everest ascents are considerably easier than successful four-minute mile attempts! On the other hand, few people have died attempting a four-minute mile (although they might have felt like they were dying in the last 100 meters). Nearly 200 people have died attempting Everest.
Tributes for Everest 'colossus'
NY Times Obituary
More Everest trivia:
The first woman to climb Mount Everest was Junko Tabei (1975)
Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler were the first to climb Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen (1978)
Yuichiro Miura at age 70 is the oldest person ever to reach the summit (2003).
Temba Tsheri at age 15 is the youngest (2001).
Erik Weihenmayer is the first blind climber to conquer Mount Everest (2001).
A year before Roger Bannister stepped on the Iffley Road track and made history by completing four circuits of that oval in slightly less than four minutes, Hillary and his sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay reached the top of the world's tallest mountain.
On May 29, 1953, the two became the first men to climb Mt. Everest. For degree of difficulty, I think the original Everest expedition surpasses the original four-minute mile. These days, assisted by better technical equipment, pre-set climbing lines, and the assistance of paid teams, successful Everest ascents are considerably easier than successful four-minute mile attempts! On the other hand, few people have died attempting a four-minute mile (although they might have felt like they were dying in the last 100 meters). Nearly 200 people have died attempting Everest.
Tributes for Everest 'colossus'
NY Times Obituary
More Everest trivia:
The first woman to climb Mount Everest was Junko Tabei (1975)
Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler were the first to climb Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen (1978)
Yuichiro Miura at age 70 is the oldest person ever to reach the summit (2003).
Temba Tsheri at age 15 is the youngest (2001).
Erik Weihenmayer is the first blind climber to conquer Mount Everest (2001).
January 13, 2008
NNHS Alumni Results - Jan 12, 2008
Competing at the Yale Invitational, Wesleyan senior Steph O'Brien finished 2nd in the 800m with a time of 2:21.36, just 0.04 behind the winner.
In the same meeet, David Smith finished 19th in the weight throw (12.82m / 42-0.75) and 13th in the shot put (13.63m / 44-8.75).
Dave Cahill won the open/masters 800m at the Dartmouth Relays on Friday, running 2:02.97. He also won his age group in the 60m hurdles with an excellent time of 8.90 (when was the last time he competed in that event?).
January 11, 2008
Bay State Meet Results - Jan. 10, 2008
I may have been slow to post results, but there was nothing else slow about Thursday's Bay State meet. Impressive times and performances -- some from veterans in new events, and some from fresh faces.
Newton North teams fared well, winning both meets, and there was no post-meet confusion about the results this time. The boys handled Framingham without difficulty, while the girls won by about twenty points.
With Seb Putzeys doing some over-distance work in the deuce, there were some nice performances in the mile, with Kyle Higgins running the fastest time of the day (4:34.01), eking it out over Elliot Lehane (4:34.09). Sam Miller ran 4:36 (I think that's an indoor PR for Sam), and now we know what Dan Hamilton can run for 1 mile when it isn't immediately followed by another one (4:48.59).
Robert Gibson stretched his very fast legs in the 1000, running 2:34.42, with Michael Burnstein 9 seconds back. Brookline also took 1-2 in the 600, with Ian Sandler beating Chris Mercurio to the line in 1:28.28. (Newton's Adam Bao and Jared Plotkin both ran 1:31). In the 300, Dedham's Phil Weltman went under 37 for the first time this season (36.85), while Milton's Paul Connor continued to impress, running 37.28. Newton's Ivan Kostadinov ran 37.52, just barely ahead of Brookline's Michael Bennett (37.60) and Hymlaire Lamisere (37.69) in what is sure to be a key race next week when the Warriors try to put an end to Newton's streak of dual meet wins.
I mentioned that Seb was in the 2-mile. He showed his range by winning in 9:38, a time that would put him in contention for one of the top six spots in the state, if he chose to run that event. Equally impressive, freshman Ezra Lichtmann ran 10:18 and is close to qualifying for the state meet.
In the sprints, Sam Arsenault won the hurdles (8.13), and Tony Chen seems to be getting better every week, as he clocked 8.69. Natick's Mike Searcy won the 55 dash in 6.82, with Lamisere tied for 2nd in 6.86. Troy Peterson also dipped under 7.00 (I believe for the first time), running 6.99. In the HJ, Arsenault jumped 6'0" but took second (on jumps) to Brookline's Alex Lippincott. Ben Kiley and Adrian Dimitrov both cleared 5-8, a fine team total of 17-4, if you're thinking ahead to the State relays.
Steve Long had a big throw in the shot put -- I mean a BIG throw, as he cracked 50 feet for the first time, recording a best mark of 50-5. With two other Newton throwers over 41 feet, the shot put relay looks pretty strong for the Tigers. In the (NON-SCORING) long jump, Kostadinov jumped 21-0.5 to win by over a foot. He looks like a threat to score points at the state level.
Finally, the NN boys won the 4x400 relay in 3:34.77, leading Brookline by 5 seconds. I can't wait to see these teams clash next Thursday!
In the girls meet, there was also some shuffling of runners into new events. Not so much for Newton North, whose distance runners stayed put in their events and ran very well. Carolyn Ranti took the mile in a league-leading time of 5:13.08, nine seconds ahead of Framingham's Camille Murphy. Nora Barnicle had the best time of the day in the 1000 and her best time of the season, running 3:12.47. Weymouth's Jill Corcoran looks very, very good as she ran 3:15.96 for the third best time of the day (edging out senior teammate Kristin Mahoney). Sam Bennett ran 1:41.45 for the best time in the 600, and Newton's Emma Kornetsky was right behind with a season's best 1:41.65.
Wellesley's Najauna Muschetta took the 300 (44.05), with Michelle Kaufman moving up in distance to win her heat in 44.82. Natick's Kim Perry won the hurdles in 9.40, and Milton's Kelly Madigan won the dash in 7.72.
In the two mile, Needham's Emily Lipmann won by half a minute with an excellent time of 11:42.33, but the most exciting performance was turned in by Framingham freshman Sarah Bowhill, who improved her PR by 35 seconds and won a close battle with Newton's Franca Godenzi, 12:12.89 to 12:15.10. Remember the name, folks.
In the field events, Wellesley's Hannah Muir was close to state-meet-champion territory, as she cleared 5-6 to win by half a foot. Newton freshman Amy Ren was second, clearing 5 feet. In the shot put, Bonny Guang rebounded from an off-day last week to throw 32-3.5 for third overall. In the (NON-SCORING) long jump, two sophomores from Walpole, Jeannette Thulin and Erica Hawley were both over 15 feet and went 1-2.
Finally, Wellesley had the best time in the 4x400 relay in 4:23 (Newton North winning their heat in 4:28).
Newton North teams fared well, winning both meets, and there was no post-meet confusion about the results this time. The boys handled Framingham without difficulty, while the girls won by about twenty points.
With Seb Putzeys doing some over-distance work in the deuce, there were some nice performances in the mile, with Kyle Higgins running the fastest time of the day (4:34.01), eking it out over Elliot Lehane (4:34.09). Sam Miller ran 4:36 (I think that's an indoor PR for Sam), and now we know what Dan Hamilton can run for 1 mile when it isn't immediately followed by another one (4:48.59).
Robert Gibson stretched his very fast legs in the 1000, running 2:34.42, with Michael Burnstein 9 seconds back. Brookline also took 1-2 in the 600, with Ian Sandler beating Chris Mercurio to the line in 1:28.28. (Newton's Adam Bao and Jared Plotkin both ran 1:31). In the 300, Dedham's Phil Weltman went under 37 for the first time this season (36.85), while Milton's Paul Connor continued to impress, running 37.28. Newton's Ivan Kostadinov ran 37.52, just barely ahead of Brookline's Michael Bennett (37.60) and Hymlaire Lamisere (37.69) in what is sure to be a key race next week when the Warriors try to put an end to Newton's streak of dual meet wins.
I mentioned that Seb was in the 2-mile. He showed his range by winning in 9:38, a time that would put him in contention for one of the top six spots in the state, if he chose to run that event. Equally impressive, freshman Ezra Lichtmann ran 10:18 and is close to qualifying for the state meet.
In the sprints, Sam Arsenault won the hurdles (8.13), and Tony Chen seems to be getting better every week, as he clocked 8.69. Natick's Mike Searcy won the 55 dash in 6.82, with Lamisere tied for 2nd in 6.86. Troy Peterson also dipped under 7.00 (I believe for the first time), running 6.99. In the HJ, Arsenault jumped 6'0" but took second (on jumps) to Brookline's Alex Lippincott. Ben Kiley and Adrian Dimitrov both cleared 5-8, a fine team total of 17-4, if you're thinking ahead to the State relays.
Steve Long had a big throw in the shot put -- I mean a BIG throw, as he cracked 50 feet for the first time, recording a best mark of 50-5. With two other Newton throwers over 41 feet, the shot put relay looks pretty strong for the Tigers. In the (NON-SCORING) long jump, Kostadinov jumped 21-0.5 to win by over a foot. He looks like a threat to score points at the state level.
Finally, the NN boys won the 4x400 relay in 3:34.77, leading Brookline by 5 seconds. I can't wait to see these teams clash next Thursday!
In the girls meet, there was also some shuffling of runners into new events. Not so much for Newton North, whose distance runners stayed put in their events and ran very well. Carolyn Ranti took the mile in a league-leading time of 5:13.08, nine seconds ahead of Framingham's Camille Murphy. Nora Barnicle had the best time of the day in the 1000 and her best time of the season, running 3:12.47. Weymouth's Jill Corcoran looks very, very good as she ran 3:15.96 for the third best time of the day (edging out senior teammate Kristin Mahoney). Sam Bennett ran 1:41.45 for the best time in the 600, and Newton's Emma Kornetsky was right behind with a season's best 1:41.65.
Wellesley's Najauna Muschetta took the 300 (44.05), with Michelle Kaufman moving up in distance to win her heat in 44.82. Natick's Kim Perry won the hurdles in 9.40, and Milton's Kelly Madigan won the dash in 7.72.
In the two mile, Needham's Emily Lipmann won by half a minute with an excellent time of 11:42.33, but the most exciting performance was turned in by Framingham freshman Sarah Bowhill, who improved her PR by 35 seconds and won a close battle with Newton's Franca Godenzi, 12:12.89 to 12:15.10. Remember the name, folks.
In the field events, Wellesley's Hannah Muir was close to state-meet-champion territory, as she cleared 5-6 to win by half a foot. Newton freshman Amy Ren was second, clearing 5 feet. In the shot put, Bonny Guang rebounded from an off-day last week to throw 32-3.5 for third overall. In the (NON-SCORING) long jump, two sophomores from Walpole, Jeannette Thulin and Erica Hawley were both over 15 feet and went 1-2.
Finally, Wellesley had the best time in the 4x400 relay in 4:23 (Newton North winning their heat in 4:28).
January 10, 2008
Newton South Edges Lincoln-Sudbury
Two of the top girls track programs in the state clashed in a dual meet last night at the Reggie Lewis track, with Newton South gaining a narrow 52-43 victory over Lincoln-Sudbury. Trailing 47-43 going into the relay, L-S appeared to have an excellent chance to win the meet. Although their 4x400 quartet appeared to get the job done, running a time close to four minutes, they were disqualified for a baton pass out of the exchange zone. It was an unfortunate finish for what had been a classic battle.
The meet had a slew of fine performances, including a double-double punch from South's Kelsey Karys and Bridget Dahlberg who went 1-2 in the two-mile, and then doubled back to finish 2-1 in the 1 Mile. And remember they did this against a Lincoln-Sudbury distance crew that "merely" won the State D1 XC championships two months ago.
It was like that all night long. In the 1000, Newton's Katherine O'Keefe ran 3:08.50 and didn't score a point!
In the 600, Diana Braver ran 1:39.70 and finished third!
All, in all it was a great preview of what these two teams will do at the state level. When I mentioned to Newton South Coach Steve McChesney that his team would get to compete again this weekend against L-S, he said that he felt his team would be competing against them for the rest of their lives.
It's exciting to see two programs obviously at the top of their games.
Cool Running: Dual County League Meet #2
Local Coverage form the Daily News Tribune
The meet had a slew of fine performances, including a double-double punch from South's Kelsey Karys and Bridget Dahlberg who went 1-2 in the two-mile, and then doubled back to finish 2-1 in the 1 Mile. And remember they did this against a Lincoln-Sudbury distance crew that "merely" won the State D1 XC championships two months ago.
It was like that all night long. In the 1000, Newton's Katherine O'Keefe ran 3:08.50 and didn't score a point!
1 Mepham, Emily SR Lincoln Sudb 3:01.70
2 Ryan-Davis, Juliet JR Newton South 3:04.50
3 Arthur, Claire SO Lincoln Sudb 3:08.40
4 O'Keefe, Katherine FR Newton South 3:08.50
In the 600, Diana Braver ran 1:39.70 and finished third!
1 Griffin, Jess JR Lincoln Sudb 1:37.60
2 Binder, Molly SR Lincoln Sudb 1:39.10
3 Diana, Braver Newton South 1:39.70
4 Natalie, Sullivan SR Westford Aca 1:41.20
5 Frieze, Julia SR Newton South 1:42.20
6 Dennis, Ashley JR Newton South 1:44.40
All, in all it was a great preview of what these two teams will do at the state level. When I mentioned to Newton South Coach Steve McChesney that his team would get to compete again this weekend against L-S, he said that he felt his team would be competing against them for the rest of their lives.
It's exciting to see two programs obviously at the top of their games.
Cool Running: Dual County League Meet #2
Local Coverage form the Daily News Tribune
January 04, 2008
Bay State Meet Results - Jan. 3, 2008
They lost! They tied! They won!
Who the heck knows the actual result of the girls meet between Newton North and Braintree last night? Joe Tranchita told me the girls had lost by 2, Peter Martin told me it was a tie, and the posted results (not always reliable) say they won by 2. It is so weird to watch a sport where the score is treated in such a cavalier way. Can you imagine watching the last few minutes of a football game without know the score?
Well, whatever the score, the Braintree girls performed extremely well and the Newton North girls looked like they were only partially back from their winter break. Braintree's Jacky Hull won two close events (300 and 55 dash), Adrienne Lutz won the high jump and finished second in the hurdles, Siobhan Flaherty had a tremendous kick in the 1000m to just edge Nora Barnicle for the win, Michelina Burbank won the shot, and Erynn Sweeney took a critical second-place in the mile.
For Newton, Carolyn Ranti won the mile and ran a PR 44.52 to take second in the 300, Michelle Kaufman won the 55 hurdles (9.41), finished a close second to Hull in the 55 dash (7.97), won the (non-scoring) long jump, and also tried the high jump. Emma Kornetsky won the 600 and anchored the victorious 4x400 relay team, Franca Godenzi won the 2-Mile.
Other notable performances: Framingham's Camille Murphy ran 3:10.88 to edge out Needham's Emily Lipman 3:11.58 for best time of the day. Weymouth's Carolyn Connolly blazed a 1:41.45 to win the 600 going away. Weymouth had a good day overall, as Sam Bennett ran 43.99 for the top time in the 300, and freshman Jillian Corcoran ran an impressive 12:14.99 in the two-mile. Wellesley's Najauna Muschetta continues to impress, as she ran the day's second-best time in the 300 (44.04) and had the best (non-scoring) long jump of the day at 15-10. In spite of having 19 girls and 18 boys, the (non-scoring) long jump was completed long before the relay events, providing evidence that there is plenty of time to conduct the event as a regular scoring part of the meet.
The Newton North boys crushed Braintree, and seemed to be in fine form despite the winter break. Seb Putzys won the mile and ran a 52.1 leg on the 4x400 relay. Alex Gurvitz (2:51.50) led a NN sweep in the 1000, and Adam Bao (1:33.31) led a NN sweep in the 600. In the 300, a disqualification interrupted the sweep, but Ivan Kostadinov and Hymlaire Lamisere went 1-2. The sweeps continued in the two-mile, as Dan Hamilton led NN in 10:32. Sam Arsenault was busy, as usual, winning the 55 hurdles (8.18), high jump (6-1), (non-scoring) long jump (20-1.75), and anchoring the winning 4x400 relay. Lamisere won the 55 dash, while Steven Long (47-8) led a NN sweep in the shot put and finished second in the 55 dash. Was Smitty that fast?
Looking forward to the State relays, Newton North seems to have excellent scoring potential in the shot put, long jump and high jump relays, as well as in the sprint medley and/or 4x400 (depending on how Coach Blackburn decides to use Putzeys). They also could do well in the shuttle hurdles or shuttle dash, or 4x200.
Other notable results: Well, Brookline dominated most of the longer races on the oval. Elliot Lehane ran a 9:41 two-mile, making the third Brookline runner to run under 9:45 (which would have taken 8th in last year's all-state meet) so far this season. Mike Burnstein (4:38) finished third in the mile. Chris Mercurio (2:44) and Ryan Hardiman (2:46) went 1-2 in the 1000. Milton's Paul Connor (37.42) had the best time of the day in the 300, edging out Dedham's Phil Weltman. Natick's Mike Searcy ran 6.78 for the best time of the day in the 55 dash. Milton's Craig Bennet won the HJ at 6-3, and Milton's 4x400 team ran a 3:35 for the fastest time of the day.
Complete Boys Results
Complete Girls Results
Who the heck knows the actual result of the girls meet between Newton North and Braintree last night? Joe Tranchita told me the girls had lost by 2, Peter Martin told me it was a tie, and the posted results (not always reliable) say they won by 2. It is so weird to watch a sport where the score is treated in such a cavalier way. Can you imagine watching the last few minutes of a football game without know the score?
Well, whatever the score, the Braintree girls performed extremely well and the Newton North girls looked like they were only partially back from their winter break. Braintree's Jacky Hull won two close events (300 and 55 dash), Adrienne Lutz won the high jump and finished second in the hurdles, Siobhan Flaherty had a tremendous kick in the 1000m to just edge Nora Barnicle for the win, Michelina Burbank won the shot, and Erynn Sweeney took a critical second-place in the mile.
For Newton, Carolyn Ranti won the mile and ran a PR 44.52 to take second in the 300, Michelle Kaufman won the 55 hurdles (9.41), finished a close second to Hull in the 55 dash (7.97), won the (non-scoring) long jump, and also tried the high jump. Emma Kornetsky won the 600 and anchored the victorious 4x400 relay team, Franca Godenzi won the 2-Mile.
Other notable performances: Framingham's Camille Murphy ran 3:10.88 to edge out Needham's Emily Lipman 3:11.58 for best time of the day. Weymouth's Carolyn Connolly blazed a 1:41.45 to win the 600 going away. Weymouth had a good day overall, as Sam Bennett ran 43.99 for the top time in the 300, and freshman Jillian Corcoran ran an impressive 12:14.99 in the two-mile. Wellesley's Najauna Muschetta continues to impress, as she ran the day's second-best time in the 300 (44.04) and had the best (non-scoring) long jump of the day at 15-10. In spite of having 19 girls and 18 boys, the (non-scoring) long jump was completed long before the relay events, providing evidence that there is plenty of time to conduct the event as a regular scoring part of the meet.
The Newton North boys crushed Braintree, and seemed to be in fine form despite the winter break. Seb Putzys won the mile and ran a 52.1 leg on the 4x400 relay. Alex Gurvitz (2:51.50) led a NN sweep in the 1000, and Adam Bao (1:33.31) led a NN sweep in the 600. In the 300, a disqualification interrupted the sweep, but Ivan Kostadinov and Hymlaire Lamisere went 1-2. The sweeps continued in the two-mile, as Dan Hamilton led NN in 10:32. Sam Arsenault was busy, as usual, winning the 55 hurdles (8.18), high jump (6-1), (non-scoring) long jump (20-1.75), and anchoring the winning 4x400 relay. Lamisere won the 55 dash, while Steven Long (47-8) led a NN sweep in the shot put and finished second in the 55 dash. Was Smitty that fast?
Looking forward to the State relays, Newton North seems to have excellent scoring potential in the shot put, long jump and high jump relays, as well as in the sprint medley and/or 4x400 (depending on how Coach Blackburn decides to use Putzeys). They also could do well in the shuttle hurdles or shuttle dash, or 4x200.
Other notable results: Well, Brookline dominated most of the longer races on the oval. Elliot Lehane ran a 9:41 two-mile, making the third Brookline runner to run under 9:45 (which would have taken 8th in last year's all-state meet) so far this season. Mike Burnstein (4:38) finished third in the mile. Chris Mercurio (2:44) and Ryan Hardiman (2:46) went 1-2 in the 1000. Milton's Paul Connor (37.42) had the best time of the day in the 300, edging out Dedham's Phil Weltman. Natick's Mike Searcy ran 6.78 for the best time of the day in the 55 dash. Milton's Craig Bennet won the HJ at 6-3, and Milton's 4x400 team ran a 3:35 for the fastest time of the day.
Complete Boys Results
Complete Girls Results
December 31, 2007
Best of 2007
Here are the stories (in no particular order) that made my personal "top ten list" for Mass. H.S. Track and Field/Cross-Country in 2007.
Fantastic Five: Moriarty Over Amirault in All-State 1000m
Meaning no disrespect to Rob Gibson and Ryan Collins, the 1000m at the 2007 All-State meet was THE sexy event, featuring three-time state champion Mark Amirault vs. a stellar field. Amirault ran well, but Jeff Moriarty ran brilliantly, to win as four runners went under 2:29, and the fifth, Matt Stewart, ran 2:30.00. All five were state champions in their HS careers. It must have been the deepest HS 1000 in Mass. state history.
Yes, That Good: Bridget Dahlberg Wins Indoor and Outdoor Mile Titles
Newton South's Bridget Dahlberg beat Emily Jones Indoors and Keely Maguire outdoors to win two All-State mile championships against two footlocker finalists. Indoors, her 4:51 looked easy. After she ran a 10:52 2M at Weston in May, NS fans wondered what she might do in the fall if she ran cross-country instead of playing soccer.
2007 Indoor All-State - Girls 1M (2nd Half)
Lean Muscle: Paschal Nips Wornum in 300m
Milton's Eric Wornum ran the perfect race for 299 meters. In the last meter he lost the indoor state 300m title -- by 0.01 seconds -- to Meikle Paschal. Outdoors, Wornum would dominate the 200 and win the state title, while Paschal would win the 400m title.
2007 All-State Meet 300m Video
David Smith Dominates Indoor Shot Put
The 2006 Outdoor State Champion in the Shot Put, David Smith let everyone know how good he was going to be before the 2007 indoor season... and then he backed up his words by winning the All-State and New England Titles. And he high-jumped 5-7.
Dream Girls: Jones Over Barton in 2M at Weston Twilight Meet
The race featured four great runners -- Jess Barton, Bridget Dahlberg, Emily Jones, and Colleen Wetherbee -- each one a MULTIPLE all-state champion. The race did not disappoint. After a "slow" first mile of 5:26, Jones and Barton started running insane splits. Jones ran her second mile in 5:08, Barton in 5:10. Jones' PR of 10:34.78 was the fifth fastest 2M in the country to that point in the season; Jess finished close behind, running 10:37.11, a personal best by 20 seconds. Dahlberg finished third in 10:52, a fine time and her first time under 11 minutes.
FasterThanU: With four individual titles, Darius Walker Leads an Unstoppable Lexington Team
Darius Walker was THE MAN indoors and out in 2007. Indoors, he ran 6.38 to win the 55 dash, won the long jump, and ran a leg on the winning 4x400 team. Outdoors, he won the 100m and long jump, and again contributed to a scoring relay. On a team with other individual champions (Paschal, Longo), Walker was the stud.
Tiger Fans Bid Track Adieu
I know some will question my inclusion of this as a top ten story, but considering the history associated with the Newton North track, the demolition of the crumbling oval send shock waves well beyond the streets of Newtonville.
Brookline's XC Team Wins National Acclaim
We all knew they were going to be good, but taking 1-2-9-10 at the State Meet? Winning the NTN Northeast Regional Meet? Finishing 7th in the Country? In these and many other achievements, Mike Glennon's team laid claim as one of the best XC squads in Mass. state history.
Wicked Good: Lincoln Sudbury Girls Win State XC Title, NE Regional
They might have hit a speed bump at the Div I meet, but Lincoln Sudbury was the class of Mass. for most of the season, and proved it at the All-State meet, winning the title over Dual-county rival Newton South. They then went on to nearly match the Brookline Boys by winning the NTN Northeast Regional and finishing 8th at the national meet.
Upset of the Year: Newton South Girls Win EMass D1
The dual county league had more than one great xc team this year. Although somewhat over-shadowed by L-S, The Newton South girls stepped out into the sunshine at the EMass meet, as Kelsey Karys and Madeleine Reed went 1-2 to lead the Lions to the team title with an astounding team average of 19:08. The L-S and N-S Boys weren't bad either... Could one team win both state titles in 2008?
Honorable Mention:
Lincoln-Sudbury girls 4 x 800 run 9:11.79 at NSIC
Framingham's Jordan Maddocks wins Indoor and Outdoor HJ Titles
NN Boys Win State Title in 4x100
Brockton Boys 4 x 800 runs 7:44.54 at NON.
Jones, Maguire Make Footlocker XC Finals
Fantastic Five: Moriarty Over Amirault in All-State 1000m
Meaning no disrespect to Rob Gibson and Ryan Collins, the 1000m at the 2007 All-State meet was THE sexy event, featuring three-time state champion Mark Amirault vs. a stellar field. Amirault ran well, but Jeff Moriarty ran brilliantly, to win as four runners went under 2:29, and the fifth, Matt Stewart, ran 2:30.00. All five were state champions in their HS careers. It must have been the deepest HS 1000 in Mass. state history.
Yes, That Good: Bridget Dahlberg Wins Indoor and Outdoor Mile Titles
Newton South's Bridget Dahlberg beat Emily Jones Indoors and Keely Maguire outdoors to win two All-State mile championships against two footlocker finalists. Indoors, her 4:51 looked easy. After she ran a 10:52 2M at Weston in May, NS fans wondered what she might do in the fall if she ran cross-country instead of playing soccer.
2007 Indoor All-State - Girls 1M (2nd Half)
Lean Muscle: Paschal Nips Wornum in 300m
Milton's Eric Wornum ran the perfect race for 299 meters. In the last meter he lost the indoor state 300m title -- by 0.01 seconds -- to Meikle Paschal. Outdoors, Wornum would dominate the 200 and win the state title, while Paschal would win the 400m title.
2007 All-State Meet 300m Video
David Smith Dominates Indoor Shot Put
The 2006 Outdoor State Champion in the Shot Put, David Smith let everyone know how good he was going to be before the 2007 indoor season... and then he backed up his words by winning the All-State and New England Titles. And he high-jumped 5-7.
Dream Girls: Jones Over Barton in 2M at Weston Twilight Meet
The race featured four great runners -- Jess Barton, Bridget Dahlberg, Emily Jones, and Colleen Wetherbee -- each one a MULTIPLE all-state champion. The race did not disappoint. After a "slow" first mile of 5:26, Jones and Barton started running insane splits. Jones ran her second mile in 5:08, Barton in 5:10. Jones' PR of 10:34.78 was the fifth fastest 2M in the country to that point in the season; Jess finished close behind, running 10:37.11, a personal best by 20 seconds. Dahlberg finished third in 10:52, a fine time and her first time under 11 minutes.
FasterThanU: With four individual titles, Darius Walker Leads an Unstoppable Lexington Team
Darius Walker was THE MAN indoors and out in 2007. Indoors, he ran 6.38 to win the 55 dash, won the long jump, and ran a leg on the winning 4x400 team. Outdoors, he won the 100m and long jump, and again contributed to a scoring relay. On a team with other individual champions (Paschal, Longo), Walker was the stud.
Tiger Fans Bid Track Adieu
I know some will question my inclusion of this as a top ten story, but considering the history associated with the Newton North track, the demolition of the crumbling oval send shock waves well beyond the streets of Newtonville.
Brookline's XC Team Wins National Acclaim
We all knew they were going to be good, but taking 1-2-9-10 at the State Meet? Winning the NTN Northeast Regional Meet? Finishing 7th in the Country? In these and many other achievements, Mike Glennon's team laid claim as one of the best XC squads in Mass. state history.
Wicked Good: Lincoln Sudbury Girls Win State XC Title, NE Regional
They might have hit a speed bump at the Div I meet, but Lincoln Sudbury was the class of Mass. for most of the season, and proved it at the All-State meet, winning the title over Dual-county rival Newton South. They then went on to nearly match the Brookline Boys by winning the NTN Northeast Regional and finishing 8th at the national meet.
Upset of the Year: Newton South Girls Win EMass D1
The dual county league had more than one great xc team this year. Although somewhat over-shadowed by L-S, The Newton South girls stepped out into the sunshine at the EMass meet, as Kelsey Karys and Madeleine Reed went 1-2 to lead the Lions to the team title with an astounding team average of 19:08. The L-S and N-S Boys weren't bad either... Could one team win both state titles in 2008?
Honorable Mention:
Lincoln-Sudbury girls 4 x 800 run 9:11.79 at NSIC
Framingham's Jordan Maddocks wins Indoor and Outdoor HJ Titles
NN Boys Win State Title in 4x100
Brockton Boys 4 x 800 runs 7:44.54 at NON.
Jones, Maguire Make Footlocker XC Finals
December 30, 2007
Newton North Boys Win MSTCA Team Pentathlon
No team has performed better than the Newton North boys in the Team Pentathlon over the past ten years. The 2007-2008 Indoor Track team added a new chapter to that legacy by capturing the closest ever team competition, overtaking Reading in final event to win the team title by a mere six points on Saturday.
Reading jumped out to an early lead, as Ian O'Shea ran a meet record 7.92 in the 55 hurdles. Sam Arsenault won his heat to put Newton North in second. North would probably have wanted to turn to Arsenault again in the high jump, but teams must use five athletes in the five events.
[edited]
Sophomore Ben Kiley took the jumps for North, clearing 5-11.5 and making North's eventual triumph possible.
Showing great depth, North's Ivan Kostadinov won the long jump in 20-03.75, and Steve Long won the shot put in 46-0.
Going into the final event, North still trailed by 56 points. According to Jim Blackburn, "NN needed Seb Putzeys to beat Reading's Pat Condon by 4.8 seconds to win. Seb's 2:34.90 beat Condon by 5.34 seconds. Closest finish in meet's history--3691 to 3685."
Watch video of Seb's run in the 1000m
Reading jumped out to an early lead, as Ian O'Shea ran a meet record 7.92 in the 55 hurdles. Sam Arsenault won his heat to put Newton North in second. North would probably have wanted to turn to Arsenault again in the high jump, but teams must use five athletes in the five events.
[edited]
Sophomore Ben Kiley took the jumps for North, clearing 5-11.5 and making North's eventual triumph possible.
Showing great depth, North's Ivan Kostadinov won the long jump in 20-03.75, and Steve Long won the shot put in 46-0.
Going into the final event, North still trailed by 56 points. According to Jim Blackburn, "NN needed Seb Putzeys to beat Reading's Pat Condon by 4.8 seconds to win. Seb's 2:34.90 beat Condon by 5.34 seconds. Closest finish in meet's history--3691 to 3685."
Watch video of Seb's run in the 1000m
December 29, 2007
NNHS Alumni & Others at BU Mini-Meet #3
More exciting results from the final mini-meet of 2007 held, as always, at the lightning fast track at BU.
In the 3K, Newton South alum Mike Fisher ran what I believe is a PR 8:22.17 to take second to former Boston English star and Arkansas All-American Said Ahmed (8:17.23) in the seeded section. Other luminaries in that heat included former Mass. stars Eric Ashe (Whitman-Hanson) in 8:23.47, Matt Lacey (Amherst) in 8:28.48, and Matt Tieuli (St John's - Shrewsbury) in 8:42.64.
Ahmed came back in the mile and won his second race, clocking 4:08.58 to win by 80 meters. Other notables included current Whitman-Hanson star Peter Gilmore (4th in 4:21.33), former Central Catholic star Angus Macdonald (5th in 4:21.62),
Two Bay Staters - Braintree's Chris Stack and Kyle Higgins -- finished in a near dead heat at 4:40.73 and 4:40.77. Former Weymouth captain Mark Jordan ran 4:54.71.
Newton North alumni were represented by Josh Seeherman (4:44.37) and Caroline Occean, who ran an outstanding time of 5:13.77.
Dave Cahill ran 1:56.86 for 800 but had to contend with Ahmed, who ran 1:53.28 in his third race of the day for the win.
Stack (2:07.26) and Higgins (2:07.47) ran nearly identical times, but in different heats. Jordan came back to run 2:10.67.
In the 400, former Gloucester star Sean Murphy ran 50.66, while younger brother Liam ran 52.52. Triton's Keely Maguire sharpened her top-end speed by running 60.96.
And was that Haleigh Smith winning section 10 in 64.73? Reading "Haley Smith" leaves one to wonder.
In the 3K, Newton South alum Mike Fisher ran what I believe is a PR 8:22.17 to take second to former Boston English star and Arkansas All-American Said Ahmed (8:17.23) in the seeded section. Other luminaries in that heat included former Mass. stars Eric Ashe (Whitman-Hanson) in 8:23.47, Matt Lacey (Amherst) in 8:28.48, and Matt Tieuli (St John's - Shrewsbury) in 8:42.64.
Ahmed came back in the mile and won his second race, clocking 4:08.58 to win by 80 meters. Other notables included current Whitman-Hanson star Peter Gilmore (4th in 4:21.33), former Central Catholic star Angus Macdonald (5th in 4:21.62),
Two Bay Staters - Braintree's Chris Stack and Kyle Higgins -- finished in a near dead heat at 4:40.73 and 4:40.77. Former Weymouth captain Mark Jordan ran 4:54.71.
Newton North alumni were represented by Josh Seeherman (4:44.37) and Caroline Occean, who ran an outstanding time of 5:13.77.
Dave Cahill ran 1:56.86 for 800 but had to contend with Ahmed, who ran 1:53.28 in his third race of the day for the win.
Stack (2:07.26) and Higgins (2:07.47) ran nearly identical times, but in different heats. Jordan came back to run 2:10.67.
In the 400, former Gloucester star Sean Murphy ran 50.66, while younger brother Liam ran 52.52. Triton's Keely Maguire sharpened her top-end speed by running 60.96.
And was that Haleigh Smith winning section 10 in 64.73? Reading "Haley Smith" leaves one to wonder.
December 28, 2007
If Hemingway Had Been a High Jumper
As I was plodding along Commonwealth Ave last night, I started wondering why there were no great works of literature about track and field. Oh I know, there's Alan Stilltoe's "Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner," and John Updike's "Rabbit, Run." But are those really great literature? I know everyone reads John L. Parker's "Once A Runner," but with all due respect, it's not Pulitzer prize material. So where are the great novels, the epic or epigrammatic poems, the classic plays?
Of course the reason there are no great novels, poems, and plays about track and field is that the immortal authors were too busy writing to spend their time training and competing. But what if, somehow, writers could fit two passions into one mind -- follow track and field and also fill the world with timeless prose or verse? If they could, we might have works of great literature like these...
If Hemingway Had Been a High Jumper...
Weary with life and disillusioned with the endless and seemingly futile attempt to keep jumping higher and higher on his bad leg, Jake Barnes embodies the spiritual wanderings of the Lost Generation in the classic novel "The Bar Also Rises," which ends with this famous exchange between Jake and Brett:
"Oh, Jake," Brett said, "we could have set such damned good PRs together."
"Yes," I said. "Isn't it pretty to think so?"
(Later in his career, Hemingway would chronicle his failed attempt to master the throwing events in "A Farewell to Arms.")
If Shakespeare Had Been A Sprinter...
In one of his most rolicking comedies, Shakespeare takes us to Padua, where Petruchio takes on the seemingly impossible task of coaching the talented but high-strung and tempermental Katharina in "The Timing of the Shrew."
If Norman Mailer had been a H.S. Coach...
Mailer questions authority in his powerful first novel, "The Naked and the Disqualified," in which we follow a team of ill-disciplined track athletes who constantly run afoul of the MIAA's uniform regulations.
If William Golding Had Run the Relays...
When all the sprinters on the team are left on their own to determine which four will run in the 4x100 relay, the runners revert to primitive, even violent behaviors in "The Lord of the Fly Zone."
"Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise baton..."
If Robert Frost had been a distance runner...
If Frost had been a distance runner, he might have turned to this experience as he explored the timeless themes of personal struggle and redemption, of loneliness and the search for meaning in the face of an often hostile world. One can only imagine how long runs in the country would have colored "The Hilly 10-Mile Road Less Traveled," and how schoolchildren would memorize the haunting last lines of his most famous poem, "Stopping by the Track on a Snowy Evening:"
The whirlpool's lovely, warm and deep,
But I've a training log to keep
And miles to run and then repeat
And miles to run and then repeat
Of course the reason there are no great novels, poems, and plays about track and field is that the immortal authors were too busy writing to spend their time training and competing. But what if, somehow, writers could fit two passions into one mind -- follow track and field and also fill the world with timeless prose or verse? If they could, we might have works of great literature like these...
If Hemingway Had Been a High Jumper...
Weary with life and disillusioned with the endless and seemingly futile attempt to keep jumping higher and higher on his bad leg, Jake Barnes embodies the spiritual wanderings of the Lost Generation in the classic novel "The Bar Also Rises," which ends with this famous exchange between Jake and Brett:
"Oh, Jake," Brett said, "we could have set such damned good PRs together."
"Yes," I said. "Isn't it pretty to think so?"
(Later in his career, Hemingway would chronicle his failed attempt to master the throwing events in "A Farewell to Arms.")
If Shakespeare Had Been A Sprinter...
In one of his most rolicking comedies, Shakespeare takes us to Padua, where Petruchio takes on the seemingly impossible task of coaching the talented but high-strung and tempermental Katharina in "The Timing of the Shrew."
If Norman Mailer had been a H.S. Coach...
Mailer questions authority in his powerful first novel, "The Naked and the Disqualified," in which we follow a team of ill-disciplined track athletes who constantly run afoul of the MIAA's uniform regulations.
If William Golding Had Run the Relays...
When all the sprinters on the team are left on their own to determine which four will run in the 4x100 relay, the runners revert to primitive, even violent behaviors in "The Lord of the Fly Zone."
"Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise baton..."
If Robert Frost had been a distance runner...
If Frost had been a distance runner, he might have turned to this experience as he explored the timeless themes of personal struggle and redemption, of loneliness and the search for meaning in the face of an often hostile world. One can only imagine how long runs in the country would have colored "The Hilly 10-Mile Road Less Traveled," and how schoolchildren would memorize the haunting last lines of his most famous poem, "Stopping by the Track on a Snowy Evening:"
The whirlpool's lovely, warm and deep,
But I've a training log to keep
And miles to run and then repeat
And miles to run and then repeat
December 27, 2007
Watching Fast People
With winter settling in, and runners suffering from the usual blues and blahs of trying to maintain their training while the snow piles up outside, there are a few pleasures of the indoor season that help balance the ledger. One of them is watching really fast people work out.
During the rest of the year, really good runners are dispersed across the landscape, and you rarely see many of them in one place other than a meet. But these days, the talent of the region is drawn to and concentrated at a few indoor tracks. A humble Tuesday night at Reggie can turn into a fireworks display of speed and strength.
I make no apologies for my voyeurism at the track. I love to watch people run fast. of course, it's best for me to have finished my own pokey intervals first, because otherwise the experience can be a bit discouraging. But once I'm done running, I become a fan. I stretch or cool down and watch out of the corner of my eye as one group rip off sets of 60-second 400's, and another cranks out repeat 1000's in 3:00.
Workouts vary tremendously among the silky striding distance specialists, the 400/800 types, and the true sprinters. The distance runners churn out intervals with ruthless efficiency, piling up lap after lap of moderately fast mileage interrupted only now and then by an impatient recovery at a quick jog. They never seem to stop, and are likely to add several miles before and after their workout without a second thought. The sprinters are never impatient, taking hours to warm up, stretch, do drills, stretch some more, do more drills, before finally stepping onto the track for a violent explosion of effort, which is inevitably followed by a long period of what appears to be agonized soul-searching. The sprinters make everyone else on the track look slow, and secretly the distance runners feel envious, which only goads them into adding a few more intervals to an already long day.
While it's not as exciting as watching a meet, watching a good athlete workout is a better education. You see the preparation, the drills, the habits designed to help focus on the task at hand. You also absorb the structure and rhythm of a workout. You see how much or how little rest is taken, you notice whether the distance of the workbout changes. You can learn a lot this way, just hanging around the track and watching.
As runners finish their workouts, the atmosphere is often incredibly light-hearted, considering the difficulty of the task so recently accomplished. You sense when a workout has gone really well as you hear people chattering about their next race, or when it has been a struggle and a disappointment as athletes huddle with their coaches for some advice and consolation. Above all, you sense the pleasure in the camaraderie of the track workout, even for the gods of the sport.
During the rest of the year, really good runners are dispersed across the landscape, and you rarely see many of them in one place other than a meet. But these days, the talent of the region is drawn to and concentrated at a few indoor tracks. A humble Tuesday night at Reggie can turn into a fireworks display of speed and strength.
I make no apologies for my voyeurism at the track. I love to watch people run fast. of course, it's best for me to have finished my own pokey intervals first, because otherwise the experience can be a bit discouraging. But once I'm done running, I become a fan. I stretch or cool down and watch out of the corner of my eye as one group rip off sets of 60-second 400's, and another cranks out repeat 1000's in 3:00.
Workouts vary tremendously among the silky striding distance specialists, the 400/800 types, and the true sprinters. The distance runners churn out intervals with ruthless efficiency, piling up lap after lap of moderately fast mileage interrupted only now and then by an impatient recovery at a quick jog. They never seem to stop, and are likely to add several miles before and after their workout without a second thought. The sprinters are never impatient, taking hours to warm up, stretch, do drills, stretch some more, do more drills, before finally stepping onto the track for a violent explosion of effort, which is inevitably followed by a long period of what appears to be agonized soul-searching. The sprinters make everyone else on the track look slow, and secretly the distance runners feel envious, which only goads them into adding a few more intervals to an already long day.
While it's not as exciting as watching a meet, watching a good athlete workout is a better education. You see the preparation, the drills, the habits designed to help focus on the task at hand. You also absorb the structure and rhythm of a workout. You see how much or how little rest is taken, you notice whether the distance of the workbout changes. You can learn a lot this way, just hanging around the track and watching.
As runners finish their workouts, the atmosphere is often incredibly light-hearted, considering the difficulty of the task so recently accomplished. You sense when a workout has gone really well as you hear people chattering about their next race, or when it has been a struggle and a disappointment as athletes huddle with their coaches for some advice and consolation. Above all, you sense the pleasure in the camaraderie of the track workout, even for the gods of the sport.
December 24, 2007
The Age of Exhaustion
No, I don't mean my personal exhaustion, although I am a bit fatigued from Christmas shopping.
In a wide-ranging article in the London Sunday Times, the authors speculate on a time in the not-so-distant future when human beings will no longer be physiologically capable of setting world track and field records.
Stuck Records: Report claims that no world records will be set after 2060
The article discusses Florence Griffith-Joyner's 1988 WR in the 100m, and speculates on whether drug use contributed to a record that will never be broken. The article also has an interesting account of Bob Beamon's astonishing long jump in the 1968 Olympics, a jump so far beyond previous standards that officials couldn't use the mechanical measuring device on the pit and had to measure the jump twice with steel tape.
Are humans reaching their physiological limits? Those who have made such predictions in the past tend look pretty silly today, but common sense suggests that there must be a limit.
In a wide-ranging article in the London Sunday Times, the authors speculate on a time in the not-so-distant future when human beings will no longer be physiologically capable of setting world track and field records.
Stuck Records: Report claims that no world records will be set after 2060
The article discusses Florence Griffith-Joyner's 1988 WR in the 100m, and speculates on whether drug use contributed to a record that will never be broken. The article also has an interesting account of Bob Beamon's astonishing long jump in the 1968 Olympics, a jump so far beyond previous standards that officials couldn't use the mechanical measuring device on the pit and had to measure the jump twice with steel tape.
Are humans reaching their physiological limits? Those who have made such predictions in the past tend look pretty silly today, but common sense suggests that there must be a limit.
December 23, 2007
Bill Rodgers Turns 60
"If you want to win a race you have to go a little berserk."
- Bill Rodgers
The first thing you must realize about Bill Rodgers is how good he was. The second thing you have to realize is how unique was his path to being a great runner.
"Billy Rodgers did not look like a young man with ambition. He did not look like a fierce competitor,. He did not look like an athlete... He looked skinny, loose, and flaky, with a head topped by straw-colored hair--like the scarecrow in the Wizard of OZ... But his head was not stuffed with straw although he often acted as if he had no brain."
Rodgers was born in Hartford, CT, on Dec. 23, 1947. He was a talented runner in high school, winning a Connectucut State cross-country title. At Wesleyan, he was a pretty good collegiate runner, recording his lifetime track bests of 4:16 for the mile and 8:48 for two miles. But by his senior year, he was smoking and drinking and drifting away from running. After graduating from college, he applied for an received conscienious objector status to the war in Vietnam. He bought a motorcyle and spent a lot of time riding around, unemployed and with no definite ambition for anything. When he did finally get a job, it was as an orderly at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston. There he wheeled patients around, and when they died, he would wheel their bodies to the morgue.
After seeing a man who had lost his larynx and part of his trachea from smoking, Rodgers decided to quit. After watching the 1971 Boston Marathon and seeing some of his old friends from college, he realized he missed running and started jogging at the YMCA. After his motorcycle was stolen, he started jogging to work.
Fired from his hospital job, Rodgers spent most of 1972 unemployed. But he was running now, and that gave him more time to train. Running 100-mile weeks and training with hid friends on the Greater Boston Track Club gave structure and meaning to his life. He became a good local runner, winning road races and finally attempting the marathon.
His first attempt at Boston in 1973, he didn't finish. The next year he finished 14th in 2:19:34. Very impressive times for a local kid. But what happened in 1975 was truly astonishing. In March, Rodgers competed in the World Cross-Country Chapionships -- arguably the hardest race in the world to win. He finished third, far ahead of Olympic gold and silver medalist Frank Shorter.
It was a shocking result, but no fluke. Rodgers had been averaging almost 130 miles a week for months prior to the cross-country race, training hard under the tutelage of Bill Squiers. Entering the 1975 Boston Marathon, he was in the best shape of his life, although relatively unknown outside the running world.
Running against a world-class field that included Great Britain's Ron Hill and Canada's Jerome Drayton, Rodgers destroyed them. Despite stopping twice to sip water, and once to tie his shoe, Bill Rodgers ran 2:09:55, the fastest time ever by an American and one of the fastest times ever run by anyone. In the next several years, he would win Boston three more times with a best of 2:09:27 in 1979, he would win New York four times, he would be ranked #1 in the world in the marathon by Track and Field News. He would set the world record for 25K on the track at 1:14:12. (Five consecutive 5Ks in 14:50).
Rodgers, along with Shorter, became the emblem of the running boom in the United States. At 60, he is still one of the most beloved figures in distance running in the U.S. And he still runs, setting various records in his 50s before injuries, including a broken leg, curtailed his training.
Happy Birthday, to the scarecrow who, it turned out, had more brains than anyone else.
Wikipedia article on Bill Rodgers
December 22, 2007
NN Boys Big Winners at Winterfest
Sam Arsenault won two events and anchored a winning relay, Seb Putzeys won the mile, and Steven Long won the shot put as Newton North made a big impact at the Winterfest meet Saturday.
Arsenault is turning out to be the BMAR (Big Man at Reggie), as he won the 55 hurdles in 8.11 (after running 8.18 in the prelims). Tony Chen ran what I believe is a PR 8.61 to take 5th in the finals. Arsenault also won the high jump by half a foot, leaping 6-4.
After clocking an impressive 4:30 on Thursday, Seb Putzeys lowered that time by two seconds to win the mile in 4:28.60. Dan Hamilton ran 10:13.70 to finish second in the two-mile and close in on a state meet qualifying time (10:08.24, in case you were wondering).
Steven Long won the shot put with a heave of 47-9, as he does his part to continue the recent tradition of great Newton shot putters (David Bell, Matt Frankel, Kevin Chan, David Smith...)
And finally, Newton North won the 4x400 relay in a good early season time of 3:34.33.
The Newton North girls didn't have many entrants, but Emma Kornetsky ran a strong 600 to take second in 1:42.04 (slicing two seconds off her time from Thursday), and Paris Mongo ran 9.54 to finish 7th in the finals of the 55 hurdles. Bonny Guang also placed 7th in the shot put in 29-7.25.
Winterfest - Large Schools (Boys)
Winterfest - Large Schools (Girls)
Arsenault is turning out to be the BMAR (Big Man at Reggie), as he won the 55 hurdles in 8.11 (after running 8.18 in the prelims). Tony Chen ran what I believe is a PR 8.61 to take 5th in the finals. Arsenault also won the high jump by half a foot, leaping 6-4.
After clocking an impressive 4:30 on Thursday, Seb Putzeys lowered that time by two seconds to win the mile in 4:28.60. Dan Hamilton ran 10:13.70 to finish second in the two-mile and close in on a state meet qualifying time (10:08.24, in case you were wondering).
Steven Long won the shot put with a heave of 47-9, as he does his part to continue the recent tradition of great Newton shot putters (David Bell, Matt Frankel, Kevin Chan, David Smith...)
And finally, Newton North won the 4x400 relay in a good early season time of 3:34.33.
The Newton North girls didn't have many entrants, but Emma Kornetsky ran a strong 600 to take second in 1:42.04 (slicing two seconds off her time from Thursday), and Paris Mongo ran 9.54 to finish 7th in the finals of the 55 hurdles. Bonny Guang also placed 7th in the shot put in 29-7.25.
Winterfest - Large Schools (Boys)
Winterfest - Large Schools (Girls)
NNHS Alumni at BU Mini-Meet #2
A few NNHS alumni "sightings" at BU on Saturday. The order of the day was doubling (= getting in quality work on a decent track):
Dave Cahill ran 50.52 in the "fast" heat of the 400, and finished second overall to recent H.S. standout Jeff Moreau. Cahill doubled back in the 800, and placed second there as well, running 2:00.76.
Josh Seeherman opted for the 1 mile/800 double and ran 4:45.68 and 2:06.49 (to win his heat). This after a tough workout on Thursday night (10x400m in 66 at Reggie Lewis).
Noah Jampol was looking for an agreeable alternative to pounding the pavement on Comm Ave and found it by doubling in the 3000m (9:37.82 = 5K pace?) and 1 Mile (4:41.1 = 3K pace?).
Dave Cahill ran 50.52 in the "fast" heat of the 400, and finished second overall to recent H.S. standout Jeff Moreau. Cahill doubled back in the 800, and placed second there as well, running 2:00.76.
Josh Seeherman opted for the 1 mile/800 double and ran 4:45.68 and 2:06.49 (to win his heat). This after a tough workout on Thursday night (10x400m in 66 at Reggie Lewis).
Noah Jampol was looking for an agreeable alternative to pounding the pavement on Comm Ave and found it by doubling in the 3000m (9:37.82 = 5K pace?) and 1 Mile (4:41.1 = 3K pace?).
December 21, 2007
Bay State Meet Results - Dec 20, 2007
So who needs a weatherman? If there's a Bay State indoor meet on the schedule this winter, that means snow. After last Thursdays meet was snowed out, and the Winterfest - large Schools meet was postponed by a week, there were some worries that more snow would postpone the beginning of the indoor season into January, but the roads were in good shape and the meet went on as scheduled.
Both Newton North teams scored lopsided victories over Needham, as the boys won 71-15 and the girls won 64-21.
In team action, the Braintree boys pulled off a mild upset over Weymouth, 43-39, and Natick managed to tie last year's Herget champion Milton 43-43. Here are all the meet scores (courtesy of cool running):
For the girls, Weymouth won a hard fought meet over Braintree 49-37, Framingham surprised Brookline 44-42 (winning it on the relay), and Dedham overwhelmed Norwood 62-20.
Individual Results
When was the last time a Bay State girl won the mile and the 300 in the same meet? Newton North junior Carolyn Ranti accomplished the feat, running a controlled 5:18.64 (the fastest time of the day) to win the mile, and returning later to win her heat of the 300 in 44.67. That's speedy! Meanwhile, Nora Barnicle (3:17.72) won her heat of the 1000, Emma Kornetsky (1:45.26) won in the 600, Michele Kaufman won the hurdles (9.41) and dash (8.04), and Franca Godenzi (12:22.64) won the 2-Mile. Aslo, Bonny Guang PR'd in the shot put, winning with a throw of 31-3.
The boys looked like they were in mid-season form, so you know they've been taking advantage of their time in the SOA. Seb Putzeys blazed the mile in 4:30.48, fifteen seconds ahead of the second best time of the day. (Actually, that's not quite true -- Robert Gibson's second mile in the deauce was about 4:40, but I digress). After Needham's Kevin Potterton won the 1000 three seconds ahead of North's Alex Gurvitz (2:48.84), and Ryan Holmes beat Adam Bao in the 600, the meet was close. But that was about as close as it ever got. North swept the 300m (Hymlaire Lamisiere, 38.71), swept the dash (Lamisiere, Bao 6.95), took 1-2 in the hurdles (Sam Arsenault, 8.85), 1-2 in the high jump (Arsenault, 5-10) swept the shot put (Stephen Long, with a STATEMENT 48-5! for the best put of the day), and won the relay. North even swept the 2-Mile (Dan Hamilton leading the way in 10:21.21), quite a surprise given Needham's depth in the distances this year. I think the Rockets were missing some folks.
Hamilton led the 2-Mile for a while, before Brookline's All-Everything duo of Gibson and David Wilson flew by on their way to Very Fast Times.
Other highlights:
Weymouth junior Carolyn Connolly looked great, winning the 1000 in 3:07.05, a full seven seconds ahead of the second best time of the day.
Camille Murphy looked good running the mile (fourth, in 5:29), and even better in the 4x400 relay. She's got upside in the middle-distances, that's for sure.
Weymouth freshman Jill Corcoran debuted with a 5:37 mile, and junior Sam Bennett had the fastest time of the day in the 600 (1:44.37).
Braintree junior Jacky Hull had the fastest time of the day in the 300 (44.01), but Wellesley senior Najauna Muschetta looked absolutely effortless winning her heat in 44.18. I wouldn't be surprised to see her go much faster.
Framingham freshman Sarah Bowhill was third overall in the 2-Mile in 12:47.93. Did she run cross-country? That is a very good time for someone running their first indoor 2-mile.
For the boys, Dedham senior Phil Weltman moved up from his usual home in the 300 to the 600 and had the best time of the day at 1:28.14.
Milton junior Paul Connor won the 300 over Brookline's Michael Bennett in 37.34.
Brookline junior Joel Parent won the hurdles in an excellent first meet time of 8.26.
Mike Searcy of Natick won the dash in a very impressive 6.75. Wow!
Strange not to see any boys clear 6 feet in the high jump, but it's early.
Both Newton North teams scored lopsided victories over Needham, as the boys won 71-15 and the girls won 64-21.
In team action, the Braintree boys pulled off a mild upset over Weymouth, 43-39, and Natick managed to tie last year's Herget champion Milton 43-43. Here are all the meet scores (courtesy of cool running):
Men
Braintree 43.00 39.00 Weymouth
Brookline 60.00 26.00 Framingham
Norwood 47.00 38.00 Dedham
Natick 43.00 43.00 Milton
Newton North 71.00 15.00 Needham
Wellesley 50.00 36.00 Walpole
For the girls, Weymouth won a hard fought meet over Braintree 49-37, Framingham surprised Brookline 44-42 (winning it on the relay), and Dedham overwhelmed Norwood 62-20.
Women
Weymouth 49.00 37.00 Braintree
Framingham 44.00 42.00 Brookline
Dedham 62.00 20.00 Norwood
Natick 53.00 33.00 Milton
Newton North 64.00 21.00 Needham
Wellesley 59.00 27.00 Walpole
Individual Results
When was the last time a Bay State girl won the mile and the 300 in the same meet? Newton North junior Carolyn Ranti accomplished the feat, running a controlled 5:18.64 (the fastest time of the day) to win the mile, and returning later to win her heat of the 300 in 44.67. That's speedy! Meanwhile, Nora Barnicle (3:17.72) won her heat of the 1000, Emma Kornetsky (1:45.26) won in the 600, Michele Kaufman won the hurdles (9.41) and dash (8.04), and Franca Godenzi (12:22.64) won the 2-Mile. Aslo, Bonny Guang PR'd in the shot put, winning with a throw of 31-3.
The boys looked like they were in mid-season form, so you know they've been taking advantage of their time in the SOA. Seb Putzeys blazed the mile in 4:30.48, fifteen seconds ahead of the second best time of the day. (Actually, that's not quite true -- Robert Gibson's second mile in the deauce was about 4:40, but I digress). After Needham's Kevin Potterton won the 1000 three seconds ahead of North's Alex Gurvitz (2:48.84), and Ryan Holmes beat Adam Bao in the 600, the meet was close. But that was about as close as it ever got. North swept the 300m (Hymlaire Lamisiere, 38.71), swept the dash (Lamisiere, Bao 6.95), took 1-2 in the hurdles (Sam Arsenault, 8.85), 1-2 in the high jump (Arsenault, 5-10) swept the shot put (Stephen Long, with a STATEMENT 48-5! for the best put of the day), and won the relay. North even swept the 2-Mile (Dan Hamilton leading the way in 10:21.21), quite a surprise given Needham's depth in the distances this year. I think the Rockets were missing some folks.
Hamilton led the 2-Mile for a while, before Brookline's All-Everything duo of Gibson and David Wilson flew by on their way to Very Fast Times.
Other highlights:
Weymouth junior Carolyn Connolly looked great, winning the 1000 in 3:07.05, a full seven seconds ahead of the second best time of the day.
Camille Murphy looked good running the mile (fourth, in 5:29), and even better in the 4x400 relay. She's got upside in the middle-distances, that's for sure.
Weymouth freshman Jill Corcoran debuted with a 5:37 mile, and junior Sam Bennett had the fastest time of the day in the 600 (1:44.37).
Braintree junior Jacky Hull had the fastest time of the day in the 300 (44.01), but Wellesley senior Najauna Muschetta looked absolutely effortless winning her heat in 44.18. I wouldn't be surprised to see her go much faster.
Framingham freshman Sarah Bowhill was third overall in the 2-Mile in 12:47.93. Did she run cross-country? That is a very good time for someone running their first indoor 2-mile.
For the boys, Dedham senior Phil Weltman moved up from his usual home in the 300 to the 600 and had the best time of the day at 1:28.14.
Milton junior Paul Connor won the 300 over Brookline's Michael Bennett in 37.34.
Brookline junior Joel Parent won the hurdles in an excellent first meet time of 8.26.
Mike Searcy of Natick won the dash in a very impressive 6.75. Wow!
Strange not to see any boys clear 6 feet in the high jump, but it's early.
December 20, 2007
How to Improve BSL Indoor Meets
Bay State League Indoor meets are already great! Why make any changes?
Well, because even great meets might benefit from improvements here and there. So let me acknowledge at the outset that Bay State meets are generally fun and exciting, and the meet management is generally efficient. Even so, here are a few suggestions that could make good meets even better:
1. Score the long jump
I hope that I am behind the times and the Bay State coaches or Athletic Directors or whoever decides these things have ALREADY decided to include the long jump as a scoring event. If not, why not? The long jump is contested and scored at the Class Meets, the State meets, the State relays... why not in the Bay State league? The argument that including it as a scoring event would lengthen the meets is weak. If every school is allowed three competitors, and every competitor is allowed two jumps, that's a total of 3x2x12 = 72 jumps per gender. At 30s a jump, that's 72 minutes total. Add a half hour of warm-up time and you can still fit boys and girls competition in under two hours.
2. Replace the JV 200 with a JV 4 x 200 relay
It is wonderful that the coaches provide JV runners with opportunities to compete. But the current JV 200s are ragged affairs. Why not replace them with JV 4 x 200 relays and move them after the 2-mile and before the varsity 4x400? They would be much more exciting (I think), and would be more fun. It would probably take a little bit longer to run them, but not a lot more time. In two minutes, you can have 24 athletes participate. furthermore, meets would end with the 4x400, which is the way all meets should end. What's not to love?
3. Limit the Field in the 2-Mile
I'm not so sure about this one, but I'll throw it out there anyway. The 2-mile is too congested in its current form, with up to 36 runners in a single race! How about adopting a policy that if there are more than 25 entrants, there will be two sections? The most obvious problem is that this has the potential to lengthen the meet. I'd be in favor of starting the two-mile while the sprints are going on (sometimes it is delayed for the sprint races).
4. Post hardcopy event results
Most leagues do this. Does the Bay State? I don't remember. It's great that the scoreboard is used, but frequently some results are skipped because of the large number of heats. Posting hard copies on the wall would be very easy, requiring one volunteer "runner" to take printed copies and post them.
5. Speaking of volunteers...
Every team should provide at least one helper who can work with meet officials, for example, a person to rake and mark at the long jump pit, a person to help at the shot put cage, someone to post results, someone to replace the HJ bar after misses, etc. I'm convinced that these little things make a big difference in how smmothly the meet runs.
Well, because even great meets might benefit from improvements here and there. So let me acknowledge at the outset that Bay State meets are generally fun and exciting, and the meet management is generally efficient. Even so, here are a few suggestions that could make good meets even better:
1. Score the long jump
I hope that I am behind the times and the Bay State coaches or Athletic Directors or whoever decides these things have ALREADY decided to include the long jump as a scoring event. If not, why not? The long jump is contested and scored at the Class Meets, the State meets, the State relays... why not in the Bay State league? The argument that including it as a scoring event would lengthen the meets is weak. If every school is allowed three competitors, and every competitor is allowed two jumps, that's a total of 3x2x12 = 72 jumps per gender. At 30s a jump, that's 72 minutes total. Add a half hour of warm-up time and you can still fit boys and girls competition in under two hours.
2. Replace the JV 200 with a JV 4 x 200 relay
It is wonderful that the coaches provide JV runners with opportunities to compete. But the current JV 200s are ragged affairs. Why not replace them with JV 4 x 200 relays and move them after the 2-mile and before the varsity 4x400? They would be much more exciting (I think), and would be more fun. It would probably take a little bit longer to run them, but not a lot more time. In two minutes, you can have 24 athletes participate. furthermore, meets would end with the 4x400, which is the way all meets should end. What's not to love?
3. Limit the Field in the 2-Mile
I'm not so sure about this one, but I'll throw it out there anyway. The 2-mile is too congested in its current form, with up to 36 runners in a single race! How about adopting a policy that if there are more than 25 entrants, there will be two sections? The most obvious problem is that this has the potential to lengthen the meet. I'd be in favor of starting the two-mile while the sprints are going on (sometimes it is delayed for the sprint races).
4. Post hardcopy event results
Most leagues do this. Does the Bay State? I don't remember. It's great that the scoreboard is used, but frequently some results are skipped because of the large number of heats. Posting hard copies on the wall would be very easy, requiring one volunteer "runner" to take printed copies and post them.
5. Speaking of volunteers...
Every team should provide at least one helper who can work with meet officials, for example, a person to rake and mark at the long jump pit, a person to help at the shot put cage, someone to post results, someone to replace the HJ bar after misses, etc. I'm convinced that these little things make a big difference in how smmothly the meet runs.
December 19, 2007
Going Nowhere Fast: Runners and Treadmills
As New England experiences its snowiest, iciest December in recent memory, many runners cope by doing daily runs on treadmills -- working out in the climate-controlled comfort of their local health clubs or YMCAs, and avoiding the perils of running through the ice and snow on dark, narrow roads.
I’m sympathetic, I really am, but personally, I find it difficult to accept treadmills into my life. In the past three decades, I would estimate that I have logged fewer than a dozen runs on machines (treadmills, elliptical trainers, etc.). It never feels legitimate to me, and afterwards I always wonder whether to even bother recording the “miles” in my training log.
I don’t even like the word “treadmill.” The purpose of a mill is to grind something down into a fine meal, or cut it into small pieces. Subjecting myself to treadmill running makes me feel like I’m milling my running stride into powder.
My dislike of these machines could also be a form of stubbornness, an unwillingness to admit that moving from the great outdoors to the cozy indoors is an acceptable response to the vicissitudes of training in Boston. I think there’s something to be said for “toughening” oneself through exposure to heat, cold, wind, and rain. On the other hand, plenty of good runners – great runners, even – have no problem incorporating treadmill training into their schedules. Norway’s great marathoner Ingrid Kristiansen trained extensively on a treadmill through the long Scandinavian winters. In 1985, she held the world records in the 5000m, 10,000m, and marathon. Apparently, treadmills are not just for wimps.
But I still don’t like them.
When I climb on a treadmill, I feel that I can’t let my mind wander. I think about the machine underneath me, stare at the display in front of me, and wish I were outside. I always start out running at a snails pace, and only very gradually do I approach speeds comparable to my outdoor runs. I feel that I could go faster, but somehow lack all motivation to do so. My simple brain can’t quite get over the fact that, to put it bluntly: I’m not going anywhere – I’m just treading air. I know that not everyone feels this way. People tell me that they do hard workouts on the treadmill, that they like being able to focus on their form, without distractions.
Not being a treadmill runner myself, I struggle to understand this, and I never fully trust reports about treadmill workouts. Several years back, I was giving coaching advice to a runner who, unbeknownst to me, was doing all his runs on a treadmill. It was early fall, the most beautiful time of the year, but he just happened to prefer running indoors on the treadmill. Anyway, he kept telling me about these really great workouts he was doing: four miles in 24 minutes, six miles, with the last mile at 5:45, and so on. This was a guy who had never broken 18:30 for 5K, but with such great workouts, it seemed a cinch that he would lower his personal best by a plenty the next time he raced. Then one day it came out that all these workouts of his had been done on a treadmill. Aha, I thought, making a mental note that none of those impressive workouts had been achieved in the real world. He never did run faster than six-minute pace that fall.
This raises another set of questions: in what ways are the physics of running on a moving belt different than the physics of actual running? Do the muscles fire in the same sequence to maintain position on a moving belt as they do when they are working against the solid ground? What effect does an inclined treadmill have, and how is it different than running up a real hill? I try to think about these questions, but I don’t feel that I have the scientific background to do so. I just feel a vague suspicion that the differences will turn out to be important somehow.
(There is some information on the web about the physics of treadmill running. Here’s one analysis,
Treadmill running and natural running differences
Another obvious difference is that when running on a treadmill, an athlete doesn’t have to overcome air resistance. While this effect is fairly negligible at slow speeds, it becomes increasingly important as you approach race pace.
But in the end, I think a preference for running in the snow and slush vs. running in pace on a treadmill is based on a set of fundamental beliefs about what running is, and what it means in your own life. For me, running is and always has been about attaining a kind of freedom. Being able to go where I like and get there at my own speed has always been of paramount importance to me. (This vexed my coaches, I’m sorry to say). I don’t get that sense of freedom with a treadmill, and that’s probably why I’ll almost always sacrifice the structure, the predictability, and the comfort of the health club workout, and instead take my chances with terrestrial terrain.
December 17, 2007
Ron Hill Streaks Toward 150,000 Miles
On December 20, 1964, the Beatles "I Feel Fine" was in its third week at the top of the pop charts. Winston Churchill and T.S. Eliot were both still alive. And Ron Hill went for a run.
The Fab Four disbanded in the early 70's, and Churchill and Eliot have long since belonged to history, but Ron Hill is still running. At 69, Hill's streak of running at least a mile every day is approaching 43 years. if all goes well, he will reach the milestone on Thursday, and will run his 150,000th mile on Saturday. That's 150,000 miles in 15,705 days, or an average of 9.5 miles a day for 43 years.
It is a streak that includes a Commonwealth Games victory in the Marathon, a 7th place finish in the 1968 Olympic 10,000m, and another 7th place finish in the Munich Olympics in the marathon. It includes a week of one-mile runs following a head-on car crash that broke his sternum, runs in a foot cast after an operation to remove a bunion, runs in airports, races in 98 countries...
It includes victory at the Boston Marathon in 1970 in an icy rain that fell throughout the race.
One can certainly argue that "streaking" is at times, counter-productive to the aims of training, but one can't help admire Hill and the perseverance and positive attitude that is still there as he approaches these milestones.
Here are two articles about Hill and the 150K milestone:
Marathon Man (The Independent)
Run Hill Set for Landmark Run at Stanley
And here's a link to Ron Hill's blog. (You will notice that it hasn't been updated since August, 2007. this should tell you how hard it is to keep a blog going when Ron Hill, who hasn't missed a run in 43 years, has trouble keeping his blog up-to-date.)
December 16, 2007
Weekend Results: BU Mini-Meet #1
NNHS Alumnus Dave Cahill took another two steps towards life as a middle distance runner, running both the mile and the 800m at the first mini-meet at Boston University yesterday.
Cahill ran 4:43.21 in the 1M, and then came back later to win the 800m outright in 1:59.99! If he continues with the mile, watch for his time to drop as he gets used to the distance.
Many of the older runners at the meet took refuge in the 3000m. I want to mention on performance as especially notable: Craig Fram, 49 years old, ran 9:06.45, or the equivalent of a 9:47 2-Mile. His son, who is a H.S. sophomore (I think) ran 9:34.16.
That's an impressive family double! How soon do you think Craig Fram junior will be able to beat Craig Fram senior?
Results of BU mini-meet #1
Cahill ran 4:43.21 in the 1M, and then came back later to win the 800m outright in 1:59.99! If he continues with the mile, watch for his time to drop as he gets used to the distance.
Many of the older runners at the meet took refuge in the 3000m. I want to mention on performance as especially notable: Craig Fram, 49 years old, ran 9:06.45, or the equivalent of a 9:47 2-Mile. His son, who is a H.S. sophomore (I think) ran 9:34.16.
That's an impressive family double! How soon do you think Craig Fram junior will be able to beat Craig Fram senior?
Results of BU mini-meet #1
December 14, 2007
What Was your Workout Yesterday?
It snowed 10 inches in Boston. What did you do for a run? Did you run in the snow, do a track workout indoors, run through the halls of your school sprinting up the stairs, do push-ups and sit-ups at home?
I'll start: I ran 35 minutes in the parking garage here at work, waiting for the massive traffic jams on 128 to clear. It wasn't too bad, although I got some strange looks.
So what did you do?
I'll start: I ran 35 minutes in the parking garage here at work, waiting for the massive traffic jams on 128 to clear. It wasn't too bad, although I got some strange looks.
So what did you do?
December 13, 2007
Ted Corbitt: 1919 - 2007
Ted Corbitt, a legendary figure in the history of American distance and ultra-distance running, died on Thursday at the age of 88.
He was one of the five original inductees into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame. The other four -- Bill Rodgers, Frank Shorter, Joan Samuelson, and Katherine Switzer -- are all household names. But Corbitt, the one who is not a household name, might have had more of an impact than all the others put together. Most of what he accomplished, however, was behind the scenes.
Corbitt did not win any olympic medals (although he competed in the 5K, 10K, and marathon in the 1952 Olympics), but he set American records at 25 miles, the marathon, 40 miles, 50 miles and 100 miles. He set the 100 mile record (13:33:06, beating the old standard by two and a half hours) at the age of 50. He ran 134.7 miles in a 24-hour race when he was 54.
It wasn't just as a runner that he contributed to the sport. He was the first president of the Road Runners Club of America, and co-founded the New York Road Runners. Corbitt developed standards for course measurement, and published a treatise on the subject in 1964, laying the ground work for course certification and meaningful comparison among events.
Running Times called him "a shaping force" behind the masters division, and all of us who compete as masters owe him a debt of gratitude.
If you have never heard of Corbitt, he probably wanted it that way.
Ted Corbitt Obituary in NY Times
Article on Ted corbitt in Running Times
Wikipedia entry for Ted Corbitt
He was one of the five original inductees into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame. The other four -- Bill Rodgers, Frank Shorter, Joan Samuelson, and Katherine Switzer -- are all household names. But Corbitt, the one who is not a household name, might have had more of an impact than all the others put together. Most of what he accomplished, however, was behind the scenes.
Corbitt did not win any olympic medals (although he competed in the 5K, 10K, and marathon in the 1952 Olympics), but he set American records at 25 miles, the marathon, 40 miles, 50 miles and 100 miles. He set the 100 mile record (13:33:06, beating the old standard by two and a half hours) at the age of 50. He ran 134.7 miles in a 24-hour race when he was 54.
It wasn't just as a runner that he contributed to the sport. He was the first president of the Road Runners Club of America, and co-founded the New York Road Runners. Corbitt developed standards for course measurement, and published a treatise on the subject in 1964, laying the ground work for course certification and meaningful comparison among events.
Running Times called him "a shaping force" behind the masters division, and all of us who compete as masters owe him a debt of gratitude.
If you have never heard of Corbitt, he probably wanted it that way.
Ted Corbitt Obituary in NY Times
Article on Ted corbitt in Running Times
Wikipedia entry for Ted Corbitt
Snowed Out?
Heavy snow in the forecast for Thursday afternoon could postpone this afternoon's meet at Reggie Lewis. Although I haven't heard any official word yet, so far, according to WBZ radio, the following Bay State Schools have announced early dismissals:
Dedham - Closing 3 hours early
Walpole - Closing 1 hour early
Wellesley - Closing 2 and 1/2 hours early
WBZ - Public School closings
As of 8:45 a.m., there's no word on the Newton school department site about early dismissal or postponement of athletic activities.
Newton Schools Weather policy
Also no word on the Reggie Lewis site, but that's not surprising. They often close for bad weather without posting it on www.rltac.com.
Perhaps one of the coaches knows whether the meet is on?
Dedham - Closing 3 hours early
Walpole - Closing 1 hour early
Wellesley - Closing 2 and 1/2 hours early
WBZ - Public School closings
As of 8:45 a.m., there's no word on the Newton school department site about early dismissal or postponement of athletic activities.
Newton Schools Weather policy
Also no word on the Reggie Lewis site, but that's not surprising. They often close for bad weather without posting it on www.rltac.com.
Perhaps one of the coaches knows whether the meet is on?
December 12, 2007
First indoor League Meets
And so the season begins, with the first week of league dual meets at Reggie Lewis. Checking Cool running this morning, I see the results of Tri-County Meet #1, which includes Brockton, St. John's (Shrewsbury), St. John's Prep (Danvers), Catholic memorial, and others.
Tri-County Meet #1
It's early, I know, but it's irresistable to start wondering about the teams that will be a threat at the State level.
St. John's (Shrewsbury) has a lot of potential to be a state caliber team. They have a strong group of middle distance runner, led by Cam Tieuli, and while it will be difficult to score points in the 1M at the state level, it looks like they might have the makings of a very good 4x800 team:
Their best all-around athlete is Andrew Powell, who high-jumped 6-4, long-jumped 20-5, and ran the 55 Hurdles in 8.09.
They also have a sophomore running 10:15 for the 2-Mile, and always seem to be tough in the 4x400.
Brockton has an intriguing mix of athletes, with All-Scholastic XC runner Carlos Montrond a likely point-scorer at the state levl in the 2M, and two impressive long-jumpers:
Yowza! They also had two runners under 38 seconds for 300, so they might have the makings of a strong 4x200 or 4x400 relay team.
Thursday is the first Bay State League Meet, and Newton North runs against Weymouth. I know little about either team, but based on returning strength, I'd have to think the Newton North boys are a strong favorite (with Putzys, Hamilton, Bao, Chan, Arsenault accounting for a lot of points).
The girls meet should be much closer, but I'm not going to embarrass myself by making any predictions or trying to analyze the teams.
The meet starts at 4:30 at Reggie. Good luck to all the Bay State teams!
Tri-County Meet #1
It's early, I know, but it's irresistable to start wondering about the teams that will be a threat at the State level.
St. John's (Shrewsbury) has a lot of potential to be a state caliber team. They have a strong group of middle distance runner, led by Cam Tieuli, and while it will be difficult to score points in the 1M at the state level, it looks like they might have the makings of a very good 4x800 team:
1 1219 Tieuli, Cameron JR Saint John's 4:37.91
2 1210 Perron, Ben SO Saint John's 4:38.78
4 1170 Clark, Brian SR Saint John's 4:48.99
5 1222 Turner, Kevin JR Saint John's 4:50.08
Their best all-around athlete is Andrew Powell, who high-jumped 6-4, long-jumped 20-5, and ran the 55 Hurdles in 8.09.
They also have a sophomore running 10:15 for the 2-Mile, and always seem to be tough in the 4x400.
Brockton has an intriguing mix of athletes, with All-Scholastic XC runner Carlos Montrond a likely point-scorer at the state levl in the 2M, and two impressive long-jumpers:
1 769 Dean, Dregory SR Brockton 21-11.00
2 787 Guerrier, Jimm JR Brockton 20-09.50
Yowza! They also had two runners under 38 seconds for 300, so they might have the makings of a strong 4x200 or 4x400 relay team.
Thursday is the first Bay State League Meet, and Newton North runs against Weymouth. I know little about either team, but based on returning strength, I'd have to think the Newton North boys are a strong favorite (with Putzys, Hamilton, Bao, Chan, Arsenault accounting for a lot of points).
The girls meet should be much closer, but I'm not going to embarrass myself by making any predictions or trying to analyze the teams.
The meet starts at 4:30 at Reggie. Good luck to all the Bay State teams!
December 09, 2007
Weekend Results: Dec 8, 2007
I guess cross-country season really is over.
After watching the Footlocker finals via webcast yesterday, I opened today's Boston Globe and found the section on the Fall All-Scholastics. As expected, Brookline was well represented in the selections for cross-country honors. Congratulations to Runner-of-the-Year Robert Gibson, Coach-of-the-Year Mike Glennon, and Brookline's other All-Scholastics: David Wilson, Mike Burnstein, and Elliot Lehane. It will be a long time before Massachusetts sees another team like the 2007 Warriors.
Boston Globe All Scholastics - Cross Country
Yesterday marked the first weekend of indoor track meets for many colleges, and that means we have some alumni NNHS results to report.
Noah Jampol opened his indoor campaign with a 4:35.61 mile for third at the Ursinus Winter Track Invitational. That's a nice time for the early season and a less than speedy track. It's great to see "the track junkie from Johns Hopkins" back in action.
Yale freshman David Smith tossed the big ball for the first time in college competition Saturday, putting 13.02m (42' 8.5")for fifth at the Yale Invitational.
Dave Cahill blazed a 1:57.47 800m at the Harvard Open meet in Allston on Saturday. Cahill also ran a very respectable 2:36.47 1000m a week earlier at Northeastern's Husky Invitational. Is this a permanent move up in distance for the man who runs 51s 400s more often than Tom Brady throws a touchdown pass?
By the way, Newton South alumnus and Brandeis freshman Sam Donovan ran a very nice mile time - 4:31.62 -- at that same Husky Invitational.
I also missed this result from a week ago: Steph O'Brien won an early season 1000m in 3:10.21 at the Wesleyan Invitational in Middletown, CT last weekend. I'm hoping we get to see Steph run the mile once or twice this season.
After watching the Footlocker finals via webcast yesterday, I opened today's Boston Globe and found the section on the Fall All-Scholastics. As expected, Brookline was well represented in the selections for cross-country honors. Congratulations to Runner-of-the-Year Robert Gibson, Coach-of-the-Year Mike Glennon, and Brookline's other All-Scholastics: David Wilson, Mike Burnstein, and Elliot Lehane. It will be a long time before Massachusetts sees another team like the 2007 Warriors.
Boston Globe All Scholastics - Cross Country
Yesterday marked the first weekend of indoor track meets for many colleges, and that means we have some alumni NNHS results to report.
Noah Jampol opened his indoor campaign with a 4:35.61 mile for third at the Ursinus Winter Track Invitational. That's a nice time for the early season and a less than speedy track. It's great to see "the track junkie from Johns Hopkins" back in action.
Yale freshman David Smith tossed the big ball for the first time in college competition Saturday, putting 13.02m (42' 8.5")for fifth at the Yale Invitational.
Dave Cahill blazed a 1:57.47 800m at the Harvard Open meet in Allston on Saturday. Cahill also ran a very respectable 2:36.47 1000m a week earlier at Northeastern's Husky Invitational. Is this a permanent move up in distance for the man who runs 51s 400s more often than Tom Brady throws a touchdown pass?
By the way, Newton South alumnus and Brandeis freshman Sam Donovan ran a very nice mile time - 4:31.62 -- at that same Husky Invitational.
I also missed this result from a week ago: Steph O'Brien won an early season 1000m in 3:10.21 at the Wesleyan Invitational in Middletown, CT last weekend. I'm hoping we get to see Steph run the mile once or twice this season.
December 08, 2007
Going Out Fast at Footlocker Nationals
I hadn't intended to write any more about cross country, but having just watched the webcast of the Footlocker Nationals again, I can't help commenting on the races.
Footlocker Finals - Webcasts
Specifically, the boys and girls races featured almost identical tactics from the early front-runners, Jordan Hasay in the girls race and Luke Puskedra in the boys race. Both went out fast -- no surprise there -- and both continued to push the pace, presumably in an effort to build insurmountable leads early.
Hasay came close to accomplishing her mission, as she strung out the girls pack with splits of 2:31 at 800m, 5:18 at the mile, and 11:02 at the 2M. At one point, Hasay had at least a five-second lead, but the chase pack stayed close, and Florida's Ashley Brasovan went by with about 1000m to go and won the race. Hasay ended up third.
Hasay's mile splits were approximately 5:18/5:44/5:55.
In the boys race, Puskedra took the pace out hard from the gun, running 2:10 for the first 800m, and 4:28 for the first mile. Even at that pace, he never had much more than a 1-2 second lead over the chase pack, which included Colby Lowe and German Fernandez.
By two miles, Puskedra had been joined by Mike Fouts, but Fouts did not seem in any hurry to take the lead. He waited for a minute or so, and then accelerated away at about the 10:20 mark. Meanwhile, Clint Derrick was moving up into sixth. Fouts opened up daylight on Puskedra, Lowe et al., and charged up the final hill on his way to a national title in 14:50. Derrick finished very fast to take second in 14:57. Puskedra ended up fifth in 15:15.
Puskedra's mile splits were approximately: 4:28 / 5:00 / 5:25. Fouts, on the other hand, ran a 5:00 final mile.
So what to make of this... One might conclude that going out fast isn't a great strategy, but I think it's more complex than that. After all, if the goal was to run even splits (which the textbooks tell us is the most efficient way to run), then everyone went out too fast, including the race winner. And it's possible that Derick, the guy who ran the most even race, waited too long tro establish contact with the front of the race. We can't know this for sure.
When I was watching the boys race, I recalled watching Dan Robb run the 800m at the Class A meet his senior year. Dan was feeling really good that day and went out very fast. He came through 400m in about 56, as I recall, and was leading the race by about 10m over a very talented field. He kept pushing and still held the lead at 600, but several runners passed him in the stretch. He still finished fourth, however.
I remember what Coach Blackburn said that day: he said that Dan ran the first 300m perfectly, but that he never stopped pushing. He said that if Dan had been able to relax and let his natural running form take over, he would have been able to conserve energy and defend his lead late in the race.
When I was watching the videos of the footlocker races, I had the same sense. It wasn't that the races went out fast, it was that once having taken the lead, it seemed that Hasay and Puskedra felt the need to keep pushing the pace. In any other race, they might have run away with victories, but against the very best runners in the country, their early pace was too costly, and they couldn't defend their leads late in the race.
I know, I know, it sounds simple and it really isn't. Nor is it an easy thing for the other runners in the race to hang on through those scalding early miles and challenge late in the race. But it brings home to me once again the difference between a truly championship caliber race and everything else. In a race among the best, there's no margin for error or allowance for moves that sap one's energy.
Footlocker Finals - Webcasts
Specifically, the boys and girls races featured almost identical tactics from the early front-runners, Jordan Hasay in the girls race and Luke Puskedra in the boys race. Both went out fast -- no surprise there -- and both continued to push the pace, presumably in an effort to build insurmountable leads early.
Hasay came close to accomplishing her mission, as she strung out the girls pack with splits of 2:31 at 800m, 5:18 at the mile, and 11:02 at the 2M. At one point, Hasay had at least a five-second lead, but the chase pack stayed close, and Florida's Ashley Brasovan went by with about 1000m to go and won the race. Hasay ended up third.
Hasay's mile splits were approximately 5:18/5:44/5:55.
In the boys race, Puskedra took the pace out hard from the gun, running 2:10 for the first 800m, and 4:28 for the first mile. Even at that pace, he never had much more than a 1-2 second lead over the chase pack, which included Colby Lowe and German Fernandez.
By two miles, Puskedra had been joined by Mike Fouts, but Fouts did not seem in any hurry to take the lead. He waited for a minute or so, and then accelerated away at about the 10:20 mark. Meanwhile, Clint Derrick was moving up into sixth. Fouts opened up daylight on Puskedra, Lowe et al., and charged up the final hill on his way to a national title in 14:50. Derrick finished very fast to take second in 14:57. Puskedra ended up fifth in 15:15.
Puskedra's mile splits were approximately: 4:28 / 5:00 / 5:25. Fouts, on the other hand, ran a 5:00 final mile.
So what to make of this... One might conclude that going out fast isn't a great strategy, but I think it's more complex than that. After all, if the goal was to run even splits (which the textbooks tell us is the most efficient way to run), then everyone went out too fast, including the race winner. And it's possible that Derick, the guy who ran the most even race, waited too long tro establish contact with the front of the race. We can't know this for sure.
When I was watching the boys race, I recalled watching Dan Robb run the 800m at the Class A meet his senior year. Dan was feeling really good that day and went out very fast. He came through 400m in about 56, as I recall, and was leading the race by about 10m over a very talented field. He kept pushing and still held the lead at 600, but several runners passed him in the stretch. He still finished fourth, however.
I remember what Coach Blackburn said that day: he said that Dan ran the first 300m perfectly, but that he never stopped pushing. He said that if Dan had been able to relax and let his natural running form take over, he would have been able to conserve energy and defend his lead late in the race.
When I was watching the videos of the footlocker races, I had the same sense. It wasn't that the races went out fast, it was that once having taken the lead, it seemed that Hasay and Puskedra felt the need to keep pushing the pace. In any other race, they might have run away with victories, but against the very best runners in the country, their early pace was too costly, and they couldn't defend their leads late in the race.
I know, I know, it sounds simple and it really isn't. Nor is it an easy thing for the other runners in the race to hang on through those scalding early miles and challenge late in the race. But it brings home to me once again the difference between a truly championship caliber race and everything else. In a race among the best, there's no margin for error or allowance for moves that sap one's energy.
Thin Ice
I don't mind the cold...much. On days when the temperature hovers in the teens, it's a little bit more difficult to get out the door but once the first couple of miles are behind you, the run feels good. And when you get back and your body is steaming like a draft horse, you can afford to laugh at the cold.
And rain is rain. I mean, the first few minutes are the worst until everything resolves into a damp mush, and then it's just a matter of having the sense to know when to come in and shuck off those wet clothes and spent the rest of the afternoon drinking hot cocoa.
I actually like hot days, and you'll never hear me complain about hot weather unless its a matter of having to race in the heat. Summer racing is always a little dangerous, but I don't mind a heat wave for everyday running. There's always the pleasure of waiting for sunset and then running through suburban streets on a summer night.
But ice?
Ice -- especially that thin, can't decide between rain and snow, didn't shovel the sidewalk version -- is the worst. I really resent it when all my favorite outdoor running routes are blighted with these frictionless stains of frozen slop. Each day I hope that the temperature will rise enough to melt the ice patches, or drop enough that they won't keep reforming at night after the sun melt during the day.
I go for a run, and every quarter mile I'm taking some ridiculous evasive action to avoid slipping and cracking my brittle bones on the road or sidewalk. And there's nothing redemptive about this. It's not like I'm getting tougher by doing this kind of running. I just end up sore from changing my stride. And then, I'll hit a patch of bare pavement and I'll suddenly feel grateful -- grateful! -- that the city deigned to plow ithis particular stretch of Comm Ave.
It's enough to make you do your long runs inside a parking garage.
And rain is rain. I mean, the first few minutes are the worst until everything resolves into a damp mush, and then it's just a matter of having the sense to know when to come in and shuck off those wet clothes and spent the rest of the afternoon drinking hot cocoa.
I actually like hot days, and you'll never hear me complain about hot weather unless its a matter of having to race in the heat. Summer racing is always a little dangerous, but I don't mind a heat wave for everyday running. There's always the pleasure of waiting for sunset and then running through suburban streets on a summer night.
But ice?
Ice -- especially that thin, can't decide between rain and snow, didn't shovel the sidewalk version -- is the worst. I really resent it when all my favorite outdoor running routes are blighted with these frictionless stains of frozen slop. Each day I hope that the temperature will rise enough to melt the ice patches, or drop enough that they won't keep reforming at night after the sun melt during the day.
I go for a run, and every quarter mile I'm taking some ridiculous evasive action to avoid slipping and cracking my brittle bones on the road or sidewalk. And there's nothing redemptive about this. It's not like I'm getting tougher by doing this kind of running. I just end up sore from changing my stride. And then, I'll hit a patch of bare pavement and I'll suddenly feel grateful -- grateful! -- that the city deigned to plow ithis particular stretch of Comm Ave.
It's enough to make you do your long runs inside a parking garage.
December 07, 2007
Footlocker Finals on Saturday
The 2007 Footlocker HS XC finals will be held on Saturday at Balboa Park in San Diego.
Massachusetts has two runners in the race: Bromfield's Emily Jones (2nd at the NE Regional), and Triton's Keely Maguire (5th at NE Rregionals). Jones, only a junior, also made the finals in 2006. Good luck to both!
You can find regional results, photos, predictions, and links to video at the following sites:
Official Footlocker Meet Site
DyeStat's Footlocker Finals Index Page
There is a live webcast available via DyeTV. The girls race is at 12:15 EST (9:15 local time) and the boys race is at 1:00 EST (10:00 local time).
Footlocker Finals Video from DyeStat
Massachusetts has two runners in the race: Bromfield's Emily Jones (2nd at the NE Regional), and Triton's Keely Maguire (5th at NE Rregionals). Jones, only a junior, also made the finals in 2006. Good luck to both!
You can find regional results, photos, predictions, and links to video at the following sites:
Official Footlocker Meet Site
DyeStat's Footlocker Finals Index Page
There is a live webcast available via DyeTV. The girls race is at 12:15 EST (9:15 local time) and the boys race is at 1:00 EST (10:00 local time).
Footlocker Finals Video from DyeStat
December 04, 2007
Robert Cade: An Appreciation
Robert Cade, the inventor of Gatorade, died a week ago at the age of 80.
Neil Amdur wrote a nice, informative appreciation of Dr. Cade in Sunday's NY Times.
Raise a Glass to the Father of Energy Drinks
It is hard to imagine a world in which hydration, electrolyte replacement, and carbo-loading were not universal concepts in athletics, but that was the way things were in 1966 when Cade started providing "Cade's Cola" to the U. of Florida football team.
Now, Americans drink 7 billions of bottles of Gatorade a year. 7 billion.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about Cade was that he wasn't trying to start a revolution or found the sports drink industry, he was just trying to help athletes. His other projects involved experimenting with high-carbohydrate meals prior to exercise and designing a better football helmet.
Neil Amdur wrote a nice, informative appreciation of Dr. Cade in Sunday's NY Times.
Raise a Glass to the Father of Energy Drinks
It is hard to imagine a world in which hydration, electrolyte replacement, and carbo-loading were not universal concepts in athletics, but that was the way things were in 1966 when Cade started providing "Cade's Cola" to the U. of Florida football team.
Now, Americans drink 7 billions of bottles of Gatorade a year. 7 billion.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about Cade was that he wasn't trying to start a revolution or found the sports drink industry, he was just trying to help athletes. His other projects involved experimenting with high-carbohydrate meals prior to exercise and designing a better football helmet.
December 03, 2007
This Day in Running History: Derek Clayton
On this day in 1967, Australian distance runner Derek Clayton set a world marathon best of 2:09:36.4 in the Fukuoka marathon, becoming the first human to run under 2:10. He would lower his own world's best again in 1969, running 2:08:33 in Antwerp. That time would stand as the world record for 12 more years, and would still be considered a world-class time today.
I remember reading about Clayton in Sports Illustrated back in the day. Clayton's training was always long and always fast. He logged 120-140 mile weeks for years until he finally sustained too many injuries to continue.
Clayton was not blessed with tremendous speed, but made up for it by developing the "Clayton shuffle," a low, economical stride that carried him along with little wasted effort. He rarely trained slower than 5:30 per mile pace.
Clayton competed in the 1968 and 1972 Olympics, finishing 7th and 13th respectively.
I remember reading about Clayton in Sports Illustrated back in the day. Clayton's training was always long and always fast. He logged 120-140 mile weeks for years until he finally sustained too many injuries to continue.
Clayton was not blessed with tremendous speed, but made up for it by developing the "Clayton shuffle," a low, economical stride that carried him along with little wasted effort. He rarely trained slower than 5:30 per mile pace.
Clayton competed in the 1968 and 1972 Olympics, finishing 7th and 13th respectively.
December 02, 2007
NNHS 2007-2008 Indoor Schedule
Unofficial Schedule for NNHS Indoor Track
(From highschoolsports.net and other spources)
(From highschoolsports.net and other spources)
December
Thu 12/13/07 4:30 NNHS v. Weymouth B&G RLTAC
Sun 12/16/07 9:30a Winter Festival B&G RLTAC
Thu 12/20/07 4:30 NNHS v. Needham B&G RLTAC
Sat 12/22/07 10:00a MSTCA Team Pentathlon ?? RLTAC
January
Thu 01/03/08 4:30 NNHS v. Braintree B&G RLTAC
Sat 01/05/08 9:30a Auerbach Frosh/Soph B&G RLTAC
Wed 01/09/08 4:00 JV Meet B&G NNHS
Thu 01/10/08 4:30 NNHS v. Framingham B&G RLTAC
Fri 01/11/08 TBA Dartmouth Relays Girls Hanover, NH
Sat 01/12/08 TBA Dartmouth Relays Girls Hanover, NH
Wed 01/16/08 4:00 JV Meet B&G NNHS
Thu 01/17/08 4:30 NNHS v. Brookline B&G RLTAC
Sat 01/19/08 9:30a Div I State Relays B&G RLTAC
Wed 01/23/08 4:00 JV Meet B&G NNHS
Thu 01/24/08 4:30 BSC Divisional Meet B&G RLTAC
Sun 01/27/08 11:00a McIntyre Elite Relays B&G RLTAC
Wed 01/30/08 4:00 JV Meet B&G NNHS
February
Sat 02/02/08 9:30a State Coaches Invite B&G RLTAC
Sun 02/03/08 TBA State Coaches Elite B&G RLTAC
Wed 02/06/08 TBA BSC Meet B&G RLTAC
Sun 02/17/08 TBA Div 1 State Meet B&G RLTAC
Fri 02/22/08 TBA State Finals B&G RLTAC
Fri 02/29/08 TBA New Englands B&G RLTAC
December 01, 2007
Brookline, Wilson 7th at NTN Nationals!
A wintry 3000 miles from home and facing acres of mud, numerous hay bales, and the infamous roller coaster hills known as the "whoop-de-doo's," the Brookline XC Club ably represented Massachusetts and the Bay State League on Saturday at the Nike Team Nationals. The Warriors (if the MIAA will let me call them that) finished 7th overall (of 22 teams) with 256 points.
David Wilson, second to teammate Robert Gibson all XC season, held back slightly at the beginning, but moved up and ran with the second pack most of the race. Wilson caught and passed Gibson with about 500 meters to go and was the first Brookline runner across the line at NTN Nationals, placing 7th overall in 16:27. Gibson, running hard from the gun, faded a bit in the final stretch but hung on to place 16th in 16:36.
(Don't be fooled by the times: even the race winner, Naperville's Chris Derrick, admitted "this course really eats you up.")
Congratulations to these kids and to the entire Brookline program on their State Championship, their NTN Regional championship, their performance in Portland, and a season for the ages!
Media notes: The team of announcers and athlete-commentators was generally good. Toni Reavis is, of course, the best, although he stumbled a few times -- understandable given that these were not star performers in a track race, but high school kids in a wild 5K race. Lauren Fleshman is a lively commentator. Alan Culpepper tries hard. Sadly, athlete stud Chris Solinsky was a dud as a commentator. The worst moment occurred while he was interviewing Lucas Walters, a runner who had undergone nine chemotherapy treatments in the past year. After Walters had described the cancer and its treatment, Solinsky awkwardly tried to segue back to the race, saying "Ok, well tell me how the race went today."
David Wilson, second to teammate Robert Gibson all XC season, held back slightly at the beginning, but moved up and ran with the second pack most of the race. Wilson caught and passed Gibson with about 500 meters to go and was the first Brookline runner across the line at NTN Nationals, placing 7th overall in 16:27. Gibson, running hard from the gun, faded a bit in the final stretch but hung on to place 16th in 16:36.
7. David Wilson 16:27.0
16. Robert Gibson 16:36.5
45. Mike Burnstein 17:05.8
60. Elliot Lehane 17:14.4
128. Chris Mercurio 18:00.4
140. Ryan Hardiman 18:12.7
151. Brendan Grove 18:26.1
(Don't be fooled by the times: even the race winner, Naperville's Chris Derrick, admitted "this course really eats you up.")
Congratulations to these kids and to the entire Brookline program on their State Championship, their NTN Regional championship, their performance in Portland, and a season for the ages!
Media notes: The team of announcers and athlete-commentators was generally good. Toni Reavis is, of course, the best, although he stumbled a few times -- understandable given that these were not star performers in a track race, but high school kids in a wild 5K race. Lauren Fleshman is a lively commentator. Alan Culpepper tries hard. Sadly, athlete stud Chris Solinsky was a dud as a commentator. The worst moment occurred while he was interviewing Lucas Walters, a runner who had undergone nine chemotherapy treatments in the past year. After Walters had described the cancer and its treatment, Solinsky awkwardly tried to segue back to the race, saying "Ok, well tell me how the race went today."
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