Summer Cook Off to Olympic Training CenterVillanova's Dual Sport Athlete to Launch Triathlon Career

Cooks was All Big East running and swimming

Villanova's Summer Cook, who has competed at a high level in both swimming and track/cross country for the Wildcats, has been targeted by USA Triathlon as a part of its Collegiate Recruiting Program and is departing tomorrow for the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs for a summer of intensive triathlon training. Cook, a Colorado native who started her Villanova career exclusively as a swimmer but who later returned to track and cross country (where she also excelled as a prep),  was named to the 2013 All Big East Conference and All Mid-Atlantic Region teams in cross country.  Cook was All Big East in track as well, finishing 4th in the 5000 meters at the 2013 conference indoor championships. Cook's recent outdoor season was likewise marked by new PRs, as she qualified for NCAA Regionals at 5000 meters.  In the pool, Cook was All Big East as well, coming 2nd in the 1000 meter freestyle earlier this spring.  Obviously, Cook seems a perfect candidate for USA Triathlon. As her blog posts (available HERE) below show, Summer is most concerned about getting competent on the bike.

New beginnings

06/02/2013

 

     A few weeks ago, I graduated college. During the ceremony, I found myself thinking about how the next day was somewhat of a new beginning, as it would be my first day fully as a graduate student. I’m in a combined undergraduate/graduate program and last year was a hybrid year of graduate and undergraduate classes. Yet, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that everyday has the option of becoming a new beginning. Graduation is just a day people mark out for you as a forced start. Many of my classmates are starting anew with careers or graduate school. It is easy to use markers like this as a date when you vow to start doing something new. It is easy to say next season I will start doing X, and this change is what will make all the difference. Maybe X starts happening next season, maybe it doesn't.  Regardless, wouldn't it be better to start doing it tomorrow? Or better yet today? Perhaps those who are truly successful are the ones who don’t wait for a marker – they decide to make necessary changes now. Thus, every single day has the option of becoming a breakthrough day, whether or not we treat it as such.

     That being said, new beginnings due to change are inevitable and do provide opportunity. My competitive swimming career ended in March. I was then free to experiment with my training in the pool. The shift to training for one sport with complimentary cross training has provided flexibility to my training schedule and seems to have benefited my running. Yet, another new beginning will occur in a few weeks when I move to Colorado Springs to participate in a summer long triathlon camp at the Olympic Training Center. This opportunity came about via USA Triathlon’s Collegiate Recruitment Program, headed by Barb Lindquist. The program seeks out collegiate runners and/or swimmers with the potential to excel at triathlon. My background and past performances in both swimming and running made me a candidate for the program and after some correspondence with Barb I was offered a spot at the OTC for the summer. I still have another year of cross country and track eligibility and hopefully these changes will benefit my running as well as help influence future plans. I’m thrilled to have received this opportunity and hope to make the most of it. Every young athlete dreams of being able to train and compete among the best athletes in the world. I hope to absorb the wisdom of these athletes and apply that knowledge to my own athletic journey.

     Stay tuned for updates on life at the OTC and what it is like to train with and live among some of the best athletes in the world.

Tri Time

06/15/2013

 

     Monday is moving day! I’ll be headed down to the OTC in Colorado Springs  to tri (pun intended) something new. After a break from the pool, I relied on Coach Andrew and his team, the Front Range Barracuda Swim Club, to get me back to swim fitness. The Cudas train in the beautiful 50m pool at Veteran’s Memorial Aquatic Center (VMAC). My former school district began construction on VMAC after I graduated high school and I’m glad to say I didn't get cheated out of the experience of swimming in a great facility that is close to my home.

     While I am feeling pretty good about my swimming fitness, I admit that I am a little nervous to start bike training. My outdoor biking experience does not extend beyond riding a bike around my cul-de-sac in grade school. However, we got the ball rolling (spinning?) on my cycling with a bike fit at Retül in Boulder this past week. The fit was an experience in itself, but before we could get started we encountered some slight difficulties with my pedals/cleats. I couldn’t get my shoes to clip into the pedals. Even though the cleats appeared to be installed correctly at a quick glance, I had accidentally installed a plate backwards. After a short investigation, two of Retül’s awesome fitters, Garrett and Ivan, were able to figure out what I did wrong! The improper installation caused a skinny metal bar to prevent my cleats from clipping into my pedals. Fortunately, everyone was very patient with me and we managed to get the situation sorted out so we could complete my fit. Retül gathers fitting information by putting riders in a harness with LED markers placed on several different points on each side of the body, including the ankles, knees, hips, and shoulders (see picture below!). A sensor bar picks up the LED markers and generates an image of the rider on a screen. The sensors then generate various degrees and measurements for both the bike and the rider’s body position to ensure that the bike is adjusted to the correct position for each individual rider. The goal of a fit is to find the position that best promotes rider comfort and health. It was a really cool experience and I was amazed at the incredible technology surrounding the process.

     Now that I have the bike fitted, I should be able to hit the ground running – or at least as much as a novice cyclist can.

Brian Basili Wants to Get Back on the Horse

The plight of Brian Basili's steeplechase debut -- broken arm, Big East qualifier, surgery, and subsequent bone infection -- made him the most famous Villanova steepler since Amos Korir (although for different reasons).  The story garnered tremendous interest on almost all running websites, including Track and Field News, LetsRun, and FloTrack.  The Brian Basili story is also the most read story in the 4-year history of this blog (go HERE to see the original).

 Running Times has now issued a nice update:

Basili’s Big Break

A college steeplechaser suffers a startling fall, but isn’t intimidated.

By John A. Kissane

June 7, 2013

Progressing through the middle laps of his steeplechase debut, Villanova redshirt sophomore Brian Basili knew he was on a good one. Though competing in the slower of two heats at the April 5 Colonial Relays, Basili calculated his pace as near that run by High Point University’s Benji Szalai, the 9:00.14 section one winner. “On the last lap,” he recalls, “I looked at the clock at the top of the backstretch and started to pour it on.”

It’s unclear where to place blame — The faster pace? A split-second’s lapse in concentration? — but Basili hit the third-to-last barrier with his lead leg and crashed to the track. His landing was violent enough to fracture his left humerus, or upper arm bone, at midshaft, and yet the neophyte steeplechaser popped up and resumed running.

To those at trackside, the final 250m of Basili’s race were nothing short of remarkable and also rather off-putting.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” says Villanova head coach Marcus O’Sullivan. “When Brian got up he started shaking his arm, so I looked at it as he was just shaking it off. I yelled to him to relax — everything’s OK, just get home and you’ll still hit the Big East qualifying time [of 9:25. But then as he swept around the turn and was making it to the water jump I knew something was wrong.”

For the rest of the article, go to Running Times, right HERE.

Sheila Reid 7th at Toronto International in 2:04.85

Sheila Reid ran just off her personal best (2:04.60) last night in Toronto, covering 800 meters in 2:04.85. Just off a huge PR (4:02.96) in her signature event -- the 1500 meters -- in which she easily attained the IAAF "A" standard needed to qualify for the 2013 world championship meet in Moscow, Reid failed here to nudge her 800 meter PR any lower. Either way, Reid likes to run the 1500 meters off the lead, capturing times and places over the final phases of the race; 800 meters races like last night's help build closing speed and are worth the effort.

Full results of the meet are HERE.

Event 5  Women 800 Meter   Running Room NTL -Toronto
================================================================
    Name                    Year Team                    Finals 
================================================================
Finals                                                                 
  1 Bishop, Melissa              Canada                 2:00.84        
  2 Okoro, Marilyn               Great Britian          2:01.38        
  3 Belleau-Beliveau, Karine     Canada                 2:02.20        
  4 Smith, Jessica               Canada                 2:02.93        
  5 Sifuentes, Nicole            Canada                 2:03.23        
  6 Crofts, Helen                Canada                 2:03.25        
  7 Reid, Sheila                 Canada                 2:04.85        
  8 Aubrey, Rachel               Canada                 2:05.10        
  9 Bereket, Lemlem              Canada                 2:05.14        
 10 MacLean, Leanna              Canada                 2:09.42        
 -- Callander, Fionna            Canada                     DNF     

Eamonn Coghlan: 1978 European Championship 1500 Silver

Popular history has it that the arrival of Steve Ovett onto the 1500 meter scene compelled Eamonn Coghlan to move up to 5000 meters (at which distance he won the 1983 World Championship). This race video shows the 1978 European Championships, where Britain's Ovett destroyed a high quality field (absent Coe). Villanova legend Eamonn Coghlan unleashed his patented kick over the final 100 meters to claim the silver medal behind Ovett. The medals went this way:

1.  Steve Ovett       GBR    3:35.59
2.  Eamonn Coghlan    IRL    3:36.67
3.  Dave Moorcroft    GBR    3:36.70

Here's how Aidan Curran of Run and Jump described the race:

Favourite for the gold was Steve Ovett, who along with Sebastian Coe had just started to transform and dominate middle-distance running. Ovett also went into this race with a point to make. He and Coe had been surprisingly beaten in the 800 metres final by East Germany’s Olaf Beyer, who ran straight off the track without a lap of honour or even a wave to the crowd. Such odd behaviour fuelled suspicions that Beyer was himself fuelled, though he denied this when interviewed years later in Pat Butcher’s excellent book The Perfect Distance: Ovett and Coe. Beyer made the 1,500 metres final too, giving Ovett a chance at revenge.

The race was a thriller, with hard front running, tactical jostling, decisive bursts and a dramatic finish.

From the start Beyer charged off, but then the small, scruffy-looking Frenchman Gonzales took up the running and gained a five-metre lead after the first lap. Thomas Wessinghage of West Germany moved up to join him, bringing Ovett along to the front of the field. Coghlan, having spent the first lap at the back of the pack, moved up to cover Ovett.

As usual, David Coleman of the BBC provided an electrifying commentary (see video below) that captured what he described as the “fantastic atmosphere inside the stadium”. With a suitable sense of occasion for this major international final, after two laps he called the race positions by stating the countries of the runners: “France in front, West Germany second, Great Britain third, Ireland four, East Germany five…” He described with great relish the “bunching and banging” in the pack and the dynamic front running of Gonzales: “And still the little Frenchman driving on.”

Coming down the home straight for the second-last time, the field gathered in like a coiled spring. At the bell Coghlan squeezed past Gonzales on the inside while Ovett stayed wide and out of trouble. Coleman ratcheted up the tension, exclaiming that “they’re all in with a chance still, all twelve of them!” The excitement in his commentary is contagious.

With 300 metres to go the field burst open. Antti Loikkanen of Finland struck for home, and Ovett slipped in behind him into a prime attacking position. But down the back straight Coghlan was in trouble – he lost touch with the leaders and almost seemed to be going in reverse.

Ovett made his move with 200 metres to go, pulling away imperiously around the last bend and leaving the field strung out in his wake. His compatriot David Moorcroft passed Loikkanen too and moved into second place. With 50 metres still to go Ovett had the race won and gave his customary wave of triumph to the crowd. “And he’s already celebrating!” chuckled Coleman.

Meanwhile, Coghlan launched a desperate counter-attack to try and rescue something from the race. In sixth place at the top of the bend, he picked off Wessinghage and the other East German, Straub – but entering the home straight Moorcroft and Loikkanen were five metres ahead of him and looked to have done enough for the medals. Coghlan was back in the nightmare scenario of finishing fourth in a major final.

Yet somehow Coghlan hauled them in – first the Finn, who also gets passed by Wessinghage, and then Moorcroft. Crossing the line to claim silver, Coghlan flung his arms up as if he had won. After the frustration of Montreal and the prospect of a repeat of it ten seconds earlier, one can appreciate his relief at winning a major championship medal.

So, Coghlan had found some redemption for his Olympic defeat and had proved himself to be as strong outdoors as on the American indoor circuit. His next challenge would be to try for that elusive Olympic medal in Moscow in 1980.

Marcus O'Sullivan: 1996 Atlanta Olympics 1500 Meters

Here is a video of Marcus O'Sullivan's final race as an Olympian.  It's heat 4 (of 5) in the qualifying rounds of the men's 1500 meters at the 1996 Atlanta Games. It is O'Sullivan's fourth Olympic Games, and in this heat he's wearing the white vest, bib 1678.  The top four finishers from each of the 5 heats (plus the next 4 fastest non-automatic qualifiers across all the heats) advanced to the semi-finals.  In this heat O'Sullivan finished 6th and his time of 3:38.16 is a bit too slow to advance to the semi-finals: he was the fastest non-qualifier -- first man out, as it were. In fact, the last man into the semi-finals on time was Luis Fieteira of Portugal (3:38.09) who finished one spot ahead of O'Sullivan in this heat.  The gold medal was won at this Olympics by Noureddine Morceli of Algeria in 3:35.78.

Heat 4	Team	Time
1. Hicham el Guerrouj	MAR	3:37.66
2. William Tanui	KEN	3:37.72
3. Kader Chekhemani	FRA	3:37.81
4. Isaac Viciosa	ESP	3:37.93
5. Luis Feiteira	POR	3:38.09
6. Marcus O'Sullivan	IRL	3:38.16
7. Peter Philipp	SUI	3:41.60
8. Werner Edler-Muhr	AUT	3:45.02
9. Alexis Sharangabo	RWA	3:46.42
10.Ali Mabruk Ezayedi	LBA	3:51.49
-. Graham Hood	CAN	DNF

Hardge Davis, Jr., 3-Time NCAA Champion, Dies at Age 65

Hardge Davis, Jr. was a standout quarter-mile sprinter at Villanova between 1966-1970, where he won three NCAA championships, five Penn Relays Championship of America titles, and six IC4A crowns.  Davis came to Villanova from New Jersey in 1966, after graduating from Montclair High School. He became a key contributor on the mile relay and sprint medley relay squads that dominated the competition on some of Jumbo Elliott's best teams.  His list of championships included:





3 x NCAA Mile Relay champion (1968i, 1968, 1970)
3 x Penn Relays Mile Relay champion (1968, 1969, 1970)
2 x Penn Relays Sprint Medley champion (1969, 1970)
5 x IC4A Mile Relay champion (1968i, 1968, 1969i, 1969, 1970)
1 x IC4A 440-yard Relay champion (1968)

Hardge graduated with a degree in economics from Villanova in 1970 and went on to Seton Hall Law School, from which he earned his JD degree in 1977.   He practiced law in New Jersey until his death.  Davis served his country as a member of the US Marine Corps Reserve.  He passed on May 31st.

Here is his obituary from the Star-Ledger:

Hardge Davis Jr.

Obituary

Hardge Davis Jr., Esq., 65, made his transition on May 31, 2013. The celebration of his life will be held on Saturday at 11 a.m. at St. James A.M.E. Church, 588 Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Blvd., Newark, N.J. Visitation is Saturday from 9 a.m. until time of service at the church. Arrangements are by Whigham Funeral Home. Hardge was a resident of East Orange, N.J. He was a 1970 graduate of Villanova University with a bachelor of arts degree in economics and a 1977 graduate of Seton Hall University School of Law. A former partner of the law firm Brown-Robinson, Davis and Davis and Wearing, Esquires, in 1999 he became a sole legal practitioner in Newark and East Orange, N.J. Hardge was a U.S. Marine Reserve veteran. He was the beloved husband of Jacquelyn Rucker Davis, Esq.; devoted father of Selina Jewel Davis, M.D., and Solana Ardienne Davis; son of the late Hardge Sr. and Narsis Davis; dear brother of Margaret N. Johnson, Mollie Davis and the late Frank Davis; brother-in- law of Jill Rucker Simmons (Edwin Dudley Simmons) and Mark Rucker (Phyllis Rucker). He is also survived by a host of other relatives and friends. In lieu of flowers, please make donation to The United Negro College Fund, 8260 Willow Oaks Corporate Dr., Fairfax, Va. 22031 or www.uncf.org.

Nova Class of '64 Trackster Still Chasing Records at Age 71

Frank Condon, who went 2:18 over 800 meters at the age of 68, running the 1600 last week

Frank Condon, 71, still outracing time

By BOB PADECKY
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

For a moment there in 2006, Frank Condon forgot who he was, what he represented, what he was trying to teach. And in the process he humiliated himself.

At the National Senior Games Championship in Boise, Idaho, Condon, then 64, approached Frank Levine, 82. Levine had just competed in the 80-and-over mile. In the course of telling Levine how he remembered him in 1964 when they both were on the track at Villanova University, Condon asked a simple question he regretted.

“So how did you get here?” Condon asked. He was acknowledging age bias. After all, when purchasing alcohol, Levine hadn't been asked to show his I.D. in over a half century.

“Well,” began Levine, a retired tax attorney, “I woke up yesterday morning in Philadelphia and got out of my bed, went to my shower, cleaned myself, put on my clothes, drove my car to the airport, got on my airplane, rented my car in Boise and checked in to my hotel room.

“How da hell did you get here?” Levine said tersely to Condon.

Condon turned 30 shades of hot pink and painfully got the message: “He didn't want me treating him like an old man. I was so embarrassed.”

Embarrassed because he not only knew better, Condon had felt and still feels to this day the sting of a dismissive glance at his white hair. As if somehow that color immediately exposes him as ancient history, a story already told, a life already lived.

Oh, how such a stereotype would be destroyed if a simple question was asked.

“Frank, are you active?”

Condon, who competed in the Sonoma Wine Country Senior Games this past weekend, would control an impulse to scream ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Condon holds three age-group world track records, a 5:11.44 for the indoor mile in the 65-69 bracket, a 2:17 in the 800 meters for the same age group, and the fastest time ever run by a 68-year-old in the 800 meters, 2:18.

Now 71, Condon has the American record for the 65-69 bracket with a 5:12.3 outdoor mile.

Condon has been a national senior champion 15 times in various events and age groups.

In other words Condon is no lumpy bag of marshmallows sitting on the sofa. He ain't no cupcake waiting for some more icing. He ain't a scoop of Haagen-Dazs wanting the hot fudge.

“The older you get,” said his wife, Jan, 72, who was the national 65-69 champion in the indoor 400 meters in 2006, “you care less what people think of you. You get braver.”

Condon still proud of his Villanova days

Appearances, like wrinkles or more hair growing out of your ears than on top of your head, become less important. Condon was a scholarship athlete at Villanova, ran a 1:47.5 800 there and may be more inclined than some other card-carrying AARP members to get out there and burn it. While the desire to run might flame hotter for Condon than others, the desire to live is universal, or it should be.

And technology — as odd as this may read — is helping to make it easier. It helps for one simple reason: It removes the isolation of working out with no one around, with no high school or university friends or teammates on the field or in the stands.

“Sometimes we are the only ones (of their age) on the track,” said Frank Condon, a realtor in Chico. “We look like we must be crazy.”

Out of sight from disbelieving, younger eyes is a network behind them, watching them, encouraging them.

“Thank God for the internet!” said Jan Condon, 72, a semi-retired occupational therapist. “The internet may save us or it may destroy us. In this case social media has helped us. You don't feel alone, not at all.”

The first National Senior Games were held in St. Louis in 1987 and the concept has taken root so well that now in the summer there are a Senior Games every weekend somewhere in America. The Sonoma Games, for example, were switched to a week earlier so as not to conflict with another Senior Games in Pasadena.

“You don't feel intimidated when you are competing against people your own age,” Jan Condon said. “There's a freedom out there.”

The freedom to compete without feeling responsible for carrying a team, be it club, high school or college. It's not like you can't show your face at prom if you stink up a senior race. None of those adolescent whispers and finger-points exist. Maturity does have its advantages. One of them is the ability to shrug off insults.

Three years ago Frank Condon was running a 5K at an all-comers meet in Chico. About two and half miles into it Condon found himself next to three guys he guessed to be in their early 20s.

“They looked at my white hair,” Condon said, “and picked up the pace. I caught them. They picked up the pace again. I caught them again. They picked up the pace one more time. We were 600 yards from the finish. This time I said to myself, 'I'm going to put some serious pain on them.' I ran away with it.

“They came up to me afterwards and asked me how old I was. I told them I was 68. They said no way. Then they asked who I was. I told them. Then one of the guys said, 'Wow, he's the old running legend we've heard about.'”

There was emphasis, Condon said, on the word “old.” Did it bother him? Nope. Instead, Condon focused on another word — “legend” — and smiled. You've got to be around for a while to be a legend. When you're in your early 20s, you can't be that fortunate.

Cats Compete at NJ International Invitational

Several Villanova athletes competed on Saturday at the 27th annual New Jersey International Invitational at Colts Neck High School.  Here are the results from the Villanova contingent

Full results are HERE

MEN

800 meters
Jordy Williamsz         1:49.93
Chris FitzSimons       1:59.79

WOMEN

400 meters
Michaela Wilkins     56.85

800 meters
Nicky Akande           2:08.81

1500 meters
Stephanie Schappert      4:19.06
Kelsey Margey              4:19.61
Angel Piccirillo              4:21.99
Ariann Neutts                4:25.81

100 meter hurdles
Shericka Ward         13.35
Emerald Walden      13.45

High Jump
Sam Yeats            1.75 meters

Sheila Reid in Loaded 800 Field for Toronto International

In the lead up to Canadian nationals, Sheila Reid will be working on her 1500 finishing speed by competing tomorrow over 800 meters at the Toronto International Track & Field Games.  Here's the start list for the race, which boasts 6 Olympians and 4 sub-2:00 runners.  Reid looks to lower her 2:04.60 PR in light of her major improvement (down to 4:02.96) over 1500 meters last week at the Prefontaine Classic.

Complete start lists for the meet are HERE.

Running Room 800m NTL

Name	Country	Personal Best	Major Accomplishment
Rachel Aubry	CAN	2:02.00	Canadian University Medalist
Melissa Bishop	CAN	1:59.8	2012 Olympian
Leanna MacLean	CAN	2:03.96	3x Canadian Championship Medalist
Lemlem Bereket	CAN	2:00.82	2012 Canadian Champion
Sheila Reid	CAN	2:04.60	2012 Olympian
Jessica Smith	CAN	1:59.00	2012 Olympian
Helen Crofts	CAN	2:02.10	2013 NCAA DII Champion
Marilyn Okoro	GBR	1:58.45	2012 Olympian
Nicole Sifuentes	CAN	2:01.30	2012 Olympian
Karine Belleau-Beliveau	CAN	2:01.79	2011 TITFG 800m 3rd
Kenia Sinclair	JAM	1:57.88	2008 Olympian
Fionna Callandar	CAN	Pacer

Frances Koons goes 15:54.23 at Portland Track FestivalMisses "B" Qualifier for USA Nationals by 4 Seconds

Stepping to the line last night in Portland, Oregon for the Portland Track Festival 5000 HP race, former Villanova All American Frances Koons needed to run 15:46 to ensure a spot at USA Nationals (or 15:50 to attain the "B" standard for the event). Koons just missed getting the "B" standard, running 15:54.23, good for 10th place. Koons owns a 15:29.86 PR (at Stanford in May 2011).  While at Villanova, Koons was the 2009 NCAA indoor championships runner-up to Sally Kipyego over 5000 meters, and finished 3rd at that distance behind Angela Bizzarri and Nicole Blood at the NCAA outdoor nationals that same year.

Portland Track Festival - Open - 2013 - 6/7/2013 to 6/8/2013  
                      6/7/2013 to 6/8/2013                      
 
Event 5  Women 5000 Meter Run High Performance
================================================================
 Meet Record: M 15:19.61  6/11/2011   Amy Hastings, Brooks      
     USATF-A: A 15:46.00                                        
     USATF-B: B 15:50.00                                        
    Name                    Year Team                    Finals 
================================================================
Finals                                                          
  1 Jarzynska, Karolina          Unattached            15:25.52A
  2 Moser, Treniere              Nike Oregon Project   15:35.96A
  3 Thweatt, Laura               Boulder Track Club    15:41.38A
  4 Erdmann, Tara                Nike Oregon Project   15:42.39A
  5 Johnson, kellyn              adidas McMillan       15:44.78A
  6 Cain, Mary                   Unattached            15:45.46A
  7 Harrison, Kate               Athletics Toronto     15:48.68B
  8 Ramos, Beverly               Puerto Rico           15:50.94 
  9 Herzog, Adrienne             Brooks                15:51.14 
 10 Koons, Frances               Bryn Mawr Ru          15:54.23 
 11 Peyton, Meghan               Saucony/Team          15:57.88 
 12 Santisteban, Kelsey          Unattached            15:59.68 
 13 Jimenez, Betzy               Unattached            16:04.14 
 14 Aish, Nicole                 Unattached            16:15.89 
 15 Bizzarri, Angela             Brooks                16:18.80 
 16 Knight, Katie                North Centra          16:25.75 
 17 Sumpter, Sarah               UC Davis              16:27.21 
 18 Cozzarelli, Andrea           Unattached            16:34.64 
 19 Begay, Alvina                Unattached            16:35.25 
 20 Del Toro, Rosa               Unattached            16:36.04 
 21 Wilkie, Sabrina              Point Grey Tfc        17:04.79 

Entee Earns All American Status with 7th at NCAA 1500 FinalEmily Lipari Settles for 10th in Women's NCAA 1500 Final

Sam McEntee, 9th a year ago at these NCAA championship finals, improved to 7th this year and earned All-American status in the men's 1500 meters.  The race was a slow, tactical sit-and-kick race, with not much separating the field until the final strike for home (with 400 to go, all 12 runners were within 1.3 seconds of each other, with McEntee sitting in 11th place).  Oregon's Mac Fleet closed the final 400 (52.22) faster than anyone else to win the race, and took the title.  McEntee came home in 53.16 to move up four spots and finish in 7th. The top 8 men all finished within 1.15 seconds of each other.

Finals                                                                          
  1 Mac Fleet                 JR Oregon                 3:50.25   10            
  2 Zach Perkins              SO Air Force              3:50.39    8            
  3 Patrick Casey             SR Oklahoma               3:50.60    6            
  4 Austin Mudd               SO Wisconsin              3:50.84    5            
  5 Jeremy Rae                SR Notre Dame             3:51.07    4            
  6 Robby Creese              SO Penn State             3:51.21    3            
  7 Sam McEntee               SO Villanova              3:51.35    2            
  8 Andrew Bayer              SR Indiana                3:51.39    1            
  9 Ryan Hill                 SR NC State               3:52.06                 
 10 John Simons               JR Minnesota              3:54.25                 
 11 Riley Masters             SR Oklahoma               3:55.12                 
 12 Patrick McGregor          SR Texas                  4:19.82

In the women's race, Emily Lipari was competing in her first NCAA outdoor individual final. Like McEntee, Lipari hit the bell lap in 11th place -- about 1.4 seconds off the leader. However, Lipari's kick, which has served her so well in the past, was not in evidence and she got heavier as the leaders struck for home. Lipari's final 400 was covered in 1:07.59, only 10th fastest in the 12-women field (by comparison, the top 6 finishers all closed in 1:04.19 or better). As the results below show, she was well detached by the time the race was over.

Finals                                                                       
  1 Natalja Piliusina         JR Oklahoma State         4:13.25   10         
  2 Cory McGee                JR Florida                4:13.94    8         
  3 Amanda Mergaert           SR Utah                   4:14.30    6         
  4 Rebecca Tracy             SR Notre Dame             4:14.42    5         
  5 Amanda Eccleston          SR Michigan               4:14.56    4         
  6 Stephanie Brown           JR Arkansas               4:14.58    3         
  7 Shelby Houlihan           SO Arizona State          4:14.95    2         
  8 Amanda Winslow            SR Florida State          4:16.00    1         
  9 Linden Hall               SO Florida State          4:16.42              
 10 Emily Lipari              JR Villanova              4:18.68              
 11 Becca Friday              SR Oregon                 4:20.85              
 12 Anne Kesselring           SR Oregon                 4:28.17

Sam McEntee & Emily Lipari Advance to NCAA 1500 FinalRob Denault Eliminated in Semi-Final

Villanova will have a competitor in both the men's and women's NCAA championship final over 1500 meters.  Sam McEntee ran the second fastest 1500 meters outdoors (3:41.32) of his career and showed a strong finishing kick (55.28 over the final 400 meters, 2nd fastest close in the heat) from mid-pack to come second in his heat (and second-fastest overall) and qualify for Saturday's final. It is McEntee's third NCAA final at 1500/mile: he was previously 4th at the 2012 NCAA indoor mile championships and came 9th at last year's NCAA outdoor championships 1500 meter final. Likewise, Emily Lipari spent much of her 1500 meter semi-final today in the middle of the pack, but was strong over the final 200 meters to move smartly into third place and qualify for the final.  Lipari ran 4:16.96 -- about one second off the 4:15.89 SB she ran at the NCAA East Regional. It is her first outdoor NCAA final appearance.
Villanova freshman Rod Denault, himself a sub-4:00 miler but running in traffic when the leaders struck for home, was unable to close in on the leaders of his heat and came 8th in his heat in 3:44.65.

Here are the complete results from each heat:

MEN

Event 5  Men 1500 M
================================================================                
 2 Heats.  Advance top 5 from each heat plus next best 2 times                  
    American: A 3:29.30  8/28/2005   Bernard Lagat, Nike                        
College Best: C 3:35.30  6/6/1981    Sydney Maree, Villanova                    
   NCAA Meet: M 3:35.30  6/6/1981    Sydney Maree, Villanova                    
    Name                    Year School                 Prelims                 
================================================================                
Heat  1 Preliminaries                                                           
  1 Mac Fleet                 JR Oregon                 3:41.21Q                
  2 Sam McEntee               SO Villanova              3:41.32Q                
  3 Zach Perkins              SO Air Force              3:41.46Q                
  4 Austin Mudd               SO Wisconsin              3:41.47Q                
  5 Ryan Hill                 SR NC State               3:41.53Q                
  6 John Simons               JR Minnesota              3:41.73q                
  7 Patrick Casey             SR Oklahoma               3:41.93q                
  8 Chad Noelle               SO Oregon                 3:42.80                 
  9 Matt Hillenbrand          JR Kentucky               3:44.48  3:44.475       
 10 Christopher Fallon        SR Ohio State             3:44.62                 
 11 Rich Peters               SR Boston U.              3:44.85                 
 12 Isaac Wendland            SR Liberty                4:00.78                 
Heat  2 Preliminaries                                                           
  1 Riley Masters             SR Oklahoma               3:42.84Q                
  2 Andrew Bayer              SR Indiana                3:43.00Q                
  3 Jeremy Rae                SR Notre Dame             3:43.19Q                
  4 Robby Creese              SO Penn State             3:43.55Q                
  5 Patrick McGregor          SR Texas                  3:44.15Q                
  6 Alex Hatz                 SO Wisconsin              3:44.48  3:44.476       
  7 Nathan Weitz              FR Northern Arizona       3:44.56                 
  8 Robert Denault            FR Villanova              3:44.65                 
  9 Grant Pollock             JR Virginia Tech          3:45.34                 
 10 Tyler Stutzman            JR Stanford               3:45.48                 
 11 Patrick Todd              SR Oregon                 3:46.95                 
 12 James Shirvell            JR Yale                   3:50.91

WOMEN

Event 25  Women 1500 M
================================================================             
 2 Heats.  Advance top 5 from each heat plus next best 2 times               
    American: A 3:57.12  7/26/1983   Mary Slaney, Athletics West             
College Best: C 3:59.90  6/7/2009    Jenny Barringer, Colorado               
   NCAA Meet: M 4:06.19  6/14/2008   Hannah England, Fla State               
    Name                    Year School                 Prelims              
================================================================     
Heat  1 Preliminaries                                                        
  1 Natalja Piliusina         JR Oklahoma State         4:14.39Q             
  2 Shelby Houlihan           SO Arizona State          4:14.61Q             
  3 Anne Kesselring           SR Oregon                 4:14.74Q             
  4 Cory McGee                JR Florida                4:14.87Q             
  5 Amanda Mergaert           SR Utah                   4:14.89Q             
  6 Linden Hall               SO Florida State          4:15.51q             
  7 Amanda Eccleston          SR Michigan               4:16.29q             
  8 Charlotte Arter           JR New Mexico             4:19.27              
  9 Chloe Anderson            JR New Mexico             4:19.82              
 10 Josephine Adams           JR North Texas            4:20.52              
 11 Laura Roxberg             SR Missouri               4:21.52              
 12 Lianne Farber             JR North Carolina         4:23.18              
Heat  2 Preliminaries                                                        
  1 Stephanie Brown           JR Arkansas               4:16.41Q             
  2 Amanda Winslow            SR Florida State          4:16.59Q             
  3 Emily Lipari              JR Villanova              4:16.96Q             
  4 Becca Friday              SR Oregon                 4:17.46Q             
  5 Rebecca Tracy             SR Notre Dame             4:17.70Q             
  6 Greta Feldman             SR Princeton              4:18.25              
  7 Julia Zrinyi              FR Connecticut            4:21.17              
  8 Damajeria Dubose          SR UC Riverside           4:24.30              
  9 Agata Strausa             JR Florida                4:24.90              
 10 Kelly Curran              JR Notre Dame             4:28.20              
 11 Rebecca Addison           SR Michigan               4:28.89              
 12 Josephine Moultrie        SR New Mexico             4:31.86              

Is this Lipari's Moment to Shine at NCAA Nationals?

Roslyn runner races to NCAA finals

Thursday, June 6, 2013

By Bill San Antonio
www.theislandnow.com

After starring on the track at Roslyn High School and growing into one of the strongest runners in Villanova University’s track and field program, junior Emily Lipari is working toward dominating in another setting: Eugene, Ore.

After registering her fastest time in the 1,500 meters at 4:15.89 last week, Lipari advanced to the outdoor NCAA finals meet for the first time in her career, and will compete Thursday at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field for a shot at the national title.

“I competed in last year’s indoor finals [in the indoor mile event] and didn’t advance, and I really made it a point to get back on track and this year I’m back with a vengeance,” Lipari said. “It’s a do-or-die feeling. Not too many get the opportunity to run at the NCAAs, so I’m definitely going to make the best of it.”

Despite being named Second Team All-America, Lipari, 20, finished 12th in the mile at the indoor NCAA championships, watching the rest of the meet from the stands.

“That was difficult for me,” Lipari said. “I made the decision coming into my junior year thinking I didn’t want to go through that again.”

Lipari, the 2007 and 2008 New York Athlete of the Year in cross country, was one of the most successful runners in recent Roslyn memory, winning four national championships in the mile, at the Nike Outdoor Nationals as a freshman, twice at the Nike Indoor Nationals and once at the New Balance National.

In her senior year, Lipari won a championship in the mile at the Boston Indoor Games and an outdoor championship in the 3,000 meters at the Penn Relays.

“In high school, it felt kind of easy because our coach put a lot of time into me,” Lipari said. “She gave me some really good opportunities and focused a lot of time and attention on training me and taking me to races.”

Lipari anchored the NCAA record 4x800 and DMR (above) relays winners at the 2013 Penn Relays

Lipari, a psychology major who minors in biology, said she visited Georgetown, Providence and Oregon, who were each interested in her for track, but she had a special feeling about Villanova, with its rich history of track and field success, that she couldn’t ignore.

“The other schools were fun, and those girls were great and the coaches were good, but at Villanova, they’re focused on setting records and winning,” Lipari said. “They’re low-key but very successful and it was very hard to turn down. You’d walk into coach [Gina Procaccio]’s office and see photos of NCAA champions and you think, I want to be there someday.”

The transition from high school to college competition, she said, wasn’t difficult at first because as a freshman, Lipari wouldn’t have the expectations and pressure upperclassmen tend to have each time they step to the starting line.

“We had a really awesome senior class that kept me as blind to things as they could,” Lipari said. “They told me to just run, and got to slide into a spot and be a bit of a follower and listen to what people told me and put the rest out of my mind.”

The Greenvale native made an immediate impact on the Villanova team as a freshman in 2010, finishing as one of the cross country team’s top five finishers in each race she ran and earned All-Big East and All-Mid Atlantic Region honors.

During the ensuing indoor season, Lipari ran the first leg of the track team’s Distance Medley Relay for a unit that went on to Big East and national championships in the event, and when competition moved outdoors that spring, she ran the second leg of the 4x800 Meter Relay at the Big East championships and, with a third place finish, helped Villanova earn All-Big East honors.

Her success continued in her sophomore year, as she helped the cross country team to a fourth consecutive Big East title, won an individual Big East championship in the indoor 1000 Meters, earned Second Team All-America honors in the indoor Mile and anchored the Villanova 4x800 outdoor Meter Relay team to a Big East title.

But Lipari said she wasn’t satisfied with her results, and needed to do a bit of soul-searching when the year reached its conclusion. 

“After freshman year, you give yourself expectations on what you need to be great, but many don’t necessarily want to take the steps to get there,” she said. “I didn’t get the results I wanted after sophomore year, and I went home for the summer and had to really think about what I actually wanted.”

If a runner is lucky, Lipari said, the pressures to excel on the track, in the classroom and as a team leader will come together, and the runner will relax, just enough to capture the carefree feeling she ran with as a freshman.

“It feels like you’re cruising and you can tell everyone else around you is tired, but you feel strong,” she said. “When your body is strong, you can hang with those girls. You have the confidence to realize you do deserve to be at this level.”

Lipari felt this, she said, sometime last fall, as she worked toward earning All-American honors for the first time in her cross country career, won an individual conference championship for the first time in her cross country career, and earned All-Big East and All-Mid Atlantic Region honors.

That momentum has led Lipari to the NCAA outdoor championships, to the University of Oregon where she once visited as a potential student, to the birthplace of the Nike swoosh emblazoned on her uniform, representing the epicenter of modern track and field.

“I know I have a lot more to throw out there and am really looking forward to the next few races ahead,” Lipari said. “That’s how I’m thinking about them, as just the next few races.”

Ellison 4th in NCAA Semi-Final Heat of the 800 metersFails to Claim Repeat Spot in National Final

Sam Ellison started off Villanova's contingent at the NCAA national meet this afternoon by competing in the second of three 8-person 800 meter semi-finals.  Each heat's top two finishers were assured of a spot in Friday's final, and the next two fastest non-automatic qualifiers overt the three heats would advance as well.

Ellison finished fourth in his heat, in 1:50.99 and was eliminated from the competition.  Ellison was attempting to return to the event final that he made at last year's national meet.  He split 55.34 at the 400 mark in fourth place.  He faded a bit over the first 200 meters of the final lap, but recovered well at the end to reclaim fourth place, finishing in 1:50.99 (for a second lap of 55.65).

Here are the full results from the three heats:

Event 4  Men 800 M
================================================================            
 3 Heats. Advance top 2 from each heat plus next best 2 to final            
    American: A 1:42.60  8/28/1985   Johnny Gray, Santa Monica T            
College Best: C 1:44.3h  6/10/1966   Jim Ryun, Kansas                       
   NCAA Meet: M 1:44.70  6/1/1990    Mark Everett, Florida                  
    Name                    Year School                 Prelims             
================================================================            
Heat  1 Preliminaries                                                       
  1 Leoman Momoh              SR Arkansas               1:47.44Q            
  2 Declan Murray             SR Loyola (Ill.)          1:47.48Q            
  3 Harun Abda                SR Minnesota              1:47.78q            
  4 Travis Burkstrand         SR Minnesota              1:48.74q            
  5 Harry McFann              JR Columbia               1:48.76  1:48.752   
  6 Grant Grosvenor           SO Montana State          1:49.41             
  7 Ricky West                SR Penn State             1:49.87             
  8 Ryan Waite                SR BYU                    1:50.57             
Heat  2 Preliminaries                                                       
  1 Casimir Loxsom            SR Penn State             1:48.71Q            
  2 Eliud Rutto               FR Mid. Tenn. State       1:48.91Q            
  3 Sean Obinwa               JR Florida                1:49.23             
  4 Samuel Ellison            JR Villanova              1:50.99             
  5 Hector Hernandez          FR Texas A&M              1:51.37             
  6 Tomas Squella             FR Arkansas               1:53.27             
  7 Anthony Lieghio           SR Arkansas               1:55.08             
  8 Kisean Smith              FR Georgia                1:56.45             
Heat  3 Preliminaries                                                       
  1 Elijah Greer              SR Oregon                 1:48.76Q 1:48.755   
  2 Brannon Kidder            FR Penn State             1:49.01Q            
  3 Patrick Rono              SO Arkansas               1:49.17             
  4 David Mokone              JR Western Kentucky       1:50.38             
  5 Russell Dinkins           SR Princeton              1:50.70             
  6 Charles Grethen           SO Georgia                1:51.91             
  7 Josh Hernandez            SO Texas A&M              1:53.78             
  8 Brandon Lasater           SO Georgia Tech           1:54.27             

Emily Lipari: "No Mercy, Never Say Die" Attitude is Back

Renewed competitiveness has helped Villanova’s Lipari

by TERRY TOOHEY
ttoohey@delcotimes.com

RADNOR, PA — The drive that made Emily Lipari a two-time outdoor national champion in the mile at Roslyn High School in Roslyn Heights, N.Y., is back.

The junior from Villanova turned to her soccer roots to regain that edge.

“When I played soccer, it was do or die,” Lipari said. “You’re competing for a team and that’s easy because you don’t want to let your teammates down so I would do anything to help my team win. It’s the same in cross country and on relay teams. You’re not out there for yourself. You’re out there for the rest of the team so you do whatever it takes to win.

Lipari anchored the NCAA-record 4x800 at Penn Relays

“But running in individual events, especially in the outdoor season was different. I had lost that do-or-die feeling. I didn’t know what it took to be a champion at this level and that’s where soccer came in. I thought back to how I used to compete on the soccer field and applied that same approach to track.”

The result has been a breakout season for Lipari. She anchored two winning relay teams at the Penn Relays, won the Big East title in the 1,500-meter run for the first time in her career and anchored the Wildcats to victory in the 4 x 800 relay at the conference championship meet.

Now Lipari is one of four Villanova athletes in Eugene, Ore., for the NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships. She is the seventh seed in the women’s 1,500-meter championship. The preliminary round is this evening with the final Saturday.

On the men’s side, Sam Ellison is seeded No. 21 in the 800, while teammates Robert Denault and Sam McEntee are seeded sixth and 18th, respectively, in the 1,500. Strath Haven’s Chris Williams and Penn Wood’s Eric Futch, the 2012 Daily Times co-Athletes of the Year, also are in Eugene. Williams, a freshman at the University of Washington, qualified for the national championships in the 110-meter high hurdles and was part of the 4 x 100-meter relay team. Futch, a freshman at the University of Houston, is in the 400-meter hurdles.

For Lipari, it is her first trip to outdoor nationals.

“I’m so pumped,” she said. “The first goal was to get there, and I’ve done that. Now the goal is to make it to the final and take it from here.”

Don’t bet against her. Lipari may be on the short side (5-0), but she is competitive.

“I’ve always been that way,” Lipari said. “My brother (Tom) and I used to compete at everything. I’ll compete with my friends to see who can eat a meal faster or eat more of something. We’ll also compete to see who gets the highest grade in a certain subject.”

It was a quality that drew recruiting interest from several major Division I soccer programs while she was an outside midfielder and forward for the Syosset Sting soccer club on Long Island. It also was a trait that earned her a scholarship for track and cross country from Villanova.

Yet she lost a little bit of that edge in individual events when she got to Villanova.

“That happens,” Villanova coach Gina Procaccio said. “It takes time to make that adjustment from high school to college. Emily had success in cross country and indoor track, she just needed to take that to the outdoor season and she did. She’s really had a breakout year.”

Lipari earned All-America honors in both cross country and indoor track and smoothly carried that success to the outdoor season. She anchored the Wildcats to victories in the DMR and 4 x 800 at the Penn Relays. That transformed into two wins at the Big East Championships and a berth in the outdoor nationals.

“I’m definitely a different runner than I was when I started college,” Lipari said. “I didn’t know what it took to be a champion and soccer helped me with that. On the soccer field, if I got knocked down I got back up. I did whatever it took to win.”

I kind of lost that no mercy, never-say-die mentality in track, but I have it back.”

Hugo Beamish 2nd at Christchurch Half-Marathon in 1:06:10

Beamish in his Villanova days

Former Big East 5000 meter champion Hugo Beamish came second yesterday at the Christchurch Airport Half-Marathon in New Zealand. Beamish, who is the reigning 2013 New Zealand national champion over 5000 meters, ran the half on a shallow base for that distance and trailed race winner Hamish Carson by only 5 seconds.

Half Marathon (top 15 finishers)

1.  Hamish Carson     New Zealand       1:06:05
2.  Hugo Beamish      Wellington, NZ    1:06:10
3.  Aaron Pulford     Hamilton, NZ      1:06:11
4.  Nathan Hartigan   Australia         1:06:15
5.  Brady Threlfall   Australia         1:06:28
6.  Tim  Hodge        Wellington, NZ    1:07:32
7.  Ben Toomey        Australia         1:07:44
8.  Stephen Lett      Auckland, NZ      1:08:33
9.  Rowan Hooper      Wellington, NZ    1:08:42
10. Nathan Baxter     Dunedin, NZ       1:08:45
11. Dougal Thorburn   Wellington, NZ    1:09:02
12. Callan Moody      New Zealand       1:09:11
13. Ying Ren Mok      Singapore         1:09:24
14. Nick Pannett      Auckland, NZ      1:09:27
15. Tony Payne        Auckland, NZ      1:10:02

Full results are available HERE.

Reid Discusses 4:02.96 PR "A" Standard at Pre Classic

Near the end of this interview Sheila Reid reveals that she's been working extensively with Terrence Mahon's training group in Mammoth Lakes, California. Mahon, a former Villanova All-American and USA 20K champion, is married to former Villanova great Jen Rhines. He is based part of the year in Great Britain as the UK's national distance coach.

Big 1500 Meter PR for Sheila Reid at Pre Classic4:02.96 Shatters Old PR and Betters IAAF "A" Standard

Sheila Reid entered the Prefontaine Classic with virtually the slowest PR over 1500 meters of anyone in the race. She used a massive PR performance of 4:02.96 to finish 6th of 13 competitors and to knock 4.1 seconds off her previous 4:07.07 PR. The race constituted a big breakthrough result for Reid, as she easily attained the IAAF "A" standard of 4:05.50 necessary to qualify for the 2013 World Championships in Moscow.  As she states in the post-race interview below, she thought she could run 4:02-4:03 if she got in the right race -- today was that race and she "rode the train" to a new PR.

Rank	Athlete	Nation	Result
1	OBIRI Hellen	KEN	3:58.58	MR
2	KIPYEGON Faith Chepngetich	KEN	4:01.08
3	LANGAT Nancy Jebet	KEN	4:01.41	SB
4	HILALI Siham	MAR	4:02.16	SB
5	MOSER Treniere	USA	4:02.85	PB
6	REID Sheila	CAN	4:02.96	PB
7	SUM Eunice Jepkoech	KEN	4:03.13
8	ENGLAND Hannah	GBR	4:03.38
9	SOBOLEVA Yelena	RUS	4:04.30
10	LAKHOUAD Ibtissam	MAR	4:04.63	SB
11	WEIGHTMAN Laura	GBR	4:05.36
12	KURIA Mary	KEN	4:05.54
13	BOGALE Tizita	ETH	4:26.42
	WALLACE Lea	USA	DNF
	WILLARD Anna	USA	DNS

Sheila Reid Close to PR at New York adidas Grand Prix 1500

Sheila Reid came 6th tonight in New York over 1500 meters in a season's best 4:07.47 (her PR over that distance is 4:07.07 from July 2012).   Reid bested several international stalwarts, such as Morgan Uceny and Canadian Hilary Stellingwerff, in running her #2 time over 1500 meters.  As the above video shows, Reid led at the bell but was not able to live with the finishing pace of several runners and came sixth.

Rank	Athlete	Nation	Result		Diamond Points	Diamond Ranking
1	AREGAWI Abeba	SWE	4:03.69		8	1
2	OBIRI Hellen	KEN	4:04.84		2	2
3	MARTINEZ Brenda	USA	4:06.25		1	4
4	LANGAT Nancy Jebet	KEN	4:06.57
5	ROWBURY Shannon	USA	4:07.36	SB
6	REID Sheila	CAN	4:07.47	SB
7	UCENY Morgan	USA	4:08.49	SB
8	GRACE Kate	USA	4:08.92
9	ANDERSON Gabriele	USA	4:09.02
10	BOWMAN Sarah	USA	4:09.38
11	LAGAT Violah	KEN	4:09.63
12	STELLINGWERFF Hilary	CAN	4:10.70
13	LAKHOUAD Ibtissam	MAR	4:11.14
14	PLIS Renata	POL	4:13.45
15	TERZIC Amela	SRB	4:18.32	SB
	BOGALE Tizita	ETH	DNF
	GEZAHEGNE Kalkidan	ETH	DNF
	MCDONALD Kimarra	USA	DNF
	WILSON Heather	USA	DNF

Villanova 2013 Signee Ben Malone: The Mile Split Interview

2013 Track Chats: Meet 4:05 miler Ben Malone

Malone gunning for McGorty in the COA Mile at the Penn Relays. (Photo by Patty Morgan)

MileSplit - Ben, you have been on a roll so far this outdoor season!  You won the Loucks mile in a slower time (if you could call it that!), but an awesome tactical race.  Talk a bit about that…

Ben - Well I've been pretty happy overall with how its gone so far. This is really my first injury-free outdoor season and I'm truly enjoying it.  Penn didn't end up the way I had wanted it to, but I've learned a lot from that race and it can only help me for the future.  Loucks was a lot of fun, I went in there with no pressure and just wanted to enjoy myself and that's what I did. I knew I was capable of running with anyone in that field and I was happy to come out on top, but at the same time excited to race Edward again the Dream Mile.

MileSplit - Then earlier this week you ran a NJ state record of 3:46.97 for 1500m, better than the 3:48.0 set by Kevin Byrne back in 1977.  What is it like to take down a record of such historical significance?

Ben - It's truly humbling to have my name on the same lists as some of the legends such as Kevin. He's an all-time great and to accomplish something that he did in high school really speaks to the significance of it. Truly an honor to have one of his records.

MileSplit - What type of shape do you think you are in and how does this shape your goals for the 2013 track season? How fast do you think you can go and in what events?

Ben - I believe I'm in the best shape of my life. My goals have stayed the same since the beginning of the year. I'm never one to throw numbers out there but I know what I'm capable of and I just have to focus on doing one thing for my next couple of races and that is crossing the finish line before everyone else.

MileSplit - What stands out as the most exciting thing about this school year with what you have accomplished so far?

Ben - This school year has been a lot of fun. I've had a lot of great experiences and I'm really enjoying myself. If I had to pick one thing, it would probably have to be winning the Milrose Mile. It wasn't a crazy time or an all time performance but it really gave me my confidence back after a shakey cross country season and it put me in a select group of some really incredible runners who have won that race before me.

MileSplit - What stands out as the most exciting thing about your entire running career so far?

Ben - Whew, this is a tough one, there have been so many things that I've just been so lucky to be a part of and I'm so thankful to have the opportunities that I've had. I think picking out one thing would be doing all of the others an injustice, but to single on out, running at Hayward field during the Olympic trials was something I'll never forget for the rest of my life.

MileSplit - When & how did you get started in track & field?

Ben - I started running in middle school because my dad has always told me about how he was a runner in high school, college and after college. I ran the 100/200/400 and had a lot of fun with it, and the distances may have changed but the enjoyment hasn't.

MileSplit - Person/people most influential to your success in track & field?

Ben - This is about near impossible to answer. So many people have effected my life and my career in such great ways and I would need an entire book to thank each one of them. First and foremost comes my mom and dad. They've done everything for me and supported me through thick and thin and have always acted in my best interest. I wouldn't be anything without them. Then of course comes Coach Murtaugh. Along with being a great coach and mentor, hes been a great friend. We've experienced this roller coaster ride together and no one knows what I've go through at each race and each day better than him, and I couldn't think of anyone better to go through it all with. So many memories we have created throughout my career and we will both never forget them.

MileSplit - Keys to your successful training program?

Ben - There's no secrets and nothing ground breaking. We've kept it simple, and just focused on staying healthy and staying focused. One thing my coach has told me is your gonna hear a lot of things from a lot of different places and people try to over complicate things and over think things, and hes taught me that at the end of the day all you need to do is focus on giving your greatest effort to win the race and at the end of the day if you can say that, only positives can come from what you accomplished.

MileSplit - Your favorite track & field meet?

Ben - There's nothing quite like Penn Relays. It's atmosphere and history is so great and unique that every time you step out on that track it is a privilege. You can't help but think of all of the greats who competed on the same track. There's no other meet in the world like it and I think that's what makes it so fun.

MileSplit - Your favorite performance from a Collegiate/Pro athlete?

Ben - If I had to chose, I would go with Robby Andrews running down Andrew Wheating in the Penn 4x800 2 years ago (I think it was 2 years ago). It was such an exciting race and you knew once those 2 anchors touched the batons it was going to be an instant classic and it didn't disappoint.

MileSplit - Fellow athlete(s) you most enjoy competing against?

Ben - Although he has graduated I loved running with Zavon Watkins. He's a tremendous talent, a class act, and great competitor. I think it's also great running against him because we're so similar in the way we want to race. Can't wait to see him in college.

MileSplit - What are your long-term goals in track & field?

Ben - Its hard for me to think about long term goals because there are so many different variables in track and field and so many different things can happen to change the future. So I just try to focus one race at a time or one season at a time. Of course I have the dream of making an Olympic team but it's just way too early in my career to be thinking about things like that.

The Fun Run

MileSplit - Favorite food?

Ben - Anything with Buffalo/hot sauce.

MileSplit - Beach or Pool?

Ben - You go to the beach, then finish off in the pool!

MileSplit - Facebook or Twitter?

Ben - Always gotta be on top of your twitter game.

MileSplit - Going out or chilling at home?

Ben - Going out, you gotta live it up!

OXY HP Provides Positive Vibe for Curtis & Schappert

Bobby Curtis ran well at the OXY High Performance 5000 meter race tonight, coming 6th in a very deep international field in 13:24.15 -- his second-fastest career 5000 to date.  In so doing, Curtis improved some 8+ seconds over the controlled 5000 he ran at Payton Jordan two weeks ago when he ran 13:32.57.  His coaches at Hansons-Brooks are bringing Curtis along slowly this outdoor season, with the intention to have him peak at the USA championships (June 20-23), where he will try to make the US team over 10,000 meters for the world championships in Moscow. 

Event 8  Men 5000 M Run
===============================================================
        Meet: * 13:12.87  2012        Mo Farah, Nike OTC       
     Stadium: # 13:12.87  2012        Mo Farah, Nike OTC       
    Name                    Year Team                    Finals
===============================================================
Finals                                                         
  1 Farah, Mo`                   Nike                  13:15.68
  2 Ritzenhein, Dathan           Nike                  13:17.38
  3 St Lawrence, Ben             New Balance           13:18.81
  4 Gabius, Arne                 Nike                  13:21.39
  5 Braun, Aaron                 adidas                13:22.37
  6 Curtis, Bobby                Hansons-Brooks        13:24.15
  7 Solinsky, Chris              Nike                  13:27.03
  8 Puskedra, Luke               Nike                  13:31.88
  9 Stilin, Joe                  Unattached            13:33.13
 10 Fraser, Rory                 Bowerman AC           13:36.47
 11 Braden, Forest               Bruin Bruisers        13:37.93
 12 Okello, Tonny                Santa Monica          13:39.43
 13 Furst, Stephen               adidas                13:41.69
 14 Romero, Juan Carlos          Mexico                13:41.91
 15 Vega, Aldo                   Unattached            13:45.68
 16 Webb, Alan                   Nike                  13:46.53
 17 Nageeye, Abdi                Netherlands           13:54.29
 18 Wacker, Andy                 adidas                13:54.60
 19 Borrego, Diego               Zatopek               14:09.20
 -- Rupp, Galen                  Nike                       DNF
 -- Emanuel, Lee                 New Balance                SCR
 -- Gonzalez, Mauricio           Porvenir- Colombia         SCR
 -- Levins, Cam                  Nike                       SCR
 -- Tully-Doyle, Colton          Brooks                     SCR

Also, another positive step forward for Nicole Schappert at OXY HP. The former Villanova All-American is on the mend after surgery earlier this year forced her to miss the indoor season. Schappert, who was the USA #1 indoor miler in 2012, had just returned to the track a week earlier at a low-key meet in West Chester, PA outside Philadelphia (where she ran 4:15.98 -- go HERE for those full results).  Tonight at Occidental College, Schappert took another step toward competitiveness as she improved to 4:11.80.  Good to see Schappert back on the circuit and working hard to regain race fitness.  After a superb 2012 (when she set her 1500 PR of 4:06.87), look for her to get back in the mix in even top-tier competitions.

Event 5  Women 1500 M Run
================================================================
        Meet: * 4:05.92  2012        Shannon Rowbury, Nike      
     Stadium: # 4:05.92  2012        Shannon Rowbury, Nike      
    Name                    Year Team                    Finals 
================================================================
Finals                                                          
  1 Mackey, Katie                Brooks                 4:04.60#
  2 Cain, Mary                   Unattached             4:04.62#
  3 Sifuentes, Nicole            Saucony                4:04.65#
  4 Brown, Sarah                 New Balance            4:05.27#
  5 Lucas, Julia                 Nike                   4:05.89#
  6 Buckman, Zoe                 Nike                   4:05.91#
  7 Kuijken, Susan               Nike                   4:06.59 
  8 Coburn, Emma                 Colorado               4:06.87 
  9 Conley, Kim                  New Balance            4:07.17 
 10 Tomlin, Renee                Nike                   4:08.09 
 11 Simpson, Jemma               Nike                   4:08.51 
 12 Lagat, Violah                Unattached             4:08.87 
 13 Stellingwerff, Hilary        Speed River/           4:10.47 
 14 Van Buskirk, Kate            Brooks                 4:11.14 
 15 Schappert, Nicole            Brooks/NYAC            4:11.80 
 16 Wilson, Heather              Njnytc                 4:12.58 
 17 Gallagher, Kerri             Pacers New Balance     4:12.97 
 18 Franek, Bridget              Nike                   4:15.09 
 19 Van Alstine, Amy             adidas                 4:15.65 
 20 Brown, Stephanie             Arkansas               4:16.10 
 21 Praught, Aisha               Nike                   4:16.66 
 22 O'Connell, Jessica           University of Ca       4:17.17 
 23 Carlyle, Laura               Bowerman AC            4:17.39 
 24 Guevara, Cristina            Mexico                 4:17.67 
 25 Mecke, Dana                  San Antonio Elite      4:18.30 
 26 Salerno, Melissa             New Balance            4:18.60 
 27 Thomas, Callie               Unattached             4:18.67 
 28 Tauro, Danielle              Njnytc                 4:19.07 
 29 Cliff, Rachel                Vancouver Th           4:19.66 
 30 McShine, Pilar               Trinidad & Tobago      4:19.91 
 31 Miller, Ashley               Asics                  4:20.64 
 32 Hagans, Lauren               Asics                  4:21.06 
 33 Infeld, Emily                Nike                   4:21.23 
 34 Beck, Cat                    Cptc New Balance       4:23.20 
 35 Bizzarri, Angela             Brooks                 4:23.27 
 36 Digby, Erica                 Vancouver Th           4:24.75 
 37 van der Wyk, Tracee          Unattached             4:26.33 
 38 Jordán Ordiales, Cristin     C.D. Seoane- Pampín    4:31.43