In his second indoor meet of the season, Newton North alum Chris Barnicle ran 4:06.9 for a full mile to set a 5-second PR. The Arkansas freshman finished 6th at the Razorback Invitational Saturday. The result is especially impressive, given that the pacing was not ideal. After hitting splits of 58.x and 1:59, Barnicle simply hung on in the second half, splitting 3:02 for 1200 and finishing with a 64.x last quarter.
Barnicle runs next at New York's Armory track in two weeks at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational.
January 22, 2006
January 20, 2006
Meet Recap: January 19, 2006
The weather continues to amaze us with wind one day and unseasonably warm temperatures the next. It was almsot strange to be heading indoors yesterday, when the outdoor track would have been nearly as hospitable.
As expected, both Newton North teams crushed their counterparts from Framingham. The girls rested some people, and ran others in different events while making final preparations for the State Relays tomorrow. Even so, there were some impressive times.
Freshmen Carolyn Ranti (5:37.8) and Adina Hemley-Bronstein (5:56.3) posted excellent times in the mile, while junior Elana Horwitz ran a season-PR of 6:02.9. Franca Godenzi won the 1000 (3:31.3), with Erica Chow taking third (3:47.4). In the 600, Emma Kornetsky had the second-fastest time of any runner on the day, with a 4-second PR of 1:47.33. Julie Blanchard and Kat Chiong went 1-2 in the 300. Kerry Moy ran a not-too-shabby 12:41 to win the 2-mile. Leah Weisman led a sweep of the 55 Hurdles, running 9.36, and was also North's top finisher in the 55 dash at 8.01.
In the field events, two North girls threw over 30' in the shot put. Lily Brown had the best throw of the day in an extermely close contest, recording a heave of 30' 7.75". Tracy Isman was right behind at 30' 5.5". Alex Blenis won the HJ at 4'10" and the (non-scoring) long jump at 14' 6".
For the boys, Seb Putzeys dropped down to the 1000 and had the fastest time of the day with an excellent 2:46.65, which qualifies him for the state meet in that event. Noah Jampol won a "tactical" mile, kicking a final 400 in approximately 65 seconds. Peter Sun won the 600 in 1:32.05.
The 300 proved to be a breakout race for Alex Lee, who managed to hit the final turn one step in front of Cailean Robinson and held that lead all the way to the finish in 37.96, his first time under 38 seconds. Brendan Rooney won the 55 hurdles in 8.55, and Cailean Robinson equaled his season best in the 55 dash, winning in 6.80. In the 2 mile, David Polgar won easily in 10:03, while Alex Gurvitz (10:53) and Charlie Krasnow (11:14) both PR'ed.
In the field events, David Smith continued trampling his opponents in the shot put, throwing 52' 10", while in the long jump Khalel Pritchard (19' 4.5") and Nick Van Niel (18' 4.5") went 1-2. As expected, Framingham went 1-2 in the high jump, but Van Niel jumped 5' 6" for 3rd.
As expected, both Newton North teams crushed their counterparts from Framingham. The girls rested some people, and ran others in different events while making final preparations for the State Relays tomorrow. Even so, there were some impressive times.
Freshmen Carolyn Ranti (5:37.8) and Adina Hemley-Bronstein (5:56.3) posted excellent times in the mile, while junior Elana Horwitz ran a season-PR of 6:02.9. Franca Godenzi won the 1000 (3:31.3), with Erica Chow taking third (3:47.4). In the 600, Emma Kornetsky had the second-fastest time of any runner on the day, with a 4-second PR of 1:47.33. Julie Blanchard and Kat Chiong went 1-2 in the 300. Kerry Moy ran a not-too-shabby 12:41 to win the 2-mile. Leah Weisman led a sweep of the 55 Hurdles, running 9.36, and was also North's top finisher in the 55 dash at 8.01.
In the field events, two North girls threw over 30' in the shot put. Lily Brown had the best throw of the day in an extermely close contest, recording a heave of 30' 7.75". Tracy Isman was right behind at 30' 5.5". Alex Blenis won the HJ at 4'10" and the (non-scoring) long jump at 14' 6".
For the boys, Seb Putzeys dropped down to the 1000 and had the fastest time of the day with an excellent 2:46.65, which qualifies him for the state meet in that event. Noah Jampol won a "tactical" mile, kicking a final 400 in approximately 65 seconds. Peter Sun won the 600 in 1:32.05.
The 300 proved to be a breakout race for Alex Lee, who managed to hit the final turn one step in front of Cailean Robinson and held that lead all the way to the finish in 37.96, his first time under 38 seconds. Brendan Rooney won the 55 hurdles in 8.55, and Cailean Robinson equaled his season best in the 55 dash, winning in 6.80. In the 2 mile, David Polgar won easily in 10:03, while Alex Gurvitz (10:53) and Charlie Krasnow (11:14) both PR'ed.
In the field events, David Smith continued trampling his opponents in the shot put, throwing 52' 10", while in the long jump Khalel Pritchard (19' 4.5") and Nick Van Niel (18' 4.5") went 1-2. As expected, Framingham went 1-2 in the high jump, but Van Niel jumped 5' 6" for 3rd.
January 19, 2006
Homage to Jordan Maddocks...
Newton North's opponent in today's Bay State Conference meet is Framingham, and, I'm sorry to say, Framingham is not very good. I don't know what it is about Framingham -- I know there are good athletes at the school (their soccer team was outstanding this last year), but their track program always seems to be languishing.
But before looking past the Flyers to the State Relays on Saturday, I want to take a moment to praise Framingham junior Jordan Maddocks, the league's best high jumper.
I first noticed Maddocks as a sophomore last year. It was after a BSC indoor meet, and there was one kid who kept taking jumps after the meet had finished. He kept working and working to clear a particular height -- I think it might have been 5' 8" -- and he didn't want to leave the building until he had done it. After that, I made a point of watching him jump. He had decent technique for someone who, I believed, had never had real coaching in the event. He also watched other jumpers and tried to pick up what he could. As the winter came and went, he recorded a series of new personal bests. At the Class A meet outdoors he jumped 6' 4" -- as a sophomore!
What really stands out about Maddocks is that he really seems to love jumping. He is a reminder to me that every town, every program has its champions. Today, when Framingham struggles to compete with Newton North's juggernaut, Jordan Maddocks will win the HJ for the Flyers. It's hard for me to root against him.
But before looking past the Flyers to the State Relays on Saturday, I want to take a moment to praise Framingham junior Jordan Maddocks, the league's best high jumper.
I first noticed Maddocks as a sophomore last year. It was after a BSC indoor meet, and there was one kid who kept taking jumps after the meet had finished. He kept working and working to clear a particular height -- I think it might have been 5' 8" -- and he didn't want to leave the building until he had done it. After that, I made a point of watching him jump. He had decent technique for someone who, I believed, had never had real coaching in the event. He also watched other jumpers and tried to pick up what he could. As the winter came and went, he recorded a series of new personal bests. At the Class A meet outdoors he jumped 6' 4" -- as a sophomore!
What really stands out about Maddocks is that he really seems to love jumping. He is a reminder to me that every town, every program has its champions. Today, when Framingham struggles to compete with Newton North's juggernaut, Jordan Maddocks will win the HJ for the Flyers. It's hard for me to root against him.
January 15, 2006
Barnicle 8:11; Gleason 17:42
Newton North alumnus and Arkansas freshman Chris Barnicle ran 8:11.24 for 3000 meters in his first indoor race for the hogs to place 3rd in the seeded heat behind All-Americans Josphat Boit and Peter Kosgei. His race earned praise from Arkansas head coach John McDonnell, "[Boit and Kosgei] were good and I thought Chris Barnicle ran a great race as a freshman."
Link to the article on hogwired.com
On Saturday, Newton North alumna and Williams College sophomore Liz Gleason ran the 5000 meters at the Tufts Invitational, placing 4th with a PR of 17:42.18.
Full results of the meet are at Coolrunning.com
Link to the article on hogwired.com
On Saturday, Newton North alumna and Williams College sophomore Liz Gleason ran the 5000 meters at the Tufts Invitational, placing 4th with a PR of 17:42.18.
Full results of the meet are at Coolrunning.com
Results from the Team Pentathlon
The Newton North Boys won the MSTCA Team Pentathlon for the fourth time in the last five years, while the girls passed three teams in the final event to place 3rd for the second year in a row.
Full results available here
In the Team Pentathlon, five athletes from one school compete as a team, with each team member competing in one event. The events are: 55 Hurdles, Shot Put, High Jump, Long Jump, and 1000 meters (800 meters for girls). The mark achieved in each event is converted into a score (roughly on a scale from 0 to 1000), and the individual scores are totaled to give the team score.
Unlike previous years in which the boys have been far superior to their competition and could afford to coast, this year they needed outstanding marks from everyone to defeat a determined Andover squad. Racing with a sore hamstring, Brendan Rooney kept North near the lead, as he opened the competition by placing 6th in the 55 hurdles in 8.48, only 0.18 off his best. Next up was the shot put, and David Smith was the big man as he tossed his first throw 51' 4," good enough to win the competition by nearly six feet and put North back in the lead by a slim two points.
The high jump was expected to be North's weakest event, but Nick Van Niel proved once again that he is at his best when the stakes are highest, as he cleared a personal best 5' 8" on his first attempt. Those 2" above his previous best 5' 6" were worth about 50 points to North. Khalel Pritchard had an outstanding effort in the Long Jump, going 20' 1.75", and North had a commanding lead going into the final event.
Last year, the 1000m was the highlight of the meet, as Brian Gagnon and David Polgar finished 1-2 separated by only a tenth of a second. Polgar has struggled for the last two weeks with a knee injury and didn't look terribly sharp, but his fourth place 2:36.87 was enough to seal the win for the Tigers. Their final score of 3664 points was 58 points ahead of second-place Andover, and only 53 points shy of the State Record, set by -- no surprise -- Newton North in 2002.
The Newton North girls entered two teams, and, in at least one instance, their "B" team competitor surpassed the "A" team competitor. In the hurdles, Leah Weisman ran 9.40, behind a meet record 8.75 from Dedham's Emily Stefans. Morgan Faer ran 10.04 for the "B" team. In the high jump, Sarah Berkland cleared 4' 9", and Theresa Staulo cleared 4' 7.5." In the long jump, Alex Blenis leaped 13' 10", about a foot off her best jump this season, while Becca King jumped 12' 8" for the "B" team. In the shotput Tracy Isman got off a great throw in the first flight, 30' 3.5", but unfortunately that was for the "B" team! Lily Brown threw it 28' 7.5" for the "A" team, which brought North to the final event in 6th.
North hoped to catch at least a couple of teams with a strong run from Jess Barton. The defending State mile champion ran a PR 2:20.8 to place 3rd behind Dennis Yarmouth's Colleen Weatherbee and Andover's Rachel Fox, and with Barton's performance, North leap-frogged three teams to take 3rd for the second straight year.
Full results available here
In the Team Pentathlon, five athletes from one school compete as a team, with each team member competing in one event. The events are: 55 Hurdles, Shot Put, High Jump, Long Jump, and 1000 meters (800 meters for girls). The mark achieved in each event is converted into a score (roughly on a scale from 0 to 1000), and the individual scores are totaled to give the team score.
Unlike previous years in which the boys have been far superior to their competition and could afford to coast, this year they needed outstanding marks from everyone to defeat a determined Andover squad. Racing with a sore hamstring, Brendan Rooney kept North near the lead, as he opened the competition by placing 6th in the 55 hurdles in 8.48, only 0.18 off his best. Next up was the shot put, and David Smith was the big man as he tossed his first throw 51' 4," good enough to win the competition by nearly six feet and put North back in the lead by a slim two points.
The high jump was expected to be North's weakest event, but Nick Van Niel proved once again that he is at his best when the stakes are highest, as he cleared a personal best 5' 8" on his first attempt. Those 2" above his previous best 5' 6" were worth about 50 points to North. Khalel Pritchard had an outstanding effort in the Long Jump, going 20' 1.75", and North had a commanding lead going into the final event.
Last year, the 1000m was the highlight of the meet, as Brian Gagnon and David Polgar finished 1-2 separated by only a tenth of a second. Polgar has struggled for the last two weeks with a knee injury and didn't look terribly sharp, but his fourth place 2:36.87 was enough to seal the win for the Tigers. Their final score of 3664 points was 58 points ahead of second-place Andover, and only 53 points shy of the State Record, set by -- no surprise -- Newton North in 2002.
The Newton North girls entered two teams, and, in at least one instance, their "B" team competitor surpassed the "A" team competitor. In the hurdles, Leah Weisman ran 9.40, behind a meet record 8.75 from Dedham's Emily Stefans. Morgan Faer ran 10.04 for the "B" team. In the high jump, Sarah Berkland cleared 4' 9", and Theresa Staulo cleared 4' 7.5." In the long jump, Alex Blenis leaped 13' 10", about a foot off her best jump this season, while Becca King jumped 12' 8" for the "B" team. In the shotput Tracy Isman got off a great throw in the first flight, 30' 3.5", but unfortunately that was for the "B" team! Lily Brown threw it 28' 7.5" for the "A" team, which brought North to the final event in 6th.
North hoped to catch at least a couple of teams with a strong run from Jess Barton. The defending State mile champion ran a PR 2:20.8 to place 3rd behind Dennis Yarmouth's Colleen Weatherbee and Andover's Rachel Fox, and with Barton's performance, North leap-frogged three teams to take 3rd for the second straight year.
January 12, 2006
Chris Barnicle to debut in 3K at Arkansas Invitational
On Friday night, January 13, Newton North alum Chris Barnicle runs his first indoor race for Arkansas. Chris is one of five Razorbacks entered in the 3000 meters at the Arkansas Invitational. Savvy track fans might recall that Chris had the fastest 3K time of any high school athlete last year.
Read about it one the Arkansas web site.
(For those of you interested, the provisional NCAA qualifying time is 8:05. The automatic qualifying time is 7:55.)
Read about it one the Arkansas web site.
(For those of you interested, the provisional NCAA qualifying time is 8:05. The automatic qualifying time is 7:55.)
Meet Recap - 1/11/06
A Wednesday dual meet against league weakling Braintree could have been a yawn-fest, but instead, there were some interesting and exciting races, and some significant season and personal bests.
Link to full results
There was some drama before the meet even started. With ten minutes before the mile, it looked like David Polgar might... well... pull a David Polgar. Although he was scheduled to run the mile, he was nowhere to be found, prompting Assistant Coach Shawn Wallace to pull a dazed Seb Putzeys (slated to run the 2-mile two hours later) out of the stands to warm up. But Polgar showed up in the nick of time and won easily in 4:36.
The girls mile had a little different look as Carolyn Ranti and Kerry Moy dropped fown from the 2-mile to work on their speed. Along with Nora Barnicle (winner in 5:46.36), the three North girls went 1-2-3, with Ranti running 5:46.71 and Moy running a season-best 5:53.24.
For boys and girls, the 1000 was the race of the day. In the boys race, Noah Jampol took on Braintree's Chris O'Day and Brookline's Matt Stewart and Robert Gibson. O'Day led from the gun and held off a furious charge by Stewart to win by a tenth of a second in 2:37.07, the league's best time so far. Jampol finished a strong 3rd in a PR 2:37.80, just ahead of sophomore sensation Gibson. In the girls race, Brookline's Sabrina Parise opened with a 34.9 first 200, with North's Kat Chiong two strides back. Parise held the lead until late in the 4th lap, when Chiong made her move, taking the lead for the first time. The last lap was a terrific battle with Parise closing the gap around the final turn and into the home straight. Kat had just enough left to hold off the Brookline runner, winning in 3:14.91 to Parise's 3:14.92.
In other girls events, freshman Emma Kornetsky won the 600 in 1:51.80 (her first varsity win); Lily Brown won the 300 (43.77, best time of the day), and the shot put (30' 7") ; Alex Blenis won the long jump in a PR 15' 2.5" and tied for first in the high jump with Thera Staulo and Sarah Berkland at 4' 10"; Michelle Kaufman won the 55 dash (7.97); Leah Weisman won the 55 hurdles (9.66); and Haleigh Smith won the 2-mile with an impressive time of 11:51. When the Newton North 4x400 relay team won the final race of the day, Braintree had been held to just 8 points.
There were fine performances on the boys side, as well. Sophomore Jared Plotkin had the fastest time of the day in the 600 (1:30.68); Cailean Robinson (38.15) and Alex Lee (38.35) went 1-2 in the 300; Robinson also won the 55 dash in 6.86; Brendan Rooney (8.53) won the hurdles, with Nick van Niel (8.89) breaking 9.00 for the first time to place 3rd; David Smith won the shot put with a throw of 50' 0.5".
In his first ever 2-mile, Seb Putzeys very nearly won the whole thing. Seb broke away in the early laps and held a 5-second lead with a half mile to go before being caught on the final lap by Walpole's Steve Cain. A furious sprint ensued, with Cain (10:34.62) getting the better of Seb (10:35.29). Still, it was an auspicious distance debut for the sophomore. And in another stellar performance, fellow sophomore Alex Gurvitz broke 11 minutes for the first time, running 10:55.65 to place 4th overall. Congratulations, Alex!
Finally, North's Khalel Pritchard tied for first in the long jump with a leap of 19' 3.5", just a quarter-inch ahead of 3rd place Nick Van Niel.
Next up for North is the team pentathlon at Regiie Lewis on Saturday, followed by dual meet action next Thursday, Jan. 19th.
Link to full results
There was some drama before the meet even started. With ten minutes before the mile, it looked like David Polgar might... well... pull a David Polgar. Although he was scheduled to run the mile, he was nowhere to be found, prompting Assistant Coach Shawn Wallace to pull a dazed Seb Putzeys (slated to run the 2-mile two hours later) out of the stands to warm up. But Polgar showed up in the nick of time and won easily in 4:36.
The girls mile had a little different look as Carolyn Ranti and Kerry Moy dropped fown from the 2-mile to work on their speed. Along with Nora Barnicle (winner in 5:46.36), the three North girls went 1-2-3, with Ranti running 5:46.71 and Moy running a season-best 5:53.24.
For boys and girls, the 1000 was the race of the day. In the boys race, Noah Jampol took on Braintree's Chris O'Day and Brookline's Matt Stewart and Robert Gibson. O'Day led from the gun and held off a furious charge by Stewart to win by a tenth of a second in 2:37.07, the league's best time so far. Jampol finished a strong 3rd in a PR 2:37.80, just ahead of sophomore sensation Gibson. In the girls race, Brookline's Sabrina Parise opened with a 34.9 first 200, with North's Kat Chiong two strides back. Parise held the lead until late in the 4th lap, when Chiong made her move, taking the lead for the first time. The last lap was a terrific battle with Parise closing the gap around the final turn and into the home straight. Kat had just enough left to hold off the Brookline runner, winning in 3:14.91 to Parise's 3:14.92.
In other girls events, freshman Emma Kornetsky won the 600 in 1:51.80 (her first varsity win); Lily Brown won the 300 (43.77, best time of the day), and the shot put (30' 7") ; Alex Blenis won the long jump in a PR 15' 2.5" and tied for first in the high jump with Thera Staulo and Sarah Berkland at 4' 10"; Michelle Kaufman won the 55 dash (7.97); Leah Weisman won the 55 hurdles (9.66); and Haleigh Smith won the 2-mile with an impressive time of 11:51. When the Newton North 4x400 relay team won the final race of the day, Braintree had been held to just 8 points.
There were fine performances on the boys side, as well. Sophomore Jared Plotkin had the fastest time of the day in the 600 (1:30.68); Cailean Robinson (38.15) and Alex Lee (38.35) went 1-2 in the 300; Robinson also won the 55 dash in 6.86; Brendan Rooney (8.53) won the hurdles, with Nick van Niel (8.89) breaking 9.00 for the first time to place 3rd; David Smith won the shot put with a throw of 50' 0.5".
In his first ever 2-mile, Seb Putzeys very nearly won the whole thing. Seb broke away in the early laps and held a 5-second lead with a half mile to go before being caught on the final lap by Walpole's Steve Cain. A furious sprint ensued, with Cain (10:34.62) getting the better of Seb (10:35.29). Still, it was an auspicious distance debut for the sophomore. And in another stellar performance, fellow sophomore Alex Gurvitz broke 11 minutes for the first time, running 10:55.65 to place 4th overall. Congratulations, Alex!
Finally, North's Khalel Pritchard tied for first in the long jump with a leap of 19' 3.5", just a quarter-inch ahead of 3rd place Nick Van Niel.
Next up for North is the team pentathlon at Regiie Lewis on Saturday, followed by dual meet action next Thursday, Jan. 19th.
January 10, 2006
Mass. Milers (early January)
Prior to last weekend, David Polgar had the fastest HS mile time in the nation. Unfortunately, injury kept him out of the Hispanic Games at the NYC Armory on Saturday, and SIX runners bested Polgar's time. Here are the top six from that race:
And here's a link to video of the race.
Meanwhile, at the Dartmouth relays, two other runners ran faster than Polgar's time, including Massachusetts junior Mark Amirault, who ran 4:15.68 to take the State lead. Remember, that's on a flat track, not banked. Back in 4th was Lexington senior Willi Ballenthin, who ran 4:22.93.
And then yesterday, Catholic Memorial junior Matt Dewey ran a 4:23.52 all alone to win his heat by about twenty seconds. That makes four Massachusetts milers at 4:24 or better. Add Sam Horn (4:27), Kevin Gill, and probably some other guys from Western Mass (Steve Czupryna?) and it's looking like a fast year.
I notice that the Massachusetts "Top 50" lists have not been updated yet... so many new marks to add...
Link to Top 50 lists home page
1* Brian Rhodes-Devey 4:13.19* Guilderland
2 Greg Kiley 4:15.12 Saratoga Springs
3 Charles White 4:16.02 Garden City
4 Alex Bean 4:16.32 Somers
5 Steve Murdok 4.16.83 Saratoga Springs
6 Greg Kelsey 4:17.59 Saratoga Springs
And here's a link to video of the race.
Meanwhile, at the Dartmouth relays, two other runners ran faster than Polgar's time, including Massachusetts junior Mark Amirault, who ran 4:15.68 to take the State lead. Remember, that's on a flat track, not banked. Back in 4th was Lexington senior Willi Ballenthin, who ran 4:22.93.
And then yesterday, Catholic Memorial junior Matt Dewey ran a 4:23.52 all alone to win his heat by about twenty seconds. That makes four Massachusetts milers at 4:24 or better. Add Sam Horn (4:27), Kevin Gill, and probably some other guys from Western Mass (Steve Czupryna?) and it's looking like a fast year.
I notice that the Massachusetts "Top 50" lists have not been updated yet... so many new marks to add...
Link to Top 50 lists home page
January 08, 2006
Dartmouth Relays and Freshman/Sophomore Results
It was a difficult week for Newton North girls coach Joe Tranchita as he tried to plan his team's annual trip to and competition at the Dartmouth Relays (North was the defending girls team champion), while missing many of his younger runners who were competing at the Freshman/Sophomore meet on the same day.
With a unified team, Newton North could very well have repeated as team champion. As it was, the team had to skip an event they could have won (the Sprint medley on Friday night), and do without contributors who could have helped field a scoring 4x800 team. Even at partial strength, the Tigers are formidable. Individual scoorers included Jess Barton (PR 11:12, 2nd place in the two mile), Alex Blenis (5' tied for 3rd in the high jump), and Julie Blanchard (PR 42.40, 5th in the 300). Also scoring was the 4x400 relay team (Julie Blanchard, Leah Weisman, Lily Brown, Kat Chiong), which placed 5th in 4:12.86.
Link to full results
Meanwhile, back at Reggie Lewis, Newton North's freshmen and sophomore were taking the spotlight.
Jared Plotkin placed 3rd in the 600 in 1:30.58. Rojay Wagner was 11th in 1:34.78.
Vicki Marone made the finals of the 55 Hurdles, finishing 8th in 10.00. Leah Wang recorded a time of 12.21.
In the boys 300m, Abass Watanabe finished 7th (38.87) and Hymlaire Lamisere finished 8th (39.01).
Seb Putzeys continued his fine season, placing 5th in the boys mile in 4:51.99.
In the girls mile, freshman Nora Barnicle ran 5:48.42 for 11th, while fellow freshman Emma Kornetsky placed 15th in 5:55.62.
In the girls 1000m, Bailey Hanselman ran 3:34.63. In the boys 1000m, Eric Seike ran 3:00.71.
The girls 2 mile further showcased the depth of Newton North's freshman class, as Carolyn Ranti placed 10th in 12:36.11, and Adina Hemley-Bronstein ran a 20-second PR 12:44.50 for 14th.
In the boys 2 mile, Alex Gurvitz recorded a PR 11:05.80, while Charlie Krasnow ran 11:32.34.
In the field events, Theresa Staulo jumped 4' 9" to place 8th in the high jump. Bonny Guang threw 25' 5.75" in the shot put, while Era Mune threw 19' 4.5."
With a unified team, Newton North could very well have repeated as team champion. As it was, the team had to skip an event they could have won (the Sprint medley on Friday night), and do without contributors who could have helped field a scoring 4x800 team. Even at partial strength, the Tigers are formidable. Individual scoorers included Jess Barton (PR 11:12, 2nd place in the two mile), Alex Blenis (5' tied for 3rd in the high jump), and Julie Blanchard (PR 42.40, 5th in the 300). Also scoring was the 4x400 relay team (Julie Blanchard, Leah Weisman, Lily Brown, Kat Chiong), which placed 5th in 4:12.86.
Link to full results
Meanwhile, back at Reggie Lewis, Newton North's freshmen and sophomore were taking the spotlight.
Jared Plotkin placed 3rd in the 600 in 1:30.58. Rojay Wagner was 11th in 1:34.78.
Vicki Marone made the finals of the 55 Hurdles, finishing 8th in 10.00. Leah Wang recorded a time of 12.21.
In the boys 300m, Abass Watanabe finished 7th (38.87) and Hymlaire Lamisere finished 8th (39.01).
Seb Putzeys continued his fine season, placing 5th in the boys mile in 4:51.99.
In the girls mile, freshman Nora Barnicle ran 5:48.42 for 11th, while fellow freshman Emma Kornetsky placed 15th in 5:55.62.
In the girls 1000m, Bailey Hanselman ran 3:34.63. In the boys 1000m, Eric Seike ran 3:00.71.
The girls 2 mile further showcased the depth of Newton North's freshman class, as Carolyn Ranti placed 10th in 12:36.11, and Adina Hemley-Bronstein ran a 20-second PR 12:44.50 for 14th.
In the boys 2 mile, Alex Gurvitz recorded a PR 11:05.80, while Charlie Krasnow ran 11:32.34.
In the field events, Theresa Staulo jumped 4' 9" to place 8th in the high jump. Bonny Guang threw 25' 5.75" in the shot put, while Era Mune threw 19' 4.5."
January 06, 2006
Meet Recap - Jan 5, 2006
After the holiday break, Bay State Indoor Track was back in season on Thursday at the Reggie Lewis Center, and Newton North teams easily dispatched their counterparts from Needham.
Link to full results
There didn't seem to be too much excitement to the meet -- certainly no concern about the outcome, but there were some nice individual individual efforts. The most impressive performance of the afternoon was David Smith in the shot put. Smith recorded a throw of 53'10.5", a massive heave that represents a new level of achievement for him. It certainly is the the result of hard work. Smith was practicing in the SOA virtually every day of vacation.
The girls were mostly on cruise control, saving some of their best for the Dartmouth Relays this weekend. Nevertheless, Haleigh Smith recorded the fastest time of the day in the mile (5:40.59). Nora Barnicle won her first varsity race, running 3:22.66 to win the 1000. Kat Chiong and Jess Barton had the two fastest times in the 600 (a rare sprint event for Barton), with freshman Emma Kornetsky not far behind. Julie Blanchard had the fastest time of the day in the 300 (43.18), with Lily Brown 3rd (43.97).
For the boys, two conspicuous absences, as Doug Brecher wasn't around to entertain the crowds in the two mile, and David Polgar sat out the meet with a hamstring/knee injury. However, Alex Gurvitz recorded a PR 11:12 in the 2-mile. Also, Brendan Rooney continues to look great in the dashes. On Thursday he had the fastest time of any runner in the 55 Hurdles (8.42), and the 3rd-fastest in the 55 dash (6.97).
Next up: A small contingent from the girls team heads up to Hanover, NH on Friday and will compete in the Dartmouth Relays on Saturday. This Sunday is the Auerbach Freshman/Sophomore meet at Reggie.
Link to full results
There didn't seem to be too much excitement to the meet -- certainly no concern about the outcome, but there were some nice individual individual efforts. The most impressive performance of the afternoon was David Smith in the shot put. Smith recorded a throw of 53'10.5", a massive heave that represents a new level of achievement for him. It certainly is the the result of hard work. Smith was practicing in the SOA virtually every day of vacation.
The girls were mostly on cruise control, saving some of their best for the Dartmouth Relays this weekend. Nevertheless, Haleigh Smith recorded the fastest time of the day in the mile (5:40.59). Nora Barnicle won her first varsity race, running 3:22.66 to win the 1000. Kat Chiong and Jess Barton had the two fastest times in the 600 (a rare sprint event for Barton), with freshman Emma Kornetsky not far behind. Julie Blanchard had the fastest time of the day in the 300 (43.18), with Lily Brown 3rd (43.97).
For the boys, two conspicuous absences, as Doug Brecher wasn't around to entertain the crowds in the two mile, and David Polgar sat out the meet with a hamstring/knee injury. However, Alex Gurvitz recorded a PR 11:12 in the 2-mile. Also, Brendan Rooney continues to look great in the dashes. On Thursday he had the fastest time of any runner in the 55 Hurdles (8.42), and the 3rd-fastest in the 55 dash (6.97).
Next up: A small contingent from the girls team heads up to Hanover, NH on Friday and will compete in the Dartmouth Relays on Saturday. This Sunday is the Auerbach Freshman/Sophomore meet at Reggie.
January 02, 2006
Top 50 Lists
New this year, the Mass State Track Coaches Association (MSTCA) is introducing "top 50" performance lists for indoor track. These lists are based on reported race results from dual meets and invitational and highlight the best individuals in Massachusetts. The MSTCA plans to update the lists every Monday throughout the indoor season. Here is the link to the MSTCA web page explaining the idea and providing more links to the individual lists.
It's a great idea. In fact, did you know that John Dye (publisher of DyeStat.com) started out publishing a newsletter for Maryland coaches that kept track of the top 100 state performances in the pole vault? This was the humble beginning of the now famous DyeStat rankings, but I digress.
The first list is out, and although there are some significant omissions (Merrimack Valley and Middlesex league are not represented yet), the result is very promising. Not suprisingly, there are many Newton North athletes on the lists. First, let's look at the girls:
Lily Brown is the only Newton North athlete ranked in three individual events. She was also on the 4x200 relay, currently ranked 2nd in the state.
Now the boys:
It's impressive to see five NN athletes ranked in the 55 dash, and the relays are strong as ever.
It will be interesting to see next week's lists, since we expect it will be filled out with performances from other leagues, as well as recent results (from this week's meet and this weekend's Dartmoth meet).
It's a great idea. In fact, did you know that John Dye (publisher of DyeStat.com) started out publishing a newsletter for Maryland coaches that kept track of the top 100 state performances in the pole vault? This was the humble beginning of the now famous DyeStat rankings, but I digress.
The first list is out, and although there are some significant omissions (Merrimack Valley and Middlesex league are not represented yet), the result is very promising. Not suprisingly, there are many Newton North athletes on the lists. First, let's look at the girls:
55 Dash
(48) Leah Weisman 8.02
55 Hurdles
(19) Leah Weisman 9.52
(40) Morgan Faer 9.90
(45) Vicki Marone 9.98
300
(6) Julie Blanchard 43.49
(17) Lily Brown 44.40
600
(3) Kat Chiong 1:40.49
(13) Lily Brown 1:43.79
1000
(1) Jess Barton 3:07.88
1M
(16) Haleigh Smith 5:32.02
(42) Nora Barnicle 5:43.42
2M
(25) Kerri Moy 12:29.07
(29) Carolyn Ranti 12:33.43
HJ
(10) Alex Blenis 5-0
(10) Sarah Berkland 5-0
(26) Theresa Staulo 4-10
LJ
(26) Alex Blenis 14-8.75
SP
(26) Morgan Faer 30-3.50
(46) Lily Brown 28-9
4x200
(2) Newton North 1:50.55
4x400
(4) Newton North 4:19.07
Lily Brown is the only Newton North athlete ranked in three individual events. She was also on the 4x200 relay, currently ranked 2nd in the state.
Now the boys:
55 Dash
(9) Gordon Forbes 6.80
(10) Caelin Robinson 6.81
(18) Brendan Rooney 6.91
(21) Anthony Ambrosi 6.94
(27) Khalel Pritchard 6.96
55 Hurdles
(9) Brendan Rooney 8.31
600
(30) Peter Sun 1:30.38
(32) Jared Plotkin 1:30.62
(41) Alex Lee 1:31.36
1000
(4) Noah Jampol 2:38.76
(11) David Polgar 2:42.02
1M
(1) David Polgar 4:17.83
(28) Noah Jampol 4:45.22
(48) Seb Putzeys 4:50.29
2M
(7) Doug Brecher 9:59.90
LJ
(9) Khalel Pritchard 19-9.75
(24) Nick van Niel 19-1.25
SP
(4) David Smith 50-1.75
4x200
(2) Newton North 1:34.63
4x400
(15) Newton North 3:40.85
4x800
(1) Newton North 8:24.52
It's impressive to see five NN athletes ranked in the 55 dash, and the relays are strong as ever.
It will be interesting to see next week's lists, since we expect it will be filled out with performances from other leagues, as well as recent results (from this week's meet and this weekend's Dartmoth meet).
January 01, 2006
Resolutions
I resolve to run today, and again tomorrow.
I resolve to stop hating the snow and instead try to see it as an entertaining source of variety in the never-ending adventure of training through a new England winter.
I resolve to stop being so sarcastic.
I resolve to learn three new ways to lace my running shoes.
I resolve to care more about eating the right foods, care more about stretching properly after my runs, and care less about getting slower.
I resolve to reduce the ridiculous complexity of my life and keep things simple so that I can do the things I really want to do... including train properly.
I resolve to take a class in something, anything, this year.
I resolve to race more often for fun, and not to worry so much about whether each race is a peak effort.
I resolve to learn 100 words of Swahili in the next six months.
I resolve to run 100 miles in seven consecutive calendar days sometime this summer.
I resolve to re-design the NNHSXC web site and get someone to help me keep it up to date.
I resolve not to torture the athletes I coach by attempting to use teenage slang, even as a joke.
I resolve to sing when I feel like it, and I don't care who's listening.
I resolve to treasure every step of every run, because running only feels like it goes on forever. In truth, there is such a thing as a finish line, and as far away as it seems, once you reach it, you can't ever go back and re-run the race.
I resolve to stop hating the snow and instead try to see it as an entertaining source of variety in the never-ending adventure of training through a new England winter.
I resolve to stop being so sarcastic.
I resolve to learn three new ways to lace my running shoes.
I resolve to care more about eating the right foods, care more about stretching properly after my runs, and care less about getting slower.
I resolve to reduce the ridiculous complexity of my life and keep things simple so that I can do the things I really want to do... including train properly.
I resolve to take a class in something, anything, this year.
I resolve to race more often for fun, and not to worry so much about whether each race is a peak effort.
I resolve to learn 100 words of Swahili in the next six months.
I resolve to run 100 miles in seven consecutive calendar days sometime this summer.
I resolve to re-design the NNHSXC web site and get someone to help me keep it up to date.
I resolve not to torture the athletes I coach by attempting to use teenage slang, even as a joke.
I resolve to sing when I feel like it, and I don't care who's listening.
I resolve to treasure every step of every run, because running only feels like it goes on forever. In truth, there is such a thing as a finish line, and as far away as it seems, once you reach it, you can't ever go back and re-run the race.
December 31, 2005
A flurry of end-of the-year action
Wow, I thought that the end of the year would kind of fade out, and I would be writing some vague, philosophical essay about the meaning of it all, but instead, a bunch of people ran really fast yesterday and suddenly there's a lot to talk about.
Do the Brockton runners read my blog? A couple of days after wondering where the hell all their distance runners went, they all appeared to run at the Tri-County league meet Dec. 30th. Mass. Div I XC runner-up Kevin Gill ran 4:31 in the mile, to win his section easily, and Jose DePina ran ran 10:05 in the deuce to garner another easy win. And Brockton produced another talent, Michael Honsa, who wasn't on the radar during XC, but laid down a 10:09 for second place. I guess reports of Brockton's demise were a bit premature. (They still don't have any sprinters, though; what's with that?)
Meanwhile, at the same meet, Mark Amirault was reminding us that he is the best 2-miler in the state right now. After loafing through a 4:34 mile (letting his teammate Alec Bleday win), Amirault cruised a 9:34 two-miler to beat Catholic Memorial's Matt Dewey by three seconds. Will Amirault opt for the 2-mile at the state meet to avoid a showdown with Polgar? It also looks like Xaverian has the horses for a very good 4x800 relay with Amirault, Bleday, Dan Higgins, and Andrew MacIsaac (2:45 to win the 1000 yesterday).
The other big news yesterday came from the Brown Univ. Christmas Relays, where Dennis Yarmouth junior Colleen Wetherbee ran 4:57.61, finishing a few seconds back of one Footlocker finalist (Lindsay Ferguson) and seven seconds ahead of another Footlocker finalist (Hanna Davidson). There hasn't been much news among the state's top girl middle distance runners, but that time on Brown's flat track is very impressive. Dennis Yarmouth also ran a 4x800 team that finished 6th in the championship race in 10:08.22. But another Mass. team, Bishop Feehan, ran even faster, recording 10:06.83 for 5th place.
In the same meet on the boys' side, Lexington's Willi Ballenthin (2005 MA State Indoor runner-up in the 1000) ran 4:23.36 to squeeze into second, only 0.03 behind Saratoga Springs' Greg Kelsey and just ahead of Stephen Murdock. By my count, four Mass. runners have run the 1M under 4:30 so far this season. They are:
Add Amirault and Gill to that mix, and it looks like a pretty good year for milers. Of course, we don't know who is going to run what at the big meets.
In the fine print of the results, Methuen recorded an excellent time in the Distance Medley relay, clocking 10:39. That means they have some outstanding distance talent, but haven't had a chance to show it in individual events yet.
A last note: As I write this it is 12:55 p.m., and over at BU, Noah Jampol is getting ready to break 2:00 for the 800 for the first time. Good luck, Noah!!
And Happy 2006, everyone!
Do the Brockton runners read my blog? A couple of days after wondering where the hell all their distance runners went, they all appeared to run at the Tri-County league meet Dec. 30th. Mass. Div I XC runner-up Kevin Gill ran 4:31 in the mile, to win his section easily, and Jose DePina ran ran 10:05 in the deuce to garner another easy win. And Brockton produced another talent, Michael Honsa, who wasn't on the radar during XC, but laid down a 10:09 for second place. I guess reports of Brockton's demise were a bit premature. (They still don't have any sprinters, though; what's with that?)
Meanwhile, at the same meet, Mark Amirault was reminding us that he is the best 2-miler in the state right now. After loafing through a 4:34 mile (letting his teammate Alec Bleday win), Amirault cruised a 9:34 two-miler to beat Catholic Memorial's Matt Dewey by three seconds. Will Amirault opt for the 2-mile at the state meet to avoid a showdown with Polgar? It also looks like Xaverian has the horses for a very good 4x800 relay with Amirault, Bleday, Dan Higgins, and Andrew MacIsaac (2:45 to win the 1000 yesterday).
The other big news yesterday came from the Brown Univ. Christmas Relays, where Dennis Yarmouth junior Colleen Wetherbee ran 4:57.61, finishing a few seconds back of one Footlocker finalist (Lindsay Ferguson) and seven seconds ahead of another Footlocker finalist (Hanna Davidson). There hasn't been much news among the state's top girl middle distance runners, but that time on Brown's flat track is very impressive. Dennis Yarmouth also ran a 4x800 team that finished 6th in the championship race in 10:08.22. But another Mass. team, Bishop Feehan, ran even faster, recording 10:06.83 for 5th place.
In the same meet on the boys' side, Lexington's Willi Ballenthin (2005 MA State Indoor runner-up in the 1000) ran 4:23.36 to squeeze into second, only 0.03 behind Saratoga Springs' Greg Kelsey and just ahead of Stephen Murdock. By my count, four Mass. runners have run the 1M under 4:30 so far this season. They are:
Dave Polgar (Newton North) 4:17.83
Polgar 4:22.62
Willi Ballenthin (Lexington) 4:23.36
Sam Horn (Reading) 4:27.70
Matt Dewey (Catholic Memorial) 4:29.29
Add Amirault and Gill to that mix, and it looks like a pretty good year for milers. Of course, we don't know who is going to run what at the big meets.
In the fine print of the results, Methuen recorded an excellent time in the Distance Medley relay, clocking 10:39. That means they have some outstanding distance talent, but haven't had a chance to show it in individual events yet.
A last note: As I write this it is 12:55 p.m., and over at BU, Noah Jampol is getting ready to break 2:00 for the 800 for the first time. Good luck, Noah!!
And Happy 2006, everyone!
December 30, 2005
Should you run when you're sick?
As I recover from a cold (and hope it doesn't lead to a sinus infection), it seems appropriate to consider this age-old question: when the body is fighting off illness, should the athlete keep training? Should he or she train differently? If rest is required, how much rest?
I truly wish there were simple answers to these questions, but in my own experience I haven't found anything simple about the experience of training and racing when sick. Let's say that there are two extreme positions: "old school" and "new school." The old school approach is to consider illness to be one more form of weakness that can be overcome by effort. An old school athlete runs when sick, and eventually gets better and is stronger for the experience ("what doesn't kill me makes me stronger"). The new school approach is to consider illness as a warning sign that the body needs healing before it can resume training. The new school athlete takes two days off, gets better, and gradually works up to hard training again. ("What doesn't kill me still leaves me in a weakened, compromised state that inhibits progressive adaptation and improvement.") So which school is better?
I have taken both approaches in my own running career, and have dispensed both "old school" and "new school" advice to athletes I have coached. The results are inconclusive. Worse than that, the results are contradictory. I once ran a brilliant half-marathon while suffering from the early stages of a cold, and recovered surprisingly quickly. I once ran a 10K race with a cold and developed a frightening case of bronchitis that kept me out of action for nearly a month. I have done track workouts while sick that seemed to hasten my cure, and I have done track workouts when sick that seemed to bring on far worse bouts of illness than what would have been expected. I have skipped track workouts when sick in the hope that I would recover faster, and then have failed to recover faster. It has been, as they say, a mixed bag.
One reason to train through illness is that NOT training doesn't always make you feel better. I mean psychologically as well as physically. One reason to AVOID training through an illness is that hard training has been shown to temporarily weaken the immune system, not a good thing when you are harboring nasty germs.
If I had to summarize the moderate approach, I would say that one should fore-go HARD training while sick, but not necessarily take complete reset. I'd also say avoid all racing when sick unless it is a really important race, for example one you have trained for all season. Thus, if you have a cold or a sore throat or a headache, run easy. Easy running means making it completely aerobic - nothing that involves really hard breathing or placing your body in extreme duress. I think there's little risk that such moderate exercise will lengthen the duration of a common cold. On the other hand, don't do that killer 4 x 1M workout that you had planned. Don't go out for a 15 mile long run in sub-freezing temperature. In other words, don't extend yourself. When you're sick, you're more likely to break.
I haven't even mentioned one of the other factors that comes into play: hypochondria. It turns out that many runners are hypochondriacs. When under mental stress, such as when approaching an important workout or race, they experience symptoms of illness without the actual illness. Far from being crazy, these athletes are actually rather typical. One of the important reasons to not automatically shut it down when you are feeling the early signs of a cold, is to counter this natural tendency to "worry yourself sick." Hypochondria, like other forms of self-doubt, needs to be understood and confronted to be overcome.
Finally, there is the rare malady of the athlete who refuses to take time off, even when continuing to train is obviously counter-productive, if not dangerous. If hypochondria is the result of one kind of insecurity, its opposite is the result of another kind of insecurity: the fear that taking any time off at all is an unacceptable form of weakness. This is where a coach can be very helpful in setting limits that an athlete might not want to set for himself or herself.
So, to conclude, should you run when you're sick?
What, do I look like a doctor?
I truly wish there were simple answers to these questions, but in my own experience I haven't found anything simple about the experience of training and racing when sick. Let's say that there are two extreme positions: "old school" and "new school." The old school approach is to consider illness to be one more form of weakness that can be overcome by effort. An old school athlete runs when sick, and eventually gets better and is stronger for the experience ("what doesn't kill me makes me stronger"). The new school approach is to consider illness as a warning sign that the body needs healing before it can resume training. The new school athlete takes two days off, gets better, and gradually works up to hard training again. ("What doesn't kill me still leaves me in a weakened, compromised state that inhibits progressive adaptation and improvement.") So which school is better?
I have taken both approaches in my own running career, and have dispensed both "old school" and "new school" advice to athletes I have coached. The results are inconclusive. Worse than that, the results are contradictory. I once ran a brilliant half-marathon while suffering from the early stages of a cold, and recovered surprisingly quickly. I once ran a 10K race with a cold and developed a frightening case of bronchitis that kept me out of action for nearly a month. I have done track workouts while sick that seemed to hasten my cure, and I have done track workouts when sick that seemed to bring on far worse bouts of illness than what would have been expected. I have skipped track workouts when sick in the hope that I would recover faster, and then have failed to recover faster. It has been, as they say, a mixed bag.
One reason to train through illness is that NOT training doesn't always make you feel better. I mean psychologically as well as physically. One reason to AVOID training through an illness is that hard training has been shown to temporarily weaken the immune system, not a good thing when you are harboring nasty germs.
If I had to summarize the moderate approach, I would say that one should fore-go HARD training while sick, but not necessarily take complete reset. I'd also say avoid all racing when sick unless it is a really important race, for example one you have trained for all season. Thus, if you have a cold or a sore throat or a headache, run easy. Easy running means making it completely aerobic - nothing that involves really hard breathing or placing your body in extreme duress. I think there's little risk that such moderate exercise will lengthen the duration of a common cold. On the other hand, don't do that killer 4 x 1M workout that you had planned. Don't go out for a 15 mile long run in sub-freezing temperature. In other words, don't extend yourself. When you're sick, you're more likely to break.
I haven't even mentioned one of the other factors that comes into play: hypochondria. It turns out that many runners are hypochondriacs. When under mental stress, such as when approaching an important workout or race, they experience symptoms of illness without the actual illness. Far from being crazy, these athletes are actually rather typical. One of the important reasons to not automatically shut it down when you are feeling the early signs of a cold, is to counter this natural tendency to "worry yourself sick." Hypochondria, like other forms of self-doubt, needs to be understood and confronted to be overcome.
Finally, there is the rare malady of the athlete who refuses to take time off, even when continuing to train is obviously counter-productive, if not dangerous. If hypochondria is the result of one kind of insecurity, its opposite is the result of another kind of insecurity: the fear that taking any time off at all is an unacceptable form of weakness. This is where a coach can be very helpful in setting limits that an athlete might not want to set for himself or herself.
So, to conclude, should you run when you're sick?
What, do I look like a doctor?
December 29, 2005
Home for the Holidays
Is there life for runners after high school? Yeah, sure there is... but it doesn't always resemble the frenetic, highly-charged, week-to-week existence of the Newton North track and field athlete. It's never more evident than during winter vacation when so many Newton North alumni are home visiting friends and families. Let's catch up with a few of them to find out how their running careers have moved on since their days at North.
It was quite a sight on Tuesday afternoon to see Chris Barnicle and Dan King doing 200s together at Reggie, weaving around crowds of oblivious 15- and 16-year-olds. As readers of this blog know, Chris is running XC and track at Arkansas. He says he'll be racing the mile on January 13th at the Arkansas Invitational in Fayetteville. No word on whether he and his mates might run a distance medley team at the Boston Indoor Games. Dan, a former state champ in the 200 meters, is now a junior at Duke, where he concentrates on the 400. On December 24, he ran 48.7 at the BU mini-meet to win against another former Mass. HS star, Mansfield's Terry Young.
Also working out at Reggie were former teammates and all-scholastics Liz Fulton and Simone Weisman. Liz attends Yale and is running indoor track, but admits freely that school is more important to her right now than track. Simone is attending Middlebury, where she has become good friends with former Wellesley standout Alexandra Krieg.
With my duaghter Joni home for a few weeks, I have had a chance to catch up with several of her friends from the Newton North class of 2002. Sam Ronfard, one of the captains of the undefeated 2001 XC team, is about to start his final semester at Tufts, and plans to spend at least a year teaching in the New York City Public School system after he graduates. Sam also ran the Paris Marathon last Fall with his dad, and has dreams of runnning in Boston in 2007. Two other members of that 2001 team, Ben Heidlage and Gerrit Albertson are also visiting this week. Ben is finishing up his senior year at Pomona and is in the process of applying to law schools. Gerrit is attending Vassar and is working in his senior thesis in Art History. Neither of them has admitted to doing any running lately.
Azuree Catledge, now a freshman at Howard University, was at Reggie last week doing a workout. I didn't have a chance to talk to her, so I'm not sure what event -- long jump, triple, hurdles, sprints -- she will be focusing on this winter.
Newton North assistant coach Shawn Wallace, an accomplished middle-distance ace at BC, made his return to competition after a couple of years off, running a 4:31 mile at the BU Mini-meet. Wallace, a former sub 4:10 miler, won his heat by almost 80 meters. Watch out Dave Polgar!
It was quite a sight on Tuesday afternoon to see Chris Barnicle and Dan King doing 200s together at Reggie, weaving around crowds of oblivious 15- and 16-year-olds. As readers of this blog know, Chris is running XC and track at Arkansas. He says he'll be racing the mile on January 13th at the Arkansas Invitational in Fayetteville. No word on whether he and his mates might run a distance medley team at the Boston Indoor Games. Dan, a former state champ in the 200 meters, is now a junior at Duke, where he concentrates on the 400. On December 24, he ran 48.7 at the BU mini-meet to win against another former Mass. HS star, Mansfield's Terry Young.
Also working out at Reggie were former teammates and all-scholastics Liz Fulton and Simone Weisman. Liz attends Yale and is running indoor track, but admits freely that school is more important to her right now than track. Simone is attending Middlebury, where she has become good friends with former Wellesley standout Alexandra Krieg.
With my duaghter Joni home for a few weeks, I have had a chance to catch up with several of her friends from the Newton North class of 2002. Sam Ronfard, one of the captains of the undefeated 2001 XC team, is about to start his final semester at Tufts, and plans to spend at least a year teaching in the New York City Public School system after he graduates. Sam also ran the Paris Marathon last Fall with his dad, and has dreams of runnning in Boston in 2007. Two other members of that 2001 team, Ben Heidlage and Gerrit Albertson are also visiting this week. Ben is finishing up his senior year at Pomona and is in the process of applying to law schools. Gerrit is attending Vassar and is working in his senior thesis in Art History. Neither of them has admitted to doing any running lately.
Azuree Catledge, now a freshman at Howard University, was at Reggie last week doing a workout. I didn't have a chance to talk to her, so I'm not sure what event -- long jump, triple, hurdles, sprints -- she will be focusing on this winter.
Newton North assistant coach Shawn Wallace, an accomplished middle-distance ace at BC, made his return to competition after a couple of years off, running a 4:31 mile at the BU Mini-meet. Wallace, a former sub 4:10 miler, won his heat by almost 80 meters. Watch out Dave Polgar!
December 28, 2005
Where have you gone, Jose DePina?
Brockton Boys won the 2005 Div I Mass XC championships, and then they... disappeared.
Well, not exactly. I notice from the results of the latest Tri-County Indoor Track meet that super soph Carlos Montrond ran a 4:54 mile, and another soph, James DuBeau ran a very nice 4:44 in the same race. But where are all the other stars from that Brockton team? Where are Jose DePina, Kevin Gill, and Geovanni Timberlake? How can it be that Brockton -- a school of 5000 students -- doesn't have anyone breaking 3:00 in the 1000, or 10:40 in the 2-Mile?
It is a mystery where these Brockton distance runners go in the winter. Maybe they don't really consider indoor track to be a sport, but rather a training period that is preparation for greater glory in outdoor track. Maybe they take the long-term view, and start out very slowly while other teams are cramming in speedwork. Or maybe the seniors simply step aside and let the sophomores take over. (Brockton's top finisher in the 2-Mile is also a sophomore).
I would much rather think that Brockton's relative weakness in the early season meet results is evidence of some master plan, than think that their outstanding distance runners are hurt, burned out, or disaffected in some way. After all, last year Jose DePina (5th in the 2004 State XC meet) took the indoor season off completely, and then returned to run second to Chris Barnicle in the outdoor state 2M. Brockton's Kevin Gill started slow, but finished 6th in the 2004 Indoor 1M (as a sophomore!) and ran well in outdoor track. So maybe they're just playing possum.
Nevertheless, Brockton dual meet indoor track record stands at 0-2 after losses to Xaverian and BC High. Can you imagine if Newton North Girls or Boys had an 0-2 record? I'm not sure that's ever happened, at least not in the long tenure of the current coaches.
So if Brockton runners aren't putting up big times, who is?
Xaverian's Mark Amirault recorded a 2:35 1000 to take the State lead in that event. He'll almost certainly move up to the 1M or 2M for the State meet. We haven't heard from the Lexington boys yet, but Willi Ballenthin is one of the favorities for the State 1M title. Matt Dewey, a junior from Catholic Memorial ran a 4:29 mile on Tuesday, the fastest non-Polgar time this winter so far. After a rich year for 600 runners last year, no one that I know of has run faster than 1:27 this year so far, leaving that event wide open.
I keep telling myself, it's early. It's very early.
Well, not exactly. I notice from the results of the latest Tri-County Indoor Track meet that super soph Carlos Montrond ran a 4:54 mile, and another soph, James DuBeau ran a very nice 4:44 in the same race. But where are all the other stars from that Brockton team? Where are Jose DePina, Kevin Gill, and Geovanni Timberlake? How can it be that Brockton -- a school of 5000 students -- doesn't have anyone breaking 3:00 in the 1000, or 10:40 in the 2-Mile?
It is a mystery where these Brockton distance runners go in the winter. Maybe they don't really consider indoor track to be a sport, but rather a training period that is preparation for greater glory in outdoor track. Maybe they take the long-term view, and start out very slowly while other teams are cramming in speedwork. Or maybe the seniors simply step aside and let the sophomores take over. (Brockton's top finisher in the 2-Mile is also a sophomore).
I would much rather think that Brockton's relative weakness in the early season meet results is evidence of some master plan, than think that their outstanding distance runners are hurt, burned out, or disaffected in some way. After all, last year Jose DePina (5th in the 2004 State XC meet) took the indoor season off completely, and then returned to run second to Chris Barnicle in the outdoor state 2M. Brockton's Kevin Gill started slow, but finished 6th in the 2004 Indoor 1M (as a sophomore!) and ran well in outdoor track. So maybe they're just playing possum.
Nevertheless, Brockton dual meet indoor track record stands at 0-2 after losses to Xaverian and BC High. Can you imagine if Newton North Girls or Boys had an 0-2 record? I'm not sure that's ever happened, at least not in the long tenure of the current coaches.
So if Brockton runners aren't putting up big times, who is?
Xaverian's Mark Amirault recorded a 2:35 1000 to take the State lead in that event. He'll almost certainly move up to the 1M or 2M for the State meet. We haven't heard from the Lexington boys yet, but Willi Ballenthin is one of the favorities for the State 1M title. Matt Dewey, a junior from Catholic Memorial ran a 4:29 mile on Tuesday, the fastest non-Polgar time this winter so far. After a rich year for 600 runners last year, no one that I know of has run faster than 1:27 this year so far, leaving that event wide open.
I keep telling myself, it's early. It's very early.
December 27, 2005
The last week of December is Indoor Track's last week of summer...
After several weeks of holiday-related stress and endless social commitments that culminated in my participating in a family tradition of sharing with my kids a truly nasty Christmas cold, I found myself limping (figuratively) toward the end of the year trying to keep some momentum in my training.
It's a tough week, this last week of December, with its vacation hours, its travel, and its family commitments. It's tough also because of the temptation to take it easy, to feel the need to take it easy (perhaps to recover from the holiday, or the days that preceded it?). I feel sympathy with the kids who come in at 9:00 or 9:30 in the morning every day during vacation.
The last week of December is like the last week of summer vacation before cross-country. This one week of training doesn't guarantee anything -- not records, not championships. But on the other extreme, the failure to continue training during this week can derail an entire indoor season. Not everyone trains during this time. Families travel. Schedules are turned upside down. Some people just feel the need to enjoy themselves without the added stress of running. It's a time when you really notice the difference between the athletes who want to train and those who view it as necessary, but not enjoyable.
I admit, I find training easier than being with my relatives. Both activities are stressful, but training makes me stronger and more confident, whereas family dinners with my in-laws leave me a broken man. But I digress.
Training is about making steady progress over time. Therefore, training tends to be most effective when it becomes routine, even boring. When training, an athlete wants to be free of distractions and able to direct energy into the sport. In other words, Christmas is a particulary difficult time to be training. Furthermore, to the outside world -- to friends and family, to holiday visitors -- training looks like an anti-social behavior completely at odds with the spirit of the season.
I woke up Christmas morning and I went for a run. It was just barely light and the eternal dull roar of the Mass Pike was reduced to an occasional distant rush of a single car on an obscure errand. I didn't feel great -- my head ached and my sinuses were bothering me -- but the run wasn't really bad at all. I had a chance to be alone with my thoughts, to have a little personal time before the onslaught. The next day, Monday, it was back to practice.
I was surprised at how few kids were there, but then I remembered how many of them were out of town visiting relatives during their week off from school. I also noted that others besides myself had caught colds ...or worse... and wouldn't be doing much. Outside, a light but persistent rain fell. It was just another day. Just the way I like it.
It's a tough week, this last week of December, with its vacation hours, its travel, and its family commitments. It's tough also because of the temptation to take it easy, to feel the need to take it easy (perhaps to recover from the holiday, or the days that preceded it?). I feel sympathy with the kids who come in at 9:00 or 9:30 in the morning every day during vacation.
The last week of December is like the last week of summer vacation before cross-country. This one week of training doesn't guarantee anything -- not records, not championships. But on the other extreme, the failure to continue training during this week can derail an entire indoor season. Not everyone trains during this time. Families travel. Schedules are turned upside down. Some people just feel the need to enjoy themselves without the added stress of running. It's a time when you really notice the difference between the athletes who want to train and those who view it as necessary, but not enjoyable.
I admit, I find training easier than being with my relatives. Both activities are stressful, but training makes me stronger and more confident, whereas family dinners with my in-laws leave me a broken man. But I digress.
Training is about making steady progress over time. Therefore, training tends to be most effective when it becomes routine, even boring. When training, an athlete wants to be free of distractions and able to direct energy into the sport. In other words, Christmas is a particulary difficult time to be training. Furthermore, to the outside world -- to friends and family, to holiday visitors -- training looks like an anti-social behavior completely at odds with the spirit of the season.
I woke up Christmas morning and I went for a run. It was just barely light and the eternal dull roar of the Mass Pike was reduced to an occasional distant rush of a single car on an obscure errand. I didn't feel great -- my head ached and my sinuses were bothering me -- but the run wasn't really bad at all. I had a chance to be alone with my thoughts, to have a little personal time before the onslaught. The next day, Monday, it was back to practice.
I was surprised at how few kids were there, but then I remembered how many of them were out of town visiting relatives during their week off from school. I also noted that others besides myself had caught colds ...or worse... and wouldn't be doing much. Outside, a light but persistent rain fell. It was just another day. Just the way I like it.
December 26, 2005
Dave Polgar - 4:17.83
When David Polgar ran 4:17.83 at the BU meet, there was a small but significant shifting of the the universe of Mass. high school running. Breaking 4:20 for the first time is always a big deal, but Polgar's run was about more than besting a numerical barrier. With that time, run early in the season off limited speedwork, Polgar staked his claim as the favorite to repeat as Mass. State indoor mile champion, achieved national attention as he tries to earn a berth in the Millrose Games HS mile, and probably achieved his goal of increasing the value of college scholarships he might be offered.
Of course, David Polgar is already a legend at Newton North for his talent as a runner, his prodigious appetite for junk food, his dreadlocks, his competitive fire, his generous personality, his leadership abilities... oh, and did I mention the dreadlocks? On any other stage, David Polgar would long ago have been the star attraction, but for three years he has run in the shadow of Chris Barnicle, and so this larger-than-life figure has, amazingly, remained somewhat unpublicized. But no more.
Polgar's national reputation actually began with his 3:05 1200 meter leg at the Penn Relay's last year. That was a revelation to those who thought that Newton North was "Barnicle plus three other guys." Now Polgar has an early mark in the mile that should put him in the top 5 in the US. The question is, can he bring that time down, and by how much?
Last year, 25 HS runners ran 4:17 or better indoors, but only 14 ran 4:16 or better. Improving by even a couple of seconds would be huge. It looks like Polgar will have his chances. Rumor has it he is planning to run in the Hispanic Games at the NY Armory on January 7th. Should he win that race, Polgar would earn an automatic entry into the Millrose Games HS mile, and a chance to run in Madison Square Garden. Of course, Barnicle won the Millrose HS mile last year.
Is it possible for Polgar to eclipse Barnicle's lifetime 1M best of 4:11.93? Although it's only six seconds, it looms as a large gap for Polgar to close. After all, Barnicle ran that time as a junior and never broke it as a senior. Barnicle also ran 4:16.58 as a sophomore (losing to Victor Gras in the State Indoor championships). It might not seem like much to improve six seconds with a whole season in front of you, but it is a formidable task. For now, Polgar is focused on training hard, staying healthy, and taking his shots. It's working out well for him so far, and it's nice to see him finally getting the recognition he deserves.
Of course, David Polgar is already a legend at Newton North for his talent as a runner, his prodigious appetite for junk food, his dreadlocks, his competitive fire, his generous personality, his leadership abilities... oh, and did I mention the dreadlocks? On any other stage, David Polgar would long ago have been the star attraction, but for three years he has run in the shadow of Chris Barnicle, and so this larger-than-life figure has, amazingly, remained somewhat unpublicized. But no more.
Polgar's national reputation actually began with his 3:05 1200 meter leg at the Penn Relay's last year. That was a revelation to those who thought that Newton North was "Barnicle plus three other guys." Now Polgar has an early mark in the mile that should put him in the top 5 in the US. The question is, can he bring that time down, and by how much?
Last year, 25 HS runners ran 4:17 or better indoors, but only 14 ran 4:16 or better. Improving by even a couple of seconds would be huge. It looks like Polgar will have his chances. Rumor has it he is planning to run in the Hispanic Games at the NY Armory on January 7th. Should he win that race, Polgar would earn an automatic entry into the Millrose Games HS mile, and a chance to run in Madison Square Garden. Of course, Barnicle won the Millrose HS mile last year.
Is it possible for Polgar to eclipse Barnicle's lifetime 1M best of 4:11.93? Although it's only six seconds, it looms as a large gap for Polgar to close. After all, Barnicle ran that time as a junior and never broke it as a senior. Barnicle also ran 4:16.58 as a sophomore (losing to Victor Gras in the State Indoor championships). It might not seem like much to improve six seconds with a whole season in front of you, but it is a formidable task. For now, Polgar is focused on training hard, staying healthy, and taking his shots. It's working out well for him so far, and it's nice to see him finally getting the recognition he deserves.
December 18, 2005
Winterfest
Some great performances for Newton North athletes at Winterfest. It's too bad the meet wasn't well attended by large schools (Brockton, Lexington, Xaverian, etc.). On the other hand, it was nice to see some of the Central Mass. schools like Wachusett, Algonquin, Shephard Hill, etc.
On the girl's side, Julie Blanchard won the 300 in 43.49, only a few tenths of her PR, and looking closer to her old self. That's good news for the Tigers because Julie is a potential state meet scorer in the 300, and also is a key on their 4x200 relay team, which finished 2nd today by only 0.02 out of the unseeded heat.
Kat Chiong also looked impressive, running 1:40.49 to win the 600, a much better performance than her opening 1:46 at the Brookline meet on Thursday. Lily Brown challenged for the lead at one point, but settled for 3rd in a PR 1:44.52.
The girls distance crew took the day off, but the boys distance runners were out in force, trying for the elusive "distance sweep" of the 1000, 1M, and 2M. David Polgar won the mile leading the whole way, running 400m splits of 64-66-66-66 for 4:22, about 5 seconds ahead of Reading's Sam Horn. Doug Brecher won the 2M in 9:59.9 and he also led the entire way. Noah Jampol made a great attempt to win the 100, but settled for 2nd in a PR 2:38.76.
In the 4x800 relay, the quartet of Peter Sun (2:09), Seb Putzys (2:10), Jampol (2:06), and Polgar (1:58), won fairly easily over St. John's Prep.
Once again the NN sprinter -- girls and boys -- showed great depth. Gordon Forbes, Caelin Robinson, and Khlale Pritchard finished 3rd, 4th, and 7th in the 55M dash finals, with Forbes running a 6.80 PR. In the 55 hurdles, Brendan Rooney had only the 7th best qualifying time, but ran brilliantly in the final to take 2nd in a PR 8.39. For the girls, Leah Weisman and Morgan Faer placed 4th and 6th in the 55M hurdle finals.
In the field events, David Smith won the shot put, breaking 50' for the first time this year (50' 1.75") and Nick van Niel placed 3rd in the Long jump at 19' 1.25".
Next up for the Tigers is Weymouth on Thursday. It should be the girls' toughest dual meet of the year.
On the girl's side, Julie Blanchard won the 300 in 43.49, only a few tenths of her PR, and looking closer to her old self. That's good news for the Tigers because Julie is a potential state meet scorer in the 300, and also is a key on their 4x200 relay team, which finished 2nd today by only 0.02 out of the unseeded heat.
Kat Chiong also looked impressive, running 1:40.49 to win the 600, a much better performance than her opening 1:46 at the Brookline meet on Thursday. Lily Brown challenged for the lead at one point, but settled for 3rd in a PR 1:44.52.
The girls distance crew took the day off, but the boys distance runners were out in force, trying for the elusive "distance sweep" of the 1000, 1M, and 2M. David Polgar won the mile leading the whole way, running 400m splits of 64-66-66-66 for 4:22, about 5 seconds ahead of Reading's Sam Horn. Doug Brecher won the 2M in 9:59.9 and he also led the entire way. Noah Jampol made a great attempt to win the 100, but settled for 2nd in a PR 2:38.76.
In the 4x800 relay, the quartet of Peter Sun (2:09), Seb Putzys (2:10), Jampol (2:06), and Polgar (1:58), won fairly easily over St. John's Prep.
Once again the NN sprinter -- girls and boys -- showed great depth. Gordon Forbes, Caelin Robinson, and Khlale Pritchard finished 3rd, 4th, and 7th in the 55M dash finals, with Forbes running a 6.80 PR. In the 55 hurdles, Brendan Rooney had only the 7th best qualifying time, but ran brilliantly in the final to take 2nd in a PR 8.39. For the girls, Leah Weisman and Morgan Faer placed 4th and 6th in the 55M hurdle finals.
In the field events, David Smith won the shot put, breaking 50' for the first time this year (50' 1.75") and Nick van Niel placed 3rd in the Long jump at 19' 1.25".
Next up for the Tigers is Weymouth on Thursday. It should be the girls' toughest dual meet of the year.
December 16, 2005
Meet Recap: NNHS v. Brookline
The first indoor track meet of the year in the BSC is always an energetic swirl of competition and near-chaos. The cross-country kids haven't seen each other for a few weeks, and fraternize, while the football and soccer players try to remember how to run or jump without someone trying to haul them down or dispossess them of a ball.
The races are a lot of fun, even if they don't tell you too much. What I mean is that a lot of people don't run particularly fast their first time out, especially in the distance events, so it's hard to predict where everyone will be in 10 weeks. I have seen plenty of milers improve 15-20 seconds from their first race to their last indoor meet. I've seen plenty of two-milers improve by almost a minute.
A lot of kids run the first lap of their first race as though there were bonuses for leading at 200m, 400m, etc. That's ok, they'll learn to pace a little bit better, and it certainly shows desire and heart to go out really fast and then die a horrible, painful death in the later laps.
The Newton North girls are once again foridable. Their 76-5 win over Brookline last night was the most lopsided of all the meets, and it would have been an even greater margin had the teams decided to contest the 4x400 relay, which North certainly would have won. There is hardly an event in which North isn't favored. Yesterday, Haleigh Smith (1M) and Jess Barton (1000) recorded league bests in their events, while Kat Chiong (600), Lily Brown (300), Alex Blenis (HJ), and Morgan Faer (SP) recorded the second best mark in the league in theirs. Next week's meet against Weymouth will be a test, but it will be a test that the Tigers should handle fairly easily.
Performance of the day for the girls? Maybe Barton's 3:12 in the 1000, or Brown's 44.40 in the 300. Or Leah Weisman's 8.02 in the 55. There were also impressive performances from freshman, including Nora Barnicles 5:54 to take third in the 1M, Carolyn Ranti's 13:03 to win the 2M, and Michelle Kaufman's 8.04 to take 2nd in the 55.
The boys have undergone a transformation over the past two seasons from a team with tremendous depth in the distance events, to a team with depth in sprinting and hurdling - and shot putting - North always seems to have good shot putters. Of course having David Polgar (1M), Noah Jampol (1000), and Doug Brecher (2M) will earn them wins against most teams in the distances, it doesn't appear that they'll sweep many meets in those events. The Tigers DID sweep the 55 dash (Caelin Robinson, Gordon Forbes, and Anthony Ambrosi) with three of the top four times in the league, and they DID sweep the shot put (David Smith, Marvin Chan, Anthony Ambrosi). Those two sweeps, along with a league-best win in the 4x400 created a comfortable margin over rival Brookline.
Performance of the day for the boys? Polgar and Jampol won quite easily, but weren't really pressed. David Smith threw 49 feet, which puts him on top of the league -- for now. I 'd have to say it was Caelin Robinson's blistering 6.81 in the 55, followed by his opening leg on the winning 4x4 relay. Most impressive newcomer? Perhaps it would be Jared Plotkin, who ran 1:30 in the 600.
Next up: Winterfest on Sunday, Dec. 18.
The races are a lot of fun, even if they don't tell you too much. What I mean is that a lot of people don't run particularly fast their first time out, especially in the distance events, so it's hard to predict where everyone will be in 10 weeks. I have seen plenty of milers improve 15-20 seconds from their first race to their last indoor meet. I've seen plenty of two-milers improve by almost a minute.
A lot of kids run the first lap of their first race as though there were bonuses for leading at 200m, 400m, etc. That's ok, they'll learn to pace a little bit better, and it certainly shows desire and heart to go out really fast and then die a horrible, painful death in the later laps.
The Newton North girls are once again foridable. Their 76-5 win over Brookline last night was the most lopsided of all the meets, and it would have been an even greater margin had the teams decided to contest the 4x400 relay, which North certainly would have won. There is hardly an event in which North isn't favored. Yesterday, Haleigh Smith (1M) and Jess Barton (1000) recorded league bests in their events, while Kat Chiong (600), Lily Brown (300), Alex Blenis (HJ), and Morgan Faer (SP) recorded the second best mark in the league in theirs. Next week's meet against Weymouth will be a test, but it will be a test that the Tigers should handle fairly easily.
Performance of the day for the girls? Maybe Barton's 3:12 in the 1000, or Brown's 44.40 in the 300. Or Leah Weisman's 8.02 in the 55. There were also impressive performances from freshman, including Nora Barnicles 5:54 to take third in the 1M, Carolyn Ranti's 13:03 to win the 2M, and Michelle Kaufman's 8.04 to take 2nd in the 55.
The boys have undergone a transformation over the past two seasons from a team with tremendous depth in the distance events, to a team with depth in sprinting and hurdling - and shot putting - North always seems to have good shot putters. Of course having David Polgar (1M), Noah Jampol (1000), and Doug Brecher (2M) will earn them wins against most teams in the distances, it doesn't appear that they'll sweep many meets in those events. The Tigers DID sweep the 55 dash (Caelin Robinson, Gordon Forbes, and Anthony Ambrosi) with three of the top four times in the league, and they DID sweep the shot put (David Smith, Marvin Chan, Anthony Ambrosi). Those two sweeps, along with a league-best win in the 4x400 created a comfortable margin over rival Brookline.
Performance of the day for the boys? Polgar and Jampol won quite easily, but weren't really pressed. David Smith threw 49 feet, which puts him on top of the league -- for now. I 'd have to say it was Caelin Robinson's blistering 6.81 in the 55, followed by his opening leg on the winning 4x4 relay. Most impressive newcomer? Perhaps it would be Jared Plotkin, who ran 1:30 in the 600.
Next up: Winterfest on Sunday, Dec. 18.
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