ForrestCRN here again. I am not at the meet, but RTJ is and he's sent me some quick results:
800- official times
Stone: 1:51.64
Hunter- 1:56.28
Magee- 1:56.75
Boyle - 1:57.74
Moy - 2:02.98
Wiseman - DNF
Not sure if Wiseman didn't race or is injured. but a really big day for Stone. Magee had a solid race and I bet he splits 1:55 at nationals. Moy had an off day, but I expect him to bounce back big time for NBoN.
1 Mile Elite: Brehm goes 4:09 to win the mile. I wanted to call him running sub 4:10 and I didn't. I've been saying how much of a stud this guy is, but man 4:09 in the mile as a sophomore is unreal. I can't wait to see what he has in store for us next XC season.
Speaking of great sophomores, second place in the race is Sam Ritz in 4:11! This class is fantastic and I'll be making a post about them fairly soon. Kevin James was 4:15.
Between 4:12 and 4:14 was: Coyle, Ben Ritz, and Russell
3000m Mixed
Szuhaj - 8:51.10
Snider - 8:53.06
Pretty good times for both of these guys. Szuhaj is another SO stud. Snider ran 4:20 in the 16 outdoors so a fairly comparable time. I can't recall if he'll be returning or not for Kiski.
That's all for now folks!
--ForrestCRN
Friday, May 31, 2013
Henderson Distance Festival Preview
Wow, first blog post for me. I've written up several of these to send to Etrain as discussion points, but I'm excited to be writing one for a blog, even if it isn't his :(
It's ForrestCRN here to bring you the preview of the Henderson Distance Festival. I thought maybe I'd be walking away as well, but this performance list got me really excited. Not sure if I'm going to make it down for the meet, but I'm still deciding. Anyway, here we go! I'll be just going down the performance list, you can find it at-- http://pa.milesplit.com/meets/135146/attachment/252563
Mixed 800m Run:
I'm assuming they do 12 per heat. Ferraiolo, Finney, and Hoyt have run some solid times this season, but have been fairly under the radar in the PA scene since they are in the independent league, look for them to drop some time in this race, I'm thinking a 1:53 for Ferraiolo. Not sure if he'll be heading down to Nat's, so this could be his last chance for a big PR. Garton didn't have a great pre-lim at States, so he'll be fired up to drop some time as will the Penncrest boys who missed finals in the 4x8. Gatchell is in at 1:55.9, but he had a huge split for Red Lion as there anchor, most likely 1:54 low. He could win the Mixed 800, so watch him for a big PR.
Others to note: Bilotta (He's ranked quite fast, but it seems to me La Salle is going 4x8 at Nat's by all indications of this meet. They've got sub 7:40 potential if not mid 7:30's if it all comes together right), Stratman, Collins (Henderson getting ready for a Nat's 4x8 as well?), Savage is in this looking to get some speed going into Nats, along with Brady and St. Peter from CV's 4x8. Kunzweiler and Coburn aren't in the meet, so that could mean this is the end of CV's 4x8 :(
Mixed 3000m Open Run:
The young guns Greco and Szuhaj will be going at it. Szuhaj ran his time from December, coming off of XC training. Lets see if he's ready to roll once again.
Mixed 1 Mile Run
Barchett is going to be looking for some redemption after states in this race. Seems like he's getting ready for the 4xMile at Nats. Caldwell will also be in the fast heat coming off a a great state meet. He's moving up to the mile, I'm interested to see what he can do.
Others to Note: Kazajian twins, Willig, Grace, Krump, and Knapp.
Men's Elite 800:
If they do 12 per heat the first 2 heats won't have any PA guys (Stone is the top guy at 25th), but we will see a few Alumni racing: Dawson, Lefebure, and Crits. I'm a big fan of Ledder, Bile, and FitzSimons as well. If you're a track and field fan, check out this race. 19 guys sub 1:50 seedings, should be really fricken fast.
HS Fast heat: Stone, Rivera, Wiseman, Moy, and Magee, Hunter, and Boyle. These last 3 are very over seeded in my opinion, but it I think Hunter will step up to hit this pace. I'm interested to see how Boyle does as he didn't have a great race in the 4x8 at states. Not sure if O'Hara will take a second shot at that relay come nationals. They have sub 7:50 potential in my mind. Wiseman is going to be the big story here. He missed finals at states after winning the district 1 title. It just wasn't his day at states, but oh man is he hungry. I fully expect him to win this outright in 1:51.30. Rivera tweeted about Nationals to Kyle Francis after the state meet, but he's the only Bensalem guy at the meet, so maybe he's going to run open 800 again like he did indoors. Wish we could see that relay in major competition like nationals though. I think he and Stone go 1:52 low. I'm excited to see Moy in an 800 again. It seemed to be his event until he dropped a bomb at districts running that 4:16.0. I think he could really mix it up with these guys for a 1:52.5. Seems like he'll be doing double or triple duty at nationals. Henderson has 3 relays to pick from. I've got to guess they load up the DMR and 4x1 Mile.
Men 1 Mile Run Elite:
I'm loving the seedings in this race by O'Hara. Smart hasn't run anything over 800 this season nor has Belfatto (who may have run the 1600 in one of the first meets), but I can't wait to see how quick they can go. I believe they break 4:20, but not far under. There is a high potential for one of them to blow-up though. This looks like a test for a nationals 4xMile. I'm not sure how Coach Kelly will split up the heats in this, but if we go 8 and 13 maybe? I hope Todaro gets in the faster heat.
Predictions: I believe there is a rabbit, hopefully for both heats. I've heard rumors that the rabbit is going out in 2:02 to 2:04. This benefits the strength guys like Russell, Ritz, and Brehm. Logue fell off at Penn Relays after his big 1500, but I see this more as a preview for next season where I speculate he'll move up to the 1600. Kardish and Todaro will both be looking for a bit of redemption after states, and Brehm will look to prove himself as an honest racer along with being one of the top guys in the state.
I think this race plays perfectly out to Ritz. He's strong and he's fast. I think he'll be on Russell shoulder at 1200 and just take off. I'm hoping someone will take up the pace after the rabbit drops off. What can happen a lot is guys will go through in pace after the 800, but nobody takes up the mantle and it gets slow. Russell will most likely be taking the lead, although Kardish, if around, may go for it as well.
Ritz- 4:09.81
Russell - 4:10.54
Coyle - 4:10.71 (won't be able to kick Russell down)
Brehm - 4:11.67
Todaro - 4:12.96
Kardish - 4:16.32
Ritz (S) - 4:16.46
Logue - 4:18.23
As for the other heat we got Jewett, Pastore, Aziz, Wistar, Kennedy, James, Smart, and Belfatto.
I'm really glad that Jewett and Kennedy made the trip out here for this race. Hoping someone in the near future sets up a distance festival in Western PA. A fast pace will benefit these two along with Wistar and James. I think James takes the lead after the Rabbit but with Jewett pushing him the whole way. I can tell Jewett really wanted to go at it with Smathers in the 16, and he'll be out for blood.
James - 4:12.15
Jewett - 4:12.80
Wistar - 4:14.76
Kennedy - 4:17.56 - We haven't seen a fast 1600 out of him all season, so i'm excited to see what shape he's in for this race. He could surprise with a 4:15.
Belfatto - 4:18.96
Aziz - 4:19.02
Smart - 4:22.58
Pastore - 4:23.81
1500m Elite
Coyle is also entered in this race. I hope he runs the 1 Mile, although I think time equivalent wise he can do better in the 1500. Make sure to check out this race. Schilit placed second at D3 Nationals and there is a slew of amazing runners from the NJ/NY track club.
Sorry for the long post but I hope I got everything! Comment away, and maybe I'll see some of you at the meet!
--ForrestCRN
It's ForrestCRN here to bring you the preview of the Henderson Distance Festival. I thought maybe I'd be walking away as well, but this performance list got me really excited. Not sure if I'm going to make it down for the meet, but I'm still deciding. Anyway, here we go! I'll be just going down the performance list, you can find it at-- http://pa.milesplit.com/meets/135146/attachment/252563
Mixed 800m Run:
I'm assuming they do 12 per heat. Ferraiolo, Finney, and Hoyt have run some solid times this season, but have been fairly under the radar in the PA scene since they are in the independent league, look for them to drop some time in this race, I'm thinking a 1:53 for Ferraiolo. Not sure if he'll be heading down to Nat's, so this could be his last chance for a big PR. Garton didn't have a great pre-lim at States, so he'll be fired up to drop some time as will the Penncrest boys who missed finals in the 4x8. Gatchell is in at 1:55.9, but he had a huge split for Red Lion as there anchor, most likely 1:54 low. He could win the Mixed 800, so watch him for a big PR.
Others to note: Bilotta (He's ranked quite fast, but it seems to me La Salle is going 4x8 at Nat's by all indications of this meet. They've got sub 7:40 potential if not mid 7:30's if it all comes together right), Stratman, Collins (Henderson getting ready for a Nat's 4x8 as well?), Savage is in this looking to get some speed going into Nats, along with Brady and St. Peter from CV's 4x8. Kunzweiler and Coburn aren't in the meet, so that could mean this is the end of CV's 4x8 :(
Mixed 3000m Open Run:
The young guns Greco and Szuhaj will be going at it. Szuhaj ran his time from December, coming off of XC training. Lets see if he's ready to roll once again.
Mixed 1 Mile Run
Barchett is going to be looking for some redemption after states in this race. Seems like he's getting ready for the 4xMile at Nats. Caldwell will also be in the fast heat coming off a a great state meet. He's moving up to the mile, I'm interested to see what he can do.
Others to Note: Kazajian twins, Willig, Grace, Krump, and Knapp.
Men's Elite 800:
If they do 12 per heat the first 2 heats won't have any PA guys (Stone is the top guy at 25th), but we will see a few Alumni racing: Dawson, Lefebure, and Crits. I'm a big fan of Ledder, Bile, and FitzSimons as well. If you're a track and field fan, check out this race. 19 guys sub 1:50 seedings, should be really fricken fast.
HS Fast heat: Stone, Rivera, Wiseman, Moy, and Magee, Hunter, and Boyle. These last 3 are very over seeded in my opinion, but it I think Hunter will step up to hit this pace. I'm interested to see how Boyle does as he didn't have a great race in the 4x8 at states. Not sure if O'Hara will take a second shot at that relay come nationals. They have sub 7:50 potential in my mind. Wiseman is going to be the big story here. He missed finals at states after winning the district 1 title. It just wasn't his day at states, but oh man is he hungry. I fully expect him to win this outright in 1:51.30. Rivera tweeted about Nationals to Kyle Francis after the state meet, but he's the only Bensalem guy at the meet, so maybe he's going to run open 800 again like he did indoors. Wish we could see that relay in major competition like nationals though. I think he and Stone go 1:52 low. I'm excited to see Moy in an 800 again. It seemed to be his event until he dropped a bomb at districts running that 4:16.0. I think he could really mix it up with these guys for a 1:52.5. Seems like he'll be doing double or triple duty at nationals. Henderson has 3 relays to pick from. I've got to guess they load up the DMR and 4x1 Mile.
Men 1 Mile Run Elite:
I'm loving the seedings in this race by O'Hara. Smart hasn't run anything over 800 this season nor has Belfatto (who may have run the 1600 in one of the first meets), but I can't wait to see how quick they can go. I believe they break 4:20, but not far under. There is a high potential for one of them to blow-up though. This looks like a test for a nationals 4xMile. I'm not sure how Coach Kelly will split up the heats in this, but if we go 8 and 13 maybe? I hope Todaro gets in the faster heat.
Predictions: I believe there is a rabbit, hopefully for both heats. I've heard rumors that the rabbit is going out in 2:02 to 2:04. This benefits the strength guys like Russell, Ritz, and Brehm. Logue fell off at Penn Relays after his big 1500, but I see this more as a preview for next season where I speculate he'll move up to the 1600. Kardish and Todaro will both be looking for a bit of redemption after states, and Brehm will look to prove himself as an honest racer along with being one of the top guys in the state.
I think this race plays perfectly out to Ritz. He's strong and he's fast. I think he'll be on Russell shoulder at 1200 and just take off. I'm hoping someone will take up the pace after the rabbit drops off. What can happen a lot is guys will go through in pace after the 800, but nobody takes up the mantle and it gets slow. Russell will most likely be taking the lead, although Kardish, if around, may go for it as well.
Ritz- 4:09.81
Russell - 4:10.54
Coyle - 4:10.71 (won't be able to kick Russell down)
Brehm - 4:11.67
Todaro - 4:12.96
Kardish - 4:16.32
Ritz (S) - 4:16.46
Logue - 4:18.23
As for the other heat we got Jewett, Pastore, Aziz, Wistar, Kennedy, James, Smart, and Belfatto.
I'm really glad that Jewett and Kennedy made the trip out here for this race. Hoping someone in the near future sets up a distance festival in Western PA. A fast pace will benefit these two along with Wistar and James. I think James takes the lead after the Rabbit but with Jewett pushing him the whole way. I can tell Jewett really wanted to go at it with Smathers in the 16, and he'll be out for blood.
James - 4:12.15
Jewett - 4:12.80
Wistar - 4:14.76
Kennedy - 4:17.56 - We haven't seen a fast 1600 out of him all season, so i'm excited to see what shape he's in for this race. He could surprise with a 4:15.
Belfatto - 4:18.96
Aziz - 4:19.02
Smart - 4:22.58
Pastore - 4:23.81
1500m Elite
Coyle is also entered in this race. I hope he runs the 1 Mile, although I think time equivalent wise he can do better in the 1500. Make sure to check out this race. Schilit placed second at D3 Nationals and there is a slew of amazing runners from the NJ/NY track club.
Sorry for the long post but I hope I got everything! Comment away, and maybe I'll see some of you at the meet!
--ForrestCRN
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
4x800m Recap
Thank you everyone for the great feedback! I have a lot of new ideas for what to do now and I hope you enjoy it. If you notice now on the blog I have included a poll to see who will be the first runner of the week. I plan on only including the graduating seniors at this point and I plan on getting to most of the names I listed. For each runner I plan on having an interview with them, highlighting some of their best races, finding out about their training philosophies, and finding about what they are doing after high school. The quality of each of those posts will depend a lot on the runner themselves.
Now on to the 4x8s
AA Boys 4x800m
1. Anville-Cleaona-8:03.25
2 Wyomissing-8:11.91
3. Trinity-8:12.33
4. Lakeview- 8:12.88
5. Northeast Bradford-8:15.10
6. Northern Potter-8:15.32
7. Masterman-8:16.06
8. Southern Columbia-8:16.39
This race was a pretty easy victory for Anville-Cleaona. They had clearly the best team in the field and they dominated from the start. There lead-off leg put them in a good position and from there the continued to slowly pull away from the field. By the time it got to there anchor Shawn Wolfe they had the race all sewn up. He basically cruised to an easy 2:00 split for the win. The interesting part of the race took place behind them. Between second and eighth was a smaller spread then between first and second. Trinity had a good runner out in front for them with Will Edwards leading them through the pack in first. After that things began to get jumbled as Wyomissing, Lakeview, and Trinity all vied for the second place spot. In the end it went to Wyomissing on a big anchor leg by Andrew Miller. Trinity pulled off a third followed closely by Lakeview. Behind them was the team of Northeast Bradford. They lost a key leg from their team Curt Jewett who went on to be the 800m champion and clearly that hurt him. However, the tough running of Sam Williams and Colton Synder managed to pull them back into 5th which is impressive for a team who lost their best runner. After that Northern Potter, Masterman, and Southern Columbia all finished relatively close showing the depth of the AA Boys 4x800 this year.
AAA Boys 4x800m
1. Bensalem-7:47.82
2. Cumberland Valley-7:53.51
3. Pennsbury-7:54.56
4. Downingtown East- 7:58.63
5. Red Lion-7:59.40
6.Cheltenham-7:59.44
7. State College- 7:59.64
8. Carlisle- 8:01.07
This was one of the most interesting relays of the day as you had several very good teams with extremely strong anchors on the tail end of their relay. Bensalem was clearly one of the strongest relays with Rivera as their lead-off and Francis as their anchor. Rivera had to make sure they were well ahead of Cumberland Valley if they wanted to have a chance of holding off Kunzweiler. When they came through the first leg, the pack was headed by Conner Harriman of Pennsbury. He ran very tough and finished strong to put his team in extremely good position for a medal. I have never really thought of him as a 800 runner, but he proved everyone wrong with his monstrous first leg. The rest of the pack followed closely behind. The second leg of the race was dominated by Kyle Davis of Cheltenham. If I am not mistaken he had one of the fastest splits of the day in that leg. They came through with Bensalem close behind. Pennsbury was also near the front off an excellent split by the sophomore Sam Webb. He doubled back from the 3200m nicely and he shows a lot of promise for years to come. By this point in the race Bensalem, Cheltenham, Downingtown East, and Pennsbury were in the lead with the rest of the teams trailing. Cumberland Valley had fallen off the back of the pack and needed to make up a lot of ground. Alex Coburn ran an insanely fast leg for them pulling them from 9th to about 4th-5th. He ran them back into the race and gave Kunzweiler a chance at the win. Bensalem did in fact put some time into the rest of the pack as going into the final leg they had a solid lead over the field. On the final leg Kunzweiler didn't have enough speed to catch Francis, who I believe split a 1:51.7 on the anchor. This is a huge split for him definitely proving he is one fo the best 800m runners in the State. Bensalem had a very strong team this year and I think in better weather they would be capable of a 7:40 flat time. Cumberland Valley held on for second holding off Pennsbury and Downingtown East in the process. Red Lion ran very well to grab 5th place as they had slipped under the radar all year running behind Cumberland Valley. Cheltenham and State College were the last 2 teams under 8 minutes and Carlisle finished behind them. I think it may have been a disappointing day for the State College boys as I feel like they are capable of much more. Hopefully we will see some of these teams at nationals where they will have one more shot to run a super fast time.
Now on to the 4x8s
AA Boys 4x800m
1. Anville-Cleaona-8:03.25
2 Wyomissing-8:11.91
3. Trinity-8:12.33
4. Lakeview- 8:12.88
5. Northeast Bradford-8:15.10
6. Northern Potter-8:15.32
7. Masterman-8:16.06
8. Southern Columbia-8:16.39
This race was a pretty easy victory for Anville-Cleaona. They had clearly the best team in the field and they dominated from the start. There lead-off leg put them in a good position and from there the continued to slowly pull away from the field. By the time it got to there anchor Shawn Wolfe they had the race all sewn up. He basically cruised to an easy 2:00 split for the win. The interesting part of the race took place behind them. Between second and eighth was a smaller spread then between first and second. Trinity had a good runner out in front for them with Will Edwards leading them through the pack in first. After that things began to get jumbled as Wyomissing, Lakeview, and Trinity all vied for the second place spot. In the end it went to Wyomissing on a big anchor leg by Andrew Miller. Trinity pulled off a third followed closely by Lakeview. Behind them was the team of Northeast Bradford. They lost a key leg from their team Curt Jewett who went on to be the 800m champion and clearly that hurt him. However, the tough running of Sam Williams and Colton Synder managed to pull them back into 5th which is impressive for a team who lost their best runner. After that Northern Potter, Masterman, and Southern Columbia all finished relatively close showing the depth of the AA Boys 4x800 this year.
AAA Boys 4x800m
1. Bensalem-7:47.82
2. Cumberland Valley-7:53.51
3. Pennsbury-7:54.56
4. Downingtown East- 7:58.63
5. Red Lion-7:59.40
6.Cheltenham-7:59.44
7. State College- 7:59.64
8. Carlisle- 8:01.07
This was one of the most interesting relays of the day as you had several very good teams with extremely strong anchors on the tail end of their relay. Bensalem was clearly one of the strongest relays with Rivera as their lead-off and Francis as their anchor. Rivera had to make sure they were well ahead of Cumberland Valley if they wanted to have a chance of holding off Kunzweiler. When they came through the first leg, the pack was headed by Conner Harriman of Pennsbury. He ran very tough and finished strong to put his team in extremely good position for a medal. I have never really thought of him as a 800 runner, but he proved everyone wrong with his monstrous first leg. The rest of the pack followed closely behind. The second leg of the race was dominated by Kyle Davis of Cheltenham. If I am not mistaken he had one of the fastest splits of the day in that leg. They came through with Bensalem close behind. Pennsbury was also near the front off an excellent split by the sophomore Sam Webb. He doubled back from the 3200m nicely and he shows a lot of promise for years to come. By this point in the race Bensalem, Cheltenham, Downingtown East, and Pennsbury were in the lead with the rest of the teams trailing. Cumberland Valley had fallen off the back of the pack and needed to make up a lot of ground. Alex Coburn ran an insanely fast leg for them pulling them from 9th to about 4th-5th. He ran them back into the race and gave Kunzweiler a chance at the win. Bensalem did in fact put some time into the rest of the pack as going into the final leg they had a solid lead over the field. On the final leg Kunzweiler didn't have enough speed to catch Francis, who I believe split a 1:51.7 on the anchor. This is a huge split for him definitely proving he is one fo the best 800m runners in the State. Bensalem had a very strong team this year and I think in better weather they would be capable of a 7:40 flat time. Cumberland Valley held on for second holding off Pennsbury and Downingtown East in the process. Red Lion ran very well to grab 5th place as they had slipped under the radar all year running behind Cumberland Valley. Cheltenham and State College were the last 2 teams under 8 minutes and Carlisle finished behind them. I think it may have been a disappointing day for the State College boys as I feel like they are capable of much more. Hopefully we will see some of these teams at nationals where they will have one more shot to run a super fast time.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
1600m Recap
AA
This race seemed cut and dry for Smathers. Without Jewett to push him Smathers had a relatively easy road to victory. He took the lead from the start. Shearn stayed relatively close for the first 2 laps, but the strain of doubling definitely cost him. By the third lap Smathers had a sizeable lead on the rest of the pack. He didn't rest on his laurels though as he continued to push for a fast time. Easy win for Smathers. Behind he we saw an excellent kick by Seykora to take second. He blew away the rest of the chase pack and showed some real strength in the final 400. Also, an excellent end to the career for Sam Williams. The kid pulled one of the most difficult triples imaginable and was able to medal in all 3. There is something to be said for the strength and will power it would take to do that. Nice race by Walker to take third. He has had some very good races lately. Also Curtin really stepped up. He showed he has the stuff to hang with the big boys and hopefully in the future he will continue to run well. Shearn's last lap was pretty painful as he went from 2nd to 6th. Tough day for the kid, but at least he medaled. It would have been nice to see what Curt Jewett could have brought to the table. He would have given Smathers a run for his money I think, unfortunately he was disqualified on a rough call. Ultimately what I got out of this race was Smathers can run tough regardless of the weather and it would be nice to see him in a race against Jack, Tom, and Tony.
Results:
1. Smathers 4:22.69
2. Seykora 4:29.05
3. Williams 4:30.11
4. Walker 4:30.29
5. Curtin 4:32.52
6. Shearn 4:34.53
7. Hill 4:35.64
8. Vella 4:35.96
AAA
The triple A race had a little more excitment as there was a lot of people vying for the win. Right off the bat Schettler boldly jumped to the lead. He ran gutsy out front for the first lap and I respect the balls it takes to run hard out front. After that Tony Russell made his bid for the State Championship. He kept the pace fast through the next two laps. Tony ran gutsy, but he really didn't have the speed to break any of the big kickers in the race. In the end it came down to the two guys who everyone had hoped to see race all year. Jack kicked early at around 300 to go. This definitely intimidated Tom a little and gave him an advantage. Tom nearly closed it down on him in the final 100m but Jack had just enough to hold him. It was a great race for two great milers. Behind them we had Jaskowak grabbing 3rd. Dan has always been a tough runner and after a less then stellar cross country season he really finished off his track career proving he's still one of the best. I would have liked to see him in a really competitive two mile this year, but it wasn't in the cards. Zingarini had a nice race to take 4th. He really surprised everyone this year becoming one of the states premier milers. Also nice races for Moy and Russell. Tony obviously wanted to win but he ran tough and that's what matters. Moy is real threat next year and one to watch out for on the track for sure.
Results:
1. Huemmler 4:16.25
2. Coyle 4:16.62
3. Jaskowak 4:19.53
4. Zingarini 4:19.55
5. Moy 4:20.20
6. Russell 4:20.59
7. Watro 4:21.02
8. Schettler 4:24.88
This race seemed cut and dry for Smathers. Without Jewett to push him Smathers had a relatively easy road to victory. He took the lead from the start. Shearn stayed relatively close for the first 2 laps, but the strain of doubling definitely cost him. By the third lap Smathers had a sizeable lead on the rest of the pack. He didn't rest on his laurels though as he continued to push for a fast time. Easy win for Smathers. Behind he we saw an excellent kick by Seykora to take second. He blew away the rest of the chase pack and showed some real strength in the final 400. Also, an excellent end to the career for Sam Williams. The kid pulled one of the most difficult triples imaginable and was able to medal in all 3. There is something to be said for the strength and will power it would take to do that. Nice race by Walker to take third. He has had some very good races lately. Also Curtin really stepped up. He showed he has the stuff to hang with the big boys and hopefully in the future he will continue to run well. Shearn's last lap was pretty painful as he went from 2nd to 6th. Tough day for the kid, but at least he medaled. It would have been nice to see what Curt Jewett could have brought to the table. He would have given Smathers a run for his money I think, unfortunately he was disqualified on a rough call. Ultimately what I got out of this race was Smathers can run tough regardless of the weather and it would be nice to see him in a race against Jack, Tom, and Tony.
Results:
1. Smathers 4:22.69
2. Seykora 4:29.05
3. Williams 4:30.11
4. Walker 4:30.29
5. Curtin 4:32.52
6. Shearn 4:34.53
7. Hill 4:35.64
8. Vella 4:35.96
AAA
The triple A race had a little more excitment as there was a lot of people vying for the win. Right off the bat Schettler boldly jumped to the lead. He ran gutsy out front for the first lap and I respect the balls it takes to run hard out front. After that Tony Russell made his bid for the State Championship. He kept the pace fast through the next two laps. Tony ran gutsy, but he really didn't have the speed to break any of the big kickers in the race. In the end it came down to the two guys who everyone had hoped to see race all year. Jack kicked early at around 300 to go. This definitely intimidated Tom a little and gave him an advantage. Tom nearly closed it down on him in the final 100m but Jack had just enough to hold him. It was a great race for two great milers. Behind them we had Jaskowak grabbing 3rd. Dan has always been a tough runner and after a less then stellar cross country season he really finished off his track career proving he's still one of the best. I would have liked to see him in a really competitive two mile this year, but it wasn't in the cards. Zingarini had a nice race to take 4th. He really surprised everyone this year becoming one of the states premier milers. Also nice races for Moy and Russell. Tony obviously wanted to win but he ran tough and that's what matters. Moy is real threat next year and one to watch out for on the track for sure.
Results:
1. Huemmler 4:16.25
2. Coyle 4:16.62
3. Jaskowak 4:19.53
4. Zingarini 4:19.55
5. Moy 4:20.20
6. Russell 4:20.59
7. Watro 4:21.02
8. Schettler 4:24.88
800m Recap
Hello again everyone! So since I just received a message from ForrestCRN I will continue blogging for the time being. First up on the list is a recap of the State meet. So here it goes nothing
AA 800m
Going into this race Shawn Wolfe seemed to be like the clear favorite with the only time under 1:55. There were however some studs stacking the field behind him like Curt Jewett, Ryan Smathers, Dan Alexander and Jordan Jackson. The start of the race was one of the strangest I have ever seen with Shawn first false starting, then falling in the first few meters. After that they had the runners jog about 50m down the track and come back to the line. I feel this really freaked out some of the runners and the start showed how cautious they were. Curt Jewett went immediately to the back of the pack to block the wind. The first lap was lead by Dan Alexander with everyone still in the race. Around the back stretch Curt made a strong move to the front and took the lead. Around the final turn he held off a charging Smathers who took 2nd. I believe that being DQed from the mile motivated Curt greatly. I feel that even if he ran this race fresh and was not DQ he would not have won if not for the motivation of the mile loss. Smathers also had an excellent double coming back off a 1600m directly into the wind. The times of the race were relatively slow, but that is to be expected into the blistering wind of Shippensburg. It was a tough race for the top seed Shawn Wolfe, but he ran very well in his other events so this is just a minor setback for him.
Results:
1. Jewett 1:58.25
2. Smathers 1:59.06
3. Grim 1:59.84
4. Alexander 2:00.04
5. Wilt 2:00.44
6. Miller 2:00.83
7. Goodson 2:01.12
8. Brinkley 2:01.55
AAA 800m
This race was also very strange. Wiseman, many people's favorite to win the whole thing was unable to even make the final! It just goes to show that prelims can be just as important as finals when you are at the state level. The field was composed of a lot of major studs with Kunzweiler, Brehm, Rivera, Logue, Stone, and Coburn in the field. I felt like going into this race without Wiseman in the field the state championship was Kunzwieler's for the taking. When the gun went off he went straight to the front taking the wind for the whole pack. This was ballsy for him, but if you want to get out of the pushing and shoving that comes with an 8. Kunzweiler had a solid lead on the chase pack at the bell, but you could tell they were all closing on him. Rounding the final turn there was a bit of contact and Kunzweiler went down. This left the door open for Brehm to storm home for the victory over Rivera and Logue. Now I know there is a lot of controversy over what actually happened. I was not close enough to tell but I do not think Brehm intentionally took him down. There is no way he would risk his own race to try and take down another runner. Brehm won the race and he deserves all the credit he received for winning it. It's difficult to say what would have happened if Kunzweiler had stayed up. I think it would have been a very interesting finish, but I think he takes the W. The rest of the field was very interesting as Rivera was 2nd and Logue was third. I would have liked to see Logue in a faster race because I feel like he can drop a fast time. Since The distance festival last year he hasn't had any really big wins. I feel like he has the potential to break 1:50 and the matchup between him and Brehm should be great for years to come. A nice race by Stone to grab 4th. I think he was disappointed in his finish, but I think the wind may have affected him a lot. Also Coburn ran well on the double to grab 5th. I never really thought the 800m as his event but since Cumberland Valley established a 4x8 he's transitioned nicely.
Results:
1. Brehm 1:54.40
2. Rivera 1:55.73
3. Logue 1:56.37
4. Stone 1:57.31
5. Coburn 1:58.61
6. Nole 1:59.08
7. Caldwell 1:59.38
8. Wilhoite 2:00.16
AA 800m
Going into this race Shawn Wolfe seemed to be like the clear favorite with the only time under 1:55. There were however some studs stacking the field behind him like Curt Jewett, Ryan Smathers, Dan Alexander and Jordan Jackson. The start of the race was one of the strangest I have ever seen with Shawn first false starting, then falling in the first few meters. After that they had the runners jog about 50m down the track and come back to the line. I feel this really freaked out some of the runners and the start showed how cautious they were. Curt Jewett went immediately to the back of the pack to block the wind. The first lap was lead by Dan Alexander with everyone still in the race. Around the back stretch Curt made a strong move to the front and took the lead. Around the final turn he held off a charging Smathers who took 2nd. I believe that being DQed from the mile motivated Curt greatly. I feel that even if he ran this race fresh and was not DQ he would not have won if not for the motivation of the mile loss. Smathers also had an excellent double coming back off a 1600m directly into the wind. The times of the race were relatively slow, but that is to be expected into the blistering wind of Shippensburg. It was a tough race for the top seed Shawn Wolfe, but he ran very well in his other events so this is just a minor setback for him.
Results:
1. Jewett 1:58.25
2. Smathers 1:59.06
3. Grim 1:59.84
4. Alexander 2:00.04
5. Wilt 2:00.44
6. Miller 2:00.83
7. Goodson 2:01.12
8. Brinkley 2:01.55
AAA 800m
This race was also very strange. Wiseman, many people's favorite to win the whole thing was unable to even make the final! It just goes to show that prelims can be just as important as finals when you are at the state level. The field was composed of a lot of major studs with Kunzweiler, Brehm, Rivera, Logue, Stone, and Coburn in the field. I felt like going into this race without Wiseman in the field the state championship was Kunzwieler's for the taking. When the gun went off he went straight to the front taking the wind for the whole pack. This was ballsy for him, but if you want to get out of the pushing and shoving that comes with an 8. Kunzweiler had a solid lead on the chase pack at the bell, but you could tell they were all closing on him. Rounding the final turn there was a bit of contact and Kunzweiler went down. This left the door open for Brehm to storm home for the victory over Rivera and Logue. Now I know there is a lot of controversy over what actually happened. I was not close enough to tell but I do not think Brehm intentionally took him down. There is no way he would risk his own race to try and take down another runner. Brehm won the race and he deserves all the credit he received for winning it. It's difficult to say what would have happened if Kunzweiler had stayed up. I think it would have been a very interesting finish, but I think he takes the W. The rest of the field was very interesting as Rivera was 2nd and Logue was third. I would have liked to see Logue in a faster race because I feel like he can drop a fast time. Since The distance festival last year he hasn't had any really big wins. I feel like he has the potential to break 1:50 and the matchup between him and Brehm should be great for years to come. A nice race by Stone to grab 4th. I think he was disappointed in his finish, but I think the wind may have affected him a lot. Also Coburn ran well on the double to grab 5th. I never really thought the 800m as his event but since Cumberland Valley established a 4x8 he's transitioned nicely.
Results:
1. Brehm 1:54.40
2. Rivera 1:55.73
3. Logue 1:56.37
4. Stone 1:57.31
5. Coburn 1:58.61
6. Nole 1:59.08
7. Caldwell 1:59.38
8. Wilhoite 2:00.16
I planned on doing some more of the recaps later but I thought I would break these up by event. I hope the first real post wasn't to rough for you guys. Any feedback would be appreciated.
Monday, May 27, 2013
A New Beginning
Let me start off by saying that I am not etrain11. He was a great blogger and he developed a lot of hype around PA distance running. I know that some of you may be upset at the start of a new blog, but let me assure you I do not intend to replace etrain because I know he could never be replaced. I instead I plan on fostering a healthy discussion on PA track and cross country. When I heard the news of etrain retiring I was as devastated as the next person. I know that the running scene will never be the same without him. I do however hope that I can serve you the viewer as best as I can with this blog.
First off let me tell you the things that will be the same about this blog. I plan doing a full recap for all of the distance races at states and my thoughts on each. I also plan on doing a preview and my predictions for the Henderson distance festival once I know who will be entered in each race. Also, during the summer I will release my top 50 XC rankings and several other staples of etrain's blog.
Some things that will be different about this blog is I want to make it a lot more interactive. I plan on having at least two other writers on here besides myself and possibly more. I hope that together we can make this blog as great as it can be. I also plan on talking about girls distance running as well and possibly even other events in track. Lastly I plan on interacting with more of the runners possibly featuring different runners each week giving everyone some of the recognition they deserve.
So for my first post I would like to ask you what you would like to see. I know everyone loved how etrain's blog worked, but if you were like me you probably had some things that you wish he would have done or talked about.
Lastly, I and my crew will remain anonymous. I feel that I will be able to write with a more unbiased pen if you do not know who is behind all this. All you need to know is that my powers of prediction are strong and that I know PA distance running inside and out. Do not worry I am no longer competing so this is not a way to promote my own running. I hope you can trust me and my ability to blog about PA running and remember PA don't play.
First off let me tell you the things that will be the same about this blog. I plan doing a full recap for all of the distance races at states and my thoughts on each. I also plan on doing a preview and my predictions for the Henderson distance festival once I know who will be entered in each race. Also, during the summer I will release my top 50 XC rankings and several other staples of etrain's blog.
Some things that will be different about this blog is I want to make it a lot more interactive. I plan on having at least two other writers on here besides myself and possibly more. I hope that together we can make this blog as great as it can be. I also plan on talking about girls distance running as well and possibly even other events in track. Lastly I plan on interacting with more of the runners possibly featuring different runners each week giving everyone some of the recognition they deserve.
So for my first post I would like to ask you what you would like to see. I know everyone loved how etrain's blog worked, but if you were like me you probably had some things that you wish he would have done or talked about.
Lastly, I and my crew will remain anonymous. I feel that I will be able to write with a more unbiased pen if you do not know who is behind all this. All you need to know is that my powers of prediction are strong and that I know PA distance running inside and out. Do not worry I am no longer competing so this is not a way to promote my own running. I hope you can trust me and my ability to blog about PA running and remember PA don't play.
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