The USATF-NE Grand Prix gets back into action this Sunday,
May 11, at the Medical Center 6K in Nashua NH. This is a
first time championship event, and all preparation points to
a quality event. Clubs are reminded that all team scorers
must have current USATF membership before the race. The same
applies to , individual scorers and prize money winners.
A USATF table will be set up at registration to take care
of last minute memberships, and will have entry forms for the
June 1 Rhody 5K.
The 6K entry form and information are at www.medicalcenter6k.com.
The New England office will be closed Tuesday May 6
through Monday, May 12, as the staff will be
representing the USA at team manager at the World Race Walk
Cup in Russia.
There will be no membership, club, sanction, or insurance
services available during that period. This website will be
updated with any local news, and there will be representation
at the May 11 Medical Center 6K NE Championship.
The USATF New England Open Outdoor Championship meet
scheduled for June 15 is looking for a new site; MIT will be
putting in a new artificial turf infield starting June 1 and
no meets will be held this summer after that date. That will
also affect the Bay State Games Final.
Check our track schedule for updates on new locations.
Andrew Wheating (U.Oregon / Norwich VT) thrilled a
crowd of 6,875 at Historic Hayward Field with a kick to win
the mile at the Oregon Relays in 3:58.16. The time dropped his
personal best from 4:04.77, and made him the first native
Vermonter / Vermont HS alum to run a sub-4:00 mile. All six
New England states now have a high school product who has run
under the magic mark.
The sophomore from Kimball Union Academy and Norwich VT
(coached by legendary Jeff Johnson) held on to win by half a
second, running the 11th fastest time in the storied
university's all-time history. Primarily a soccer player in
high school, he won the 2005 USA National Junior Olympic
Cross Country Championship held at Bryant College in Rhode
Island. In his first full season in track in 2006, he had
ranked fourth nationally in 1,500m at 3:54.28, a quality time
but not totally indicative of his big breakthrough this
season.
On a spectacular Sunday morning in Boston, the top female
marathoners in the United States put forth an historic
performance. Deena Kastor, Magdalena Lewy Boulet, and Blake
Russell captured the three spots on the U.S. Olympic Team for
the women's marathon and as a result, their next marathon
will be run through the streets of Beijing as they compete in
the 2008 Olympic Games.
Fans can watch the race again (or for the first time) as a
one-hour highlight show of the event will air on Sunday,
April 27 on MSNBC from 12:00-1:00 p.m. ET. The show will
be the premier episode in a series highlighting a number of
Olympic Trials events leading up to the Beijing Olympic Games
in August. The Olympic Trials online and over the air
broadcast is a joint production of the USOC, Boston Athletic
Association, NBC Sports and USA Track & Field.
If you were unable to watch last Monday's Boston Marathon,
you can still watch it at www.wcsn.com. In fact, the entire broadcast
of the race will be archived there for 12 months, race
organizers announced today. There is no charge for viewing
this video, thanks to sponsorship support from adidas, an
official race sponsor, and MarathonGuide.com.
Due to a mandate from the national Youth Committee, the
Region I Junior Olympic Meet date will be changed from the
end of June date that was originally posted; it will move to
either July 5-6 or July 12-13, and it will also not be in the
New England association due to the required date change. We
apologize for the late notice.
Eric Blake and Kim Duclos were the top New
England finishers in Monday's B.A.A. Boston Marathon. Nearly
22,000 completed the eastward trek from Hopkinton to Boston,
with ideal weather for much of the race. Overall winner
Robert Cheruiyot hammered an uphill 4:37 from miles
18-19 to break his competition to secure a fourth Boston win
in 2:07:46, a feat matched only by Bill Rodgers, Gerard Cote,
and Clarence Demar. The closest finish in race history
occurred in the women's race where Ethiopian Dire Tune
outsprinted Russian Alvetina Biktimirova by just 2
seconds for the bigger trophy - and bigger check.
Blake, a member of the host Boston Athletic Association
(and out of New Britain CT) was 23rd in the men's results and
clocked 2:24:30; that contributed to the club effort as the
BAA won the open men's team championship. Blake was just one
place ahead of Dan Vassallo (MVS/Wilmington MA), youngest
finisher in the top 25 at age 22 (2:25:10).
The US women's field was obviously thinned due to the Olympic
Trials, but that takes nothing from the performance of Duclos
(CMS/Worcester MA), who was second American across the line,
and 17th overall, in a strong PR 2:49:31. Like Blake, the
performance led her Central Mass Striders to a team win (Open
Women).
Top local Master on the women's side was two time Olympian
Cathy O'Brien (Durham NH) in 2:59:21, 51st overall/7th
40+. Men's masters were paced by Chris Spinney
(Whirlaway/Arlington MA) at 2:39:05 - just one place ahead of
winner of the M50 divsion, Norm Larson (Green
Mt.AA/Burlington VT) in a sharp 2:39:13!
Whirlaway Racing Team continued their successes in masters
team scoring, placing second in both the Men's Masters and
Women's Masters divisions.
Marathon results in many forms for every participant is at
www.bostonmarathon.org.
Two time NE marathon champ Heid Westerling was one of
six BAA runners in the Olympic Marathon Trials
(Mike Scott photo)
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2004 Olympic bronze medalist Deena Kastor lived up to her
favorite status going in, but it was frontrunning Magelina
Lewy Boulet who made the 2008 US Olympic Team Trails for the
Women's Marathon a memorable race on Sunday. Breaking away
from the field in the first half mile with a specific time
goal in mind, Lewy Boulet built a lead of up to 2 minutes
over the first three laps of the four loop course, and forced
the chase pack to put it all on the line to be among the
first three across the finish line.
Kastor, the US record holder, passed the leader through
the Memorial Drive underpass in Cambridge just before the 24
mile mark and strode out to the win in 2:29:35. That was all
the competition could muster, with Lewy Boulet home 44
seconds later in second, as former New England resident Blake
Russell completed the Olympic Team roster with a 2:32:40
third place finish. Fans lined nearly the complete course on
a perfect day and the criterium course and cheered for the
144 starters, and particularly for 1984 Gold Medalist Joan
Benoit-Samuelson (Freeport ME), the field's oldest qualifier,
who ran her final "competitive" marathon and came away with a
USA record for age 50+, 2:49:08, in 90th place.
First among the strong New England contingent was Kasie
Enman of Huntington VT and the BAA, placing 11th among
124 finishers in a personal best 2:37:14. The BAA had five
runners complete the event; two time NE Marathon champ
Heidi Westerling (26th, 2:41:09), Brett Ely
(34th, 2:41:54), Janelle Krause (57th, 2:45:02), and
Emily Levan (67th, 2:45:45) who took a fall at 2 miles
and yet continued banged and bloodied. Sheri Piers
(Falmouth ME/Dirigo) was 2nd NE in 16th and a massive 9
minute PR of 2:38:46. Also among the elite were Caroline
Bjune (MVS, 35th, 2:42:02), Nicole Hagopian
(Hadley MA, 2;43:19), Sarah Donahue (GBTC, 69th,
2:46:17), and Kristin Barry (Dirigo, 73rd, 2:46:58);
Carly Graytock (BAA) and Molly Taber (MVS) did
not finish due to injury. A number of former NE runners and
NE college alumna were also in the field, topped by recent
New Hampshire grad Megan Hepp, 12th in 2:37:29. .
A veteran from both competitive and coaching perspectives
noted that he had been to all men's and women's Olympic Trial
marathons in the past 12 years, and this was without doubt
the best ever. Check out full race results at www.BostonTrials2008.com.
The USA Masters Indoor National Track and Field
Championships returned to Boston for the 11th time in 12
years, and brought the of competition, camaraderie, and
records. Nearly 800 competitors took over the Reggie Lewis
Track for three days, and despite it being just a week after
the World Masters Championship, a flurry of US and World
records were added to the books in age groups up to 90+.
Among the top performers was Phillipa "Phil" Raschker of
Marietta, Georgia, nominee for the 2008 Sullivan Award as the
country's outstanding amateur athlete, who clocked 68.34 for
400 meters for a world record by 1.8 seconds in the women's
60-64 division.
Orville Rogers from Dallas set world bests for men 90 and
over in both the 800 (4:19.97) and mile (9:56.58), and 40
year old Rod Jett (Sacramento CA) ran 8.21 in the 60m hurdles
to shave .01 off the US record.
In the women's field events, Former Millrose Games
champion Oneithea Lewis continues to rewrite age-group
records throwing 53-5 in the W45 weight, while 55 year old
Kay Glynn cleared 9'7" in the pole vault, both marks still
college varsity quality a generation removed from school.
Local athletes were part of two records. GCS Triad members
Jerry LeVasseur and Bill Spencer were half of a
4x800 relay that ran 12:09.35, a world record for men age
70-plus, and David Schlothauer of Westport MA
annihilated the American record in the M90+ weight throw,
tossing the 12 pound ball 32'11".
Team scoring, totaled among all age divisions, both men
and women, found our local Mass. Velocity TC move up a
place from last year to take second behind powerhouse
Southern California - FleetFeetC, cutting the margin by over
forty points; congratulations! Twilight Throwers also
finished in the top 10 among the 88 scoring clubs.
The meet could not be a success held without the many
officials, some who worked three full days to make the meet a
memorable and efficiently-run competition. Complete results
of the Championships, visit the USA Championships section of
www.usatf.org. Meet photos will be
posted at prettysporty.com.
The 2008 USATF-NE Grand Prix season began with a strong
showing in the Whaling City at the 31st annual New Bedford
1/2 Marathon. 1664 finishers had a traffic free course on a
pretty fair day for running - low 40's and light breeze.
New England champs included something old and something
new. Women's winner Heidi Westerling began the series
as she ended 2007 (having won the Cape Cod Marathon), her
1:14:30 the fastest time since 2000. The BAA ace led an
impressive parade of the region's top female distance runners
as placers 1-2-3-5-6-8-9 are all entrants in the US Olympic
Team trials for the marathon running in Boston on Sunday,
April 20.
Men's winner Ryan Carrara had his most successful
half and ran 1:08:07 for his first individual NE
championship. The New Balance Boston standout was second to
New Yorker via Ethiopia Derese Deniboba (a NE runner hasn't
been the overall winner since 1998). The race closed out a
100 mile week for Carrara, and he expressed confidence going
into next month's Boston Marathon.
More depth among open runners was evident this year than
in recent years, as first Master, Titus Mutinda
(R.UN/Lowell) could only manage 30th place. Green Mountain AA
runner Norm Larson had a convincing win in the 50-59
division, almost 3 minutes over'07 series winner Dave Oliver
and 6th total over 40. Fellow Vermonter Bill Dixon
(GLRR) was even more dominant at 60 - 4th 50+ and a 10 minute
margin, and Harry Carter (GSCT) was top 70+.
Simonetta Piergentili (Whirlaway) led the masters
women, with Sidney Letendre (CMS) topping the GP
scoring in the 50+ division (2nd overall) and teammate Mary
Ryczek taking gold in the 60+.
The Boston Athletic Association showed depth across the
board in winning both the men's and women's open team
scoring, with Whirlaway duplicating the feat for masters 40+.
Greater Lowell (M50+), GCS Triad (M60+) and CMS (W50+)
completed club honors.
The second series race will runs May 11 at the Medical Center 6K in Nashua NH.
Check the team and individual
standings after one event.
Three divisions of NCAA Collegiate Championships took
place around the country last weekend on Friday and Saturday,
with successes by both local collegians and transplanted high
school products.
The Division I championship, regularly the most
competitive indoor event of the season, returned to Arkansas
results had local talent scoring hard-earned top 8 finishes -
all-American honors. Running in two events, Sean
Quigley (Braintree MA/Abp.Williams HS) of Lasalle
University doubled his awards of 2007 as he placed third in
the 5000 and seventh in the 3000. In the women's 3000, Ari
Lambie (Harvard MA / Stanford) and Marisa Ryan (Boston U)
were third and fifth, respectively; Lambie also anchored the
Stanford distance medley relay to third. Boston U's Tahari
James was sixth in the triple jump (44'1/2" PR) and Harvard's
Becky Christiansen matched that placing in the high jump
(6'0").
The Division II meet at Mankato (MN) State had several New
England athletes in the all-American listings. UMass Lowell
had eighth places by Olive Thibou in the triple jump, and by
their distance medley relay. On the men's ledger, Stonehill
and Lowell finished 5-6 in the distance medley, with Kevin
Gill placing sixth in the mile.
Results from the Division III at Ohio Northern found six
victors from New England colleges, including a pair from
Keene State (NH) College - Jennifer Adams in the 5000
(16:58.71) and Kristin Blamy (Keene State) in the high jump
(5'7.75"). Other NE gold went to Tufts in the women's
distance medley (moving up one place from 2007, 11:46.79), a
repeat win by Salem State's Eddie Bynum in the 55 meters
(6.25), and wins by Jonathan Garcia (UMass Dartmouth, 55
hurdles, 7.46), and Noah Gauthier (Bates, weight,
63'1.5").
Links to all of these various meet results are at
www.trackandfieldnews.com.
The pair of scholastic national meets ended the HS outdoor
season (is outdoors really only two weeks away?) with a
plethora of quality marks by NE association athletes
including national titles.
At the Nike Indoor Nationals in Landover MD, Rhode Island
weight throwers won both the girls' and boys' competitions.
Victoria Flowers scored yet another big mark to win, her
61'2" only surpassed by her 62'2" HS record set of the season
set on March 3. Michael Guava (Warwick RI) surprised the
field with a win in 73'5 1/4". Other top 5 finishers down
south included Russell Dinkins (Wilbraham-Monson, 400, 3rd,
49.32), Patrick Onye (Providence, weight, 3rd, 70'7 1/4"),
Dwight Barbiasz (Milford NH, high jump, 4th, 6'8 1/4", 4th),
and Thomas Davis (E.Greenwich RI, weight, 4th, 67'8").
That meet moves up to the Reggie Lewis Center for a three
year run starting in 2009.
Closer to home, the National Scholastic Indoor at the New
York City Armory drew a larger NE crowd. Flowers made it two
national titles for the weekend with a spin of 62'1/2", just
short of a third record this season. Woburn (MA) boys passed
the stick in the 4 x 400 in 3:19.16 to win (and returned for
a 4th in the sprint medley).
Local girls results among the top 5 were Keeley McGuire
(Triton, MA, mile, 5th, 4:56.13) and Newton Centre Athletics
(4x800 4th 9:16.27 and 4x1600 5th 20:52.48).
Boys honor winners included Andrew Powell (Charlton MA,
pentathlon, 3rd, 3554, and HJ, 5th, 6'7"), Omar Aden
(Charlestown MA, mile, 4th 4:13.20), Bill Godfrey (Merrimack
NH, 800, 5th, 1:53.24), Michael McPherson (Mansfield MA,
shot, 4th, 55'6 1/2"), Patrick Onye (Providence, weight, 3rd,
68'8"), Dominic Filiano (Lebanon NH, shot, 5th, 55'5")
Brookline MA (Distance Medley, 5th, 10:23.42) and Belmont MA
(4x800, 5th, 3:22.89).
Also of note, though only a HS event in RI, Conor
McCullough (CA) demolished the boys weight record, pushing it
out to a staggering 87'10 3/4"; he's the son of former BU
all-American Connor McCullough.
Find stories, pictures, and links to the meets at
www.dyestat.com.
During the short break for most coaches between the indoor
and outdoor seasons, there is a chance to take advantage of
some clinic opportunities around the region. Coaches'
association clinics tend to cover a wide range of events in
their presentations, and all coaches are welcome (not just
from the state's HS ranks).
The 34th annual Massachusetts State Track Coaches Assn.
clinic will take place March 14-15 (Friday
afternoon/Saturday) at the Sheraton Hotel in Framingham and
include a pole vault coaches certification session. Find the
entry at www.mstca.org or Email Mark
Thornhill.
New this year on March 29 is the innaugural RI Coaches
Clinic, hosted by the Ri Track and Field Foundation. The
clinic is at the Radisson Airport Hotel in Warwick, and has
three sessions; Warmups and Drills, Building and Managing a
HS Program, and Pole Vault. There is no fee, but there is a
maximum of participants. Contact Rick Marshall at 401 295
3227.
Entry for the Mount Washington Road Race opens on March 1.
Event registration is totally on-line, and it is by
lottery.
All race applicants, both lottery and lottery bypass, must
register between March 1 and March 15. Successful selectees
will be posted on March 20; there is no waiting list for
non-drawn names. This year's event is the USATF National
Mountain Running Championship and is one of the qualifiers
for the US Team to compete at the World Mountain Trophy Race
in the fall.
All information can be found at www.mountwashingtonroadrace.com. Please read all
information and instructions carefully.
Two New England HS grads will be representing the USA at
the World Indoor Track & Field Championships in Spain
March 7-9. Up to 2 athletes can represent a country in each
event.
Russell Brown (Hanover NH HS and Lynx Elite club)
and Jonathan Riley (Brookline MA HS) made the team
based on their placing at the USA Championships at the Reggie
Lewis Center, as well as achieving the tough qualifying
standards. Brown placed second in the 1500, while Riley
placed third in the 3000 with winner Matt Tegenkamp opting
not to go to Worlds.
A dozen New England based harriers were named to the U.S.
Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association NCAA
Division I All-Academic Cross Country Team from the fall.
The award honors student-athletes who have succeeded both
academically and athletically. A student-athlete must carry a
minimum 3.25 grade point average and have completed a minimum
24 semester hours. Additionally, the student-athlete must
finish in the top 15 or top ten percent at their NCAA
regional meet, or receive All-American honors.
Representatives from New England schools and New England
natives: Women: Jena Ridgway (Brown); Smita Gupta (Brown);
Stephanie Pancoast (Cornell/Westford MA); Claire Richardson
(Harvard); Arianna Lambie (Stanford/Harvard MA); Catherine
Parker (New Hampshire); Lindsay Donaldson (Yale/Lincoln
MA)
Men: Patrick Mellea (Boston College); Ari Zamir (Brown);
Harry Norton (Dartmouth); Russell Brown (Stanford/Hanover
NH); Owen Washburn (U.Texas/Amherst MA).
Two New England runners scored well at International Race
Week in Northern Ireland/Ireland last week. Jeff Caron
(Medford MA) and Kristen Coon (Chestnut Hill MA), both
members of New Balance Boston, earned a trip to the Emerald
Isle based on their finishes at the 2007 New England
association cross country championship.
Competition began On Thursday at the 18th Armagh road race
on a multiple loop course through the center of town. In the
men's 5K race, American Christian Hesch scored a win over
Irishman and Providence resident Mark Carroll as the top 4
broke the old course record and Pat Tarpy of Providence in
fifth tied the old standard. Caron placed 25th in a close
finish where five national teams were represented ahead of
him. Women's 3K race winner was Providence College alum and
Irishwoman Maria McCambridge (9:36) with Coon in 8th (top
American).
Three days later, most of the same field toed the line at
the 38th Ras na hEireann cross country race in Termonfeckin,
County Louth. Both New England reps improved their placings
on the turf with Caron moving up to 11th and Coon up to 6th.
Tarpy was sixth and Carroll seventh, and seven national teams
scored in the men's race, while McCambridge scored her second
win of the week.
Thanks to event director Charlie Breagy for providing this
opportunity to our New England runners for many years.
Despite a delayed start and some missing entrants due to
storm related travel delays, the two day 2008 AT&T USA
Indoor Track & Field Championships was a competition
worthy of the selection meet for the US team where the first
two who had qualifying marks would wear the red, white, and
blue at the coming world indoor championships. US and World
leading performances, and finishes to the 1/100 second
peppered the results.
Several New England resident and alumni performers left
the arena with medals. Joanne Dow (Manchester NH)
continued her prep for the Olympic Trials after an injury
filled 2007 and was just a tick away from first in the 3000
meter race walk. The walk isn't a world indoor event, but the
men's 1500 is, and recent Stanford grad Russell Brown,
out of Hanover NH HS and the Lynx Elite club, ran a solid
second in the 1500 tor earn a ticket to Valencia Spain for
the Worlds. Brookline MA HS alum Jonathan Riley ran to bronze
in the 3000, and Bp.Hendricken RI alum Jake Freeman tossed
the weight for third.
U.Rhode Island's Sarah Thornton was a finalist in weight
in her first USATF Championship, and improving her school
record to 63'0.75".
The always popular youth 4x200 relays were won by the
Cambridge Jets boys and Providence Cobras girls, while the
New England states scholastic challenge 4x400 found Rhode
Island girls and Connecticut boys running stellar times in
exciting races.
Best local performances in the club distance medley relays
were fifth by Bentley College men and third by Greater Boston
TC women.
The meet concluded the USA Visa Indoor Championship
Series, and Dartmouth grad ('97) Adam Nelson picked up
the winner's $25,000 check for top performance of the season,
his 73'6" shot put 2 weeks ago. Women's winner was two-time
hurdle Lolo Jones.
The meet will return for at least one more year, having
developed a following in the area. Full results at www.usatf.org
Across town at Harvard, the USATF New England Indoor
Championships drew the largest crowd in a number of years on
Sunday morning. Scheduling produced the conflicting dates,
but the NE meet drew a mix of clubs, colleges, and preps for
a fast pace five hour meet wich finished before the Nationals
got rolling, and a number of folks hit both meets.
Greater Boston TC won yet another double men's / women's
team title, over the BAA (men) and Air Time Athletics
(women). There was a new meet record in the men's 60 meter,
Arman Dixon of Sacred Heart University running 6.70 to break
the old mark by a full tenth of a second. He also won the
200. Akilah King of Brown was the only women's double winner,
outdistancing competition in the long and triple jumps. David
Neumann (Mass Velocity) took both special masters sprints (60
and 200) Championship results are posted at usatfne.org. Thanks to
the officials and to First Time Out timing who ran a lot of
bodies through the meet efficiently with a lot of bodies in
t.
At their annual banquet and awards ceremony, Cape Cod
Athletic Club president Bob Eckerson announced the creation
of the Cape Cod Athletic Club Hall Of Fame. Current and past
club members who have made significant contributions to the
sports of running and triathlon and to the operations and
promotion of the Cape Cod Athletic Club will now be annually
honored with induction into the Hall of Fame. This year's
class consisted of 15 inductees: Don Bates, Bob Borglund,
Scotty Carter, John Gray, Johnny Kelley, Cathy Klim, Jeff
Mello, Margie Crowell Wallace, Barry Merrill, Mike Naughton,
Beth Nelson, Kevin Petrovek, Charlie Ratti, Bill Riley and
Andy Rogovin. In addition to having their names displayed on
a special plaque to be displayed at Hanlons Shoes in Hyannis,
recipients were honored with special crystal trophies.
More information can be found at capecodathleticclub.org.
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