Ever since he split sub-50 in a relay indoors at Reggie, his fans have dreamed of seeing Isaiah Penn in a championship 400m. On Saturday, they got their wish and Penn became only the second Newton North/Newton H.S. runner in history to run one lap in under 49 seconds, as he won the D1 title in a blistering 48.77. Penn became the first D1 400m champion from NN since Jed Carpenter in 2005, and the second fastest in school history behind Wes Harris.
In the one mile, Ezra Lichtman also staked a claim to history as he won the D1 title in 4:18.18, a personal best. Lichtman becomes NN's first outdoor D1 mile champion since Dave Polgar did it in 2006. Junior Justin Keefe ran a PR 4:24.40 for 7th and two more points.
The team competition was close, as expected, but Acton-Boxboro ran away with it on the strength of an unprecedented 1-2-3 24-point finish in the 800m. Seriously, has that ever happened that one team has swept a running event in D1? A-B also won the 400m hurdles (Chris Pullerits, 54.61), the 4x800 (8:01.17). and the 4x400 (edging out Newton North in 3:24.45).
North had more points from Penn in the triple jump (42-5, 5th place), and Swardiq Mayanja, who took 3rd in both the shot (53-00.25) and discus (141-04). Ryan Donovan also picked up a point with an 8th place finish in the discus (128-10).
May 29, 2011
Field Events Key as NN Girls Win D1 Championships
The Andover girls were the best team on the track yesterday at the State D1 Championships, but it wasn't enough. The Golden Warriors scored in seven of eleven running events and got wins in the 200, 400, and 4x400 relay, where in an epic battle they defeated Newton North and set a meet record with a time of 3:57.50.
But as good as Andover was on the track, Newton North was better in the field. The Tigers scored an incredible 58.5 points in the jumps and throws, including 24 points in the long jump, 18 in the discus, and 11 in the triple jump. Those points, plus 35 points in the running events and relays propelled North to the team title and denied Andover a second straight D1 crown.
Individually, the Tigers were led by Carla Forbes who defended her 2010 D1 titles in the long and triple jumps, and Ellen Goldberg and Tatiana Froelich, who went 1-2 in the discus. Kayla Wong placed 2nd in the long jump and 3rd in the 100 hurdles (14.78 in the finals, following a 14.76 in her preliminary heat). Evie Heffernan continued here amazing spring as she ran a five-second personal best in the mile (5:09.77) for third. Margo Gillis gutted out a 2:17.44 in the 800 for another third place, behind Andrea Keklak's unreal 2:08.78. Meghan Bellerose went under 60 for the 400 for the first time, placing 5th in 59.76. Kayla Prior was 5th in the long jump. Alli Hurwitz placed 7th in the 400 hurdles in 1:08.59. Emily Hutchinson tied for 8th in the high jump with a clearance of 5-0. And in perhaps her final H.S. meet, Amy Ren finished 7th in the long jump and 8th in the triple jump for 3 more points.
In addition to North's second place in the 4x400 (3:57.91), the Tigers also placed 6th in the 4x800 in 9:52.96. North's 4x100 team was disqualified for a zone violation, but by then the Tigers had the meet in hand.
2011 DI Championships - Full Results
But as good as Andover was on the track, Newton North was better in the field. The Tigers scored an incredible 58.5 points in the jumps and throws, including 24 points in the long jump, 18 in the discus, and 11 in the triple jump. Those points, plus 35 points in the running events and relays propelled North to the team title and denied Andover a second straight D1 crown.
Individually, the Tigers were led by Carla Forbes who defended her 2010 D1 titles in the long and triple jumps, and Ellen Goldberg and Tatiana Froelich, who went 1-2 in the discus. Kayla Wong placed 2nd in the long jump and 3rd in the 100 hurdles (14.78 in the finals, following a 14.76 in her preliminary heat). Evie Heffernan continued here amazing spring as she ran a five-second personal best in the mile (5:09.77) for third. Margo Gillis gutted out a 2:17.44 in the 800 for another third place, behind Andrea Keklak's unreal 2:08.78. Meghan Bellerose went under 60 for the 400 for the first time, placing 5th in 59.76. Kayla Prior was 5th in the long jump. Alli Hurwitz placed 7th in the 400 hurdles in 1:08.59. Emily Hutchinson tied for 8th in the high jump with a clearance of 5-0. And in perhaps her final H.S. meet, Amy Ren finished 7th in the long jump and 8th in the triple jump for 3 more points.
In addition to North's second place in the 4x400 (3:57.91), the Tigers also placed 6th in the 4x800 in 9:52.96. North's 4x100 team was disqualified for a zone violation, but by then the Tigers had the meet in hand.
2011 DI Championships - Full Results
May 20, 2011
BSC Conference Meet Results 5/19/11
Under heavy, overcast skies, Newton North's track and field teams competed at the 2011 BSC Conference Championships yesterday at Weymouth. I've always had mixed feelings about the conference meet, wondering whether it was one meet too many for the top athletes, but looking at the results, I'm becoming a believer in the value and excitement of the event. In particular, the Tigers had scintillating wins in the boys and girls miles, among other strong performances. The NN girls looked particularly dominant in the field events, winning all of the jumps and two of the three throws.
On the girls side first, North got wins from Evie Heffernan in the mile (5:14.33 personal best) and Margo Gillis in the 800 (2:20.41). Allie Hurwitz took 4th in the 400m hurdles, and the girls 4x100 team took 3rd.
Emily Hutchinson won the high jump at a modest 4-11 (slippery jumping surface?)... Carla Forbes won the long and triple jumps (17-5, 38-9.5). Megan Gentile took first in the shot put (36-9), and Tatiana Froehlich won the discus, spinning it out to 122-00 (with Ellen Godberg 3rd in 107-03). Amy Lu had a nice throw in the javelin, hitting 95-08 for 6th.
For the boys, Ezra Lichtman went head-to-head with Weymouth's Steve Sollowin in the mile and won the battle, running a personal best 4:21.46. That makes him the fastest NN miler since David Polgar (2006), and almost certainly puts him in the top ten all-time for the Tigers. Not to be overlooked, Justin Keefe also flew, running 4:27.51 for 3rd, with Dan Ranti at 4:35.76 in 7th. Geez, it used to be that 4:30 would win this race, now it gets you 5th.
Isaiah Penn continued to dominate the one-lap race, winning the 400 in 50.38. North also won the 4x400 relay in 3:31.14, and the 4x800 relay in 8:47.2. Who ran for the Tigers on these teams?
The work of Mike Bower continues to amaze. Newton North had four of the top five places yesterday, with all four -- all underclassmen -- at 46' or better. Swardiq Mayanja won with a toss of 50-03, but North also had a sophomore throw 48-7 (Carl Witham) and a freshman throw 46-6 (Jermel Wright). That's like having a sophomore and a freshman running 4:30 and 4:35 for the mile. Incredible! Mayanja also won the discus (140-6), with Ryan Donovan taking 2nd (139-7).
In the jumps, Tylor Hart placed 2nd in the high jump (6-3), and Penn placed 3rd in the triple (39-11).
2011 Bay State Conference Outdoor T&F Championships
On the girls side first, North got wins from Evie Heffernan in the mile (5:14.33 personal best) and Margo Gillis in the 800 (2:20.41). Allie Hurwitz took 4th in the 400m hurdles, and the girls 4x100 team took 3rd.
Emily Hutchinson won the high jump at a modest 4-11 (slippery jumping surface?)... Carla Forbes won the long and triple jumps (17-5, 38-9.5). Megan Gentile took first in the shot put (36-9), and Tatiana Froehlich won the discus, spinning it out to 122-00 (with Ellen Godberg 3rd in 107-03). Amy Lu had a nice throw in the javelin, hitting 95-08 for 6th.
For the boys, Ezra Lichtman went head-to-head with Weymouth's Steve Sollowin in the mile and won the battle, running a personal best 4:21.46. That makes him the fastest NN miler since David Polgar (2006), and almost certainly puts him in the top ten all-time for the Tigers. Not to be overlooked, Justin Keefe also flew, running 4:27.51 for 3rd, with Dan Ranti at 4:35.76 in 7th. Geez, it used to be that 4:30 would win this race, now it gets you 5th.
Isaiah Penn continued to dominate the one-lap race, winning the 400 in 50.38. North also won the 4x400 relay in 3:31.14, and the 4x800 relay in 8:47.2. Who ran for the Tigers on these teams?
The work of Mike Bower continues to amaze. Newton North had four of the top five places yesterday, with all four -- all underclassmen -- at 46' or better. Swardiq Mayanja won with a toss of 50-03, but North also had a sophomore throw 48-7 (Carl Witham) and a freshman throw 46-6 (Jermel Wright). That's like having a sophomore and a freshman running 4:30 and 4:35 for the mile. Incredible! Mayanja also won the discus (140-6), with Ryan Donovan taking 2nd (139-7).
In the jumps, Tylor Hart placed 2nd in the high jump (6-3), and Penn placed 3rd in the triple (39-11).
2011 Bay State Conference Outdoor T&F Championships
May 16, 2011
Results from the 2011 State Coaches Meet
When I was coaching at Newton North, I always loved the MSTCA Coaches meet because the depth and quality of the competition always seemed to result in a bounty of personal bests. It was always a goal to qualify for the State Coaches meet, and then run a really fast time there to qualify for the MIAA Div I meet.
On Saturday, Durfee hosted the 2011 MSTCA meet and there were plenty of fast times, and several championships for Newton North athletes.
NN senior Isaiah Penn ran the fastest 400m in the state this year, crossing the line in 49.01. He was quoted in the Globe to the effect that he still had more work to do and that he knew he could go faster. Mercy! Also in the 400, NN's Ben Clark ran 52.57.
In the 800, Ezra Lichtman added another impressive victory for North, running 1:57.92 (personal best?) to lead six runners under 2:00. North freshman Gabe Montague also competed in the 800, running 2:05.79.
In other events, Justin Keefe finished 5th in the 1 mile (4:31.19); Dan Ranti placed 4th in the 2 Mile (9:52.70); and Tylor Hart placed 4th in the high jump (6-2). In the shot put, North had three throwers over 47 feet, all underclassmen, led by Swardick Mayanja's second place (53-8). Mayanja also placed 2nd in the discus with a throw of 160-7.
Running out of the slowest heat, the quartet of Clark, Terrell Doyle, Abbott, and Keefe placed 4th overall in the 4x400 relay, running 3:32.01. Gotta love their chances with Penn and Lichtman.
Carla Forbes was named the meet's outstanding performer in the field events, as she won the triple jump with a leap of 40-1.25. Amy Ren was 10th in the same event with a leap of 33-5. Forbes also placed 3rd in the 200, running 26.17.
Forbes had company (and competition) for the above honor from her teammates. In the discus, Tatiana Froelich won with a throw of 119-5. Ellen Goldberg also had a great throw, 113-8, which was good enough for fourth. In the long jump, Kayla Wong won with a leap of 16-10.5. Wong also placed 3rd in the 100m hurdles, running 15.24 in the finals (15.16 in the trials).
In the shot put, Megan Gentile had a huge throw of 36-1.25 to place second. In the high jump, Emily Hutchinson cleared 5-3 to place third. Steph Brown was third in the pole vault (8-0).
In the 400, sophomore Meghan Bellerose (60.02) and Madison Nadeau (60.75) finished 7th and 10th, respectively. In the 1 Mile, freshman Evie Heffernan ran a personal best 5:14.04 to finish 5th, only two seconds behind the winner. Sister Maggie finished 8th in what I believe is also a personal best 5:19.84. In the 2 Mile, Devika Banerjee placed 8th in 12:20.79, with Liz Rudie at 12:44.22.
In the 400m hurdles, Amy Ren placed 10th in 1:09.32.
North's 4x100 team of Wynn, Forbes, Brown, and Wong placed 3rd in 50.72. Their 4x800 team finished 5th in 9:58.60.
2011 MSTCA Boys and Girls Results
On Saturday, Durfee hosted the 2011 MSTCA meet and there were plenty of fast times, and several championships for Newton North athletes.
NN senior Isaiah Penn ran the fastest 400m in the state this year, crossing the line in 49.01. He was quoted in the Globe to the effect that he still had more work to do and that he knew he could go faster. Mercy! Also in the 400, NN's Ben Clark ran 52.57.
In the 800, Ezra Lichtman added another impressive victory for North, running 1:57.92 (personal best?) to lead six runners under 2:00. North freshman Gabe Montague also competed in the 800, running 2:05.79.
In other events, Justin Keefe finished 5th in the 1 mile (4:31.19); Dan Ranti placed 4th in the 2 Mile (9:52.70); and Tylor Hart placed 4th in the high jump (6-2). In the shot put, North had three throwers over 47 feet, all underclassmen, led by Swardick Mayanja's second place (53-8). Mayanja also placed 2nd in the discus with a throw of 160-7.
Running out of the slowest heat, the quartet of Clark, Terrell Doyle, Abbott, and Keefe placed 4th overall in the 4x400 relay, running 3:32.01. Gotta love their chances with Penn and Lichtman.
Carla Forbes was named the meet's outstanding performer in the field events, as she won the triple jump with a leap of 40-1.25. Amy Ren was 10th in the same event with a leap of 33-5. Forbes also placed 3rd in the 200, running 26.17.
Forbes had company (and competition) for the above honor from her teammates. In the discus, Tatiana Froelich won with a throw of 119-5. Ellen Goldberg also had a great throw, 113-8, which was good enough for fourth. In the long jump, Kayla Wong won with a leap of 16-10.5. Wong also placed 3rd in the 100m hurdles, running 15.24 in the finals (15.16 in the trials).
In the shot put, Megan Gentile had a huge throw of 36-1.25 to place second. In the high jump, Emily Hutchinson cleared 5-3 to place third. Steph Brown was third in the pole vault (8-0).
In the 400, sophomore Meghan Bellerose (60.02) and Madison Nadeau (60.75) finished 7th and 10th, respectively. In the 1 Mile, freshman Evie Heffernan ran a personal best 5:14.04 to finish 5th, only two seconds behind the winner. Sister Maggie finished 8th in what I believe is also a personal best 5:19.84. In the 2 Mile, Devika Banerjee placed 8th in 12:20.79, with Liz Rudie at 12:44.22.
In the 400m hurdles, Amy Ren placed 10th in 1:09.32.
North's 4x100 team of Wynn, Forbes, Brown, and Wong placed 3rd in 50.72. Their 4x800 team finished 5th in 9:58.60.
2011 MSTCA Boys and Girls Results
May 09, 2011
College Results: Karys Wins 10000m at Heps
Ivy League Championships
Cornell sophomore Kelsey Karys (NSHS '09) won the 10000m at the Ivy League Championships (Heps) by nearly 20 seconds over the weekend, running 34:19.99. Karys also finished 6th in the 3000 (9:53.37).
Josh Seeherman poses the question:
"When is the last time a Newton North or Newton South runner won a Heps title? We know the first; Milton Green (NHS '31) won the long jump and high hurdles at the inaugural Heps championship in 1935. M. Carl Shine (NHS '55) won the shotput in 1958-1959 . . . . Mark Young (NSHS '64) won the 400 in 1968-1969, but is that it?"
Princeton senior and former Xaverian runner Mark Amirault continued his incredible spring, winning the 1500m and 5000m. Cornell sophomore Nick Wade (North Attleboro '09) won the 800m in 1:50.15.
Yale senior David Smith (NNHS '07) finished 9th in the shot put with a best throw of 15.28m (50-01.75), and 12th in the discus (38.37m, 125-11).
Cornell sophomore Kelsey Karys (NSHS '09) won the 10000m at the Ivy League Championships (Heps) by nearly 20 seconds over the weekend, running 34:19.99. Karys also finished 6th in the 3000 (9:53.37).
Josh Seeherman poses the question:
"When is the last time a Newton North or Newton South runner won a Heps title? We know the first; Milton Green (NHS '31) won the long jump and high hurdles at the inaugural Heps championship in 1935. M. Carl Shine (NHS '55) won the shotput in 1958-1959 . . . . Mark Young (NSHS '64) won the 400 in 1968-1969, but is that it?"
Princeton senior and former Xaverian runner Mark Amirault continued his incredible spring, winning the 1500m and 5000m. Cornell sophomore Nick Wade (North Attleboro '09) won the 800m in 1:50.15.
Yale senior David Smith (NNHS '07) finished 9th in the shot put with a best throw of 15.28m (50-01.75), and 12th in the discus (38.37m, 125-11).
May 06, 2011
3rd Annual Adrian Martinez Classic
June 17, 2011
On Friday evening, June 17, beginning at 5 p.m. Concord-Carlisle H.S. hosts the third annual Adrian Martinez Classic, a festival of one-mile races on Concord's Emerson track. There are races for all ages and all abilities, including a race for mile novices, and the highly competitive ADRO MILE, which offers cash prizes for top 5 finishers in the men's and women's division. There is a bonus of $1,000 for the first man who runs sub-4:00 and the first woman who runs sub-4:30.
Schedule of Events:
5:00 PM: Age Group Races from 10-under up to 18
Scholastic Challenge, three runners from same town
6:05 PM: FIRST-TIMER’S MILE
6:20 PM: Masters and Seniors Races
6:40 PM: OPEN Races
7:00 PM: The Adro Elite Miles
The scholastic challenge is a team category for high school students (team members must be from the same town and must be attending high school or just graduated).
For entry info and directions, see the event website:
http://www.martinezclassic.com
Letter from Race Director and CCHS Head Coach Steve Lane:
Dear Coaches,
I am writing to invite you and your athletes to the 3rd Annual
Adrian Martinez Classic on Friday, June 17th in Concord, MA. The
goal of the event is to bring together the whole running community
for one evening of mile races. For elites, we wish to spread some
prize money around, offer up another chance to race a fast time,
and have the race serve as a late-season qualifying chance for
USATFs. For runners with more modest goals, we offer the chance to
race a track mile, then watch the elites in the same event – an
opportunity not often available.
Hope to see you there!!
Thanks,
Steve Lane
Race Director, The Adrian Martinez Classic
www.martinezclassic.com
617-306-4650
May 04, 2011
WHS Track Coach Tom Davis Dismissed
Tom Davis (NNHS '04), the second-year track coach at Westwood High School, was summarily dismissed from his position last Friday, after the WHS Athletic Director confronted a member of the track team for running without a shirt.
Wicked Local has the story here:
Davis Fired as WHS Track Coach
There is a thread on Letsrun with additional information:
Letsrun's Tom Davis Fired from Westwood High
Tom's attempts to engage the administration in a discussion to resolve the shirtless issue prior to the incident that led to his dismissal were unsuccessful. It's hard to understand the thought-process behind the actions taken by the school.
According to the WickedLocal article, Westwood athletes and their parents have requested a meeting with the administration but have so far been rebuffed.
While I would ask everyone to keep Tom in mind, as always, it will be the athletes who will be hurt most by this action.
Wicked Local has the story here:
Davis Fired as WHS Track Coach
There is a thread on Letsrun with additional information:
Letsrun's Tom Davis Fired from Westwood High
Tom's attempts to engage the administration in a discussion to resolve the shirtless issue prior to the incident that led to his dismissal were unsuccessful. It's hard to understand the thought-process behind the actions taken by the school.
According to the WickedLocal article, Westwood athletes and their parents have requested a meeting with the administration but have so far been rebuffed.
While I would ask everyone to keep Tom in mind, as always, it will be the athletes who will be hurt most by this action.
May 02, 2011
Newton North Teams Sweep D1 State Relays
To no one's surprise, The Newton North Girls won the D1 State Relays title yesterday, earning their second straight victory and fifth in the last eight years.
To almost everyone's surprise, the Newton North boys joined them as champions, winning their first title since 2005.
The girls won with their characteristic depth, scoring 37 points in the running events and 36 points in the field events. On the track, the Tigers dominated the sprint medley (4:14.50) and shuttle hurdles (1:05.51), winning by over five seconds in the former and two seconds in the latter. The Tigers also won a close race in the 4x400 over Andover, setting a meet of 3:59.61. For good measure, the team picked up a 4th-place finish in the distance medley, a 5th in the 4x1600, and a 6th in the 4x200.
In the field events, North won the triple jump and long jumps by an average of a foot per jumper. They also won the discus, which, with a 3rd in the Javelin, clinched the meet. I've always maintained that this Newton North team can win even when things don't go perfectly. On Sunday, North surely hoped for plenty of points in the high jump, but recorded a "NH" instead. In the end, it didn't matter as the Tigers had points from so many other sources.
For the boys, highlights of the running events included a razor-thin victory in the sprint medley (3:34.78, just 0.02 ahead of Andover), a 3rd in the 4x1600 (18:15.07), and a 5th in the distance medley (10:58.02).
It was unexpected points in the field events, however, that put North over the top. Mike Bower's throwers took home a first-place in the shot put (Swardic Mayanja had the best throw of the competition with a toss of 54-4), and second in the discus. The boys scored a surprise second in the high jump, and a third in the triple. The team's 50 points was 11 better than New Bedford and St. John's Prep.
It was also a great comeback for a team that finished 9th in 2010 and only 21st in 2009.
Boston Herald coverage
Great highlight photos
Full Results - D1 State Relays May 1, 2011
May 01, 2011
Former Xaverian Star Mark Amirault Anchors Princeton's 4x1 Mile Victory at Penn Relays
Princeton senior Mark Amirault, a former Mass track and cross-country champion at Xaverian Brothers H.S., ran a 4:02.8 anchor leg to give Princeton its first victory in the 4x1 Mile at the Penn Relays. It was also the first Ivy League win in the event since 1931.
Amirault, who has been tearing up the track this spring, began the final leg trailing Indiana's Ben Hubers and Arkansas's Duncan Phillips. Phillips led the charge to catch the leader, and Amirault followed, putting himself in perfect position to kick by Phillips in the home stretch.
Thanks to Josh Seeherman for the tip!
April 28, 2011
Home Unbeaten Streak
I know the track season started over a month ago, but spring always seems to develop slowly until a warm day, a new track, and some upcoming state-level meets finally make it feel like the season has really started.
Newton North hosted a home meet at the new high school, sweeping Needham and remaining undefeated on the season.
Girls: Newton North 105 Needham 31
For the girls, Carla Forbes won four events (100, 200, LJ, TJ) and wasn't seriously challenged in any of them. Other performances that stand out for me include Kayla Wong winning the hurdles (14.9!!), Margo Gillis winning the 800 (2:17.0).
Other winners in the running events: Meghan Bellerose won the 400 in 60.9. Maggie Heffernan won the mile by 150 meters in 5:30.4. Devika Banerjee won the 2M in 12:38.4. Impressive times that did not win: Madison Nadeau -- 26.6 in the 200 (behind Forbes), and Evie Heffernan -- 2:22.7 in the 800 (behind Gillis and Needham's Hannah Alpert).
Other NN winners in the field events: Meghan Gentile in the SP (31-7), Ellen Goldberg in the discus (107-0), Djaidah Wynn in the Jav (90-10), and Emily Hutchinson in the HJ (5-2). North also won both relays.
Girls: Newton North 91 Needham 45
Isaiah Penn dropped down to the sprints, and won the 100 (11.0) and 200 (22.4) in convincing fashion over Needham's Brian Hazzard (2nd in both races). Ben Clark took care of business in the 400, running 52.8 for the win.
In the 800, Ezra Lichtman pulled away for the win in 2:02.0, with freshman Gabe Montague running 2:05.2 for an impressive second over Needham's Jeff Okerman. In the mile, it was Justin Keefe (4:38), and in the deuce, Dan Ranti won by over half a lap in 10:03.5.
Needham's Peter Farlow won the 110 and 400 hurdles by plenty, but in the high hurdles, Nick Fofana recorded a solid 16.4 for second.
In the throwing events, Swardic Mayanja led a NNHS sweep of the shot put with a toss of 50-0. Ryan Donovan won the discus with a throw of 118-10. Fofana took second in the Javelin with an excellent throw of 143-5 (PB?).
In the jumps, Tylor Hart won the high jump at 6-0, with Fofana second again in 5-8. North had two jumpers (Hart, Penn) over 20' in the long jump, but that was only good enough for 2nd and 3rd behind Farlow's facility record 22-1. North's Shawn Seamans won the triple with a jump of 41-6.
North also won both relays.
Next up for the Tigers: The MSTCA Div I State Relays at Franklin H.S. on Sunday, May 1
Newton North hosted a home meet at the new high school, sweeping Needham and remaining undefeated on the season.
Girls: Newton North 105 Needham 31
For the girls, Carla Forbes won four events (100, 200, LJ, TJ) and wasn't seriously challenged in any of them. Other performances that stand out for me include Kayla Wong winning the hurdles (14.9!!), Margo Gillis winning the 800 (2:17.0).
Other winners in the running events: Meghan Bellerose won the 400 in 60.9. Maggie Heffernan won the mile by 150 meters in 5:30.4. Devika Banerjee won the 2M in 12:38.4. Impressive times that did not win: Madison Nadeau -- 26.6 in the 200 (behind Forbes), and Evie Heffernan -- 2:22.7 in the 800 (behind Gillis and Needham's Hannah Alpert).
Other NN winners in the field events: Meghan Gentile in the SP (31-7), Ellen Goldberg in the discus (107-0), Djaidah Wynn in the Jav (90-10), and Emily Hutchinson in the HJ (5-2). North also won both relays.
Girls: Newton North 91 Needham 45
Isaiah Penn dropped down to the sprints, and won the 100 (11.0) and 200 (22.4) in convincing fashion over Needham's Brian Hazzard (2nd in both races). Ben Clark took care of business in the 400, running 52.8 for the win.
In the 800, Ezra Lichtman pulled away for the win in 2:02.0, with freshman Gabe Montague running 2:05.2 for an impressive second over Needham's Jeff Okerman. In the mile, it was Justin Keefe (4:38), and in the deuce, Dan Ranti won by over half a lap in 10:03.5.
Needham's Peter Farlow won the 110 and 400 hurdles by plenty, but in the high hurdles, Nick Fofana recorded a solid 16.4 for second.
In the throwing events, Swardic Mayanja led a NNHS sweep of the shot put with a toss of 50-0. Ryan Donovan won the discus with a throw of 118-10. Fofana took second in the Javelin with an excellent throw of 143-5 (PB?).
In the jumps, Tylor Hart won the high jump at 6-0, with Fofana second again in 5-8. North had two jumpers (Hart, Penn) over 20' in the long jump, but that was only good enough for 2nd and 3rd behind Farlow's facility record 22-1. North's Shawn Seamans won the triple with a jump of 41-6.
North also won both relays.
Next up for the Tigers: The MSTCA Div I State Relays at Franklin H.S. on Sunday, May 1
April 27, 2011
NNHS Hosts Inaugural Meet on New Track
Even when I don't post, there are lots of comments!
Here's a placeholder post for anyone who wants to continue to comment on the historical moment at hand, as NNHS prepares to host a track meet for the first time since Spring 2007. Newton North competes against Needham today and we'll find out how fast the new track really is.
Trivia question: who was the last Newton North runner to compete in a high school meet at the old Dickinson Stadium track?
Here's a placeholder post for anyone who wants to continue to comment on the historical moment at hand, as NNHS prepares to host a track meet for the first time since Spring 2007. Newton North competes against Needham today and we'll find out how fast the new track really is.
Trivia question: who was the last Newton North runner to compete in a high school meet at the old Dickinson Stadium track?
April 19, 2011
NNHS Alumni @ Boston 2011
Congratulations to NNHS alumni who ran Boston this year!
I know of at least two:
Jason Abbott-Dallamora (number 2256 in your program) ran negative splits to break three hours for the first time and finish 987th overall in 2:55:44.
Newton firefighter and NNHS grad Tim Killilea ran 3:42:54. That gave him the bragging rights in the family as he pulled ahead of younger brother Dan (an NSHS grad), in the final kilometers. Dan finished in 3:45:34.
There must have been many other Newton North alumni running. Post a comment if you know of any.
I know of at least two:
Jason Abbott-Dallamora (number 2256 in your program) ran negative splits to break three hours for the first time and finish 987th overall in 2:55:44.
Newton firefighter and NNHS grad Tim Killilea ran 3:42:54. That gave him the bragging rights in the family as he pulled ahead of younger brother Dan (an NSHS grad), in the final kilometers. Dan finished in 3:45:34.
There must have been many other Newton North alumni running. Post a comment if you know of any.
Blown Away
Prior to April 17, 2011, there had been ten sub-2:05 marathon performances in the history of the world.
Thirty-six hours later, there are half again as many. On Sunday, Emannuel Mutai ran 2:04:40 to win London on a perfectly still day. On Monday, Geoffrey Mutai ran 2:03:02 to win Boston with the wind at his back nearly every step of the way.
Before we get to the wind, lets take a few moments to admit that what we just saw at Boston was, under ANY conditions, amazing. I have always laughed at the idea of 2:00 marathon, saying it wouldn't happen in my lifetime. But watching Mutai sprinting down the final meters of Boylston Street with the clock reading 2:02:xx blew my mind.
And lest I forget, the women's race was just unbelievable. Forget about the times, the seesaw battle between Kilel and Davila was tremendous. I really hoped Davila would get the win, but she did everything she could and it wasn't quite enough. However, she now has the fastest time ever on the Boston course by an American -- 2:22:38 -- eclipsing Joan Samuelson's astonishing 2:22:43 from 1983.
Prior to Boston 2011, almost all the really fast marathons have been at Berlin, Frankfurt, or Rotterdam. These are proper, legal courses that do not have a drop in net elevation and do not offer the POTENTIAL of a point-to-point tailwind. Boston fails both tests, and performances at Boston are not given record consideration.
So it is left to us to appreciate those performances with a different set of standards. To wit: as anyone who has run it knows, Boston hurts you. It pounds the quads into pulp, and terrorizes the hamstrings with its rolling hills and uneven pavement. You can have all the tailwind in the world, but that won't guarantee you a pain-free race; just ask Kim Smith.
Secondly, for all their charms, Berlin, Frankfurt, and Rotterdam are all about the records. They are pancake-flat courses and the organizers always provide multiple pace-setters to give the favorites a chance to tuck in and draft at 1:02 half-marathon pace. Nothing wrong with that, but the only pace-setters at Boston are the actual runners who hear the siren song that whispers in their ears that it's ok to go out fast because they feel so GOOD in the early miles.
Now, about that wind...
I am almost an old-timer now, and as such, I am qualified to tell you that a marathon day such as April 18, 2011 comes along only once every 15-20 years. In fact, the last one was in in 1994. I had the good fortune to run Boston that year. It was a cool day and there was a strong tailwind for the first half of the race. I vividly remember passing under a banner that had been strung across Rt. 135 at about the 15K mark and seeing it blown nearly horizontal in the direction I was heading. I was giddy with the feeling of having hit the meteorological jackpot. Eventually, that strong Southwest breeze became more of a crosswind, but for a while, I felt like I had someone pushing me from behind. I ran 2:31 that day, which is by far my best time at Boston. A lot of other people ran fast that day, too. For example...
In 1994 Cosmas Ndeti won his second of three consecutive races in a course record (and lifetime personal best) 2:07:15. Uta Pippig won her second of three consecutive races in a course record (and lifetime personal best) 2:21:45. Heinz Frei won the men's wheelchair race in a course record (and lifetime personal best) 1:21:23. Jean Driscoll won the women's wheelchair race in a course record (and lifetime personal best) 1:34:22. Well, you get the idea...
The wind helps. It helps a lot. But don't try to figure out exactly how much; that path leads to madness. Not everyone benefits from the wind equally. And you still have to be smart enough not to go out too fast. People crash and burn with a tailwind at their back, too.
For the same reason, don't get all huffy about how records set at Boston should be recognized. They shouldn't. We should just appreciate them for what they are. Really, really impressive fast runs that leave us pretty much speechless. Even Ryan Hall, who recorded the fastest marathon ever run by an American (perhaps quieting his critics for a few days, at least) seemed unable to put it into words.
"I'm a 2:04 marathoner," he said. For once, I'm ready to join him and the choir and shout out, "Amen!"
Sub 2:05 Marathons prior to 4/17/2011 (including Boston):
1. Gebrselassie 2:03:59 (2008)
2. Gebrselassie 2:04:26 (2007)
3. Kwambai 2:04:27 (2009)
3. Kibet 2:04:27 (2009)
5. Makau 2:04:48 (2010)
6. Gebrselassie 2:04:53 (2008)
7. Tergat 2:04:55 (2003)
7. Mutai, G. 2:04:55 (2010)
9. Korir 2:04:56 (2003)
10. Kipsang 2:04:57 (2010)
Sub 2:05 marathons after 4/18/2011 (including Boston):
1. Mutai, G. 2:03:02 (2011)
2. Mosop 2:03:06 (2011)
3. Gebrselassie 2:03:59 (2008)
4. Gebrselassie 2:04:26 (2007)
5. Kwambai 2:04:27 (2009)
5. Kibet 2:04:27 (2009)
7. Mutai, E. 2:04:40 (2011)
8. Makau 2:04:48 (2010)
9. Gebrselassie 2:04:53 (2008)
10. Gebrmerriam 2:04:53 (2011)
11. Tergat 2:04:55 (2003)
11. Mutai, G. 2:04:55 (2010)
13. Korir 2:04:56 (2003)
14. Kipsang 2:04:57 (2010)
15. Hall 2:04:58 (2011)
April 01, 2011
Snow on April 1st Bodes Ill for Marathoners
As the snow began falling Thursday evening, it brought back memories of 1997 -- the year Boston was socked with an April Fool's Day blizzard that dumped two feet of the white stuff on the city. For those too young to remember that storm, let me (and Wikipedia) refresh your memory:
"During the peak of the storm from about 11 p.m. March 31 to 3 a.m. April 1, snow fell in Boston at an almost unheard-of rate of 3 inches (76 mm) per hour, some of the heaviest Boston had ever seen. Numerous lightning strikes and thunderclaps accompanied the extremely heavy snow, which accumulated one foot (12 inches (300 mm)) in just that four hour period. Moderate to heavy snow continued through mid-morning before tapering off." (Wikipedia)
Unlike the winter of 1997, which was -- up until that unusual blizzard -- a mild one, 2011 has been a bear of a year for snow. The last few weeks haven't been bad, but January and February were brutal. I have to admit, I thought we were through with winter. Maybe it's cabin fever, but I just can't wait for the first really warm day.
But there's a group of people that probably hopes it stays cool for a while longer. I'm talking, of course, about all those poor folks who have trained through this miserable winter to run the Boston Marathon. They were out there every weekend in January and February and March, defying frostbite and slippery roads to get in those long runs. They are the ultimate winter warriors, their bodies and minds toughened by the elements. They probably didn't even notice the snow falling last night. In fact, there's only one thing that these runners fear...that it will be 70 (or 80 or 90) degrees on Patriots Day. There is nothing more unfair than training for four months in sub-freezing temperatures only to be hit with a scorcher on the big day.
Unfortunately, and despite today's wintry mix, that nightmare scenario might be the most likely, or so says a researcher from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Dr. Rolf Paoli, who heads the NOAA's long-range meteorological forecasting service and is himself a veteran of six Boston Marathons, recently published an article on the NOAA web site that provides historical evidence for a definite weather pattern that has affected Boston a dozen times in the last sixty years.
According to Paoli, the pattern is characterized by colder-than-usual temperatures for up to six weeks in late February and March, culminating in a significant storm (sometimes cold rain, sometimes snow) on April 1st. In every case, this pattern has been followed by a dramatic warming trend within 2-3 weeks. More ominously, in every year that the pattern occurred, the temperature on Patriot's day exceeded 70 degrees.
Notwithstanding my own hankering for a nice spring day, this is not at all good news for the legions of winter-blooded runners who are not acclimated to heat and will be trying to cover 26.2 miles on April 18th in what might feel like tropical conditions.
According to Paoli, he became interested in the phenomenon after running the 1997 race less than three weeks after that massive April Fool's Day storm. The temperature on Patriots Day hit 78 degrees and he struggled just to finish. He ended up with a trip to the medical tent (for bad blisters) and a much slower time than he had hoped for. As he states in his article:
"I began to wonder if the weather had ever shifted so suddenly. I discovered it was actually fairly common. What was surprising when I examined the historical data was to see this correlation -- almost 100% -- between a storm on April 1st and a hot day on the day of the race. It would be foolish to claim that anyone can predict the weather so far ahead with absolute certainty, but the correlation appears to be too strong to be a coincidence."
Not all scientists share Paoli's view that there is a cause-and-effect relationship between April 1st storms in Boston and the weather on a specific day almost three weeks later. Researchers in Yale University's Department of Atmospheric Statistics point out that even a hundred years of data is not enough evidence to draw conclusions. Associate Professor Ari Pollof is quoted to that effect:
"If a convenience store sells two winning lottery tickets, people might think there is good luck involved, but in fact, it is nothing more than an unlikely coincidence. This supposed connection between snow on April 1 and the weather for the Marathon is similar -- it is curious, but ultimately the product of pure and simple chance."
Still, according to this statement on the BAA web site, the race is taking no chances with what might simply be a matter of chance. The strange connection between April 1st snow and a Patriots Day heat wave has, apparently, caused them to plan for more water consumption and more utilization of on-course and post-race medical facilities for treating heat-related injuries.
March 24, 2011
Tanzania Journal - Day 8:
Hippos in the Water; Elephants in the Mud
Running Log, 12/31/10 -- 24 minutes in and around Dik Dik Campground
On the last morning of 2010, I awoke from a heavy sleep with the feeling that the world had regained its sense of proportion. The pounding in my head from the previous evening's entertainment had gone away, and everything was quiet and peaceful as the sun came up on another perfect day in the Serengeti.
Rob had described our agenda for the day as a "full-day game drive" through the central Serengeti area known as Seronera. We would discover that our vehicle was one of a hundred others bent on driving for the next twelve hours on the network of dirt roads that infiltrated this popular area. We would all be out there with the same objectve: see as many animals as we could before the sun went down.
We had a leisurely breakfast at Mbuzi Mawe, although nothing was ever completely leisurely with Rob reminding us that we needed to get an early start. After breakfast it took us almost no time to gather our bags and trek down to the parking area and load up the Land Cruiser. It was not yet 9:00 when we left Mbuzi Mawe in search of wildlife.
Our first stop was a bluff overlooking a wide and relatively deep pool formed by one of the shallow streams that ran through the plain. I don't recall the name of this spot, but it was known universally as "the hippo pool," because it was filled with submerged and partially submerged hippos seeking refuge from the sun and the heat of the day. Photographs do not do justice to the odd, understated grandeur of 30-40 enormous creatures packed into no more than a splash of muddy water like animate bowling balls in a bathtub.
Hippos are known to be ill-tempered and extremely dangerous when disturbed, and are responsible for more human deaths in Africa than any other mammal other than man. It was hard to believe that these massive vegetarians who seemed willing to sleep all day in the pool, shifting positions occasionally with loud and comical grunts, were deadly when roaming the land at night. I could have watched them for hours.
After leaving the hippo pool, our journey became more random -- at least that's how it felt to me. Sometimes it seemed that Rob had a definite destination in mind, but sometimes it seemed we were just circling aimlessly, waiting for something to happen or some animal to make an appearance. From time to time we would pull up next to another Land Cruiser coming from where we were heading, and Peter or Rob would exchange news with the driver. I assume they were talking about where the lions were, or the leopards, or the jaguars.
The big cats were very cool, that's for sure, but my favorite animals were the elephants. We were lucky enough to see a huge herd of 100-120 elephants, and spend a good hour in their company when they chose to come our way. Among the herd were babies and adolescents, and they put on a show for us, wallowing and playing in the mud as though they hadn't a care in the world.
Mud, mud, glorious mud -- nothing quite like it for cooling the blood.
Of all the animals we saw, the elephants (and perhaps the baboons) were the only ones who seemed free from the constant anxiety of having to hunt or avoid being hunted. Even so, we had reason to be grateful they were so good-natured, because when they came over to the Land Cruiser, any one of them could have knocked us over with little effort.
It was late in the afternoon when we finally drove into the parking area at the Dik Dik campground. It must have been past six o-clock already, and the precious daylight was slipping away quickly. I had packed my running shorts and running shoes in my backpack for easy access, so while the others unloaded their bags, I was off immediately to change and get in that one last run of the year.
The layout of the campground would make this one of the more challenging runs. There were tents everywhere, and to have a running route at all I needed to make my way from the parking area along the edge of the background where it turned into bush, past the latrines and then up an access road that led to a second field, which was also full of tents and people. With a little creativity, I figured out how to make this a loop, of sorts, rather than a back-and-forth, and I set out to get in my requisite 20 minutes.
The first "loop" took about four minutes. As I passed our land cruiser, Rob looked on with amusement and maybe even a little pride. You see that mzungu running? He's OUR mzungu. He exercises every day, even on safari. I wondered what the other campers made of the sight of me gliding past their tents, forward and back, over and over. Surely there were other runners there. Maybe they were a little envious.
After the first loop, Joni fell in step beside me and we ran one circuit of the campground together. She ran in flip flops and civilian clothes, and it was great.
As with all of my short, repetitive, campground runs, it took forever to run the first 10 minutes, and then the next 10 went by quickly and easily. As I passed the 20-minute mark and realized that I had brought my year-long running adventure to a successful conclusion, a very happy, peaceful feeling settled over me. I celebrated with one final loop in the gathering dusk, speeding up as much as I could without terrorizing the other campers, and savoring the moment. It had been a long twelve months.
A final note about Dik Dik. Back in 2007 when Joni was traveling in Tanzania with Liz Gleason, they stayed at the same campground, They awoke in the middle of the night to a low growling sound. It was the sound of lions walking slowly through the campground in search of whatever it is lions want at that hour. Joni and her friend lay in their tents in a paroxysm of fear. Eventually after what seemed like a very long time, the lions went away.
Joni wisely chose not to share this story with us until she was safely back in the United States. Still, it has become part of our family history -- we refer to it as the night Joni met the lions -- and we all had it in the back of our mind as we bedded down for the night in the exact same spot.
So you might understand that I was a little apprehensive and edgy as night fell. Returning from the latrine with a flashlight just before turning in for the evening, I met a couple standing on the edge of the campground looking out into the bush. "You can see eyes," they said. Sure enough, when I pointed my flashlight out into the darkness, I could see the unmistakable gleam of yellow eyes staring back at me from perhaps 50-60 yards away. I didn't mention this to Ann until the next morning. I wanted to make sure that at least one of us slept well that night.
NEXT: Lions as Role Models; Lake Nduto
March 16, 2011
Tanzania Journal - Day 7, Part 3:
Mbuzi Mawe
At Klein's Gate, it took Rob about twenty minutes to secure our permit to enter the Serengeti. I should mention that this was only the latest example of the routine delays we encountered traveling through different administrative districts. In the past two days, there had been several times when we had found our way blocked by a small gate across the road manned by some local authority. Usually there would be a few shacks nearby, perhaps a village. Peter or Rob would get out of the car and go talk to someone for a while. I was never clear as to the exact nature of the conversation -- whether it was social, official, or something else. I was never sure whether any money changed hands, or whether they were just checking the status of our permits. The first time it happened, I was apprehensive. But after a few times, I just accepted it as normal and found a few more reasons to be glad we had experienced guides.
In any case, it was about 4:30 when once more, and for the last time that day, we all climbed into the Land Rover and drove through the gate.
Almost immediately the landscape changed from scrub forest to rolling hills and grassy plains, dotted with acacia trees. We were traveling South now, and the sun was sinking lower in the sky on the right side of the car. With Rob encouraging us, we all started scanning the bush for birds and animals. At first, Rob would be the one to call out to Peter to stop the car, and then he would point out an exotic bird perched in a tree or a "bachelor herd" of antelope or a lover's triangle of hyenas. We stopped frequently, sometimes letting the engine of the Land Cruiser rumble on, and sometimes shutting it off, letting the vast silence of the plains roll over us.
The sun had already set when we arrived at the Mbuzi Mawe tented camp. Until then, I really had no idea of what was meant by a "tented camp," but I suppose I thought it would be like, well, a CAMP... with TENTS. In fact, it was quite a bit more than that and I was unprepared. For me, at least, after two nights of roughing it, I would have been ecstatic with a hot shower and a clean bed. That, a bottle of beer, and Henry's incomparable cooking would have seemed like paradise enow.
But those simple pleasures were not on the menu at Mbuzi Mawe. As soon as Peter had pulled the Land Rover into the graveled parking area and we had climbed out of the vehicle to stretch our legs, uniformed porters appeared and whisked our bags away. Then Rob informed us that he, Peter, and Henry were heading off to the guides' quarters for the night. This came as a shock to me as I had assumed we would all be sticking together. But no, moments later more porters came and escorted us away up to the main lodge.
I was still feeling disoriented trying to figure out how we would get along without our crew when we walked through the doorway into the main building of the camp. On our right was a concierge sitting at a rather elegant wooden desk. On the left were couches with comfy pillows, coffee tables with magazines and board games, and open french doors leading to a veranda. A few more steps into the lobby, or whatever it was called, and one could see there was a gift shop, a bar, and beyond it, a well-appointed dining room. As we stood there dazed, someone offered us glasses of mango juice. "Karibu, karibu! Welcome to Mbuzi Mawe!"
Pictures from the promotional web site for Mbuzi Mawe Tented Camp
The way the camp was set up, guests stayed in these very luxurious, very large "tents," furnished with hotel-like beds, writing desks, electricity, flush toilets and yes, hot showers. I suppose they were tents because the walls and roofs were constructed from heavy canvas, but had we been at the Ritz it could hardly have felt more opulent. The only thing to remind us that we were in the midst of wilderness was the rule that after dark, guests were not to walk from the tents to the main lodge without an escort from the camp staff. Although the walk was probably no more than 150 feet along paved walkways, it was a strange feeling, indeed, to make this walk behind a camp employee wielding a flashlight.
Back in the main lodge, things kept getting weirder.
After finding an electrical outlet where we could charge camera and laptop batteries, Joni and I collapsed on a couch and waited for the others to return from washing up. While we sat there wishing for nothing more than peace and quiet, another hotel employee announced to us and the other guests milling in the lobby that we would be treated to an entertainment program before dinner. This consisted of twenty minutes of dancers and acrobats performing to tourist-friendly songs and music. When that was over, another camp staff member set up a laptop computer with speakers and began playing American country-western standards. It was not welcome, and became much worse when it turned out that there were only two songs on the laptop and they were to be repeated all night. As soon as the others arrived to rescue us, we fled into the dining room, pursued by the voice of Kenny Rogers singing for the third time "You've got to know when to hold 'em..."
Sitting at a table with the others, reading a menu, ordering wine, I felt a deep discontent. I was probably just very tired after a long day, but I couldn't shake the feeling that this gilded oasis in the Serengeti was a caricature of our privileged tastes and appetites. It was as though someone had held up a mirror and in it I had seen an image of myself that wasn't very flattering. Surely no effort had been spared to make us feel "at home," but the result was that I felt more out-of-place than at any other time during the trip.
Daytime picture of the dining area.
I suffered through dinner, allowed myself to be escorted back to our tent, brushed my teeth with bottled water, spent five minutes with my Swahili book before I realized that I wasn't paying attention, and finally turned out the light and waited for sleep.
NEXT: Hippos in the Water, Elephants in the Mud
All Seven Runners Count!
Some time ago, NNHS historian Josh Seeherman sent me a wonderful account of the 1995 Mass. Girls State Div I Cross-Country meet. That meet was remarkable for several reasons, not least because the top two teams -- Newton North and Newton South -- had identical scores after their first five runners had crossed the finish line.
I have been holding on to Josh's story, waiting for an opportune time to post it. This week seemed as good a time as any. Here in New England we are between indoor nationals and the beginning of outdoor track, while the rest of the world is preparing for the IAAF XC championships in Spain. Meanwhile, legendary coach Peter Martin is preparing to coach his final season.
So here is Josh's account. Although fall XC is still six months away, I hope the story resonates and reminds us what a great sport it is.
All Seven Runners Count!
by Josh Seeherman
This fall marked the 15th anniversary of the 1995 Newton North girls state cross-country title, the middle championship of the magical 1994-1996 three year run when Peter Martin's team trampled over the competition and won three consecutive state championships. While some emphasis is placed on the 1996 team, one of the best teams in NNHS history scoring only 44 points, it is worth recounting the 1995 story in that something absolutely impossible to replicate actually happened - Newton North tied Newton South in the scoring and won on a tiebreaker.
Throughout the early-mid 1990's, the two high schools from Newton sat atop the girls cross-country universe in Massachusetts, winning their leagues and defeating most of the other competition at the state level. Newton South had won the 1993 state title quite convincingly with 55 points, putting 4 in the top 25 including a 2nd place by Eliza Beardslee; Newton North turned the tables and won the 1994 title behind sophomore Senta Burton's sub-19:00 romp and an overachieving performance by junior Susan Duncombe. It was not surprising that NSHS and NNHS were once again 1-2 in the coaches' poll for the 1995 season, and both teams easily won their respective conferences. Newton South featured the speedy Shara Miller, a legitimate individual championship contender, while Newton North countered with what appeared to be (perhaps) a slightly deeper team.
At the Eastern Mass races, held at Franklin Park, both teams held serve in convincing fashion in their respective divisions. In Division I, Newton North won by over 130 points, beating Plymouth South 50-182 behind the efforts of sophomore Liz Aronin and now junior Senta Burton, placing 5th and 6th respectively. However, over in Division II Newton South had played copycat, defeating Woburn 53-159. Shara Miller had run unopposed for 1st place, winning by 18 seconds, and the top 4 runners were all in the Top 15 placings. However, Newton North's top 3, the third runner being sophomore Sarah Harrison, had all run faster than Newton South's #2 and #3. Combining the times in a dual meet fashion, NNHS had gone 2-3-4 for 9, while NSHS had scored 1-5-6 for 12. If Newton North could somehow replicate the same situation, they might take the title. However, with no realistic shot at Miller herself, if they could not get their 2-3-4 across quickly the Lions looked like the championship team. Additionally, Wachusett Regional, still in the Central MA division, had performed very well and rightfully believed they were just as good as the two Newton high schools. The state meet, held at Gardner, would be a three team affair.
As we now know after the fact, the stage was set for a historic race. Miller ran as predicted, taking third overall but snaring the first team point as the first two runners were individual racers. However, in the first "wrinkle," Liz Aronin came flying across the finish line in an unexpected fifth, running 17:48 for 2.9 miles. With the fourth place runner also an individual participant, Aronin had taken the precious second team slot and neutralized NSHS's top harrier. Wachusett then showed their prowess, placing their Top 2 runners in before either of Newton's 2nd. The meet scoring was very much up for grabs between these three teams at this juncture.
Newton South then made their most significant move of the day. While Senta crossed the line in 18:13 as Newton North's second runner, the Lions' second and third runners (Maggie Hillis and Anna Beardslee) approached the finish line having managed to move in front of Sarah Harrison by one position. Beyond this point, there was a slight gap, and it became anyone's guess as to who had won as the officials sorted out the individual scorers from the team participants. It took a heroic effort from Susan Duncombe as the fourth NNHS runner to keep pace with NSHS's fourth, Julie Farago, otherwise the meet would have been over right there, but North's fifth runner (Gillian Chiong) stayed in front of South's fifth. Both Newton teams had their fourth runners in before Wachusett's fourth, effectively ending the bid from the Central Massachusetts school.
When the officials were taking longer than usual to reveal the score, and then were seen consulting the rule book, everyone knew the meet was extraordinarily close. Finally, the scores were announced, an unprecedented tie; Newton North and Newton South had each scored 68 points, Wachusett had scored 98 for third. Although it had never been enforced before at the state level, the tiebreaker rule was simple - the team with the lowest placing sixth runner won the meet. In this instance, Newton North's superior depth had prevailed. Going down the scorer's sheet, the officials revealed that both the Tigers' sixth and seventh runners had finished in front of the Lions' sixth. Sophomore Becky Zatsman, previously an anonymous sixth runner, running in essence to "bump" other teams' fourth and fifth runners, suddenly found herself in the Boston Globe recap, having run 19:31, a full 40 seconds in front of Newton South's sixth. The championship trophy went back to Newton, but this time it was staying on Lowell Ave for a second year and not heading down to Brandeis Road.
Looking back, the impact of this meet has somewhat been negated by Newton North's superior effort in 1996 and Newton South's historic performance in 2008, where they perhaps had the best team performance in Massachusetts history. Nevertheless, much like the fabled 1968 Harvard-Yale tie game, the 1995 meet still resonates for many who were witnesses. As Coach Martin said for the Globe, "cross-country is a team sport... you run as a team and finish as a team." The 1995 meet was a fantastic performance for both Newton teams, one perhaps just an ounce better on that particular day.
I have been holding on to Josh's story, waiting for an opportune time to post it. This week seemed as good a time as any. Here in New England we are between indoor nationals and the beginning of outdoor track, while the rest of the world is preparing for the IAAF XC championships in Spain. Meanwhile, legendary coach Peter Martin is preparing to coach his final season.
So here is Josh's account. Although fall XC is still six months away, I hope the story resonates and reminds us what a great sport it is.
All Seven Runners Count!
by Josh Seeherman
This fall marked the 15th anniversary of the 1995 Newton North girls state cross-country title, the middle championship of the magical 1994-1996 three year run when Peter Martin's team trampled over the competition and won three consecutive state championships. While some emphasis is placed on the 1996 team, one of the best teams in NNHS history scoring only 44 points, it is worth recounting the 1995 story in that something absolutely impossible to replicate actually happened - Newton North tied Newton South in the scoring and won on a tiebreaker.
Throughout the early-mid 1990's, the two high schools from Newton sat atop the girls cross-country universe in Massachusetts, winning their leagues and defeating most of the other competition at the state level. Newton South had won the 1993 state title quite convincingly with 55 points, putting 4 in the top 25 including a 2nd place by Eliza Beardslee; Newton North turned the tables and won the 1994 title behind sophomore Senta Burton's sub-19:00 romp and an overachieving performance by junior Susan Duncombe. It was not surprising that NSHS and NNHS were once again 1-2 in the coaches' poll for the 1995 season, and both teams easily won their respective conferences. Newton South featured the speedy Shara Miller, a legitimate individual championship contender, while Newton North countered with what appeared to be (perhaps) a slightly deeper team.
At the Eastern Mass races, held at Franklin Park, both teams held serve in convincing fashion in their respective divisions. In Division I, Newton North won by over 130 points, beating Plymouth South 50-182 behind the efforts of sophomore Liz Aronin and now junior Senta Burton, placing 5th and 6th respectively. However, over in Division II Newton South had played copycat, defeating Woburn 53-159. Shara Miller had run unopposed for 1st place, winning by 18 seconds, and the top 4 runners were all in the Top 15 placings. However, Newton North's top 3, the third runner being sophomore Sarah Harrison, had all run faster than Newton South's #2 and #3. Combining the times in a dual meet fashion, NNHS had gone 2-3-4 for 9, while NSHS had scored 1-5-6 for 12. If Newton North could somehow replicate the same situation, they might take the title. However, with no realistic shot at Miller herself, if they could not get their 2-3-4 across quickly the Lions looked like the championship team. Additionally, Wachusett Regional, still in the Central MA division, had performed very well and rightfully believed they were just as good as the two Newton high schools. The state meet, held at Gardner, would be a three team affair.
As we now know after the fact, the stage was set for a historic race. Miller ran as predicted, taking third overall but snaring the first team point as the first two runners were individual racers. However, in the first "wrinkle," Liz Aronin came flying across the finish line in an unexpected fifth, running 17:48 for 2.9 miles. With the fourth place runner also an individual participant, Aronin had taken the precious second team slot and neutralized NSHS's top harrier. Wachusett then showed their prowess, placing their Top 2 runners in before either of Newton's 2nd. The meet scoring was very much up for grabs between these three teams at this juncture.
Newton South then made their most significant move of the day. While Senta crossed the line in 18:13 as Newton North's second runner, the Lions' second and third runners (Maggie Hillis and Anna Beardslee) approached the finish line having managed to move in front of Sarah Harrison by one position. Beyond this point, there was a slight gap, and it became anyone's guess as to who had won as the officials sorted out the individual scorers from the team participants. It took a heroic effort from Susan Duncombe as the fourth NNHS runner to keep pace with NSHS's fourth, Julie Farago, otherwise the meet would have been over right there, but North's fifth runner (Gillian Chiong) stayed in front of South's fifth. Both Newton teams had their fourth runners in before Wachusett's fourth, effectively ending the bid from the Central Massachusetts school.
When the officials were taking longer than usual to reveal the score, and then were seen consulting the rule book, everyone knew the meet was extraordinarily close. Finally, the scores were announced, an unprecedented tie; Newton North and Newton South had each scored 68 points, Wachusett had scored 98 for third. Although it had never been enforced before at the state level, the tiebreaker rule was simple - the team with the lowest placing sixth runner won the meet. In this instance, Newton North's superior depth had prevailed. Going down the scorer's sheet, the officials revealed that both the Tigers' sixth and seventh runners had finished in front of the Lions' sixth. Sophomore Becky Zatsman, previously an anonymous sixth runner, running in essence to "bump" other teams' fourth and fifth runners, suddenly found herself in the Boston Globe recap, having run 19:31, a full 40 seconds in front of Newton South's sixth. The championship trophy went back to Newton, but this time it was staying on Lowell Ave for a second year and not heading down to Brandeis Road.
Looking back, the impact of this meet has somewhat been negated by Newton North's superior effort in 1996 and Newton South's historic performance in 2008, where they perhaps had the best team performance in Massachusetts history. Nevertheless, much like the fabled 1968 Harvard-Yale tie game, the 1995 meet still resonates for many who were witnesses. As Coach Martin said for the Globe, "cross-country is a team sport... you run as a team and finish as a team." The 1995 meet was a fantastic performance for both Newton teams, one perhaps just an ounce better on that particular day.
March 14, 2011
Tanzania Journal - Day 7, Part 2:
Out of the Desert
Camels near Lake Natron
We finally left the camp at Lake Natron at about 11:00 on the morning of December 30th. Rob had wanted us to leave an hour earlier, and we had dutifully packed all our bags the previous evening for a quick departure. However, while loading those bags into the back of the Land Cruiser, Rob and Peter had noticed a problem with the latching mechanism on the rear door, and it took a while to fix.
While they did, the sun rose higher in the sky, and what had been a pleasantly warm morning gradually became a very hot day. Like every other sensible creature, we sought out shade and waited patiently for the car to be ready.
For the first half hour after we left camp, the road continued more or less North, rising gradually through an arid landscape characterized by low scrubby trees and bushes. It was impressive that these trees were able to eke out a living on the modest amounts of rain that fell erratically in that region. It seemed an inhospitable place, and yet, every few miles we came across Maasai walking slowly in small groups along the road. All seemed to be heading in the same direction, back in the general direction of the basin. Perhaps there was a market somewhere, or perhaps they were making the long round trip for water or some other need.
Comenifera tree on the road from Lake Natron
Perhaps the hot sun lulled our crew into a moment of inattention, because we rounded a bend and suddenly found ourselves in the middle of a small village of huts and animal paddocks. Rob quickly figured out that we had gone the wrong way at a fork, and so we had to backtrack for a half a mile or so. Almost as soon as we were back on the right track, the road began climbing sharply. We were now ascending the escarpment, heading roughly Northwest toward the town of Loliondo. The terrain, which hadn't been smooth by any stretch, now became daunting. The Land Cruiser pitched and bounced, as we negotiated stretches of road with huge slabs of stone and ruts two feet deep. We would harrow through some particularly improbable section of road and think to ourselves that surely it couldn't get any more rugged, only to encounter a worse section a few minutes later. There were stretches when it didn't even seem we were on a road at all, just picking our way up a boulder-strewn slope trying to keep the wheels of the car moving forward.
It was here that we came to appreciate our driver, Peter. Up until now, Peter had been the overlooked member of the crew. Rob was the leader, gregarious and informative. He had planned the trip and consulted with us frequently about what was going on. Henry was our cook, and already we had begin to marvel at his ability to conjure large quantities of good food from whatever supplies had been packed and could be prepared in a camp. Peter had been mostly quiet, but as we lurched up the side of the rift, skirting disaster at every turn, his concentration and competence made us feel very fortunate and grateful.
I wish I had some pictures from that part of the drive. No one was thinking about pictures, however, since we were all hanging on to our seats trying not to careen up to the roof with every bump.
As we neared the end of our arduous climb, the dry red rocks fell away behind us, and the landscape became greener. As we gained altitude, the climate was changing before our eyes. Here, the condensation was greater and the foliage was thicker. We began to see cattle on the hillside. The road leveled out and became friendlier.
We continued to see people on or by the side of the road, mostly women and children. Invariably they waved at the car as it went by. Once in a great while we would see another vehicle coming our way. I wanted to warn them about the road they would be descending, but I'm sure they knew better than I did what they were getting themselves into.
At one point, we drove a mile off the main road into a little town where the people were not wearing the Maasai dress. We saw some teenage boys and I think I recall they were playing soccer in or next to the street. Most were wearing pants and t-shirts, very different than the the colorful shukas we had come to expect. Rob explained that these were not Maasai, but Sonjo, another tribe with different language and customs.
It must have been sometime between 1:00 and 2:00 that we stopped for lunch in a town called Wasso. I couldn't quite figure out what kind of place it was as Peter pulled the car to a stop in a large courtyard. It seemed like an official building of some sort, although it might have been a school. If Rob told us, I've forgotten what he said. Although Rob suggested we eat inside, we had been sitting in the car for a long time and preferred to stay in the open air. He seemed to consider this a little strange, but accepted it and went into the building to get us some soft drinks.
A word about soft drinks: other than instant coffee or tea in the morning, beer if we were lucky, and bottled water the rest of the time, the one reliable thing to drink was Coca-Cola and its sister products. There seemed to be an excellent distribution system that supplied recycled glass bottles of Coke and Fanta to every town, where they sold for what seemed like a very reasonable price of 500 Tanzanian shillings, or about 33 cents.
It was pleasant in this courtyard, but a sense of contradiction tugged at my consciousness. Here we were at this official-looking building in this big, important town -- at least big by the standards of Northern Tanzania -- and yet instead of bathrooms, there was an outhouse with holes in the ground, and no running water or soap to be had anywhere.
I'm afraid I have to spend a little time on the topic of sanitary facilities. I was struck by how access to and use of the toilets was a matter of more-or-less constant concern for all of us on the trip. Other than Joni, everyone in our family experienced a certain amount of digestive distress when we got to Tanzania. We suspected that it might be related to the anti-malarial medication we were taking although it's possible that there was some other cause. In any case, in Arusha, we had running water at the hotel, but not when we visited Oju's family, and not when we visited Rose in Monduli. At Tarangire, the camp toilets were crude and we weren't even allowed to use those after lights out. At Lake Natron where it was safer, it was not measurably cleaner (although there were simple showers of not-potable water). Sanitation was always an issue, and we wondered what microbes were out and about, waiting to pounce on our poorly-adapted immune systems. I wish I could say that I got used to roughing it, but it would be more accurate to say that I endured the lack of plumbing the best that I could and was very happy whenever we got to use a western-style loo.
After our lunch, we got back into the Land Cruiser and began driving West. We would enter the Serengeti National Park at an outpost named Klein's Gate. Although it was not many kilometers, it took us a couple of hours to reach the entrance to the Park. On the way we encountered more horrendous roads, and passed through several small, isolated villages.
One village, in particular, left a strong impression on me. The town seemed to appear out of nowhere. We had been driving along, and all of a sudden there was a cluster of buildings, some with masonry walls. What was most strange was that there seemed to be a crowd of people in the center of the town, but it didn't seem like anything was happening. Or rather, it appeared that everyone was waiting for something to happen, but in a slow, listless fashion without any definite expectation. There was no market, no activity, just people sitting or standing or milling around.
The other strange thing was when we encountered a bus traveling in the opposite direction. It was inconceivable that a bus could pass on the roads we had just traversed, and yet Rob assured me that it was heading to Arusha. I couldn't believe it.
We reached Klein's Gate at about 4:30. While Rob went into the office there to pick up the necessary permits, we admired a herd of giraffe a few hundred yards away. These were not our first giraffe; we had seen some in Tarangire and near Lake Natron, but these were Serengeti giraffe, and we felt very excited to have arrived, at last.
We were very careful to observe Rule 3...
March 12, 2011
Forbes (19-5) Wins National LJ Title
NN Boys Set School Record in SMR
Newton North sophomore Carla Forbes leaped 5.93m (19-5.5) at the New Balance Indoor Nationals on Saturday to defeat a deep field and win the national title. Forbes will be out to defend her 2010 triple jump title on Sunday.
Forbes also combined with Amy Ren, Kayla Wong, and Steph Brown to take 8th in the shuttle hurdles.
Newton North's boys sprint medley relay team of Isaiah Penn, Ryan Lucken, Ben Clark, and Ezra Lichtman set a new school record of 3:32.46 for sixth place. If anyone has splits, please post them!
The race featured a 1-6-7 finish from Massachusetts teams. Running in the seeded heat, Mansfield won the national title with a time of 3:28.99. Also in the final heat, Andover finished with the 7th-fastest time overall.
Addendum:
Penn also won the "Emerging Elite" 400m, running 49.62. That might just be an indoor school record. Josh Seeherman will know...
Results of the meet are here.
Forbes also combined with Amy Ren, Kayla Wong, and Steph Brown to take 8th in the shuttle hurdles.
Newton North's boys sprint medley relay team of Isaiah Penn, Ryan Lucken, Ben Clark, and Ezra Lichtman set a new school record of 3:32.46 for sixth place. If anyone has splits, please post them!
The race featured a 1-6-7 finish from Massachusetts teams. Running in the seeded heat, Mansfield won the national title with a time of 3:28.99. Also in the final heat, Andover finished with the 7th-fastest time overall.
Addendum:
Penn also won the "Emerging Elite" 400m, running 49.62. That might just be an indoor school record. Josh Seeherman will know...
Results of the meet are here.
Tanzania Journal - Day 7, Part 1:
Lake Natron
"Here it is the landscape rather than the animals that is the attraction - the area around the lake is dry, desolate and hauntingly beautiful." (www.moivaro.com) "The lake is 35 miles (56 km) long and 15 miles (24 km) wide and contains salt, soda, and magnesite deposits. The lake’s warm water is an ideal breeding ground for the Rift Valley flamingos." (Encyclopedia Brittanica)
"Three-quarters of the world population of lesser flamingos live and nest in East Africa. All depend on Tanzania's Lake Natron as a breeding site. Food is plentiful, nesting sites abound – and above all, the lake is isolated and undisturbed." (www.rspb.com)
Running Log, 12/30/10 -- 30 minutes in and around Lake Natron camp, including "hill repeats"
December 30th was our second full day of Safari and would be, in every sense, our longest. It would take us from the near lunar isolation of Lake Natron to a brazen island of Western luxury in the heart of the Serengeti. In between, we would traverse a stretch of road so uneven it would make our Land Cruiser buck like an enraged bull, with only our seat belts keeping us from repeatedly banging our heads on the roof of the truck.
Our longest day began before dawn with a sunrise drive to the mud flats on the southern end of Lake Natron. Rob had strongly urged us to an early start, and it was nearly pitch black when we staggered out of our tents, carrying flashlights to find our way to the toilets across camp. Henry had heated water for tea or instant coffee, and after a few minutes to linger over our cups, it was time to bundle into the Land Cruiser for the fifteen-minute drive to the Lake.
Giraffes at sunrise near Lake Natron
There were many things that I saw on our trip that left a general impression that has acquired detail over time as I have read more and been able to put the experience into some sort of context. The early morning wander among the flamingos at Lake Natron is one of those things. So forgive me if I take a few moments to digress and things I learned later when I sat down and read about this place.
Let's start with the name. I was a little put off by the name, which sounds harsh and forbidding -- so different from the Swahili and Maasai names I was learning. Wikipedia tells me that "Natron" is an English word (from a French cognate) that refers to a naturally occurring mixture of sodium carbonate decahydrate (hydrated soda ash). So Lake Natron is something like "Salt Lake".
Alkalinity in the large, shallow lake can reach a pH of 9 to 10.5 (almost as alkaline as ammonia), and temperatures can reach 50 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit). Who could love such a place?
It turns out that these conditions are ideal for salt-loving organisms, including Spirulina, a cyanobacterium that grows in water and makes its own food via photosynthesis. The bacteria have a reddish pigment that gives the open water of Lake Natron a deep red appearance. Flamingos feed on the bacteria, and the pigment makes the birds appear pink. In other words, pink flamingos aren't born pink -- they get that way by eating red bacteria.
The other advantage for the flamingos is that a lake whose water is so alkaline is no haven for predators. Other than a few giraffes off in the distance, the only traces of larger mammals we saw near Lake Natron were some bleached bones on the shore. It seemed to me that unless you were a flamingo, the lake was a place to go to die.
Near us, there were thousands of flamingos wading in the water, feeding. We spent a long time walking slowly out on the flats, taking a few pictures, picking up a few bones. I look at the pictures now and none of them seem particularly compelling. It was a quiet refuge, isolated and spare. After an hour or so, we headed back to the Land Cruiser for the drive back to camp.
When we got back to camp, it was probably around 8:30 or 9:00 and breakfast was waiting for us. However, I had other plans. On the second to last day of the year there was no way I was going to pass up my one and only opportunity to sneak in a run. I told Ann to save me some food, and I slipped away to change into shorts and running shoes.
I didn't have high hopes for this run when I began my usual routine of looping around the campground. Even though the morning was pleasantly warm before the heat of midday and the grass and soft roads in camp were a pleasure, I expected to feel like a horse in a paddock. These pictures that Peter took sort of get that across.
However, after a few laps in the camp, and with Rob's assurance that there were no lions around, on my next loop I ventured out of camp and up the road that led past the Maasai village to the open plain beyond. I soon found a very runnable path that led up a decent hill and intersected the road we came in on. Thus, even without heading into the wilderness (I thought about it), I was able to follow a big lopsided figure 8 that combined small curcuits of the campground and large loops outside with a challenging climb to keep me focused.
The more I ran, the better I felt. At one point, I was joined by a Maasai boy and we ran together for a few minutes, a thrill for both of us, I think. In spite of the fact that I knew breakfast would be put away and that Rob would want to be leaving, I extended the run longer than the minimum and managed a good thirty minutes and some energetic charges up the hill. It would be my second favorite run of the whole trip.
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