300k Celebration: Favorite Race

Dylan Jaklitsch

​Over the last seven or eight years, I have witnessed thousands of races, of all different calibers. Many of these races stick out to me in some way, for a bevy of reasons. However, when the writers decided to write about their favorite races, this race immediately jumped out to me. I had the good fortune to attend New Balance Indoor Nationals in 2011 and 2012, as some good friends ran at these races, and I made the 4 hour drive to watch. The race I am writing about is the 2011 NBIN 2 Mile race.

​This race was divided into two heats, and hosted several future Division I competitors in the start list. Adam Visokay, Thomas Madden, Connor Rog, and Dustin Wilson headlined the first heat; the second heat featured sophomore standout Edward Cheserek, future NYS Champ Otis Ubriaco, John Murray, Graham Crawford, elite steepler Eddie Owens, future Oregon runners Jeramy Elkaim and Collin Leibold, and Lukas Verzbicas. Verzbicas had just come off a dominant cross country season, winning NXN and Foot Locker Nationals. He had run a 4:03 mile during the indoor season, and had already won the 5000m race at indoor nationals in 14:06.78, the meet record. Edward Cheserek was having a historic sophomore season in his own right, finishing second to Verzbicas at NXN, and coming into NBIN with PRs of 1:53, 4:12, and 9:12 in the 800, mile and 3200m. He also ran a previous race this weekend, anchoring his team’s DMR. He got the baton in 16th place, and it appeared that he was well out of the race. He was out to prove our eyes wrong, splitting 53.9 seconds in his first 400m. He went through the 800m in 1:57, the 1200m in 3:01, before finally fading to 4:08, to push his team to 5th place. While there were many talented runners in this race, it quickly became clear to me that this would be a two man race, and boy was I right!

​The runners lined up on the armory’s track for the two mile, with Cheserek wearing hip one, and Verzbicas wearing hip 14. My friend Levi and I looked on eagerly, as we knew this would be a great race. As the gun went off, Cheserek and Verzbicas surged to the front. While this happens often in races, something was different about these two. They seemed determined to distance themselves from the pack, and ignore everyone in the armory building except each other. We began to hear whispers about Gerry Lindgren, most of them about how neither one had a chance. My friend and I began to discuss, however; was it possible for Cheserek to take the race out in a break-neck pace, and Verzbicas to take them home? If any two runners were capable of such a feat, they were right here racing. The race went out quite quickly I would say, with runners hitting 32’s and 33’s on the Armory’s mondo surface. As they hit 1:05 for 400m, then 2:10 for 800m, runners faded quickly; but not Cheserek and Verzbicas. When the mile mark came around, they were at 4:21.6 (4:20 through 1600m) and no one else was even close. This is where the whispers of Lindgren certainly began to surface. Both runners looked extremely smooth; Verzbicas’ long 6’1 body strided comfortably, while the diminutive Cheserek (5’6) chopped his feet effortlessly to hang right onto Verzbicas’ hip. Their next 800m was not as quick, slowing to 2:13. This put their time at 6:34 with 800m to go, meaning they had to close in 2:06 to tie Lindgren, which to me was impossible. I had never seen anyone close a 3200m race that fast, especially after the way the race had opened up. But just like that, with about 500m to go, their strides got even longer; they were beginning their kick. They hit 2800m at 7:40, well ahead of everyone else, as they needed to close in 60 seconds to tie the record. While they began to really open up and push what was left, they encountered difficulty; they were beginning to lap runners. They lapped nearly every runner, pushing past each one in lane two. Verzbicas lunged forward through the entire 400m, desperate for every fraction; not only was he chasing Lindgren’s record, but he was working to stave off a hard-charging Cheserek, who he knew had great footspeed. Verzbicas crossed the line in 8:40.70, his 60 second last 400m leaving him just short of the record (8:40.0). Cheserek was soon to follow in an equally impressive 8:42.66, crushing the sophomore class record held by Rudy Chapa. This race was a two person race from start to finish, as the third place runner was nearly thirty seconds back of Cheserek. While this certainly wasn’t the deepest race I have witnessed, it was certainly a historic one, where record time and pace were pushed, as they generally are at New York City’s legendary Armory Track.

Caleb Gatchell

I am a mid-distance runner at heart, and the 800 has always been my favorite event. My first year of track was my junior year, and I remember spending much of the winter leading up to that season talking to teammates about what was a good 800 time. 2:10 was mentioned as pretty average, 2:05 was getting towards pretty good, and sub-2:00 was a fabled land few had ever reached. So I went into the season hoping to maybe run 2:03 or 2:04 if everything went well. Fortunately for me, my coach had very different plans. Despite a 2:10 opener, he put me on the anchor leg of our 4x8 against our cross town rivals 2 weeks later. I shocked both myself and I think just about everyone else on the team by running 2:00 and setting the stage perfectly for a race that I’ll always remember 2 weeks later. Once again it was a dual meet, only this time I was running the open 800. Not only was this a crucial dual meet with the division crown at stake, but our opponent, Central York, had a fabled freshman 800 runner who had run 2 flat himself. I went into that race a little nervous, but also confident. I had no intention of losing to a freshman, and Coach Florin had assured me I was in shape to run under 2:00. As soon as the race started Brook and I flew off the line, fighting hard for the inside line. I was a bit surprised to find him on my shoulder right away, and had to work hard to hold the lead. We came through the 400 in 57, with me leading and Brook right on my shoulder. I didn’t know what to think at that point. I had never come through the 400 that fast, and I certainly hadn’t expected Brook to stay that close to me. As we approached 200 to go, I was starting to die, and Brook was still right on my shoulder. I knew we needed the points, and on top of that, I certainly didn’t intend to lose to a freshman. However, that motivation wasn’t looking like it would be enough. I was going backwards and I knew it. As I struggled to hold on to the lead, I heard one of Brook’s teammates shouting encouragement from the sideline. “You’ve got him Brook! He’s dead, and you have a better kick than he does.” Now, there are a lot of things that I will admit other people do better than I do, but the last 200 is my territory. I take it personally when somebody thinks they can outkick me, and this race is a lot of the reason why. Hearing Brook’s teammate provided just the inspiration I needed to hold him off over the last 200. Not only that, but it also provided just the push I needed to break the fabled 2 minute barrier for the first time, running 1:59 high. This was my favorite race for several reasons. As any runner knows, it’s always special when you break through a barrier for the first time, and so I’ll always remember this race because it was my first one under 2:00. This race also developed a lot of confidence in my ability to close the last 200 well. It went from something I had done once or twice to something I was confident in and has since become a large part of how I race. Ultimately, I look at this race as the one that gave me the confidence that I could compete with anyone. Sure, it wasn’t the greatest time, or biggest win, but it was a huge step for me at the time.

Evan Hatton

2011 WPIAL 3200

The most incredible thing I have ever seen on a track did not come at the Olympics, nor the world championships, or even a race featuring professional caliber runners.  My favorite race took place on May 19, 2011 under the lights at Baldwin Stadium, just a few miles outside of downtown Pittsburgh.

The North Hills Trio of Zach Hebda, Joseph Kush and Juris Silenieks had been running circles around all of Western Pennsylvania since the fall when the three swept the District 7 cross country meet, taking down defending champion Ryan Gil of North Allegheny in the process.

Hebda had won the WPIAL North qualifying meet with ease, running 9:38 and leaving his fellow Indians, as well as the North Allegheny duo of Steiner and Gil, in the dust.  Meanwhile, down South, the Baldwin duo of Andrew Kuchta and Paul DeGregorio took 1-2 at their own qualifying meet, running 9:56 and 9:57 respectively.  

These qualifying meets are usually only run as fast as needed to get in, but Zach Hebda was a man on a mission, looking to continue his season long success and run the state into the ground.  That’s not to say, however, that the rest of the NH gang hadn’t had their own success that spring.  Alongside Hebda’s 4:21/9:11 times, Joe Kush had run 4:26/9:16 and Silenieks had run 4:30/9:26 coupled with a 9:15 PR from the previous year.  North Hills counterpart North Allegheny boasted Ryan Gil, who had clocked a 4:13 full mile as well as a 9:13, and Logan Steiner had run 9:27.

Kuchta and DeGregorio seemed in over their heads.  Sure, Degregorio had a 9:19 to his name, but had only run 4:37 for the 1600 that spring.  Kuchta was the same way, he was Baldwin’s top 1600 man that year at 4:36 as well as 9:33 for the 3200.  It seemed that the North would once again trump the South.

The 23 best 3200 runners in the West all toed the line and awaited the gun.  Zach Hebda took off like a rocket, dragging Pittsburgh Central Catholic’s Christopher Short through the 400 in a blistering 63 seconds.  Short would later pay for his quick start, struggling to an 18th place finish in 10:16.  By 600 meters, Hebda had gapped the field by sixty plus yards.  It looked as though the race was already over.  Hebda continued to press on, splitting 2:10, 3:20, and coming through 1600 in 4:30.  The crowd commented on how it looked like he was slowing down, and that the pack would catch him, but the gap stayed the same, with Silenieks leading the chase pack in 4:38.  With 800 meters to go, Hebda was still eight seconds clear of everyone.

“Oh, he has 600 to go, he better be truckin.’”  The first sign of struggling showed up with 500 meters to go, when Hebda took a peek over his inside shoulder to see his teammate, Kush, gaining on him.  However, one thing stood out to everyone there.  The Baldwin Boys were hanging tough.  Hebda hit the bell at 8:04, Kush in second at 8:11, followed closely by Steiner, DeGregorio, Kuchta, and Silenieks.  9:03 man Ryan Gil, who had suffered through injuries throughout the entire year, had fallen off the pace.

Hebda hit 200 to go with no one in sight.  It seemed that he was going to take it wire to wire.  Then it happened, a flash of purple and white broke free from the chase pack and started gaining on him.  DeGregorio leading the charge, with the long stride of Kuchta not too far behind.  All hope was not lost for North Hills however, Joe Kush made one final charge for the Indians.  As Kush pulled up alongside DeGregorio, the 4:37 man found another gear.  Clocking 64 seconds for his final lap, DeGregorio beat out Kush 9:16.12 to 9:16.18.  DeGregorio threw his arms to the sky, knowing he had won it.  The junior, Andrew Kuchta, also went right by Hebda just before the line, clocking a 9:16.89 to Hebda’s 9:17.94.  It was a 17 second PR for Kuchta.  

Hebda, Kush and Silenieks would go on to place second, fifth and sixth respectively at the PIAA State Championships, while the Baldwin boys faded to 11th and 19th, running 9:28 and 9:42.  They would never forget that night though, on their home track, when they took down arguably the greatest trio in Pennsylvania history.

http://www.flotrack.org/video/493468-2011-WPIAL-AAA-Boys-3200m#.VdIIMrfRMeI

Alex Fox

It was a warm spring day in Upstate New York. I had run on this track several times, and it never meant much, as track was never more than a hobby. Today was different. This was my last Ithaca Relays Meet. This was my last chance to make an impact on Oneonta High School’s Track and Field history. Today, three good friends and I would be racing against the clock, as we attempted to break our school’s 4xMile record.

There were always talks of breaking the 4xMile Record, as it wasn’t very fast. My sophomore year we seemed to have the talent to beat the time of 19:20.89 (I think this is the correct time, but if it isn’t, it’s very close), but instead of running our “A,” me and four other youngsters ran the race and didn’t 20 minutes. My junior year we had some talent, but things didn’t fall into place, so the record stood another year. Going into the final season of my senior year, it once again looked like we didn’t have the guns to break the record, but one decision changed everything: Ben Gollin, who normally played lacrosse, finally joined the outdoor track team. It took years of convincing, but after making states for the mile during indoor (not to mention a funny relationship with one of the girls on the outdoor team), Ben gave up lacrosse and would close out his high school athletic career on the oval. Adding Ben, who ran 4:31 for the mile during indoor, pushed us over the top. He was our stud. I was also on the team, and after years of fooling around on the track, had a PR around 4:52. Logan Mancuso was our third member, a sophomore who seemingly came of nowhere during cross country, and his work ethic and strength had translated nicely to track. The fourth spot on the team was hotly contested between Mat Robinson and James Longo, two juniors who had 800 PRs around 2:06, but the spot eventually went to Longo. On race day, the order was decided. James would lead off, Ben was second, Logan third, and I was the anchor. We were confident. We knew what we had to do, and the only left was to run.

The 4xMile was one of the first events of the day, and before I knew it we were lined up to run. I recognized most of my opponents and felt good about how we matched up; this wasn’t as important as the time. Being the anchor, I was lined up all the way down on the fence as the first runners awaited the gun. I looked at the other anxious faces of my opponents, and for the first time felt the pressure of a race with meaning. After the meet officials told their customary bad jokes, everyone lined up and the gun went off. We didn’t really know what to expect from James, as this was his first time running a real mile. Being an 800 runner, James went out hard with the leaders. The pace was honest, but James looked strong. We knew that if James could put Ben in a good position, he would do his part. Despite his m id-distance training, James stuck with the leaders all four laps and handed off to Ben with front pack. His time was around 4:50. Immediately when Ben got the baton, he was locked in. Not wanting to sprint away, Ben remained collected as he made his way to the lead. After a couple of modest-paced laps, Ben was ready: he pulled away from the pack and handed off in a clear first place. He ran about 4:38, and both Logan and I knew we were capable of running 4:50 at least. All we had to do was deliver. Despite his constant times all season, something just wasn’t right with Logan. He was quickly caught by several teams, and couldn’t seem to hang with them. He was in fourth place after 3 laps, with fifth place nowhere in sight. It was a four team race. My heart beat furiously as Logan came down the runway to hand off the baton. I raised my hand so he could find me, and just like that, I was off and running. Logan split a 4:58, and I would need to run close to my PR to set the record. After talking to the anchor from Owego (3rd place), I knew I had to pass him to get the record. I did not know that I’d be doing this within 200 meters. I got out well, but found myself in no man’s land; this where I would normally lose focus and phone in the rest of the race. I set my sights on the closest runner (who I was lapping), and focused on keeping a constant cadence and lengthening my stride. 400 to go! I sprinted, but I knew hitting 200 meters that I had a lot left in the tank. Being alone for most of the race hadn’t helped, but there was nothing left to do but sprint. I finished the race and looked nervously at my teammates. It was close. Mr. Cotter, the head coach, had us just slow of the record, while Mr. Slater, the distance coach, had us just under the time to beat. We finished the race in third place, but we waited on official results for the time. We cooled down, checking the results tent every time we went around. We were all tense. After about 20 minutes (which felt like an eternity), it was time to learn our fate. Ben went over the results tent for about the 10th time, and after seeing him leap, James, Logan, and I all hugged in celebration. None of us learned the official time, but we didn’t care. As it turned out, we set record by less than a second, with our time around 19:20.30. It was truly uncanny. We received our awards and the rest of the meets flew by. James and Ben ran in the 4x8, Logan and I ran in the DMR, but it didn’t matter. We accomplished what we had come to do; we were school record holders.

This is my favorite race for a lot of reasons. None of us ran exceedingly well, and in retrospect, it wasn’t even about setting a school record. For me, the race embodied all that I love about running. It was an experience I was able to share. Ben, Logan, and James are all close friends, and being able to experience the joy that we did together was very special. Moreover, we had worked for this. We all marked Ithaca Relays, knowing it would be our chance for a record, and accomplishing something you set your mind to is always one of the most gratifying feelings in the world. It was necessarily perfect, it wasn’t necessarily pretty, but it’s an experience that makes me smile, and that’s pretty remarkable.     

Jarrett Felix

90% of the time dream races never come together how you picture them. Screw it. 99% of the time that's true. Unless of course we are talking about the 2010 Penn Relays Championship of America 4x800m Relay. Then you scream until you lose your voice and watch your dreams come true. I mean I rapped over this video for goodness sake. 

It was my first ever Penn Relays. Let's be real, Penn Relays is a place made specifically for me. It was like heaven for a running nerd like myself. I love it there. 

Robby Andrews is/was my favorite runner and Andrew Wheating was pretty awesome as well. The previous day I had watched the Olympian Wheating cruise in the DMR. Then I got him, Centro and Mac Fleet (plus Chad Barlow) to sign my shoe box. So naturally after a 4xMile victory there was plenty of hype around the possible three peat out of the U of O. Penn State was getting plenty of hype after their terrific indoor season as well, ready to claim the wheel for their own. And of course, there was Robby. Not sure I mentioned that yet.

After I bombed the 4x4 and saw Usain Bolt run it was time for the real race. The 4x8 was a battle between my favorite team and my favorite runner. My teammates and I stood with our stop watches in hand ready to split each of the top relays. I wanted more than anything to see Andrews get it close by Wheating and see if he could repeat his indoor magic. And it set up perfectly for that. Seriously what are the odds. It was amazing.

I can't put it into words. It's like when Steph Curry rains a three in someone's eye after a sick cross over. It's like when you read my blog. Just kidding. I think I'm losing you ...

Just watch the video. Trust me.