Last result of 2018: Katie Miale’s indoor 5km racewalk PR!

Congrats to senior Katie Miale who improved her indoor 5km racewalk PR by four seconds from last December at the Upstate Holiday Classic at RIT. Below are her splits and photos above courtesy of teammate Alexander Hogue. Also, note below that Katie is ranked 16^th in the USA at the 20km racewalk distance, based on Track and Field News final 2018 rankings. Here’s hoping she can keep the momentum going strong in 2019.

Upstate New York Holiday Classic

Rochester Institute of Technology, Henrietta, NY

Saturday, December 29, 2018

5,000-meter racewalk

5. Katie Miale 26:07.62

1:02.87, 2:01.03 (58.17), 3:02.38 (1:01.35), 4:04.16 (1:01.79), 5:05.64 (1:01.48)

6:06.18 (1:00.55), 7:08.87 (1:02.70), 8:09.58 (1:00.71), 9:11.98 (1:02.40), 10:15.02 (1:03.05)

11:17.34 (1:02.32), 12:20.54 (1:03.21), 13:22.31 (1:01.77), 14:26.15 (1:03.84), 15:30.06 (1:03.91)

16:33.87 (1:03.82), 17:38.26 (1:04.39), 18:42.86 (1:04.60), 19:46.19 (1:03.33), 20:50.26 (1:04.08)

21:55.44 (1:05.18), 23:02.66 (1:07.23), 24:07.32 (1:04.66), 25:11.70 (1:04.39), 26:07.52 (55.83)

Kilometer splits: 5:05.64, 5:09.38, 5:15.04, 5:20.20, 5:17.26

20K WALK (Track and Field News 2018 list)
1:32:09	Maria Michta-Coffey (OisWUSA)	04/08	World Tm Tr
1:33:05	———Michta-Coffey	05/05	World Team Ch
1:33:56	Miranda Melville (SkechNYAC)	04/08	World Tm Tr
1:34:26	Robyn Stevens (Skech)	04/08	World Tm Tr
1:35:21.6	———Michta-Coffey	06/22	USATF
1:35:49	———Melville	05/05	World Team Ch
1:36:34	———Michta-Coffey	08/10	NACAC Ch
1:37:56	Katie Burnett (unat)	06/22	USATF
1:38:06	———Stevens	05/05	World Team Ch
1:39:31	———Burnett	08/10	NACAC Ch
**10 performances by 4 performers**
1:41:32	Amberly Melendez (NWU)	04/08	World Tm Tr
1:43:47	Anali Cisneros (Juds)	04/08	World Tm Tr
1:45:27	Melissa Moeller (unat)	04/08	World Tm Tr
1:45:55	Katie Michta (WalkUSA)	04/08	World Tm Tr
1:48:12	Meaghan Podlaski (unat)	04/08	World Tm Tr
1:50:54	Jennifer Lopez (StAmb)	04/08	Kenosha
(10)
1:50:55.9	Lydia McGranahan (RWNW)	06/22	USATF
1:51:22	Chelsea Conway (Shore)	04/08	World Tm Tr
1:54:52	Rachel Zoyhofski (unat)	04/08	World Tm Tr
1:55:11.9	Stephanie Casey (unat)	06/22	USATF
1:55:47	Miriam Andablo (unat)	04/08	World Tm Tr
1:56:28	Katie Miale (Marist)	05/05	USATF-NJ
1:58:23.1	Sam Cohen (WRRT)	06/22	USATF
1:59:36	Maegan Allen (NEWalk)	04/08	World Tm Tr

Upstate lifting

Thanks to Rizz for sharing this photo of him, Stack and Drew Burns, as they prepared for a lift at a local YMCA after doing a track workout together in the Albany area. Great that our athletes make an effort to work out together as often as possible during the holiday break, and great that Rizz is still trying to crush these workouts as an alum.

Alumni reunion in New Paltz

As we were driving north from Florida, I got this awesome photo via text from Omar Perez – some of our Favorite Forever Foxes got together for some holiday socializing over in New Paltz. Great to keep those connections alive and well. Omar asked if this photo was “blog worthy” … well, of COURSE it is!

Holiday travels

For a creature of habit who craves routine, these past few weeks have been waaaaay out of my comfort zone. But! It’s all good, for sure. First, there was the convention in San Antonio – the last time I posted was from down there. Since then, there has been a lot of family time – no surprise there, the holidays – but also a LOT of time and miles along the eastern seaboard (I have a renewed appreciation for the awfulness of the I95 corridor from between New Jersey to Washington, D.C.). In what may become a new tradition, we visited family in the South – my sister and her family in Myrtle Beach, followed by my brother-in-law and his family in Fort Myers, FL. Spoiler alert: We did NOT fly; we DID drive (you probably already figured that out). A lot. More than 3,500 miles on a rental van in the span of a week. Every mile was well worth it, and fueled liberally by coffee (Pilot gas station coffee is surprisingly good!) and by Channel 29 on Sirius XM (Phish radio, which now supplants Channel 23/Grateful Dead as my favorite satellite station). Healthy doses of both allowed us (I did the vast majority of the driving) to make the 1,401-mile journey from Fort Myers to Hyde Park in one, mega, 23-hour cannonball run – starting at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday and arriving home at 4:30 a.m. on Sunday, a trip that featured a nearly 50-degree drop in temperature (December in Florida vs. December in the mid-Hudson Valley … duh). Driving that long with five disparate personalities – one well-adjusted adult (my wife Heidi), three children at varying states of maturity, and me – had its challenges. I won’t bore you with the highlights and the battles, but one quote sticks out, from our youngest son, 13-year-old James: “Wow, I can’t imagine what this trip would have been like 20 years ago. Must have been so boring, like you’d have to read books and stuff.” Yeah. That. Instead, the passengers passed around the phone charger (hey, yours is at 56 percent, let ME have it now!) like the valued commodity it is on such journeys. We experienced warmth – the Florida sun in the mid-80s is glorious – of both the weather and of family. Will we do this trip again in future years, exactly as this time? Not likely. But some variation of it will be on the table for future Christmas/New Year’s celebrations, as we try to establish new holiday traditions. Photos: Above, our kids with their Fort Myers cousins; James and I entering our favorite southern restaurant; sign I saw while jogging on Sanibel Island!

Convention thoughts: Friends and votes

As I sit in the San Antonio Airport waiting for a flight back to Newark, some thoughts on a few days in the San Antonio area for the USTFCCCA Convention:

--It was great to catch up with Marist Running alum Julie Hudak, who was at the convention with her significant other Drew Gangemi, the head coach at Mt. St. Vincent in the Bronx, as well as our good friend Erica Maker, now the head women’s cross country coach at her alma mater, St. Olaf, but always a member of our Red Fox Running Family. We were able to intersect at lunch yesterday (see photo) as well as several other times during the week. Neat.

--Once again, in an effort to save some money, my roommate for the week was Canisius College head coach Nate Huckle. We share similar interests and sleep schedules, so this was a natural move. Always good catching up with Nate, as well as the other MAAC coaches in attendance.

--Apparently, when it comes to this convention, I have good timing. Back in 2016 and again this year, the only two times I’ve attended, there was hotly contested cross country legislation on the table. This year’s legislation elicited some of the most spirited and contentious debates of any in recent memory, according to coaches who regularly attend the convention. The proposed new format was narrowly voted down, which means the current regional format will continue for the foreseeable future – until another legislative change is inevitably suggested. To me, the legislative voting session is the primary tangible incentive to attend the convention. It’s the only way to vote on proposals – proxies are not allowed – and our voice needs to be heard. In this case, with the narrow scope of the vote, every ballot counted … even one from little old Marist College.

And with that? It’s time to leave the Alamo and head home for a few hours.

Training back home: Monmouth boys

Thanks to Marc Bakia (Smalls) for sharing this selfie of him, Sam Goldzweig and Brian Henderson from earlier this week at Manasquan Reservoir in Howell, NJ, where they got together to train. Looking forward to heading home later this morning.

Convention: Seeing the city

Usually with these conventions, everything is centered around the convention hotel and hall. Everything. Meetings. Awards ceremonies. Meals. Exercise. Etc. So there is no need to venture off site. This year's convention is nominally in San Antonio, but it's actually nowhere near San Antonio proper, which is about 30-40 minutes away (depending on traffic). So last night, it was great to connect with 2018 alum Sami Ellougani -- who actually LIVES right in downtown San Antonio and works down here. He was nice enough to buy me dinner and show me around on a beautifully mild night. Side note: It was funny to see the locals bundled up even more than me, wearing gloves and hats on a night when it was in the mid-60s. Anyway, the Riverwalk area of downtown is really cool, and it was even better with the holiday season lights, decorations and festivities. So at least for a few hours, I was able to actually get away from the convention and truly experience San Antonio and see Sami. Both were well worth the time and effort. 

Convention: Weather differences

So apparently it's cold back home. Here in South Texas ... not so much. Our convention lunches are held outside. The midday sun feels great. So does close to 70 degrees. I know. You don't want to hear this. Don't worry. In about 24 hours, I'll be landing in Newark and back there. Thanks to Elias for sharing me this photo of him, Kutch, Ronan and Moe at Suffolk Community College, where they did an indoor track workout on Tuesday, when it was extremely cold. This morning, in the hills outside San Antonio, I went for a jog outside. I was wearing shorts. Neat!

Conventional thinking

For someone who likes routine, early bedtimes and generally not straying too far from home – with the exception of track and cross country meets, of course – these next few weeks definitely will be out of my comfort zone. The first of the journeys begins today as I currently sit at Newark Airport awaiting a direct flight to San Antonio for the USTFCCCA convention. As you can surmise, I’m not a big “convention guy” – lots of meetings and socializing – but with the goading of my peers (especially in the MAAC), I have been convinced that it is important to attend. There are several new pieces of legislation on the table, which will have a direct impact on our program, and the only way to have our voice heard is to be here and to vote on them (voting is on Thursday). Plus, there are breakout sessions for both the MAAC and Northeast Region, which are important to attend. And there’s free food. And perhaps the biggest highlight will be making my boy Sami (Class of 2018, living and working in the Alamo) buy me dinner during the week. I left the house reluctantly this morning – an off week at home is like gold – but we’ll make the best of this week. And we’ll certainly enjoy the warmer temperatures!

The season of giving

Thanks to Kennedy for sharing these photos from the Giving Tree Mass at the Chapel on Sunday night. Kennedy noted that as a senior this is his final Giving Tree Mass. We are very proud of his strong affiliation with Campus Ministry, and with our team's involvement in the Giving Tree initiative. As we have done for many years, both the men's and women's teams chipped in to purchase two bicycles, which will go to a needy family in the area. In the Marist Brothers' spirit of "do good quietly," we remain grateful and proud of this tradition.

Yale Season Opener picture

Thanks to Hawker's mom, Lisa D. Hawker, for providing this photo of her son and Conor Stack. Both guys ran strong early-season times in the mile, with Hawker notching a huge PR for him in an event he rarely runs. Again, for a December meet, we had a fair number of decent highlights. Our next meet is not for another month, back to Ocean Breeze on Friday, January 11, 2019. Merry Fitness!

Yale Season Opener: Men's results and splits

For a December meet, this was a strong day for the men, with two individual victories and numerous personal-best times. Hillman's dramatic, blazing kick in the 5km set the tone for the day, and he appropriately ended the day with a leg of the 4x400 relay. In between, there were PR times from Hawker (mile), Moe (3km), Levins (3km, first sub-9:00!), Eamonn (3km), Ronan (3km) and Jeremy Mooney (60 and 200 dashes). On to 2019!

Yale Season Opener

Saturday, December 8, 2018

Coxe Cage, Yale University

Men’s results and splits

60-meter dash

22. Jeremy Mooney 7.36

200-meter dash

13. Jeremy Mooney 23.56

29. Pat Beglane 24.38

400-meter dash

17. Pat Beglane 53.66

800-meter run

8-Aidan Sweeney 2:05.91

29.3, 61.4 (32.1), 1:33.8 (32.4), 2:05.91 (32.11)

1,000-meter run

1-Christopher Tibbetts 2:36.18

30.8, 62.4 (31.6), 1:34.4 (32.0), 2:06.0 (31.6), 2:36.18 (30.18)

Mile run

4-Conor Stack 4:28.14

33, 66 (33), 1:39 (33), 2:13 (34), 2:48 (35), 3:23 (35), 3:59 (36), 4:28.14 (29.14)

5-Matthew Hawker 4:28.33

33, 65 (32), 1:38 (33), 2:13 (35), 2:47 (34), 3:22 (35), 3:57 (35), 4:28.33 (31.33)

3,000-meter run

4-James Moehringer 8:49.56

34, 68 (34), 1:43 (35), 2:19 (36), 2:55 (36)

3:30 (35), 4:06 (36), 4:42 (36), 5:18 (36), 5:55 (37)

6:31 (36), 7:06 (35), 7:43 (37), 8:18 (35), 8:49.56 (31.56)

Kilometer splits: 2:55, 5:55 (3:00), 8:49.56 (2:54.56)

8. Connor Levins 8:58.61

38, 75 (37), 1:49 (36), 2:26 (37), 3:02 (36)

3:39 (37), 4:13 (34), 4:50 (37), 5:26 (36), 6:01 (35)

6:38 (37), 7:14 (36), 7:51 (37), 8:26 (35), 8:58.61 (32.61)

Kilometer splits: 3:02, 2:59, 2:57.61

9. Alexander Hogue 9:00.01

34, 67 (33), 1:42 (35), 2:18 (36), 2:53 (35)

3:30 (37), 4:06 (36), 4:43 (37), 5:20 (37), 5:57 (37)

6:34 (37), 7:11 (37), 7:49 (38), 8:26 (37), 9:00.1 (34.01)

Kilometer splits: 2:53, 3:04, 3:03.01

10. Eamonn Beers 9:04.86

36, 71 (35), 1:45 (34), 2:21 (36), 2:57 (36)

3:33 (36), 4:10 (37), 4:47 (37), 5:24 (37), 6:02 (38)

6:40 (38), 7:16 (36), 7:53 (37), 8:29, (36), 9:04.86 (35.86)

Kilometer splits: 2:57, 3:05, 3:02.86

13. Matthew Ronan 9:10.86

36, 73 (37), 1:50 (37), 2:28 (38), 3:03 (35)

3:40 (37), 4:16 (36), 4:52 (36), 5:29 (37), 6:06 (37)

6:44 (38), 7:22 (38), 8:00 (38), 8:39 (39), 9:10.86 (31.86)

Kilometer splits: 3:03, 3:03, 3:04.86

15. Patrick Kutch 9:27.34

38, 75 (37), 1:51 (36), 2:28 (37), 3:04 (36)

3:42 (38), 4:17 (35), 4:55 (38), 5:33 (38), 6:13 (40)

6:52 (39), 7:31 (39), 8:11 (40), 8:50 (39), 9:27.34 (37.34)

Kilometer splits: 3:04, 3:09, 3:14.34

19. Cole Ziskind 9:50.02

38, 77 (39), 1:54 (37), 2:30 (36), 3:08 (38)

3:46 (38), 4:24 (38), 5:03 (39), 5:41 (38), 6:21 (40)

7:01 (40), 7:42 (41), 8:27 (45), 9:11 (44), 9:50.02 (39.02)

Kilometer splits: 3:08, 3:13, 3:29.02

5,000-meter run

1-Dan Hillman 15:40.39

36, 74 (38), 1:52 (38), 2:31 (39), 3:10 (39)

3:45 (35), 4:22 (37), 5:00 (38), 5:38 (38), 6:15 (37)

6:53 (38), 7:31 (38), 8:08 (37), 8:46 (38), 9:23 (37)

10:01 (38), 10:39 (38), 11:16 (37), 11:55 (39), 12:33 (38)

13:11 (38), 13:51 (40), 14:32 (41), 15:09 (37), 15:40.39 (31.39)

Kilometer splits: 3:10, 3:05, 3:08, 3:10, 3:07.39

1,600-meter relay

12. Marist (Matthew Hawker 53.56, Conor Stack 57.89, Aidan Sweeney 56.15, Dan Hillman 56.12) 3:43.70

Yale Season Opener: Women's results and splits

Yale Season Opener

Saturday, December 8, 2018

Coxe Cage, Yale University

Women’s results and splits

200-meter dash

19-Camille McHenry 26.98

400-meter dash

1-Debbie Boerke 58.72

Mile run

4-Boushra Belkhir 5:24.99

40.4, 79.8 (39.4), 1:59.9 (40.1), 2:40.8 (40.9), 3:22.3 (41.5), 4:03.6 (41.3), 4:44.8 (41.2), 5:24.99 (40.19)

3,000-meter run

5-Ali Bartolotta 10:35.00

42, 82 (40), 2:03 (41), 2:45 (42), 3:26 (41)

4:08 (42), 4:51 (43), 5:35 (44), 6:19 (44), 7:02 (43)

7:46 (44), 8:30 (44), 9:14 (44), 9:56 (42), 10:35.00 (39.00)

Kilometer splits: 3:26, 3:36, 3:33.00

Yale Season Opener: Time schedule

2018 Yale Season Opener

Saturday, December 8, 2018

Coxe Cage, Yale University

New Haven, CT

Time schedule, order of events, tentative Marist entries

11:15 a.m.: Women’s 5km

11:40 a.m.: Men’s 5km: Dan Hillman

12 noon: Women’s mile: Boushra Belkhir

12:15 p.m.: Men’s mile: Conor Stack, Matthew Hawker, Brad Rynkowski

12:30 p.m.: Women’s 400: Debbie Boerke

12:45 p.m.: Men’s 400: Pat Beglane

1:05 p.m.: Women’s 1000

1:15 p.m.: Men’s 1000: Christopher Tibbetts

1:20 p.m.: Women’s 500

1:30 p.m.: Men’s 500

1:40 p.m.: Men’s 60 hurdle trials

1:50 p.m.: Women’s 60 hurdle trials

2:00 p.m.: Women’s 60 dash trials

2:15 p.m.: Men’s 60 dash trials: Jeremy Mooney

2:25 p.m.: Women’s 60 hurdle finals

2:30 p.m.: Men’s 60 hurdle finals

2:35 p.m.: Women’s 60 dash finals

2:40 p.m.: Men’s 60 dash finals

2:45 p.m.: Women’s 800

3:00 p.m.: Men’s 800: Aidan Sweeney, Andrew Lafferty

3:10 p.m.: Women’s 200: Camille McHenry

3:45 p.m.: Men’s 200: Jeremy Mooney, Pat Beglane

4:20 p.m.: Women’s 3,000: Ali Bartolotta

4:45 p.m.: Men’s 3000: Alexander Hogue, James Moehringer, Eamonn Beers, Connor Levins, Matthew Ronan, Patrick Kutch, Cole Ziskind

5:05 p.m.: Women’s 4x800 relay

5:15 p.m.: Men’s 4x800 relay: Team TBA

5:25 p.m.: Women’s 4x400 relay

5:45 p.m.: Men’s 4x400 relay: Team TBA

Road race sweep on Long Island

Mark Valentino (right) and Joey Miller went 1-2 in the Seaford Hot Chocolate 5K race last weekend in Joey's hometown. Tino put the "hammer" down for first place in 16:51.6, Joey was next in 16:56.7, and Marist Running Alum (and Seaford native) DJ Paulson was second in the 30-34 division in 18:03.8. And yeah, there's that Previously Unidentified Dog Ella proudly posing with the Forever Foxes. Nicely done.

What's next: Yale Season Opener

Our abbreviated December indoor track schedule continues/concludes on Saturday with the Yale Season Opener meet at Coxe Cage. We will be traveling with a small, partial squad to this meet. Right now, our student-athletes are rightly focused on upcoming final projects, final exams and capping presentations. There is a lot of stress and not as much sleep as we would like, but it comes with the territory. Our athletes traveling on Saturday can use the meet as a "study break," right? Final time schedule will be posted later in the week.

Fastrack Season Opener: Men's results and splits

Fastrack Season Opener

Saturday, December 1, 2018

Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex, Staten Island

Men’s results and splits

60-meter dash

42. Jeremy Mooney 7.40

52. Jon Green 7.55

200-meter dash

34. Jeremy Mooney 23.72

37. Santosh Krishnan 23.87

40. Jon Green 23.95

44. Pat Beglane 24.22

400-meter dash

Pat Beglane 53.29 (25.051 opening lap)

Santosh Krishnan 53.60 (25.026 opening lap)

500-meter dash

47. Andrew Lafferty 1:12.11

800-meter run

1-Drew Burns 1:58.33

29.915, 60.251 (30.336), 1:29.883 (29.632), 1:58.330 (28.447)

3-Brian Henderson 1:58.82

30.137, 60.501 (30.364), 1:29.638 (29.137), 1:58.815 (29.177)

8. Matthew Hawker 2:00.80

28.816, 58.867 (30.051), 1:29.952 (31.085), 2:00.80 (30.848)

15. Cole Ziskind 2:01.82

29.630, 59.266 (29.636), 1:30.242 (30.976), 2:01.819 (31.577)

30. Trevor Garrity 2:11.13

29.957, 61.047 (31.090), 1:34.915 (33.868), 2:11.122 (36.207)

Mile run

6. Christopher Tibbetts 4:25.15

33.5, 65.9 (32.4), 1:38.7 (32.8), 2:11.4 (32.7), 2:44.6 (33.2), 3:18.7 (34.1), 3:53.3 (34.6), 4:25.15 (31.85)

15. Eamonn Beers 4:35.60

34, 69 (35), 1:42 (33), 2:18 (36), 2:51 (33), 3:28 (37), 4:02 (34), 4:35.60 (33.60)

21. Aidan Sweeney 4:46.22

33, 66 (33), 1:41 (35), 2:19 (38), 2:55 (36), 3:33 (38), 4:11 (38), 4:46.22 (35.22)

3,000-meter run

6-Dan Hillman 9:00.12

38.9, 75.3 (36.4), 1:50.5 (35.4), 2:25.6 (35.1), 3:01.4 (35.8)

3:36.8 (35.4), 4:12.1 (35.3), 4:48.1 (36.0), 5:23.7 (35.6), 6:00.3 (36.6)

6:37.0 (36.7), 7:14.2 (37.2), 7:51.1 (36.9), 8:28.4 (37.3), 9:00.12 (31.72)

Kilometer splits: 3:01.4, 2:58.9, 2:59.82

14-Patrick Kutch 9:28.62

39.4, 77.4 (38.0), 1:55.2 (37.8), 2:33.4 (38.2), 3:10.1 (36.7)

3:46.2 (36.1), 4:23.0 (36.8), 5:01.3 (38.3), 5:38.9 (37.6), 6:17.5 (38.6)

6:56.6 (39.1), 7:36.1 (39.5), 8:15.3 (39.2), 8:53.6 (38.3), 9:28.62 (35.02)

Kilometer splits: 3:10.1, 3:07.4, 3:11.12

5,000-meter run

3. Conor Stack 16:08.23

35, 72 (37), 1:50 (38), 2:28 (38), 3:05 (37)

3:43 (38), 4:20 (37), 4:58 (38), 5:37 (39), 6:15 (38)

6:53 (38), 7:33 (40), 8:12 (39), 8:52 (40), 9:32 (40)

10:11 (39), 10:52 (41), 11:33 (41), 12:13 (4), 12:54 (41)

13:35 (41), 14:14 (39), 14:54 (40), 15:32 (38), 16:08.23 (36.23)

Kilometer splits: 3:05, 3:10, 3:17, 3:22, 3:14.23

Fastrack Season Opener: Women's results and splits

Fastrack Season Opener

Saturday, December 1, 2018

Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex, Staten Island

Women’s results

200-meter dash

25. Debbie Boerke 26.75

30. Camille McHenry 27.15

40. Grace Cepeda 27.90

400-meter dash

5. Debbie Boerke 58.91 (27.611 opening lap)

23. Camille McHenry 1:02.06 (28.118 opening lap)

26. Grace Cepeda 1:02.87 (29.485 opening lap)

Fastrack Season Opener: Visit from Marty

Thanks to very loyal alum Marty McGowan for stopping by and visiting us at Ocean Breeze. As is his tradition, he stayed for the early races and cheered on the young Foxes in the mile run. Great to see our OLD friend again.

Indoor track begins! Fastrack Season Opener time schedule

The long indoor track season starts on Saturday afternoon/evening at Ocean Breeze, as our good pal Nick McDonough hosts the Fastrack Season Opener. Here is the time schedule.

Fastrack Season Opener

Ocean Breeze

December 1, 2018

Time schedule and order of events

Women, then men

4:00 p.m.: 60-meter hurdle trials

4:17 p.m.: Mile run

4:47 p.m.: 60 hurdle final (men, then women)

4:55 p.m.: 60 dash final

5:29 p.m.: 400 dash

6:03 p.m.: 500 dash

6:30 p.m.: 800 run

6:58 p.m.: 1,000 run

7:15 p.m.: 200 dash

7:50 p.m.: 3,000 run

8:32 p.m.: 4x800 relay

8:51 p.m.: 4x400 relay

9:50 p.m.: 5,000 run

Turkey day leftovers

Thanks to Hayley Collins' mom for sending this starting line photo from Manchester. You can see Hayley in the second row, tucked behind the pro runners and squinting in the sun. Don't be fooled. It wasn't warm. Also: The identity of the DOG in the previous post (Smithtown Turkey Trot) has been ascertained. Her name is Ella and this pup's proud owners are Mark Valentino and his fiancee. Neat!

Turkey Trot results and photos

Here are some results and photos collected over the past day from Thanksgiving races: 

--At the Manchester Road Race (4.748 miles), sophomore Hayley Collins placed 13^th in the women’s field and 114^th overall in 27:42 (5:50 pace).

--At the Smithtown Kickers 5K Turkey Trot, current sophomore Christopher Tibbetts was first overall (16:37) and Marist Running alum Mark Valentino was sixth overall (17:59). See photo of the two of them, along with an unidentified dog.

--At the Massapequa Turkey Trot 5K (see photos above), current team members James Moehringer (15:58), Matthew Ronan (16:06) and Brendan Zeng (16:13) went second, third and fourth overall. Marist Running alum Bryan (Gregg) Buttigieg hopped off a redeye from Seattle, went out too hard with the boys and settled in for an 18:45. 

--At the Garden City (Long Island) Turkey Trot 5-miler, Marist Running alum Dietrich Mosel was fifth overall (26:35) and current freshman Aidan Sweeney was 10^th overall (28:24)

One finish line, another starting line

The beauty and the curse of our sport is that, other than summer, we do not have much of an “off season,” as other sports do. So with the conclusion of cross country at the IC4A/ECAC meet last Saturday at Van Cortlandt Park comes the start of our indoor track season. Our first meet is next Saturday, December 1, at Ocean Breeze, hosted by our good friend Nick McDonough. So this brief Thanksgiving week break is nice, but we get right back to work on Monday for the beginning of the track season, which features two December meets – Fastrack at Ocean Breeze on Dec. 1 and the Yale Season Opener on Dec. 8. Yes, we have a several weeks’ break around the holidays, but then the season resumes in earnest in January, and continues more or less unabated until the end of the outdoor track season in mid to late May. Thanks to Dawn Collins, mom of sophomore Hayley Collins, for sharing this photo of our pack on men charging toward the finish line at Vanny – the final finish line of cross country, followed closely by the first starting line of indoor track.

Running through some holiday thoughts

The holiday season is a great time to be with family, celebrate gratitude and toast all that is good in life. As the song says, it’s the “most wonderful time of the year.” But unlike the endless stream of holiday music on radio station 92.1 locally, and unlike the endless good cheer at places like Disney and elsewhere, and unlike the unrelenting marketing of happiness this time of year, life isn’t so straightforward and simple. Deep down, we all know this. As a result, the holidays can be complicated times as well as good times. How was your Thanksgiving? Such a simple question, requiring a smile and a positive response, which you almost exclusively give and receive – as well you should. But again, the holidays can actually be a stressful time filled with various other emotions besides good will and cheer. We live in complicated, divisive times, and everyone wants to tell you their opinion of it – usually on social media, but at holiday gatherings it might actually be front and center, in person. That can lead to very awkward or even downright nasty discussions with well-meaning family and friends.

For my wife Heidi and I, holidays like Thanksgiving can be bittersweet as well celebratory. We are both the youngest in our families, and we have dealt with natural loss of loved ones over the past several years. Traditions that we have known for so long have ended and we struggle to create new ones. Predictably, our children are very resilient and adapt with ease that doesn’t come as naturally to us in middle age. We are working on new traditions, all the while mourning ones that have run their course.

Thanksgiving is the biggest day of the year in terms of participation in road races; fortunately, that’s a tradition that has always been easy locally, with numerous local Turkey Tro races. I was able to join my early morning running pals for the Mid-Hudson Road Runners Club’s Turkey Trot 5-miler out at Arlington High School on a bitterly cold morning. Those hills on Cramer Road haven’t gotten any easier through the years. Like the holidays, the hills are always there, waiting for us. And like any old runner, we have to learn to adapt to them as we get older.

ECAC Championships results: 2nd place!

ECAC Championships

Saturday, November 17, 2018

Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx

Team standings

1-Temple 23, 2. Marist 99, 3-Stony Brook 135, 4. George Mason 141, 5-Siena 151, 6-Fordham 170, 7-St. Joseph’s 197, 8-Central Connecticut 215, 9. James Madison 226, 10. Rider 238, 11. St. Francis PA 262, 12. Holy Cross 262, 13. Monmouth 367, 14. Sacred Heart 399, 15. Colgate 419, 16. Maryland Eastern Shore 502, 17. Canisius 537, 18. NJIT 538

Individual results, 3.06-mile course

11. Maria Smith 17:20

18. Shea Bohan 17:31

21. Gianna Tedeschi 17:34

25. Hayley Collins 17:41

30. Denise Grohn 17:46

45. Emily Burns 18:04

49. Gianna Mastromatteo 18:08

53. Rebecca Walters 18:14

56. Jordan Casey 18:17

59. Kerry Gaye 18:23

153 finishers

Coaches Association results

14. Talia Cutrone 19:16

22. Kayla Sexton 19:25

29. Jess Howe 19:44

35. Hannah Albert 20:00

44. Ashley Wallace 20:24

64. Katie Miale 20:56

82 finishers

IC4A Championships results

IC4A Championships

Saturday, November 17, 2018

Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx

Team standings

1-Stony Brook 25, 2. Temple 72, 3. Northeastern 114, 4. George Mason 147, 5-. St. Joseph’s 150, 6. Siena 160, 7. Monmouth 175, 8. Rutgers 235, 9. Marist 250, 10. St. Francis PA 252, 11. Rider 321, 12. Central Connecticut 333, 13. Fordham 373, 14. NJIT 379, 15. Holy Cross 413, 16. Canisius 482, 17. Colgate 508, 18. Sacred Heart 527

Men’s individual results, 4.73 (??) mile course

45. Michael Kennedy 23:59

47. James Draney 24:04

48. Palmer Weimann 24:06

62. James Moehringer 24:17

63. Christopher Rivas 24:18

64. Riley Hughes 24:18

72. Elias Platanias 24:32

84. Dan Hillman 24:42

89. Alex Hogue 24:53

115. Conor Stack 25:28

157 finishers

Coaches Association results

7. Eamonn Beers 24:53

9. Connor Levins 24:57

16. Matthew Ronan 25:13

20. Graham Strzelecki 25:25

29. Brendan Zeng 25:40

31. Aidan Sweeney 25:46

33. Patrick Kutch 25:53

41. Connor Fitzpatrick 26:13

63. Marc Bakia 27:39

66 finishers

ECAC/IC4A Championships: Happy recap

It was a special end to a special season for our program. Our women’s team notched its top finish in school history in the championships – second place! -- with the top runners earning All-East medals in the process. The men had an incredibly tight 1-through-6 compression of 19 seconds and parlayed that into a ninth-place finish in a competitive field. Because of the terrible weather that plagued the Northeast on Friday, the courses were altered. Neither course included the Back Hills and the men’s course omitted Cemetery Hill as well. The men’s course, in particular, was very short of the usual 5 miles – one runner had 4.73 miles on his watch; we’ll go with that. However you add it up, it was well shy of the correct course in terms of terrain and distance. No matter. It was a great day at Vanny, capping a great season for our women’s and men’s cross country teams. Thanks to Martha Weimann for providing sooooo many photos (including this one of our special senior class). Very cool.

IC4A Championships: Time in a bottle

Thanks to Joanne and Ray Beers for sharing these amazing pair of photos, the first from 2008 when a youthful Eamonn Beers ran his first race at Van Cortlandt Park as part of the Infant Jesus Track Club. The second one, obviously, is from today, as senior Eamonn Beers of the Marist men’s XC team concluded his cross country career with a strong race … at Van Cortlandt Park. So neat!

Women's photos: ECAC Championships