January 2003 Newsletter

Ithaca United Cross Country Teams Claim Regional Titles For First Time

The only thing missing was snow. On a rainy, windy day and on a tough and very sloppy course in Slippery Rock, PA on Sunday Nov. 17th, thirty-three Ithaca United XC team youngsters raced in the USATF Region 2 Junior Olympic Cross Country finals just two weeks after having swept the USATF Niagara Association Cross Country Finals (held in Ithaca, NY on Nov. 3rd). Months of training on all types of terrain and in all kinds of weather paid off as four age-group squads of the Ithaca United team earned invitations to the Junior Olympic Nationals in Carrollton, Georgia this December. Over 350 top youth runners who qualified from previous weeks Association races vied for a national invitation.

"The kids raced fully to their potential," says Coach Andre Goncarovs, "I was confident our teams would do well, but the results of the races exceeded my and many of the competitor coaches' expectations." Ithaca United won two divisions and placed second in a third youth division. It was Ithaca's first titles ever in a USATF Region 2 meet.

In a major and unexpected upset against New Jersey top-rated rival Transy East, Ithaca's Bantam squad (ages 9-10) took first place, with five of its runners placing in the top ten. Andris Goncarovs led the team placing 2nd, closely chasing last year's national Junior Olympic Bantam Division XC champion, Transy East's Andrew Bednarsky from Rockaway, N.J. Coach Goncarovs notes that Andris kept Bednarsky within five seconds most of the race dropping back only in the last 400 meters. Lyle Thompson, an IUTC invited runner from the Onondaga Nation landed 4th place. Lyle ran with Andris for the first mile pushing each other. Ithaca's Chris Troy, Doug Fernandez, and Ryan Connor were not far behind. Matty Johnson of Trumansburg finished 6th for the team and displaced the fifth Transy East Runner, solidifying the Ithaca United rout. The Bantam Squad was rounded out by Nathan Greene and Theo Pritz, who also displaced runners from Lakeland, Brunswick, and Newark.

In another upset, Sharif Younes led the Midget "A" squad (ages 11-12) to another first place, coming in first in his race, outlasting the 3000 meters USATF Junior Olympic Track and Field National Champion Robert Molke from Brunswick NJ, in the process. "It was an awesome sight", said coach Goncarovs. Sharif was strong the whole way and especially on the first steep down hill. His long12 year old legs brought him to the front just after the hill finished. Powerful runs by Alec Rudd, Thomas Connor and Will Troy made huge difference for the A squad, all of them making the line before the 20th runner was in. "Will Troy ran the hills like a pro, he focused and put his mind to fast leg repetitions on the steepest of hills. One of the them slick with mud and wet grass at a 40 degree angle" said one of his coaches. Troy was quickly followed by teammates Alex Pritz and Sam Koplinka Loehr.

The name "Ithaca" was on the lips of many coaches at the event Sunday as yet another midget squad from Ithaca also qualified. This squad was led by Adrian Servetnick, who placed 10th in the Midget race. The "B" squad fell in quickly behind Servetnick. They received an unexpected push from Midget "A" Ben Yavitt and Casey Byrne whose steady kicks displaced a number of runners on teams from Mt. Laurel, N.J. and Newark, N.J., assuring the "B" runners a third place team finish, and also earning a national invitation. This is only the second time in Region 2's 15-year history that any team has sent two same-age squads to the National event. "B" runners scoring included Tyler Helman, Robert Holowka, Ben Kuder, Jamie Johnson and Jack Wiesman. Despite the conditions Jamie Johnson and Jack Wiesman posted a personal best on the 3K.

Also winning independent national invitations was Natasha Way, who placed 9th in the Bantam Girls 3K race. Natasha had expectations to place in the teens or twenties, but a well timed and crafted training program 3 weeks prior to Regionals gave her the boost to shave off enough time to make the top ten. Ithaca's only Sub-Bantam (ages 7-8), Vlad Kutka, placed 6th in the 2K race. Elizabeth Reamer was IUTC's only girl in the girls' midget 3k race. At one point Elizabeth led the race. Unfortunately the tide turned as the toughest Midget girls Division in Region 2 history turned up the heat.

The IUXC Youth team (ages 13-14) placed second in the 4K race losing only by one point to Pennsylvania's only team win of the day, McKean. The team made is up of IUTC's Thompson Brothers Christian and Patrick of Candor, Chris Johnson an Ithaca Jr High Modified runner, Arden Timberlake, Jonathan Fazzary of Watkins Glen and Brandon Morseman of Addison. Christian, Brendan, and Jonathan ran well, all placing in the top 15. Christian Thompson looked very strong in the last half of the race placing 6th overall. He is still riding high from high class C NY state finals finish. Arden Timberlake and Christopher Johnson running in their first regional race did well as expected, displacing top 5 runners from 6 other youth teams. Patrick Thompson, just returning to XC from Candor's dynamic soccer team, placed 37th. Patrick caught several McKean runners on the last hill, which was so steep that runners had to lean way forward to keep from falling. Fortunately this hill was not so greasy as it was not part of the previous 6 races. McKean lost to Ithaca at the Association race two weeks before by one point.

The runners at the regional race were selected from the top individuals and teams from 4 USATF association races covering Pennsylvania, New Jersey and most of Upstate New York. Coach Goncarovs observes that the New Jersey Association consistently produces the top XC teams at Junior Olympics and some of the best young distance runners nationally. Winning a regional title while competing against several of New Jersey's best regional teams is no small feat. "The kids deserve a lot of credit for all that hard work and dedication," says Goncarovs, "The competition was fierce and the conditions were abominable." Ithaca United was well prepared however. More than one runner took a full face plant into the mud. "One of our top Midget runners, Robert Holowka went down on the second to last hill, he was pasted from hair to shoes with grey muddy sludge". Yet he got up and finished with courage. "This is one of the toughest regional cross country races for youth in the nation," said Coach Goncarovs, " You can be pretty sure that the top three out of this region will finish in the top ten teams in Nationals this year." "You can be sure we will do our best. …and we are praying for snow".

"First or last place, I only expect that our kids try their best on any given day" says Goncarovs "I am very proud of every single one of them."

2002 Region 2 JO XC Championship - 11/17/2002 Slippery Rock University Results

3k Run CC Bantam Girls
9 Way, Natashasa, IUTC ,Ithaca, NC   15:11.20

3k Run CC Midget Girls
30 Reamer, Elizabeth, Ithaca Un,Ithaca, N   14:47.50

5k Run CC Intermediate Girls
2 Langley, Carrie, Rock Stream   23:02.80

2000 Meter Run CC Sub-Bantam Boys
6 Kutka, Vladimir Ithaca Un, Newfield,   10:30.80

3k Run CC Bantam Boys
2 Goncarovs, Andris, Ithaca Un,Trumansbu  12:17.20
4 Thompson, Lyle, Ithaca Un,Ithaca, N   12:56.70
5 Fernandez, Douglas, Ithaca Un,Ithaca, N   12:57.60
6 Troy, Christopher, Ithaca Un,Ithaca, N   12:58.10
8 Conner, Ryan, Ithaca Un,Ithaca, N   13:10.50
11 Johnson, Matthew, Ithaca Un,Ithaca, N  x13:31.40
23 Greene, Nathan, Ithaca Un,Ithaca, N  x14:27.40
35 Pritz, Theo, Ithaca Un,Ithaca, N  x18:04.60

3k Run CC Midget Boys
1 Younes, Sharif, Ithaca Un,Ithaca, N   12:01.40
10 Servetnick, Adrian, Ithaca B,Ithaca, NY   12:39.40
11 Rudd, Alec, Ithaca Un,Ithaca, N   12:41.60
15 Conner, Thomas, Ithaca Un,Ithaca, N   12:46.90
18 Troy, Will, Ithaca Un,Ithaca, N   12:53.40
22 Pritz, Alex, Ithaca Un,Ithaca, N   13:13.90
23 Helmans, Tyler, Ithaca B,Itaca, NY    13:21.00
25 Yavitt, Ben, Ithaca Un,Ithaca, N  x13:26.80
28 Koplinka-Loehr, Sam, Ithaca Un,Ithaca x13:32.30
29 Kuder, Ben, Ithaca B,Ithaca, NY   13:35.30
36 Holowka, Robert, Ithaca B,Ithaca, NY   14:07.00
38 Byrne, Casey, Ithaca Un,Ithaca, N  x14:23.70
39 Johnson, Jamie, Ithaca B,Ithaca, NY   14:24.30
48 Weisman, Jack, Ithaca B,New Field,  x16:40.60

4k Run CC Youth Boys
3 Morseman, Branden, Ithaca Un,Addison,   14:35.20
6 Thompson, Christian, Ithaca Un,Cand, N  14:46.40
13 Fazzary, Jonathan, Ithaca Un,Watkins G  15:29.60
37 Thompson, Patrick, Ithaca Un,Cander,  16:47.10
44 Timberlake, Arden, Ithaca Un,Brookton   17:06.70
46 Johnson, Christopher, Ithaca Un,Ithaca, x17:18.10