Showing posts with label central cambria. Show all posts
Showing posts with label central cambria. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
Passion+Energy is a Very Contagious Combination
We talked extensively with three coaches, Randy Wilson (Central Cambria), Kevin Kelly (West Chester Henderson), and Mike Craighead (Conestoga Valley). Within five minutes of talking to them, I found myself ready to tighten up my shoelaces so that I could do whatever running workout they had in store. I could see the passion in the eyes as I walked up to meet them. And their energy is exuded onto everything around them. By combining these two traits, in addition to a myriad of others, it is no wonder these coaches are so successful and have built such high quality programs. The coaches are all very knowledgeable at their craft and have the athletes long-term development at the front of their minds. Sure it would tempting for some coaches to run these elite athletes into the ground for their own personal glory. But those thoughts never come into play. By establishing a strong team that has an individualized focus, all the athletes under their care are able to benefit.
On top of their passion and energy, all three coaches look as if they are still fit and could give their athletes a run for their money. They all run so effortlessly, from Coach Craighead dashing across the football field yelling splits to 3 groups of athletes, Coach Kelly warming up with his athletes and checking in on them at various points, but still having ample time to make it to the finish, and Coach Wilson seemingly runnings 7 seven miles to cheer for a 3.1 mile race. As one can see, catching up to the coaches was almost harder than catching up to the athletes.
The athletes feed off their coach's energy. It would be impossible to run for one of these coaches and not give 100% on a daily basis. The coaches demand that from themselves. The coaches are able to see the vision of the road that lies before their team and help their athletes navigate the obstacles and successes that they happen upon throughout the season.
Another trait these coaches share is their belief in their athletes. One could argue that they believe in their athletes more than the athletes might believe in themselves. In fact Carly Seymour credited Coach Wilson's belief in her as a big reason to her jump to the next level. She said he kept telling her she could be the best, and one day it finally sunk in because she realized, "Why would he lie to me." So she started believing it too, and we have all seen how well that has worked out. Coach Wilson has what seems to be never-ending supply of energy. The fact we were able to slow him down for an interview shocked. But I was not surprised by the care and time he devoted to us. Similar to the other two coaches, everything he does he is fully engaged. So his captivating interview was not a shock. But what was amazing is how he ties everything in his program together to acheive success. He coaches the middle school track team which tells me one thing, he is fully invested into the development of the program. I could see how Coach Wilson's attitude, energy, and drives are embodied by both his boy's and girl's teams. These qualities, along with many others, shows he foundation of what the program is built upon and gives the first indication of why it is so successful.
Coach Craighead is a student of the sport as much as he is a mentor to his young athletes. When asked why he got into coaching, he replied, "To give something back. I have gotten a lot from running, and I want to make sure others have the same opportunity." On our last visit to Lancaster, Vince was stuck in traffic while returning home from a field trip. So what did Coach Craighead do? He showed us what seemed like every inch of pavement and grass where he has his team run. Did he have to do that? Not at all, but in his words, "I want to make sure you guys get something out of the trip." Spending that afternoon on his personal tour, I felt really apart of their program. And the fact that he took the time to ask us questions and our opinions made the interview feel like a conversation with good friend. We try to be as objective as possible, but little things like this, have you rooting for Coach Craighead and his team to have continued success.
The trip to West Chester would prove to be just as rewarding as the other two meetings. I have always been a fan of Coach Kelly. Because he is such a great ambassador to the sport, by setting up meets throughout the track season that truly are there to benefit the kids. The West Chester Henderson Invitational and Annual Pennsylvania Distance Festival are two premier meets that he organizes each year. And I urge you if you are able to participate, GO!! They are first class events designed to get fast times. Some of the races have pacemakers, but all of them have elite fields. Coach Kelly is fortunate to have a feeder system for his program. He detailed to us what the middle schools and youth programs were doing. And it goes back to the sense of family. How it is isn't just about one person, but a collective group of people chasing after their dreams and goals together.
All three of the aforementioned coaches are great at their craft, because they have invested themselves and their time fully into the endeavor of building a quality program. They all are focused on the development of their athletes and the program as a whole, by taking a strong interest in the youth of the area. They are very inspiring individuals, not because they win and seem to produce state champions at ease, but because of what they stand for and what they try to teach their athletes on and off the course or track. If you have ever have the chance to talk to them for as little as five minutes, you will become an instant fan of their teams and athletes, the same way I did. They drew me in making me wanting to hear more and more and I as tried to understand why these three are so successful. And I knew going in, it would not be one thing, but a combination of many ideals. Their dedication, passion, energy, focus, and series of positive qualities, makes up the foundation their success is built upon. Those characteristics coupled with their commitment to developing a full program puts them on a path headed towards success and makes anyone who comes in contact with them an instant fan.
On top of their passion and energy, all three coaches look as if they are still fit and could give their athletes a run for their money. They all run so effortlessly, from Coach Craighead dashing across the football field yelling splits to 3 groups of athletes, Coach Kelly warming up with his athletes and checking in on them at various points, but still having ample time to make it to the finish, and Coach Wilson seemingly runnings 7 seven miles to cheer for a 3.1 mile race. As one can see, catching up to the coaches was almost harder than catching up to the athletes.
The athletes feed off their coach's energy. It would be impossible to run for one of these coaches and not give 100% on a daily basis. The coaches demand that from themselves. The coaches are able to see the vision of the road that lies before their team and help their athletes navigate the obstacles and successes that they happen upon throughout the season.
Another trait these coaches share is their belief in their athletes. One could argue that they believe in their athletes more than the athletes might believe in themselves. In fact Carly Seymour credited Coach Wilson's belief in her as a big reason to her jump to the next level. She said he kept telling her she could be the best, and one day it finally sunk in because she realized, "Why would he lie to me." So she started believing it too, and we have all seen how well that has worked out. Coach Wilson has what seems to be never-ending supply of energy. The fact we were able to slow him down for an interview shocked. But I was not surprised by the care and time he devoted to us. Similar to the other two coaches, everything he does he is fully engaged. So his captivating interview was not a shock. But what was amazing is how he ties everything in his program together to acheive success. He coaches the middle school track team which tells me one thing, he is fully invested into the development of the program. I could see how Coach Wilson's attitude, energy, and drives are embodied by both his boy's and girl's teams. These qualities, along with many others, shows he foundation of what the program is built upon and gives the first indication of why it is so successful.
Coach Craighead is a student of the sport as much as he is a mentor to his young athletes. When asked why he got into coaching, he replied, "To give something back. I have gotten a lot from running, and I want to make sure others have the same opportunity." On our last visit to Lancaster, Vince was stuck in traffic while returning home from a field trip. So what did Coach Craighead do? He showed us what seemed like every inch of pavement and grass where he has his team run. Did he have to do that? Not at all, but in his words, "I want to make sure you guys get something out of the trip." Spending that afternoon on his personal tour, I felt really apart of their program. And the fact that he took the time to ask us questions and our opinions made the interview feel like a conversation with good friend. We try to be as objective as possible, but little things like this, have you rooting for Coach Craighead and his team to have continued success.
The trip to West Chester would prove to be just as rewarding as the other two meetings. I have always been a fan of Coach Kelly. Because he is such a great ambassador to the sport, by setting up meets throughout the track season that truly are there to benefit the kids. The West Chester Henderson Invitational and Annual Pennsylvania Distance Festival are two premier meets that he organizes each year. And I urge you if you are able to participate, GO!! They are first class events designed to get fast times. Some of the races have pacemakers, but all of them have elite fields. Coach Kelly is fortunate to have a feeder system for his program. He detailed to us what the middle schools and youth programs were doing. And it goes back to the sense of family. How it is isn't just about one person, but a collective group of people chasing after their dreams and goals together.
All three of the aforementioned coaches are great at their craft, because they have invested themselves and their time fully into the endeavor of building a quality program. They all are focused on the development of their athletes and the program as a whole, by taking a strong interest in the youth of the area. They are very inspiring individuals, not because they win and seem to produce state champions at ease, but because of what they stand for and what they try to teach their athletes on and off the course or track. If you have ever have the chance to talk to them for as little as five minutes, you will become an instant fan of their teams and athletes, the same way I did. They drew me in making me wanting to hear more and more and I as tried to understand why these three are so successful. And I knew going in, it would not be one thing, but a combination of many ideals. Their dedication, passion, energy, focus, and series of positive qualities, makes up the foundation their success is built upon. Those characteristics coupled with their commitment to developing a full program puts them on a path headed towards success and makes anyone who comes in contact with them an instant fan.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Blood, Sweat, and Tears
Coach Kelly hit the nail on the head when he said, "People who don't run cross country, don't get it obviously, how much of a team sport it is." But calling the programs we spoke with simply teams is an understatement. They are much closer than that, they are family. And that has had a dramatic effect on everyone who is in the program, from the coaching staff to the whole team. The way the elite athletes relied on their team and how much the team relied on them as well was one of the most impressive things I saw while we were visiting with the different programs. I personally would leave each visit thinking, "Wow. I wish I would have went to school there."
As in all great organizations, it starts from the top. The strong ideals, energy, and enthusiasm the the coaches have is passed on to the team. And through sweat, blood, and tears, they become family. The coaches are all very knowledgeable at their craft and have the athletes' long-term development at the forefront of their minds. The coaches feed off of the athletes energy, desire, and goals. The athletes are sponges who absorb everything the coaches have to offer. They in turn are invigorated by their coaches insight and master plans. It is a symbiotic relationship that is functioning better than a well-oiled machine.
Throughout the interviews we heard over and over again how much the team meant to these top athletes. We could their sincerity in the voices and see it in their actions. Chris Aldrich said there are days when he doesn't feel like running, but his teammates are always pushing him out the door and keeping him going. Vince McNally said having teammates to workout with for the hard sessions makes it more bearable and strengthens the team bond. The excitement in Kara Millhouse's and Neely Spence's voice when we asked about the Cumberland Valley Athletic Club team was easily recognizable. And hearing how important winning the team state title was to Carly Seymour had me cheering for the Red Devils at Hershey. And when it was official that they had won, I was extremely happy for their program. Natalie Bower talked about her third 4th place finish and how they want to make another charge at a team state title. Jim Spisak said how thankful he was that their coach was rewarding their team for the great season they had by taking them to race at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional. Similar to Carly, Rachel Wong has had sisters on her team throughout her career, and that has meant a great deal to her and made the last four years very special.
Then when you talk with all of these athlete's teammates you hear the same thing. They don't see their teammate as different. They acknowledge they are more recognizable at meets because everyone sees pictures of their teammate constantly, but that was about it. They push their teammate on runs and workouts, they same way their teammate pushes them.
The coaches also understand the talent level of their top kids and develop their workout regimen as such. But it always is about the team. Everything comes back to that. Seeing Coach Mike Craighead orchestrate his practices, having 3 groups of kids do 3 completely different things, probably would look like a circus to a passerby. But to me, it was magical. Everyone was on a different agenda, but yet they were aware of what their teammates were doing, and would offer support when they caught their breath from the coach's grueling interval session. Coach Kevin Kelly made everything flow together so smoothly, it felt as if it could be set to music watching the team workout. By believing in each other, Coach Randy Wilson has built a juggernaut in Ebensburg that is out of this world. The coaches live and breathe the the development of the athlete as an individual and with the team.
We live in the "Me Me Me" and "Now" generations, and these athletes who could be self-centered, are completely grounded because of the fundamentals and philosophies instilled in them by their families and coaches. They have all achieved many great things throughout their high school careers and hopefully will continue to do so in college. But from their words, they would not have been able to do it with out their family's support and their running family's (teammates and coaches) constant influence and encouragement throughout the years. So yes cross country is team sport, a family sport if you will, whose bonds are forged through tough hill sessions, lung-burning intervals, long runs, all the time spent preparing not just for the next race but for life.
As in all great organizations, it starts from the top. The strong ideals, energy, and enthusiasm the the coaches have is passed on to the team. And through sweat, blood, and tears, they become family. The coaches are all very knowledgeable at their craft and have the athletes' long-term development at the forefront of their minds. The coaches feed off of the athletes energy, desire, and goals. The athletes are sponges who absorb everything the coaches have to offer. They in turn are invigorated by their coaches insight and master plans. It is a symbiotic relationship that is functioning better than a well-oiled machine.
Throughout the interviews we heard over and over again how much the team meant to these top athletes. We could their sincerity in the voices and see it in their actions. Chris Aldrich said there are days when he doesn't feel like running, but his teammates are always pushing him out the door and keeping him going. Vince McNally said having teammates to workout with for the hard sessions makes it more bearable and strengthens the team bond. The excitement in Kara Millhouse's and Neely Spence's voice when we asked about the Cumberland Valley Athletic Club team was easily recognizable. And hearing how important winning the team state title was to Carly Seymour had me cheering for the Red Devils at Hershey. And when it was official that they had won, I was extremely happy for their program. Natalie Bower talked about her third 4th place finish and how they want to make another charge at a team state title. Jim Spisak said how thankful he was that their coach was rewarding their team for the great season they had by taking them to race at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional. Similar to Carly, Rachel Wong has had sisters on her team throughout her career, and that has meant a great deal to her and made the last four years very special.
Then when you talk with all of these athlete's teammates you hear the same thing. They don't see their teammate as different. They acknowledge they are more recognizable at meets because everyone sees pictures of their teammate constantly, but that was about it. They push their teammate on runs and workouts, they same way their teammate pushes them.
The coaches also understand the talent level of their top kids and develop their workout regimen as such. But it always is about the team. Everything comes back to that. Seeing Coach Mike Craighead orchestrate his practices, having 3 groups of kids do 3 completely different things, probably would look like a circus to a passerby. But to me, it was magical. Everyone was on a different agenda, but yet they were aware of what their teammates were doing, and would offer support when they caught their breath from the coach's grueling interval session. Coach Kevin Kelly made everything flow together so smoothly, it felt as if it could be set to music watching the team workout. By believing in each other, Coach Randy Wilson has built a juggernaut in Ebensburg that is out of this world. The coaches live and breathe the the development of the athlete as an individual and with the team.
We live in the "Me Me Me" and "Now" generations, and these athletes who could be self-centered, are completely grounded because of the fundamentals and philosophies instilled in them by their families and coaches. They have all achieved many great things throughout their high school careers and hopefully will continue to do so in college. But from their words, they would not have been able to do it with out their family's support and their running family's (teammates and coaches) constant influence and encouragement throughout the years. So yes cross country is team sport, a family sport if you will, whose bonds are forged through tough hill sessions, lung-burning intervals, long runs, all the time spent preparing not just for the next race but for life.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
National Power Rankings
The latest MileSplit Foot Locker National Power Rankings were released. PA still has three athletes ranked, Vince McNally of Conestoga Valley (7th), Neely Spence of Shippensburg (3rd), and Carly Seymour of Central Cambria (4th). All three athletes won their respective District Championship this past weekend and will look to continue their winning ways at this weekend's PIAA State Championship.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
The word is spreading
Well Ebensburg's best kept secret is out, Carly Seymour and the Central Cambria XC team. After big days at Pre-states, Eastern States, and the Laurel Highlands Conference meet, everyone knows Carly and her team are the ones to beat for the AA State title. Lewisburg appears to be their closest challenger. They beat Central Cambria by 1 point at the Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational. Central Cambria is ranked 5th in the Northeast Region, while Seymour's special season has her ranked 4th in the Foot Locker Power Rankings.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
I Will See Your Effort, and Raise You...
It looks as if the other conferences saw the results from Mid-Penns and decided to up the ante. Mid-Penns was a great race, but it was just the tip of the iceberg as to what was in store for the rest of conference championship week.
Where do I start?
At the Lebanon-Lancaster League meet, Vince McNally was unstoppable. He ran 15:02 for the victory. But let me put that in perspective, his next closest competitor ran 16:20. And yes, it was a record setting performance. Who's record did he break? None other than Craig Miller, the former Manheim Township standout who is now starring for the University of Wisconsin. He beat Craig's time of 15:19 from 2005. It is a great indicator of his fitness level, as Vince begins to make his final push to the end of the season.
At the Ches-Mont League Championship, Chris Aldrich began his final tune-up with a victory in 15:41, 20 seconds ahead of second-place finisher, Chris Bodary (Bishop Shanahan). Aldrich will have some competition next week at the District 1 Championship, as North Penn prepares to close out a great season. Aldrich is really rounding into form as his season is just getting underway.
New to the watch list this week is Natalie Bower. Bower won the Tri-State Coaches Association meet. Her winning time of 18:49 outdistanced the competition by 32 seconds. Bower will look to continue her streak of top-5 finishes at the state meet as she leads her team to a hopeful top-5 finish as well. Bower should definitely move up from her 91st place finish of a year ago. How high can she go? With the type of season she has been having she should get into the top 25. Watch Bower's post-race interview.
Carly Seymour continued their dream season as she and her team won the Laurel Highlands Conference meet. Seymour cruised through the 3 mile course in 17:07, 1:33 ahead of second place finisher, Sarah Strayer. Central Cambria won the team title with a score of 24 over Bishop McCort who tallied 82. Seymour stayed perfect on the year. Next up is the District 6 Championship.
Another newbie to the list is Meghan Lutz (Nazareth Academy) who was victorious at the AACA Championship with a fine time of 18:08, 47 seconds ahead of her closest competitor. Lutz will add depth to PA's strong contingent at the Foot Locker Northeast regional.
Germantown Friends and Max Kaulbach continued their dominance as they won the Friends School League Championships. They appear to be on schedule to make a serious run at the NTN regional on November 24th.
Next up: Districts!
Where do I start?
At the Lebanon-Lancaster League meet, Vince McNally was unstoppable. He ran 15:02 for the victory. But let me put that in perspective, his next closest competitor ran 16:20. And yes, it was a record setting performance. Who's record did he break? None other than Craig Miller, the former Manheim Township standout who is now starring for the University of Wisconsin. He beat Craig's time of 15:19 from 2005. It is a great indicator of his fitness level, as Vince begins to make his final push to the end of the season.
At the Ches-Mont League Championship, Chris Aldrich began his final tune-up with a victory in 15:41, 20 seconds ahead of second-place finisher, Chris Bodary (Bishop Shanahan). Aldrich will have some competition next week at the District 1 Championship, as North Penn prepares to close out a great season. Aldrich is really rounding into form as his season is just getting underway.
New to the watch list this week is Natalie Bower. Bower won the Tri-State Coaches Association meet. Her winning time of 18:49 outdistanced the competition by 32 seconds. Bower will look to continue her streak of top-5 finishes at the state meet as she leads her team to a hopeful top-5 finish as well. Bower should definitely move up from her 91st place finish of a year ago. How high can she go? With the type of season she has been having she should get into the top 25. Watch Bower's post-race interview.
Carly Seymour continued their dream season as she and her team won the Laurel Highlands Conference meet. Seymour cruised through the 3 mile course in 17:07, 1:33 ahead of second place finisher, Sarah Strayer. Central Cambria won the team title with a score of 24 over Bishop McCort who tallied 82. Seymour stayed perfect on the year. Next up is the District 6 Championship.
Another newbie to the list is Meghan Lutz (Nazareth Academy) who was victorious at the AACA Championship with a fine time of 18:08, 47 seconds ahead of her closest competitor. Lutz will add depth to PA's strong contingent at the Foot Locker Northeast regional.
Germantown Friends and Max Kaulbach continued their dominance as they won the Friends School League Championships. They appear to be on schedule to make a serious run at the NTN regional on November 24th.
Next up: Districts!
Sunday, October 14, 2007
PA makes it mark at the New Balance Manhattan Invite
WOW!!!
What a day Pennsylvania had at Van Cortlandt Park aka Vanny.
Carly Seymour wins Eastern States by setting a new course record (Carly's 13:55 broke Nicole Blood's record of 13:57) and leading her team to a 9th place finish. Considering Nicole Blood's record at Vanny, countless Foot Locker Northeast Regional titles plus a US Junior National crown, it puts Carly in very elite company. Emmaus would finish in 11th, they were separated by US #2 Midlothian in 10th. Fayetteville Manlius showed why they are #1 as they dominated the field, and beat runner-up Saratoga Springs, 87-159.
The great day PA had didn't stop there. North Penn sent a message to all of PA and the nation as they had the fastest team average of the day, 12:57, in Boys Varsity D race. Not only was it the fastest of the day, but it is the 2nd fastest all-time average. Very impressive considering all of the teams that run the invite year after year. Bradd DelMuto would be very proud of his alma mater.
Max Kaulbach (12:27) and Chris Aldrich (12:38) go 1-2 in the Boys Varsity E race. The race lived up to its billing, but in the end, Max was a little more race sharp than Chris, but it's only October and there is plenty of racing left. Germantown Friends won the team title as well, while West Chester Henderson was 4th. Barring some unforeseen occurrence, this race all but solidified Germantown Friends will be racing NTN Regionals, so Max will not be at Van Cortlandt Park on the 24th. But Chris Aldrich will. What a great opener for him. It appears everything is heading in the right direction, as he heads into the championship portion of his season.
What a day Pennsylvania had at Van Cortlandt Park aka Vanny.
Carly Seymour wins Eastern States by setting a new course record (Carly's 13:55 broke Nicole Blood's record of 13:57) and leading her team to a 9th place finish. Considering Nicole Blood's record at Vanny, countless Foot Locker Northeast Regional titles plus a US Junior National crown, it puts Carly in very elite company. Emmaus would finish in 11th, they were separated by US #2 Midlothian in 10th. Fayetteville Manlius showed why they are #1 as they dominated the field, and beat runner-up Saratoga Springs, 87-159.
The great day PA had didn't stop there. North Penn sent a message to all of PA and the nation as they had the fastest team average of the day, 12:57, in Boys Varsity D race. Not only was it the fastest of the day, but it is the 2nd fastest all-time average. Very impressive considering all of the teams that run the invite year after year. Bradd DelMuto would be very proud of his alma mater.
Max Kaulbach (12:27) and Chris Aldrich (12:38) go 1-2 in the Boys Varsity E race. The race lived up to its billing, but in the end, Max was a little more race sharp than Chris, but it's only October and there is plenty of racing left. Germantown Friends won the team title as well, while West Chester Henderson was 4th. Barring some unforeseen occurrence, this race all but solidified Germantown Friends will be racing NTN Regionals, so Max will not be at Van Cortlandt Park on the 24th. But Chris Aldrich will. What a great opener for him. It appears everything is heading in the right direction, as he heads into the championship portion of his season.
Setting the Stage for the Weekend
Shakespeaere wrote, "All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players...", well they will be no greater stage this weekend than the one at Van Cortlandt Park. Many questions will be answered this weekend. The biggest question will be how good is Carly Seymour and her Central Cambria team. They will be traveling to the "Five Boroughs" to race in the New Balance Manhattan College XC Invitational. They will be competing in the Girls Eastern States Division. All of the top NY teams will be there including, Saratoga Springs, Fayetteville Manlius, and Shenendehowa. Plus Super 25 #2 Midlothian (VA) will be making the trek North as well. Emmaus #1 ranked team in the PennTrackXC.com Top Ten will look to make their mark as well. It is an intriguing matchup because it is probably the only this year will get to see the #1 team in AA and AAA do battle. Good Luck to both squads.
On the boys side, Chris Aldrich will make his debut this season at meet as well. His West Chester Henderson team is in the same section as #1 ranked PennTrackXC.com Top Ten and #10 in the Super 25, Germantown Friends. It should be a great battle between the two teams, and their #1 runners, as Max Kaulbach looks to continue his great season. Also in action at Van Cortlandt Park, North Penn will look to validate their #2 PennTrackXC.com Top Ten ranking as they take their show on the road. It looks to be a great day of races, and a perfect warmup for "Conference Week" which hits PA in full force next week.
On the boys side, Chris Aldrich will make his debut this season at meet as well. His West Chester Henderson team is in the same section as #1 ranked PennTrackXC.com Top Ten and #10 in the Super 25, Germantown Friends. It should be a great battle between the two teams, and their #1 runners, as Max Kaulbach looks to continue his great season. Also in action at Van Cortlandt Park, North Penn will look to validate their #2 PennTrackXC.com Top Ten ranking as they take their show on the road. It looks to be a great day of races, and a perfect warmup for "Conference Week" which hits PA in full force next week.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Road To San Diego
Where do journeys begin? How do they begin? The answer is different for everyone. But for the Road to San Diego we are not concerning ourselves with everyone. We are focusing on the top PA talent in cross country, as they continue their trek to qualify for the Footlocker National Championships in San Diego, CA. They have one shot to make it, November 24th in the Bronx, at the famous Van Cortland Park. The top cross country runners in the Northeast region will compete for the coveted spots, 10 boys and girls each, to earn a trip to the sun of San Diego and a chance to compete against the nation's best on the famed Balboa Park course.
But another question also rises? Why follow PA athletes this year? What makes it more special? There are several answers to that question. After Neely Spence and Carly Seymour finished 9th and 10th at last years National Championship, then followed that up with gold medals at the PIAA State meet and Nike All-American awards, it was a big sign that this year was going to be special. Not only that, Vince McNally narrowly missed last year's race (13th place). He then went on a tear and had a superb track season, one which saw him win gold at states and then run 4:08 at Nike Outdoor Nationals. These efforts made him the person to beat in AAA. Kacey Gibson also just missed making the trip to San Diego (12th place) and was the only Pennsylvanian to defeat Seymour in XC, and she did it on the grandest of stages, at the state meet. Plus Kara Millhouse, David Adley, Mark Denin, Meghan Lutz, Chris Aldrich, Natalie Bower, and Max Kaulbach, will also be looking to make a splash in New York. Hmm…Yes I said New York and not specifically the Bronx, because two of our athletes might run into a conflict, Seymour and Kaulbach. Why is a conflict possibly heading their way? Well it’s not their fault, but their blessing. They happen to be on two of the best teams in the Northeast. Guess the date of the Nike Team Nationals Northeast Regional? Yes that's right, November 24th at another location in New York. But we will have to see how those situations play out over these next 10 weeks or so.
Not only do we have the superstars with the loaded resumes, we are also looking for a darkhorse or two that could surprise some people come November. The runner who is hovering just below the radar waiting for their big performance, to shine when they the light is on them. These people can be hard to find. But sometimes all the people who are on the cusp need is a break, a chance where there wasn’t one before, and once they get that chance, look out, because they will do amazing things. As Shakespeare said, “Now bid me run, And I will strive with things impossible, Yea, get the better of them.” So we will need to keep our eyes open as the season progresses so we don’t miss anything special.
But another question also rises? Why follow PA athletes this year? What makes it more special? There are several answers to that question. After Neely Spence and Carly Seymour finished 9th and 10th at last years National Championship, then followed that up with gold medals at the PIAA State meet and Nike All-American awards, it was a big sign that this year was going to be special. Not only that, Vince McNally narrowly missed last year's race (13th place). He then went on a tear and had a superb track season, one which saw him win gold at states and then run 4:08 at Nike Outdoor Nationals. These efforts made him the person to beat in AAA. Kacey Gibson also just missed making the trip to San Diego (12th place) and was the only Pennsylvanian to defeat Seymour in XC, and she did it on the grandest of stages, at the state meet. Plus Kara Millhouse, David Adley, Mark Denin, Meghan Lutz, Chris Aldrich, Natalie Bower, and Max Kaulbach, will also be looking to make a splash in New York. Hmm…Yes I said New York and not specifically the Bronx, because two of our athletes might run into a conflict, Seymour and Kaulbach. Why is a conflict possibly heading their way? Well it’s not their fault, but their blessing. They happen to be on two of the best teams in the Northeast. Guess the date of the Nike Team Nationals Northeast Regional? Yes that's right, November 24th at another location in New York. But we will have to see how those situations play out over these next 10 weeks or so.
Not only do we have the superstars with the loaded resumes, we are also looking for a darkhorse or two that could surprise some people come November. The runner who is hovering just below the radar waiting for their big performance, to shine when they the light is on them. These people can be hard to find. But sometimes all the people who are on the cusp need is a break, a chance where there wasn’t one before, and once they get that chance, look out, because they will do amazing things. As Shakespeare said, “Now bid me run, And I will strive with things impossible, Yea, get the better of them.” So we will need to keep our eyes open as the season progresses so we don’t miss anything special.
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