Here is an interview with Villanova signee Angel Piccirillo after she finished second in the mile at the New Balance Indoor Nationals, running 4:45. Piccirillo currently has the 3rd fastest mile time among US preps.
Click HERE for the video interview.
Here is a video of the race itself:
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Bobby Curtis Readies for New York City Half Marathon
Bobby Curtis is back on the roads this weekend, in his first big test after his winter racing season was hijacked by a foot injury. Since then, his race-conditions running has been relegated to rabbiting a 5000 meter race in Tasmania, Australia in early February. By all accounts, he's healthy and confident going into the race. Here's how the New York Road Runners describes Bobby Curtis on the eve of the New York City Half Marathon on Sunday. Bobby Curtis
NYC Half Welcomes Bobby!
Appearing in his first NYC Half, Bobby Curtis is coming off a personal-best 1:01:53 at the 2011 ING Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half-Marathon, where he placed ninth. He made his marathon debut in the ING New York City Marathon 2011, placing 15th with a 2:16:44. Curtis, 26, A former cross-country champion at Villanova University, won the NCAA 5000-meter track title in 2008. In 2011, he placed second in the 10,000 meters at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational, and he was the top American finisher at the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K (in 29:09).
To see the biographies of the men's elite field, click HERE.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Video: Sam McEntee 4th at NCAA Indoor Mile Final
NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships
Finals - Mile
1) Chris O'Hare Tulsa 4:01.66
2) Rich Peters Boston University 4:01.78
3) Miles Batty BYU 4:01.86
4) Samuel McEntee Villanova 4:01.91
5) Andrew Bayer Indiana 4:02.13
6) Peter Callahan Princeton 4:02.66
7) Erik van Ingen Binghamton 4:02.70
8) Raul Botezan Oklahoma State 4:02.90
9) David McCarthy Providence 4:04.05
10) Kirubel Erassa Oklahoma State 4:04.36
11) Robby Creese Penn State 4:11.45
Man on a Mission: Brother Colm O'Connell
Hosted by Eamonn Coghlan
Fantastic documentary presented by former World Indoor Mile record holder, and 1983 World 5000m Champion, Eamonn Coghlan. Inspired to take up running by Kenya’s 2-time Olympic Gold Medalist Kip Keino, Coghlan travels to St. Patrick’s High School in Iten, Kenya, to meet Brother Colm O’Connell, an Irish Patrician missionary and former headmaster of the school. O’Connell was the man who coached Wilson Kipketer to a World Record in the 800m, and currently coaches the man who broke that World Record, David Rudisha, and former Commonwealth 5000m champion Augustine Choge, amongst others.
Coghlan wants to find out what it is about the Kenyan distance runners, and especially those living and training in Iten, which makes them produce so many world beaters. Through conversations with O’Connell, Rudisha, Keino, and his contemporary Mike Boit, Coghlan gives us a fascinating insight into the training practices, both mental and physical, which leave the Kenyan athletes a few steps ahead of the rest of the world. The video won the award for Irish Sports Programme of the Year at the 2011 Irish Film and Television Awards.
Presented by Eamonn Coghlan, Directed by Maurice Sweeney.
Video from jamieleedalton, hosted on Vimeo.
McEntee, Lipari and Ward Named All-Americans
Miler Sam McEntee (Perth, Australia) was named Villanova's sole 1st Team All-American by the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). McEntee finished 4th in the NCAA indoor championships in the mile, .25 seconds behind the NCAA champion from Tulsa. The complete list of All-Americans can be found HERE.On the women's side, Emily Lipari (Greenvale, NY) and Shericka Ward (Leesburg, FL) were named 2nd Team All-Americans. Ward was a 60 meter hurdle finalist at the NCAA indoor nationals, while Lipari bowed out in the semi-finals of the mile.
Lagat vs Coghlan vs O'Sullivan in the Wanamaker Mile
John Desmond writes a wonderful blog on Irish running called "Running in Cork, Ireland." County Cork has produced a number of tremendous Villanova runners such as Sonia O'Sullivan, Marcus O'Sullivan, John Hartnett, Donal Walsh, Ken Nason, John Hunter, and Aidan O'Regan. In a recent post he compared the Wanamaker Mile victories of the three most prodigious milers in recent Millrose Games history: Bernard Lagat, Eamonn Coghlan, and Marcus O'Sullivan, the latter two being icons in Villanova running history. Here is a nice comparison of their mile prowess at Millrose.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Jen Rhines Gearing Up for April Half Marathon in New York
Runner's World has a nice profile of Jen Rhines and her plans to run in the ninth annual More Magazine/Fitness Magazine Women’s Half-Marathon on April 15th in New York.Go HERE for the details.
Piccirillo 2nd in Mile at New Balance Indoor Nationals
Villanova signee Angel Piccirillo (Homer Center, PA) broke the Armory facility record at the New Balance Indoor Nationals, but was bested by USA #1 miler Hannah Meier (Grosse Pointe, MI), who lowered her nation's best time by almost a second and broke Villanova's Emiliy Lipari's meet record from 2010. This race went according to script, at least according to the national performance list prior to the race. Hannah Meier was #1 and Piccirillo, at #3 nationally, was the next highest ranked miler. On Sunday, Piccirillo ran 4:45.05, less than a second off the Pennsylvania state record she ran on February 25th at the PA state meet. Piccirillo held off Syracuse-bound Brianna Nerud, who took third.
Event 10 Girls 1 Mile Run
================================================================
National: N 4:38.50 3/17/1972 Debbie Heald, Neff, La Mira
Meet: M 4:42.64 3/14/2010 Emily Lipari, Roslyn, NY
Armory: A 4:46.11 1/7/2012 Samantha Nadel, North Shore
Freshman: F 4:40.10 3/16/1973 Mary Decker, Orange, CA
Sophomore: O 4:46.13 3/14/2004 Nicole Blood, Saratoga, NY
Junior: J 4:38.50 3/17/1972 Debbie Heald, Neff, La Mira
Senior: S 4:39.00 2/24/1978 Lynn Jennings, Bromfield, H
Name Year School Finals
================================================================
Finals
1 Hannah Meier 13 Grosse Point 4:42.60M
2 Angel Piccirillo 12 Homer-Center Tc-Pa 4:45.05A
3 Brianna Nerud 12 North Shore Rc-Ny 4:45.29A
4 Megan Moye 12 Cosby Tc-Va 4:47.75
5 Alexis Panisse 12 Benjamin Car 4:48.36
6 Katie Fortner 14 Cave Spring Tc-Va 4:49.79
7 Carolyn Bethel 13 Hidden Valley Tc-Va 4:52.40
8 Maria Seykora 12 Academy of N 4:52.44
9 Ellie Gonzalez 14 Catholic Tc-Md 4:53.78
10 Audrey Batzel 12 Ocean Lakes Tc-Va 4:55.85
11 Anna Boyert 12 Medina Tc-Oh 4:56.12
12 Reagan Anderson 13 Adrenaline Tc-De 4:56.26
13 Catherine Maloy 13 Academy Of T 4:58.66
14 Haley Meier 13 Grosse Point 4:59.12
15 Samantha George 12 Una-Nc-Ralei 5:01.97
16 Sara Barron 12 Una-Mi-Oakla 5:05.92
17 Avery Evenson 13 Una-Mi-Howel 5:06.70
Recruit Caitlyn Bungo 12th at NB Indoor Nationals Two Mile
Villanova-bound Caitlin Bungo (Sewickley Academy, PA) finished 12th in a slow, sit-and-kick two mile at the New Balance Indoor Nationals at the Armory in New York City. The race included most of the nation's top 3000/3200 runners. Bungo came home ahead of several nationally ranked runners, such as Maryland's Maggie Mullins (USA #12 at 2 miles), Rhode Island's Paige Ethier (USA #28 at 2 miles), and Nikki Park of Virginia Beach, VA (USA #28 at 3200 meters).
Event 12 Girls 2 Mile Run
================================================================
Section 1 at 9:00am; Section 2 at 12:16pm
National: N 9:55.92 3/10/1991 Melody Fairchild, Boulder,
Meet: M 9:56.85 3/13/2011 Aisling Cuffe, Cornwall, N
NSIC Meet: I 9:55.92 3/10/1991 Melody Fairchild, Boulder,
Armory: A 9:56.85 3/13/2011 Aisling Cuffe, Cornwall, N
Freshman: F 10:23.46 3/15/1998 Michelle Dela Vina, Andrea
Sophomore: O 10:25.07 3/14/1999 Sara Bei, MontgomerySantaR
Junior: J 10:11.55 3/13/2010 Aisling Cuffe, Cornwall, N
Name Year School Finals
================================================================
Finals
1 Carmen Carlos 13 Una-Al-Mobil 10:25.30 9:49.73
2 Rachel Paul 12 Sachem Spike 10:25.82 9:50.05
3 Dana Giordano 12 Una-Nj-Berna 10:28.91 9:49.72
4 Bethanie Brown 13 Waterville Tc-Me 10:29.04 9:49.98
5 Julie McConville 13 Una-Ma-Hingh 10:36.36 9:53.85
6 Hannah Christen 14 Burke Tc-Va 10:36.40 9:59.24
7 Mackenzie Barry 14 Mendham Tc-Nj 10:38.24 9:53.75
8 Colette Richter 13 Una-Nj-Mount 10:38.87 9:59.11
9 Shelby Davidson 12 Holy Trinity 10:40.03 10:00.07
10 Rebecca Salter 13 Adrenaline Tc-De 10:42.03 9:59.50
11 Gianna Frontera 14 Una-Ny-Newbu 10:42.52 9:58.02
12 Caitlin Bungo 12 Sewickley Ac 10:47.43 10:07.96
13 Jackie Choucair 13 Metroplex St 10:48.14 10:06.07
14 Annika Gompers 14 Una-Ma-Newto 10:51.16 10:09.71
15 Sara Sargent 13 Three Amigos Tc-Pa 10:52.19 10:10.32
16 Maggie Mullins 12 Andover Tc-Ma 10:53.46 10:10.53
17 Kelsie Schwartz 14 Una-Mi-Gross 10:54.26 10:12.03
18 Jessica Donohue 13 North Shore Rc-Ny 10:54.84 10:07.95
19 Abby Seel 13 Una-Nj-Chester-Seel 11:00.11 10:14.16
20 Elizabeth Caldwell 13 North Shore Rc-Ny 11:02.30 10:19.44
21 Paige Ethier 12 South Kingst 11:02.60 10:19.66
22 Amy Darlington 12 Una-Pa-Bethl 11:12.60 10:26.86
23 Nikki Park 14 Ocean Lakes Tc-Va 11:13.19 10:27.37
24 Emily Waligurski 13 Boiceville Tc-Ny 11:27.25 10:39.06
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Sam McEntee Comes 4th in Tight NCAA Mile Title Run
Sam McEntee closed fast over the final 400 meters to come from 7th to 4th, finishing a mere one-quarter of a second behind the NCAA indoor champion Chris O'Hare of Tulsa. McEntee (above photo, far left) was caught in traffic on the rail with 500 meters to go, and was only able to strike for home with 400 meters remaining. He had the fastest closing 400 time (54.95) of any of the competitors, but ran out of track to catch the remaining three runners. If the race had been 20 meters longer, he may have had enough space to surge to the lead. McEntee, only a sophomore, earns his first All-American certificate.
NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships
Finals - Mile
1) Chris O'Hare Tulsa 4:01.66
2) Rich Peters Boston University 4:01.78
3) Miles Batty BYU 4:01.86
4) Samuel McEntee Villanova 4:01.91
5) Andrew Bayer Indiana 4:02.13
6) Peter Callahan Princeton 4:02.66
7) Erik van Ingen Binghamton 4:02.70
8) Raul Botezan Oklahoma State 4:02.90
9) David McCarthy Providence 4:04.05
10) Kirubel Erassa Oklahoma State 4:04.36
11) Robby Creese Penn State 4:11.45
Shericka Ward 7th at NCAA 60 Meter Hurdles Final
Shericka Ward ran right at her PR tonight in the 60 meter hurdle finals (8.151), and finished 7th, earning All-American honors. As the official Villanova Sports Information office story relates it, Ward and Jasmin Stowers of Louisiana State each had an official time of 8.16 and Ward finished seventh with a time that was three thousandths of a second faster. Her time at the finish line was 8.151 and was only one thousandth of a second away from officially being another personal best.Last night in the preliminary heats of the 60 meter hurdles Ward had the seventh fastest time (8.16) out of 16 sprinters and she held that spot in tonight's finals. She was making her first individual appearance at the NCAA Championships indoors and is already a veteran of the outdoor meet.
Tonight's finish puts the wraps on a phenomenal indoor season for Ward, one which saw her set personal bests in the 60 meter hurdles on three separate occasions. Back in January she had a time of 8.25 at the Penn State National and established her top career time at the meet for the second time in as many years.
Just shy of a month later Ward was the individual runner-up at the BIG EAST Championships and received All-BIG EAST accolades for her efforts. Most recently, Ward was the 60 meter hurdles champion at the ECAC Championship last weekend. She had the top time through the preliminary and semifinal heats at the ECAC meet and then clocked in a personal best 8.18 in the finals to claim the crown.
NCAA INDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Finals - 60 Meter Hurdles
1. Christina Manning Ohio State 7.91
2. Brianna Rollins Clemson 7.93
3. Bridgette Owens Clemson 8.03
4. Tiffany McReynolds Baylor 8.04
5. Jackie Coward UCF 8.14
6. Donique' Flemings Texas A&M 8.15
7. Shericka Ward Villanova 8.16 (8.151)
8. Jasmin Stowers LSU 8.16 (8.154)
Friday, March 9, 2012
Ward (60H) Up and Lipari (Mile) Out in NCAA Prelims
Senior Shericka Ward ran another PR (8.16) in the 60 meter hurdles tonight, and qualified for the NCAA finals. Miler Emily Lipari ran in the back of the pack in her heat of the mile, and could not find her patented kick. She finished 7th, and failed to advance.
WOMEN'S 60 METER HURDLES
WOMEN'S MILE -- HEAT # 1
WOMEN'S 60 METER HURDLES
Name Affiliation Time Heat(Pl)
1. Brianna Rollins Clemson 7.93 Q 2 (1)
2. Bridgette Owens Clemson 7.95 Q 2 (2)
3. Christina Manning Ohio State 7.98 Q 1 (1)
4. Jackie Coward UCF 8.02 q 1 (2)
5. Jasmin Stowers LSU 8.05 q 1 (3)
6. Tiffani McReynolds Baylor 8.10 q 2 (3)
7. Donique' Flemings Texas A&M 8.14 q 1 (4)
8. Shericka Ward Villanova 8.16 q 1 (5)
9. Sharika Nelvis Arkansas St 8.18 1 (6)
10. Katie Grimes Texas Tech 8.22 1 (7)
11. Shanekia Hall LSU 8.22 1 (8)
12. Breeana Coleman Illinois 8.23 2 (4)
13. Kierre Beckles So Carolina 8.24 2 (5)
14. Kendra Harrison Clemson 8.24 2 (6)
15. Ivanique Kemp Arkansas 8.27 2 (7)
16. Evonne Britton Penn State 8.40 2 (8)
WOMEN'S MILE -- HEAT # 1
Name Affiliation Time Qual
1. Lucy Van Dalen Stony Brook 4:40.29 Q
2. Morgane Gay Virginia 4:40.45 Q
3. Kristen Gillespie Arkansas 4:40.47 Q
4. Becca Friday Oregon 4:41.03 Q
5. Hannah Brooks Florida St 4:41.96 q
6. Shannon Osika Michigan 4:43.12 q
7. Emily Lipari Villanova 4:46.66
8. Josephine Moultrie New Mexico 4:49.56
McEntee Wins Mile Heat & Advances to NCAA Final
Sam McEntee won heat #1 (the slower of the two heats) today in the preliminary rounds of the men's mile. He automatically qualified for the NCAA finals.
Men's 1 Mile Run Prelim
Name School Time Heat (Place)
1. Miles Batty BYU 4:03.85 Q 2 (1)
2. Raul Botezan Oklahoma St 4:03.87 Q 2 (2)
3. Chris O'Hare Tulsa 4:04.24 Q 2 (3)
4. Andrew Bayer Indiana 4:04.69 Q 2 (4)
5. Robby Creese Penn State 4:04.89 q 2 (5)
6. Sam McEntee Villanova 4:06.47 Q 1 (1)
7. David McCarthy Providence 4:06.66 Q 1 (2)
8. Erik van Ingen Binghamton 4:06.81 Q 1 (3)
9. Peter Callahan Princeton 4:06.96 Q 1 (4)
10. Rich Peters Boston U. 4:07.22 q 1 (5)
11. Eric Harasyn Oklahoma 4:07.46 1 (6)
12. Matt Maldonado Long Beach St 4:07.60 1 (7)
13. Cory Leslie Ohio State 4:07.61 2 (6)
14. Kirubel Erassa Oklahoma St 4:09.65 1 (8)
15. Nick Happe Arizona St 4:13.18 2 (7)
Bryan Murphy: From Frosh Obscurity to Indoor Nationals in a Fortnight
As the story below details, Villanova freshman Bryan Murphy got his chance to run the 400 leg of the Villanova "B" team DMR at the Big East meet on February 18th on a fluke -- an injury knocked out a more senior 400 meter man and Murphy was plugged in. He ran well enough there (and Sam Ellison -- the original 400 man on the DMR "A" squad -- was running better than Chris FitzSimons at 800 meters) to move into the 400 meter slot when Ellison was moved to the 800 for the Alex Wilson last chance meet at Notre Dame on March 3rd. Murphy ran well again and the Villanova quartet qualified for the NCAA indoor national meet. Murphy had gone, then, in two week's time, from an obscure freshman to a key spot in a national championship relay race.Bergen Quartet in NCAA Track and Field Championships
Friday, March 9, 2012
by Paul Schwartz
The Record
Chris Phipps knows what Stephen Mozia, Bryan Murphy and Patrick Rono are feeling like today.
A psychology major at the University of Nebraska, and a six-time All-American, the 2008 graduate of Lodi is preparing for his third visit to the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field championships at the same time Mozia, Murphy and Rono are readying for their first.
"I’ve learned a lot from my four years at Nebraska," said Phipps, who will compete at this evening’s long jump and Saturday’s triple jump at Boise State University in Nampa, Idaho. "I’m smarter, I’m more mature and I’ve grown up a lot. But being at a meet like this is always exciting."
Just 13 to 16 participants in each of 15 individual events and 12 teams in two relays qualify for the championship meet and Bergen County has a remarkable four men’s qualifiers in five events, including freshmen Mozia, Murphy and Rono, who were competing for their high schools at Hackensack, Teaneck and Lyndhurst, respectively, just last spring.
Mozia, who throws for Cornell, is the 12th seed in the shot put, and fresh off a victory in the IC4A championships last weekend, a meet where the Big Red took the team title.
"I can’t wait to compete," said Mozia, who had a remarkable throw of more than 62 feet with the 16-pound shot last month, nearly as far as the 62-11 that was his best mark with the 12-pound shot last winter.
He is seeded four spots ahead of Nick Vena, a freshman at Virginia, who dominated New Jersey high school throwing for four years at Morristown and beat Mozia by 14 feet at last year’s spring state Meet of Champions.
"I’m not thinking about him any more, as anything more than another thrower," Mozia said. "I’m trying to throw as far as I can, and beat as many people as I can."
For Murphy, at Villanova, and Rono, at the University of Arkansas, their spots as part of two of the 12 teams in the distance medley relay were not on the radar as early as the start of the winter season.
Murphy, who will run the 400-meter leg on the Wildcats’ ninth-seeded team, made the team for the Big East Conference meet three weeks ago after earning a scholarship to the Philadelphia-area school in mid-August."The coach put me on the team at [the] Big East [meet] after one of the other guys got hurt and I ran my best time," said Murphy, who was part of two state championship 4-x-400 teams at Teaneck. "Then I ran even better in a meet at Notre Dame and here I am."
Rono, who will anchor the third-seeded team, didn’t even know if he’d be running indoor track this year, but ended up winning the Southeastern Conference mile title and ran a 4:01 anchor split as the Razorbacks won the conference distance medley title.
"This is really the right place for me to be," said Rono, who won the 800 and 1,600-meter titles at last spring’s state Meet of Champions. "I expected to make the top seven in cross-country but when [previous anchor] Duncan Phillips got hurt, the coaches asked me to step in."
Phipps, who has placed in the top five in three previous indoor and outdoor NCAA titles and won the Big 10 long jump title this year, thinks he can win if he can approach his personal best of 26-7, while Rono thinks a four-minute mile split and an Arkansas distant medley win is possible.
And Murphy?
"I just want us to seize the moment," he said. "I think we can."
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Marc Pelerin's 1:12:59 Good for 12th Place at New Orleans Half
Marc Pelerin, a former All-Big East distance ace for Villanova, finished 12th at last Sunday's Rock & Roll Mardi Gras Half Marathon in New Orleans. He ran 1:12:59 -- about 5:35 pace -- and left New Orleans in good spirits. You can read about his race at his blog, HERE.
Here are the top-25 finishers from New Orleans.
Rock & Roll New Orleans Half Marathon Top Results
1. Shadrack Biwott Eugene, OR 1:04:23
2. Jose Chaves San Jose Goicoechea, COS 1:08:03
3. John Brigham Mobile, AL 1:09:02
4. Matthew Manning Baton Rouge, LA 1:09:22
5. Sean Fitzwilliam New Orleans, LA 1:10:54
6. Geoff Nelson New Fairfield, CT 1:11:51
7. David Saunders Hastings, MN 1:12:12
8. Josh Myers Jacksonville, FL 1:12:25
9. Sean Patrick Allerton New Orleans, LA 1:12:27
10. Zachary Cater-Cyker Metairie, LA 1:12:38
11. Loren Wohletz Los Alamos, NM 1:12:56
12. Marc Pelerin Audubon, NJ 1:12:59
13. Dan Khan Houston, TX 1:13:03
14. Timothy Callinan Haddonfield, NJ 1:13:25
15. Jeff Abbott Dublin, OH 1:13:50
16. Papa Bouckaert New Orleans, LA 1:13:54
17. Andrew Riesenberger Wilmington, DE 1:14:40
18. Hayden Schmitz New Braunfels, TX 1:15:25
19. Lloyd Gray Holly Springs, MS 1:15:43
20. Jeremy Kalmus New Orleans, LA 1:15:44
21. Eric Bonnette Philadelphia, PA 1:15:57
22. Zachary Harris Tulsa, OK 1:16:07
23. Rob Chenoweth Chicago, IL 1:16:28
25. Paul Coover Oakland, CA 1:16:53
Remembering the Great Browning Ross
Data Sought for Book about Two-Time Olympian Browning RossThursday, March 08, 2012
By Bob Shryock, Gloucester County Times
He was Gloucester County’s only two-time Olympian. A close friend and fellow distance runner, Tom Osler, lionized him as “The father of distance running in the United States.” He is mentioned in the autobiography of Roger Bannister, the world’s first sub-4 minute miler. When he died of a heart attack, April 27, 1998, after his daily three-mile run near his Woodbury home, the New York Times devoted 20 inches to his obituary.
And while the hearse was delivering legendary Browning Ross to his final resting place, members of the Gloucester Catholic High School track team he coached so proudly jogged alongside in a tear-provoking, gut-wrenching tribute.
Ross, one of the county’s most accomplished athletes in history, a will-o-the-wisp running machine from Woodbury High and Villanova who represented his country in the London and Helsinki Olympics and raced competitively around the globe, would be 87 years old.
So not everyone remembers the man or his bigger-than-life persona.
But Jack Heath remembers. And he is determined to not let others forget.
Heath, a Bellmawr resident who coached with Ross, was a member of his Ram teams, and considers him the most important person in his life next to his parents, is gathering data for a book about Browning he hopes to complete and publish this spring.
“I never would have coached without Browning’s influence and encouragement,” says Heath, Gloucester Catholic’s cross-country coach for nearly 30 years. “I want kids to be able to go to the library to read the book and discover how important he was to running. Few people around here know what he accomplished. I also want to convey what kind of person he was. His story is long overdue.”
Heath, whose full-time job is in computer technology with the Social Security Administration and who was GC’s first computer classroom instructor, met Ross at Gloucester Catholic in 1974 when Ross was coaching at the school for one of three stints spanning three decades.
Heath came out for spring track wearing baseball spikes, set on trying out for jumping events.
“Ross told me, ‘Jack, try the mile.’ I ran a 5:30. He said, ‘You’re gonna be a good distance runner.’ So after that, I ran the mile, two-mile, and steeplechase.”
Heath graduated from Gloucester Catholic in 1977, after establishing the school’s two-mile record and becoming the first Ram to qualify for the state Meet of Champions, and his path would cross Ross’ on almost a daily basis for the next 21 years via competition and coaching.
Says Heath, “Many coaches treat kids like kids, but Browning treated you like you were a real person. One of his coaching strengths was how nice and how generous a person he was.
“He was humble. But he was a great coach who was ahead of his time. The New York Times said he was ‘born to run.’ He knew what worked. He was ‘sane’ with his training although he advocated running 40 miles a week.” Heath has enough Ross memories to fill several chapters in his book.
Ross sometimes had his Ram runners working out barefoot because he said your feet could become atrophied in running shoes. So Heath once ran a shoeless half-mile in a Moorestown Friends meet.
Once, when he was running for Glassboro State College, Heath was asked by Ross to help him coach Gloucester Catholic.
“I’ll be by to pick you up at 3,” Ross told him. “I thought he was kidding. But he picked me up, right at 3 ... and I became his assistant.”
Heath says Browning “struggled with French” at WHS but his teacher gave him a good grade, figuring he’d never have to use the language. “Then he mailed her a postcard from Normandy when he was serving in World War II.” Ross ran in the steeplechase in the 1948 London Olympics, placing seventh (Boston Marathon champion John Kelley was his roommate), and was 12th in his steeplechase heat in 1952 at Helsinki, failing to make the finals because of an upset stomach. In the 1951 British Games he placed fifth to Roger Bannister’s mile victory and received a mention in Bannister’s book.
“He had great speed and won races all over the country,” Heath says. “Browning’s best distance was 10 miles. He won the Berwick, Pa. 10-miler 10 times.”There were countless Ross accomplishments: Becoming the first world’s cross-country coach; starting the first national runners’ club and leading country-wide events; launching the first nationwide runners’ magazine and mailing it himself.
Heath was scheduled to coach with Ross in a meet against Williamstown the day after Ross died.
“I talked to him every day,” Heath says. “When the phone rang that day with the news he had died, I thought it was him. It was the worst feeling I’ve ever had. The whole running community felt the same way. To me, running just didn’t feel the same; it just hasn’t been as much fun.
“But Browning’s greatest accomplishment was being a good father. He was a great family man (wife Sis, son Barry, daughters Bonnie and Barbara).”
The late Sis Ross once said of her husband, “No one loved running as much as Browning.”
Jack Heath will offer additional proof.
Jack Heath encourages Ross’ friends and associates to loan him newspaper clippings and photographs for possible inclusion in his book. His email address is coachheath@comcast.net.
Bobby Curtis Enters New York City Half Marathon Field
Joins Former Teammate Frances Koons Among Entries
Former Villanova teammates Bobby Curtis and Frances Koons are among the elite entries in next weekend's New York City Half-Marathon. Here is a press release on Curtis' entry from the New York Road Runners, and a related story below.
Thompson, Curtis Join NYC Half Field
Wednesday, 07 March 2012 11:16
Written by Barbara Huebner, NYRR
Last November, ING New York City Marathon weekend was a big one for both Chris Thompson and Bobby Curtis. That Saturday, Thompson won the inaugural NYRR Dash to the Finish Line 5K, and the next day Curtis made his 26.2-mile debut.
At the NYC Half on March 18, the two will split the difference and come together in the same race. New York Road Runners officials today are announcing that Olympic hopefuls Thompson, from Great Britain, and Curtis, from the United States, lead a group of additions to the professional field of the seventh-annual race.
This time, it is Thompson who will be making his debut at the distance.
In other race news, two-time World Marathon Majors series champion Liliya Shobukhova of Russia has been forced to withdraw from the race due to a hamstring injury. Shobukhova, the second-fastest female marathoner in history and an early favorite to win the Olympic Marathon in London this summer, was set to open her 2012 season at the NYC Half. Molly Pritz, the top American female finisher in the 2011 ING New York City Marathon, has also withdrawn, due to illness.
Curtis, 27, of Ardmore, PA, became the seventh-fastest American of all time at 10,000 meters when he ran 27:24.67 to finish second at the Stanford Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational in April 2011. He is a two-time Team USA member for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships and he won the 2008 NCAA Championship at 5000 meters in 13:33.93. Curtis finished 15th last fall in the ING New York City Marathon in a time of 2:16:44. He has a half-marathon best of 1:01:52, set in September 2011.Thompson, 30, a Great Britain Olympic hopeful, was the 10,000-meter silver medalist at the 2010 European Athletics Championships in Barcelona. At the 2011 Stanford Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational, he ran 27:27.36 for 10,000 meters, the third-fastest time in British history.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Jen Rhines Won't Defend USA 15K Road Title
Jen Rhines started off 2011 with a bang, winning USA road titles in the half-marathon (January, above) and 15K (in March). Unfortunately, 2011 did not end as well as she had hoped, with her DNF at the New York City marathon. Jen's 2012 started off with a below par 64th place finish at the USA Olympic marathon trials. The 2012 version of the 15K road championship is being held this Saturday in Jacksonville, Florida and Jen Rhines will not attempt to defend her title. All her attention is focused on getting ready for the 10,000 meters at US Olympic Trials this summer, as Rhines seeks her fourth Olympic team.
Here are the declared competitors in the women's field:
Women's Field
Molly Huddle
Janet Cherobon
Katie McGregor
Magdalena Lewy-Boulet
Blake Russell
Clara Grandt
Maegan Krifchin
Meghan Peyton
Sarah Porter
Kathy Newberry
Alisha Williams
Adriana Nelson
Lindsey Scherf
Emily Brown
Clara Peterson
Heather Cappello
Kristen Zaitz
Esther Erb
Heidi Westover
Bridget Lyons
Shannon Filar
Adrian Chouinard
Andrea Garvue
Annie Beecham
Laura O'Hara
Elyse Shimada
Michelle Frey
Kate Niehaus
Shericka Ward & Jeff Demps Sprint to NCAA Indoor Nationals
Ward, Demps Punch Tickets for NCAA Indoor FinalsWednesday, March 07, 2012
FRANK JOLLEY Staff Writer, The Daily Commercial
frankjolley@dailycommercial.com
Shericka Ward has competed in relative obscurity throughout her college track-and-field career, while Jeff Demps has run on a much more visible stage.
That may be about to change for Ward as she joins Demps this weekend at college track's biggest indoor event.
Ward, a former Leesburg High School standout, and Demps, a former state champion from South Lake, will be running at the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships in Nampa, Idaho.
The two-meet begins Friday and is being hosted by Boise State University.
A senior sprinter at Villanova University in Philadelphia, Ward will compete in the women's 60-meter hurdles, while Demps will represent the University of Florida in defense of the men's 60-meter dash title he won last year in College Station, Texas.
Following a breakout effort at the Big East Championships in February, Ward used the momentum from that meet to set a record at the ECAC Championship in Boston. On the quick surface at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center, Ward blistered the field in a preliminary heat, stopping the clock in 8.23 seconds.
She posted an 8.28 time in the semifinals, before unleashing a record-setting performance on the field in the finals. Ward broke the meet record with an 8.18 in the title race. She obliterated the field, outracing her nearest competitor by nearly 2/10ths of a second.
Ward's winning time surpassed the former meet record of 8.19 set in 2000 by former Villanova runner Charmaine Walker.
Based on her performance at the ECAC meet and her body of work as a senior, the NCAA announced late Monday that Ward had been accepted to run for the first time, as an individual in the NCAA title meet.
At the Big East Championships, Ward was the runner-up in the 60 hurdles and earned All Big East honors for the third consecutive year. She also came in third in the semifinals at the Penn State National in January, where her time of 8.25 was a personal best up until this past weekend.Ward also scored a win at the NYC Gotham Cup during the regular season.
Demps, who was also a running back for the University of Florida football team and a member of the school's 2008 national championship team, recently announced he would focus on the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials instead of the upcoming NFL Draft and pursue a career in track.
The UF senior was one of 20 Gators to qualify for the indoor championships. He is the defending 60-meter champion, running a 6.53 in 2011.
Demps will enter Friday's championships with the fastest qualifying time in the country. He qualified with a 6.54, one-tenth second ahead of Auburn's Harry Adams.
The entire list of 20 qualifiers in the event are separated by .13 seconds.
Demps has earned four track and field national championships during his career at Florida -- 60-meter titles in 2010 and 2011, a 4x100 title in the 2010 outdoor championships, and 2010 100 meter title.
In addition to earning All-State honors in football during his junior and senior seasons at South Lake, Demps won the 100-meter state title as a senior in 2008 and clocked a 10.25 at the AAU Junior Olympics.
During the 2008 Olympic Trials, Demps set a national high school record with a 10.01 time in the 100. In addition, Demps also posted a personal-best time of 21.04 in the 200 meters during a meet in Knoxville, Tenn.
At Leesburg, Ward was the Class 3A state champion in 2008 in the 200 meter with a time of 25.24, and in the 100 hurdles, stopping the clock in 14.82.
She also competed in the state meet as a junior and a sophomore.
The indoor championships will be streamed live on ESPN3 from 7:30 to 11:45 p.m. on Friday and from 8 until 11:15 p.m. on Saturday. Cable channel ESPNU will air the championship on tape delay beginning at 7:30 p.m. March 18.
NCAA.com and broncosports.com will air what ESPN3 does not, beginning at noon on Friday and 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Nova Recruit Josh Lampron on Mile Split's Watch List
The folks at Mile Split have come out with their 2012 distance "People to Watch" list. Villanova recruit Josh Lampron, who recently won the Massachusetts state title over 1000 meters, is highlighted as a miler of note. Here's the list:People To Watch, Boys Distance, 2012
This is the fourth of ten in our “People To Watch” series listing the top USA high school track & field athletes divided by event groups (sprints, hurdles, distance, jumps, and throws) and gender. Today’s listing will feature Boys Distance (800, 1500/1600/mile, 3000/3200/2 mile). Check back frequently for future listings.
Athlete, Grade, School; Accomplishment (PR’s) - i indicates indoor 2012, otherwise outdoors in current or previous year(s)
BOYS DISTANCE (800, 1500/1600/Mile, 3000/3200/2 Mile):
Ahmed Bile, 12, Annandale HS, VA; 800 (1:50.77), 1600 (4:09.48)
Jacob Burcham, 11, Cabell Midland HS, WV; 1500 (3:46.55), 1600i (4:05.77)
Edward Cheserek, 11, St. Benedict’s Prep, NJ; Footlocker Nat XC (1st), 1600i (4:00.81), 3200i(8:40.13)
Marcus Dickson, 12, White River HS, WA; 1600i (4:05.75)
Luis Gutierrez, 12, Rancho Cucamonga HS, CA; 1600 (4:06.51)
Brannon Kidder, 12, Lancaster HS, OH; 800 (1:51.09), 1600 (4:05.30)
Tretez Kinnaird, 12, Butler HS, KY; 800 (1:50.56)
Josh Lampron, 12, Mansfield HS, MA; 1600 (4:04.56)
Jake Leingang, 11, Bismarck HS, ND; Footlocker Nat XC (4th), 3200i (8:56.53)
Strymar Livingston, 12, Christopher Columbus HS, NY; 800i (1:51.90)
Cameron Thornton, 12, Whitefield Academy, GA; 800 (1:49.62)
Daniel Vertiz, 12, San Antonio Reagan HS, TX; Nike X Nat (2nd), Footlocker Nat XC (5th), 3200i (8:59.15)
Nathan Weitz, 12, Shadle Park HS, WA; Footlocker Nat XC (3rd)
Ned Willig, 12, Great Valley HS, PA; 800i (1:51.25); 800 (1:51.10)
Futsum Zeinasellassie, 12, North Central School, IN; Footlocker Nat XC (2nd), Nike X Nat (1st), 3200 (8:56.73)
Monday, March 5, 2012
Their Own Private Idaho:
McEntee, Lipari, Ward & Men's DMR Head to Nationals
The NCAA has announced the field for the Indoor Nationals. 3:57 miler Sam McEntee won the school's only automatic qualifier and will compete over that distance in Boise in a hallmark Villanova event. Joining McEntee as a Villanova miler will be Emily Lipari, who posted the NCAA's 12th best time this season, missing the auto qualifier by a stride or two. Likewise just outside the AQ but invited to Nationals was the men's Distance Medley Relay team of Brian Tetreault, Bryan Murphy, Sam Ellison and Sam McEntee. The DMR finished the year as the # 9 team in the country and will continue a strong Villanova tradition in that event. Finally, senior Shericka Ward goes back to Nationals (she ran the 100 hurdles at NCAA Outdoor Nationals in 2011) in the 60 meter hurdles, where she sits as 12th fastest in the NCAA this year. Just missing out on an invitation by one spot was Bogdana Mimic in the 3000 meters. Mimic won the Big East title at 5000 meters, but sat at #19 in the country at 3000 meters, less than 5 seconds off the AQ of 9:10.00. The NCAA accepted only 18 women at that distance. Mimic was an NCAA finalist at 3000 during the 2010 indoor season.
The complete list for men and women is HERE.
Piccirillo, Bungo and Margey in New Balance Indoor Nationals
Here is the start list for the girl's mile at the New Balance Indoor Nationals, to be held this coming weekend at the Armory. Gina Procaccio's two main middle distance recruits -- Angel Piccirillo and Kelsey Margey -- are listed among the 17 competitors. Piccirillo has the nation's #3 time this year (a PA state record 4:44.20), while Margey's indoor campaign started strongly (a USA prep #10 of 4:49.03), but has been derailed somewhat by injuries of late.
A third Villanova distance recruit -- Caitlin Bungo -- will compete as well, in the 2 mile run. Bungo recently finished 4th at the Pennsylvania state indoor championships in the 3000 meters (which was won by Piccirillo) in a PR 10:09.66. Here is the start list for the 2 mile at the New Balance Indoor Nationals:
Event 10 Girls 1 Mile Run
=====================================================================
Sunday 3/11/2012 - 10:45 AM
National: 4:38.50 3/17/1972 Debbie Heald, Neff, CA
Meet: 4:42.64 3/14/2010 Emily Lipari, NY
Armory: 4:46.11 1/7/2012 Samantha Nadel, NY
Freshman: 4:40.10 3/16/1973 Mary Decker, CA
Sophomore: 4:46.13 3/14/2004 Nicole Blood, NY
Junior: 4:38.50 3/17/1972 Debbie Heald, CA
Senior: 4:39.00 2/24/1978 Lynn Jennings, MA
Name Year School Finals
=====================================================================
1 38 Anderson, Reagan (USA #30) 13 Adrenaline T
2 3506 Barron, Sara (USA #11 1600) 12 Una-Mi-Oakla
3 2315 Batzel, Audrey (USA #29) 12 Ocean Lakes
4 1281 Bethel, Carolyn (USA #8 1600) 13 Hidden Valle
5 1933 Boyert, Anna (USA #44) 12 Medina Tc-Oh
6 3503 Evenson, Avery (USA #10 1600) 13 Una-Mi-Howel
7 494 Fortner, Katie (USA #38) 14 Cave Spring
8 3531 George, Samantha (USA #21) 12 Una-Nc-Ralei
9 488 Gonzalez, Ellie (USA #46) 14 Catholic Tc-
10 30 Maloy, Catherine (USA #45) 13 Academy Of T
11 3617 Margey, Kelsey (USA #10) 12 Una-Ny-Hunti
12 1209 Meier, Haley (USA #5) 13 Grosse Point
13 1210 Meier, Hannah (USA #1) 13 Grosse Point
14 709 Moye, Megan (USA #11) 12 Cosby Tc-Va
15 2247 Nerud, Brianna (USA #12) 12 North Shore
16 1342 Piccirillo, Angel (USA #3) 12 Homer-Center
17 26 Seykora, Maria (USA #31) 12 Academy of N
A third Villanova distance recruit -- Caitlin Bungo -- will compete as well, in the 2 mile run. Bungo recently finished 4th at the Pennsylvania state indoor championships in the 3000 meters (which was won by Piccirillo) in a PR 10:09.66. Here is the start list for the 2 mile at the New Balance Indoor Nationals:
Event 12 Girls 2 Mile Run
=====================================================================
Sunday 3/11/2012 - 9:00 AM
National: 9:55.92 3/10/1991 Melody Fairchild, CO
Meet: 9:56.85 3/13/2011 Aisling Cuffe, NY
NSIC Meet: 9:55.92 3/10/1991 Melody Fairchild, CO
Armory: 9:56.85 3/13/2011 Aisling Cuffe, NY
Freshman: 10:23.46 3/15/1998 Michelle Dela Vina, IN
Sophomore: 10:25.07 3/14/1999 Sara Bei, CA
Junior: 10:11.55 3/13/2010 Aisling Cuffe, NY
Name Year School Finals
=====================================================================
1 3894 Amend, Isabel (USA #22 3200) 12 Washington-L
2 1938 Barry, Mackenzie (USA #3 3200) 14 Mendham Tc-N
3 3444 Blackman, Camille (SA #19) 12 Una-Ma-Longm
4 3908 Brown, Bethanie (USA #7) 13 Waterville T
5 2869 Bungo, Caitlin 12 Sewickley Ac
6 2245 Caldwell, Elizabeth 13 North Shore
7 3385 Carlos, Carmen (USA #6 3200) 13 Una-Al-Mobil
8 1940 Choucair, Jackie 13 Metroplex St
9 399 Christen, Hannah (USA #24 3200) 14 Burke Tc-Va
10 3657 Darlington, Amy 12 Una-Pa-Bethl
11 1327 Davidson, Shelby 12 Holy Trinity
12 2246 Donohue, Jessica 13 North Shore
13 2952 Ethier, Paige (USA #28) 12 South Kingst
14 3625 Frontera, Gianna 14 Una-Ny-Newbu
15 3550 Giordano, Dana (USA #1 3200) 12 Una-Nj-Berna
16 3449 Gompers, Annika 14 Una-Ma-Newto
17 3316 Lacy, Megan (USA #5 3200) 12 Tomahawk Tc-
18 3440 McConville, Julie (USA #8) 13 Una-Ma-Hingh
19 68 Mullins, Maggie (USA #12) 12 Andover Tc-M
20 198 Panisse, Alexis 12 Benjamin Car
21 2321 Park, Nikki (USA #28 3200) 14 Ocean Lakes
22 2814 Paul, Rachel 12 Sachem Spike
23 1151 Quinn, Sarah 12 Gill St. Ber
24 3569 Richter, Colette (USA #23 3200) 13 Una-Nj-Mount
25 47 Salter, Rebecca (USA #46 3200) 13 Adrenaline T
26 3284 Sargent, Sara 13 Three Amigos
27 3502 Schwartz, Kelsie 14 Una-Mi-Gross
28 3555 Seel, Abby (USA #21 3200) 13 Una-Nj-Chest
29 300 Waligurski, Emily 13 Boiceville T
30 1335 Wollrath, Julie 15 Holy Trinity
Emily Lipari Goes 4:37.43 to Win Armory Last Chance Mile
Misses Mile Auto Qualifier by .43 Seconds
Emily Lipari won the mile at the Columbia Last Chance meet, against an strong field that included pros Melissa Salerno and Delilah DiCrescenzo, and Penn State's Caitlin Lane. Lipari was looking for the NCAA automatic qualifier (4:37.00) for indoor nationals, but came up a bit short. It was a typical Lipari kick over the final 100 meters that overtook Melissa Salerno for the win. The good news is that Lipari's time places her #12 on the NCAA performance list and all but guarantees her a spot at nationals in Boise. Former Villanova all-american Frances Koons served as rabbit for the first 1000 in Lipari's heat.
As seen in the results below, teammates Stephanie Schappert, Courtney Chapman, and Nicky Akande competed in the mile as well. Schappert erased another PR (the 4:48.90 set at Big East two weeks ago), running 4:47.42. Courtney Chapman ran 4:48.68 (bettering her 4:49.08 PR set at the end of January), and Nicky Akande went 4:50.96.
Event 9 Women 1 Mile Run
=========================================================================
Name Year School Seed Finals
=========================================================================
Finals
1 Lipari, Emily Villanova 4:36.00 4:37.43
2 Salerno, Melissa New Balance 4:35.00 4:38.26
3 Lane, Caitlin Penn State 4:39.31 4:39.24
4 DiCrescenzo, Delilah Nj-Ny-Tc 4:32.00 4:39.35
5 Gregson, Heidi Iona 4:34.80 4:40.21
6 Schneider, Rachel Georgetown 4:36.80 4:40.56
7 King, Jillian Boston Colle 4:39.00 4:41.98
8 Burne, Olivia Stony Brook 4:40.00 4:42.31
9 Chambers, Madeline Georgetown 4:41.00 4:43.71
10 Letourneau, Allison New Hampshir 4:38.00 4:43.90
11 Kasper, Kirsten Georgetown 4:42.00 4:44.54
12 Maguire, Keely New Hampshir 4:45.00 4:45.83
13 Hursey, Katie Syracuse 4:44.00 4:46.58
14 Schappert, Stephanie Villanova 4:40.00 4:47.42
15 Borduin, Lauren Georgetown 4:40.00 4:47.78
16 Chapman, Courtney Villanova 4:40.00 4:48.68
17 Neczypor, Hannah Georgetown 4:42.00 x4:50.82
18 Akande, Nicky Villanova 4:39.00 4:50.96
19 McDonald, Darcy Unattached 4:54.00 4:52.68
20 Foland, Aryn Columbia 4:51.00 4:53.79
21 Carey, Anne Columbia 4:54.00 4:53.98
22 Fricke, Julie Maryland 4:45.00 4:54.75
23 Anderson, Mallory Columbia 4:48.00 4:55.53
24 Jinks, Amanda Syracue Chargers 4:55.87
25 Smith, Kelsey Georgetown 4:47.00 x4:57.05
26 Mayden, Samantha Muhlenberg 4:58.24 5:00.38
27 Aldea, Stephanie West Virgini 4:44.00 5:03.46
28 Miller, Phoebe Haverford 5:00.23 5:04.95
-- Koons, Francis Nj-Ny-Tc DNF
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Sheila Reid Wins 3000 at Columbia Last Chance Meet
Sheila Reid is out of indoor eligibility as a Villanova Wildcat (she'll be back wearing the Villanova singlet come outdoor season), but represented Canada at this past weekend's meet at the Armory. Reid was victorious in the 3000 meters, running 9:01.83 against some good competition (e.g., Emily Sisson and Ashley Higginson). That time is about 5 seconds off her 3000 meter PR of 8:56.92, but a solid run for her first race of the indoor season. To place the 9:01.83 in context, that's about 8.2 seconds faster than the NCAA auto qualifier (9:10.00) in this event. The top time in the NCAA this indoor season belongs to Katie Flood of Washington, at 8:55.31. Reid's time would rank her in the #4 spot in the NCAA. Former Villanova all-american Frances Koons served as a pace-setter in the race through 4000 meters.
Event 17 Women 3000 Meter Run
=========================================================================
Name Year School Seed Finals
=========================================================================
1 Reid, Sheila Canada 9:05.00 9:01.83
2 Sisson, Emily Providence 9:08.00 9:06.04
3 Higginson, Ashley Saucony 9:05.00 9:11.62
4 Penney, Lauren Syracuse 9:08.00 9:12.14
5 Davidson, Hannah Providence 9:12.53 9:22.65
6 Reilly, Stephanie Unattached 9:05.00 9:26.23
7 FfrenchO'Carroll, Charlo Providence 9:22.00 9:27.71
8 Slekis, Stephanie Unattached 9:28.51
9 Westphal, Liv Boston Colle 9:28.00 9:29.23
10 Lanois, Emily Columbia 9:22.00 9:30.15
11 Mac Queen, Kyle Boston Colle 9:18.88 9:32.30
12 Pagano, Sarah Unattached 9:25.00 9:35.44
13 Stephens, Heather Syracuse 9:18.00 9:37.03
14 Ridder, Brooklyne Penn State 9:30.78 9:40.81
15 McKay, Rebekah Unattached 9:35.00 9:41.42
16 Buck, Clare Columbia 9:25.00 9:43.50
17 Millhouse, Kara Penn State 9:17.48 9:43.90
18 MacFawn, Lauryn Syracuse 9:40.00 9:44.31
19 Busby, Natalie Syracuse 9:35.00 9:47.35
20 Symoniak, Brenna Syracuse 9:50.00 x9:52.86
21 Clinton, Alexandra Syracuse 9:50.00 x10:13.84
22 Linde, Maura Syracuse 9:50.00 x10:30.87
-- Shappert, Niccole NYAC 9:05.00 DNF
-- Koons, Francis Nj-Ny-Tc DNF
-- DiCresncenzo, Delilah Nj-Ny-Tc DNF
-- Neczypor, Hannah Georgetown DNF
Friday, March 2, 2012
Villanova Men Miss DMR Auto Qualifier by .52 Seconds
Still a Chance for NCAA Berth with 4th at Notre Dame
The Villanova men's DMR ran 9:31.52, a half second short of the 9:31.00 NCAA automatic qualifier, in heat #2 of the Alex Wilson Invitational at Notre Dame. The quartet finished fourth in their heat, and fourth overall over two heats. Notre Dame and Wisconsin punched their tickets to the NCAA nationals, running 9:29.72 and 9:30.86 respectively, and brought the number of automatic qualifiers nationally to 6 teams (with BYU, Indiana, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma). Arkansas finished third overall tonight at Notre Dame, in 9:31.48. Villanova was next, coming home in 9:31.52. The men split this way:
Brian Tetreault (1200 meters): 2:57
Bryan Murphy (400 meters): 47.9
Sam Ellison (800 meters): 1:48.7
Sam McEntee (1600 meters): 3:57
Tonight's 9:31.52 places Villanova at #9 in the NCAA this season. Normally, 10 or 11 teams are selected to participate at the NCAA indoor championships; therefore, despite missing the automatic qualifier, Villanova may indeed get an invite. If so, lots of the credit should go to Sam McEntee who came from way back in the anchor tonight to finish fourth in the heat. He split 3:57.
Here are the top teams on the NCAA DMR performance list, pending other action in the country tonight:
NCAA DMR Performance List
1. BYU 9:29.00 AQ
2. Indiana 9:29.12 AQ
3. Texas A&M 9:29.71 AQ
4. Notre Dame 9:29.72 AQ
5. Oklahoma 9:30.13 AQ
6. Wisconsin 9:30.86 AQ
7. Stanford 9:31.24
8. Arkansas 9:31.48
9. Villanova 9:31.52
10. Washington 9:31.68
11. Ohio State 9:31.71
12. Oregon 9:31.91
Here are the complete results from both DMR heats at tonight's Alex Wilson Invitational:
Finals
1 Notre Dame 'A' 9:29.72
1) Shawel, Johnathan 2) Giesting, Christopher
3) Babb, Randall 4) Rae, Jeremy
2 Wisconsin 'A' 9:30.86
1) Mudd, Austin 2) Thompson, Aaron
3) Mellon, Zach 4) Hatz, Alexander
3 Arkansas 'A' 9:31.48
1) Lieghio, Anthony 2) Southard, Travis
3) Momoh, Leoman 4) Rono, Patrick
4 Villanova 'A' 9:31.52
1) Tetreault, Brian 2) Murphy, Bryan
3) Ellison, Samuel 4) McEntee, Sam
5 Washington 'A' 9:31.68
1) Soberanis, Ryan 2) McNeal, Maurice
3) Whitley, Bradley 4) Bywater, Joey
6 Ohio State 'A' 9:31.71
1) Fallon, Chris 2) Smith, Korbin
3) White, Dan 4) Leslie, Cory
7 Oregon 'A' 9:31.91
1) Shrader, Brian 2) Berry, Mike
3) Guyota, Boru 4) Dunbar, Trevor
8 Princeton 'A' 9:31.95
1) Van Ackeren, Trevor 2) Hopkins, Tom
3) Williams, Michael 4) Callahan, Peter
9 Minnesota 'A' 9:33.02
1) Burkstrand, Travis 2) Holton, John
3) Abda, Harun 4) Hutton, Nick
10 Virginia 'A' 9:34.78
1) Gilland, Taylor 2) Anding, Kevin
3) Roller, Lance 4) Kostelac, Anthony
11 Air Force 'A' 9:35.28
1) Zubey, Alex 2) Delgado, Anthony
3) Lindsay, Alex 4) Walmsley, Jim
12 North Carolina 'A' 9:40.21
1) Driggs, Jack 2) Parros, Clayton
3) Wanliss, O'Neal 4) Presson, Isaac
13 Kansas 'A' 9:41.02
1) Wasinger, Don 2) Munsch, Josh
3) Fink, Dalen 4) Clemons, Kyle
14 Albany 'A' 9:46.36
1) Burke, Christopher 2) Santana, Jonathan
3) Rowell, Peter 4) Lagno, Paul
-- Penn State 'A' DNF
1) Endress, Wade 2) Nadolsky, Aaron
3) Loxsom, Casimir 4) Creese, Robby
-- New Mexico 'A' DNF
1) Evans, Sam 2) York, Richard
3) Aragon, Gabe 4) Millington, Ross
-- Georgetown 'A' DNF
1) Peavey, Bobby 2) Akers, Hansel
3) Ulm, Toby 4) Springer, Andrew
-- Texas 'A' DNF
1) Jessett, CJ 2) Dreyer, Dereck
3) Thompson, Kyle 4) McGregor, Patrick
Beamish Wins Columbia 5000 -- Fails to Qualify for NCAA Meet
Villanova's Hugo Beamish, who won the Big East title in 14:06.40 two weekends ago, went to the Armory tonight in the hopes of getting close to the 13:44.60 auto qualifier for the NCAA indoor championship meet. Beamish went out hard at tonight's Columbia Last Chance meet, and was on 13:45 pace through 3800 meters. At that point, his limited training base caught up with him and things fell apart over the final 1200. Beamish still won the race easily, but was well off his Big East time and not close to the NCAA qualifier.
Men's 5,000m Run
1. Beamish, Hugo Villanova 14:17.28
2. Zitek, Andrew NYU 14:35.59
3. Cleary, Brian Unattached 14:46.17
4. Rosas, Howie Unattached 15:03.03
5. Lobo, John Unattached 15:04.58
6. Yernye, Seth Syracuse Chargers 15:34.09
7. Kramer, Alex Brandeis NT
8. Ackerman, Bradford Unattached NT
Shake-Up in Men's DMR at Tonight's Alex Wilson Invitational
Marcus O'Sullivan has shuffled Villanova's DMR line-up for tonight's "last chance" meet at Notre Dame in an effort to secure an NCAA automatic qualifying time. Most had anticipated a DMR squad of Brian Tetreault (1200), Sam Ellison (400), Chris FitzSimons (800), and Sam McEntee (1600). However, Sam Ellison's excellent anchor of the Big East-winning 4x800 relay (where he ran 1:49 and unleashed a ferocious kick to defeat the Notre Dame anchor) and his off-the-charts 500 meter dash at that same meet have evidently persuaded Marcus O'Sullivan to move Ellison out of the 400 leg (where only a slight time advantage can be gained over opposing teams) and into the 800 meter leg. Out, then, is Chris FitzSimons, gone from that leg of the DMR. The 400-meter vacancy left by Ellison has been filled on the "A" DMR squad for the first time by freshman Bryan Murphy, who ran that leg well at the Big East meet (where the Wildcats ran a "B" squad of Chris O'Sullivan, Bryan Murphy, Brian Tetreault, and Mathew Mildenhall). As configured, the DMR squad will now have this indoor season's two best performers -- Ellison and McEntee -- in control of the back end of the race, hopefully to good effect.
Villanova currently sits with the #10 time (9:38.02) in the NCAA this year (with the NCAA taking usually 10 or 11 teams total for nationals), but is a full 7 seconds off the NCAA automatic qualifying time (9:31.00). Only BYU, Indiana, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma have achieved the AQ, but the Alex Wilson meet at Notre Dame has traditionally produced excellent times (as highlighted by the section below). The meet is being streamed live by FloTrack HERE and the DMR races are scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
Other "last chance" competitors from Villanova will be at the Armory in New York City at the Columbia Last Chance Meet.
From the FloTrack website:
The Distance Medley Relays at Alex Wilson (AW) have really shaken things up over the past few years with teams flying in from all over the country to hit fast marks. With the exception of 2008, at least 5 of the teams at the NCAA Championships come from the Alex Wilson Invitational. Below there are some cliff notes on each year along with auto standards and slowest team from the meet to get in.
2007: 7 of 11 teams from AW (Auto: 9:34.00, slowest in from AW 9:35.71)
- 3 teams ran auto, 7 teams ran 9:35 or better, 13 teams ran under 9:40
2008: 1 of 11 teams from AW (Auto: 9:34.00, slowest in from AW 9:35.33)
- 3 teams ran 9:37 or faster
2009: 15 of 18 teams from AW (Auto: 9:34.00, slowest in from AW 9:33.32)
- 15 teams ran auto, only 1 team of 18 finishers that did not run under 9:40
2010: 5 of 11 teams from AW (Auto: 9:30.00, slowest in from AW 9:34.26)
- 9 teams ran under 9:35, 12 teams under 9:40 - Heat 1 | Heat 2
2011: 6 of 12 teams from AW (Auto: 9:32.00, slowest in from AW 9:33.77)
- 3 teams ran auto, 11 teams ran 9:35 or faster - Heat 1 | Heat 2
You can see that this is the place to get your marks and we love it as it provides some qualificaton drama only days away from the big show. And you have know its serious when Washington and Oregon leave the Dempsey and head to South Bend! Typically there are around 11 teams in, right now #11 is Florida at 9:38.95 (see national list). There are currently four auto qualifiers (BYU, Indiana, Texas A&M, Oklahoma) and only two others have broken 9:35 (Stanford-9:31.24 and ASU 9:33.48). With the list of teams entered below, no team outside of the auto qualifiers is safe!
Event 4 Men Distance Medley
Friday 3/2/2012 - 8:00 pm ET
9:31.00 NCAA AUTO
Section 1
Lane Team Relay Seed Time
1 Minnesota A 9:50.51
1) Burkstrand, Travis 2) Holton, John
3) Abda, Harun 4) Hutton, Nick
2 Ohio State A 9:48.64
1) Fallon, Chris 2) Smith, Korbin
3) White, Dan 4) Leslie, Cory
3 Penn State A 9:35.24
1) Endress, Wade 2) Nadolsky, Aaron
3) Loxsom, Casimir 4) Creese, Robby
4 North Carolina A 10:04.18
1) Driggs, Jack 2) Parros, Clayton
3) Wanliss, O'Neal 4) Presson, Isaac
5 Princeton A 9:54.11
1) Van Ackeren, Trevor 2) Hopkins, Tom
3) Williams, Michael 4) Callahan, Peter
6 Virginia A 9:42.97
1) Gilland, Taylor 2) Anding, Kevin
3) Roller, Lance 4) Kostelac, Anthony
7 Kansas A 9:48.92
1) Wasinger, Don 2) Munsch, Josh
3) Fink, Dalen 4) Clemons, Kyle
8 Oregon A 9:36.88
1) Shrader, Brian 2) Berry, Mike
3) Guyota, Boru 4) Dunbar, Trevor
9 Air Force A 9:55.39
1) Zubey, Alex 2) Delgado, Anthony
3) Lindsay, Alex 4) Walmsley, Jim
Section 2
Lane Team Relay Seed Time
1 Notre Dame A 10:00.58
1) Shawel, Johnathan 2) Giesting, Christopher
3) Babb, Randall 4) Rae, Jeremy
2 Wisconsin A 9:44.99
1) Mudd, Austin 2) Thompson, Aaron
3) Mellon, Zach 4) Hatz, Alexander
3 Albany A 9:49.90
1) Burke, Christopher 2) Santana, Jonathan
3) Rowell, Peter 4) Lagno, Paul
4 New Mexico A 10:10.31
1) Evans, Sam 2) York, Richard
3) Aragon, Gabe 4) Millington, Ross
5 Texas A 9:46.03
1) Jessett, CJ 2) Dreyer, Dereck
3) Thompson, Kyle 4) McGregor, Patrick
6 Villanova A 9:38.02
1) Tetreault, Brian 2) Murphy, Bryan
3) Ellison, Samuel 4) McEntee, Sam
7 Arkansas A 9:39.41
1) Lieghio, Anthony 2) Southard, Travis
3) Momoh, Leoman 4) Rono, Patrick
8 Washington A 9:35.06
1) Soberanis, Ryan 2) McNeal, Maurice
3) Whitley, Bradley 4) Bywater, Joey
9 Georgetown A 9:42.65
1) Peavey, Bobby 2) Akers, Hansel
3) Ulm, Toby 4) Springer, Andrew
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Sheila Reid, Megan Brown & Kate Van Buskirk
on Competitive Running
Sheila Reid, Megan Brown, and Kate Van Buskirk -- three Canadian stars -- discuss the trials and tribulations of competitive running.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Race Video: Nicole Schappert's USATF Indoor 1500
Heat 2
Place Athlete Name Affiliation Time
1 Jennifer Simpson New Balance 4:15.04
2 Brenda Martinez New Balance 4:15.11
3 Sara Vaughn unattached 4:18.25
4 Lauren Johnson unattached 4:19.30
5 Lauren Centrowitz New Balance 4:20.35
6 Sara Hall Asics 4:21.64
7 Katherine Follett unattached 4:22.43
8 Lauren Bonds adidas 4:23.51
9 Margaret Infeld New York AC 4:28.14
10 Nicole Schappert New York AC 4:29.97
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
NJ Sprinter Alex Reber to Join Wildcats in 2012
Marcus O'Sullivan earlier this month got a commitment from sprinter Alex Reber (Cherry Hill East High School, NJ). Reber is a 400 meter specialist with a 48.16 PR who recently finished 2nd at the New Jersey Indoor Meet of Champions (behind only USA #1 Najee Glass). Reber is currently #33 on the 2012 USA prep indoor 400 meter performance list.
Some of his 400 meter accomplishments include:
5th at 2011 Indoor Eastern States
4th at 2011 Outdoor NJ Meet of Champions
19th at 2011 New Balance Outdoor Nationals
2nd at 2012 Indoor Meet of Champions
Alex Reber PRs:
55 meters: 6.74
300 meters: 35.08
400 meter hurdles: 54.38
400 meters: 48.16
500 meters: 1:08.20
Monday, February 27, 2012
Angel Piccirillo Blasts USA #1 Mile at PA State Meet
Eclipses Kim Gallagher's 32-Year-Old State Record
At the Pennsylvania state indoor championships held at Penn State this weekend, Villanova signee Angel Piccarillo (Homer Center, PA) ran the fastest Pennsylvania girl's mile ever (indoor or outdoor), breaking the 1980 record set by Upper Dublin's Kim Gallagher. Piccirillo's time of 4:44.20 is the #1 prep time in the USA this year by almost 2 seconds, and the #9 all-time USA prep mile for girls. Her win at the State meet is Piccirillo's third consecutive Pennsylvania state mile championship. She won this one by a staggering 14 seconds, breaking former Villanova All-American Frances Koons' state meet record.If that were not enough, Piccirillo doubled back on the same day to win the state championship at 3000 meters, running 9:53.79 -- the #10 prep time in the USA this year. Fellow Villanova signee Caitlin Bungo was 4th.
To see this historic mile race, click HERE.
For a post-race interview, click HERE.
To see Piccirillo's victory in the 3000 meters, click HERE.
Girls 1 Mile Run
================================================================
State Meet: * 4:53.18 2/28/2004 Frances Koons, Allentown Central Cathol
Name Year School Finals
================================================================
1 Piccirillo, Angel Homer Center 4:44.20*
2 Seykora, Maria Notre Dame Acade 4:58.16
3 Grossman, Hannah Strath Haven 4:59.52
4 Weisner, Kennedy Elk County C 5:01.24
5 Sheva, Marissa Pennridge 5:02.16
6 Richards, Morgan Hickory 5:07.82
7 Sowinski, Rachel Holy Redeemer 5:10.00
8 Wiggins, Priscilla George School 5:10.39
9 Malone, Margo North Hills 5:10.81
10 McGarrity, Megan Saint Basil 5:13.27
11 Galligan, Grace Springfield Delc 5:14.36
12 Mahony, Emma Villa Joseph Mar 5:15.92
13 Brown, Rachel North Penn 5:16.45
14 Van Kleunen, Lucy Central 5:16.47
15 Stewart, Kathleen C R South 5:17.09
16 Strock, Carol Cumberland Val 5:17.14
17 Claffey, Elise Great Valley 5:17.18
18 Greba, Autumn Norwin 5:17.64
19 Davies, Molly Lower Moreland 5:18.06
20 Alm, Gina Hampton 5:18.95
21 Adams, Nora State College 5:20.07
22 Young, Olivia Unionville 5:20.45
22 Hunsberger, Jillian Mount Lebanon 5:20.45
24 Holl, Sarah Upper Dublin 5:21.24
25 Malone, Mary North Hills 5:23.10
26 Schwartz, Brianna Shaler Area 5:23.87
27 Weiler, Anja D-Town East 5:24.27
28 Boulger, Kelly Coatesville 5:24.46
29 Ortiz, Teresa St. Hubert's 5:27.36
30 McKeon, Molly Pope John Paul 5:27.38
Girls 3000 Meter Run
================================================================
State Meet: * 9:49.27 2/26/2011 Sara Sargent, Pennsbury
Name Year School Finals
================================================================
1 Piccirillo, Angel Homer Center 9:53.79
2 McGovern, Meghan North Penn 9:57.10
3 Darlington, Amy Liberty 10:07.83
4 Bungo, Caitlin Sewickley Ac 10:09.66
5 Gerlach, Tori Pennridge 10:09.98
6 Rome, Regan Dallas 10:10.21
7 Sargent, Sara Pennsbury 10:11.17
8 Speakman, Meredith Boiling Springs 10:13.39
9 Smith, Courtney Unionville 10:21.66
10 Richards, Morgan Hickory 10:21.69
11 Birkenmaier, Anne Unionville 10:27.05
12 McDonald, Elizabeth Country Day 10:27.73
13 Bucci, Angel Upper Darby 10:39.47
14 Snyder, Maria Northern Bedford 10:40.14
15 Billas, Alison Danville 10:40.71
16 Ross, Taylor Abington Heights 10:41.41
17 Weiler, Biz D-Town East 10:41.44
18 Skinner, Cathryn Penn Charter 10:42.07
19 Callaghan, Katelyn D-Town East 10:49.69
20 Kelly, Mara Springfield Mont 10:53.55
21 Chang, Grace Penncrest 10:59.60
22 Magliane, Rachel Danville 10:59.65
23 Scott, Kate C R North 11:09.59
24 Van Kleunen, Lucy Central 11:24.97
25 Greenwood, Kristen Episcopal Acad 11:45.61
Nicole Schappert 12th at USATF Indoors
Running in Heat #2, which turned out to be the much faster of the two heats, Nicole Schappert found herself sitting pretty at the half-way mark of the USATF indoor nationals 1500 meters. The race went out slowly, and at the 700 meter mark, the field was still bunched. Nicole was in 4th, only .36 seconds behind eventual winner Jenny Simpson. The second half of the race, however, sped up dramatically and saw Nicole drop from 4th place to 10th. She finished in 4:29.97, well off her 4:17 PR. Inasmuch as heat #2 was much faster than heat #1, Nicole finished 12th overall, out of 20 competitors. Here are the merged results of the two heats.Women's 1500 Meter Run Final
Event Records
Record Tag Time Athlete Date
World W 3:58.28 Yelena Soboleva RUS February 18 2006
American A 3:59.98 Regina Jacobs Nike February 1 2003
Meet M 4:03.08 Mary Slaney USA 1997
Place Athlete Name Affiliation Time Heat(Pl)
1. Jennifer Simpson New Balance 4:15.04 2 (1)
2. Brenda Martinez New Balance 4:15.11 2 (2)
3. Sara Vaughn unattached 4:18.25 2 (3)
4. Lauren Johnson unattached 4:19.30 2 (4)
5. Lauren Centrowitz New Balance 4:20.35 2 (5)
6. Sara Hall Asics 4:21.64 2 (6)
7. Katherine Follett unattached 4:22.43 2 (7)
8. Lauren Bonds adidas 4:23.51 2 (8)
9. Heather Haug unattached 4:26.90 1 (1)
10. Mason Cathey Saucony 4:27.99 1 (2)
11. Margaret Infeld New York AC 4:28.14 2 (9)
12. Nicole Schappert New York AC 4:29.97 2 (10)
13. Catherine Beck New Balance 4:30.41 1 (3)
14. Erin Koch unattached 4:31.07 1 (4)
15. Chantelle Dron unattached 4:31.73 1 (5)
16. Amanda LoPiccolo Syracuse TC 4:32.63 1 (6)
17. Shayla Houlihan Brooks 4:33.23 1 (7)
18. Rose Wetzel Club Northwest 4:34.29 1 (8)
19. Kate Grace NJ-NY TC 4:36.46 1 (9)
20. Kerri Gallagher unattached 4:40.37 1 (10)
DNF Bianca Martin Bowerman AC --- ----
Nova Recruit Josh Lampron Wins State Title in the 1000 Meters
Villanova signee Josh Lampron (pictured at center, above) continued his steady climb back to fitness after a fall 2011 injury by winning the Massachusetts all-state championship over 1000 meters. In so doing, he avenged a defeat to Joel Hubbard (above, right) in the 1000 on February 16 at the Massachusetts Independent Athletic Association (MIAA) division 2 meet. His 2:27.57 at that earlier meet places Lampron at #5 on the national prep performance list over that distance.
1000 meters
1. Josh Lampron Mansfield 2:28.65
2. Joe Vercollone Pembroke 2:29.89
3. Ben Groleau Framingham 2:30.73
4. Brendan Robertson Westboro 2:31.26
5. Joel Hubbard Marshfield 2:31.89
6. Justin Keefe Newton North 2:32.35
Saturday, February 25, 2012
The Successor Who Wasn't -- Dave Patrick 1968
In June of 1968, a mere three weeks before the Olympic Trails and with Jim Ryun seemingly too ill with mononucleosis to compete, Sports Illustrated tabbed Villanova's Dave Patrick (who had set the 880 yard world record in beating Ryun the year earlier) as the heir apparent among US milers. What developed over the next two months is well known (and can be reviewed in detail HERE): Patrick failed to make the US Olympic Team in a controversial two-trials format, and the heir apparent who did emerge was not Dave Patrick, but his Villanova teammate Marty Liquori. Here is the Sports Illustrated article on Patrick from June 3, 1968.
June 03, 1968
A Real Shot At Mexico City
With Jim Ryun sidelined by illness, the Olympic dreams of runners like Dave Patrick move into the realm of possibility. Last week at Modesto, Dave gave a small preview of things to come
Robert H. Boyle
The weather was warm but the wind was blowing last Saturday night in Modesto, and Dave Patrick (see cover), anchor man on Villanova's two-mile relay team, was pessimistic about breaking the world record of 7:16 set by the Soviet Union. "I know we can run a world record," Patrick said, "but everything has to be just right." Despite the wind, Villanova came close. Charlie Messenger started for the Wildcats and, after trailing in the first lap, passed the baton to Ian Hamilton with a five-yard lead. Hamilton gave Frank Murphy a 10-yard lead, and Patrick got a 20-yard head start on Tom Von Ruden, anchor for the strong Army team from Fort MacArthur. Patrick just about disappeared into the night on Von Ruden, winning by 50 yards. The time was 7:17.7, better than Villanova had ever run the distance before and the third best two-mile relay ever run. "I didn't think we were going that fast," Patrick said. "It's very hard to run a race like that after you have traveled across the country."
For Dave Patrick, a lot more traveling may be in order this Olympic year. One of several excellent middle-distance runners bunched behind Jim Ryun, Patrick is a possible competitor for the gold medal in the 1,500 meters, the so-called metric mile, this October in Mexico City. And while Patrick, or anyone, for that matter, is a long shot at the moment, anything can happen in the next five months.
This became dramatically evident last week when it was disclosed that Ryun had come down with mononucleosis. Ryun's physician ordered him to drop all training and prescribed a complete two-week rest. But he cautioned: "Mononucleosis is one of those things you are never certain about. You must wait and see. And hope." Ian Hamilton, Patrick's teammate, was even more pessimistic. He said, "I had it last year and I couldn't get rid of it. If you start to run again too soon, it takes longer to get over it. I couldn't do better than two minutes for the half mile."
At best, Ryun will come into the Olympic trials subpar. At worst, he will not be ready for the Olympics. In either case, it presents both opportunity and responsibility for Patrick, because of all the runners chasing Ryun—sick or well—he is the only man in the world to have beaten him in a serious race since August of 1965.
They have met three times. A year ago last winter Patrick beat Ryun in the half mile in Detroit, setting the world indoor record of 1:48.9. (Ryun had run the mile earlier in the evening.) This February, in Madison Square Garden. Ryun whipped Patrick in the mile. (Patrick was hindered by a hairline fracture in his right foot.) A few weeks ago in Fresno, Patrick anchored Villanova to victory over Kansas and Ryun in the two-mile relay. (Ryun made up 15 yards on Patrick, but the latter, who had been handed a 50-yard lead, was not pressed into going all out.)
Now 21—he will be 22 this August 14—Patrick was born in Baltimore and raised in Essex, a suburb. Because of his name and because he runs for Villanova. a Catholic college, Patrick is usually assumed to be an Irish Catholic. In actuality, he is a Protestant of English descent. His father is from North Carolina, and for the past 37 years has worked in a Bethlehem steel mill in Baltimore, where he is now a foreman.As a youngster Patrick played baseball, football and basketball. When he was 15 and a sophomore at Kenwood High School he began running cross-country and then the mile upon the urging of his older brother. Leonard, then a half-miler at the University of Maryland. "My brother always told me that half-milers are a dime a dozen, but good milers are hard to find." Patrick says. In his senior year Patrick stepped on a horseshoe peg and rammed it into his left leg. The wound required 12 stitches and then became infected. "I didn't think I would run again," he says. "When I got over it, I favored the leg and then threw my hip out three times."
Three colleges, Maryland, Tennessee and Villanova, were after Patrick, and although he at first found the idea of a Catholic school somewhat strange, he selected Villanova because it was only 90 miles from home and, more importantly, because Jumbo Jim Elliott, the track coach, is "miles ahead of any other coach."
Villanova is run by the Augustinians, of whom the most famous or notorious, depending upon one's point of view, is Martin Luther. "Luther," says Jim Murray, the puckish sports publicity director, "dropped out to start the AFL. Now, after 400 years, we're working on a merger." Elliott, who is fast to agree with Patrick or anyone else that he is miles ahead of any other coach, is a peppery, voluble Irish-American. "Any damn boat I'm in is always rocking!" he exclaims, bursting into a loud laugh. Under his stern but beneficent hand, Villanova has compiled an impressive record in track; indeed, the college does not have room to display all the trophies the team has won. "Terrible!" complains Elliott. "Print that! I'm taken for granted!" Despite such talk, Elliott would never leave his alma mater, and he watches over his boys like a shrewd monsignor. He has a high regard for Patrick. "As good as Dave is as a runner," Elliott says, "he's going to be even more of a success in his life."
Unfortunately, Patrick's running career has, until recently, been hampered by injuries or illness. First he hurt a tendon in his ankle, then his tonsils became infected and then last winter he suffered the fracture in his foot. In between ailments he has shown flashes of genuine brilliance, such as his record half mile against Ryun. This year, his senior year, he was appointed captain of the track team. When Negro members talked of boycotting the important New York Athletic Club indoor meet, Elliott let Patrick and the team members decide what course to take. The team voted 16-0 by secret ballot not to go. "I know because I counted the votes," Patrick says. "There were two reasons. We thought the New York AC was doing itself an injustice by not letting Negroes in the organization. We also thought that we have such a great team feeling that we didn't want to take a chance and try to split any views. We function as a team, and we should go or not go as a team. We decided not to go. Although some athletes may excel more than others, the team feeling is what we strive for."
Patrick takes his beliefs very seriously. Although he was not formally raised in any denomination he became very much involved with the nationwide Campus Crusade for Christ in his junior year, when representatives of the Athletes in Action branch called upon him. "It seemed like it came right out of the blue, because I wasn't attending church or wasn't even thinking about Christ," he says. "Then these people came to me. It was a great event in my life. I feel that after I asked Christ in my life, I can feel more love. Not just between me and all the fellows on the Villanova track team, but for anybody I meet, even if they don't want to love me." Since joining the Campus Crusade for Christ, Patrick has spoken and given his testimony before other athletes, and last summer he worked as a supervisor in a reform school, where he held a track meet and gave away his own gold, silver and bronze medals to the winners. "I'd like to go back there," he says. "I'd like a chance to try to change the lives of those boys. They're mostly from broken homes, and they don't know where they are or where they're going."
Patrick received a B.S. degree in business administration this May, but he will continue to train at Villanova for the Olympic trials June 29 and 30. He loves the Main Line area, and in the mornings he runs various training loops of from four to 10 miles. His favorite is the 10-mile loop, nicknamed the frolic loop. "I named it the frolic loop," Patrick says, "because every time I run it I run it to enjoy myself and to have a good time. If I feel like walking, I'll stop and walk. I'll stop by the duck pond and look at the ducks for a while. Once we were running along, and I saw this big log on the side of the road. I picked it up over my head and dropped it. About 15 white mice came running out! I thought they were rats attacking me. Sometimes on this big loop, Frank Murphy [a miler from Ireland] and I stop to feed the goats, just to have a good time. There's this one house with this big backyard, and they have two goats. This is up a gigantic hill, over half a mile up, and a lot of guys in cross-country run it for hill work. We stop at apple trees and eat the apples. It's great. We love it. That's what makes it really fun, you know. When you can run and have fun, that's it. There are two golf courses around here, too, and we run by the golfers hollering 'Fore!' but they don't care, we have permission. At a lot of places, if people see a guy running, they'll say ha, ha, make wisecracks. Around here they know we're on Villanova's track team, and they just look at you wondering who you are. We go by a cow pasture, through the country, by gigantic trees, big estates on the left and right. You just enjoy yourself. It's nice running through the country up and down hills."
If anything, Patrick is realistic about evaluating his own abilities as a runner. "To be a good miler," he says, "you need endurance, speed and strength. You can be a great half-miler with just speed. You can also be a great half-miler with a lot of endurance and just a little speed. But to become a good miler you've got to have endurance and the speed, and you've got to have that kick coming off the last turn. I haven't had a season where I've been able to train properly, especially in the field of speed work. I feel that I am strong enough and have enough endurance for the mile, and I do have a fair amount of speed. But speed can be enhanced by doing a lot of speed work, a lot of repeat 100-yard dashes, 150-yard dashes. This is where Mr. Elliott and I think that if I get a lot of this down, I'll be able to improve myself and really get my time down to, well, where to I hope it will go. And I don't know where it's going to go to. I don't know how good I can be because I haven't been able to run a season well, where I haven't been troubled by an injury or sickness. One of the indications that good things are coming is that when I ran 3:58 at Quantico a few weeks ago I was just thinking about running for the team and winning, not running a spectacular time. I hadn't been working out that much. I hope now that when I really start buckling down, running six miles in the morning and running my intervals in the afternoon, that I can bring my time down. I hope to hit some kind of a peak at the Olympic trials, and after that taper down and start doing longer stuff and building up my strength again a little bit because I'll have 3 months before the Olympics in October."Patrick and Jumbo Elliott are fairly certain that Patrick will go for the 1,500 meters instead of the 800 meters in the Olympic trials. Patrick himself is optimistic about his chances in the 1,500 meters, because it is almost 120 yards shorter than the mile. "I think the shorter distance helps me, because I can start my kick a little earlier," he says. "I consider myself more or less a half-miler and miler, so the 1,500 meters is in between. I like the 1,500 meters better than the mile because I feel that I have a lot more speed and endurance. Anything over a mile I wouldn't like to run because I don't consider myself a miler-two miler."
As Elliott sees it, Patrick is about "90% ready" for the trials. A couple of weeks ago Patrick and Frank Murphy wanted to run a sub-four-minute mile in a triangular meet so that Murphy could get a qualifying time for the Irish team. The day before the meet Elliott told both boys to ease off, and Patrick breezed to a win in 4:02.2. Elliott says, "I don't want him to extend himself, because he's got a lot of good miles to go."
If wishing could make it so, Elliott would give the Olympic gold medal to Patrick, but things are not that easy. " Jim Ryun is the greatest middle-distance runner we've ever seen," says Jumbo. "Dave can be very good, but it would be putting a monkey on the boy's back right now to say he's going to win the gold medal. It's a tough haul, but conceivably he can do it. Anything can happen in five months time. I can visualize Dave winning the 1,500 meters in Mexico." Jumbo Elliott is not a man to toss words around lightly. Before Patrick beat Ryun in the half mile, Jumbo predicted that he would. "I knew that Dave was going to win because I knew that he was a better runner than Ryun indoors," Jumbo says. "Dave gets more out of indoor board running than Jim Ryun does."
Patrick recognizes the task before him. " Ryun has speed, he has endurance, he has everything," he says. "To say that he's devoid of strength or speed would be ironic. That's like saying the sun's not shining right. But I hope and pray, I'm praying now, that in the months to come I can just turn into something more than what I am now." And then Patrick adds, "When you're a youngster in high school, you dream of running in college. When you're in college you dream of setting records. But then there's the Olympics. You always dream of winning in the Olympics."
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