The Etrain 11: It's Basic Math

by Jarrett Felix

I won’t deny the facts. I’m a man from Upper Dublin, Pennsylvania, straight in the heart of District One. I’ve been to the District One Championships for track and field on five occasions while I’ve been to just one other district championship meet of any kind (District 11 and it was more like half of a time). So it’s natural for me to be biased. On the AAA side, District One grabbed 3 of the 4 distance titles. Since 2007, D1 has had 25/36 state champions, roughly 69%. Over that span, District 3 has grabbed 7, D12 has taken 1, D6 has taken 1 and the WPIAL has the remaining 2.

But even though I’m a man that consistently puts faith in numbers and statistics, I also know that they can lie. In fact, I consistently twist statistics in my favor to help prove my point, whatever it may be. There can only be one state champion a season in each event, but there are always a slew of guys who leave without the gold that could have earned it on a different day. In it’s most basic form track is black and white. You win or you lose. You run a time faster or slower than your best. When you add two plus two, you will always get four.

But sometimes we forget that three plus one will also get you to four.

This year, the 1600m was one of the most fascinating events in the state. Jaxson Hoey from Downingtown West claimed the AAA crown in a fantastic finish and followed up his win with a convincing mile at the PA Distance Festival. He was a deserved state champion by any measure. So District One got another tally in the win column and the other districts continued to be overlooked. Two plus two equals four. But I’d like to take a moment to discuss how three plus one equals four, just in case it comes up on the test.

From an early point in their careers, Jeff VanKooten and Mike Kolor showed extraordinary potential as runners. Jeff was the younger brother of Pittsburgh Central Catholic star Scott VanKooten, an excellent and gutsy front runner who placed 7^th at the state cross country meet his senior year. This talent was quickly evident in Jeff as well. After finishing 26^th at Districts in Cross Country during his sophomore season, JVK clicked off an unreal three week stretch. On April 27^th, 2013 Jeff ran 4:39.92, a mark milesplit listed as the fastest of his career to date. A week later at Baldwin, he dropped to 4:34.52. Four days later he dipped to 4:30.62 at WPIAL qualifiers and capped it off with a 4:27.72 mark at the district championships.

Kolor entered Seneca Valley high school after flashes of brilliance in middle school. He had showcased 400m speed of around 53 seconds while in 8^th grade and it was not long before he translated that speed to the distance events, clocking 2:00 and 4:29 at the Baldwin Invitational as just a freshman. His sophomore season continued to show encouraging progress. Indoors he clocked a 4:26.26 mile at his first state championships, placing 14^th. The momentum carried through to a pair of 4:21 miles during the outdoor season as well as a crucial leg on Seneca Valley’s medal worthy 4x800m team.

By the time his Junior season rolled around, it was clear Jeff was ready to take the next step from talented underclassmen to state contender. He claimed two top five spots in early season XC invitationals before hitting his stride brilliantly for the post season: 8^th at Tri-States, 6^th at WPIALs and 15^th at the State Championships. Then, on the outdoor track, he duplicated his unreal stretch run from a year earlier: a 4:27 full mile at Baldwin, a 4:18 in the WPIAL qualifiers, a 4:17 in brutal conditions at districts and then a 4:14.05 PR, placing him third at the state championships. It was the best finish by a WPIAL athlete in the event since TJ Hobart placed second in the 2008 championships.

Both runners were well on their way to a big 2014-2015 season, but neither could know just what obstacles were hiding around the corner. For Kolor, the trouble started early. At the fast Red, White and Blue course, Mike was hoping to open his season on a fast note and possibly challenge the 16 minute mark, but he fell apart during the second part of the race, practically crawling to the finish line. Over the course of September, Kolor’s finishing problems continued despite strong, dedicated work in practice and obvious talent and ability.

At the end of September, it turned out the problem was not simply a mental obstacle: Kolor was diagnosed with severely low iron and ferritin, a measure of how iron is stored. The symptoms matched well to the eye test and Kolor began treatment to raise his iron levels. With this new material having come to light, it became clear that Kolor had been running, essentially, on pure guts for the better part of two years, especially over the longer distances where his low iron levels were more significant. This meant that, after he was recovered, Kolor had the potential to make big strides forward. But the doctor said it would take six months to get Mike’s levels fully elevated, a huge blow while in the heart of a crucial junior season, with Tri-States, WPIALs and States right around the corner.

On the flip side, VanKooten’s XC season began brilliantly. He clocked a 15:50 at RWB and then won back to back invitationals before placing 10^th at the always loaded Carlisle Invitational. He added one more gold at his home invite, clocking yet another sub 16, before an unfortunate fall at the Slipper Rock Invitational broke his near perfect record. But it did more than just cost him the race. With his momentum and health slipping, VanKooten managed a disappointing 10^th at Tri-States before disaster struck at WPIALs: he placed 28^th and missed a spot to states by just 4 seconds. After a month of races that indicated to many that Jeff was on the verge of a massive XC states race, VanKooten was suddenly watching from the sidelines.

Meanwhile, Kolor continued on with his season as he continued to try and raise his iron levels. With his body improving, Kolor began to climb into some elite company. He finished 5^th at WPIALs and then, as a member of the etrain fantasy XC team, pulled out an impressive 23^rd place finish at the state championships, earning his first individual state medal. After an indoor season that included another individual state medal in the mile, Kolor began his outdoor season, six months into his iron deficiency treatment.

On April 17^th, a motivated Jeff VanKooten and a healthy Mike Kolor began their outdoor seaons in earnest at the Butler Invitational. The two athletes stole the show as VanKooten blasted a 4:17.78 for the win in the 1600m while Kolor gave 1:50 man Elias Graca all he could handle in the 800m, running a PR of 1:55.02. A week later at the Mars Invitational Kolor officially arrived with a 4:16.17 dominating victory at 1600m and his picture on the cover of the Penntrack home page. The two WPIAL standouts were rapidly building a case as state title favorites.

Next on the schedule was the prestigious Baldwin Invitational, a race at which both men had set PRs in the past. The magic of racing under the lights coupled with top notch fields tended to bring out the best in the athletes. The mile field was setting up to be legendary with Kolor and VanKooten highlighting the field with the fastest PRs when the race began. The two AAA title contenders got out well and the pace was strong, but then Domenic Peretta took over. Kolor and VanKooten battled tough to keep up to the herculean pace set out by the Beaver Falls Junior and they were rewarded for their efforts with massive PRs: 4:13.69 for VanKooten and 4:14.69 for Kolor for a full mile. On the same night as the incredibly popular Henderson Invitational in District One, the WPIAL had held his own and put the state on alert.

VanKooten and Kolor were now budding rivals as the field began to take shape for the 2015 WPIAL track and field championships. Both men qualified easily in the 1600m while Kolor added a blazing 1:54 800m for good measure. Things were set for an excellent race on May 14^th. According to Evan Hatton, Kolor and VanKooten went through 800m at districts in about 2:10, a pace that is quite comfortable for two accomplished runners such as these. But then things started to crank up. Running down near 60 seconds for the next two laps VanKooten and Kolor flew around the track, well clear of everyone else in the field. As they hit the line, VanKooten had edged out Kolor in a narrow battle that many thought could have been a state title preview. The clock reflected it: 4:10.72 for VanKooten and 4:11.21 for Kolor. The marks would have won states 8 of the previous 10 years and no other district winners had provided marks within the realm of these two.

As Shippensburg approached, both Kolor and VanKooten were prepared to take a shot at the win. With Carlisle’s Zach Brehm entering the 3200m, the door was open for JVK. He was the top returner behind Brehm and had the fastest season best of the group. He was also a senior, racing for likely the final time in his high school career. Both Kolor and VanKooten navigated their preliminary heats well and earned a spot on the starting line. For the most part, the final shaped out as expected with Brehm and District One champ Jaxson Hoey both qualifying for Saturday’s final with relative ease.

After a truly legendary 3200m started the day, the crowd was on the edge of it’s seat for the 1600m. Many wanted to see what Brehm had left in the tank, but also fans were curious who would end up the champion in such a wide open field. After the gun, the first 200m was quite quick, but things rapidly slowed to a classic championship crawl. The pace cycled through a couple runners before VanKooten finally felt compelled to take over. At districts, he had hammered home a final 800m close to 2 minutes flat that had earned him gold. The question became would it work again.

As the surge was made, the field separated out into a group of four leaders. Brehm was spent from the 3200m, leaving the defending champion out of the mix. Instead it was VanKooten, Jaxson Hoey, Sam Webb from Pennsbury and Kolor. The four continued to battle around the track through the bell. On the backstretch, Hoey began to make his move to the front. Feeling strong, he took command of the race and began to power away.

Kolor, who had PRed each of the previous three weeks in the mile and added a couple 800m PRs, was spent and fell from the group first. By the time the group hit the final straightaway, VanKooten seemed to be the only one with any shot at besting Hoey. He rallied hard for the final 50m as Jaxson started to tie. He fought violently through the line, pressing for his last chance at gold. At the tape he leaned hard enough to question the winner for a brief moment before the times flashed: Hoey 4:11.47-VanKooten 4:11.53. A little over a week later in the Meet of Champions Mile, it would be Kolor’s turn to try and run down Hoey in the final 50m, but he too would come up just short, running 4:12.37 to Hoey’s  4:12.18. Using milesplit converters, VanKooten, Hoey and Kolor are currently ranked 26^th, 26^th and 28^th in state history for the 1600m run All Time. Both Hoey and Kolor are rising Seniors.

Each of these three runners had truly special seasons. For VanKooten, he overcame a heartbreaking finish to his cross country career and became a truly elite miler and WPIAL meet record holder. For Kolor, he fought through his iron deficiency and came out stronger on the other side, dropping roughly 10 seconds in the 1600m and grabbing three individual state medals. And Hoey, who overcame his own injury during cross country to rehab and return to form at the perfect time for a state title run. The mark of a truly great runner is not how he handles the easy times, it is how he handles the difficult times.

Sometimes the answer is not as simple as addition. Maybe you have to do some multiplication or division or even calculus. But as long as you get to four, you deserve to be recognized for getting the correct answer. And these guys are on their way to acing the course.

 

Editors Note: For those wondering, I purposely focused on Mike and Jeff rather than Jaxson in this article, because Jaxson will be involved in another one later on and I thought it seemed wise not to double up. Just clarifying so it doesn’t seem like he got snubbed.

Train's Thoughts from the Train

By etrain11

With US's coming into focus a bit more, it's time to hit you with a few thoughts from the train while he sits on the train.

Is Evan Jager about to be the face of USA track and field?

Alex Fox briefly addressed the subject of the US's "face of the sport" in a post earlier this year and many of the names he mentioned, for one reason or another, seem to be slipping from a potential place at the throne. Nick Symmonds has struggled in 2014 and 2015 as he appears to be on the down slope of his career. The US's best runners in terms of world medals, Galen Rupp and Matt Centrowitz, are potentially about to hit a flurry of doping allegations, speculation and criticism. Not sure somebody in the middle of that, clean or not, is the guy you build an adversing campaign around.

Meanwhile Jager has been consistently and rapidly improving in the steeplechase since his Olympic Trials championship in 2012. He's owned the all time list in the event, holding the national record and a few other top 10 times. Plus he's run close to 13 flat for 5k and now adds an unreal 3:32 for 1500.

He's looking sharp for a potential first world championship medal and maybe even a sub 8 mark. And it can't hurt that he's a reasonably good looking dude who's hair has its own Twitter account because, yes, it's that good. 

If our sport is going to have a face, would really be a bad idea to have Evan's?

Does Chris Derrick have enough to make a team?

Sticking with the Shumacher clan, Chris Derrick, one of the sports brightest young runners, is battling back from an unfortunately timed injury. His first return to the track was an unimpressive (for him) mark around 13:40. Considering he ran 13:55 in high school and briefly helped the American Junior Record at 5000m down under 13:30, that's not the start he was probably hoping for.

That being said, he's got time to round into shape and he will be moving up in distance at USAs I would imagine to go after one of the 3 10k spots. I'd have to check the official lists, but I believe he got his world 10k qualifier last spring, meaning that gives him an edge on a few competitors even if he can't crack the top 3. 

We expect to see Rupp on the starting line despite the allegations surrounding him and barring disaster he will lock up on of the 3 spots. After that things are certainly in flux. Ritz is off to the marathon and Tegenkamp seems to be finished on the track as well knocking out two of the most prominent names of the last half decade. Ben True is probably going to throw his hat in the 10k ring along with the 5k and after finishing 4th in 2013's qualifiers, he's hungry for redemption. Add in the fact that he's been having a terrific spring so far highlighted by last weekends 1st ever American 5k diamond league win in NY and he seems like a good bet to take spot #2.

Can Derrick get the final slot? There's lots of young talent that may consider moving up to 10k (What's Hassan Mead's plan? Eric Jenkins?) but Derrick is now something of an experienced veteran on the U.S. scene and he won't shrink in the big moment. 

What the heck is the deal with the men's 800m?

Seriously though. Nick Symmonds and Duane Soloman have combined to dominate the US title for essentially a decade, with both men producing sub 1:43 marks as recently as 2012 and Symmonds ranking as the 2nd best 800m man in the world just two years ago! At the 2013 world championships, the US actually came fractions away from having 3 men in the 800m final (Brandon Johnson just missed qualifying) and now those 3 men are no where near the top of even their country's standings.

Boris Berian has moved into the top spot in a hurry and appears ready to fill the void. He ran an unreal 1:43.8 going toe to toe with 1:42 man Bosse from France and this guy David Rudisha who is ok at his job. Berian's PR coming into the year was about 5 seconds slower than it is now and he completely skipped the 1:44s during his trip up the all time list. He's an easy favorite in this lackluster field.

However, one of the keys to being successful in championships is understanding how to run the rounds. Symmonds was always very, very good at this because he is strong and has good endurance to pair with his speed (his raw speed is not on the level of most of these guys he was beating in his prime). 

If you are looking for experience, Charles Jock may be a sleeper pick to get involved. He already made a championship team in 2011 and he is fresh off a fantastic 600m. Jock has arguably been the best 800m man for the U.S. that spent 4 years running in college. The other names are guys like Cas Loxsom and Eric Sowinski who both have had their fair share of moments this year, including some records for Cas at 600m. 

Ryan Martin is a name that is getting over looked as a potential contender in the 800 final. He has raced very well this year and seems to have his head on straight after a few small set backs since his excellent 2012 season. 

And also Robby Andrews might be involved. So you know who I will be pulling for.

Who gets the last 1500m spot?

Manzano and Centro are money. It would be a stunner if one of them missed the team this year. Considering they have both grabbed silver on the world scene, shared the U.S. Title in the post Lagat/Webb years and have some of the best tactics on the planet, it's a battle for 3rd.

And oh my what a battle for 3rd this could be. Andrew Wheating has shown flashes of success this year and Lopez Lomong had a decent indoor campaign. Those are two guys that have traditionally grabbed the remaining spot in the 15. However, Wheating has been far from consistent or any sort of 3:30 man like he was in 2010 and Lopez should be making the move up to 5k sooner or later. But you can't count either guy out, especially considering what Wheating was able to do in 2011 and 2012 to get a spot. Hard to pick against a couple of two time Olympians.

But there is a great crop of contenders lurking. Ben Blankenship has looked amazing this year including a memorable anchor leg on the DMR at world relays and a gutsy 3:35 in Shanghai. There's also Kyle Merber who ran 3:34 this year for 1500, eliminating the "Swarthmore fluke" discussion once and for all. Garrett Heath ran 3:34 himself in a battle with the aforementioned Jager and has been in the mix year after year, waiting to try and finally get over the hump. There's also steeplechaser Cory Leslie who has tremendous 3:34 speed and may jump in this field if he prefers his chances here.

And don't forget about Mac Fleet the 2x NCAA 1500m champion who has displayed excellent tactics in recent years even if he doesn't have the mind blowing PB to show off. Jordan MacNamara, David Torrence and Will Leer are all studs in this event and can't even get a sentence to themselves in this discussion. 

So yeah, it's going to be a great race.

How do the collegiates fit in?

Here's a few names that have had strong seasons that may not be ending just yet:

Brandon Kidder in the 800m

Stanley Kebenei in the Steeple (he's an American citizen)

Chad Noelle, Daniel Winn maybe Zach Perkins or Soratos in the 1500m

Eric Jenkins in the 5k/10k

Who are some other names to keep an eye on from the collegiate side? I'm looking at you Zat.

Why runners should swim part 1: Recovery

By Paul Hayes

 

Have you ever just had those times when your legs feel like complete junk walking around because of the heavy training and/or hard racing?  Do your cool-downs, stretches, and ice baths just feel like they’re not enough keep you on your training plan? Then swimming might be the answer for you. 

As I stated in the previous post, this is something I believe Sam Ritz uses to be able to race fast multiple times per week, even across the country. Ritz is a former swimmer for GA and has access to a pool in his high school, and he comes off in his interviews as a very smart runner who takes an informed approach to training. I can’t say for sure without talking to him, but I would bet money that he gets in the pool at least once a week to recover from his intense racing and training. 

I can speak from personal experience that swimming is a very effective way of reducing the amount of soreness in one’s legs after hard races or workouts. During my high school running career I would get in the pool every Sunday for an easy swim just to workout with my dad, not knowing until late in senior year that it was what helped me feel better at practice Monday. 

How exactly this works is a little bit over my head, but this study1 shows that well-trained triathletes performed an average of 14% better on a running workout when recovering with a swim workout versus a passive recovery (i.e. lying around on your off day). What’s important to note, however, is the details. (I wish I had access to the full report, but the abstract gives some very key points that I can hit on.) First off, the swim recovery session wasn’t exactly what one would call a “recovery” swim. They did a set of 20x100m @ 90% of 1km TT speed. In runner terms, this would be like doing 20x400 @ 90% 3200 pace. For experienced swimmers this isn’t a terribly painful set, but it certainly isn’t easy, and definitely not something you do for the strict purpose of recovery. (A quick example of a recovery swim is really just long and easy, about 30-45 minutes of smooth, easy swimming with a light but steady kick.) These triathletes basically put in a normal swim training session the evening after their run and then tested themselves again the next day against those who skipped out on the swim workout. Furthermore, the study tested the levels of inflammation in the athletes’ leg muscles by observing CRP, a protein-based indicator of inflammation, which, if you didn’t know, is the cause of post-race/workout soreness in the muscles. At the physical level, the swim helped “flush out” the soreness in their legs from the previous running workout, which is the main part of recovery. 

So if you think you’re too sore to keep up with your demanding running training, use other forms of training. Hop in the pool and get some easy swimming in. It’s like a combination of active rest, an ice bath, and foam rolling, all spun together in an aerobic workout. I’d say it’s a pretty awesome sport too, but maybe that’s just me…

 

1.​ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19908172

NCAA Recap: Noelle Drops 52 Last Lap FTW; Cheserek Grabs Double Gold

By Garrett Zatlin

 

This past weekend was an interesting one with so many story lines. One of those story lines is how I beat out Alex Fox by 1 point in our prediction contest (through tentative scoring)…but we won’t get into that. First off, I have to say that I feel like it was a relatively boring meet. Every favorite going into the races won their event (you could argue the steeplechase). The times weren’t jaw dropping either with the steeplechase most likely being the fastest event (won in 8:33.90). On top of that, you had big name guys not even make the finals or ended up being DNF’s (Creese, Joyce, Awad, Erassa, etc.). Maybe I’m just a downer, but I would’ve liked to see something a little more entertaining. Whether it was entertaining or not, let’s review the five distance events from this past weekend.

 

800

The race started off extremely slow and no one was willing to lead. Even the front runner, Brandon McBride, who is known for his “lead from the front” tactic, stayed well behind waiting for someone to take the pace. The 55 second first lap was not expected by many and the race eventually turned into a “kick for your life” kind of race. Sure enough, the strong finishers took advantage of the easy first lap. Edward Kemboi was the strongest of all thefinishers as he captured the outdoor title with an underwhelming 1:49.26. Kidder, Murphy, and Garn all grabbed top five spots in similar fashion to how they raced their preliminary 800 (kicking hard the last 200). McBride finished 6th in what had to be a disappointing race for him. This is the second poor championship showing for McBride who just didn’t seem to have anything left in the tank. Maybe he’s just not that clutch as I may have thought.

 

1500

Much like the 800, the pace was slow and lacking thrill. Not even Cristian Soratos, the man known for dropping a 1:51 in the middle of his mile race with Ches, wanted to take the lead into the wind. The slow pace came back to haunt some guys. With 400 to go and 3:02 already on the clock, the entire field began to move and at 200 to go it was anyone’s race. Soratos tried making a move but couldn’t handle the field crawling up on his back. Callahan tried to maintain his lead but was overtaken in the last 100. Jordytried to respond to the barrage of kicks, but maybe in a twist of fate, relied too heavily on his kick (just like a certain Oregon Duck we know all too well). In the end, it was Chad Noelle who blasted a 52 last lap to overtake the field and get the win. While he may have won it in a 52.03 last lap, Zach Perkins of Air Force doesn’t get enough credit for getting second place and throwing down a 51.93 last 400. I doubted him all season and the guy showed up when it counted so congrats to you Perkins. I also can’t forget Oregon frosh Blake Haney who surprised everyone this season with his racing ability. Indoor season seemed to be a tough transitional period for Haney. Yet, the young guy was able to regroup and hang tough for a strong outdoor campaign and for that I’ll give him a nod.

 

3000St.

This race, surprisingly, was probably one of my favorite races. Maybe it’s because I slightly enjoy watching people go face-first into a puddle of water. Although let’s be real, who doesn’t love that? The race started out relatively quick thanks to the efforts of Edwin Kibichiy and Zak Seddonearly on. Unfortunately for them, Seddon couldn’t hang onto the quickening pace at the end, and Kibichiy fell at a barrier on the front straightaway. As the race neared the final lap, it was Kebenei and Rotich with Hesselbjerg on their backs. At 200 to go it was just Kebenei and Rotich. It must’ve been déjà vu for them considering the same scenario happened last year. While, Kebenei didn’t fall this time, it was still Rotich who would grab the win in an exciting last 100 meters. 

 

It’s tough to say if this was an upset or not. Kebenei’sseason best was roughly 16 seconds faster than Rotich’s. Although, Rotich already had two steeple titles coming into this race. In my mind, it’s an upset but only based on this season’s performances. Maybe I should start paying more attention to history rather than one season…

 

5000

The 5000 was probably on everyone’s watch list afterJenkins snubbed Cheserek at the end of the 10k (but we’ll get into that later). The 5k opened up with Thomas Curtin taking the early lead for the first mile and then some. Tiernan took over for a couple laps and then it was Duck time. With about two laps to go, the Oregon trio of Ches, Jenkins, and Geo, went with Campbell and the race was on. With a lap to go, Oregon put on the jets and battled with Kincaid and Campbell to determine who the champion would be. At 200, it was clear that Ches and Jenkins would be the only two left. With 75 to go, it almost seemed as if Jenkins was going to find another surge and have a chance. Yet, it was still the King who would take his second gold of the weekend. Behind him was Jenkins (who was all smiles), Campbell, Geo, and a surprise finisher in Kincaid. There’s not much to say here except that Will Geoghegan is the most underrated runner in the NCAA plain and simple. He doesn’t get enough love with guys like Jenkins and Cheserek constantly getting the spotlight. Also, quick S/O to the frosh Justyn Knight on his sixth place finish. The guy has excellent racing instincts and a humble attitude on top of that. I can’t help but be a fan. 

 

10,000

The race was slow as expected. In a race that is five miles long, no one wanted to go out and immediately take a hard lead. The NAU duo of Matt McElroy and Futsum Z. decided to lead, but never gave anything that would stretch out the pack. A little after the 5000 mark, Craig Lutz had had enough. Lutz bolted to the front and started grinding out a pace that made the event somewhat honest. On his back, were the three 10k juggernauts: Witt, Ches, and Jenkins. With three laps to go, it was clear that only those four would be left. The Oregon duo began to move up and by the last lap, no one was getting anywhere near them. 

What happened next is what got a lot of attention. 

 

With 100 to go, Jenkins had a slight edge on Cheserekalthough it was clear that neither of them were really kicking it in. It was at that point in the race, that Cheserekturned on the jets and rocketed past an unsuspecting Jenkins who must’ve thought that they would cruise in together. When they crossed the line, Jenkins didn’t stop running. He went straight to the exit of the track, but not before displaying a very disgusted look. Jenkins was clearly upset that Cheserek had kicked for the title when there really was no reason to. Jenkins has since said that he was simply being competitive and has all the respect in the world for his training partner and friend, Cheserek. So what do you think? Should Jenkins be mad at his training partner for taking a win from him? Or should we side with Cheserek who simply just runs to win? I’ll let you all answer that…

 

Besides the men of Oregon, Witt finished an unsurprising third while Lutz’s grit paid off for him with a fourth place finish (does this mean I owe him a burrito?). Pierce Murphy quietly snuck into the fifth spot. He patiently waited to see how the race would unfold and then made his move. Well done on his part.

 

 

 

Well that is all I got! My “End of Season Awards” will be coming up soon as well as something a little more specific to PA distance running. Comment below and tell me what your thoughts were on this weekend’s action.

 

Run on,

Garrett

Dream 800m

By Jarrett Felix

The night was a bit chilly. The rain had essentially subsided, but the crowd was layered up in sweatshirts and long sleeves. It was not exactly typical June weather. Visible in the holding area was a small group of runners, stripped down into uniforms and waiting eagerly to race. For some, the journey to the meet took hours in a car. For another, it took hours in a plane. But in the end, they had all made it. In the end, the dream 800m was going to be run.

***

Almost exactly five years earlier, on this same track, at this same meet, Tom Mallon from Central Bucks South was running out of chances to break the long standing state record of 1:48.8h in the 800m, held by Paul Vandegrift for almost 25 years. Mallon had split under 1:50 twice as a junior, including the anchor leg of the state record 7:33 4x800m. He ran sub 1:50 earlier in the year at Henderson and blasted a state meet record at Shippensburg, but it was still fractions away from Grift at 1:49.31. Already holding six state championships and two state records, Mallon's legacy as an all-time great was cemented, but that didn't stop him from putting himself on the line one more time.

Mallon's teammate Nick Drozd got him through 400m fast enough and then Tom did the rest as he powered around the track. From the stands, fans were not sure what exactly the official time would be. After some eager waiting from the crowd, they finally announced the time: 1:49.01. The time was ruled equivalent to old the record and Mallon and Vandegrift were considered "co-record holders".

***

The runners were beginning to take the track in the Meet of Champs 800m. Walking up to the upstagger were three men, a trio that had yet to race each other all together. It was the AAA state champion, the AA champion and one of the state’s best milers ever. Standing back a few feet, somewhat forgotten, was the independent league champion.

Together the group held four of the fastest seven PRs in the state. Together they held four state titles at 800m, the only group to hold any sort of claim to “state champ” status in the two lapper.

As anticipation hung in there, the gun sounded and the group was off and running. Gliding along, seemingly effortlessly, to the front was the man everyone expected to take the lead. The man with perhaps the most to gain and yet the most to lose. John Lewis from Cheltenham took an early lead.

***

Most people separate the 800m into two groups. There are those who are speed based, considered 400m types who move up and there are those who are strength based, milers moving down in distance. At the high school level, I’d argue the importance of speed is often times overlooked. The half often gets listed among the distance events and scares away sprinters while typically attracting some of the quicker cross country guys to come aboard. It takes a special kind of sprinter to put in the work it takes to be great at the 800m. Of course, John Lewis has always been a special kind of sprinter.

As a sophomore at Cheltenham, John Lewis helped shape one of the best 4x800m relay teams in school history. He ran a dominating second leg on the relay that medaled at the state championships in 2013. For a brief period after that, his 800m credentials were forgotten as he and the always powerful Cheltenham core of sprinters took over the state. Lewis won his first state title indoors at 400m. He raced the quarter outdoors as well and that seemed to be the event he would focus on for the rest of his career. It made sense of course, the team was always in the hunt for a title so why overextend their best runner when he could win a less taxing event? 10 points is 10 points after all.

But John always loved the 800m. He appreciated the guts and drive it took and understood it’s sprint based roots. An unforeseen set back at the indoor Meet of Champions 400m set Lewis up with the justification to ditch the quarter in favor of the half. And he did not disappoint the following weekend at the state championships. Leading wire to wire, Lewis blasted a 1:50.57, missing Kyle Francis’s state record by just .02 and pulling the rest of the field to PRs.

If anyone doubted Lewis’s ability at the longer distance during the winter, those concerns were wiped clean by spring. He consistently blasted 1:51 type marks, soloing at the front, refusing to play games or take races off. At Districts he was willing to sacrifice a potential record setting run to try and carry his 4x8 teammates to the state championships. He split a massive 1:49 in the prelims and was likely ready to torch the track for that kind of mark one more time given the chance. In his individual 800m, Lewis blasted a district record in the 800m, clocked his first sub 1:50 mark and became #4 all time behind only Vandegrift, Magaha and Mallon. John Lewis was coming for the state record. And coming fast.

Just a week later, after blasting a pair of 1:49s and a pair of monster 4x4 splits, Lewis stepped onto the track at Shippensburg. A few weeks earlier Lewis had taken the track at Abington where Drew Magaha had set his state record, but had been unable to match it. He had run at the legendary Franklin Field where Vandegrift had set his record, but Lewis had not had a chance at 800m there. And now he was headed to the state track where Tom Mallon had taken what many thought would be his last shot at the #1 spot.

The crowd couldn’t wait to see Lewis run. After a series of races where the picks for champion had varied drastically, the heavy favorite Lewis was going to run. It wasn’t about if he would win, but how would he win. What would the clock say when he was done?

From the start, he took it out with great passion and speed. As he cruised around the first lap a large gap opened up from 1^st to the chase pack and when he hit his first 400m split, it was obvious why. He was barely in the 51s, so close in fact that he thought he can come through in 50 flat, a time reserved for diamond league meets or NCAA championships. On the third turn, it seemed like he might have been paying for his big move. He was slowing up a bit and the gap was shrinking back to second. But then Lewis found his next gear. Maybe he wasn’t dying, but instead saving. And now he was powering home down the final stretch, the clock ticking up towards history with Lewis eating the up track, pumping his arms and trying to hold form and relaxation through one of the most painful stretches in athletics.

When he crossed the line and clock stopped, the crowd began to cheer. The official time: 1:48.72. There were no more ties to be had, John Lewis was the fastest 800m man in state history. A pair of state golds and the state record. What was left to prove? For most, the answer was nothing.

***

Lewis was flanked early by his two partners on the upstagger. Unlike Lewis, both men looked like they were working hard to stay with the blazing earlier pace. But neither was afraid either. Lewis may have thrown down intimidating splits in the past, yet these two did not enter races they intended to lose. As the group approached 400m, it became clear Lewis had taken a bit off his normal hot first lap meaning that Domenic Peretta and Sam Ritz would be ready and waiting to challenge for the win.

***

If Lewis was the ideal 400m runner moving up, that it was hard to argue that Ritz was not the ideal 1600m runner moving down. The Senior from Germantown Academy had already run three of the fastest indoor miles in state history, including a third place finish at the national championships. He ran one of the fastest times in state history at the Penn Relays and then dropped a 3:47 1500m at the Swarthmore Last Chance meet, a time that, when converted to 1600m, would put him in the same league as the state’s all-time greats: Miller, Lowery and Vandegrift.

Logically, Ritz had his sights set on Vandegrift’s remaining state record, his 4:03.22, for most of the season and he chased some of the best competition around to try and beat it. At the Prefontaine Classic, the weekend before the PA Distance Festival, Ritz flew across the country to run at the historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. In a field of some of the nation’s best runners Ritz pushed himself towards his limits and although he clocked another excellent time, it wasn’t enough to best Vandegrift.

Ritz, one of the best milers of his era and an undisputed PA great, flew back across the country to his state of Pennsylvania. The PA Distance Festival was scheduled for Tuesday night, an awfully quick turnaround from someone who had just traveled to the borders of the country. To compete in the distance festival would be a huge risk to his reputation, especially if he decided to move down in distance to the 800m where some thought he would be even more vulnerable.

***

Around the turn and into the back stretch they went. All three runners were still at the front, battling for position. On the outside, the youngster of the group made a push. He was relatively inexperienced against this sort of competition. Perhaps outmatched in this sort of field. But Domenic Peretta didn’t know any other way to race, besides going for the win. So that’s what he did.

***

Domenic Peretta was a Junior from a small school called Beaver Falls. He raced A during cross country and AA on the track. Despite the fact that he won both the 1600m and 800m at the state championships as only a sophomore, few were prepared to give Peretta a spot among the state’s elites. This was especially true in the mile, where Dom’s PR sat around 4:19. Of course anyone who had actually watched the man compete knew that he was capable of more. He was winner with a fierce kick and great speed. He hated to lose and that competitive instinct showed itself even in prelim races.

When Domenic got his first chance against elite competition under the spotlight, he did not disappoint. At the Baldwin Invitational he beat a field of the best WPIAL runners of any school size, breaking the field of names like VanKooten, Kolor, Curtin and Graca at the half way point and never looking back. His time for a full mile converted to roughly 4:10.07 for 1600m. For good measure, he doubled back at 800m and ran 1:52.44 for another PR and impressive gold.

Peretta didn’t slow down at districts. He destroyed two fields of top notch runners setting a pair of meet records in the 1600m and the 800m, the latter of which was run in a mind-blowing PR of 1:51.50. At Shippensburg the next weekend, the record watch was on just as it had been for Lewis and a repeat double gold was not in question.

Peretta was pleasantly surprised by how fast he had run in the mile, but in the 800m he understood his talent and ability. In multiple interviews, he discussed his hopes to break the 1:50 barrier and join a rare club in Pennsylvania history. He took a little something off his 1600m at Shippensburg, although still winning the race in impressive fashion, to be prepared to double back in the 800m. He rolled around the track, running around 54 for the opening lap. Pushing hard, he kept up a pace to give himself a shot at the meet record of 1:51.96, ironically held by Paul Vandegrift. As began to close the final 100m, it was clear he was tying up just enough that a record run was out of reach. The frustration was already pouring from him before he had even crossed the line as the crowd watched him try to almost throw himself at the clock as 1:50 became 1:51 became 1:52.

He had always run the 800m on the double and, although he had tremendous success, he knew there was more to give. But for a small school kid out West, there were not many opportunities to test himself. To attend the PA Distance Festival, the Junior would have to be willing to trek roughly five hours across the state for less than two minutes of racing. There were few that would view it as a worthwhile decision.

***

There was now about 100m to go. The top three were still all together in what had been a thrilling race. A state record sort of time was likely out the window, now it was just a battle for respect and honor. The competitiveness of these great athletes was on full display. Although the crowd was focused on the incredible top three, lurking into fourth place was another runner. Billy McDevitt from Malvern Prep had put the pedal to the floor and was chasing a shot at the upset.

***

There are guys you can see coming in the 800m. There are the strong 400m types moving up and there are the milers with great speed who move down. But then every once in a while a wild card emerges. There are sometimes guys seen as strength runners, like Ned Willig or Sam Webb, who transform themselves from 2 milers to 800m runners and become studs at the lower distance, harnessing a talent they may not have known was inside of them. Malvern Prep’s Billy McDevitt fits this mold.

McDevitt himself admits to thinking of himself as more of a long distance type and his excellent cross country resume fits this description. As a Junior, he ran 8:54 for 3,000m indoors, placing 11^th in a loaded field. The following fall he ran 15:40 for 5k at Paul Short and placed third at Independent States. To continue the longer distance trend, he began his indoor season with a 9 flat 3k, placing second at Lehigh’s Burdette Invitational.

But as the season continued, McDevitt began to get more comfortable in the mile. He played a key role in Malvern Prep’s DMR and also ran two impressive miles at Yale and Kevin Dare, the latter of which he won in 4:23. Two weeks later, in a TFCAofGP meet, he blasted a dominate 1:57.12 800m, thrusting himself towards the top of the state leaderboard in the event. At the end of February, he proved that mark was not a fluke as he clocked an incredible 1:55.16 to beat Pennsbury’s 1:52 man Alek Sauer at the indoor Meet of Champions. Suddenly, McDevitt was one of the state’s best 800m runners.

Outdoors, McDevitt’s success continued. With a new found focus and confidence in the half mile, Billy was able to win the outdoor TFCAofGP meet in 1:56. Then, at the same site of the PA Distance Festival, but almost exactly a month earlier, McDevitt defeated a stacked field and dropped a jaw dropping PR of 1:51.47. To close out his epic stretch run, McDevitt added an Independent League State Title at 800m.

McDevitt had transformed himself from long distance specialist to 800m monster in a matter of months. He had beaten Alek Sauer, a man who had split sub 1:50 on multiple watches at the state championships, twice in a row and had bested 3:47 man Sam Ritz as well. McDevitt had put together an impressive resume for himself, one that many people would be happy to hang up the spikes holding. But he had more to prove and more dreams to chase.

***

The runners came down the final stretch, a group of 4 PA elites having broken clear. Four men with too many state golds to count, too many records to list and too much heart to break. As the crowd cheered, Ritz was able to break loose of Lewis and triumphantly cross the line first. For Ritz, the clock showed a PR of 1:50.72, but what was likely most important to him was the win.

This race was one of the most fantastic races I’ve had the pleasure to witness in person. I was there in 2010 when Mallon torched the track and ran 1:49.01. This may have been slower, but it puts that mark to shame. I have so much respect for what each of these runners was willing to do and willing to give up. John Lewis had nothing left to prove. He had gotten his state record. He had run all out for two straight weeks individually and on the relays. But he wanted to come out and race the best. He didn’t settle. The same can easily be said for McDevitt who had bested Ritz at his state meet and could have retired with the title. And of course Ritz and Peretta, excellent and accomplished milers, made long grueling trips to move down in distance and face elite competition.

We rarely get to see races like these. McDevitt and Ritz are not affiliated with the PIAA, Peretta is in AA and Lewis is in AAA. These four runners were never in the same race before and maybe will never be again. Heck, I’m not sure these four runners have been within the same zip code of one another at the same time ever before in their lives. I’m thankful that Kevin Kelly was able to put together such a fantastic race and thankful that these four runners were the ones willing to lay it all on the line to make it happen. I can’t think of a better group to make this dream 800m into a reality.

The Etrain 11: WiT beyond Measure ...

by Jarrett Felix

For almost a decade, my brain has been a sponge for track and field knowledge. I’ve memorized countless times, places and splits while analyzing and overanalyzing seemingly trivial results. Running my blogs has become something between an obsession and an addiction. I literally tried to quit and couldn’t do it. Which implies perhaps a clinical need for psychiatric help. This outlandish hobby made me an ideal candidate for plucking a camouflaged sleeper from the clutter of statistics.

 

However, up until recently, one of the best teams in the state was lurking just outside my aforementioned far-reaching peripheral vision. If you had asked me where Winchester Thurston High School was located, I probably would have guessed Maryland. During the winter of 2014, I noticed the school for the first time. Sophomore Will Loevner had run 8:55.95 for 3,000m at the TSTCA Indoor Championships and secured himself a spot at the indoor state championships at Penn State. Reviewing Will’s stats, I saw that he had placed in the 60s at A states the previous fall and, if I’m being perfectly honest, I initially thought that his time was a product of a lap counting error at the wacky Edinboro facility. Knowing what I know now, it’s easy to see how very wrong I was. Of course it wouldn’t be the last time I underestimated this team.

The following outdoor season, Will Loevner continued to have success, but he also gained a prominent running mate: Junior Landin Delaney. Loevner dropped a strong 9:36 at Butler and Delaney followed with a 9:37 at Baldwin, setting the pair up among the favorites in a loaded AA WPIAL championship race. Delaney ended up grabbing the gold and Loevner earned bronze as both runners beat proven XC stud Shawn Hilverding from Waynesburg and Delaney outdueled a familiar name: Domenic Peretta. When the two underclassmen finished off their seasons with a pair of PRs at the state meet (9:31 and 9:35 for 3^rd and 5^th), it was clear the Winchester Thurston boys were legitimate state caliber runners.

But how would their track success translate to the trails? Delaney and Loevner were two of the top returners for a WT squad that returned five of their six runners that earned the third and final state qualifying spot for states in the A WPIAL championship. They had been a decent team during the fall of 2013, but there was a long list of reasons to question the team’s ability to compete for a podium finish at Hershey. For starters, they graduated a key runner in Robert Lincoln and filling his slot would be tricky. Depth will always be an issue at a small school so every body was crucial. In addition, the WPIAL championships in A were setting up to be a virtual state championship preview with top state title contenders Avonworth and Sewickley Academy looming large.

One of the keys to turning the tide would be Ben Littman. As a freshman, he had finished as the team’s top runner at the WPIAL championships, racing to 13^th overall. On the track, he ran an early season 10:09 in the 3200m before struggling to recapture that magic. With team expectations soaring, the rising sophomore would be a make or break piece in Winchester’s pursuit of excellence.

The fall started with the blazing fast Red, White & Blue meet where all of the top WPIAL schools came to compete. WT got a good luck at its competition that included Sacred Heart, Avonworth and A meet champions Sewickley Academy. Unfortunately, the boys from Thurston fielded just four runners : neither Loevner nor Littman were involved in the scoring. The next meet, at Slippery Rock, the squad’s much anticipated big three finally emerged and grabbed 3 of the top 24 spots in the AAA race. But their 4-5 punch was back a ways in the loaded field and the team was little more than an afterthought in the results.

From this meet on, the team seemed scattered to say the least. Every week it seemed like a new face was missing from the results. While teams like Avonworth and Sewickley were winning important invitationals and finding their stride, it seemed like Winchester Thurston was struggling to stay afloat. However, this stretch did feature a positive takeaway: the emergence of freshman Tristan Forsythe, who ran a solid 18:10 at the Pittsburgh Central Catholic Invitational.

The team needed to improve their depth and Forsythe was therefore an encouraging addition. As an 8^th grader, Tristan had clocked a 10:58 and 4:54 in a double gold performance at the Mars Junior High Track and Field Invitational. He had also earned a silver and gold medal in a pair of USATF XC Championships. His potential for a breakout race had flown under the radar in recent analysis, but at WPIALs his talents would be on full display.

As WPIALs approached injuries, sickness and a lack of depth had pushed Winchester Thurston further and further down the rankings and etrain’s pre-race predictions slotted them all the squad back in 5^th place, well out of qualifying contention. Sewickley, Avonworth, Sacred Heart and sleeper Greensburg Central Catholic stole most of the pre meet headlines. But as the race began, Winchester Thurston quickly moved into a strong position. Loevner looked great: mixing it up in the top pack and his crew of Delaney and Littman were rolling along not far behind. As the race continued the team’s star freshman began to shine. Forsythe rolled through the second part of the course and crossed the line in 12^th place overall … as the team’s 4^th man. Although their 5^th man finished almost two minutes behind Forsythe, freshman Gordon Pollack ran a gutsy race to finish in the top third of the race and seal the deal on the team’s epic day. The killer top 4 and Pollack’s efforts were enough to help WT take 2^nd overall and go back to the state championships, with dreams of a podium finish suddenly seeming realistic.

The day slowly ticked away towards the state championship meet at Hershey as Winchester Thurston continued to get healthier and more confident. They had gone toe to toe with one of the early state title favorites, Sewickley Academy, at WPIALs and were hopeful they could erase the 20 point gap at Parkview. They were still an under the radar contender and concerns were still swirling about their youth and questionable depth. But what few outside the team knew was that WT was preparing to unleash a secret weapon on the rest of the field on race day.

Sophomore Shaun Hay had suffered a stress fracture in early September and was forced to watch from the sidelines as his teammates raced and earned their ticket to states. Hay had been on crutches the week prior to WPIALs and basically returned to running at the same moment the team was finishing their qualifying procedure. When the gun was sounding at Hershey Parkview, Hay was nine days back into running. But he was a real talent and perhaps the right variable to add to a state title equation. When the final results were tabulated, this proved to be an understatement to say the least.

Winchester Thurston executed a dominate race at Hershey, scoring 65 points and winning by 46. Loevner, Littman and Delaney improved by 63 spots, 86 spots and 52 spots respectively from last year’s championship meet. According to milesplit, both Loevner and Littman (and technically Hay) ran their fastest times of the season at the difficult Hershey course. The team’s entire top five ended up in the top fifty overall, a truly impressive achievement and in Hay’s first race of the year he finished 43^rd in the state.

The power of Hay’s return cannot be undersold. If you remove him from the race, by my math WT ends up finishing tied for 4^th with Elk Lake and, ultimately, falling to 5^th place on the 6^th man tiebreaker. That’s amazing considering that without Hay, WT still would have put four guys in front of Elk Lake’s #1. That is just a reminder of the importance of having a full team effort.

With state golds around their neck, it became hard for even casual fans to ignore the prowess of Winchester Thurston. But as their spring track season closes, I think few realize just how impress this team has been this year. Obviously when all things came together during the fall, the team was killer on the A level. However, when looking at combined scores (which undervalue WT’s performance because they were in a less deep, slower race) the squad would have finished 16^th overall in a meet of champions type set up, edging out District 3 Champ Hempfield, Carlisle, Canon-McMillan and others.

And this squad continued to improve during the track season. Loevner got things cooking early when he ran 9:06-8:49-8:50 in the 3k, placing in the top two of each race against loaded TSTCA fields that included names like McGoey, Wharrey and Gunzenhauser. Then, during his third 3k in 3 weeks, Will clocked a PR of 8:48.26 for 9^th at the state meet, clipping on the heels of old rivals Wharrey and Gunzenhauser as well as future sub 9 man Paul Power. All four runners finished with 0.31 seconds of one another.

Indoors was fairly quiet for the rest of the squad (although Forsythe ran a strong 4:34 mile for 7^th in the freshman race at nationals), but as Spring rolled around it became clear that Winchester Thurston had a crowded locker room. PIAA rules apparently state that each team can enter a maximum of three individuals per event at the district championships, even if more runners have qualified[1]. That meant at least one of the big five on Winchester’s squad was going to be scrambling for a new favorite event.

WT entered the WPIAL qualifiers with a slew of excellent 3200m runners. Loevner had already clocked 9:36 and the aforementioned 8:48. Delaney ran a 9:52 but also boasted a 9:35 PR from a year ago during crunch time. Plus, he was the defending district champ. Shaun Hay, now recovered from his injury, ran an impressive 9:36 of his own at the Baldwin Invitational. Throw in Ben Littman, who was 10^th at states during XC and had run 9:44 on the year, and there were four guys more than capable of not only qualifying for the state championships, but competing for medals at Shippensburg (without counting Forsythe’s potential to move up and do damage as well).

This is a problem we normally associate with all time great squads like 2007 Coatesville or 2014 West Chester Henderson, but somehow the incredible depth and talent of the Thurston boys slipped through the cracks. At the qualifiers, it was senior Landin Delaney, the man who had won a district title in the 3200m roughly 12 months earlier, who stepped aside to make way for his teammates in the 3200m. WT also set themselves up to qualify for states in the 4x800m (and be one of the top contenders in the event) behind Delaney, Forsythe, Hay and Littman, but a DQ left them out of the picture. Fortunately, each of their five individuals made it through the qualifiers without much trouble in their desired events.

Soon, as the team trekked to Baldwin, the goal would be on the next round of qualifying. This time, it was a place at the state championship that was on the line. Forsythe and Delaney started things off wonderfully in the 1600m. Tristan ran a PR of 4:27.11 to finish second to only Domenic Peretta’s record setting victory. Delaney clocked his own person best, placing fourth in 4:28.45. Then, the trio of Loevner, Hay and Littman streaked to a 4-5-7 finish in the incredibly loaded 3200m, all under the SQS. Thurston was sending five individuals to the state championship a mark that almost no team has equaled at any level.

Although states finished with just one medalist (Will Loevner finished 8^th in a new PR of 9:30), Winchester Thurston ends the spring as one of the strongest top fives we have ever seen. They packed the distance events in the largest AA district in the state and finished 2015 with some impressive results against top tier competition across all different divisions. And, oh yeah, they return four of that top five next year as they look to establish a tradition of greatness at WT.

Congrats on a fantastic season boys and best of luck next year.

 

---

[1] Pardon me, I need to rant. For the life of me, I can’t figure out why this is a smart rule. I would understand if there was not a qualifying system in place, but there is! Why should teams be punished for being good? Why should individuals be punished for being on good teams? Why are there additional rules in place to make it even more difficult to assemble the best possible field for a state championship? Just why? If someone has a strong answer, I’d be curious to hear the other side of this point because I’m sure there is one.

Introducing Cross-Train

Allow Me to Officially Introduce Mr. Paul Hayes ...

How has Sam Ritz been able to run fast in 3+ meets/week? How has Jaxson Hoey been able to maintain fitness despite 5 months off? What common secret do these two (as well as a few others) share that gives them an edge over the competition, and what can any runner do with this?

Find out the answers to these questions and more in a new section called “Cross-Train”, where Paul Hayes explores how runners can train off the roads and trails, and in ways most people don’t consider.

Find his first post here

The Real Introduction

by Paul Hayes

Welcome to Cross-Train! This section will be devoted to how cross-training impacts running. As of right now I plan on exploring common methods of cross-training, specifically the two I know best: swimming and weight training. I am certainly willing to research and put information together on anything else that anyone is curious about (yoga, cycling, core workouts, whatever), but I need people to express those interests in the comments section, so please leave feedback. Each method that is explored will have at least one post explaining how/why it helps with running, and at least one post giving the tools and knowledge for you to go out and try it. Because of my own background of over a decade of swimming experience, as of right now there will be more posts about swimming, and swimming posts will be more detailed.

As for answers to the questions on the front page post, the simple answer is swimming. Both the Ritz and Hoey families have all swam competitively at some point, and from personal knowledge I know that Jaxson and Josh, as well as Sam Ritz get in the pool at least once per week in season. I’m speculating a tad here, but I have to imagine that Jaxson got in the pool more often while dealing with his broken foot, in order to try to keep his aerobic fitness levels up. It’s important to note that any exercise in the water has virtually zero-impact upon joints, bones, and ligaments. This is why doctors recommend aqua-jogging to aid recovery, and why I end up watching a bunch of arthritis-ridden elderly folks do simple exercises in the water every morning (I get paid to watch and make sure they don’t die. Lifeguarding is a pretty sweet deal). Ritz on the other hand, I have to believe/speculate/theorize that he uses the pool to recover from hard workouts or races. A light swimming workout is an excellent way to speed up recovery, as evidenced by a study here, swimming can aid recovery by 14% on average. Consider again that Sam Ritz has easy access to the pool at Germantown Academy, and now it’s more reasonable that he’s able to race 3x per week, or have two good races in a weekend that he flies across the country twice.

Again, let me know what you guys are interested in, what you do or don’t like, or whether or not anybody even reads this in the comments section below.

Coming soon: Why runners should swim, part 1: Recovery

Festival of 800s

By Jarrett Felix

So the track season is not quite over yet and Thursday afternoon (tomorrow) will feature another post season event at West Chester Henderson High School. The meet, labeled "The Festival of 800s" is a free event that will feature some state champion caliber athletes and some record pursuits. 

As of now, the 800m is scheduled to feature 1600m state champ Jaxson Hoey against 3200m state champ Zach Brehm. Neither man has a PR under 1:53, but that could all change in the near future. Matt Wisner from Carlisle will be looking to defend his school record against Brehm, as he will look to better his 1:53.18 from states. Andre Kelly, David Fletcher and Marlowe Tooles are all also said to be attending. As mentioned, the meet is free to compete or to watch and the hope is that a nice crowd of athletes and fans will gather to watch the races at 3:45.

Arguably more intriguing will be the quest of Sam Ritz to grab the state record from Paul Vandegrift. A little over a week after beating Lewis and Peretta at this very track, Ritz will take a shot at the 4:03.22 1600m record that has stood for nearly three decades. Ritz ran 3:47 for 1500m this year and has had multiple sub 4:10 miles this season, but he will need things to really click at Henderson if he wants to clock a PR. The meet has pacers set up to try and get him through 1200m in 3 flat and, in a dream race, Ritz will pursue that fabled 4 minute mark. He has the extra motivation that comes with being a dream mile snub. That race is scheduled for 4:10.

If you are in the area or looking for a race to compete in before nationals/hanging up your spikes, this is setting up to be worth the trip. I won't be there, but I'll see if I can get someone from the team to help out with coverage. If you are interested in competing or finding out more information feel free to reach out to me or Coach Kelly. Remember, it's a free meet.

Good luck to all competing. Hopefully this continues to be the state's fastest year ever.

Stay Classy.