Big Man on campus

For reasons only he knows, last year Conor Shelley took to calling fellow distance teammate Joel Moss the following nickname: “Big Man Moss.”

Big Man. Hmmm. How does that fit? Let’s see … Joel’s not big. He has an average, lean distance-runner’s build. He lifts weights, but by no means is he “swollen,” as the guys like to say these days. He’s not particularly tall. He has a very understated personality, low-key and reserved, hard-working and tough. Big? I don’t get it. But it’s Conor, and some things just go unexplained and you leave it at that.

On Saturday night at BU, Big Man Moss sure ran like a Big Man!

Joel became the 19th distance runner in school history to break 15:00, running 14:54.57 in the penultimate section of the 5,000 on Saturday night. It was a thrilling moment, and his teammates hoisted him on his shoulders afterwards – much like Joel hopes his beloved Giants will hoist Tom Coughlin skyward next Sunday after a Super Bowl victory over the Tom Bradys (For the record: I will continue to predict a Giants’ loss, as that seems to be working quite well for Big Blue).

As a program, we all admire Joel greatly. He works his tail off with his training; he gets great grades; he is supportive of his teammates. This was a great accomplishment, considering his relative lack of fast times on the track in high school at upstate Baldwinsville. Since day 1 at Marist, he has worked hard, built his mileage and improved incrementally.

Sub-15:00 was a goal, but it is by no means a final destination for Big Man Moss. The Big Man, a junior, still has Big Things to accomplish. For now, we will all savor his well-earned place on this now-updated list below.

Sub-15:00 for 5k
Girma Segni, 14:18.42, 2009*
Will Griffin, 14:31.91, 2011 **
Arquimedes DelaCruz, 14:33.20, 2011
Adam Vess, 14:33.41, 2008
Peter Pazik, 14:35.84, 1986
Matt Flint, 14:37.45, 2010
Ken Walshak, 14:37.53, 2011
Michael Melfi, 14:42.36, 1998
Justin Harris, 14:42.88, 2007
David Raucci, 14:42.92, 2006
Michael Nehr, 14:45.61, 2001
David Swift, 14:50.24, 1995
Zak Smetana, 14:50.39, 2011
Kirk Dornton, 14:50.89, 2002
Nick Webster, 14:52.54, 2009
Conor Shelley, 14:52.67, 2008
Joel Moss, 14:54.57, 2012
Greg Salamone, 14:55.79, 2000
Tim Keegan, 14:56.45, 2009
* indoor school record
** outdoor school record
Bold indicates current team member