North Girls Beat Brookline, Win Carey Title

Becca Park leads the chase pack at Larz Anderson Thursday

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

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

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

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

So Close! North Boys Fall to Brookline

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

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

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

Here are the top ten:

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

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

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

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

Doing the Math; Knowing the Score

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

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

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

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

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

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

I have to say, I think this is unlikely.

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

CMass Profile: Shrewsbury

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Video: Bay State League Meet Boys Varsity Race

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

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

Here's the link:

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

(Be sure to watch it in high quality.)

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

Van Cott Over Waldron at Bill's 5K

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

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

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


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


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

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

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

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

Brookline, Wellesley Defend Team Titles at BayState League Meet

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

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

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

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

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

Girls Varsity Race: White, Wellesley Lead Herget Sweep

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are the league all-stars:

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

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

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

Time corrections for Bay State League Meet Boys Varsity

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

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

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

Newton South Edges Lincoln-Sudbury at DCL Championships

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are the results from Cool Running:

DCL Championships - Girls Varsity

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

Here are the results:

DCL Championships - Boys Varsity

An Unconventional Preview of the 2008 Bay State league Meet

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

I knew exactly what she meant.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

North Boys, Girls Sweep Braintree and Norwood

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

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

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

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

The Plot Thickens

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

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

We're not there yet.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NNHS Alumni Results - Oct 18, 2008

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

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

North Girls Swept by Natick, Milton; Boys Cruise

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

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

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

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

The Tigers race next against Braintree and Norwood.

Newton North Takes on Natick, Milton

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

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

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

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

Good luck to all teams, and enjoy the woods!

Joanie is Still the Best

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

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

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

Other interesting notes from scanning the results:

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

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

Chicago 1985 - "Jonesy, You OK?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NNHS/BayState Athletes at NE Championships

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

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

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

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

If I missed anyone, let me know.

Mass Teams at Manhattan Invite Today

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The other Mass. girls teams are:

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

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

2008 Manhattan Invitational Meet Website

NE Collegiate XC Set for Saturday @ Franklin Park

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

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

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