The USATF East Region and New England Masters Indoor Championships returned to the Providence Career and Technical Academy track with increased numbers and produced several new pending National records age group by three New Yorkers. Nene Davis, 51, threw the 12 pound weight 17.29 meters, Pat Peterson, 85, clocked marks of 14.32 (60), 54.70 (200), and 2:28.76 (400), and Mary Louise Michaelson, 70, brought the division 3000 meter record to 13:15.88. In the team scoring, New England clubs MassVelocity and Twilight Throwers went 1-2.
Thanks to Providence Classical Coach Bob Palazzo (himself contributing points to the Twilight Throwers team total) and his team that supported the meet with helpers. The masters meet is the only non-high school event held at the PCTA track, and masters appreciated the quality facility.
Results
Chariho HS crushed the Rhode Island state indoor 4 x 800 record at the Charles Sweeney Last Chance meet on Sunday. Their winning time of 7:54.3 was 10 seconds better than the previous mark set by South Kingstown in 2009, and ranks second national. More RI HS notes at ritca.com.
The four minute mile is a long standing standard of excellence for middle distance runners, and another local runner was added to the list of local runners who have achieved the mark this past weekend. At Saturday's Boston University Terrier Classic, 2011 USATF-NE Runner of the Year Tim Ritchie (B.A.A.) clocked 3:58.49 for second place in the seeded section of the event, running sub-4 for the first time. Race winner David McCarthy of Providence, NE XC Champion in 2010, ran 3:55.75. Ritchie doubled back with a 8:05.48 personal best 3000 meter for an exceptional day at the races. BAA teammate Brian Harvey ran a PB 7:59.76 in fourth.
A pair of records marked the results. In the 4x400, U.Mass-Lowell ran a New England collegiate indoor all-time best time of 3:09.39. The masters quartet of Jayme Fishman, Doug Williams, Andrew Darien, and Chris Simpson from the Eliot Track Club relayed 10:55.10 in the distance medley, a US (and possibly a world) masters best. In the women's tallies, B.U.'s Katie Matthews ran the fastest collegiate 5000 of the season, 15:52.80.
Full results are at lancertiming.com
(In another fast mile at Penn State, Westerly RI HS product Andrew Springer ran a PB 4:01.17).
At the USATF sponsored "US Open" meet on Saturday night at New York's Madison Square Garden, two Bay State scholastic runners placed 2-3 in the competitive invitational high school mile on the classic 11 lap to the mile oval - quite a differnt experience from their familiar home Reggie Lewis Track. Wesley Gallagher (Pembroke) and Nick Christensen (Peabody) ran 4:20.01 and 4:20.23, respectively, behind the winning 4:19.86, with Chris Cogliano (Bp.Guertin NH) placed 8th. In the girls' race, Rhode Island sophomore Maddy Berkson (Classical/Providence) finished sixth in a time of 5:02.77. Results of the first annual meet, marking the 99th year of indoor track at Madison Square Garden, are at usatf.org.
The National and state "Gatorade XC Runners of the Year" were announced on Thursday, with a boy and girl from each state recognized for their performances from last fall, with academic and character components factored in. The winners in the six New England States:
- ME: Abby Leonardi Kennebunk; Matt McClintock, Madison
- MA: Catarina Rocha, Peabody; Wesley Gallagher, Pembroke
- NH: Courtney Hawkins, Milford; Colton Hamm, Merrimack Valley
- VT: Elle Purrier, Richford; Malcolm Plunkett, So.Burlington
- RI: Molly Keating, LaSalle Academy; Mike Marsella, Chariho
- CT: Reid Watson, Glastonbury; Connor Rog, Fairfield Prep
National XC runners of the year for 2011 were Molly Seidel (WI) and Futsum Zeinasellassie (IN). Stories and profiles are found at espn.go.com
Marblehead MA native Shalane Flanagan took the first spot on the US Olympic women's track & field team in winning the US Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston. Living in Portland Oregon, the now three time Olympian finished in a career best and Trials record 2:25:38. The second and third spots went to runners who recently had the same placings at the Boston Marathon; silver medalist Desiree Davila (2nd, 2011 Boston) and bronze medal winner Kara Goucher (3rd, 2009 Boston). The top 5 women were under 2:30:00.
First New Englander across the line was Heidi Westover (Walpole NH) in 15th at 2:35:45, with Rebecca Donaghue (New Balance Boston) 17th in a debut 2:35:57 and Jeannette Faber (B.A.A.) 21st in a personal best 2:36:50. Others association runners in the results were Sheri Piers (Dirigo, 24th, 2:37:09), Meagan Nedlo (Marblehead MA, 49th, 2:41:06 PB), Kasie Enman (B.A.A., 53rd, 2:45:25), Heather Cappello (B.A.A., 54th, 2:43:07), Kristin Barry (Dirigo, 83rd, 2:45:43), Erica KJesseman (Scarborough ME, 88th, 2:46;11), Jodie Conway (Framingham MA, 104th, 2:48:02), and Jess Minty (New Balance Boston, 148th, 3:02:14); Brett Ely and Diana Bowser did not finish among the 183 runner field.
The men's marathon team will be composed of three veterans of the Olympic Games - Meb Keflighizi, Ryan Hall, and Abdi Abdirahmen, as for the first time at the Trials, the top 4 men finished under 2:10:00. Braintree MA native Sean Quigley, who qualified at a shorter distance race, clocked 2:14:12 for 16th in his debut at the full 26.2 miles, and and Zach Hine (S.Hadley MA) had a personal best 2:16:40 for 31st. Alex Crabill (Boston, 52nd, 2:20:17) and Lucas Meyer (BAA, 54th, 2:20:21) were the other New Englanders among the 83 finishers (111 starters).
Full results at usatf.org.
Jack Pilla, 53, of Charlotte Vermont started the year on a gold medal note, winning the M50-54 division and placing 17th overall at the USA 100 Km Trail Championship race held in Bandera Texas on January 7. Pilla's time was 10:46:32, making him the only New Englander to complete the event which had 215 starters and 153 finishers. Winner Timothy Olson of Oregon ran 8:28:40 for the 62.2+ miles.
Full results at tejastrails.com.
The Boston Athletic Association announces that defending champions Geoffrey Mutai and Caroline Kilel will return to the Boston Marathon no April 16 to defend their titles.
Mutai's 2011 winning time of 2:03:02 was te fastest marathon ever run on a certified course. He followed that up with a course-record (2:05:06) win at the 2011 ING New York City Marathon in November. Kilel won the women's race in a three way sprint finish down Boylston street, her 2:22:36 giving just a 2 second margin.
The third largest marathon in the US, 2012 will mark the 27th year of financial sponsorship by John Hancock Financial. See bostonmarathon.org for more race news and information.
The Waltham TC at the 2011 National JO Cross Country Championship
(photo: Waltham TC)
The Waltham Track Club Youth Girls cross country team is the USATF-New England Athlete of the Month for December 2011. The team won their division (age 13-14) at the USA Junior Olympic National Championships on December 10 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The Youth Girls race was the largest of the 6 girls races at the national meet. Team members are Leah Brams, Rebecca Grusby, Lauren Ilsley, Sonya Jampel, Courtney Aylaian, Zoe Gompers, Charlotte Sykes, and Lindsey Mogan.
Find the complete list of monthly award winners at usatfne.org on the awards page.
Three US Masters Relay bests in the 11th annual Lou's 4 x 1600 Relay, run following the B.U.Mini-meet #3, closed out the 2011 competitive year at Boston University on December 31. Fourteen teams required two sections to be run, with records in each.
The Whirlaway Racing Team Men's 50+ foursome of Mike Cooney, Paul Doe, Paul Hammond, and Craig Fram carried the baton in 19:17.61, breaking the old record by a whopping minute and half (old mark 20:47.8). Fastest leg was Cooney's opening 4:44.45. Three of the four also have a stake in the existing M40 4 x 1600 record set 9 years ago.
In section 2, Liberty AC Women's 60+ foursome bettered their own mark set a year ago; Sue Gustafson, Regina Wright, Lenore Webber, and Jan Holmquist relayed in 28:57.57 (Holmquist fastest at 6:40.09), pulling down the year old standard by 35 seconds. While many records are set by runners just turning the new age group, Liberty's four runners ranged from 64 to 69.
A men's 70+ mark had not been recorded until race; the New England 65+ RC quartet of Jerry LeVasseur, Joe Cordero, Harry Carter, and Bill Borla ran 29:06.20 for a first time record (fast leg - 6:19.05 by ) The mark will be listed as a "national team" record, as all four do not have their USATF club membership with NE65.
The overall race was won by the new Club Janji, whose anchor, Mike Burnstein, turned in the day's fastest leg at 4:20.09. Full results with all split times will be posted Monday at usatfne.org/track.
Based on her finish at the USA Fall Cross Country Championships, Katie DiCamillo (New Balance Boston / Providence RI) will be representing the USA at the Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country International Challenge in Scotland on January 7. The 2010 New England and Mayor's Cup Champion finished ninth at the Nationals to earn the USA uniform.
The full US team can be found in the press release at usatf.org.
Reigning World 1500 Meter Champion Jenny Simpson will open her 2012 season, and 1500 meter bronze medalist Matthew Centrowitz will make his professional track debut on February 4 at the 2012 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix at Boston's Reggie Lewis Track and Center.
Simpson become the first American woman to win an outdoor world 1500 title since Mary Slaney’s victory at the inaugural IAAF World Championships in Helsinki 1983. "Track fans at Reggie Lewis have shown that they particularly appreciate the distance races so I am looking forward to hopefully giving them a glimpse of things to come this summer", said Simpson.
Centrowitz' World Championships medal was an impressive end to a standout season that included victories at the NCAA Championships and USA Outdoor Championships. He announced last month that he will forgo his last year of NCAA eligibility at the University of Oregon and will have his indoor track professional debut in Boston.
Since it began in 1996, the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix has showcased nine US and six world records, and has brought Olympians and World Champions to the intimate confines of the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center. Ticket ordering and meet information for meet, the second stop in USA Track & Field's Visa Championship Series, can be found on-line at www.nbindoorgrandprix.com or by calling 1-877-TIX-TRAC.
If you need extra motivation to get prime seats for the traditionally sold-out meet, you can save 15% off the price of your tickets from now until December 24. Visit the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix ticket page or call 1-877-849-8722 and use the promo code "DEC2011" when purchasing your tickets to receive a special 15% holiday discount! This offer is only good until 11:59PM EST on December 24!
Past New England champion runner Ken Mueller passed away on December 9 at age 75. He ran his first Boston Marathon in 1959 and completed the race 19 times with a best of 2:22.26. A long time resident of Bellingham and member of the Boston Athletic Association, Ken competed in road, cross country, and track events on the national, regional and local level, and earned championship gold medals at all levels. He taught physical education for many years in the Woonsocket RI school system.
Daniel O'Donoghue runs to an All-American 24th palce in the Midget Boys race
(photo: Emer)
Waltham Track Club Youth (13-14) Girls and Nashua PAL Sub-Bantam (7-8) Boys ended their seasons as gold medalists, winning their divisions at the National Junior Olympic meet in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on Saturday; well over 2000 competitors from around the country took part.
Led by Leah Brams (24th overall, 11th team scorer), Waltham totaled 131 to win by 12 points over San Diego RoadRunners, with Granite State Flash fourth (164) in the same race. The Youth Girls race was the largest girls race of the day, had the closest top 5 team scoring of all events, and the best New England team showing in the meet.
Nashua PAL Gate City were top in the first year of Sub-Bantam (age 7-8) national level competition, with top finisher Nicholas Dahl placing 24th.
Granite State Flash Bantam (9-10) Girls also made the awards podium placing third; their 91 points matched second place, but they were edged on the tiebreaker fifth place finisher.
Top individual placings were a pair of bronze medal runs. Caroline Fischer (Granite State Flash) ran to third in the Bantam (9-10) girls race, and Samuel Toolin of Sentinel Striders matched that in the Bantam Boys run, one place ahead of Noah Strout of Nashua PAL who also won an individual medal.
New England Club placings and the top individual in each race:
- Sub Bantam Girls: 9.Morgan Nault, Granite Sate Flash;
- Bantam Girls: 3.Caroline Fischer, Granite State Flash; 3.Granite State Flash 92, 11.Greater Lowell RoadRunners 255 (14 teams);
- Midget Girls: 33.Cecelia Orcutt, Team RUN; 6.Waltham TC 197; 8.Granite State Flash 232 (20 teams);
- Youth Girls: 8.Rylee Gillen, Team RUN; 1.Waltham TC 131, 4.Granite State Flash 164 (23 teams);
- Intermediate Girls: 16.Maeve Westover;
- Young Women: 16.Erica Notini, Nashua PAL; 4.Sentinel Striders 100.
- Sub Bantam Boys: 9.Peter Crapsey, Bradford Huskies; 1.Nashual PAL Gate City,45 (5 teams)
- Bantam Boys: 3.Samuel Toolin, Sentinel Striders; 5.Nashua PAL Gate City 157, 10.Sentinel Striders 219 (17 teams);
- Midget Boys: 24.Daniel O'Donoghue, Waltham TC; 10.Waltham TC 281; 13.Nashua PAL Gate City 339 (24 teams);
- Youth Boys: 20.Eli Moskowitz, Granite State Flash; 7.Granite State Flash 206, 9.Sentinel Striders 240; 13.Nashua PAL Gate City 331 (25 teams);
- Intermediate Boys: 44.Arthur Whitehead, Nitehawks; 9.Granite State Flash 195 (13 teams);
- Young Men: 7.Ben Bunnell, Green Mountain AA;
Results of all 12 races are at usatf.org/events/2011.
The Boston Athletic Association men and New Balance Boston women took fifth in their respective races at the USA Cross Country Nationals held in Seattle Washington on Saturday. An event record 1,226 athletes in two open and two masters championship competitions which featured America's top post-collegiate club teams from across the United States vying for top honors as the nation's top cross country team. The championships offered a total prize purse of $30,000.
Led by New England champ Tim Ritchie in 13th, and Brian Harvey in 21st, the B.A.A. men scored 179 points for fifth place and $1000 at the "club nationals". Repeating as team champions were McMillan Elite of Arizona with 72 points. Other local teams in the 358 runner field were New Balance Boston (23rd, 650), Greater Boston TC (27th, 753), and Greater Boston B (27th, 750) (45 teams). Men's race individual winner John Gray of Team USA Minnesota ran 29:38.
In the women's race, Katie DiCamillo (New Balance Boston / Providence RI) was first local home for the second straight year, improving her placing to 9th in a field of 265. With New England champion and clubmate Jenn Donovan in 22nd, New Balance Boston placed fifth with 169 points. The B.A.A. women, with Diana Bowser and Kasie Enman in 29-30, placed sixth and Greater Boston TC was 12th and all well in the top half of the 32 team field. Overall winners were adidas/Team Rogue Elite (74 points), and Brie Felnagle (WA, 19:54).
Among the 356 men's masters competitors, Sandu Rebenciuc (Greater Springfield Harriers) was second overall and New England masters champ Pete Hammer (B.A.A.) ran to sixth overall, both earning silver medals in the M40 and M45 divisions, respectively. Greater Springfield placed second M40 with 72 points behind Atlanta Track Club (22). Also representing the area in the 21 team M40 totals were Dirigo RC (6th, 201 pts) and Greater Boston TC (11th, 314 pts).
In the M55-59 individual scoring, Norm Larson (Green Mountain AA) and John Barbour (Gr.Lowell RR) won gold-bronze for the 55-59 division, and led their clubs to 9th and 10th, respectively, for M50+ clubs (17 teams).
In the masters' women's 6K race, Top New Englanders among the 152 finsihers was Trish Bourne (W45, GLRR) in 43rd, 24:51. Only one club fielded a scoring squad, The W50+ Greater Lowell RR led by Liane Pancoast placing 7th.
Complete results of all divisions at usatf.org
Seven scholastic runners from the New England states enjoyed the pleasant San Diego weather and met national elite counterparts at the 33rd Foot Locer Cross Country Championships in San Diego on Saturday. Maine runners were top regional runners in both races.
Two girls represented the six state region; Abbey Leonardi of Kennebunkport ME placed 4th in 17:36 in her third national appearance, and Catarina Rocha (Peabody MA), in her second Footlocker final, was 7th in 17:38. Winner Molly Seidel (Hartland WI) clocked 17:22.
In the boys race, five first time finalists from New England were led by Matthew McClintock (Madison, ME) in 15th at 15:32. Behind him were Connor Rog (Fairfield CT, 18th, 15:35), Jonathan Green (St.Johns/Shrewsbury MA, 22nd, 15:46), Christopher Allen (King Phillip/Norfolk MA, 24th, 15:47), and Joel Hubbard (Marshfield MA, 35th, 16:10), all racing well in the elite field of 40 runners. Boys winner Edward Chererek (St.Benedicts, Newark NJ) completed an undefeated season, running 14:51.5 for a 1 second win.
Results and stories at footlockercc.com
Several New England competitors and administrators were recognized by sports committees at the USATF Annual Meetings held in St.Louis last week. Among athletes, the Mountain/Ultra/Trail Running Council named Kasie Enman (Huntington VT/BAA) as their Mountain Runner of the year, and the duo of Tim Van Orden (Bennington VT/CMS) and Jackie Shakar (Sutton MA/CSU) as the masters men's and women's Mountain and Trail ROY's.
Masters Track & Field selected Flo Meiler (Shelburne VT/Mass Velocity) as their female co-athelte of the year. Teammate Barbara Jordan (Burlington VT) was an athlete honoree for the age 75+ division.
Race Walking Committee gave its "Mike Riban Award" for long term service to NE chairman Justin Kuo (NEWalkers/Brookline MA). The late marathon legend Clarence Demar was formally inducted into the US Track & Field Hall of Fame with five other individuals.
Full information on the USATF Annual Meeting and awards can be found at usatf.org.
Eight New England states officials were selected to officiate the 2012 USA Olympic Trials Track & Field meet in June. The selections were done at the USATF Annual Meeting. Those heading to the Trials in Eugene, Oregon, are: Joe Bullock (Swansea MA, shot put), Nicole Bullock (Swansea MA, hammer), Bob Gidari (Deering NH, discus), Justin Kuo (Brookline MA, Electronic Distance Measurement), Rick Lajoie (Holyoke MA, long/triple jump), Pat Lavelle (Holyoke MA, hammer) Tom Meagher (Duxbury MA, starter), and Lance Turley (Laconia NH, hammer)
Several other officials received assignments at major USA Championships; Dave Grant (Keene NH, Junior Nationals, shot put), Sarah Grant (Keene NH, Junior Nationals, discus/javelin), Jim Wilcox (Fall River MA, Indoor Nationals, Clerk).
Three New England school clubs and several at-large individuals lined up against the country's top ranked teams at the Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) at Portland (OR) Meadows Race Track on Saturday. The group qualified a week earlier with a top 2 finish at the Northeast Region meet in Wappinger Falls NY.
Pembroke MA placed 18th in the boys race, with teams from Champlain Valley Union VT (21st) and Hamilton-Wenham MA (22nd) in the girls run. Top individual finishers from New England were the NE HS champions in November; Mike Marsella (Chariho, RI) in 19th (the first RI individual qualifier for the meet) and Elle Purrier (Richford, VT) in 32nd and New England HS champ. Full results at runnerspace.com.
Voting is closed for the 2012 USATF-NE Road Race Grand Prix, and Slate "B" received an absolute majority of the 400+ votes cast online. The line-up for the coming year will be:
February 26 - Jones 10 Mile, Amherst MA
March 18 - New Bedford Half Marathon
May 19 - Bedford Rotary 12K, Bedford NH
June 10 - Newton 10K, Newton MA
July 28 - Carver Cranberry 5 Mile, Carver MA
September 23 - Legacy 5K, Dedham MA
October 28 - Cape Cod Marathon, Falmouth MA
Details on races will be posted next week.
The first USATF-New England Association Awards Banquet was held on Saturday in Stoneham MA with 130 members in attendance. The evening included a buffet dinner, program, and awards emceed by Andy Schachat, "the Voice of New England Running", and was co-ordinated by association President Steve Viegas, Vice President Jim Garcia, and Greater Boston TC coach and co-director Tom Derderian.
The evening included awards from all of athletic disciplines, including Road, Track & Field, Cross Country, Mountain/Ultra/Trail and Race Walking, and Track & Field. The Athlete of the Year awards went to Brett Ely and Tim Ritchie, both members of the BAA, with Greater Boston TC earning the Club of the Year honor.
All division winners in the various event Series received an embroidered blue vest with a "2011 Series Winner" designation. Special awards went to President’s Award recipients, and winners of the Road Running Grand Prix, Cross Country and Mountain Circuit, and were presented by association officers.
Nationally recognized sports nutritionist and GBTC member Nancy Clark, gave a presentation on sports nutrition and videos on the arduous Mount Washington Road Race were shown.
Suggestions for next year are welcome as planning and promoting the event will begin earlier for 2012.
USATF New England Board member Justin Kuo (NEWalkers / Brookline MA) was named as an IAAF/AIMS Grade "A" road race course measurer, one of only 75 in the world. A measurer and the final review person for all courses measured for certification in Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine, Kuo is also chair of the USATF Records Committee; congratulations and thanks go out for his dedicated work locally. For information on road race course measurement and certification, check usatf.org.
First place Gwenyth Winship with 4th place Waltham Leah Brams
(Photo: Granite State Flash / Justin Platt)
The strength and numbers of the New England association youth cross country were evident at the USATF Region I Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships held in Queensbury NY on Sunday. At the end of the perfect day for running, New England clubs composed 21 of the 29 teams qualifying for the National championship in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on December 10.
The local contingent won the team title in 9 of 12 divisions and came home with half of the individual gold medals. Granite State Flash topped four divisions (Bantam/Midget/Youth Girls and Youth Boys), Sentinel Striders had two wins (Young Women, Youth Boys) and Nashua PAL Gate City (Sub Bantam Boys), Waltham TC (Midget Boys), and Green Mountain AA (Young Men) each had one victory. Individual Winners in New York were Samuel Toolin (SS, Bantam), Caroline Fisher (GSF, Bantam), Jessica Ewing (GSF, Midget), Gwenyth Winship (GSF, Youth), Dage Minors (GMAA, Intermediate), and Ben Bunnell (GMAA, Young Men).
Full results are posted at CoachO.com.
The three NCAA collegiate divisions held their cross country championships this weekend, with New England runners and teams visible on results.
At Monday's Division I National at Indiana State, Abbey D'Agostino (Dartmouth) placed third, just 1.7 seconds away from the top step. Winning team Georgetown had three New Englanders in their seven; Emily Jones (Harvard MA), Kirsten Kasper (N.Andover MA) and Katrina Coogan (Exeter NH). Lone NE rep Boston College finished a creditable 12th (Jillian King, 38th) In the men's tally, a pair of local products and an NE collegian earned all-American honors; Ryan Collins (Mansfield MA/Wisconsin) was 23rd and Mark Amirault (Westwood MA/Virginia) was 27th, followed by Dan Lowry (Brown) in 28th; Providence, the only NE team, placed 22nd (David McCarthy, 41).
Divsion II and III were held on Saturday. On a snow-covered course in Spokane Washington, Glarius Rop (AIC) led the New England qualifiers in 17th, with U.Mass Lowell and Stonehill placing 20 and 21, respectively. Top women's finishers were Jeptui Cherutich (AIC, 43rd) and Tara Dooley (Bentley, 49), and Stonehill and Bentley checked in at 19th and 22nd.
On the DIII women's scoreboard in Winneconne Wisconsin, Chiara Del Piccolo of Williams brought home the gold with a 5 second margin over the 6K circuit; the Middlebury duo of Margo Cramer and Addie Tousley were 5-6, and Amherst's Keri Lambert was 8th. New England teams were also visible at the front with Middlebury second, Williams third, and MIT fifth, with Amherst (11) and Tufts (20) also in the mix.
In the men's competition, Brookline MA alum Mike Burnstein placed 10th overall leading his Washington U team to a bronze medal, with Coby Horowitz (Bowdoin, 13) and Matt Rand (Tufts, 19) top local scorers. Team placings by NE schools were all in the top half of the field - Williams (6), Bates (7), Tufts (9), Middlebury (13) and Bowdoin (15).
Full results at www.ncaa.org
Jacob Meier and Ethan Randall head to the finish in the Midget Boys 3K
(Vera Vaitones photo)
Freestyle Farm in Amherst NH, a working equestrian farm, was the site of the New England Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships on Sunday on a perfect day for running. Ably hosted by Amherst Track Club and site director George Bower, the meet had 597 finishers in the six divisions, the largest ever NE JO XC meet. Results are posted at usatfne.org/cross.
Clubs winning one or more divisions included Green Mt. AA, Granite State Flash, Nashua PAL Gate City, Sentinel Striders, and Waltham Track Club, with seven total clubs having teams qualify for the next round; the top 3 or 4 clubs (depending on size of race), as well as individuals finishing in the top 25 in each division advance to the Region I meet on Sunday, November 20, in Queensbury NY. The information brochure for Region I is at usatfadir.org.
Entry for the meet is online only on Monday night through Thursday, Nov.17, at 5 p.m. at CoachO.com.
The National meet is on Saturday, December 10, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Top 3 teams and individuals in the top 20 at Region I advance. Find the nationals brochure at usatf.org
Heather Cappello of Arlington, Mass. and the Boston Athletic Association has been named USA Track& Field-New England Athlete of the Month for October 2011. At the 11th Annual B.A.A. Half Marathon run on October 9, Heather was third overall women's finisher with a time of 1:13:44 - the fastest by a New Englander this year. The time earned her a spot in the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials to be held in Houston in January, 2012.
Find the complete list of monthly award winners at usatfne.org on the awards page.
Tim Ritchie and Jenn Donovan added additional New England cross country titles to their resumes at Franklin Park on Sunday. Sunny and seasonally cool temperatures in the 40's and 50's with a damp course made for an ideal cross country day (though numbers were down from 2010 in each race).
The overall winner of the women's race was prep Cayla Hatton, a student at Phillips Academy not running for the school. A Conneticut native, Hatton was sixth at the Mayor's Cup (3 places behind Donovan), and defeated a number of national caliber harriers on Sunday; not running a scholastic season, she's below the radar coming into the big HS national meets. Donovan (New Balance Boston, 20:58) improved her time from last year to add a third NE title to those won in 2008 and 2009.
Women's team scores found both the B.A.A. and New Balance Boston with 37 points, but the tiebreaker of best 5th runner - by one place - gives the gold to the B.A.A.
A year ago, Ritchie (B.A.A.) was NE champ but second overall. This year, he repeated with the overall win in 30:25, a few seconds off his previous run. The winner also led the B.A.A. to a comfortable win at 20-44 over New Balance Boston.
The B.A.A. also had the masters men's victor over 8K in Pete Hammer, just a tick ahead of GMAA's Binney Mitchell as the top 5 were within 5 seconds. Dirigo RC's depth gave them a 36-64 margin over GMAA. Breaking out the age groups, Dirigo also the 50+ with GMAA taking 60+ divisions, as Pete Bottomley (Dirigo) and Tom Derderian (GBTC) were individual division winners.
Women's masters ran with the open 6k runners, and Jess Cover (GMAA) brings the gold home to Vermont, and led the team to the 40+ win. Cambridge Sports Union won the 50+, and Liberty AC was the only club to field a scoring trio for 60+ and 70+ divisions; top individuals at 50/6070+ were Jacqueline Shaker (CSU), Nancy Clark (GBTC) and Carrie Parsi (Liberty).
Full individual and team scores are found at usatfne.org/cross/
This Sunday's November 6 Amherst NH Preliminary Junior Olympic Meet / course preview meet is cancelled; potential for damage to both course and parking areas is too great just a week before the NE JO meet, as well as because this is a working farm.
Course tours have been added on Saturday November 12, the afternoon before the NE meet - 2 to 4 p.m. only - and there are course walks on race morning. Please check amhersttrack.org for maps and details.
Note: Those are the only times to preview the course. Any unauthorized running at Freestyle Farm may result in not being able to run in the JO meet!
On-line entry at CoachO.com ends on Wednesday November 9 at 11:59 pm
The on-line entry for the November 6 USATF New England Open/Masters Championship will now close on Thursday, Nov 3, at 6 p.m. Link at www.usatfne.org/cross/.
The November 6 Amherst NH Preliminary Junior Olympic Meet / course preview meet looks like it may be cancelled due to snow on the course and parking areas. Please check amhersttrack.org before going to the meet. A decision will be made by early Friday afternoon.
USA Track & Field announced today the selection of all-time track and field greats Clarence Demar, Gail Devers, Maurice Greene, Vince Matthews, and standout coach Bob Timmons, into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame. The five will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday, December 3, at the Jesse Owens Hall of Fame Banquet held in conjunction with 2011 USATF Annual Meeting in St. Louis, Missouri.
Demar, a seven-time winner of the Boston Marathon, is inducted in the Veteran Athlete category, retired for longer than 25 years. Born in 1888, Demar never quit running or quit fighting until his death in 1958. In 1910, he was advised by doctors to give up running because of a heart murmur; that was one year before Demar won his first of a record seven Boston Marathons between 1911 and 1930. He competed in a total of 33 Boston Marathons, his final one at the age of 65.
An athlete far ahead of his time, Demar was known for weekly running from Keene, NH, to Boston and back, a total of over 90 miles. For the past 33 years, Keene has hosted the Clarence Demar Marathon. In addition to his feats in Boston, Demar was the bronze medalist in the marathon at the 1924 Olympic Games, and qualified for the 1912 Olympics. He was inducted into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame in 2000. He died June 11, 1958.
Patrick Rich (CMS/Hamilton MA) and Hilary Dionne (Charlestown MA) both recorded personal best times to lead the field at the 34th Cape Cod Marathon and USATF-NE Championship in Falmouth on Sunday morning.
Rich came from 3 minutes back at 19 miles to take the win in 2:28:54, while Dionne led the women from the start. Conditions on the Cape were breezy, and, except for several large puddles, the area avoided the storm that ravaged much of New England.
The day proved wrong the often-stated "you can't PR at Cape Cod", as many in the top 10 and on the top teams recorded personal bests. Second woman Laura Brustolon (BAA) improved by 13 minutes, and bronze medalist Kevin Alliette (Whirlaway) was 10 minutes better than before.
Masters winners were George Adams (CMS, 12 overall) and Meredith Dutton (GCS), with Robert Cipriano (SRR, 16 overall) and Lisa Zappala (Whirlaway) taking the 50+ and CSU teammates Marshall Randolph and Diane McLaughlin the 60+ division NE champion honors and Giuseppe Giannone (North Shore Striders) winning the 70+ division (no women).
CMS men used a 1-7-10 finish to take their third straight team marathon title by 8+ minutes over RUN and Whirlaway, and the BAA women, with 2 under three hours, built a formidable 51 minute margin over Whirlaway and CMS. The Somerville Road Runners trio of Jonathan May, Cipriano, and Joe O'Leary used team running to place 15-16-17 - and 3/4/5 over 40 - for the masters' gold. Whirlaway took women's 40+, men's 50+ crowns, and Cambridge Sports Union completed the team titles with the M60+ win.
The results closed with 909 marathon finishers, with a more non-starters than usual due to travel issues (a group from Martha's Vineyard was stranded as all morning ferries were cancelled due to high winds). Results - preliminary at this time - are at CapeCodMarathon.com; full Grand Prix team and individual scoring will be posted usatfne.org/gp/ on Tuesday after verifying the many scorers.
A USATF New England Coaches Education Committee has been established to help develop coaching programs in the association. The committee Chairman is Dave Kerin of Wolfeboro NH; Dave is a USATF Level II certified coach in multiple event groups, a lead instructor, and a member of the USATF Development and Coaches Education Committee.
The mission of the committee is to create and present coaches education and athlete instruction programs within the New England association to increase the level of coaching proficiency, working to improve the quality of instruction to and performance by athletes in the region. The compositon of the working committee will be five to seven individuals representative of youth, scholastic, collegiate, and club coaches, and will address all event groups. Members will have a have a minimum of USATF Level I coaching education and be a member of the USATF Coaches Registry.
Programs will be geographically distributed, cover all event groups (jumps, throws, sprints/hurdles, endurance), and be address a wide range of abilities from youth to masters, and from developmental to regional caliber to elite. Regular communications on coaching topics will be posted on the Coaches Education webpage.
As a starting project, a Level I Coaching School is planned for this July. Several introduction to event clinics are being formulated for the comng indoor track and field season. Information will be posted on the website, and specifically at www.usatfne.org/coaching.
Two New Englanders brought home medals from the USA 50 Mile Championship held in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, on October 23. Dave Martula (Sugarloaf Mt AC / Hadley MA) won the age 60-64 division in a time of 8:15:43, and Len Hall (Enfield NH) took second in the M55-59 division with an 8:32:58.
Winner Michael Wardian (Arlington VA) ran 5:33:46, just a week after a busy visit to New England when he placed third at the ING Hartford Marathon and won Maine's Mt.Desert Island Marathon. Results are at usatf.org.
David Nightingale (NYAC) finishes the Mens' 8K with a time of 23:46
(SV photo)
Lauren Centrowitz (Pacers New Balance / Virginia) and David Nightingale (New York AC / NYC) added their names to the winners' trophy at the Boston Mayor's Cup cross country races on Sunday at Franklin Park in Boston. With over 1300 entries from age 10 and under to age 60+ contesting 6 different races, the Mayor's Cup had record numbers and exciting finishes in the 22nd annual event directed by USATF New England with the support of Boston Parks and Boston Center for Youth and Families.
After the second of three loops on the 5K course, the only competition for Centrowitz, a 7 time all-American while at Stanford, was the lead bike, as she ran to a 17 second victory in her first race at the historic venue. The men's race was quite another story, as a pack of nine headed up Bear Cage Hill together with a kilometer remaining, and six were still in contention for the win around the final turn. Only 5 seconds separated the top 6 finishers as Nightingale's 2 second win was the second by a NYAC runner in as many years. New Balance Boston women and New York AC men took home the Squires Cups for team wins.
Almost 400 youth covered the familiar 1.1 mile course in three age group races, with numerous personal bests on the familiar 1.1 mile course despite soft and soggy footing in spots. Five clubs were represented among the six winners The age 11-12 boys race found all three medalists clocking the same time, as Daniel O'Donoghue (Waltham TC) just pipped Tim Davis (RUN) and Kyle Faddis (Masconomet MS) at the line. Team winners included Bradford Huskies, Granite State Flash, Nitehawks Sports Club, and Waltham TC.
There were an astounding 455 finishers in the Franklin Park 5K - the largest ever field to take to the starting line in a cross country race at the facility - many giving cross country or a run in Franklin Park their first try and adding to the local cross country running tradition.
Thanks to sponsors Boston Athletic Association and adidas, the Mayor's Cup Cross Country Races gives elite, recreational, and youth runners one of the best Cross Country racing experiences in the country. Read the summaries and find results at baa.org.
The on-line entry process for the November 13 Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships at Freestyle Farm in Amherst NH is now open at CoachO.com
Follow this to the Direct Link.
2012 USATF membership begins on November 1, so new members may want to wait until that date to get membership and enter. Reminder that this year, all entrants must have their date of birth verified before entering the meet.
In anticipation of its upcoming 125th Anniversary in 2012, the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) has announced the establishment of a three-race series. The B.A.A. Distance Medley will begin with the B.A.A. 5K on April 15, 2012, followed by the B.A.A. 10K on June 24, and the B.A.A. Half Marathon on October 7. Each of the three races will have its own prize purse. In addition, the male and female series champions will earn $100,000 in prize money.
Scoring for the B.A.A. Distance Medley will be based on total, elapsed time. For example, someone who runs 14:00 minutes at the 5K, 29:00 at the 10K and 1:04:30 for the Half Marathon would end the series with a time of 1:47:30. The scoring system is intended to maximize interest in the series among runners, the general public, and the media.
Everyone who completes all three races will be awarded a special commemorative medal for the series in addition to receiving a finisher’s medal for each race. Youth races will be held in conjunction with each event. Registration for each event will be held on the B.A.A.’s web site www.baa.org, and athletes contending for the series title will be posted to a leader board on the B.A.A. web site.
“B.A.A. races offer runners uncommon racing opportunities in Boston,” said Thomas S. Grilk, B.A.A. Executive Director. “We appreciate the partnership we enjoy with the Mayor’s Office which highlights this renowned, running city. "
"In 2012, the B.A.A. Distance Medley will give Boston a series of races unique to the sport and is yet another way we are promoting our neighborhoods and our citizens,” said Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino. “Together with the B.A.A., we are encouraging health, fitness and an active lifestyle by providing inspirational opportunities in which anyone may participate.”
Joe Donahue, long time Throws Coach at Northeastern University and contributor to track and field, passed away on October 10. A Scituate MA resident, he guided and inspired athletes from league qualifier to national champion and Olympian. Read a tribute to coach Donahue at gonu.com.
Janet Cherobon-Bawcom heading into Boston at the Tuft's 10K Race Race for Women
(SV Photo)
Columbus Day weekend has become a high-powered and high-volume competition few days with the B.A.A. Half Marathon and Tufts Health Plan 10K finding world level competitors joining almost 12,000 runners on the streets of Boston and Cambridge (not to mention another 1000+ at the New England Collegiate Cross Country Championships). Janet Cherobon-Bawcom (Rome GA) was front at center in both road races in pulling off an unprecedented double win.
Sunday's Half Marathon's 8:00 a.m. start avoided the brunt of the unseasonably warm conditions, and times were the fastest recorded in the association this year. Winners in the record 5,253 runner field had slightly different paths to the laurel wreath. Men's winner, Ethiopian Ali Abdosh (1:03:36), was the strongest of an international pack of frontrunners, making a decisive move at 11 miles but was only assured of the victory at the finish line, the top 3 closing within 12 seconds. Cherobon-Bawcom, who achieved her US citizenship last November, matched strides with 2010 winner Caroline Rotich for more than half the race, but forged a significant lead in miles 8 and 9 to ensure a reversal of the 2010 placings and winning by 1:35. Heather Cappello (BAA) continued her strong fall season with a third place finihsin in 1:13:44See baa.org for stories, pictures, and video.
On Monday, the 6000+ starters at the 35th annual Tuft's Health Plan 10K faced a noon start and a new course. Through the first three mile splits, the lead pack whittled down from 17 to four, and then it was time for Cherobon-Bawcom to repeat her breakaway act from Sunday. A spurt from 3 miles to 5K put 3 seconds on her challengers; that lead grew to 10 seconds by the turn, 17 seconds at 4 miles, and a half minute as she broke the tape. Her time of 32:47 earned a third U.S. title of the year, and with it, Cherobon-Bawcom also secured the women's title for the 2011 USA Running Circuit.
Behind her, Jenn Donovan (New Balance Boston/Brighton MA) was top New England runner in 17th; she led her NBB squad to fourth place in quality team competition won by Boulder (CO) Running Company. Results at www.tuftshealthplan.com.
The Tufts 10K is part of the USA Rrunning Circuit, a USA Track & Field road series featuring USA Championships from one mile to the marathon with a mission to showcase, support, and promote US distance runners. The 2011 Circuit standings and race results - and Tufts 10K video - are at www.USARunningCircuit.com.
Dan Serianni led the men's one hour race walk
(Photo: Anna Kuo)
USATF New England and the New England Walkers hosted the USA 1 Hour Race Walk Championship for the 13th time in 14 years, on Sunday, with strong performances despite the sun and heat over the Bentley University track. 2004 Olympian Teresa Vaill (Gainesville FL) covered the most distance in the women's competition, 12,226 meters. Several time Team USA member Dan Serianni (Rochester NY) orbited the track the most times for the men, totaling 13,018 meters. Though there were relatively small fields, quality was high, as five women and three men own USA singlets from international competition.
Story and pictures at usatfne.org/walk.
Boston College women and Connecticut men were team winners at the 99th New England Collegiate Cross Country Championships at Franklin Park on Saturday. UConn's Huskies took the title for the first time since 1969, tallying 149 points in a evenly matched field where places 2-12 were within 106 points among the 43 scoring squads. Individual champ Glarius Rop of American International College (Springfield) took the lead from the gun and never looked back to win for the third consecutive year, only the fourth runner to accomplish the feat; Only Bob Black (URI) has won 4 straight New England harrier titles (1946-1949).
The BC women packed 4 finishers in the top 9 to outpoint subway rivals Boston University 38-73 for their third team title in four years; 39 schools scored teams. Individual winner Katie Matthews, Codfish Bowl champ two weeks ago, clocked 17:18 on the soft course and moved up from a 6th place finish in 2010.
Full varsity and JV results are posted at neicaaa.org.
Kasie Enman of Huntington VT and the Boston Athletic Association has been named USA Track & Field-New England Athlete of the Month for September 2011. Kasie won the first ever USA women's gold medal at the World Mountain Running Championships on September 11 in Tirana, Albania, more than a minute ahead of second place. She was also named USATF national Athlete of the Week following her victory.
Find the complete list of monthly award winners at usatfne.org on the awards page.
Battling unseasonable 43 degree temperatures and steady rain as well as their competition, The Whirlaway Racing Team 50+ team took a close second place in the USA Masters 5K Championship held at the Syracuse Festival of Races on Sunday. Led by Doug Martyn (16:28, 2nd 50-54), who combined with Paul Hammond, and Paul Doe (5-6 individually in the M50 division), the club totaled 50:37 but fell an agonizing 3 seconds short of the Atlanta Track Club trio's time. A hamstring injury suffered by team top gun Reno Stirrat was likely the difference.
The Liberty AC 50+ Women's trio of Joan Miller (3rd 55-59), Jan Holmquist (1st, W65-69), and Karen Lein scored the team bronze medals.
Bill Riley (BAA/Centerville MA) and Bill Spencer (Gate City/Litchfield NH) went 1-2 in the M70 division, and Bill Dixon (GrLowell RR/Brattleboro VT), at age 64, was second in the M60 division as well as recording the 2nd ranked age-graded performance. Pete Bottomly (Cape Elizabeth ME/Dirigo) was 3rd in the M45 division.
The USA Masters Marathon Championships were part of the Medtronics Twin Cities Marathon on Sunday, and in the women's race, Sheri Piers (Dirigo RC/Falmouth ME) claimed the masters' title. Piers finished eighth overall, running an Olympic Trials 'A' qualifying time of 2:37:42.
At the USA 10 Mile Championship in Minneapolis, two time 2011 US road champion Ben True (InTheArena / Hanover NH) moved up in distance and placed a close second to Mo Trafeh (Duarte CA). Trafeh won his third US title of the year, clocking 46:46 with True 2 seconds back as 5 men ran under 47:00. Chris Barnicle (Newton MA) was 7th in 47:06. The event was the final race in 2011 USA Running Circuit, and True took the series title with 60 points; he won the 5K and 10K, took 2nd at the 10 Mile and 15K, and had two other top 10 placings to earn $6,000.
Full Results, videos, and interviews are at www.USARunningCircuit.com.
Individual winner Katie Matthews, sitting out the season at Boston U, with the Terriers' Codfish Bowl team trophy.
(Photo by Masha Kuo)
Katie Matthews (unattached, Boston) and Rich Peters (Boston U) won the 44th annual Codfish Bowl cross country races at Franklin Park on Saturday. Though rain held off, the course was soft and high humidity slowed the runners. In the largest meet in its 44 year history (537 finishers), Boston U women held off Gr.Boston TC by 3 points (23 teams), and Bates was best in the men's race (26 teams). Check Women's Results and Men's Results.
Saturday, October 1, the Greater Boston XC Invitational, second event in the 2011 NE XC Grand Prix, takes place in Topsfield MA at Bradley Palmer Park, hosted by Greater Boston TC. See www.gbtc.org
The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) today announced that registration for the 2012 Boston Marathon has closed. In preparation for next year's race, the B.A.A. implemented a new registration process, allowing the fastest runners in relation to their qualifying times to register during a two week period.
Registration began on September 12 and concluded at 5 p.m. on September 23. For the first time, the registration was not first come, first served, but rather allowed for a more systematic and orderly application procedure. Next week, applicants will be notified of their acceptance or non-acceptance.
At the conclusion of the first week of registration, nearly 15,000 applicants were informed of their acceptance. A total of more than 20,000 entrants will be accepted through this process. Additionally, 277 qualifiers who have run ten or more consecutive Boston Marathons have been accepted.
"We have been very pleased with how smoothly our new registration process has worked," said Tom Grilk, B.A.A. Executive Director. "Regrettably, we are unable to accept all applicants due to field size limitations and the large number of applications we received from qualified runners. Our new process is based on fairness and athletic accomplishment, and we appreciate the cooperation we have received from all marathoners during the process."
Until all applicants are notified and qualifying performances are verified, the B.A.A. will not release data on the cut-off time needed for acceptance. The name of accepted applicants will be posted to the "Entrants" page of the B.A.A. web site. The B.A.A. will issue and post a wide range of statistics on the new registration process and its applicants in the coming weeks.
In February 2011, the B.A.A. announced that qualifying times for the 2013 Boston Marathon would be made more stringent by five minutes across all age groups and both genders. The qualification window for the 2013 Boston Marathon begins on September 24, 2011.
Three New England association athletes are on the roster for the upcoming 2011 Pan American Games taking place in Guadalajara Mexico October 24-29.
June USATF-NE Athlete of the Month Keelin Godsey (North Adams MA) represents Team USA for the first time, based on a third place finish in the hammer at the 2011 USA Track & Field Championships in June.
New England provides both women's marathoners, picked from USA performance lists. Brett Ely (BAA / Somerville MA) also wears USA gear for the first time, pairing with Heidi Westover (Walpole NH), who has been on past US World Cup teams. The marathon will be particularly challenging, as Guadalajara is at an altitude that can affect distance runners' performances.
Others on the team with New England connections include Bar Harbor, Maine's Lauren Forgues in the 20 kilometer walk, Sean Furey out of Methuen MA and Dartmouth in the javelin, and Reading MA native Mark Jellison in the decathlon; the last two are currently living and training in California. The meet should produce interesting results, as it is three months beyond any significant US competitions (and almost 2 months after other international meets), but is also before the start of the South American countries' summer.
Press release with the full roster can be found at www.usatf.org.
Downtown 5K 6th grade race medalists Daniel O'Donoghue, Michael O'Donoghue, and Jacob Jampel
(photo: EmerO)
Ben True (InTheArena / Hanover NH) had the strongest kick and broke the tape at the CVS/Caremark Downtown 5K in Providence on Sunday. True continued his successful year (USA 10K road champion, World Cross Country team, PR at 5000 on the track) with his sprint finish for a 13:44 road PR that earned him $8000, as the race had one of its deepest men's top 10 in the 22 year race history; places 2-3 and 10-11 need to "go to the camera".
Women's winner Julie Culley (Johnson City TN) clocked a solid 15:42 over a national level field for her first US crown; top New Englander was Jenn Donovan (New Balance Boston / Brighton MA, 17th in 17:01.
In the team scoring, New Balance Boston men won their first ever USA men's road title, while their defending champion women's squad finished second to New York AC which was led by race winner Culley.
The Ocean State's largest race and event also included 18 youth races by age and school year; many association clubs brought their youth cross country teams to kick off the season in the shadow of the Rhode Island capitol building.
Full Results, videos, and interviews are at www.USARunningCircuit.com.
Five new members were elected to serve on the USATF New England Board of Governors at the USATF-NE Annual Meeting held on Thursday, September 15.
After reports from board members, elections and By-Law changes took most of the meeting time following the Athlete of the Month presentations.
Sports chairs and athlete rep positions only were up for voting, as officers are in the middle of two year terms. Two vacancies and one contested position brought three new chairs onto the board. Mike Toomey (North East Running Nation/Marblehead MA) will serve as Track & Field chair, and Jason Zagami (HFC Striders/Hyde Park MA) will be Men's Long Distance Running Chair, both replacing chairs (Dave Callum and Court Bird) who opted not to run this year. Dan Hocking (New Balance Boston/Dover NH) won the election for Cross Country Chair.
Six sports chair incumbents continue in their positions, being uncontested; Lisa Doucett (CSU/Andover MA/Women's Long Distance Running), Skip Cleaver (GCS Triad/Nashua NH/ Masters' Long Distance Running), Mike Travers (Mass Velocity/Watertown MA/Masters Track and Field), Larry Libow (Y-Speed TC/Springfield MA/Youth), Paul Kirsch (White Mtn Milers/Conway NH/Mountain-Ultra-Trail Running), and Justin Kuo (NEWalkers/Brookline MA/Race Walking).
Athletes representatives completed board elections; holdover Jennifer (Lee) Walker (GBTC/Cambridge MA) will be joined by Bob Cedrone (Twilight Throwers/Stoughton MA) and Jeff Caron (New Balance Boston/Lexinigton MA). Ten of eleven By-Law change proposals passed after lengthy discussion. Sixteen individuals were elected to represent New England at the USATF Annual Meeting in December, presentation of the new Awards Banquet on November 19 was made, and establishment of a new Coaches Education Committee was announced.
Information on the new board members, the various reports presented and distributed at the meeting, and full meeting minutes will be posted next week on the Board page.
Kasie Enman (BAA) is the 2011 World Mountain Running Champion
(Steve photo)
Kasie Enman (Huntington VT / B.A.A.) earned the first ever USA women's gold medal at the World Mountain Running Championship on Sunday in Tirana, Albania. In her first appearance in the Worlds, Enman bested a field of more experienced mountain specialist on the 2 lap up-and-down course by over a minute, covering the 8.59 km in 40:39. Her domination of the New England and US mountain scene earlier this summer was only a hint of this breakthrough on the world stage, where she prevailed in temperatures that rose above 90 degrees.
The USA good fortunes continued in the men's race where Max King (Bend OR) also won gold, only the second American win in 27 years, moving up from 16th place in 2010. King was the winner of the US trial race held at Cranmore Mountain in Conway NH in June. "In my nine years as team leader, I've never been more proud of our athletes than I am today," said team manager Richard Bolt. "Kasie and Max's performances blew me away. They made winning a World Championship look easy."
Krisztina Dearborn from Mirror Lake NH, a sophomore at Central Connecticut State University, was the top US finisher in the Junior (age 19/under) raced, placing 24th. The US men's and women's teams both placed 4th behind Results of the race can be viewed at USA Mountain Running Championship page.
Antonio Palazzo of Providence, Rhode Island, has been selected as the USATF-NE Athlete of the Month for August 2011. The 83 year old thrower who represents Twilight Throwers won the age 80+ division in the ultra weight pentathlon at the 2011 USA Masters Throws Championships in New London, Connecticut, on August 14, as well as age group golds in the shot put, discus, and hammer at the New England Masters Track & Field Championships earlier in the month.
Find the complete list of monthly award winners at usatfne.org on the awards page.
The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) today issued a reminder that registration for the 2012 Boston Marathon will begin at 10:00 a.m. ET on Monday, September 12, 2011. Its new registration process will allow the fastest qualifiers to register first, and the registration period will continue for two weeks, or until the field size is reached. Race registration will be held entirely online at www.baa.org. The 2012 Boston Marathon will be held on Monday, April 16, 2012.
The new registration process will accommodate those who are the fastest qualifiers first, with registration on a "rolling admission" schedule. On September 12, runners who have met their age/gender qualifying standards by 20 minutes or more may register. On September 14 at 10:00 a.m. ET, registration will open for those who have met their qualifying standards by 10 minutes or more (if space remains), and on Friday, September 16 at 10:00 a.m. ET (if space remains), registration will open for those who have met their qualifying standards by five minutes or more.
Registration will close from Saturday, September 17 at 10:00 p.m., ET and, (if space remains) will re-open on Monday, September 19 at 10:00 a.m. ET to all qualifiers until September 23 at 5:00 p.m. ET. Those who are the fastest among the pool of applicants in their age and gender will be accepted. More specifics and all qualifying standards can be found at baa.org
The qualification window for the 2013 Boston Marathon will begin on Saturday, September 24, or as soon as 2012 registration closes. The qualifying standards for the 2013 Boston Marathon will be five minutes more stringent than the standards for the 2012 race.
BAA runners Heather Cappello and Jeanette Faber placed fith and eighth, respectively, at the USA 20K road race Championship held at the New Haven 20K on Monday. Cappello clocked 1:10:19 behind winner Janet Cherobon-Bawcom's 1:08:31, and Faber checked in at 1:10:53. Fourth overall was Groton (Mass.) Acacemy grad Caroline Bierbaum-LeFrak, now a New York resident. Top male with New England connections was Zach Hine (So.Hadley MA), now based in Michigan, 8th in 1:02:14.
Full results at NewHavenRoadRace.org.
USATF New England was recognized at the recent USATF Workshop as one of only five of 57 associations across the country to achieve all required accreditation standards, as well as exceed additional operational standards. Within that latter group, only the fact that membership numbers do not reach a specific members-per-100,000 population kept us from reaching a "gold" standard (only 1 association achieved this). New England leads the country in number of clubs and sanctioned events and has the fifth largest membership.
The Road Runners Club of America announced Salem, Mass., in their second round of Runner Friendly Community designations.
The goal of the Runner Friendly Community program is to shine a national spotlight on communities that standout as runner friendly and to provide incentives and ideas for communities to work towards becoming Runner Friendly Communities.
In Salem, the Wicked Running Club, along with other organizations in the city, have created races for all types of runners and distances, from the January 1st Frosty Four Race, to the Cross Country 5k Old Salem Green Race, to the summer WRC Wicked Kidz Race, among others — there’s a race for every type of runner. Salem offers running services to their youth as well, including a Summer Youth Track Club and an all-ages track meet.
Salem’s signature race, the Wild Turkey 5 Mile Run on Thanksgiving Day, benefits youth programs at Salem Park & Recreation and the Boys & Girls Club. It’s the largest race on the North Shore, with more than 1500 participants.
See rrca.org for stories on the other Runner Friendly Communities.
Winner of the 1957 Boston Marathon, John J.Kelley, died in Connecticut died on Sunday at age 80. A Boston U grad and member of the Boston Athletic Association - the only member of the host club to win their signature marathon, Kelley, often referred to as John "The Younger" to distinguish from the grand man of the marathon, 1935 and 1945 Boston Marathon, winner Johnny Kelly, was considered the first of the modern US marathoners, combining high mileage along with speed. Running at a world level, personable, and giving US road running a public face in the 1950s and 1960's, his resume beyond his Boston win personified excellence at the marathon distance - five time Boston runner-up, eight consecutive time US Champion, 1959 Pan American Games gold medalist, and 1956 and 1960 Olympian. When describing those accomplishments, peers, teammates, and friends would also seldom fail to recognize his enthusiasm, modesty, and sincerity.
A moving tribute to Kelley by a runner he mentored, 1968 Boston winner Amby Burfoot, can be found at Amby's blog site.
The New England Runner website includes memories from a number of teammates, peers, and friends of running's Renaissance Man.
At the USA Masters Throws Championships on August 13, the USATF Masters Track & Field Committee presented Jim Chamberas (Twilight Throwers / Chelmsford MA) with the Ken Weinbel Award, recognizing outstanding service to the masters throwing community. Chamberas, the founder the Twilight Throwers in 1998 as a vehicle for masters throwers to have regular competitions, and the club has grown into a major throwing club in the area. The group has been a factor in team scoring in both the East Region and USA Masters championships, and has paved the way for other similar clubs and regular meet structures throughout the country. The award is named for past Dartmouth coach Ken Weinbel, an outstanding masters thrower in his own right.
Start of the USA vs Canada Junior Womens 5K Race Walk at East Boston.
(Photo by Emmett S.)
USATF New England and the New England Walkers hosted the 23rd annual USA vs Canada Junior Race Walk Match at East Boston Park on Sunday. The USA women and Canadian men walked to team and individual race wins, but the combined scoring trophy went to the host Team USA. While showers ended before the starting gun, conditions in the 70's with high humidity tempered the times recorded by competitors.
In the 5 kilometer women's contest, the US women were led by three time match competitor Abby Dunn (Auburn ME), who moved strongly in the final kilometer to take the win in 25:54 with the USA placing 1-3-4 for a 15-7 victory margin.
Fortunes were reversed in the men's 10kilometer race, with Canadian Junior Record holder Ben Thorne (British Columbia) taking the lead at the gun and continuing unchallenged; 44:13 winning time is now the fourth fastest in match history. Canada's 1-2-6 earned a 13-9 win; first American was Alex Chavez (Pharr TX).
Novice and all-comers races at 1, 2, and 3 kilometers conducted in conjunction with the international match, with nearly 50 competitors taking part in the day's festivities.
Full results and pictures are at newalkers.com
|
