The Running Diaries: Chapter Twenty Eight

Chapter Twenty Eight

Runnersworld Magazine, August 2024

As we approach the start of the 2024 Olympic Games, droves of fans are reading up on the next wave of potential national heroes. For many athletes, this small window within a 4-year cycle is the only real exposure they will have to the public eye. But, ironically, it’s a journalist who is using the window to steal the spotlight.

Track writer and historian John Trainor is preparing to release his first book, The Running Diaries, which covers the journey of four high schoolers during the 2016 cross country season in his native state of Pennsylvania. Although the book has been finished for months, he held out on publication with the hope that one of his characters would make it through the Olympic Trials and onto the team for Los Angeles. And the move paid off. Runnersworld’s Robert Hayes sat down with Trainor to get the full story.

Robert Hayes: “Hello John and welcome to Los Angeles! How was your flight?”

John Trainor: “Thanks Robert. It wasn’t too bad. I’m not the best flyer, but these new high speed planes at least get things over with quicker.”

RH: “So the athletics action begins tomorrow here at the Coliseum and we understand one of the central athletes in your book will be competing on Thursday.”

JT: “Yes, that’s correct. It’s pretty cool, honestly. We were in high school right around the same time back in Pennsylvania and even back then you could tell how special this kid was.”

RH: “So you knew back then he had Olympic talent?”

JT: “Olympic talent? Oh, no way. PA doesn’t really have Olympians. Historically, we rarely have All-Americans in the NCAA for the distance events. So, back then, I was just hoping he could adjust to the next level and give me a cool ‘I knew him when’ story to tell my college buddies.”

RH: “And now you’re telling that story to more than just a few friends.”

JT: “Yeah, I guess I am. But, unfortunately, since it’s only in a book, it’s gonna be a lot easier for my buddies to ignore me.”

RH: “I had the chance to read one of the few early previews of the novel-is it fair to call it a novel?”

JT: “Definitely.”

RH: “OK, good. Because I’d argue it reads much more like a fiction story than a biography. And it certainly stretches well beyond simply exploits on the track.”

JT: “Well, you’ve got to remember, there’s a lot of factors that create success. And I feel the journey is always more compelling than the result. I could throw numbers and times and workouts at you for days, but those aren’t interesting in and of themselves. They are only interesting when they are attached to something. Or maybe I should say someone.”

RH: “Now readers will notice you changed all the names for the sake of anonymity. So you actually make it to the very end of the story before you find out which of these guys is the Olympian. And I have to admit, I was a little surprised by who is who.”

JT: “I’ve heard that from a couple people. It’s definitely fun to hear everyone’s guesses.”

RH: “Another fun wrinkle was seeing how often the four runners’ paths intersected. Did you have to fudge any details to make it all work?”

JT: “That’s probably my favorite aspect of the book. Believe it or not, the puzzle pieces just all came together. Maybe the exact details aren’t the same, but the big moments: they all happened. It’s cool because it almost seems like, when they overlap, one runner could have just chosen to pick up the other’s path and change their destiny. Like it all could have been completely different. But I prefer to think everything worked out exactly how it should have.”

TheRealTrain Blog, May 2016

State 3200m Preview

By John Trainor

It’s officially state week here on the blog and we are celebrating in style. I’ll be breaking down all the important details and the names to watch for each of the four major distance events. We’ll start with the 3200 meters which will be the first final of the day on Saturday morning.

Key Qualifiers 

The top seed and heavy favorite for gold is, unsurprisingly, the defending champion Jimmy Springer. The junior from Union Valley pulled off the unthinkable a year ago: winning the 32, 16 and 800 in the same state meet. It was the first time anyone had won all three events in a championship (the closest before him was Mac Beam back in 1968 who had two 1^st and a 3^rd).

After an injury this winter, Springer has decided not to chase the triple again, instead opting to focus his attention on not just a win, but also the state record. The mark to beat is 9:00.11, set back in 1992 by Doug Coval of Council Rock. Although the record has survived nearly 14 years, it probably has seen its last full week. Springer has an excellent shot at putting his name in the record books for the first time in his special career after running a personal best of 9:01.82 at the District One Championships and moving to #3 all-time in PA history. 

“I wasn’t really thinking about the record,” Jimmy said in a post-race interview, “I didn’t even realize how close I was until the last lap. If someone had been willing to help take the pace out faster, I definitely could have gotten it.”

The usually loaded District One had just one other sub 9:20 finisher as Pennridge’s Isaac Bryant took the silver medal in 9:16. However, three runners from the cross country state champions, Coatesville, ran together as a pack and took 4^th through 6^th. After the race, Raiders’ team captain Andrew Rosato said the boys were trying to conserve energy and only running to qualify for next weekend’s championship.

“Coach Solares really wants us to peak specifically for states. He felt running two hard 3200s back to back would be too much strain. But next weekend, I’ll be running all out. And running for the win.”

During indoor, Rosato was defeated over the final 400 meters in his bid for his first individual state gold. Jayson Miller of Manheim Township got the upset victory 8:35 to 8:37.

Speaking of Miller, he won his district meet in the second fastest time in the state this year, trailing only Springer. He opened up a massive lead over Zack Johnston of Cedar Cliff and Henry Gonzalez of JP McCaskey during the final two laps to clinch the victory.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” Miller said after the race, “Looking forward to getting the chance to race everybody at states next week. Definitely going to be a lot of fun.”

Out west, the graduation of Pittsburgh Central Catholic duo Scott Zarniak and Robert Runco opened the door for a new star to emerge and lead the district. In a four-way battle, Ben Jacobs of Plum won by less than a second over Chris Cole of Seneca Valley: 9:18.08-9:18.49. To make matters even crazier 3^rd and 4^th place finishers Noah West and Chase Morgan ran 9:19 and 9:20, making for the tightest finish of the weekend.

Lastly, Bonner’s duo of Dan McGee and Tom Seeley cruised to a 1-2 finish in the District 12 Championships and easily punched their state meet tickets, running about 9:30. They won’t be among the top seeds, but it’s important to remember this pair was 3^rd and 4^th respectively at the indoor state championships over 3,000 meters.

Analysis

You’d have to be crazy to pick against Jimmy Springer in this race. Even with an injury, he’s still managed to win the district title and uncork a big PR. In the past, Springer hasn’t really gone all out in the two mile, saving for his other events on a busy schedule. But this year, now that he is focused and ready to attack, we are finally seeing the true potential many thought he had in this event.

Keep in mind that Jimmy Springer has never lost an individual state championship race during any sesaon. Even as a freshman, Jimmy went 2 for 2. Many people have speculated he’s trending in the wrong direction (over racing, over training), but still no one has been able to beat him when it counts. The kid is just clutch.

However, let’s not sleep on Andrew Rosato of Coatesville. The Raiders absolutely dominated during Cross Country season and now seem to be peaking at the right time once again. Rosato looked completely at ease jogging to a 9:22 state qualifying time at the district championships. When he unleashes his full arsenal at states, it’s going to be tough for anyone to handle.

The one knock on Rosato has been his speed, but he’s taken big steps to improve that so far this spring. He won the mile at the Coatesville Invitational and had a memorable anchor performance on the Raiders’ wheel winning Distance Medley at the Penn Relays. You guys know me. I like to pick the upset. And Rosato may be the perfect candidate. 

A lot of the District 3 readers have been hyping up Jayson Miller from Manheim Township as the guy who should be my upset pick. I’ll admit Miller did run very fast at districts. Plus, he won the indoor state championship over Rosato. That being said, I’d like to see him in a race that’s fast from the start. He seems to be good at winding it up and closing, but I’m not sure he will be able to hang at sub 9 minute pace. It is worth noting that Miller has outkicked Rosato by one spot the last two times they met at states (in XC they finished 4^th and 5^th this year).

I have no idea who the WPIAL’s top contender will be. This district always seems to produce a medal contender, but their crop at the top is relatively inexperienced. Jacobs upset win might be a sign of things to come (he was 9^th at states in XC), but he still hasn’t proven to me that he’s healed from his stress fracture. I think it’s more likely we have a title contender from the Catholic league than from the WPIAL.

Lastly, keep an eye out for Teddy Crittenton of Wissahickon. He scratched the mile this weekend and is now only running the 3200. He’s still pretty inexperienced at this event, but he was a beast in cross country the past few seasons. I think he could make the transition well and use some of that closing speed to make noise at the end of the race.

Prediction

Springer has made it clear he wants the record and will be taking things out hard. Maybe he’s healthy enough to do it, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if this leaves him vulnerable for an upset. The way the Coatesville guys have been running under Coach Solares it’s really hard for me to doubt them. I think Rosato goes after Springer with everything he’s got and pulls off the stunner. I’m predicting not just one, but two runners under Coval’s state record. Should be one to remember!

1. Rosato 8:58

2. Springer 8:59

3. McGee 9:05

4. Miller 9:07

5. Jacobs 9:11

6. Crittenton 9:12

7. Seeley 9:12

8. Garnett 9:15

State Breakdown: 3,000

By Jarrett Felix

We’ve talked mile, we’ve talked 800, now it’s time to round out the individual distance events with the 3k. This one should be a fun one given the speculation I’ve already seen. And for reference ...

2/2 3,000 State Rankings
2/2 DMR Rankings
2/2 800m Rankings
2/2 Mile Rankings
2/2 4x800m Rankings

The Event

This event will always get some scratches. The DMR and the 3k are actually closer than they used to be under the old schedule (because 4x8s are at the beginning), meaning the 3k-DMR double just got even harder. Guys tried it under the old schedule and they continue to try it under the new (Jake Brophy did it a year ago), but I’m sure Jake would tell you it’s a brutal thing to attempt.

In 2015, everyone who hit the SQG got into the meet was they extended the field up to 13 guys. Last year, the state was much faster. They let in 14 guys (they list 12 as the max on their site) and the cut off was 8:56.13. Only a couple guys (I believe 3) hit the SQG but did not get into the race.

If you look back at the amount of qualifiers before the maximum was put in place, you could see it fluctuates quite a bit. We’ve had over 20 guys run under 9 minutes and not scratch out of this event in the past. If you are a miler and are not on a DMR, there’s no downside to doubling back in the 3k if you have the qualifier so that cuts down on the projected scratches. My gut at this point says it will take right around 8:58-8:59 to get into states this year as I don’t see this being an absurdly loaded year. That being said, a lot can still happen over the coming weeks, especially in District 3 and District 7, two typical powerhouses who have been relatively quiet to date.

What Has Actually Happened So Far

Well what has happened so far is a similar story for Mr. Nick Dahl. The Germantown Friends Senior has been one of the top 3k runners in the state for the past three years. This year, he dropped an 8:30.62 at Yale. If he ran that exact time at states, it would make him the third fastest in recent meet history. The time is currently over 13 seconds faster than anyone else’s current seed.

However, I’d bet a good amount of UFC points that Dahl scratches the 3k for the third straight year. GFS seems pretty dedicated to pursuing that DMR title and, considering Carlisle is apparently going to double and triple everywhere they can, that DMR gold is very much in play if you handle yourselves conservatively. Plus, with Hoey looking like a scratch in the mile, Dahl may be the favorite in that individual as well.

Rusty Kujdcyh of Neshaminy has looked excellent so far this year. He’s picked up wins just about everywhere he has went and the junior is current #2 in the state after a fantastic duel with Evan Addison of LaSalle, winning 8:44 to 8:46. Kujdych is the man to beat right now in the 3k. This is his second straight season under 8:50, he won the District One Championships by a landslide, and he’s hungry for vengeance after the way his XC season ended.

As for Addison, I see him as a scratch similar to Dahl. He’s run some excellent miles, including a 4:19 victory this past weekend, and he’s also going to have DMR duty on a team with a strong history in that event. Add in the possible 4x8 obligations and his schedule seems a little too jam packed to squeeze in a 3k.

Seth Slavin is making a compelling case for himself as a state title contender. He’s been running in some fast fields on some fast tracks, but you can’t deny that he has been consistently producing some fast times. In over distance, Slavin has run 9:28 for a full two miles. By PTFCA conversions, that’s worth 8:50.0, but by most other metrics, it’s down closer to Kujdych and Addison’s times. Until Henderson punches a ticket, Slavin is the #1 returner in the 3k from last year’s state meet.

It’s actually been the year of the 2 mile in indoors. Out of the top 16 times in the state, 8 of them are conversions from either a 2 mile or a 3200. That’s pretty wild and pretty unprecedented. It goes to show you that A) Not a lot of out of state meets have 3ks and B) Our guys are flocking to out of state meets. Those two mile times have been pretty darn strong with Will Griffen, Ryan Campbell, Avery Lederer and Matt D’Aquila all running 9:35 or faster for the full 2-mile distance.

DMR qualifying should have a big impact on who ultimately ends up in this event. GFS, LaSalle, Cheltenham, CRN, Butler, Lower Merion, O’Hara, Coatesville, Carlisle and Henderson combine for 11 of the top 19 spots. All those schools are in the DMR hunt as of right now and whether or not they qualify could really swing where the cut-off ends up in this event.

What Might Happen Next

The top 3 finishers from this past year’s outdoor state championship have yet to dip their toes in the water of the 3k. That includes Sam and Noah Affolder and Nate Henderson, all of District 3. Henderson is the top returner from a year ago in this event and the Affolders-well, I think by now everyone has realized how good they are. These guys will swing the balance of power in this race. If one of them jumps in, they become the favorite immediately (assuming Dahl is a scratch), if not, this thing could be pretty wide open.

I know a lot of people have given Noah some consideration for gold in this event, but 1) that DMR is looming just after this event and with his teammates doubling and tripling around him, they could really use a lock down anchor to guarantee a top 2 spot. And 2) he’s running out of time to qualify. Right now, he’s only qualified in the 800 for individual events. He’s running the Mile at Millrose. And I assume he’s going to want to rest up some before that race as well as states. I just don’t think the 3k makes sense for him. I’m kinda sticking to that 4x8-8-DMR triple I outlined. I think similarly about Sam who seems like maybe a Mile-DMR double or Mile-8-DMR triple (that would be brutal) is in play.

I expect to see Henderson in a 3k sooner rather than later. His speed is there after an awesome 1600 performance, but I think his favorite events are probably still the longer stuff. With the Affolders and Dahl focusing on other things, I think the title could come down to Henderson and Kujdych. But I really like a few sleepers that I’ll talk about it in a sec.

Some other guys without qualifying times that should be in the mix are guys like Isaac Kole from Carlisle and Connor McMenamin from Souderton. We may also see a run from some big names out West. Maybe Tristan Forsythe jumps up and tries this event. Does Mark Provenzo run indoors? A state champ Noah Curtin? I’m really banking on a fast TSTCA 3k happening before the season is over and lots of guys dropping until the 8:50s as a result.

Remember the run we had on the 800 rankings last weekend? I outlined that in my 800 post before it happened (blatant brag). I feel like a 3k boom may be on the horizon as well, but I couldn’t tell you who it’s going to be. Give me your thoughts on this in the comment section.

Way Too Early Predictions

1.       I’m seeing lots of scratches. You can disagree with me if you’d like, but I see Dahl, Addison, Griffen, the O’Hara boys, D’Aquila, and the Affolders all as scratches when the dust settles. That leaves Kujdych and Slavin as the top qualifiers on paper with Henderson suspected to work himself into the mix.

2.       But I currently am not picking any of those guys to win. Yes, I’ve been playing this upset pick slow all post. You may have been wondering why I haven’t talked about three of the best dudes in the state this whole time? I think Noah Beveridge, Ben Bumgarner and Zach Lefever are going to be awesome down the stretch. At least one of those guys if not all three can definitely pop something fast and dip into the 8:40s prior to states. At states, I think a run in the 8:30s is not out of the question and that may be good enough to win.

3.       Don’t sleep on David Haines from North Pocono. The kid had a very nice XC season, but really took it to the next level with an unreal regional performance. Now he opens up with a very quick 8:59 in a smaller meet that a lot of guys probably missed. Remember his teammate Matt Kravitz won the outdoor 3200 last year over a strong group of guys with faster PRs.

4.       In terms of guys who haven’t qualified yet, I want to see if Isaac Davis from Jersey Shore races again this year. He was a force to reckoned with during cross country, he’s not afraid to get out and run hard and run fast, and he could definitely help make things interesting in a state final. If you add him to the mix with Henderson and Kujdych, I think we should see a fast pace. None of those guys are afraid of getting out hard and Henderson in particular is really good at pushing the middle-late part of the race with a gutsy surge. If someone like Affolder or Dahl did end up in this race, sub 8:30 would 100% be in play considering the strategies of the players in this race.

A Look Back

By Jarrett Felix

So recently, I was curious about a couple things and I took a look back at the last 10 state championships for indoor track and field. All have been contested at Penn State and all have had fairly similar rules (with the exception of the two relay rule in 2016). Plus, the general attitude around indoor, while steadily evolving, didn’t make a massive jump during this period. And, of course, 10 years is a nice round number to work with. Here’s a look at some of my personal favorite findings.

Sophomore Individual State Medalists

There have been just 9 sophomores over the past 10 years who have broken into the top 8 in their respective state championship event. That doesn’t feel like all the much. Over the same 10-year span in Cross Country we have had 22 AAA state medalists that came from the sophomore class. But track’s a different beast and only a very select group of runners have managed to spring free and grab hardware. Here’s your list:

Josh Hoey, DT West	2nd	Mile	2016
Jake Brophy, CB East	3rd	3k	2014
Jax Hoey, Malvern Prep	4th	Mile	2014
Dustin Wilson, Chesnut Hill	6th	3k	2010
TJ Hobart, Baldwin	7th	Mile	2007
Kevin James, O'Hara	7th	Mile	2013
Tristan Forsythe, Winchester Thurston	7th	Mile	2016
Tom Mallon, CBS	8th	800m	2008
John Lewis, Cheltenham	8th	800m	2013

If you take a look at those names, you can see some all-timers. If you exclude Josh Hoey and Tristan Forsythe (still in high school right now) and consider only the 7 names remaining, 5 of them won individual state championships their senior indoor season. As for the other two? Well, one fell in a slow state final that he arguably was the favorite in while the other ran had to settle for silver despite running a time that would have been a state record any other year. Oh, and that same guy still finished his senior indoor season with a state gold, anchoring his DMR to a state championship.

So we are talking very elite stuff. It will be interesting to see if any of our young sophomores climbing the rankings right now can sneak onto the medal stand. And it also should a warning to those entering into a prediction contest that you have to proceed with caution when betting on a sophomore.

Average Times of Winner, 8^th Place

I took a look at some of the time discrepancies over the year for the winners and the last medalists over the past 10 years. The results are summarized in a table below.

Fastest, Slowest, Average	Winner			8th
	Fastest	Slowest	Average	Fastest	Slowest	Average
800m	1:50.55 (14)	1:54.62 (08)	1:52.50	1:55.15 (15)	1:57.11 (14)	1:56.63
Mile	4:09.56 (15)	4:21.19 (09)	4:15.19	4:20.41 (14)	4:27.09 (08)	4:23.58
3000m	8:26.21 (07)	8:39.41 (12)	8:33.26	8:42.63 (13)	9:11.95 (07)	8:54.83
4x800m	7:45.06 (11)	7:56.71 (07)	7:50.50	8:02.05 (16)	8:10.74 (08)	8:06.92
DMR	10:15.89 (08)	10:28.02 (11)	10:22.06	10:35.20 (11)	10:55.15 (09)	10:43.16

You’ll notice that, on average, it has taken about a 1:52.5, 4:15.19 and 8:33.26 to win the state championship in each of the individual events. The relays are down closer to 7:50.50 and 10:22.06, however, both of those times could be influenced going forward by the new schedule and the new relay rules. For example, the 2016 4x8 was very quick across the board, including the fastest 3^rd, 4^th, 7^th and 8^th place finishers of the decade. Meanwhile the DMR, while having a nice amount of depth, was the second slowest winning time in meet history.

The fastest and slowest winning teams seem fairly scattered, but if you take a look at the 8^th place times, it seems the races are trending faster. The toughest medal years in all the distance events have come this decade. In fact, only the DMR is outside the past five seasons.

The outdoor state qualifying standards in AAA are roughly 1:57, 4:24, 9:31, 8:01 in the 800, 1600, 3200 and 4x8 respectively. So the difference between these standards and the average 8^th place finish is roughly -0.5 seconds, -2 seconds, +3 seconds, and +5 seconds. Assuming that those state qualifying standards are all roughly equivalent in value, the hardest event to medal in would actually be the mile. Ironically, this is the event that I thought would be hurt the most by the two relay rule. Maybe 2017 and beyond will change things, but 2016 was right in line with this average.

This other little fact is obvious, but I suppose it’s worth mentioning anyway: fast races produce fast results. In 2015, we had the second fastest 800 time in state history as John Lewis won the title in 1:50.57. The 2015 800 produced the fastest 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 7^th and 8^th place finishers in meet history. The race also produced the 2^nd, 3^rd, 6^th, and 12^th fastest times in overall meet history. In 2013, when Tony Russell boldly took out the pace, it had a similar effect. Up until last season, the 2013 race (won by Max Norris in the 2^nd fastest state meet time in the past 10 years) had produced the best per place times for 2^rd through 10^th (excluding 3^rd). In 2016, we saw the fastest per place times for 2^nd through 4^th from Hockenbury, Henderson and Kirshenbaum.

Cutting the # of Entries Per Event Creates Slower Times?

Well, this one is also pretty obvious, but I’ll outline the case anyway. When a field restricts its entrants, it’s natural that the depth is going to fall off. But the depth doesn’t just hit 12^th through 15^th, it can go all the way up to the top 5 spots overall. Let’s take a look at the events where this can hit hardest: 3k, DMR and 4x8 (mile and 800 have at least 2 heats every year so this is basically a non-issue for them).

In the 3k, let’s make the cut off for a “big” year 15 entrants and compare this to the “small” years. In small years, 8^th place averaged 8:58.75. In big years, the same spot averaged 8:48.96. In fact, in those same big years, 12^th place averaged 8:55.32, over 3 seconds faster than 8^th place in the small years. In the 6 small years, there were 15 top 12 finishers above 9 minutes, compared to 0 in the 4 big years. Similarly, there were 30 sub 8:50 runners in the big years compared to 29 in the small years. This comes despite the fact that 1) There are 33% more small years than big years and 2) Our two most recent years were small years.

The 2013 state 3k sticks out in my memory. They loaded 20 guys into one heat and it produced the deepest indoor 3k race in state history (see above). That gave us 9 of the sub 8:50 marks referenced previously.

In the DMR, for the first 4 years of the meet, the event was limited to only the top 10 teams. In 2011, they opened up the meet to 13 teams. As a result, even though 2011 was the slowest winning time to date, we saw the fastest results to date for places 5 through 10. The 4x8 hasn’t been hit too hard, at least at the top. Places 9 through 12 have dipped in quality, but the top 5-6 finishers haven’t really changed much. 2016, of course, was very fast at the top with a very small amount of teams. However, it did 1) come first in the meet for the first time and 2) allow teams who otherwise may have focused on the DMR to enter both relays. 2008 was one of the slowest years for the 4x8 outside the top 2-3 teams and also had one of the smallest field sizes. However, this is a sample size of one and not much of evidence of any trends.

The big complicating factor in this analysis is that, before 2015 and 2016, the only years where we would have “big” fields in the 4x8 and 3k were the years when a ton of people hit the qualifying time. So of course those races would be better. More people ran fast in the regular season, so more people would run faster at states. There is a correlation in effect here.

But I will say this, some of the slowest qualifiers in year’s past have made big jumps into the medals at states. Seth Slavin and Henry Sappey just snuck into states in 2016 and both guys ended up in the medals at 6^th and 7^th overall. CR North was the 12^th qualifier in the 4x8, but they finished in the medals as well. Seneca Valley was the last team into states for the DMR a year ago (#14), but finished 4^th overall in the event.

If you had made the cut off 12 guys in year’s past, runners like Chris Aldrich (4^th), Jimmy Tarsnane (9^th), Chuck Lockwood (5^th), Reece Ayers (7^th), and Tyler Mueller (8^th) may have been shut out of the meet for the 3,000.

No Back to Back State Champs Individually, 2 Relays Repeat

This is pretty wild to me as well. Since North Penn won back to back 4x8s in 2007-2008 we’ve seen just one repeat: a stunner last year from Cardinal O’Hara in the DMR. But individually, we are still waiting. We’ve actually only had two juniors win individual titles (Tom Mallon and Luke Lefebure). Ironically, Lefebure helped stop Mallon from repeating in the 800. We have had back to back titles from teammates recently as E&S won the 800 (Rhodes, Jones) in 2007-2008 and Bensalem won the 800 in 2013-2014 (Rivera, Francis).

In terms of medalists by event, here are the top programs:

800m – CB South (4 – Mallon x3, Poiesz), 6 Teams tied at 3 (Penn Hills, Cumberland Valley have unique 3)

Mile – O’Hara (4 – James x2, Belfatto, Buck), LaSalle (4 – Coylex2, Billotta, O’Kane), 5 Teams tied at 3 (CRN, GFS, Malvern Prep have unique 3)

3,000m – GFS (4 – Kaulbach, McKenzie, Ortiz, Aziz), CB East (4 – Brophy x2, Josh Izewski, Alex Izewski), North Allegheny (4 – McGoeyx2, Gil, Wharrey), Hatboro Horsham (4 – Comberx2, Hibbs, Quinn)

4x800m – LaSalle (7), North Penn (6), Penncrest (6), CB West (5), Abington (5)

DMR – GFS (8), Henderson (7), 4 Teams Tied at 4

Total Relay Medals – LaSalle (10), GFS (9), Henderson (8), CB West (7)

LaSalle is the only school to have won a distance relay medal at each of the past 10 state championships. Note that GFS and CB West both won two distance medals at the 2016 championships, the first year this was possible.

#SaveHaven

Sometimes I think about how different my life would be if just one or two details were changed. Say, hypothetically, that the college I went to cut their track and cross country programs just before my freshman year. I wouldn’t have met my friend who helped me get my job. I wouldn’t have met three of my four groomsmen at my upcoming wedding. And that wedding? Probably wouldn’t be happening seeing as I wouldn’t have met the woman I’m marrying.

It’s hypothetical of course. Maybe I’m being over dramatic. Maybe I’m not. It doesn’t really matter. Because my program wasn’t cut. I’ll have all those memories, all those friendships. And no one can ever take those away. But not everyone will be that lucky.

The Lock Haven Men’s Track and Field program as well as the Swim Team are currently at risk of being cut. The school is rallying the troops everywhere they can, from Olympic Medalists like Evan Jager and Paul Chelimo to slow dudes like me. I doubt I can say much that others haven’t already, but still I feel obligated to give it a shot.

Track certainly has intrinsic value. It’s a really fun sport (most of the time anyway). You go out every race and try to push your body to its absolute limits. There’s no real loop holes or short cuts or cheat codes. It’s just run fast. Jump high. Throw far. That’s competition in its purest form.

But track’s greatest value is in the life lessons it teaches to its athletes. You need to be dedicated. You need to be disciplined. You need to make sacrifices. When someone offers you the chance to make a bad decision, to stay out all night, or take illicit substances, it can give you the power to say no. It takes balance, time management and work ethic. So it’s not a surprise that Lock Haven’s Cross Country and Track teams have some of the highest GPAs in the entire school.

A lot of people complain that our generation is too entitled and expects everything to just be handed to them without any work. Well, there’s no better way to teach people about hard work than the sport of track and field. It takes constant training, tireless labor to excel. If you slack off, you will get beat. Plain and simple.

Socially it can be critical as well. Again, what people say our generation is missing (or has already lost) is right there in front of us within track and field. When you go on a run with your teammates, it’s just you guys out there. You can’t run with lap tops. You’re not texting each other. It’s just you and your friends talking. Learning. Growing. Communication in its most simplistic and cherished form.

Our world today is divided. There’s a lack of acceptance. There’s a lack of understanding. But our sport is inclusive. Our sport does not have politics. Everyone goes out and races. There aren’t foul calls or starting line ups. If you’re the best, you have the chance to prove it. And no one can take it away or argue the results. You also have the unique opportunity to appreciate others struggles and successes. Whether you are the fastest girl on the team or the slowest guy, we all are out there trying to do the same thing. Work hard, do our best and create something that we are proud of. Humanity in its purest form.

In 2012, Millersville cut their Men’s Track and Cross Country programs. It saved the university $200,000 and also helped move the school closer to compliance with Title IX. I remember when I first heard that news. I remember when Delaware’s program was cut. And Temple’s. I wasn’t directly affected by any of those. Heck, for all I know they helped give us an advantage in the recruiting process. But they didn’t feel like wins. They felt like huge, crushing losses. The staunch reality that, to the majority of people, our sport is expendable.

Anyone who has every competed on a track or cross country team understands the unique attitude of these runners. The sport naturally allows you to enjoy everyone’s successes. Sure, there is a competitive fire to win and score points for your team. But there is also a joy that comes from watching hard working teammates set big personal bests, or fighting with a rival and pushing each other under a big time barrier for the first time.

When another team or athlete does well, we are happy for them. And the converse is certainly true as well. I guess that’s why I feel so upset right now.

I feel like there has to be something I can do. I have this small platform of a couple readers. I can reach out to you guys. I can ask you to sign the petition that I and countless others have already signed. To email and call administrators. I can continue to spread a positive message about this sport we all love so much. I continue to try and help it grow and flourish into more than a liability on some college accountant’s balance sheet.

But there needs to be more. As much as I’ve poured my heart into these words, words that I truly believe, it feels like it’s not enough. I can type away at this keyboard until my fingers bleed and it still won’t change the dollars and cents of it all.

Because that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? It’s all about money. At the end of the day, it’s basically always about money. I get it. Track and Cross Country don’t have fans lined up out the door. I’ve been to meets. I’ve talked to non-runners (occasionally). We are not football. We are not basketball. Those things can be real money makers for the right program and can really add to a campus experience.

Still, it just seems like we can make our sport fit. Lock Haven hosts meets all the time. High school, college. That’s gotta bring in some revenue that they can then turn around and help fund their own schedule. Uniforms are pretty simple. We don’t need pads or helmets. Unlike other teams, we don’t need balls or film rooms. And we don’t have a 60-man roster or anything like that. It feels like it shouldn’t take that much maneuvering.

Just to be clear, I’m not lobbying for other sports to be cut instead. All sports have their place. My track is someone else’s tennis. Or golf. Or football. And why would I want to take away their passion. But I hope that all the members of those sports, if they somehow happen across this, will see that my passion is the same as theirs. Even if my sport is more boring or less mainstream, it doesn’t mean my love of the game is any less important than theirs. That the lessons and skills that come out of my sport are any less significant.

So maybe there’s a way to get creative. If the teams can work together. If each can make a few small sacrifices for one another, then everyone can be better off. I’ve seen track teams get cut. We’ve fought so hard to save them in the past and it wasn’t enough. This isn’t something that our running community can overcome on its own. We need everyone’s support.

I hope that we can all remember the pillars of track and field. Competition in its purest form. Communication in its purest form. Humanity in its purest form. And if that’s not worth saving, I’m not really sure what is.

Sincerely,

An Enthusiast

https://www.change.org/p/lock-haven-university-save-lhu-track-field?recruiter=674120435&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=share_twitter_responsive