UPDATE 10/6/13 @ 9:00 PM
Grove City Invitational
Really impressed by Aaron Benka yesterday at Grove City. He's has raced solid all season, but this is his breakout race. I think he'll keep this up as WPIALs and States roll around. Watch him to be a force up front in the AA state meet. Also watch out for Braydon Pyle who ran 17:33 as a freshman. Aaron Benka ran 18:04 as a freshman (on a slower day, I'd give him about 17:40 to 17:45), Dan Jaskowak ran 16:45 and Jacob Kildoo ran 16:46. So he's in between some really solid company. It's too early to call for sure, but watch him as a possible future Grove City stud.
His teammate Ryan Budnik is rounding into nice form as well, but I was more impressed by Jake Susalla from Plum who is on the sophomore watch list. This kid has a lot of potential and I like the times he's run so far this season. Continue to keep an eye on him.
As for teams, Altoona gets the big win with a 23 second spread. These guys are looking much better than earlier this season, but I don't think they'll have enough to take down State College in the District 6 meet.
ORIGINAL POST
Hey guys, hope the excessive heat didn't cause any issues with all of you this weekend. It was absolutely crazy at Lehigh, with around 16 ambulances on the course. In the last men's race 15 runners collapsed due to heat exhaustion. There were over 30 athletes taken away to emergency care. It was quite scary, and in many respects I'm glad the high school races didn't go off. I don't think the runners would have gotten anything out of racing other than an extreme tax on their bodies.
Great American XC Festival
Kevin James is right where I had hoped he'd be. He's very fit right now and I think he's setting himself up perfectly to hang with the top 7 guys in AAA.
As for the rest of Cardinal O'Hara I'm not sure what happened. Belfatto was 25 seconds behind, which is about where I expected him to be on a quick course, it seems he doesn't do as well with hills (an issue at the state meet), but I'm thinking Drew Pastore must have fallen since he was their 6th man, and 1:20 behind Belfatto whom he was right behind just two weekends ago. Morro and Donnelly looked solid. If Pastore can run close to Belfatto or even Morro this team should set itself up nicely for a 3rd place finish at the state meet. I do believe they're better than Tatnall even if they didn't show it today.
Cumberland County Championships
Really great front running from Red Land's Lauer and Seiger. Hopefully this team gets from recognition from Penntrack after being left off their "Top" 10 teams list last week. Not sure what happened to Zach Brehm, but he placed 14th overall. I'm hoping that he is not injured. Carlisle also did not race their #2 man Jon Carrol. Not sure exactly what is going on, but I trust this team will be ready for Mid-Penn's. Despite all of this bad news of Carlisle, they still ran pretty solid against Red Land with a spread of 38 seconds 1-7 (and no #2), so they've got a really great pack/team atmosphere which you all know I really like to see.
Also to note, Drew Wilkinson seems to be the real deal after his big breakout from the Carlisle Invitational. I was hoping we'd get to see him mixing it up once again, and he proved he could do it, placing 4th overall. This team is starting to look like the real deal. Can't wait to see them at Mid-Penns as well. That's going to be one great team race!
Salenium
Malvern Prep looked really strong once again scoring 43 points. Hoey and McDevitt worked together once again to go 2-3 in the race. Hoey has run great in 3 big meets in a row two on very hilly courses, it's an impressive streak.
Ross Wilson took the day off of racing, but CRN is starting to make moves putting their 2-4 in a tighter spread and further up than before. With a breakout freshman Tim Haas aiding this roster I'm excited for them.
Great Valley didn't look great, but I I'm holding out for them until Ches-Monts. I think they had a lot of injuries. Maybe too many miles this summer.
In the large race Casey Comber ran a really solid 16:37 while cruising to a huge victory. It's so hot and humid that time really impressed me. This guy just keeps getting better and better. Another standout runner was 2nd place finisher Jonathan Perlman who keeps sticking himself up front during these hilly races. He placed 11th @ Foundation.
The Marcelis twins had a bounce back race for Wissahickon beating out Matt Kazanjian. Neither he, nor Chris looked very good in the past couple weeks.
No results from PCC. I'll update the blog once I get those results in.
--Forrest CRN
Carlisle didn't race their 2-3 in Carrol and J Deangelo from their invite. Brehm looked to be just be helping his teammates today, too. Red Land looked strong.
ReplyDeleteThat is too bad @ Paul Short. I know a lot of kids were looking forward to a fast pre-district run. I heard Malvern won Salesianum?
ReplyDeleteGreat race by Kevin James today. Had to be warm in NC, right? But I'm sure he ran a lot earlier in the day. Before the course critics post, having run that course in Cary, it feels like a full 5k, but it is definitely a very fast one.
What's wrong with OHara? It's been three weeks of training since Bulldog, they're on one of the fast tracks on the east coast against top competition and none of them beats the Bulldog PR's?
ReplyDeleteMaybe further evidence that Bulldog is no 5k?
DeleteBulldog was measure and it came out to be .03 miles short of a 5k which is just under 50m shorter, plus it was over 90 degrees at Great American as oppossed to 70 at bulldog
DeleteI have run at Bulldog and I have run the course in NC. The weather conditions were similar. They are both super fast courses but no doubt, Bulldog is noticeably shorter. Don't care who measured what, that course is not a 5k and by more than 50m.
Delete50m in an xc race can be 8-10 seconds. That's a significant bit of time. So even if its only 50m short, the times would show it.
DeleteBulldog is barely 3.0 if its that and the times should be removed as official 5K times for rankings.
DeletePlease shut up about Bulldog, you're all so annoying about it. It was measured and you were wrong. Move on. It was extremely hot this weekend and wasn't the weekend of Bulldog. Bulldog is where O'Hara trained all summer so they know the course like the back of their hands. Cummings has run 15:30 multiple times so the course is not that much shorter. Get on with your lives. Okay, thanks.
DeleteSomeone need a hug??????
DeleteGet those fraudulent bullcrud bulldog times off Penntack 5K rankings and everyone will move on.
DeletePreach it, brother.
Deletesomeone explain to me why a team like WCH will have raced only one 5k before leagues, districts? I know they ran dual's but from what was posted here they were more like training sessions. I don't get it.
ReplyDeleteI’ll try, but it’s just my opinion so don’t be too harsh. I’d say WCH has aspirations to win states and seriously contend at nationals. It’s a long season and for most it ends either in late October, or if good and/or lucky enough, it ends at states in early Nov. But these guys and a few others expect to run past states. NE’s are around Thanksgiving and nationals are in early December. So they’re like a month behind everyone else. The season really kicked off for them at Carlisle and picks up next week at Reebok. No disrespect to Chesmont teams or District 1, but WCH should be able to rotate guys and cruise through those two. But I’d expect them to peak for states with teams like NA and O’hara looking so good. Then take a slow week and build up again for NE’s and nationals.
DeleteSo, after that long winded diatribe I’ll summarize by answering your question that the reason they’ve only run one 5K so far is because they have a bunch of them coming up. So long as they stay grounded and within themselves, avoid the hype (from guys like me), they should have a great shot at reaching their goals. For as good as they have been and can be, they have been humbled more than once in the past year so hopefully they stay grounded, stay the course and reach their potential.
-RJJL
Salesianum results:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.n5cta.com/
Very tough day, extremely hilly course mostly in the sun. CRN had 5 finishers in the varsity race, everyone OK? Malvern looked ridiculously good and North Penn was strong also
Everyone for CRN is fine. Just talked with a guy on the team about it.
DeleteRoss Wilson didn't want to race and did a really tough workout on the course instead. He's looking towards the future.
A bunch of other CRN runners were taking the SAT's such as Jesse Laitman who is usually their 5th man. Tim Haas had a really great for North in the JV race. If you score him as 5 and give Ross the win CRN scores 55 points which is fairly close to Malvern Prep.
--ForrestCRN
Anyone know results of PCC? I haven't seen anything anyhwere.
ReplyDeleteThey're finally posted on Penn Track.
DeletePA alums represented well at Paul Short in the college races
ReplyDeleteKazanjians are peaking specifically for Districts and States; they're in their tough workout progression right now
ReplyDeleteso what, everyone else is too.
DeleteThank you. Someone needed to say this. However, it's not a matter of when someone or a team peaks, it's how much they peak that makes the difference.
DeleteHere's a good one, Kevin James or Zack Brehm
ReplyDeleteJames, brehm has only had two good races during his xc career and they were both this year while james has been tearing it up since freshman year but if you were talking about track its a different story
ReplyDeleteIdk who it bothers so much about those time being up on penntrack, short or regular 5k those times are blazing, just respect it, who cares
ReplyDeleteIt effected the team rankings early on. You don't see WCE or DTW in the top ten anymore and Ohara should be dropping. Heck, O'Hara probably got their national ranking based on those times. If it's not a 5K they should say so. It's not fair to the runners or coaches either, they think they're doing better than the are.
DeleteWho do you think Forrest? James or Brehm
ReplyDeleteHmmm, this is really difficult for me. I think Brehm is more talented than James, but I agree he doesn't have the same XC experience. That being said Brehm is also extremely race savvy. He's just very smart both on the track and the trails which is rare to see and this is what gives him the edge on James in my opinion. James is also a very talented young runner and this is nothing against him at all, and heck, he'll probably prove me wrong. But if I had to pick I'd go Brehm.
DeleteA great example of a runner who didn't do XC and then became very successful: Chad Noelle. He was a soccer player who ran track until his senior year and won NE Regional's in 2010 over a talent field.
--ForrestCRN
Seems that the last few years a junior has won the AAA XC championship. Could be college visits interfering with training, or lost summer training due to outdoor track Nations?
DeleteDoes this mean James for the win at Hershey?
I wouldn't count out Russell or Wilson just yet.
DeleteMt. Lebo boys were second at The Legends Meet in Ohio. Looks like they were missing a couple of their top guys as well.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.baumspage.com/cc/legends/2013/Div%201%20Boys.htm