Update on Sydney Maree's Plight

Former Villanova and Olympics runner Sydney Maree found in South African Prison

Kate Fagan, Inquirer Staff Writer
November 14, 2011

Sydney Maree, a former standout runner at Villanova and two-time U.S. Olympian, has been located in the South African prison system.

The subject of an Inquirer story on Oct. 20, Maree is a U.S. citizen and former world-record holder in the 1,500 meters (3 minutes, 31.24 seconds) who is imprisoned in his home country and serving a sentence of five years for a fraud conviction.

Maree's location in South Africa's prison system had been unknown. He had reported to Leeuwkop, a maximum-security prison near his hometown of Pretoria, in June, but authorities then transferred him.

Recently, Maree's location was released to the family. They report that he is in good health, although possibly sleeping on the ground because of overcrowding, at Odi Correctional Centre outside Pretoria.

A cousin visited Maree at Odi and reported to Maree's sons and daughters that their father was in good spirits, although tuberculosis was rife and food scarce in the prison.

Maree, 55, has dual citizenship in the United States and South Africa.

Since The Inquirer reported on Maree's plight, a grassroots campaign to aid him has burgeoned. Maree's sons, Daniel and Pele, are spearheading the group that is made up of lawyers, consultants, academics, and friends.

This campaign, Free Sydney Maree, soon will have a landing page on the Internet, organizers said.

One of the lawyers, civil rights attorney Brian Wiley, was a runner in high school. He followed Villanova's legendary running program that featured Maree.

"He always had a quiet dignity about him, the way he ran with intensity and focus," Wiley said. "He was still always a gentleman. It was at the end, reading through the article, my jaw dropped. I learned that he had become an American citizen, that he had been a powerhouse in the economic redevelopment for an impoverished country, and that he had been tossed into jail without even fundamental due process like a speedy trial. The article went on to point out that there were more questions than answers."

Wiley immediately called the American consulate in Durban and Johannesburg.

Wiley and Tommy Cassidy, a Villanova graduate, are donating their legal services to the case. The pair have a three-pronged strategy aimed at securing Maree's early release.

The crux of the approach will be pushing for Maree's "early humanitarian release," which the South African government granted to Nelson Mandela in 1990.

To reach that point, everyone in the campaign understands, will take a snowball movement.

"We are really eager for more people to contact us and to join the cause," said Daniel, who created the website www.mareevstate.com. "We need as much help as we can get. Although the momentum is building, we still need the help of even more friends and supporters."

Daniel Maree, 24, has been trying to tell his father's story for the better part of a decade.

Sydney Maree was arrested in 2004 for transferring the U.S. currency equivalent of about $120,000 from the National Empowerment Fund, of which he was chief executive, into his personal account. The NEF's mission is black economic empowerment in post-apartheid South Africa, a cause Maree had championed since returning to his home country from the United States in 1995.

Throughout his trial, Maree maintained that his superior, Allistair Ruiters, had persuaded him to temporarily hide the funds, which would then be transferred to Deutsche Bank, an illegal payment, as part of a business deal. When the transfer was flagged, Maree said, his superiors closed ranks.

The full $120,000 was returned to the NEF before Maree's 2004 arrest.

Key evidence in the case went missing, and it took more than seven years from arrest to rejection of appeal. During that time, Maree's passport was taken away, and he is penniless.

"I do a lot of civil rights stuff," Wiley said. "It's almost like a fairy tale. There's always a good guy. There's always a bad guy. There's always a dramatic conflict, and there's always some kind of angle underneath it if you push a little bit."

Cheri Goddard into VU Varsity Club Hall of Fame

Cheri Goddard will be inducted into the Villanova Varsity Club Hall of Fame at its annual meeting in March of next year. Hailing from the program at Saratoga Springs (NY), while at Villanova Goddard was an 11-time All American and part of 5 Penn Relays Championship of America winners for the Wildcats. She was also part of Villanova's four consecutive NCAA cross country titles in 1989 (when she finished 56th at the national meet), 1990 (28th), 1991 (31st), and 1992 (7th). She was NCAA runner-up over 3000 meters (to teammate Nnenna Lynch) at the 1992 NCAA outdoor meet in Austin, Texas. In her post-Villanova career, Goddard won the 1999 USA 5K road title with her win at Freihofer's.
Cheri Goddard was a member of the 2001 USA World Cross Country team, and finished 59th at the world championship short-course race that year in Spain. At the USA indoor championships, Goddard finished 2nd in the 3000 meters each year in 1997, 1999, and 2001. As various points in the latter half of the 1990s Goddard was ranked in the top 10 in the USA at 1500 meters (1995, 1998, 2001), 3000 meters (1995, 1997, 1998, 2001), 5000 meters (1995-1998; 2000-2001), and 10,000 meters (1997).

Here is the official Villanova announcement of the new class of inductees:

Varsity Club Hall of Fame Announces 2011 Induction Class

Nov. 15, 2011

VILLANOVA, Pa.--The induction class of 2011 to the Villanova University Varsity Club Hall of Fame was announced today and nine new members will be formally inducted at the 36th Annual Hall of Fame Awards Dinner this coming March. Each of the nine former student-athletes represents a different sport and their inductions will push the Varsity Club to over 400 members in the Hall of Fame. In addition, the annual Jake Nevin Award will be presented to Kevin Ryan '71.


The Hall of Fame Awards Dinner will be held on campus at the Connelly Center on Friday, March 2 and the honorees will also be recognized at halftime of the basketball game against St. John's on Saturday, March 3 at the Wells Fargo Center. Ticket information for the Awards Dinner will be announced at a later date and will be available for purchase online at Villanova.com.


The members of the 2011 Hall of Fame induction class are Jack Stanczak (baseball), Kerry Kittles (men's basketball), Michele Thornton (women's basketball), Andy Talley (football), John Haggarty (men's lacrosse), Jean Hajjar (women's soccer), Sarah Dykstra (women's swimming), Cheri Goddard (women's track & field), Becky Kulbago (volleyball) and Kevin Ryan (Jake Nevin Award winner).

Below are capsules of each of the nine honorees.

JACK STANCZAK (BASEBALL, 1990-92)

Stanczak played three seasons for the Wildcats and was a draft pick of the Texas Rangers in the 1992 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. He ranks in the top 10 in program history in home runs (31), total bases (322) and runs batted in (151) and is one of only seven players in school history to hit .400 or better for a season. Stanczak was named a Baseball America Freshman All-America second team selection in 1990 and was a starter on the 1991 team that won a BIG EAST title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. He finished his collegiate career with a .356 batting average, 132 runs scored, 192 hits, 151 runs batted in, 33 doubles, 31 home runs, 322 total bases, 87 walks and 13 stolen bases. Stanczak was an eighth round draft pick of the Rangers in the 1992 draft.


KERRY KITTLES (MEN'S BASKETBALL, 1992-96)

Kittles is the Villanova all-time record holder in career points (2,243) and steals (277) and is also the only player in program history with a combination of at least 2,000 points, 700 rebounds, 400 assists and 200 steals. Including both career and single-season lists Kittles owns 15 individual school records. As a junior in 1994-95 he was a first team Associated Press All-American and was chosen as the BIG EAST Player of the Year. Kittles was a three-time first team All-BIG EAST selection and during his junior season led the conference in scoring with 23.2 points per game. Villanova won 71 games during his final three seasons and Kittles eventually went on to play nine years in the NBA.


MICHELE THORNTON (WOMEN'S BASKETBALL, 1991-95)

During her Villanova career Thornton was an All-BIG EAST selection and a four-time All-Big Five pick. She ranks eighth in school history in career assists (409) and is 14th in points scored (1,261) while also accumulating 385 career rebounds. As a freshman in 1991-92 she was named to the BIG EAST All-Rookie squad, was the Big Five Rookie of the Year and earned second team All-Big Five honors. She went on to earn second team accolades from the Big Five again as a sophomore and junior before garnering first team laurels and an All-BIG EAST nod as a senior in 1994-95. Villanova won 58 games during her career, including a 19-9 record her senior year.


Andy Talley (FOOTBALL HEAD COACH, 1985-PRESENT)

In his nearly 30 years at Villanova, Andy Talley can feel responsible for every facet of the football program, having started it from scratch in 1985. Talley has won nearly 200 games in his Wildcat coaching career and is the all-time leader in conference victories in CAA Football. Talley reached the pinnacle of college football in 2009 when he led Villanova to the FCS national championship, part of a dominant four-year run in which the Wildcats won 40 games and made three straight playoff appearances. Overall, Talley has led his Villanova teams to the playoffs on nine occasions. He has also coached two Walter Payton Award winners (top player in FCS football) and 14 first team All-Americans.


JOHN HAGGARTY (MEN'S LACROSSE, 1982-85)

Haggarty wound up his collegiate career as one of the top scorers in the history of the Villanova program. He ranks third in school history in career goals (119) and is fifth in career points (142) while owning the single-season program record for goals per game (3.45). His career stats include 119 goals, 23 assists and 142 points. During his career Haggarty helped lead the Wildcats to 26 victories, including an 11-1 record as a junior in 1984.


JEAN HAJJAR (WOMEN'S SOCCER, 1985-88)

Hajjar played four years for the Wildcats during one of the most successful stretches in the program's history. Villanova went 42-22-11 (.633) during her career and won the 1987 ECAC title. Individually, Hajjar ranks in the top 10 in school history in four career categories, including points (90), goals (37), shots (192) and game-winning goals (10). In addition, she is among the single-season leaders at Villanova in the following categories: shots (75), game-winning goals (6), points (32 and 29) and goals (13).


SARAH DYKSTRA (WOMEN'S SWIMMING, 1991-95)

Dykstra finished her stellar Villanova career as a four-time All-American and a nine-time BIG EAST champion. She also helped the Wildcats capture the team title at the BIG EAST Championships all four years of her career. Dykstra was an All-American her senior year in the 50 yard freestyle, 400 free and the 200 yard freestyle relay. She was also an All-American in the 200 free relay as a sophomore in 1993. Her BIG EAST titles include the 200 free relay three times, the 400 free relay on two occasions, the 200 medley relay twice and individual titles in both the 50 free and the 100 free.


CHERI GODDARD (WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD, 1989-83)

During her collegiate career Goddard was a part of national champion cross country teams all four years and was one of the team's top seven runners at the NCAA Championships each season. On the track she was a nine-time BIG EAST champion, including seven indoor titles and two outdoor titles. Her BIG EAST championships include five relays and four individual titles and she holds a school record as part of the 6,000 meter relay team that registered a time of 17:18.10 at the Penn Relays on April 26, 1990. During her career Goddard ran the eighth-fastest 3000 meters in school history (9:10.30) and was a five-time relay champion at the Penn Relays.


BECKY KULBAGO (VOLLEYBALL, 1990-93)

Kulbago helped Villanova win 98 matches and post a .645 winning percentage during her career. She was a first team All-BIG EAST selection as a senior in 1993 and ranks among the all-time leaders in program history in seven career categories. Kulbago ranks second in program history in kills (1,668) and attacking attempts (4,193) and is also third in aces (153), third in solo blocks (116), third in matches played (144), fourth in block assists (263), fourth in hitting percentage (.275) and fourth in kills per game (3.36).


KEVIN RYAN (JAKE NEVIN AWARD WINNER, CLASS OF 1971)

During his time at Villanova, Kevin Ryan became a respected figure with the men's lacrosse program as a student-athlete, assistant coach and head coach. Ryan was a part of the program during its years as a club sport on campus and helped lay the foundation that propelled the team into a successful varsity program and a prominent team on the national lacrosse scene.


As a student-athlete for the Wildcats, Ryan played from 1968-71 and accumulated more goals, assists and points during his career than any of his contemporaries. He made an immediate impact on the team with eight goals and 13 assists as a freshman and upon his graduation was admitted to the prestigious Villanova School of Law.


Ryan was named the head coach of the junior varsity lacrosse team in 1972 and was also the only assistant coach for the varsity squad. While balancing a full schedule in his first year of law school he also helped lead the Wildcats to a 12-3 record during the 1972 season. The head coach of that team, Avery Blake, retired following the 1972 season and Ryan was named as his successor.


Ryan coached Villanova for the 1973 and 1974 seasons and led the Wildcats to a 20-8 record in those two seasons, with 10 victories each year. The members of those teams cited Ryan's grit, determination and leadership as the reasons for the Villanova program thriving under his guidance. Villanova consistently played against and registered decisive victories against some of the top collegiate lacrosse programs in the country while Ryan was head coach. Ryan was inducted into the Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2002.

Final National Ranking before Nationals: Women #2, Men #16

The Villanova women stayed put in the #2 spot, but received no first place votes, after tying with Georgetown last weekend to share the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional title. The men focused on beating Princeton at the Regional, and did so, but Georgetown's men -- who Villanova beat decisively at the Big East conference meet -- ran a masterful race and won the regional title. It should be noted, however, that Keith Capecci (running as VU's #2 all season) was held out at the Regional, raising Villanova's score somewhat. That fact notwithstanding, Marcus's squad dropped from 13th to 16th nationally.

WOMEN

Rank Institution (FPV) Points Region Conference Head Coach (Yr*) Last Week
1. Florida State (11) 359 South ACC Karen Harvey (5th) 1
2. Villanova 335 Mid-Atlantic Big East Gina Procaccio (12th) 2
3. Washington 326 West Pac-12 Greg Metcalf (10th) 6
4. Georgetown 322 Mid-Atlantic Big East Chris Miltenberg (4th) 7
5. Vanderbilt 313 South SEC Steve Keith (6th) 4
6. Colorado (1) 287 Mountain Pac-12 Mark Wetmore (17th) 3
7. Iowa State 275 Midwest Big 12 Corey Ihmels (5th) 10
8. Arizona 258 West Pac-12 Fred Harvey (10th) 16
9. West Virginia 252 Mid-Atlantic Big East Sean Cleary (5th) 13
10. Michigan 244 Great Lakes Big Ten Mike McGuire (22nd) 15
11. New Mexico 242 Mountain Mountain West Joe Franklin (5th) 19
12. Syracuse 240 Northeast Big East Chris Fox (7th) 9
13. Stanford 218 West Pac-12 Patti Sue Plumer (1st) 8
14. Arkansas 205 South Central SEC Lance Harter (22nd) 17
15. Michigan State 185 Great Lakes Big Ten Walt Drenth (8th) 12
16. Oregon 180 West Pac-12 Vin Lananna (7th) 11
17. Texas 166 South Central Big 12 Bev Kearney (20th) 14
18. Boston College 162 Northeast ACC Randy Thomas (20th) 18
19. Virginia 150 Southeast ACC Jason Vigilante (4th) 21
20. NC State 131 Southeast ACC Laurie Henes (6th) 20
21. Penn State 117 Mid-Atlantic Big Ten Beth Alford-Sullivan (13th) 22
22. Oklahoma State 114 Midwest Big 12 Dave Smith (3rd) 23
23. California 91 West Pac-12 Tony Sandoval (30th) 26
24. Toledo 85 Great Lakes Mid-American Kevin Hadsell (14th) RV
25. Wisconsin 59 Great Lakes Big Ten Jim Stintzi (8th) 28
26. San Francisco 47 West West Coast Helen Lehman-Winters (9th) 27
27. Providence 41 Northeast Big East Ray Treacy (28th) 5
28. Minnesota 37 Midwest Big Ten Gary Wilson (27th) 30
29. Notre Dame 32 Great Lakes Big East Tim Connelly (24th) 24
30. Florida 30 South SEC Mike Holloway (5th) RV

Others Receiving Votes: North Carolina 23, Cornell 18, BYU 13, Weber State 12, Arizona State 7, Columbia 4.

Dropped Out: No. 25 North Carolina, No. 29 Cornell


MEN

Rank Institution (FPV) Points Region Conference Head Coach (Yr*) Last Week
1. Wisconsin (8) 356 Great Lakes Big Ten Mick Byrne (4th) 1
2. Oklahoma State (4) 351 Midwest Big 12 Dave Smith (6th) 2
3. BYU 332 Mountain West Coast Ed Eyestone (12th) 3
4. Oklahoma 317 Midwest Big 12 Martin Smith (7th) 5
5. Stanford 301 West Pac-12 Jason Dunn (5th) 6
6. Colorado 296 Mountain Pac-12 Mark Wetmore (17th) 4
7. Indiana 287 Great Lakes Big Ten Ron Helmer (5th) 7
8. Portland 279 West West Coast Rob Conner (22nd) 8
9. Texas 240 South Central Big 12 Bubba Thornton (17th) 11
10. NC State 227 Southeast ACC Rollie Geiger (34th) 14
11. Florida State 226 South ACC Bob Braman (12th) 16
12. Syracuse 222 Northeast Big East Chris Fox (7th) 29
13. Northern Arizona 218 Mountain Big Sky Eric Heins (5th) 12
14. Iona 208 Northeast Metro Atlantic Ricardo Santos (4th) 9
15. Georgetown 204 Mid-Atlantic Big East Patrick Henner (13th) 23
16. Villanova 169 Mid-Atlantic Big East Marcus O’Sullivan (12th) 13
17. Michigan 153 Great Lakes Big Ten Alex Gibby (2nd) 19
17. Princeton 153 Mid-Atlantic Ivy Steve Dolan (8th) 9
19. Minnesota 127 Midwest Big Ten Steve Plasencia (16th) 18
19. Eastern Kentucky 127 Southeast Ohio Valley Rick Erdmann (33rd) 20
21. Tulsa 121 Midwest Conference USA Steve Gulley (10th) 27
22. Texas A&M 117 South Central Big 12 Pat Henry (8th) 24
23. Columbia 105 Northeast Ivy Willy Wood (18th) 22
24. Cal Poly 89 West Big West Mark Conover (15th) RV
25. Notre Dame 68 Great Lakes Big East Joe Piane (37th) RV
26. Providence 63 Northeast Big East Ray Treacy (28th) 30
27. Washington State 51 West Pac-12 Pete Julian (2nd) RV
28. New Mexico 41 Mountain Mountain West Joe Franklin (5th) RV
29. Florida 38 South SEC Mike Holloway (5th) RV
30. Ohio State 30 Great Lakes Big Ten Robert Gary (16th) 28

Others Receiving Votes: Penn State 17, Arkansas 9, California 7, Georgia 6, Oregon 5, UCLA 4.

Dropped Out: No. 15 Arkansas, No. 17 Oregon, No. 21 UCLA, No. 25 North Carolina, No. 26 Louisville

FloTrack XC Nationals Preview: Villanova Women

NCAA Championships Team Previews: Villanova Women
Jesse Squire on November 14, 201

The Villanova Wildcats are the defending NCAA women's cross country champions, and so they lead off our week's worth of women's team previews. What are their chances for defending their title?

Ranked #2 in the last poll released before regionals, the Wildcats only return three athletes from last year's squad. Those three—Sheila Reid, Bogdana Mimic, and Emily Lipari—are pretty darned good, and that's why they're one of the favorites. More importantly, they have filled the gaps with new stars.

Reid (senior, New Market ON) is the defending NCAA individual champion, and is favored to repeat. She had a fantastic spring track season, sweeping the 1500 and 5000 meter races at the NCAA Championships (the first woman ever to do so). She hasn't lost a college race since March, when Oregon's Jordan Hasay outkicked her for the NCAA indoor 3,000 meter title. She will score very low for Villanova.

Villanova's number two runner all year has been Bogdana Mimic (senior, Pancevo SRB). She was 27th at last year's NCAA Championships and has improved this year. She led the team with a 2nd-place finish at Lehigh's Paul Short Run (while Reid rested), took 6th at Wisconsin's adidas Invitational, was 2nd at the Big East Championships, and 3rd at the Mid-Atlantic regional. A top-ten finish at nationals is not out of the realm of possibility. The Wildcats easily have the best 1-2 punch in the country.

The third returner is Emily Lipari (sophomore, Greenvale NY). A high school superstar, she was 69th at last year's NCAA Championships, and has been a consistent contributor this year with a 39th place at the adidas Invitational and 16th place at the Big East Championships.

The single most-improved athlete on the Villanova squad is Nicky Akande (sophomore, Lawrenceville GA). Her only major cross country race in 2010 was the Big East Championships, where she came 77th. This year she was 12th, an improvement of 65 places, and she was probably the biggest single reason the team won its fourth consecutive team title. A middle-distance runner during track season with fairly modest PRs of 2:11 and 4:34, her cross country performances this fall have been unexpected to say the least. The Wildcats need her to run just one more stellar race.

Of all the major national title contenders, Villanova probably has the weakest 5th runner. Through most of the season, it has been Callie Hogan (senior, Bay Shore NY). She didn't have a particularly good day at the adidas Invitational, where the Wildcats finished fourth, but had a great day at the Big East Championships, where they won. If she runs at nationals the way she did at the Big East, then the Wildcats have a chance to win. It can't be easy for her to have to carry that much responsibility for the entire team's performance all by herself.

The other two runners likely to toe the starting line for Villanova are Summer Cook (junior, Thornton CO) and Courtney Chapman (freshman, Fayetteville NY).

My bottom line prediction: a team with potential, and likely to take home one of the trophies handed out to the top four teams, but a long shot to defend their national title. They're more than strong enough at the top, but lack depth. They'd need huge races out of Akande, Lipari and Hogan to have a chance.

Men Punch Ticket to NCAA Finals with 2nd Place at Regionals

Georgetown surprised as the NCAA regional champ (with 4 of the top 8 finishers), but Villanova's strong second half surge beat Princeton and guaranteed a spot at the NCAA cross country nationals. Villanova's top 5 passed 79 runners after the 5K mark of the race; at halfway their team score was 142, but they finished strong to score only 63 at the end. Senior Ryan Sheridan ran his best race in a Villanova singlet and was 2nd overall, with Matt Gibney in 5th. Sam McEntee was 16th overall, and the top freshman in the race. Villanova ran today without Keith Capecci. Princeton's Don Cabral won the race by 8 seconds over Sheridan.

Villanova

 2.  Ryan Sheridan      30:38.6  (10th at 5K)
 5.  Matthew Gibney     30:42.9  (32nd at 5K)
16.  Sam McEntee        30:59.7  (38th at 5K)
19.  Mathew Mildenhall  31:06.5  (35th at 5K)
21.  Matthew Kane       31:07.8  (27th at 5K)
(43) Brian Long         31:44.5  (26th at 5K)
(53) Alex Tully         31:58.2  (51st at 5K)

 1 Georgetown      47     3    6    7    8    23   (26)   (41)
 2 Villanova       63     2    5   16   19    21   (42)   (50)
 3 Princeton       90     1   12   22   27    28   (33)   (36)
 4 Penn State     117     9   11   25   35    37   (38)   (58)
 5 Navy           142    15   18   30   39    40   (67)   (69)
 6 La Salle       154    14   17   31   45    47   (52)   (79)
 7 St. Joe's      205     4   24   48   61    68   (81)   (94)
 8 Duquesne       227    32   34   46   49    66   (71)  (113)
 9 Maryland       261    20   44   62   63    72   (95)  (106)
 10 Bucknell      347    51   64   65   76    91   (119) (123)
 11 Lehigh        358    13   54   83   99   109   (135) (143)
 12 Rider         364    56   59   80   84    85   (115) (155)
 13 Penn          377    55   57   82   86    97   (122) (127)
 14 Marshall      406    10   75   96  111   114   (116) (130)
 15 NJIT          451    60   70   78  103   140   (142) (158)
 16 Temple        476    73   74   77  121   131   (139) 
 17 St. Francis   488    43   88   89  132   136   (137) (150)
 18 Rutgers       519    98  100  104  107   110   (118) (145)
 19 Monmouth      522    53   87  125  128   129   (149) (151)
 20 Robert Morris 584    90  101  112  133   148   (161) (164)
 21 Pittsburgh    620    92  108  120  141   159   (160) (165)
 22 Md-ES         629    29  102  163  167   168   (169) 
 23 Lafayette     637    93  126  134  138   146   (157) 
 24 Loyola (Md.)  665   105  117  124  153   166  
 25 Seton Hall    753   144  147  152  154   156   (162)

Reid Wins -- Women Tie for 1st at NCAA Regional

Villanova and Georgetown tied for first today at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic cross country regional at UMES; each team scored 57 places for the tie. Sheila Reid beat Georgetown's Emily Infeld by less than 2 seconds for the individual title (her third consecutive NCAA regional win), with Villanova's Bogdana Mimic coming home third overall. Due to an error on the course, all the women ran 500 meters longer than the intended 6K distance.

Villanova

1.    Sheila Reid         21:32.7
3.    Bogdana Mimic       21:36.8
10.   Nicky Akande        22:03.3
16.   Emily Lipari        22:15.9
28.   Courtney Chapman    22:44.0
(40)  Callie Hogan        23:05.8
(138) Ariann Neutts       25:08.3

 
 1 Villanova      57     1   3  10  16  27  (39) (136)
 1 Georgetown     57     2   9  14  15  17  (18)  (21)
 3 West Virginia  64     5   7   8  19  25  (65) 
 4 Penn State     90     6  11  20  22  31  (44)  (48)
 5 Princeton     124     4  23  24  35  38  (47)  (53)
 6 La Salle      193    28  29  32  37  67  (98) (133)
 7 Navy          197    12  36  41  51  57  (63)  (64)
 8 Duquesne      261    26  34  45  75  81  
 9 Maryland      312    13  33  50  97 119 (150) (152)
 10 Loyola (Md.) 325    46  55  66  78  80 (134) (138)
 11 Penn         332    43  56  73  74  86 (102) (106)
 12 Bucknell     342    49  59  72  77  85  (89) (140)
 13 St. Joseph's 363    30  60  70  99 104 (117) (122)
 14 Towson       422    52  71  84 103 112 (118) (131)
 15 Rutgers      429    54  92  93  94  96 (100) (168)
 16 Monmouth     431    40  58  87 114 132 (173) (175)
 17 Lehigh       457    42  68  76 129 142 (147) (163)
 18 Rider        480    62  79 101 113 125 (139) (151)
 19 Delaware     564    91 110 116 121 126 (135) (145)
 20 Robt Morris  568    61 115 123 128 141 (165) (171)
 21 Lafayette    580    69  88 109 148 166 (178) 
 22 Temple       654   108 124 127 137 158 (172) (177)
 23 St. Francis  682    95 105 153 160 169 (174) (190)
 24 Marshall     704    83 120 155 167 179 (180) (181)
 25 UMBC         716    90 149 154 159 164 (187) 
 26 Pittsburgh   730   107 144 156 161 162 (185) (189)
 27 Seton Hall   736    82 111 157 192 194  
 28 Md-ES        840   130 143 183 191 193 (195) (196)
 29 NJIT         858   146 170 176 182 184 (186) (188)


Individual
 1 Sheila Reid SR Villanova 21:32.7     
 2 Emily Infeld SR Georgetown 21:34.0     
 3 Bogdana Mimic SR Villanova 21:36.8     
 4 Alex Banfich SR Princeton 21:37.7
 5 Kate Harrison SR West Virginia 21:38.3
 6 Caitlin Lane SR Penn State 21:40.6   
 7 Kait Gillespie JR West Virginia 21:46.2
 8 Sarah Brault JR West Virginia 21:53.7 
 9 Emily Jones JR Georgetown 22:01.4
 10 Nicky Akande SO Villanova 22:03.3
 11 Kara Millhouse SR Penn State 22:04.0
 12 Jess Palacio SR Navy 22:04.7  
 13 Julie Fricke JR Maryland 22:06.9
 14 Cla Richardson SR Georgetown 22:12.6    
 15 Katrina Coogan FR Georgetown 22:15.6 
 16 Emily Lipari SO Villanova 22:15.9 
 17 Kirsten Kasper JR Georgetown 22:17.1
 18 Hannah Neczypor FR Georgetown 22:18.3 
 19 Ahna Lewis SR West Virginia 22:20.2
 20 Brook Ridder JR Penn State 22:21.3
 21 Annamarie Maag FR Georgetown 22:25.9 
 22 Natalie Bower JR Penn State 22:31.5 
 23 ale mikaelian JR Princeton 22:32.3 
 24 Greta Feldman JR Princeton 22:32.9
 25 Kay Christopher SR West Virginia 22:38.2
 26 Amber Valimont SO Duquesne 22:41.3
 27 Octa Rinehardt SR American  22:43.5
 28 Courtny Chapman FR Villanova 22:44.0  
 29 Stephan Bearish SR La Salle 22:44.5    
 30 Caitl Storbeck SR La Salle 22:49.5     
 31 Hannah Fuller SO St. Joseph's  22:51.6     
 32 Emily Giannotti SO Penn State 22:53.7     
 33 Wend Hutchinson SR La Salle 22:54.9
 34 Ash Cromartie SR Maryland 22:58.2 
 35 Meg Ecker SR Duquesne 23:00.4 
 36 jackie nicholas FR Princeton 23:01.3
 37 Brigid Byrne JR Navy 23:02.8 
 38 Meg McGlinchey JR La Salle 23:03.2
 39 Marisa Cummings SO Princeton 23:03.9    
 40 Callie Hogan SR Villanova 23:05.8 
 41 Jennifer Nelson SR Monmouth 23:06.5 
 42 Annie Beveridge FR Navy  23:06.7 
 43 Katheri Pierce SR Lehigh 23:07.4 
 44 Ariel Breton FR Penn  23:07.6
 45 Abbie Benson FR Penn State 23:07.7 
 46 Danica Snyder FR Duquesne 23:09.5
 47 Gabrielle Cocco SO Loyola (Md.) 23:12.3
 48 Molly Higgins SO Princeton 23:13.4 
 49 Lindse Graybill JR Penn State 23:17.5  
 50 Stephani Fulmer SR Bucknell 23:17.7  
 51 Myah Hicks FR Maryland 23:18.3 
 52 Katie Taylor SR Navy  23:18.4 
 53 Kaylin Donohue SR Towson  23:20.3
 54 Clare Gallagher SO Princeton 23:23.7
 55 Brianna Deming SO Rutgers 23:25.1 
 56 Jacki D'Antonio JR Loyola (Md.) 23:28.9
 57 Kersie Jhabvala SO Penn  23:30.1  
 58 Shann Cuthbert FR Navy  23:31.2
 59 Amanda Eller JR Monmouth 23:32.2
 60 Emily Liggett SR Bucknell 23:33.1
 61 Emma Slattery SO St. Joseph's 23:33.5
 62 Michel Schiewe FR Robert Morris 23:36.0
 63 Heat Giovagnoli SR Rider  23:36.4
 64 Mollie Hebda SR Navy  23:38.6 
 65 Christina Blair FR Navy  23:40.2
 66 Stephanie Aldea JR West Virginia 23:46.6
 67 Stephan Gibney SR Loyola (Md.) 23:48.0
 68 Caroline Grant SR La Salle 23:48.4
 69 Jessica Kendzor SO Lehigh  23:49.0
 70 Sarah Huggins SR Lafayette 23:50.1
 71 Erin James SO St. Joseph's 23:53.2
 72 Katie Ogden SR Towson  23:54.0
 73 Alysha Hooper SR Bucknell 23:55.1
 74 Margare Diacont JR Penn  23:57.8
 75 Lauren Kester FR Penn  23:59.1
 76 Haley Pisarcik SO Duquesne 24:03.8
 77 Savanna Plombon FR Lehigh  24:04.7
 78 Betsy Edinger FR Bucknell 24:05.3
 79 Kiera Harrison JR Loyola (Md.) 24:05.6
 80 Megan Elgin JR Rider  24:06.7  
 81 Emily Doucette SR Loyola (Md.) 24:07.2
 82 Bethany Walker SR Duquesne 24:08.1
 83 Hughnique Rolle JR Seton Hall 24:08.9
 84 leslie thomas JR Marshall 24:09.6
 85 Elizabet Tauber FR Towson  24:09.7
 86 Caroline Tolli JR Bucknell 24:10.2
 87 Chelsea Delaney SO Penn  24:10.6
 88 Kelsey Maher JR Monmouth 24:12.0 
 89 Lauren Kelly SR Lafayette 24:12.6 
 90 Kel Grosskurth SR Bucknell 24:13.6
 91 Keri Wilson SR UMBC  24:14.3   
 92 Linds Prettyman SO Delaware 24:15.8
 93 Vic Pontecorvo JR Rutgers  24:16.6 
 94 Rashmi Singh SO Rutgers  24:17.3
 95 Allis Payenski FR Rutgers  24:17.4
 96 Sarah Grossi SR St. Francis  24:18.4 
 97 Ashley Deckert SO Rutgers  24:18.6
 98 Bridget Nolan SO Maryland 24:20.5
 99 Chri Strycharz FR La Salle 24:21.0
 100 Katie Barrett SR St. Joseph's 24:21.8
 101 Anje Brinkofski JR Rutgers  24:22.1 
 102 Eri Fitzgibbons JR Rider  24:23.3 
 103 Christi Cohick SO Penn  24:26.1
 104 Erika Griffith SR Towson  24:28.1 
 105 Julia Weir JR GWU  24:31.2
 106 Lena Finucane JR St. Joseph's 24:31.3
 107 Jenn Haffner JR St. Francis  24:31.6      
 108 Verioni Salcido SR Penn  24:32.3
 109 Morgan Perry FR Pittsburgh 24:33.5 
 110 Jenna Dubrow FR Temple  24:33.7 
 111 Rose Willey SO Lafayette 24:34.3  
 112 Nicole Daly FR Delaware 24:34.6
 113 mary migton FR Seton Hall 24:35.5
 114 Katlyn Dillow SR Towson  24:37.2 
 115 Emily Ritter FR Rider  24:38.2 
 116 Emily MacEwen JR Monmouth 24:38.6 
 117 Marissa Polk FR Robert Morris 24:39.6
 118 Katr Steenkamer FR Delaware 24:40.8    
 119 Emily Chappell SO St. Joseph's  24:41.6 
 120 Kara Bucaro FR Towson  24:43.6
 121 Halsey Sinclair SR Maryland 24:46.7  
 122 kelley mortakis JR Marshall 24:47.2 
 123 Ali Lambert SR Delaware 24:47.3 
 124 Beth Lambright SR St. Joseph's 24:48.4 
 125 Kristie Domis JR Robert Morris 24:48.6 
 126 Tay Goldsworthy SO Temple  24:50.5
 127 Kelli Kaelin SR Rider  24:51.6
 128 Sophie Kauffman SR Delaware 24:53.8  
 129 Anna Pavone SO Temple  24:54.5   
 130 Lindsay Erath SO Robert Morris 24:54.5    
 131 Kather  Howley SO Lehigh  24:55.2    
 132 Cynthia Anais SR Md-ES  24:57.3       
 133 Hannah McKenzie JR Towson  24:58.1      
 134 Luci Montefusco SO  Monmouth 25:03.3     
 135 Anne Aerias SO La Salle 25:04.5    
 136 Anna Bosse FR Loyola (Md.) 25:06.5     
 137 Mere Steenkamer FR Delaware 25:07.1       
 138 Ariann Neutts SO Villanova 25:08.3    
 139 Steph Dorantes SO Temple  25:08.7   
 140 Kelly Maguire FR Loyola (Md.) 25:10.1    
 141 Paige McAtee JR Rider  25:10.9    
 142 Melissa Smith SR Bucknell 25:11.5    
 143 Debra Ostrander SR Robert Morris 25:11.7    
 144 Marissa Galante SO Lehigh  25:12.0    
 145 EUNICE JONES SR Md-ES  25:12.6    
 146 Miya Johnson SR Pittsburgh 25:13.7     
 147 Alyssa Kennedy SO Delaware 25:14.0     
 148 Marut Ewelina JR NJIT  25:15.3    
 149 Shannon Nelson FR Lehigh  25:16.5   
 150 Erika Stasakova SR Lafayette 25:19.1   
 151 Cody Mezebish SO UMBC  25:19.6    
 152 Caitlin Orr SO Maryland 25:21.4   
 153 Nicole Tassello JR Rider  25:26.8     
 154 Maeve McCoy FR Maryland 25:31.5     
 155 Katie Cianci SR St. Francis 25:32.4       
 156 Alyse Gibson FR UMBC  25:33.6    
 157 kristen roles FR Marshall 25:35.5     
 158 Korinne Piper JR Pittsburgh 25:36.7      
 159 Nyala Edding SO Seton Hall 25:38.3      
 160 Erin Casey SO Temple  25:39.7      
 161 Mary  Kulp FR UMBC  25:40.6     
 162 Lena Kraus SR FDU  25:42.9
 163 Gloria Roberts SO St. Francis 25:43.1       
 164 Stephan Powers SO Pittsburgh 25:45.5    
 165 Rachel Erny SR Pittsburgh 25:53.3     
 166 Amanda Gosselin SR Lehigh  25:57.0    
 167 Kirst McGovern SO UMBC  25:57.7    
 168 Maegan Lewis SO Robert Morris 26:03.6     
 169 Hallie Farber SO Lafayette 26:06.9     
 170 Sam Stroker SO Marshall 26:07.6      
 171 Felic O'Donnell FR Rutgers  26:10.6      
 172 Hannah Reist SR St. Francis 26:10.7  
 173 Megan Higgins SR NJIT  26:13.0        
 174 Alley Zielinski FR Robert Morris 26:15.8      
 175 Dier MacFarlane JR Temple  26:16.6      
 176 Juliet Smith SR Monmouth 26:16.9      
 177 Kylie Jackson FR St. Francis 26:19.0       
 178 Mackenzie Roche SO Monmouth 26:19.9     
 179 Bria Hollenbach SO NJIT  26:20.9     
 180 Sam Shepard FR Temple  26:23.5     
 181 Grace Watters FR Lafayette 26:28.3     
 182 celia leonard FR Marshall 26:28.5      
 183 molly miloscia SO Marshall 26:31.9      
 184 Lau Bartoldson FR Marshall 26:38.8       
 185 Catherine Cohen SO NJIT  26:53.8       
 186 Hana Jiraskova JR Md-ES  27:00.2     
 187 Ybrahina Cohen SO NJIT  27:02.4        
 188 JuliChristensen FR Pittsburgh 27:09.7      
 189 Kayla Howell JR NJIT  27:14.7       
 190 Katrin Baumann FR UMBC  27:23.4       
 191 Maryam Haque FR NJIT  27:26.6        
 192 Mallory Hudson FR Pittsburgh 27:27.3     
 193 Feleisha Wright SO St. Francis 28:10.3        
 194 EMILIE DUCADOS JR Md-ES  28:23.2        
 195 Christi Chafos JR Seton Hall 28:34.0       
 196 KENESHA ABRAMS JR Md-ES  29:19.8      
 197 marigot lustyh JR Seton Hall 29:21.8     
 198 Melina Gallas JR Md-ES  30:00.4       
 199 JANELL WADE JR Md-ES  30:00.5 

NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals Tomorrow

The men's and women's cross country squads will look to punch their tickets to the NCAA Nationals tomorrow at the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore's course. Here are the results from the last five NCAA regionals:

NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Results

1. Villanova Women 2010

  313     1  Sheila Reid, Jr*           19:34    5:15
  311     4  Bogdana Mimic, Jr*         20:05    5:23
  310     5  Amanda Marino, Sr*         20:09    5:24
  314     6  Alison Smith, Sr*          20:10    5:24
  309    13  Emily Lipari, Fr*          20:41    5:33
  308    39  Callie Hogan, Sr*          21:50    5:51
  312    41  Sarah Morrison, Sr*        21:51    5:51
Total Time = 1:40:36     Total Places = 29

2. Villanova Men 2010

  650     7  Matthew Kane, So           30:20    4:53
  654    10  Mathew Mildenhall, So      30:23    4:53
  651    12  Brian Long, Jr             30:33    4:55
  647    15  Hugo Beamish, Sr           30:36    4:56
  648    17  Keith Capecci, Jr          30:40    4:56
  649    55  Matthew Gibney, Jr         31:48    5:07
  653    65  Carl Mackenzie, Jr         31:58    5:09
Total Time = 2:32:30     Total Places = 61

=====================================================

1. Villanova Women 2009

    1  Sheila Reid, So             20:23    5:29
    2  Amanda Marino, Jr           20:27    5:30
    5  Bogdana Mimic, So           20:47    5:35
    6  Alison Smith, Jr            20:49    5:36
    9  Kaitlyn Tallman, Sr         20:57    5:38
   12  Nicole Schappert, Sr        21:02    5:39
   15  Brooke Simpson, Fr          21:19    5:44
Time = 1:43:21     Places = 23

2. Villanova Men 2009

    2  Mathew Mildenhall, Fr       31:42.0    5:07
    4  Hugo Beamish, Jr            31:42.6    5:07
   10  Daniel Lewis, Sr            32:06.5    5:11
   11  Bobby Papazian, Sr          32:07.5    5:11
   21  Carl Mackenzie, So          32:42.9    5:17
   22  Matthew Gibney, Jr          32:42.9    5:17
   51  Matthew Kane, Fr            33:40.1    5:26
Time = 2:40:21.4     Places = 48

======================================================

3. Villanova Women 2008

  260     1  Frances Koons, Sr*          21:11    5:40
  262     5  Bogdana Mimic, Fr*          21:33    5:46
  259    11  Callie Hogan, So*           21:53    5:52
  265    13  Kaitlyn Tallman, Jr*        22:00    5:54
  263    29  Sarah Morrison, So*         22:40    6:05
  264    35  Alison Smith, So*           22:59    6:10
  258    47  Ellen Dougherty, Sr*        23:26    6:17
Time = 1:49:15     Places = 59

3. Villanova Men 2008

  577     2  Hugo Beamish, So            31:37    5:06
  581    16  Ben Guest, So               32:49    5:18
  579    18  Keith Capecci, So           32:52    5:18
  582    19  Daniel Lewis, Jr            32:55    5:18
  580    29  Steven Curley, Sr           33:19    5:22
  583    70  Carl Mackenzie, Fr          34:38    5:35
  584    78  Chris Williams, Fr          34:52    5:37
Time = 2:43:30     Places = 84

======================================================

5. Villanova Women 2007

 1022    12  Sheila Reid, Fr*            20:37    5:32
 1024    19  Alison Smith, Fr*           20:53    5:37
 1019    23  Callie Hogan, Fr*           20:59    5:38
 1020    29  Amanda Marino, Fr*          21:17    5:43
 1026    32  Akilah Vargas, Sr*          21:23    5:45
 1018    40  Ellen Dougherty, Jr*        21:38    5:49
Time = 1:45:06     Places = 115

2. Villanova Men 2007

 1309     1  Robert Curtis, Sr           30:08    4:52
 1311     8  Ben Guest, Fr               30:30    4:55
 1312    13  Michael Kerrigan, Sr        30:41    4:57
 1314    19  Bobby Papazian, So          30:50    4:58
 1310    29  Geoffrey Doody, Sr          31:13    5:02
 1313    31  Brian Long, Fr              31:15    5:02
 1308    52  Keith Capecci, Fr           31:31    5:05
Time = 2:33:19     Places = 70

======================================================

5*. Villanova Women 2006

302    1      Frances Koons, Jr*         20:02.9       5:23
306    14     Akillah Vargas, Sr*        21:10.4       5:41
299    32     Siobhan Coleman, Fr*       21:37.3       5:49
303    57     Zita Mezei, Sr*            22:09.2       5:57
297    76     Katina Alexander, Sr*      22:34.4       6:04
305    77     Theresa Rush, Fr*          22:35.6       6:04
298    82     Jillian Baczewski, Jr*     22:38.7       6:05
Time = 1:47:34.1     Places = 180

3. Villanova Men 2006 

697    9      Milos Mitric, Sr           30:41.8       4:57
693    11     Robert Curtis, Jr          30:47.6       4:58
694    13     Andrew Keino, Sr           30:51.8       4:59
695    15     Michael Kerrigan, Sr       31:01.7       5:00
691    43     Brian Buechel, Sr          31:52.5       5:08
696    49     Dan Lewis, Fr              32:04.1       5:10
Time = 2:35:15.4     Places = 91

===========================================================

Nova Signee Piccirillo Wins Second State Cross Country Title

Homer-Center's Piccirillo earns second state title in cross country

By Spencer Sadler

THE BLAIRSVILLE DISPATCH
Friday, November 11, 2011

Angel Piccirillo defended her PIAA Class AA cross country title last Saturday in Hershey with a state-meet record time of 18 minutes, 31 seconds. The Homer-Center phenom does not see states as the end but only the beginning of more to accomplish in her senior year.

Regionals are two weeks away on Long Island, and nationals are two weeks after that. Then there are the coming winter indoor and spring track and field seasons before she sets off to Villanova to honor the commitment she made to that program.

Piccirillo's accomplishments in her sport are many and impressive, yet her achievements as an active member of her school, a humanitarian and as a role model for underclassmen are just as important.

Last year, as a junior, she was selected from thousands of athletes to be the 2009-2010 Gatorade Pennsylvania Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year. That honor recognized her "A" grade average, her fund-raising work for Haitian disaster relief, her church mission trip to give aid in Mississippi, and her many medals as a legitimate high school track star.

In all, she accumulated six state titles in less than two years. Thanks to Saturday's win, she holds two PIAA titles in cross country. She also has two PIAA outdoor championships in the 1,600-meter run and two indoor state titles through Pennsylvania's Track and Field Coaches Association.

In 2010, she was the Foot Locker Northeast Region's sixth-place finisher, and she placed 32nd in the national championship. She was 2010's Paul Short Run individual runner up, and she won the 1,600-meter race in the esteemed Penns Relay held in Philadelphia. In fact, she is one of six girls in the 117-year history of that event to seize the title twice.

Although Piccirillo is suited perfectly for the physical demands of cross country, the sport was not her first choice. She took up the sport and dedicated herself as a freshman with prompting from an older friend, Alyssa Taddie.

When she qualified for states and nearly won, despite training for her first love, volleyball, Piccirillo realized that cross country and track and field was for her. "Giving up volleyball and focusing 100 percent was one of the hardest decisions that I ever had to make," she explained.

Her dad, Bob, understood her dilemma. "Where do you see cross country? It's not like they have it on TV or anything. It is a grueling sport, vigorous training on a daily basis, which she has to do.

"Locally, she has been receiving a lot of well-deserved attention, and she's given some visibility to the sport as a legitimate choice. Hopefully, other girls may see the opportunities that opened up for Ang and see cross country as a credible choice, not just a sport to fall back on or to use to train for basketball or volleyball."

Driven to succeed

Both Piccirillos admit that the decision ultimately was a "no-brainer. It was by default, really," her father said. "The sport chose her."

However the choice was made, her coach, Michael Gentile, has only one word to characterize Piccirillo as a student-athlete: "driven".

"Her dedication and commitment to excellence as an athlete is only surpassed by her dedication and commitment in the classroom," Gentile said. "She doesn't settle for second best in any area. I honestly don't know how she does it, but it is exactly that type of wiring that makes her successful."

As an academic leader, Piccirillo is the vice president of the school's National Honor Society and of her senior class. She is involved in the student council, the Future Business Leaders of America, the Spanish Club and Varsity Club.

Gentile explained that coaching such a rare talent requires a commitment to reciprocate hers. The coach and athlete carefully picked the meets she would participate in, and this didn't always include Heritage Conference meets.

Her coach explained, "I have Angel travel around for her competitions, so as to do the best by her. To give her the exposure that she needs and to provide her with the challenges that she needs to improve."

Piccirillo's dedication has come with some sacrifices. Absorbed in academic and extra-curricular activities at school, she has very little time to slow down and enjoy the social aspects of her senior year.

Courted by schools in Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky and elsewhere, Piccirillo's fall schedule was consumed by tours and meets. Now that she is committed to Villanova to study biology, she is eager to get back to training without distraction.

To that end, Gentile has been boosting and altering her workouts to maximize her potential. "In the past I would cut Angel's miles once the season started. This season it just didn't happen and she responded well, so we just went with it," he said. "We added some different types of tempo runs, repeats and intervals.

"Also, we changed her race strategy. I tried to make her a more balanced and intelligent racer. We tried to keep those race splits even throughout the race, instead of going out hard and fading in the end. We stayed mostly local this year, too. We only traveled east once. We stayed close so she could be more rested and work on things closer to home."

So far, the strategy has paid off, and the trust between coach and athlete has been strengthened. "Everything's that he's told me has been true," Piccirillo said. "I don't have to worry about doubting his decision because I trust him 110 percent. He's always been honest, up front, and really real, and that's what you need in a coach."

There are many things Gentile likes about the athlete, including her work ethic and her coachability, among others. But, perhaps above all, it is her personality.

He said, "A friend said to me just last week, 'The best part of what Angel is, is not her athletic ability.' I wish I would have come up with that. It describes her essence perfectly. She has a charismatic personality. People are drawn to her. No matter where we go, people are always approaching her, and she has become very social in that way."

Nova Alums Dominate Top 20at Cooper Norcross Run the Bridge 10K

Some well known Villanova track and cross country alumnae -- both men and women -- were prominently placed among the top 20 finishers at this weekend's Cooper Norcross Run the Bridge 10K based in Camden, NJ. The race was won by Ethiopian Abiyot Endale, who sports PRs of 13:39.83, 28:19, 1:04:01, and 2:26:28. Dan Lewis was the second overall finisher, and Amanda Marino was the female runner up. Craig Segal (3rd), Tom Parlapiano (6th), and Cory Smith (10th) all were top-10 finishers. In addition to Marino (12th overall and #2 woman), Marina Muncan finished 20th overall and #3 woman. Here are the top 20 finishers of over 1200 competitors.

Top 20 Finishers
1.  ABIYOT ENDALE       BRONX NY         25 M   30:04   4:50   
2.  DAN LEWIS           ARDMORE PA       23 M   31:02   4:59     
3.  CRAIG SEGAL         HIGHLANDS NJ     27 M   31:49   5:07     
4.  TED CALLINAN        HADDONFIELD NJ   37 M   32:21   5:12      
5.  PAT HAYBURN         HAVERTOWN PA     27 M   32:25   5:12 
6.  TOM PARLAPIANO      CHESTERBROOK PA  30 M   32:47   5:16 
7.  TIM MULLIN          WHITING NJ       30 M   32:54   5:17 
8.  MATT SANDERCOCK     EXTON PA         42 M   33:13   5:20 
9.  JEFF TEREBEY        SHAMONG NJ       22 M   33:23   5:22 
10. CORY SMITH          PHILADELPHIA PA  33 M   33:35   5:24 
11. ALEMTSEHAY MISGANAW NEW YORK NY      31 F   34:14   5:30  FEMALE WINNER
12. AMANDA MARINO       BRYN MAWR PA     22 F   34:16   5:30  
13. KEVIN FORDE         PHILADELPHIA PA  47 M   34:24   5:32  
14. BOB SCHWELM         MEDIA PA         52 M   34:46   5:35 
15. JOSH LOREN          WILMINGTON DE    31 M   34:57   5:37    
16. TIM PAGANO          CHERRY HILL NJ   26 M   35:12   5:39 
17. ALAN LEFF           CHERRY HILL NJ   28 M   35:13   5:39 
18. AUSTIN GEE          PHILADELPHIA PA  26 M   35:20   5:40 
19. JAY COUGHENOUR      LINCOLN UNIV PA  46 M   35:48   5:45  
20. MARINA MUNCAN       ARDMORE PA       29 F   36:00   5:47    

Rhines a DNF; Lindsay Kos 84th at New York City Marathon

Jen Rhines dropped out of the NYC Marathon at Mile 16, near the Queensborough Bridge. Rhines, who as a 2:29:32 marathon PR, was running her first marathon in 5 years and entered the race optimistically after weeks of solid training. Her mile times dropped markedly after the 10-mile mark:

Mile 4:   5:36
Mile 5:   5:38
Mile 6:   5:38
Mile 7:   5:38
Mile 8:   5:43
Mile 9:   5:50
Mile 10:  5:44
Mile 11:  6:06
Mile 12:  5:56
Mile 13:  6:09
Mile 14:  6:14
Mile 15:  6:41
Mile 16:  7:06

Former Villanova harrier Lindsay Kos, sporting sub-elite bib #287, had her second consecutive sub-3:05 finish at NYC. She finished as the 84rd woman in 3:03:37 (Kos finished last year's NYC marathon in 78th place, in 3:02:32).

Frances Koons 12th at NYRR Dash to the Finish Line 5K

Part of the weekend leading up to yesterday's New York City Marathon, the New York Road Runner's Dash to the Finish Line 5K brought out tremendous talent on both the men's and women's sides. Former Villanova All-American Frances Koons competed well, coming home 12th in 16:23, just ahead of Deena Kastor.

Top Women's Results

1 Hall Sara F28 ASIC Flagstaff AZ USA 0:15:56 05:09
2 Culley Julie F30 NYAC Lebanon NJ USA 0:16:00 05:10
3 Kipyego Sally F25 OCT Eugene OR USA 0:16:03 05:11
4 Lewy Boulet Magdalena F38 SAUC Oakland CA USA 0:16:05 05:12
5 Armstrong Peyton Meghan F25 TMN Richfield MN USA 0:16:06 05:12
6 Hastings Amy F27 BRKS Mammoth Lakes CA USA 0:16:07 05:12
7 Rothstein Stephanie F27 TAZ Flagstaff AZ USA 0:16:09 05:13
8 Uhl Lisa F24 OCT Portland OR USA 0:16:13 05:14
9 Petrina Leonora F29 SAUC NORTHPORT NY USA 0:16:14 05:15
10 Maloy Liz F26 NEWB Washington DC USA 0:16:15 05:15
11 Brown Megan F26 0 TORONTO USA 0:16:17 05:16
12 Koons Frances F25 NEWB Allentown PA USA 0:16:23 05:18
13 Kastor Deena F38 ASIC Mammoth Lakes CA USA 0:16:24 05:18
14 Higginson Ashley F22 0 Princeton NJ USA 0:16:27 05:19
15 Infeld Maggie F25 NYAC Washington DC USA 0:16:38 05:22
16 Bizzarri Angela F23 BRKS Mammoth Lakes CA USA 0:16:39 05:23
17 Lefrak Caroline F27 NYAC New York NY USA 0:16:56 05:28
18 Tomlin Renee F22 NIKE Washington DC USA 0:17:03 05:30
19 Wassner Bec F36 0 NEW YORK NY USA 0:17:21 05:36
20 Anderson Cheryl F30 NYAC Branford CT USA 0:17:38 05:41
21 Pietese Zola F45 0 NEW YORK NY USA 0:18:18 05:54
22 McLarty Andrea F34 0 SANTA BARBARA CA USA 0:18:19 05:55
23 Pauer Nada Ina F24 0 WIEN (VIENNA) USA 0:18:38 06:01
24 Maguire Liz F45 OTTAWA USA 0:18:55 06:07
25 Vollweiler Jill F43 CPTC PURCHASE NY USA 0:19:08 06:11

Post-Marathon Interviews with Bobby Curtis

Bobby Curtis talks about how the final 4 miles were marked by extreme tightness in his legs -- not the typical glycogen debt that hits runners after the 20 mile mark. Also he ruled out competing at the USA Olympic Marathon Trials. Curtis, who ran 1:01:53 at the Philadelphia Distance Run in late September, had been pegged for a possible top 10 finish at NYC. Certainly Curtis himself appeared confident going into the race.

“On the best day," he said a few days before the race. "I think I can run 2:09.”

Curtis hit the half in 1:05:23, and a strong debut seemed well within reach. Then the miles, and possibly the hills, began to take their toll.

"It was a good marathon until mile 21," Curtis said. "I was holding 5:00 minute pace. Then the 5's went to 5:15. Then 5:30. Then 6:00, then 7:00…"

"Before this race I thought there was a 1 percent chance I'd run the Marathon Trials," said Curtis. "Now, I'm not."

Curtis Debuts in 2:16:46 at NYC Marathon: 15th Overall/3rd American

Bobby Curtis just crossed the finish line in New York in 15th place overall (3rd American after Meb Keflezighi and Ed Moran), with an unofficial time of 2:16:46. He went through the half in 1:05:23, meaning that his second half was 1:11:23. Final 10K was in 36:15. Analysis to follow later.

   













 
 




Bobby Curtis   11  M  Ardmore  United States
  
Distance  Time of Day  Elapsed Time  Estimated Finish  Pace/Mile   
Mile 3   09:59:36 AM  0:15:06  11:56:17 AM  05:02  
5K       10:00:08 AM  0:15:38  11:56:07 AM  05:02  
Mile 4   10:04:31 AM  0:20:01  11:55:33 AM  05:01  
Mile 5   10:09:21 AM  0:24:51  11:54:40 AM  04:59  
Mile 6   10:14:11 AM  0:29:41  11:54:05 AM  04:57  
10K      10:15:14 AM  0:30:44  11:54:09 AM  04:57  
Mile 7   10:19:04 AM  0:34:34  11:53:52 AM  04:57  
Mile 8   10:24:04 AM  0:39:34  11:54:03 AM  04:57  
Mile 9   10:29:06 AM  0:44:36  11:54:19 AM  04:58  
15K      10:30:42 AM  0:46:13  11:54:23 AM  04:58  
Mile 10  10:34:10 AM  0:49:40  11:54:36 AM  04:58  
Mile 11  10:39:19 AM  0:54:49  11:55:03 AM  04:59  
Mile 12  10:44:16 AM  0:59:46  11:54:59 AM  04:59  
20K      10:46:27 AM  1:01:57  11:55:03 AM  04:59  
Mile 13  10:49:18 AM  1:04:48  11:55:06 AM  05:00  
Half     10:49:53 AM  1:05:23  11:55:15 AM  05:00  
Mile 14  10:54:23 AM  1:09:53  11:55:16 AM  05:00  
Mile 15  10:59:37 AM  1:15:08  11:55:43 AM  05:01  
25K      11:02:37 AM  1:18:07  11:56:17 AM  05:02  
Mile 16  11:04:57 AM  1:20:27  11:56:14 AM  05:02  
Mile 17  11:09:53 AM  1:25:23  11:56:05 AM  05:02  
Mile 18  11:14:47 AM  1:30:18  11:55:55 AM  05:01  
30K      11:18:02 AM  1:33:33  11:55:59 AM  05:02  
Mile 19  11:19:50 AM  1:35:20  11:55:57 AM  05:02  
Mile 20  11:25:00 AM  1:40:31  11:56:10 AM  05:02  
Mile 21  11:30:21 AM  1:45:51  11:56:33 AM  05:03  
35K      11:34:31 AM  1:50:01  11:57:01 AM  05:04  
Mile 22  11:35:47 AM  1:51:17  11:57:01 AM  05:04  
Mile 23  11:41:09 AM  1:56:39  11:57:23 AM  05:05  
Mile 24  11:47:02 AM  2:02:32  11:58:16 AM  05:07  
40K      11:52:12 AM  2:07:42  11:59:08 AM  05:09  
Mile 25  11:53:04 AM  2:08:34  11:59:14 AM  05:09  
Mile 26  11:59:46 AM  2:15:16  12:00:48 PM  05:13  
Finish   12:01:16 PM  2:16:46  12:01:16 PM  05:14 
 
All times are unofficial. Times may vary in post race official results.

Place  Bib  Name                Time      Country      Citizenship
1  3    Geoffrey Mutai        2:05:06  Kenya          KEN
2  2    Emmanuel Mutai        2:06:28  Kenya          KEN
3  4    Tsegaye Kebede        2:07:14  Ethiopia       ETH
4  1    Gebre Gebremariam     2:08:00  Ethiopia       ETH
5  6    Jaouad Gharib         2:08:27  Morocco        MAR
6  7    Meb Keflezighi        2:09:13  United States  USA
7  14   Abdellah Falil        2:10:35  Morocco        MAR
8  8    Mathew Kisorio        2:10:58  Kenya          KEN
9  17   Ezkyas Sisay          2:11:04  United States  ETH
10  12  Ed Moran              2:11:46  United States  USA
11  10  Viktor Rothlin        2:12:26  Switzerland    SUI
12  25  Abdelkabir Saji       2:13:47  Italy          MAR
13  15  Juan Luis Barrios     2:14:10  Mexico         MEX
14  23  Teklu Tefera Deneke   2:16:21  United States  ETH
15  11  Bobby Curtis          2:16:46  United States  USA

Curtis to Go Out in 64:30 Regardless of Leaders' Pace

Can Debutant Curtis Be Top American?

by Matt McCue

Bobby Curtis has an extra incentive to win prize money at the 2011 ING New York City Marathon.

On Halloween, he was driving north up Highway 395 from his training base in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., to the airport in Reno, Nev., to catch his flight to New York. He bombed down the road at an “unspeakable” speed to shave some time off the three-hour trip over the desolate countryside. As he recalls, “There are a lot of ranchers in the area and I guess they don’t like speeding because if a cow crosses the road…” He lets the sentence drift off. “Anyways, I got pulled over in a really small city called Walker and I got a massive California speeding ticket.”

He doesn’t know for sure yet, but he believes it’s going to set him back $500-$700. As for using the New York City Marathon excuse to try to talk the cop out of it, Curtis laments, “I don’t think he would have been impressed by my endurance.”

Curtis, 26, will make his marathon debut on Sunday and try to cover his losses by finishing in the top ten, a realistic result for the under-the-radar American. 
At Wednesday’s presser at the former Tavern on the Green building, Curtis spoke about his preparation and goals. In late September, he showed promise when he ran 1:01:53 at the Philadelphia Distance Run. “I didn’t think my training was anything special,” he says of the half marathon. “I was pleasantly surprised.”

Leading up to it, he trained in Wayne, Pa., near his alma mater Villanova, where has a home and spends 4-5 months a year. After the half he returned to the altitude of Mammoth Lakes. “My biggest week was 130 miles—a career week,” he says, assessing his past month. “Mostly it’s been 100-110 miles a week. Bread-and-butter marathon stuff, a lot of volume.” He’d meet up with Meb Keflezighi, Alistair Craig, and Patrick Smyth and glean their marathon advice. “Meb told me you have to respect the distance, but you can’t be afraid of it,” says the beanpole Curtis.

Curtis appeared neither anxious nor nervous when he laid out his race strategy. “On the best day, I think I can run 2:09,” he says. “If the leaders go out in 63 minutes for the first half, then there is no way I can do that. I won’t go out any faster than 64:30. If the pack is going slower than that, I’ll be with them, but if they are faster, then I’ll be by myself.

For context, in 1980 Alberto Salazar ran 2:09:41 to win his debut marathon, which happened to be New York. Salazar’s 5K and 10K personal records at the time were similar to Curtis’s 13:18 and 27:33, so a sub-2:10 is possible. The main difference is that now the front of the field finishes two minutes faster.

“Realistically, I don’t have a shot at winning this,” he admits. “I don’t know whether it’s good or bad. It’s just the state of the sport right now.”

The hopes are high for Curtis. He’s been successful at every level of his career. As a boy growing up in Louisville, Ken., he played all the sports, including track and field. He could beat most people at the distance races, yet he competed in the sprints and high jump because they were shorter and easier. However, in middle school, he had an epiphany. “I was coming in third in the high jump and was like, ‘I could be winning the mile.’” He moved up and won a total of 18 individual and team state titles. While at Villanova, he was the 2008 NCAA 5,000m champion. At a program known for its legends, he posted the second-fastest 5K time in school history, behind only former 1500m world record-holder Sydney Maree.

Curtis has raced sparingly since graduation, though it’s clear he has the work ethic and talent to excel as a professional. He’s joining the recent trend of American runners, like Ryan Hall and Dathan Ritzenhein, diving into the marathon at an increasingly earlier age. It used to be that the elites waited until the tail end of their careers—their 30’s—to attempt one. Curtis explains the appeal of the 26.2 mile test in three simple reasons: “more glamorous, more money, and more [marketing] opportunities.” For example, a 10K at Stanford, while fast, doesn’t offer the same kind of prize purse or international media platform as a major marathon.

That said, Curtis isn’t leaving the track. He’s planning on skipping the Olympic marathon trials in January favor of the 10K in June, unless he pops something big at New York. That will push him to reconsider. For now, his focus is on Sunday. "My expectations are high because my preparation has gone so well,” he says. “This is a great event and if I run fast then everyone in the running community will hear about it.”

At the very least, it might give him more leverage the next time he gets pulled over.

Jen Rhines Aiming at Top 6 Finish this Weekend

Rhines of US back at marathon after 5-year hiatus

SI.com

NEW YORK (AP) - Jen Rhines wants to be the top American female finisher at the New York City Marathon, despite taking a five-year break from the event.

The three-time Olympian has focused on various races, competing in the 10,000 meters in 2000, the marathon in 2004 and 5,000 meters in 2008.

She's returning to the 26.2-mile race on Sunday after picking up her long-distance training in the mountains near her home in Mammoth Lakes, Calif.

"My goal is to place in the top five or six,'' Rhines said. "It's a tremendous field, and Mary Keitany of Kenya is the favorite.''

Rhines won't be competing against Americans Kara Goucher or Shalane Flanagan, who are focused on U.S. marathon qualifying for the Olympics in January in Houston. Goucher finished third in the 2008 NYC Marathon and Flanagan was second last year in their debuts.
Rhines' previous marathon was a fourth-place finish in Rome in 2006.

The 37-year-old will compete in her third NYC Marathon, her best finish coming in 18th in 2005. She also ran in 2003, but didn't do "remotely well.'' Two years later, she did better, "finishing stronger than '03 when I was pretty beat up by 18 to 20 miles.''

"I've done a lot of mountain training, am better prepared for a course like New York,'' said Rhines, a five-time NCAA champion at Villanova. "My training is so much better, I'm stronger on the longer runs and can handle the mileage.''

In August, Rhines finished ninth in 10,000 meters at the world championships in South Korea. She trailed winner Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya and Flanagan (seventh), but finished ahead of Goucher (13th).

This year, she's had victories in the U.S. 15K Championships and U.S. Half-Marathon Championships, finishing in a personal-best 1:11.14.

Rhines, who is trained by her husband Terrence Mahon, says she's looking forward to her two favorite parts of the New York race - First Avenue and coming into Central Park.

"You use the energy of the crowd, but have to maintain control because it's too early in the race (on First Avenue),'' she said.

Curtis Flying Under the Radar at NYC Marathon?

Flying Under The Radar With Bobby Curtis

by Duncan Larkin
Updated: Nov 3rd 2011 9:38 AM

Competitor.com contributor Duncan Larkin went on a run with top American Bobby Curtis just a few days before Sunday’s ING New York City Marathon. He shares his experience with the soft-spoken marathon debutant in this exclusive first-person piece.

Bobby Curtis doesn’t exactly stand out in a hotel lobby, especially that of the New York City Hilton on Sixth Avenue, a place where hundreds of runners–including the top elites–stay when they’re in town for the ING New York City Marathon. It’s convenient location is but a short jog to the finish line in iconic Central Park. This lobby is a spot where someone like Emmanuel Mutai, the fastest marathoner in history, could be standing in the concierge line next to Joe Marathoner -– or the likes of defending champion, Gebre Gebremariam.

But I recognized Curtis, with a lean look and fit frame distinguishing him from the masses scattered about the room.

Curtis, one of the top American runners at this year’s race, sauntered over to me. We had originally agreed to meet at 2 p.m. I was a bit late; he was right on time. Bobby was wearing Reebok trainers and in his hands he held a pair of racing flats. There were five days until the big race in The Big Apple, which would be Curtis’ marathon debut. He didn’t look that nervous.

“Are you OK with a few miles jog?” he asked me.

I was. But I wasn’t OK with what was in store after that: two to three miles at 5:00-per-mile, his race pace.

“I’ll sit on a bench while you do that part,” I told him.

While we jogged down New York’s cavernous avenues on the way to Central Park, I asked Bobby about Sunday’s upcoming endeavor.

“I’m really going into this thing with realistic expectations,” he told me. “I’m kind of flying under the radar.”

“You’re one of the top Americans,” I exclaimed. “At today’s press conference, there wasn’t a vacant seat near you. You aren’t necessarily flying under the radar, Bobby.”

He shrugged. Bobby is a laid-back guy and so he shrugs a lot.

“I mean there are a lot of people, Americans, looking up to you,” I said. “You ran a 61-minute half marathon in September.” (It was 61:52 to be exact.)

“Look, I’m not Ryan Hall and I’m no Meb Keflezighi,” he responded. “It’s my first marathon and it’s New York. I’m going to go into this thing with realistic expectations. I’m going to go out conservative at the start. I’m probably not going to be running with the leaders in the beginning.”

Curtis is a Villanova University graduate. A multiple Big East Champion and an All-American in both cross-country and track, he trained under the esteemed Irish miler, Marcus O’Sullivan. Though he graduated from college three years ago, Curtis likes to talk a lot about his former coach. Sullivan remains a key figure in Curtis’ development as a runner. And the more you learn about Bobby -— like the fact that his father passed away when he was just seven -— the more you realize that O’Sullivan has taken on something of a paternal role for Curtis. “Marcus doesn’t really tell me specifically what to do, running-wise anymore,” Curtis says. “He’s just there for me.”

“So are you self-coached, then?” I ask.

Bobby shakes his head and proceeds to tell me about Nic Bideau. “Nic”, an Australian who helped coach Cathy Freeman to an Olympic gold medal in the 400m and 5,000-meter man Craig Mottram to his Commonwealth Games silver, is Bobby’s official coach. It was O’Sullivan who introduced Curtis to Bideau.

“Nic will tell me what kind of mileage and workouts to be doing on a daily basis,” Curtis says. “Marcus is pretty casual. He’s there in an informal sort of way. You could say he’s my mentor.”

By that point we reach the part of Central Park where Bobby will head off for his solitary race-pace miles and I will sit on a bench and wait for him. He takes off his long-sleeved shirt and begins a series of odd-looking stretches. I ask him his philosophy on stretching.

Though he appears to be going through some sort of standardized routine as he prepares for his run, Curtis admits he’s “pretty lazy” and only does moderate stretching. “I’m not a foam-roller kind of guy,” he says. “I’m not the kind of runner who sits in front of a television for hours doing stretches.”

I ask him what kind of stretcher he is and he tells me he’s into “activation exercises.”

“I like stretches that will give me a quick result,” he says while crouching down, raising his hands in the air, and then suddenly dropping them like a sumo wrestler. At that point, Curtis stands up straight, dons his flats, taps his watch, and takes off down the gravelly bridle path.

After 30 minutes, he returns, breathing normally. A small pool of sweat has formed under his arms, but that’s the only visible sign of his efforts.

“Did anyone recognize you out there?” I ask.

Bobby smiles. “Nope.”

“Under the radar?”

“Under the radar.”

On our run back to his hotel, I ask Bobby about what it means to him to be running through America’s largest city, a city of eight million people, as one of the fastest prospects, and possibly the top American on Sunday.

He shrugs.

“C’mon, Bobby, you are living the dream, right?” I ask.

He chuckles. “I don’t know. That phrase always makes me laugh. I mean, I could tell people that I’m living the dream, but if I do, someone else could point out that I’m seven minutes slower than some unknown Kenyan guy in Eldoret. It’s all relative.”

I ask him what it means to be a professional American long-distance runner on the brink of his big debut–if he’s feeling any extra pressure to perform well in his first go at racing 26.2 miles.

“It’s not that big of a deal,” he says. “If I were an NFL quarterback and choked, then people would be calling for my hide, but that’s not how running works in this country. We’re more forgiving.”

I remind him of the Letsrun.com peanut gallery.

He continues: “People that I care about know that my first marathon may not go as expected and they will tell me that it’s OK. It’s not the end-all-be-all.”

We reach the end of Central Park and stop running. Soon, we reach the hotel lobby. Bobby shakes my hand and I wish him luck as he disappears into the elevator.

Rhines Optimistic About New York City Marathon

Diverse backgrounds amongst top Americans at ING NYC Marathon
By Duncan Larkin, Race Results Weekly

NEW YORK -- Some of them may be long shots to make the podium, but one thing is certain about the top-ranked Americans who are running this weekend's ING New York City Marathon: They all have fascinating stories.

Take for instance three-time Olympian Jen Rhines, a seasoned runner who has represented her country in three different distances at the Games across a career that has spanned some 14 years at the professional level. Six years ago, she debuted in New York with a 2:37:07, a time she isn't particularly proud about now.

"I had no idea what I was doing back then," she recalls of that race. "This time, I'm stronger and have a better understanding of how to run the marathon."

Rhines likes to think of her race this year as a marathon re-debut, a fresh shot at the 26.2-mile distance. It's been nearly six years since her last marathon attempt in Rome in 2006 (she ran her personal best there of 2:29:32), but Rhines's potential isn't to be dismissed. She isn't an old pro out to make a final victory lap through New York's five boroughs. Rhines is on one serious comeback. This year, she won the U.S. 15-K and Half-Marathon titles, competing against runners ten years her junior, and made the USA team for the IAAF World Championships.

"Back then," she says of her previous days training for the marathon, "I couldn't handle 100 miles a week." Now, Rhines is logging 110-115 miles a week and "feeling great." She attributes her recent success in racing and training to a change in her running mechanics.

"I've learned to teach my body to run better," says Rhines, who is coached by her husband, Terrence Mahon, in Mammoth Lakes, Calif.

At the other end of the experience spectrum is women's marathon debutante Molly Pritz. The 23-year-old from Williamsport, Pennsylvania, who trained for this race in Rochester Hills, Mich., is excited about her first shot at the classic distance.

"This is an amazing experience," Pritz says with a smile, wearing a pink Mini 10-K t-shirt. "I'm ready for the race. I'm up for the challenge."

Pritz, who's career got a boost when she surprised the field to win the U.S. Women's 25-K Championships last May, had been running for the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project up until June before separating from that program. She is now coached by Mark Hadley and thinks her love of hills is preparing her well for the undulating nature of New York's course.

"All my long runs are hilly," she says. "I don't like flat running. If it rolls, I'm running it."

Between Rhines and Pritz is Eugene's Lauren Fleshman, the two-time USA 5000m champion. Like Pritz, the 30-year-old track specialist is tackling the marathon for the first time, and her debut here has perhaps drawn the most attention (and skepticism). At the recent World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, equaled the best performance by an American woman ever in the 5000-meter distance, finishing seventh.

For a marathoner, Fleshman's 81 weekly miles appears to be atypical, but she disagrees.

"I have to work within my limits," Fleshman admits, referring to the fact that she has suffered numerous stress fractures in her foot throughout her career, which is why she isn't running triple-digit mileage. "You should never try to train like the athlete you are not."

Fleshman, who always appears to have a smile on her face, welcomes the pain and suffering headed her way come race day. "I would be honored to hit the wall," she says. "That's when you know you've given everything you can give."

Giving 100% could also best describe the top American debutant on the men's side, Bobby Curtis. The 26-year-old Villanova University graduate has chosen New York City as the place to try out the marathon for the first time. Though he's "relatively young," Curtis, who clocked a 1:01:52 half marathon at the Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half-Marathon in September, thinks the marathon is the "glamorous" distance for professional runners. Soft spoken, but always quick with a quip, Curtis is realistic about his chances in New York: he doesn't expect to be up there with Emmanuel and Geoffrey Mutai.

"If I ran the best day of my life, I could probably run 2:09, so I'm going to go out conservative and see what happens," he says.

Another American on his debut is former William and Mary All-American Ed Moran. The 30-year-old won his first national title at the 2010 10-K Championships. At 130 miles a week, Moran has been running more than any of the top American hopefuls this year. For him, a native New Yorker born on Staten Island who will marry fiancée Meg Warco a week after the marathon, taking on the ING New York City Marathon is a real treat.

"This is the big time," says Moran with a smile. "This marathon is the Yankee Stadium of professional running. It really doesn't get any better than this."

Leading all Americans here is 2004 Olympic gold medalist Meb Keflezighi, who won the ING New York City Marathon in 2009. He arrives here on Thursday night and will speak to the media on Friday.

The Unknowns of a Marathon Debut

First marathon a challenge for top runners
Published: November 2, 2011 3:23 PM
By JOHN JEANSONNE

john.jeansonne@newsday.com

Even for hardened veterans of running -- champions at other distances, remarkably fit athletes -- a 26-mile, 385-yard footrace represents the far side.

"This is the marathon, and you've gotta respect the distance," said Lauren Fleshman, one of a handful of top American distance runners giving a "debut" theme to this year's New York City Marathon. Fleshman, 30, was an all-American at Stanford University and is the reigning national 5,000-meter champ, but on Sunday, "I'm going to be going through some feelings of serious doubt and pain," she said, "and they're going to be extended and amplified from anything I'm used to.

"I wouldn't say 'fear' of the distance. It's like a respect of the distance, a little bit of a cautious respect for the distance. It's a long way, man."To Bobby Curtis, a 26-year-old former NCAA cross-country champion at Villanova, "You'd be foolish not to fear it," he said, "just because so many great runners have failed at this distance. Quite a few people with great track credentials have failed miserably at the marathon."

Of the 45,000 to 46,000 runners expected to try, Fleshman and Curtis and Ed Moran -- another first-time marathoner -- are experienced and skilled enough at other distances to be among the leaders in this annual Running of the Humans through the city's five boroughs. But that doesn't guarantee them any particular insight into the unknown.

"I wouldn't say 'fear,' " decided Moran, a 30-year-old former all-American at William & Mary who won last year's national 10,000-meter title. "There's an anxiety about the distance, especially for a debut marathoner. There are so many variables that go into a successful marathon. You spend 12 to 16 weeks training your body to mitigate some of the risk factors in a marathon, or to take advantage of some of the opportunities it presents.

"But at the end of the day, no matter how physically and mentally prepared you are, how ready are you going to be on that day? Is everything going to come together for you?"

Even for marathoning veterans such as Jen Rhines, the 37-year-old former distance champion at Villanova who finished 18th in New York in 2005 and 34th in the 2004 Athens Olympics, the anxiety of facing more than 26 miles "doesn't ever entirely go away." Her recollection of her first marathon, she said was that "I probably had a little too little fear. I didn't know what I was in for, basically. And I didn't realize I wasn't ready to do it."

Still, the first-timers find the challenge irresistible. "In every distance runner's career," Moran said, "they want to see if they can run the distance and make sure, OK, this isn't my sweet spot. You don't know unless you try. You may be missing your natural calling."

Fleshman wants firsthand knowledge of "pushing through and having that kind of elation you can feel at the end. I just want that experience. I want to join the club, dang it."

Villanova Women & Men Jump to #2 and #13 in National Polls

The new USTFCCCA national rankings have been relased today, and the Villanova cross country teams climbed in the polls to reflect their strong performamces in sweeping the Big East conference championships. The Villanova men's team climbed three spots to #13 in the nation, trailing only #9 Princeton in the Mid-Altantic region. On the women's side, Villanova rose two spots and now ranks #2 in the country. Florida State remained at the top of the women's poll. The next highest ranked team from the Mid-Atlantic region is Georgetown at #7. Here are the complete rankings:

Men's National Rankings: November 1, 2011
1 Wisconsin (7) 355 Great Lakes Big Ten Mick Byrne (4th) 2 
2 Oklahoma State (5) 352 Midwest Big 12 Dave Smith (6th) 1
3 BYU 326 Mountain West Coast Ed Eyestone (12th) 3
4 Colorado 318 Mountain Pac-12 Mark Wetmore (17th) 6 
5 Oklahoma 312 Midwest Big 12 Martin Smith (7th) 5 
6 Stanford 305 West Pac-12 Jason Dunn (5th) 4
7 Indiana 286 Great Lakes Big Ten Ron Helmer (5th) 7 
8 Portland 267 West West Coast Rob Conner (22nd) 8 
9 Iona 264 Northeast Metro Atlantic Ricardo Santos (4th) 10 
9 Princeton 264 Mid-Atlantic Ivy Steve Dolan (8th) 9 
11 Texas 212 South Central Big 12 Bubba Thornton (17th) 11 
12 Northern Arizona 210 Mountain Big Sky Eric Heins (5th) 13 
13 Villanova 204 Mid-Atlantic Big East Marcus O’Sullivan (12th) 16 
14 NC State 195 Southeast ACC Rollie Geiger (34th) 19
15 Arkansas 194 South Central SEC Chris Bucknam (4th) 15 
16 Florida State 172 South ACC Bob Braman (12th) 18
17 Oregon 162 West Pac-12 Vin Lananna (7th) 23 
18 Minnesota 160 Midwest Big Ten Steve Plasencia (16th) 12 
19 Michigan 145 Great Lakes Big Ten Alex Gibby (2nd) 21 
20 Eastern Kentucky 137 Southeast Ohio Valley Rick Erdmann (33rd) 17 
21 UCLA 109 West Pac-12 Mike Maynard (3rd) 20 
22 Columbia 96 Northeast Ivy Willy Wood (18th) 28 
23 Georgetown 94 Mid-Atlantic Big East Patrick Henner (13th) RV 
24 Texas A&M 89 South Central Big 12 Pat Henry (8th) 24 
25 North Carolina 60 Southeast ACC Peter Watson (3rd) 30 
26 Louisville 48 Southeast Big East Ron Mann (8th) RV 
27 Tulsa 43 Midwest Conference USA Steve Gulley (10th) 27
28 Ohio State 41 Great Lakes Big Ten Robert Gary (16th) 26 
29 Syracuse 38 Northeast Big East Chris Fox (7th) NR 
30 Providence 36 Northeast Big East Ray Treacy (28th) 14 

Others Receiving Votes: Cal Poly 18, Washington State 17, Arizona State 14,
 Florida 12, New Mexico 10, California 8, Notre Dame 4, Lamar 3, Utah State 1.
Dropped Out: No. 22 Washington State, No. 25 Arizona State, No. 29 Notre Dame

Women's National Rankings:  November 1, 2011
1 Florida State (10) 357 South ACC Karen Harvey (5th) 1
2 Villanova (1) 340 Mid-Atlantic Big East Gina Procaccio (12th) 4 
3 Colorado (1) 331 Mountain Pac-12 Mark Wetmore (17th) 16 
4 Vanderbilt 319 South SEC Steve Keith (6th) 3 
5 Providence 315 Northeast Big East Ray Treacy (28th) 7 
6 Washington 307 West Pac-12 Greg Metcalf (10th) 2 
7 Georgetown 287 Mid-Atlantic Big East Chris Miltenberg (4th) 6 
8 Stanford 282 West Pac-12 Patti Sue Plumer (1st) 8 
9 Syracuse 249 Northeast Big East Chris Fox (7th) 9 
10 Iowa State 244 Midwest Big 12 Corey Ihmels (5th) 13 
11 Oregon 241 West Pac-12 Vin Lananna (7th) 11
12 Michigan State 229 Great Lakes Big Ten Walt Drenth (8th) 15 
13 West Virginia 196 Mid-Atlantic Big East Sean Cleary (5th) 18 
14 Texas 183 South Central Big 12 Bev Kearney (20th) 12 
15 Michigan 181 Great Lakes Big Ten Mike McGuire (22nd) 19 
16 Arizona 178 West Pac-12 Fred Harvey (10th) 5 
17 Arkansas 165 South Central SEC Lance Harter (22nd) 14 
18 Boston College 161 Northeast ACC Randy Thomas (20th) 24 
19 New Mexico 149 Mountain Mountain West Joe Franklin (5th) 20 
20 NC State 118 Southeast ACC Laurie Henes (6th) 21 
21 Virginia 111 Southeast ACC Jason Vigilante (4th) 17 
22 Penn State 102 Mid-Atlantic Big Ten Beth Alford-Sullivan (13th) 26 
23 Oklahoma State 100 Midwest Big 12 Dave Smith (3rd) 30
24 Notre Dame 86 Great Lakes Big East Tim Connelly (24th) 23 
25 North Carolina 72 Southeast ACC Peter Watson (3rd) 22 
26 California 65 West Pac-12 Tony Sandoval (30th) 10 
27 San Francisco 50 West West Coast Helen Lehman-Winters (9th) 29 
28 Wisconsin 44 Great Lakes Big Ten Jim Stintzi (8th) RV 
29 Cornell 31 Northeast Ivy Rich Bowman (1st) 25 
30 Minnesota 23 Midwest Big Ten Gary Wilson (27th) RV 

Others Receiving Votes: Florida 15, Columbia 14, Connecticut 12, Toledo 11,
 Texas Tech 5. 
Dropped Out: No. 27 Iowa, No. 28 Connecticut