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FLRC Newsletter - Jan 2004 |
| Weekend Round Up: AAU Region 1 Finals- Washingtonville NY, November 1, 2003 | |
This past weekend was one of the best cross country meets races I have ever attended. That said, I have to say that I fully appreciate what a national event has to offer. Nationals are the epitome of a well orchestrated event on a grand scale with huge well contested races, hundreds of runners, thousands of spectators. However, in their enormity they lose the individuality and coziness of the race with fewer teams. At times, they lack the personal enthusiasm and pure emotion that a well contested regional race brings to dinner. Our races at Washingtonville were full of gallant end of race sprints, gutsy climbs, early race hammer runs for position, wrong turns at critical moments, mid race surprises, and a tremendous views of key race transition points.
Teams present were Ithaca United, The Onondaga Athletic Club, West Point, New York City Starz, Tri Valley CS, Westchester Striders, a few runners from Newburg. Ithaca and West Point were the two largest and best matched teams. West Point had a giant team present, a scoring squad in every age and gender division. In almost every race, West Point and Ithaca with its combined allies of the Onondaga Nation Athletic Club found themselves locked in duals for key positions up and down the race course.
It wasn't until the bus ride home that I realized the ironies of the match-up, from the city names, location, and what our towns are sometimes best known for. At the end of the day, we were runners, coaches, siblings, and parents together for a day to contest a few races and see who would be champions for a day.
The course deserves description. The race start line is just off the chipped up sidewalk on the back side of the Washingtonville High School Athletic building. The line heads 200 meters north to a short and sloppy hill, which narrows and then dumps quickly into a wooded trail, turns hard right into a scrubby woods, then inclines steadily to a fenced in softball field. The line runs the back fence of the softball diamond perimeter to a muddy creek, crossed by a slippery wooden plank bridge, takes a sharp left uphill into a coarse weedy field, very steep and *very* tilted, aptly named "agony hill". Any viewer could see the runners on the loop from down below at the start. The course loops the steep field, crosses the reek again, runs the perimeter of the softball field, and jumps down in a series of short drops and levels with S curves , and then home to the chute next two the start line. Youth runners (ages 13-14) got to run another hill called Woodchuck hill, steeper than Agony, on yet another loop.
Race Summaries:
In the Bantam Boys race Chris Troy ,first year IUTC runner Sean Auyash, and 2nd year Matty Johnson led the pack up the hill. Chris, no new comer to big cross country races, in his third Cross Country Season with IUTC, earned top honors with a first place finish in the first 3k race of the day. Words cannot do justice to what we witnessed in this race. If there was a movie crew on site, looking to cut a key race scene sequence with all its poignant moments, driving home the movie message, it was this race. IUTC race strategy was simple, nothing elegant, nothing complicated, get out early, climb the hill first and don't get caught in the woods were you can't pass easily. Chris, Sean, 2 West Pointers and Matty made were the first out of the woods, in line, and in that order. The West Point fellows, were in tight formation behind Chris and Sean, ready to make a move. On the Softball field back line Kerr Rugenstein and Josh McDonald from West Point (his parents and I were able to exchange comments on the softball field), took advantage of the now level ground and surged. Chris would not take this attempt at closing the distance lightly, surged after them.
Typically, an IUTC surge lasts 15 seconds maybe 20, at least that’s what we teach for early in the race. Chris blew past Josh and Kerr, and continued surging. Only Josh followed. Josh tall, clean cut and dressed in West Point black, looking strong, jaw set, picked up his courage and ran ahead after Chris. Leaving Kerr to dual with fast closing Sean. Chris and Josh traded places a couple of times on the ascent of Agony hill, Josh's longer legs, led him all the way down. This part of the trail is very muddy and soft. Footing is slippery and unsure. You could see the mud flying behind the two. Chris, however would not let Josh go and was within spitting distance at the creek on the return. At the bridge Josh lept the creek expertly. Chris who had now closed the gap entirely, went wide and hit the bridge or to the side of the bridge, I could not see exactly, had to correct his line of running, and dropped a couple more seconds behind. I don't remember what I yelled at that moment, but Chris obviously so focused on keeping the black West Point Josh in arms reach, somehow found yet another surge deep inside as he visibly gritted his teeth, and pushed on, up to and beyond Josh to where the S curve drops and the final 1000 meters are presented. IUTC Dad, Frank Kutka was on the hill, yelled himself almost hoarse. Chris and Josh were locked on to each other, giving every last bit of strength long before the race was over, both had the look of amplified determination, both looked as if their tanks were draining faster than replenishment could ever take them back. Sean and Kerr had dropped back maybe 10 seconds, setting up the race for 3rd.
At the beginning of the S curves, the unthinkable happened, Josh began his response to Chris' surge, Chris suddenly and without any confusion bound left, determined to hold his outrageous pace, missed the orange coned entrance to the final S curves. Course officials and the rest of us were yelling for Chris to turn around, which he did, finally stopping, realizing what he had done. By then Josh had gone by into the turn off, Chris had to back track and return to the trail. I glanced up at Frank, whose face fell at the mistake, who then turned to cheering the oncoming Sean and the West Pointer (Kerr), also now locked in, fighting for the right to lead the two. "Chris was out of the race, there was no way he is coming back from that one", I thought to myself. Yet, Chris redoubles and literally sprints, AGAIN, to gain the space he lost. In an instant he is gaining on Josh. The race is on again!! In the corner of the first S curve, facing downhill, Chris pulls off to the side, stops dead again!!!!. I don’t know how much more I could take watching this unfold.
He throws up. Throwing it away from himself. It wasn't much, but it was a deep one. A little further back. Sean and Kerr are gaining by the second. I wouldn't have blamed Chris for walking the rest of the way down the hill. He must have felt awful. The big chance at a Bantam win was gone. That was the third strike it seemed. At that very moment Josh, to my and everyone else's surprise, slowed to a snail's pace. Seeing that Chris had pulled off, he must have felt a wave of relief that this crazy loon was finally spent, because it was obvious that Josh was close to spent or just beyond spent as well.
Suddenly, without any sign of having stopped, Chris came alive.... yet one more time, and the chase was on. once again. I am shaking my head with disbelief. Out of the S curves Josh answers the call and took advantage of his longer legs and made some distance, 4 seconds in the lead, on the down hill. By then the announcer, might I add this guy had great eye sight, broadcast over the speakers "We have race, Ithaca and West Point", "Troy and MacDonald". One could see everything from the start line, which was filled with thick lines of spectators. I figure,...... all bodies counted, maybe 200 or more, cheering madly at every utterance of the race position that that announcer made. The cheers, whistles, epitaphs and oaths erupting from the line were resounding. I never knew such a noise could carry up the hill so far. Chris yet made another effort to gain the space back, Josh gave even more, now both closer to the end. Hard to imagine that these boys could muster even any sprinting, yet they did. Chris made yet another attempt to pull closer. Where was he finding the strength, surely on vapors only, Josh pulled away once more.
Some where in the fading damp green in the distance, amongst the cheers, whistles, hoots, and the broadcaster who was now shrieking the play by play, voice cracking, I heard the word "Incredible", Our young harrier found the spare change , the last of his pocket lint, his legs no longer carrying him forward, just pure flight, across the finish line, three seconds ahead of West Point. . Billy Mills would be proud. This was Cross Country!!! This is what makes these races so great to watch. Chris has logged three long years of hard work, usually taking a back seat to his team of truly great young runners. And now when he had to, he went above and beyond the call. He was fit enough and determined to see it through. What a great memory, what a great race.
This ending was repeated time and again though-out the day, Ithaca, Onondaga and West Point. There was no peace in Washingtonville that morning. A few seconds later Sean and Kerr were about to repeat the action just seen. Sean, still building lacked a stronger kick and dropped back only 6 seconds behind Kerr, taking 4th overall and 2nd for Ithaca United Bantam boys. What a great first bantam run for Sean, He truly looked in control the whole race. Only 2 seconds later came Matty Johnson, running like someone with long teeth was after him, passing two West pointers in the process and almost up to Sean and Kerr. That was one long kick Matty!, He was at least 15 seconds back coming into S curves. 25 seconds later Dougie Moore 8th overall, couldn't quite catch another West Pointer at the end. Connor Lyons from Onondaga sped in at 12th place, and then young Chris Van Loon found a great kick at the end, leading the next pack of three Ithacans (and 1 Endicotian), Vlad Kutka and Tim Nichols, 15, 16th and 17th . In 21st was Max Hermanson ahead of New York Starz and 2 West Pointers. The Bantams looked good, all ran to their ability and beyond. Top Three teams were West Point 28, IUTC 30, and NY Starz 77.
In the Bantam Girls Race Chrystal Thompson and Natasha Way placed 2nd and 4th respectively. Natasha trying out a new strategy , charged up the first hill, only to take a wrong turn to the right before going into the woods. She had to gain most of the pack back, to claim her 4th place. Chrystal looked very steady. I haven't seen her run in Regional competition since last year and she looked very good.
The Midget Girls led by Onondaga's Bobbie Steeprock placed third, thirty seconds later in 5th was IUTC's Elizabeth Reamer Both had tremendous end of race sprints, Bobbie and Elizabeth gaining 4 places in the last 1000 meters.
The Midget Boys was won easily by our Sharif Younes, looking very strong, tackling the down hills like a pro, gliding through the S curves easily. Andris Goncarovs, nursing a cold, gave him chase most of the way, trading the lead a couple of times. They finished 7 seconds apart. Both finished about 30 seconds ahead of the 3rd place West Pointer, and a New York Starz fellow who never challenged the two after the woods at 1000 meters. The West Point coach told me they expected their midget team to be their strongest play of the day. Thomas Connor (6), Will Troy (7), and Ben Yavitt (9) looked really speedy despite the softer grassy trail. Great leg turnover. Not far back were Lyle Thompson, Jamie Johnson, Nathan Greene (who smiled the whole way) , Dave Nichols, Jim Reamer, James Hermanson, and Alex Salton in his first Regional race for IUTC. IUTC won that race with 25 points to 47 points for West Point. Other teams were well back in the points.
Special Thanks go to Adrian Servetnick, IUTC Alumnus in transition. He assisted me well in coaching, warm-ups, and the all important cool downs. He also kept the bantam boys focused on the start line, which was difficult for the 10 year old boys, due to delays. It's always difficult. Thanks Adrian.
All 25 IUTC and all 12 OAC runners qualified for Nationals in Dayton, this December 6th.
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