Before the Record: Henderson and O'Hara

by Jarrett Felix

As we head into 2017, the story for this indoor track season should be similar to what was the story during cross: how will the Affolders and Carlisle shake up the PA landscape? The arrival of the brothers has already had some speculating on the possibility of a sub 10 flat DMR during the indoor season. That would put them alongside the national record and just ahead of PA’s all-time best from Cardinal O’Hara at 10:00.75 (which is #2 all-time).

The O’Hara DMR victory in 2014 was just one chapter in an epic rivalry between the Catholic league power and the Ches-mont’s West Chester Henderson. The boys from Henderson ended up running 10:04.45 at Nationals, which would have been a state record in its own right if not for O’Hara. 

It was a Friday night and I was watching the race with future blog writer Alex Fox at Muhlenberg College. O’Hara junior Kevin James did an excellent job keeping his nose at the front of the race and handed off near the front in 3:03. After a 51 second quarter leg, it was O’Hara’s Nick Smart, a 2012 transfer from Garnet Valley, who broke the race wide open with a blazing 1:53 carry to take the lead. That gave them an almost 8 second advantage over Henderson who sat in the middle of the chase pack.

O’Hara’s Jim Belfatto got the baton and went after it looking to hold the lead. He knew that Henderson’s anchor, Tony Russell, was the reigning state champion in both the mile and cross country. Ultimately, Belfatto held on to his advantage and event managed to increase it. When he crossed the line I was stunned to see the time of 10 flat streak across the screen. It broke the state record that was already in house at O’Hara and Belfatto set a massive PR to cross with a 4:11.51. Russell gave it everything he had on his anchor carry for Henderson, splitting 4:07.16, but ultimately was unable to defeat their nemesis on this occasion.

The final splits were as follows (according to Delta Timing):

O’Hara 10:00.75 – James 3:03.83, Cooper 51.72, Smart 1:53.69, Belfatto 4:11.51

Henderson 10:04.45 – Moy 3:08.44, Thompson 51.54, Stratman 1:57.31, Russell 4:07.16

But naturally the story for these two historic relays did not begin in mid-March when nationals was contested. Just like Carlisle in 2017, O’Hara and Henderson were once just numbers on a piece of paper with speculation our best guesses for what the future might hold.

The 1200m Leg

Kevin James, Jr O’Hara

Prior Year PRs – 3:04.4, 1:59/4:15y/9:13

Indoor Bests Prior to Nationals – 3:09, 2:00/4:21y/8:42 3k

Kevin Moy, Sr Henderson

Prior Year PRs – 1:55/4:16

Indoor Bests Prior to Nationals – 1:57/4:25

As just a sophomore, Kevin James showed a real knack for the rarely run 1200. He ran a gutsy 3:09 split at indoor nationals and then dropped an impressive 3:04.4 split at the Penn Relays to help set up O’Hara near the front of the field. Although he lacked some of the 800 speed of the traditional 1200 runners, he made up for it with heart and strength, boasting a 4:15 full mile best and a 9:13 best at 3200. In his final meet before nationals, he placed 4^th at indoor states in the 3k.

Kevin Moy was a little known member of the Henderson squad before he exploded to the top of the state in the spring. He dropped a blazing quick 1:55 for 800 and also ran 4:16.0 for 1600 meters at the district championships. At states, in windy conditions, Moy had one of the best races of his career as he passed Tony Russell in the state finals and earned his first state medal. He was the top junior in the 1600 finals. The following indoor season, Moy dropped times of 4:25 and 1:57. He ran the 800 leg of the state championship winning DMR in his last race before nationals.

The 400m Leg

Isaiah Cooper, Jr O’Hara

Indoor Best Prior to Nationals: 54, ran on 3:27 4x4

Stephen Thompson, Sr Henderson

Indoor Best Prior to Nationals: 1:58/53  

Prior to the 2014 season, neither runner had emerged as a top flight 400 meter runner. Even during the season, neither of them were at the top of the state qualifying lists with open bests of just 54 and 53 respectively. Thompson was more of an 800 meter specialist who moved down to the 400 to fit a need. He had a best of 1:58 during the 2014 indoor season and ran the 400 leg on the state championship winning DMR. Cooper ran a key leg on the 3:27 4x4 that O’Hara clocked at indoor states, likely alongside Jim Belfatto and Nick Smart.

The 800m Leg

Nick Smart, Sr O’Hara

Prior Year PRs: 1:55.14

Indoor Best Prior to Nationals: 1:54.34

Eric Stratman, Sr Henderson

Prior Year PRs: 1:57.24

Indoor Best Prior to Nationals: 2:01/4:30

After transferring to O’Hara in the fall of 2012, Nick Smart began popping up as a critical building block for the team in the spring of 2013. He ran a strong 1:55.14 in the 800 and ran on their excellent 4x800. Then, in his first season as a full time varsity XC runner, Smart finished 11^th at the state championships, helping O’Hara capture a 3^rd place finish as a team. As his senior indoor season progressed, Smart continued to excel. In the fast paced 800 final, he ran 1:54.34 for a new PR in the event. He was 4^th behind only Kyle Francis, Jeff Wiseman and Joey Logue.

Eric Stratman was one of Henderson’s most consistent performers. He was a varsity member of both of Henderson’s XC state champion squads and quietly ran a 4:19 and 1:57 during his junior track season. During his senior indoor campaign, Stratman ran 2:01 and 4:30 in the open events, but bowed out of the individual mile so that he could be fresh for a critical role: anchor leg on Henderson’s state championship DMR. The fact that Stratman was trusted to take up that job speaks to just how reliable of a piece he was.

The 1600m Leg

Jim Belfatto, Sr O’Hara

Prior Year PRs: 1:55.19/1:54s, 4:22y, 9:22

Indoor Best Prior to Nationals: 4:17y, 1:58

Tony Russell, Sr Henderson

Prior Year PRs: 1:58/4:14y/9:07

Indoor Best Prior to Nationals: 4:11y State Record

In the DMR, the anchor leg is to the key. The other legs matter of course, but you need a good anchor. Both of these teams had fantastic anchor legs certainly, but they came from two very different places to get there. We start with Tony Russell. As a junior, Tony Russell rolled to a dominant victory at the XC State Championships before adding a regional title. On the track, he ran 4:14 for a full mile and 9:07 for 3200 meters. As a senior, he doubled down on his XC accomplishments with two more wins at states and regionals. Then he torched the indoor circuit with a 4:11 mile state record, besting the long standing mark from Blair Mancini. He also ran 4:12 for the indoor mile, just barely missing Paul Springer’s state meet record. Russell was on top of the PA state landscape, one of the all-time greats, and ready to attack the anchor leg of the National Championship DMR.

Jim Belfatto started as an 800 runner. He ran on O’Hara’s 2012 medal winning 4x8 as a sophomore with a clutch anchor carry. In the next fall, he ran cross country and worked his way into a consistent scorer for the state champion hopefuls. He finished in the top 50 at states and delivered as the #5 man the team desperately needed. But one of the defining moments of Jimmy’s XC careers came on the track. In a small 3200 at Henderson, used to tune up for regionals, Jim Belfatto ran with a top pack that included 3 state medaling teammates and bested them all to run 9:22 in what may have been his first ever 3200. That was good enough at the time to be O’Hara’s school record according to Coach Kennedy.

Despite that 3200 performance, Belfatto was still more of an 800 guy on the track. He ran 1:55 in the open 8 and split 1:54.2 on O’Hara’s Penn Relays DMR. While he did clock a 4:22 mile at the Henderson Distance Festival to end his 11^th grade year, it seemed like he was a more logical choice for lead off while Kevin James would step into the anchor role.

But Belfatto continued to defy expectations and drop time. He ran 4:22.16 for the mile at the PCL championships, finishing 3^rd just behind teammate Kevin James. That gave the team the confidence to move him to the anchor leg at Meet of Champs. Then he dropped another big PR, running 4:17.1 at the indoor state championship to grab the silver medal.

Everything came together perfectly for Belfatto to drop a massive 4:11 anchor leg at the national championships. The 1600 meters split was roughly 5 seconds faster than his converted mile time from states (which was already a PR). It was a magical race in a critical moment, with all the pressure and none of the competition in sight.

So now the question becomes, how does Carlisle stack up? Well on paper, they have the following:

Noah Affolder – XC State and Regional Champ, 8:48, 4:07y, 1:56

Sam Affolder – Regional runner-up, 4:20y, 1:57, 9:16 steeple all as a freshman

Isaac Kole – XC State Medalist, Top 35 Region, 1:59/4:27/9:33

Jack Wisner – XC Top 50 finisher, 2:00.33/4:32 as a freshman

Prince Gaye – 11.03/22.75

Jared Griffie – 53.08/2:03.52

Clearly they have plenty of talent. If you compare their guys at this time to the guys that O’Hara and Henderson had at this time, they match up pretty darn well. But what Carlisle might be missing is a rival. Someone that can push them to their limits the same way O’Hara and Henderson pushed one another. That could come from current XC state champs CR North or perhaps reigning All-American DMR Germantown Friends.

A lot can happen between now and season’s end. But I’d keep your eyes open for a shot at history.