MAAC stories: Die trying

The 10,000-meter run at MAACs is an event where we have had a history of strong performances. Thanks to Addie DiFrancesco’s strong third-place finish in the women’s race, that history continues. Nicely done, Addie!

On the men’s side, the end-result numbers were as depressing as the final team standings: One measly point for a sixth-place finish, despite having five strong entrants in the race.

And yet, during the race and after the race, this old coach was not depressed at all. In fact, it was oddly satisfying to see each and every Running Red Fox in the race crash and burn like a kamikaze pilot. I know, weird, right?

Here’s the deal: The MAAC 10k is usually a “tactical” race in which no one wants to take the lead. Everybody gamely jockeys for position, waiting for the next guy to move. Our guys would have none of it.

First, it was Nicoletti, boldly moving to the front. Then Townsend and Keegan and Joel. Then, Meegan. Ah, Meegan. He heard his coach (that would be me) saying to “put in a surge.” Our boy took this advice quite literally, blitzing an insane mid-race burst that brought him from the back of the pack to the lead by several meters. You may notice in his splits from the results post that his 14th lap was a 73 (!). Yeah. That was the surge, all right.

Again, the results were understandable and predictable.

It was the same story in the 5k on Sunday afternoon, as seniors Zak Smetana and Pat Duggan busted up the mid-race doldrums with bold moves that left them paying dearly in the end of the race.

Admittedly, in most cases the strategy was not smart. But it was bold, and it is what we like to preach about “going for it” and “just racing” out there.

Thanks to Erin O’Reilly for providing the photos that accompany this post.