Moscow Malaise for Sheila Reid (Чёрт возьми!)Ex Nova Star Fails to Advance at World Championships

Sapped by a recent illness and running a full 8 seconds off her 1500 meter PR set earlier this year, Sheila Reid failed to advance out of the 1500 meter heats today in Moscow at the 14th IAAF World Championships. Reid (4:10.90) finished 7th in heat #2, one spot out of an automatic qualifying slot in the event's semi-final. The top 6 finishers in each heat gained automatic qualifiers for the semi-final, and the 6 fastest non-automatic qualifiers across the 3 heats would also advance. Unfortunately, her time was not good enough to capture one of the 6 additional spots on time in the next round.

All three heats today went out in similar paces (all within 1 second at the 800 meter mark: 1:07.95, 1:08.07, and 1:08.91, respectively). Heat winning times were likewise similar: the respective winners of the heats went 4:07.66 (heat 1), 4:06.99 (heat 2), and 4:06.78 (heat three).  However, heats 1 and 3 were much more densely packed affairs behind the leaders, as in each case finishers 7-8-9 qualified on time for the semi-finals.  Reid's (heat 2) was mores strung out and no one from this heat (with Reid in 7th) was able to qualify on time.

As Reid explained in her post-race interview (above), her fitness came off track over the past 10-14 days as she fought illness, lost some weight, and made the long trip to Moscow. Her workouts in Moscow, she said, were marked by heavy legs and a lack of energy. She entered her heat concerned about her fitness and ultimately was unable to perform to her normal level. Where a spot in the final seemed a safe bet in her mind two weeks ago, things just didn't come together in the lead-up to the World Championships.

Ultimately, it's unfortunate for Reid to have run the illness-induced clunker of her season at this biggest event of the year, but elite middle distance running has always been marked by razor thin margins in fitness, timing, and good fortune. For Reid to be in such a good position two weeks ago, only to see that evaporate over the past fortnight, is but another example of how thin that margin is for these athletes. Reid commented earlier this year that anything short of an appearance in the 1500 meter final would, in her view, be a disappointment.   At bottom, then, Moscow proved to be a letdown, to be sure, but an experience that will perhaps rebound to Reid as her international career develops.

Heat 2 11 AUG 2013 10:36

	POS	BIB	ATHLETE	COUNTRY	MARK
	1	113	Zoe Buckman	AUS	4:06.99 Q
	2	945	Jennifer Simpson	USA	4:07.16 Q
	3	763	Ekaterina Sharmina	RUS	4:07.17 Q
	4	598	Rababe Arafi	MAR	4:07.84 Q
	5	566	Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon	KEN	4:08.66 Q
	6	187	Mimi Belete	BRN	4:09.27 Q
	7	215	Sheila Reid	CAN	4:10.90
	8	495	Margherita Magnani	ITA	4:11.15
	9	345	Senbere Teferi	ETH	4:11.41
	10	931	Cory McGee	USA	4:12.33
	11	843	Betlhem Desalegn	UAE	4:12.97
	12	596	Eliane Saholinirina	MAD	4:18.04

Coghlan: "Helsinki was my redemption, for sure"

Coghlan always happy to revisit his redemption day in Helsinki

Ian Riordan
Irish Times
August 10, 2013

Coghlan gained redemption in winning the 1983 world championship over 5000 meters

He’s sitting by the pool at a Spanish hotel when he takes the call. Moments later we’re rewinding the clock 30 years to the day Eamonn Coghlan wins the gold medal at the first World Athletics Championships.

“My redemption day,” says Coghlan, and the perfect opening line. Because what started in Helsinki in 1983 wasn’t just some fresh alternative to the Olympics, but the first athletics championships to rise above them, coming as they did bang in the middle of the boycott era.

If it all seems like another time and another place it’s because it was: Bono announced Coghlan’s 5,000 metres victory on stage, midway through U2’s set at their first headline gig in Ireland, the Day At The Races, at the old Phoenix Park racecourse (also featuring Eurythmics, Simple Minds, and The Alarm). That’s how news travelled in 1983. 

There was no prize money in Helsinki, no world record bonuses, and not a single positive doping test: this despite the fact the systematic dopers that were East Germany topped the medal table, winning 10 gold medals, while certain other performances (especially Jarmila Kratochvílová, from the former Czechoslovakia, winning the women’s 400m/800m double) look insanely more improbable now than they did even then.

Household names
Yet, Helsinki also fast-forwarded athletics in the big-time professional era – and created a wealth of household names still familiar to this day: Carl Lewis, Sergei Bubka, Mary Decker, Steve Cram, Grete Waitz, Rob de Castella, Calvin Smith, Edwin Moses, Daley Thompson, Greg Foster, and even Coghlan himself, who at 30 still hadn’t found what he was looking for, despite his already star status amongst the world’s leading distance runners.

Now fast-forward another 30 years, because if Helsinki turned out to be a “who’s who” of the sport, the 14th edition of the World Athletics Championships, starting in Moscow today, is setting up to be a “who’s this?”

The choice of venue hasn’t helped, nor the absence – for the full variety of reasons – of athletes such as David Rudisha, Yohan Blake, Jessica Ennis, Blanka Vlasic, Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell, and Oscar Pistorius.

The doping cloud is as thick as ever, although athletics isn’t just struggling for credibility right now: it is struggling for relevance, unlike that second week in August, 30 years ago, when it seemed to be the only sport in the world that mattered.

“Talking with any of my contemporaries at that time, the likes of Steve Ovett, Thomas Wessinghage, Grete Waitz, we were all highly excited by the prospect of a World Championships, and it generated a lot of talk on the circuit,” says Coghlan.

Boycotting
“I think the time had come when the IAAF wanted their own championships, separate from the Olympics. Because there was so much boycotting of the Olympics going on at the time as well. 

“That was never an issue going to Helsinki. It was just going to be an athletics meeting at its very best.

“Helsinki also brought in all the athletics purists, from around the world, who wanted to be there because they are fans of the sport, unlike the Olympics, where crowds are more likely to go just because it’s the Olympics.

“Helsinki was a lovely stadium, and Finland had a great athletics tradition as well. All these factors combined made for great excitement, and I think it still holds up as one of the best track and field meetings ever.”

Still, there was an element of uncertainty, some resistance, and perhaps a little scepticism too (The Irish Times, for example, decided against sending its then athletics correspondent, Peter Byrne, much to his enduring annoyance).

For many years the IAAF had themselves been resistant to a World Athletics Championships. They examined the prospect throughout the 1960s, yet never pursued it, mostly because of their loyalty to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Indeed, the then Rule 13.2 in the IAAF Handbook was seen by some as sacred: “The Olympic Games shall be regarded as the World Championships”.

Then at the 1974 IAAF Congress in Rome, a World Championships sub-committee was formed, which included two future presidents of the IAAF, Adriaan Paulen and Primo Nebiolo. Their case was helped significantly by the Montreal Olympic boycott of 1976: 28 countries refused to attend, mostly African nations, objecting to the IOC’s failure to ban New Zealand after their rugby team toured South African earlier that year.

The Moscow Olympics were coming down the tracks, already threatened by further boycotting (in the end 61 countries stayed away, in protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan). So, at the 1978 IAAF Congress in Puerto Rico, Paulen and Nebiolo’s proposal was unanimously backed, and the World Athletics Championships were born, to begin in 1983.

The only problem then was finding a suitable host city: the vote was taken in March 1980, when the Moscow boycott was worsening by the day. Determined to avoid any of that, the IAAF voted for Helsinki (which beat Stuttgart 11-6 in the final vote): what swung it in Helsinki’s favour, clearly, was Finland’s political neutrality.

Still uncertainty about participation remained: so the IAAF announced it would pay the travel expenses of all competitors, with Helsinki providing free room and board. It worked. 1,355 athletes travelled, from 153 nations (more than double the 70 nations that contested athletics at the Moscow Olympics, and higher too than the 124 nations that competed in the similarly boycotted LA Olympics the following year, 1984).

On to a good thing
From the moment Grete Waitz strode into the old Olympic Stadium on Sunday, August 7th – winning what was the first women’s marathon at any major championship – Helsinki was on to a good thing.

Blessed with warm Scandinavian sunshine, each of the eight days were spectacular, the Wednesday seeing two world records (Kratochvílová’s 47.99 in the 400m, and Lewis anchoring the Americans to a 37.86 in 4x100m), and a sweet hometown victory for Tiina Lillak in the women’s javelin, beating Britain’s Fatima Whitbread with her last throw.

Coghlan had to navigate heats and semi-finals in the 5,000m, before his final showdown on the last day, Sunday, August 14th.

Ireland sent a team of 11 athletes (the same number, coincidentally, as had gone to Moscow), and although Regina Joyce ran very well to finish seventh in the marathon, Coghlan represented the only chance of a medal.

Having finished fourth in the previous two Olympics he didn’t lack a single ounce of motivation.

Coghlan knew he had the race in hand with 150 to go

In the end it was the perfect crowning moment, Coghlan waiting, then destroying the hapless Soviet runner Dmitriy Dmitriyev, who had broken for glory two and a half laps from home: Coghlan’s ecstatic clenching of the fists (right) as he passed Dmitriyev around the final bend was a simple release of emotion, and misunderstood only by those who had no idea what hardship Coghlan endured in the previous seven years.

 "I never ran for recognition,” he says. “I ran to win races. Of course my previous two Olympics had been a big letdown, to everybody. Helsinki was my chance to make up for that. If people do recognise me now, it’s for being world champion, not for finishing fourth in the Olympics. 

“So Helsinki was my redemption, for sure.”

His big payday too, as it turned: there was no prize money for the gold medal, but Coghlan reckons he made “half a million bucks” on the back of Helsinki, and he wasn’t the only one. With that sort of earning potential came the greater temptation to cheat, and even if no one tested positive in Helsinki, the credibility of several medallists certainly hasn’t survived the 30 years. Finland’s Martti Vainio, for example, who out-dived Dmitriyev for bronze behind Coghlan, was caught doping a year later.

“I don’t remember any testing going on in Helsinki,” says Coghlan. “I’d been tested a few times on the US indoor circuit, but that was about it. There was always talk of athletes being associated with doping, and some, we knew, were at it. It did go on. I just never allowed myself get distracted by it.”

What is certain is Helsinki completely changed the landscape of global athletics. It drew a worldwide TV audience of over one billion, opening a goldmine for the IAAF, and after an equally successful championships in Rome in 1987, by the time of the third World Championships, in Tokyo in 1991, the IAAF had already agreed to stage them every two years, instead of once in every four.

They introduced prize money, in Athens in 1997, although too late for Sonia O’Sullivan – who finally matched Coghlan’s feat by winning 5,000m gold in Gothenburg in 1995 (and winning a Mercedes-Benz by way of some further reward).

“Going every two years was mainly commercial, but I think has been a good thing for the sport,” says Coghlan. “Trying to get everything right for the Olympics once every four year is very, very tough, believe me. So that was just as tough for the World Championships.

“The problem is I just don’t think the personalities are there anymore, like they were 30 years ago. The public will look at Moscow next week, know Usain Bolt, and maybe Mo Farah, and that’s about it.

“And RTÉ, our national broadcaster, not covering these championships anymore is a bit pathetic, to be honest. Of course the doping doesn’t help, and it disgusts me now to hear athletes talk about being clean, then end up getting caught with something.

“The whole thing to me has gone a bit hypocritical. But I’ll still be watching, glued to every race in Moscow. And I think all true fans of the sport will be too.”

Photo Montage: Sheila Reid in Moscow for World Champs

Here's a photo montage from the track in Moscow as Sheila Reid greeted fans and got in a track workout in anticipation of her first World Championships competition.

Marcus O'Sullivan Provides Inspiration to Young Runners

Ex-Olympian O'Sullivan shares his story in Fredon

By ANTHONY SPAULDING
New Jersey Herald
August 7, 2013

FREDON — When Marcus O'Sullivan comes to speak at the X-Treme Running Camp every year, he doesn't just talk about running and his success in it.

The former Olympian for Ireland and current cross country and track and field head coach for Villanova likes to illustrate to the campers a tale that has a greater meaning.

"The story I have is really about life. It just happens to be in the medium of running," O'Sullivan said to the approximately 50 campers during a 15-minute speech at the camp's 14th installment Wednesday at Lodestar Park.

"Whatever dreams, aspirations or goals you have, whether you want to be a runner, a rock star, a musician, an artist or a great doctor, I like to present my story in a way that anything is possible if you put your mind to it."

A four-time Olympian and a man who ran under four minutes for a mile run 101 times, O'Sullivan began his story at this year's camp, which started Monday, continues today and ends Friday, by telling the campers about the day he first dreamed of wanting to become an Olympian.

When he was 8 years old, he and his family would walk 12 to 13 miles every Sunday morning. During one of those walks, O'Sullivan asked his father if he thought he could make Ireland's Olympic team despite having no prior running experience.

"He said, ‘Well, '76 is coming up soon and you're going to be way too young and '80, I think that will be too early for you, too," Sullivan recalled. "But, he said, '84 is a good year.' "

After talking with his father, O'Sullivan joined a local running club. On his first day with the club, O'Sullivan said he ended up getting beaten by a group of girls and decided to quit the sport.

A few years later when he was in middle school, O'Sullivan wanted to get back into the sport by volunteering to compete for the school's cross country team. But after "a presentation brother" told him that cross country "is a tough sport and I'm not sure if it is something you should be handling," O'Sullivan decided not to join the team.

Though he felt "dejected" and sad about not going out, O'Sullivan said his passion for running was still there.

"I left it alone, but I kept thinking about it," O'Sullivan said.

O'Sullivan managed to get back into running a couple of years later thanks to his high school team having an open tryout. When he showed up for the tryout as a freshman, he took fourth in it and made the team.
"That was my formal introduction," O'Sullivan said. "I was thrilled."

Though he was on the team, O'Sullivan "never, ever won" while competing in high school or at his school's "field day" race. As a result, he did not get a scholarship for running and was told he had to "get a job."

So when he graduated from high school in 1979, O'Sullivan decided to take a job making spinnakers for ships at 25 cents per hour. While working, he met a man named Donald Walsh, who was a former runner for Villanova. O'Sullivan said Walsh wanted to help him by running with him every day for a whole year.

This training, in turn, made O'Sullivan really want to succeed as a runner.

"I was so determined to do something with my life," O'Sullivan said. "I knew running was going to help me get there. It was the way out."

The year of training with Walsh paid off, as O'Sullivan was awarded a scholarship to Villanova. But O'Sullivan said his time at Villanova had its ups and downs, especially in 1983 when he and his Villanova teammates did not win a gold medal at the Penn Relays — a feat that happened to them for the first time in 20 years.

O'Sullivan took this performance to heart so much that he was about to quit the sport entirely. However, he was talked out of it by Walsh.

"He said, ‘Failing isn't the worst thing in life that can happen to you,'" O'Sullivan recalled. "‘The worst thing in life that can happen to you is not trying.'"

From that moment on, O'Sullivan felt rejuvenated and wound up turning his career around at Villanova, where he would become one of the greatest middle-distance runners for the Wildcats from 1980-84.

O'Sullivan in 1987 winning his first of three World Championships

He then went on to run professionally for 15 years while making the Olympics in 1984, 1988, 1992 and 1996, winning the World Indoor Championships three times in the 1,500-meter race and earning medals at the Goodwill Games, the European Championships, the World Championships and the U.S. Championships.

He also became one of only three men to run more than 100 sub-4-minute miles in his career.

O'Sullivan hopes the campers saw his story, or what he calls his "journey," and can take away the lessons he learned about staying dedicated to running or whatever things they want to do in life.

"This is really truly about life," O'Sullivan said. "If you really care about something, that's important. It's the commitment to doing something for a long period of time."

O'Sullivan's story stuck with local runners Joe Dragon and Katie Maio so much that they want to better themselves for their upcoming track and field and cross country seasons for High Point High School and Kittatinny High School, respectively.

"It definitely did," said Dragon, a rising sophomore for High Point who qualified for the New Balance Outdoor Nationals last spring in the 1 Mile Freshmen championships. "It taught me to keep with it."

"Running is really important to me," said Maio, an upcoming junior and two-time North 1, Group 2 cross country medalist for Kittatinny. "I'm thinking about it now, so it (the story) made a big impact."

Marina Muncan to Coach at The College of New Jersey

Former Villanova All-American and 2012 Olympian at 1500 meters Marina Muncan has taken a new coaching position at the College of New Jersey.  Muncan, the Serbian national record holder at 1500 meters and the mile, has spent the last year coaching at Richard Stockton College in New Jersey.  Here is the official news release from TCNJ:

Former Olympian to join TCNJ coaching staff

8/6/2013 2:40:00 PM

 

Ewing, NJ … The College of New Jersey department of athletics and recreation announced Marina Muncan has been named interim full-time assistant coach of the men's and women's cross country and track and field programs. Muncan joins interim head coach Justin Lindsey, who was promoted earlier this summer to lead both programs.

Muncan recently competed in the 2012 Olympics held in London. She was a member of the Serbian Olympic Team and raced in the 1,500-meter event.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to coach at a college with such a strong tradition in cross country and track and field," noted Muncan, who had just taken a tour of campus from Lindsey. "I am excited to meet the athletes and hope my experience can assist towards continued success here at TCNJ."

Already familiar with the New Jersey Athletic Conference, Muncan comes from Richard Stockton College, where she was the women's cross country head coach and assistant track and field coach. Muncan focused on middle distance and distance runners during the winter and spring, while she guided the Osprey cross country runners to a significant improvement in performance last fall.

Muncan graduated from Villanova University in 2006 where she was an 11-time All-American and individual Big East Champion. As a senior, Muncan finished runner-up at the NCAA championships in the 1,500-meter event. Muncan was also a member of the Big East Academic All-Star Team from 2003 through 2006.

The Lions open their 2013 cross country schedule on August 31 when they host the Blue/Gold Classic at Rosedale Park in Hopewell, NJ. Two weeks later, TCNJ will compete in the Ramapo Roadrunner Invitational held at Ramapo Roadrunner College.

Wood Report: Villanova Men's XC Ranked 23rd

Here's the analysis of the Villanova men's cross country team for the coming 2013 campaign.  The Wood Report ranks the squad at #23 in the NCAA.

NCAA XC Top 31 Countdown: Men's #23- Villanova

 

Editor's note: For the next month, The Wood Report will be counting down projected team finishes in this year's NCAA Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, IN.

#23

Villanova

Head Coach: Marcus O'Sullivan (14th Season)

2012 National Finish- 27th

---

Key Returners from 2012

• Sam McEntee (Jr., 3:36.81 1500m, 3:57 Mile, 7:54 Open 3k, 14:19 5k)
• Jordy Williamsz (So., 3:36 1500m, 4:00 Mile, 8:04 Open 3k)
• Robert Denault (So., 3:41 1500m, 3:59 Mile, 8:15 Open 3k)

Impact Recruits/Transfers

• Ben Malone (Fr., 3:46 1500m, 4:11 1600m, 9:12 2 Mile, NXN Nats Finalist)
• Patrick Tiernan (Fr., 8:11 Open 3k, 3 X Australian Junior XC Champ, 14:40 5k)

Season Preview

After a very good Mid-Atlantic Region race in 2012 where the Wildcats were one point away from tying for first place with Georgetown, the wheels fell off at NCAAs and they saw themselves finish 27th as a team. Villanova will have an opportunity in 2013 to redeem themselves from that with five of their top seven returning and most of them coming off of career track seasons. 

Villanova returns one of the deepest and strongest 1500m programs in the country. The question that always comes along with metric milers is if they have the range to run 8k and 10k (10k is the real kicker). Maybe a reason why the Wildcats struggled in Louisville was because their team is stock full of 1500m runners and the jump to 10k is too difficult. If that were the case though, then there is no way they would have run as well as they did for 10k at the Mid-Atlantic Regional. 

With a fresh season ahead of us all of these questions will be answered, the good news for Wildcat fans is that they have a legendary coach in Marcus O'Sullivan to guide this group of milers. He knows a thing or two about middle distance runners.

Sam McEntee is the returning no. 1 man and leader of this team and is coming off of a very good track season. Although he was not able to improve upon his 3:36 1500m PR of '12 (brutally tough to ever duplicate that performance), McEntee did reach the NCAA 1500m final for the second year and placed seventh overall. He should be able to ride that momentum into a solid summer of training. If he can keep his miles up and stay healthy that jump to 10k will suit him just fine (as he proved at the regional). 

Jordy Williamsz was the star recruit of last seasons class for the Wildcats and was a solid contributor as a no. 2-4 runner. He, like McEntee, had a great regional where he placed fourth overall and ran a solid 30:35 on grass. This proves he has the range to go up to 10k, he just needs to do it on back to back races. If Williamsz can figure that out, he has the ability and talent to roll right with McEntee and should prove a very good no.2. 

The wildcard for this team lies in Robert Denault of Canada. Like McEntee, Denault was able to reach the NCAA Championship in the 1500m where he finished 18th in the country. It is always good to start summer training, looking ahead toward xc, after a very good end to a track season. Denault will be critical to the success of this team if he can prove his range in the latter portions of the season. 

Villanova has two very good recruits in Ben Malone and Patrick Tiernan. Malone ended up being one of the nation's best 1500m runners (go figure) in the country last track season as a prep where he ran 3:46. Malone has had some quality cross country experience in high school. Ben qualified for NXN Nationals and had to struggle through the mud and rain where he did not have the race he expected. This kind of experience will be very helpful to the Villanova 1-5 as he has a chance to break into that group and be an impact player. 

Patrick Tiernan, from the moment he steps on campus, could be the best true cross country guy on the team. His three junior xc championships in Australia proves he is capable over the long distances on grass and his track PRs are very good for his age group. Tiernan is an instant-offense kind of recruit that could put himself in the no. 3 spot the very first real race of the season. In fact, by the end of the season, we could see Tiernan challenging McEntee as the no. 1 runner for the Wildcats. 

Other athletes such as Brian Basili (if he can come back from his crazy broken arm over the steeple barrier in time) and Alex Tully were solid contributors in cross country for Villanova in 2012 and should be in the mix of their top seven where they will be critical to keeping the 1-5 spread as grouped as possible. 

The Mid-Atlantic Regional is always tough and Villanova will once again need to figure out how hard to go at Regionals to make sure they save themselves for a good run at the Big Dance. With Coach O'Sullivan leading this team, that should be no problem and these metric milers could show the long-distance guys that they have some range too in Terre Haute.

THESE FIVE THINGS: Brad Sumner

This is the second installment of a new series at Villanova Running called These Five Things. The series focuses on Villanova's standout performers over the decades -- great runners on the Main Line who helped create and solidify the glory of the Villanova program.

Sumner's anchor beat Frey and Georgetown in 1991

While at Villanova from 1989-1993, Brad Sumner was an NCAA, Penn Relays, Big East, and IC4A champion.  He won an NCAA title in 1990, running the third leg of Villanova's NCAA indoor national champion 4x800 relay squad.  Outdoors, Brad was a 3-time NCAA finalist and 3-time All-American at 800 meters, finishing 8th (1:50.09), 4th (1:46.77), and 4th (1:47.65) in 1991, 1992, and 1993, respectively. He heroically anchored Villanova's 1991 Penn Relays 4x800 team (7:15.55) to a Championship of America victory by half a stride over Georgetown's (7:15.73) Ethan Frey (see photo, right). He repeated the feat the following year as Villanova again took the 4x800 at the Penn Relays -- this time by a much wider margin (see photo below).  In 1993 Sumner again helped Villanova to a Penn Relays title, but this time not without controversy. Arkansas coach John McDonnell accused Sumner of knocking the baton from the hand of the Arkansas third leg, John Schiefer, as Villanova, in front of 39,592 onlookers, went on to win the 4x1500 wagon wheel at Penn for the first time since 1984.  Sumner was also a six-time Big East champion (1990: 4x800; 1991: 4x800i; 1992: 800m; 1993: 800i, 4x800i, 1500m), and anchored Villanova's 2-mile championship relay at the 1993 IC4A meet.

Brad was recruited to Villanova from Rochester, New York. He still holds the New York State championship meet record at 600 meters (1:19.56), set in 1989 running for McQuaid Jesuit. At that same New York state meet, Brad also anchored McQuaid Jesuit's come-from-behind 4x800 state championship relay effort.  While a prep runner, Sumner set a national high school record for indoor 600-meter run and he anchored 4x800 meter relay teams that won two national indoor championships, three Eastern States titles, and two state outdoor championships.  He was inducted into McQuaid Jesuit's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.

Post-collegiately, Brad was an 800 meter finalist at USA Outdoor Nationals in 1993 (6th in 1:46.33), 1994 (4th in 1:47.79), and 1995 (5th in 1:48.90).  On April 11, 1995 Sumner ran 3:59.11 to place his name on Villanova's illustrious sub-4:00 list.  He competed at both the 1992 (details below) and 1996 US Olympic Trials.  While at Villanova, Brad met his future wife in teammate Tosha Woodward. Together they have 2 children, Brynne (12), and Will (9) and live outside Atlanta, Georgia, where Brad works in the financial services industry.

In this series, each person will be asked to reflect back on their days at Villanova, and to complete the following sentence:

"When I think back on my times at Villanova, both as a student and an athlete, more and more my thoughts revolve around These Five Things: . . . . "

Here are Brad Sumner's responses to the question:

1. Teammates

The transition from high school to college is a big change for any student but being a member of the track team was a great advantage in making that transition as your teammates served as a kind of family, given how much time you spend traveling, training, rooming and going to classes with them. Looking back at my years at Villanova I’m reminded of how much a part of your life your teammates are and how much of a role they play in your success.

It wasn’t always a smooth ride the first two seasons as we went through a coaching transition but having Mike Seeger take me under his wing my first year is something I’ll always appreciate. He was the captain and primary motivator during the transition from a team with a questionable future to a team in the midst of a rebuilding phase. Our 4x800 win at the 1991 Penn Relays is the most memorable and proudest moment I have while running with Mike at Villanova.

Following my freshmen year, Marty Stern was named the head coach of the Villanova men’s program and gradually our recruiting prospects improved and the addition of Louie Quintana to the roster my junior year had a tremendous impact on my development as a runner. 1992 was a breakthrough year for me and I think much of that can be attributed to training and racing with Louie – probably the toughest competitor I’ve ever trained with.

Louie and I both qualified for the Olympic Trials in 1992 and based on our performances at the Trials and the following year at the NCAA Championships and USATF Nationals, we were able to spend the summer of 1992 and 1993 traveling and competing in Europe. Being able to do this with a fellow Villanova teammate made it a tremendous experience and one of my favorite Villanova memories.

2. Coach Pyrah

You can’t talk about the Villanova Track & Field tradition without mentioning Coach Pyrah. He was an old-school coach who always seemed to have his stop watch ready to go and was a welcome presence, even though he wasn’t as involved in the program's day-to-day operation. He was loved and respected by the entire team and it’s hard to imagine Villanova having the success it enjoys to this day without the foundation built by Jumbo and Coach Pyrah.

Sumner anchored the 4x800 again in 1992

I enjoyed Coach Pyrah’s stories and recollections, and even though he often repeated them, he provided a connection to Jumbo and the years of success the program enjoyed. Coach Pyrah also had this way of keeping you from getting over confident or cocky after a race by reminding you of a performance from one of the greats from the past. I can only imagine the number of record breaking races Coach Pyrah witnessed over his career and in the back of my mind I always wanted to run a race that would leave an impression on him.

I’m reminded in Mark Belger’s “These Five Things” of how Coach Pyrah used to recall the same rule from Jumbo regarding having three things you could do while in college (school, running, and socializing/girls) but you could only be successful at two of them. I’m sure the intent was to focus on school and running so maybe that’s where I ran into a little trouble by dating my then future wife, Tosha Woodward. All kidding aside, it’s great to have the shared experience of both running for Villanova.

For more information on the career of Jack Pyrah, go HERE.

3. Marty Stern

Marty Stern was named the head coach of the men’s program following my freshman year at Villanova and I’m sure there was a tremendous amount of pressure on him as he took the reins of a program that was in need of rebuilding. Even though Marty had a great deal of success with the women’s program, I wasn’t sure what to expect. We hoped the success and recruiting of the woman’s program would translate to the men’s team and after my first meeting with him I knew things were going to be different.

Marty was very competitive and he brought an organization to the program that helped create an environment for success. That first season wasn’t without friction but over the next few years our recruiting improved and it started to feel like the program was on the path to success.

Our 4x800 win at the Penn Relays in 1991 was one of the great memories I have with Marty. Every Villanova runner dreams about winning at Penn Relays, but looking back I’m sure it was a tremendous moment for Marty and a bit of a relief given the pressure on the men’s program to produce results at the Penn Relays.


4. Penn Relays

While at McQuaid Jesuit High School I was a member of several competitive relay teams that participated in the High School Championship of America 4x800 so I was already familiar with the significance of the meet though we were never able to win.  Following the high school 4x800m I was able to watch the Villanova men win the college men’s 4x800 Championship of America and hoped someday I’d be able to do the same.

Sumner was a 3x Penn Relays Champion

When back on campus, I still enjoy walking down the Penn Relays Wagon Wheel trophy lined hall between the Jake Nevin Field House and the Pavilion and I recall how it served as a daily reminder of the importance of the Penn Relays to Villanova.

My freshmen year, discussion of Penn Relays began the first day of Cross Country practice and after winning the 4x800 at the indoor NCAA meet it seemed like we would have good chance of winning at Penn that year. At Penn, I ran the third leg and handed off to Mike Seeger with the shortest of leads and stood on the track and watched Mike Seeger battle Mike Jasper (Georgetown) in an incredibly close race where we came up just short, losing by less than a second. This was the toughest loss I experienced at Penn as it was the closest I’d come yet to a win.

The next year our team of Aidan O’Regan, Finn Kelly, Mike Seeger and I would have a chance to redeem ourselves and in a twist of a fate Mike Seeger ran against Mike Jasper on the third leg. This was another battle and Mike had the strongest leg of the day putting on a big move over the last 200 meters that gave us a short lead over Georgetown. I hung on against Ethan Frey, had my first Penn Relays watch, and the experience was made all the better given the results of the previous year.

5. Villanova Tradition

All you have to do is flip through a Villanova Track & Field media guide to see the rich tradition of Villanova track and field. I think the combination of a beautiful campus, excellent academic reputation, and strong athletic program makes it a memorable place to attend school and I think there are only a handful of schools that can compare in terms of having such a rich tradition.

Whether it was the pictures of athletes like Ron Delany hanging on the wall near the stairs in Jake Nevin or the trophy- and NCAA certificate-lined hallway between the Jake Nevin Field House and the Pavilion, there was a daily reminder of the success of the athletes that came before you. I used to love walking down that hall looking for names on the certificates or looking at the years on the Penn Relays Wagon Wheels and trying to determine relay team members for given years. I think any athlete who puts on the Villanova singlet wants to be a part of that success and as an alum it’s nice to know I was able to contribute a little to the wall.

One of my favorite memories that was a nod to the past was our Penn Relays pre-race tradition of visiting Jumbo’s statue by the track and touching Jumbo’s stopwatch for good luck the night before heading down to Penn. I’m not sure where or when it started but Mike Seeger passed this on to me and it’s something I carried on before every Penn Relays while at Villanova.

As an alum I still feel like I’m part of the same program whose success spans decades. I look at the talent on the team now and the continued leadership under Marcus and the future for the Villanova Track and Field program looks bright. It seems like it would be a great time to run at Villanova and Tosha and I enjoy following the team on Facebook and Twitter and of course, the Villanova Running blog.

Bobby Curtis a Strong 3rd in Belgian 5000

Bobby Curtis came a strong third over 5000 meters in Ninove, Belgium on Saturday night, running 13:29.70 at the 23rd Raschaert Memorial.  Curtis was part of a three-man group, led by 2012 Olympic 5000 meter finalist and 2011 Pan Am Games 5000 meter gold medalist Juan Luis Barrios, that separated itself over the final lap.  Curtis finished in third, about 2.5 seconds in arrears.

Rank	Lane	ID	Name	Team	Cat	Result
1	3	9265	Barrios Juan Luis	MEX	Sen	13:27.32
2	2	9043	Hiss Bachir Youssouf	DJI	Sen	13:28.20
3	4	9455	Curtis Robert	USA	Sen	13:29.79
4	14	2447	Naert Koen	EA	Sen	13:34.31
5	7	9405	Wallerang Olle	SWE	Sen	13:34.74
6	11	9236	Onishi Tomoya	JPN	Sen	13:40.46
7	9	3010	Bouchikhi Soufiane	OLSE	Sen	13:43.55
8	17	9227	Hoshi Sohta	JPN	Sen	13:46.85
9	15	9241	Yoroizaka Tetsuya	JPN	Sen	13:48.05
10	10	9225	Fukatsu Takuya	JPN	Sen	13:49.41
11	8	9046	Nurme Tiidrek	EST	Sen	13:51.07
12	13	9469	Riley Jacob	USA	Sen	13:52.90
13	5	9229	Kakuage Hiromitsu	JPN	Sen	13:53.78
14	21	9204	Sonnenberg Nico	GER	Sen	14:00.07
15	24	9474	Van Halen Aric	USA	Sen	14:01.54
16	12	9235	Oishi Minato	JPN	Sen	14:03.14
17	18	9230	Kiname Ryo	JPN	Sen	14:09.37
18	23	9404	Uhrbom Fredrik	SWE	Mas	14:10.01
19	16	9234	Nishiyama Yohei	JPN	Sen	14:12.23
20	19	9368	Ellefsen Persen Asbjorn	NOR	Sen	14:13.53
21	25	2199	Van Assche Lukas	VAC	Sen	14:30.13
22	26	1072	Caelen Florent	RFCL	Sen	14:35.38
23	22	9456	Devar Frank	USA	Sen	14:45.31
	0	9187	Grobl Tobias	GER	Sen	DNF
	1	3093	Kibet Alex*	VAC	Sen	DNF
	6	2396	Lunders Mats	LYRA	Sen	DNF
	20	9029	Nixon Andrew	CAN	Sen	DNF
	27	9463	Leer Will	USA	Sen	DNF

July 27, 1985: Sydney Maree's 13:01.15 Sets New AR

On this day in 1985 Villanova legend Sydney Maree set a US National Record in the 5000 meters, running what was on that day the third-fastest time in history.  In the process he chased Morocco's Said Aouita to a new world record of 13:00.40, breaking Britain's David Moorcroft's two-year old record (13:00.41) by the thinnest of margins.  Maree's time of 13:01.15 -- which destroyed the extant US National Record of Alberto Salazar by over 10 seconds -- would stand as the US record for 11 years until Bob Kennedy became the first American (and first non-African) to break the magical 13:00 barrier in July 1996.  Maree's 13:01.15 remains the fastest 5000 meters ever run by a former Villanova athlete.

Aouita and Maree waged an epic battle over multiple laps, with Aouita able at the end to ward off Maree by two strides.  As the video above shows, Maree took the lead at the bell and held the lead for most of the final lap but was unable to stave off Aouita, who retook the lead in the final 150 meters of the race.  Aouita would go on in the next month to claim the 1500 meters world record, a record that Maree himself had held briefly in 1983.

Sports Illustrated described the race this way, in its August 5, 1985 edition:

Two men were out to get him. Sydney Maree, the former 1,500 record holder, and the Olympic champion at 10,000, Alberto Cova of Italy. Both are renowned finishers. After Torstein Brox of Norway and Bob Verbeck of Belgium had rabbited past halfway at near-record pace, Aouita took over and kept up a steady flow of 63-second laps. Only Maree and Cova stayed with him. "From 3,000 to the end, I felt very bad," said Aouita. "Not in my legs, but in the stomach." Aouita is all chest and legs and teeth. He has run a 1:44.37 800, but speed training is said to hurt his flat feet.

Maree stayed second, so close that Aouita would always sense him. "From 2,000 meters, I knew he was there and going well and that he would attack," said Aouita. "The question was when."

And whether Aouita could respond. "I felt [then] that I couldn't do it today," he said. "At 3,000 I even thought of dropping out of the race."

With 600 to go, the pace got to Cova, and he fell away. Ten meters before the last-lap bell, Maree took off. The sight of him cutting in ahead jolted Aouita. "I liked it very much when he attacked," said Aouita later. "He helped the last 400 meters."

Aouita came to Maree's shoulder with 200 to go, and Maree held him there, outside, running farther on the turn. But Aouita fought even with 150 to run, pulled ahead off the turn and sprinted through the stretch. "I knew," he said. "I knew when Sydney sped ahead it was going to be a world record."

That was an awful lot of certainty for what turned out to be a very near thing. He hit the line in 13:00.40,.01 faster than Dave Moorcroft's great solo run at Bislett in 1982.

Aouita's last lap had taken but 54.4 seconds. Maree had given Aouita the world record with his long charge, and Aouita acknowledged it. "If he had gone from 800 meters, we'd have broken 13 minutes," he said, greedy and happy at the same time.

Sheila Reid 4th in London DL 3000 in 8:44.02 PR

Reid comes 4th in new 3000m PR


Sheila Reid ran an 8:44.02 PR today over 3000 meters in London, finishing 4th in a very fast race. The top four finishers all bettered the pre-existing 2013 world low for the event (which was 8:44.30 by Ethiopia's Almaz Ayana). Reid reacted well when the race leaders struck for home, and she was able to finish well clear of Jordan Hasay in 5th.

Rank	Athlete	Nation	Result		Diamond Points	Diamond Ranking
1	ROWBURY Shannon	USA	8:41.46	WL	4	4
2	ANDERSON Gabriele	USA	8:42.64	PB	2	6
3	HUDDLE Molly	USA	8:42.99	PB	1	9
4	REID Sheila	CAN	8:44.02	PB
5	HASAY Jordan	USA	8:46.89	PB
6	CONLEY Kim	USA	8:47.95	PB
7	REILLY Chelsea	USA	8:48.30
8	FELNAGLE Brianna	USA	8:52.59
9	MCCOLGAN Eilish	GBR	8:53.66	PB
10	GORECKA Emelia	GBR	8:55.59	SB
11	CHEPTAI Irine Chebet	KEN	8:56.20
12	CHECA Dolores	ESP	8:56.42	SB
13	TWELL Stephanie	GBR	8:58.57
14	AVERY Kate	GBR	9:02.48	PB
15	ARESON Jackie	AUS	9:08.02
	MOSER Treniere	USA	DNF

Sonia O'Sullivan's Last Lap

Today is the 17th anniversary of Sonia O'Sullivan's Olympic Record (15:15.80) set in the semi-final of the 5000 meters at the Atlanta Olympics.  On this day it is worth remembering this fine Villanova athlete -- without dispute the greatest female runner in Villanova track and field history.  Sonia O'Sullivan competed for Ireland in four Olympic Games (1992 Barcelona, 1996 Atlanta, 2000 Sydney, 2004 Athens), winning a silver medal over 5000 meters in 2000. She was twice the World Champion in Cross Country, performing the rare long- and short-course double in Marrakesh in 1998. Sonia was also a World Champion on the track, winning the 5000 meters in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1995 (as well as a world championships silver over 1500 meters in 1993 in Stuttgart). She was a three-time European Champion over 3000 (1994), 5000 (1998), and 10,000 (1998) meters, and won European silver two additional times. She was runner-up over 3000 meters at the 1997 World Indoor Championships. At Villanova, Sonia was a 5-time NCAA individual national champion.  She won two NCAA cross country individual titles (1991 and 1992), two 3000 meter NCAA crowns (1990i, 1990), and the 5000i meter title in 1991. She set world records over 2000 and 5000i meters.

 2x World Cross Country Champion
World Champion at 5000 meters
Olympic Silver Medalist at 5000 meters
World Championships Silver Medalist at 1500 meters
4x Olympian (1992, 1996, 2000, 2004)
3x European Champion
3x World Record Holder
5x NCAA Individual Champion
16x International Medalist
Irish National Records over 10 distances
6x Penn Relays Champion
10x Big East Champion

Nine Cats Named to All-Academic Team by USTFCCCA

The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) has announced its list of All-Academic award winners.

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or higher and have met either of the following athletic standards:

(1) for the indoor season, a student-athlete must have finished the regular season ranked in the national top 96 in an individual event or ranked in the national top 48 (collective listing) in a relay event on the official NCAA POP list provided by TFRRS.org;

(2) for the outdoor season, a student-athlete must have participated in any round of the NCAA Division I Championships (including preliminary rounds).

Here are Villanova's members of the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team:

Rob Denault           3.40     Marketing        
Sam Ellison           3.34     Communications
Sam McEntee           3.46     Comprehensive Sciences


Summer Cook           3.57     Political Science
Kelsey Margey         3.27     Sciences
Ariann Neutts         3.46     Humanities
Stephanie Schappert   3.78     Marketing
Alexandra Wasik       3.80     Global Interdisciplinary Studies
Michaela Wilkins      3.33     Arts

1984 US Olympic Trials 800 meter Final:John Marshall Runs Fastest 800 Ever by Villanova Athlete

No Villanova runner has ever gone faster over 800 meters than John Marshall's 1:43.92 at the 1984 US Olympic Trials final.  Marshall came third on June 19th in a thrilling race, out-leaning pre-race favorite James Robinson to make the Olympic team.  Robinson wasn't the only favorite not to make the team:  Villanova's Don Paige, who won the 1980 US Trials in 1:44.53 but could not compete due to President Carter's Olympic boycott, was generally expected to make the team easily.  However, the fast pace (the leaders out in 50.2 seconds) seems to have caught him off guard and he could rally to no better than 5th place.  Marshall's time was only .01 second off the US national record (Rick Wohlhuter's 1:43.91) at that distance as the day began, as both Jones and Gray (who would go on to win the US Trials in 1988, 1992, and 1996) went under the old mark.  Indeed, it was the first 800 meter race in history where four men dipped below 1:44.00.  In the video below, Villanova's legendary Marty Liquori covered the race for ABC Sports with Al Michael.

Results
1. Earl Jones        1:43.74
2. Johnny Gray       1:43.74
3. John Marshall     1:43.92
4. James Robinson    1:43.92
5. Don Paige         1:45.17
6. Stanley Redwine   1:45.32
7. Pete Richardson   1:46.62
8. Eugene Sanders    1:47.05

Former Villanova Teammates Jerry Bouma, Eamonn Coghlan attend "The Gathering" in Dublin

 An Irish Gathering
The Edmonton Journal
July 21, 2013
 
Edmonton’s Jerry Bouma is just back from Dublin after celebrating The Gathering with running legend and college friend Eamonn Coghlan and Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny.

Jerry Bouma was team co-captain in 1974

“The Gathering is a largely government initiative to attract the Irish diaspora home and enhance tourism and business opportunities,” says Bouma, whose consulting company specializes in the food and agriculture industry.

“I trained for track events at Villanova University with Eamonn, who I tell people is to Ireland what Wayne Gretzky is to Canada. He is senator now and invited a dozen college track alumni over to play in a Senator’s Cup golf tournament.”

Coghlan, who won the indoor mile at the Journal Games in 1981, is a three-time Olympian and a former 5,000-metre world champion. At the age of 22, he ran a sub-four minute mile to set an Irish record before claiming the European record.

Coghlan was tagged “The Chairman of the Boards” for his mile wins on the US indoor circuit. He broke the world record three times and claimed the indoor world record for the 1,500- and 2,000-metre distances.

“The prime minister was unable to play golf because of controversies that make our own scene look tame,” says Bouma. “Abortion, banking, the future of the senate and fractions in his own party are just some of the heated discussions. But Kenny did spend about three hours with us before leaving to participate in the 180-kilometre Ring of Kerry bike tour the next day.”

For more on Jerry Bouma, the first Canadian scholarship runner at Villanova (1970-1974), go HERE.