ESPNHS Track & XC

PENN RELAYS INDEX



Everything about the Penn Relays is huge – from the crowd, the numbers of athletes, to the tradition. The 118^th Penn Relays features 33 hours of competition and an average of one race every five minutes.

Here is a closer look at 10 of the top high school storylines this week at the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field.

1. The Boys Distance Medley Relay: This has the makings of a classic, with two sensational New Jersey teams going at it. Christian Brothers Academy (Lincroft, N.J.), the consummate team (2011 NXN champion), led by senior George Kelly, is trying to become the first U.S. repeat champion since Bishop Loughlin’s four-year run from 1949-52. Meanwhile, St. Benedict’s has Foot Locker champion Edward Cheserek on the anchor leg, a prospect that throws CBA’s title defense into serious doubt. St. Benedict’s won the New Balance National Indoor title, with Cheserek going 4:07.4 on the anchor. A third New Jersey team, Piscataway, could be a factor with Tim Ball on the anchor leg.
2. The Girls Mile: On the face of it, Olympic Trials hopefuls Ajee Wilson of Nepture, N.J. and Mary Cain of Bronxvile, N.Y., are the headliners. They faced one another in the 800 meters at New Balance Nationals Indoor, with Wilson taking the title. Wilson ran 2:05.28 for 800 meters last week at Princeton. Cain is the sophomore class record holder in the indoor 1,500 and is coming in off a 2:05.90 800 meters at the New York Relays. But the homestate girl, Angel Piccirillo of Homer Center, cannot be overlooked. She is a two-time defending champion in this event and will do all she can to defend her turf. This fast lineup also includes Kelsey Margey of Friends Academy (N.Y.), a future teammate of Piccirillo’s.
3. The Boys Mile: This one could be a blockbuster, too. Cabell Midland (Ona, W.V.) standout Jacob Burcham is the top returnee after placing third last year as a sophomore. But this race could have everything to do with closing speed, and Ben Malone of Pascack Valley (Hillsdale, N.J.) and Drew Magaha of Upper Moreland (Willow Grove, Pa.) have shown raw speed. Malone ran 1:49.94 to win the NB Nationals Indoor title. Magaha is the hottest runner in the country right now, coming in off a 1:48.82 last week. How sweet would a win at Penn be for him? Magaha is a University of Pennsylvania recruit and Franklin Field is about to become home. Also, Millrose and U.S. Open champ Zavon Watkins (Liverpool, N.Y.) could be in the mix when the big push begins.
4. Boys 4x800 relay: Can Chariho (Wood River Junction, R.I.) or Boys and Girls (Brooklyn, N.Y.) win another big championship? One of the biggest surprises of New Balance Nationals Indoor was Chariho, which won the 4xMile. B&G, meanwhile, won the 4x800 national indoor title. Challenges will come from Cabell Midland (W.V.), Pennridge (Perkasie, Pa.) and Jamaica’s Holmwood Tech.
5. Girls Distance Medley Relay: Two of the top distance programs in the U.S. go head-to-head with lineups chocked full of Division I talent. The Tatnall School (Wilmington, Del.) boasts Haley Pierce, the reigning Penn Relays 3,000 champ, and talented junior Reagan Anderson. North Shore counters with the one-two punch of Samantha Nadel, coming back from an injury, and Brianna Nerud.
6. Girls 4x100 relay: Defending champion Long Beach Poly (Calif.) is the only U.S. school to break the Jamaican hold on this event going back to 1982. Poly also won in 1995 and 2003. If there is another U.S. contender, it may be Wakefield (N.C.), which has senior anchor Ariah Graham and owns the US#1 4x200 (1:35.98).
7. Girls 4x800 relay: The reigning DMR champions, Fayetteville-Manlius is pushing its chips into the event it won at New Balance Nationals Indoor. The quartet of Katie Sischo, Jillian Fanning, Heather Martin, and Katie Breslin ran 8:58.18 at the Armory in March.
8. The 4x400s: There are hour upon hour of 4x4s, a spectacle unto itself. The girls from Vere Tech in Jamaica have won the event 10 times but could be pressed by U.S. teams from Wakefield, N.C. and Long Beach Poly (Calif). The boys event could be dominated by Jamaica yet again. Munro College has run 3:12.32 this season already. Calabar won the Jamaican championships with 3:10.19. Boys and Girls (N.Y.) and St. Peter’s (N.J.), featuring Najee Glass, are the top U.S. contenders.
9. Boys 3,000: This event doesn’t have a lot of marquee names, but there is an opportunity here for someone to seize a big moment. Adam Visokay of Albemarle, Va. has run 9:00.06 indoors for two miles and will face competition from Connor Rog (Ct.), Sam Parsons (Del.), Tom Awad (N.Y.) and Eric Holt (N.Y.).
10. Boys Shot Put: For four years in a row, Nick Vena won the boys shot put for New Jersey’s Morristown High School. This year, Vena will vie for his first college title at Penn (against the likes of Ryan Crouser), opening the door to a new high school champ. Braheme Days of Bridgetown, N.J. threw 70-8 indoors, won the national indoor title, and looks like the heir apparent to the Penn title.

44th ANNUAL KofC RELAYS
Conley Stadium
424 Mt. Pleasant Avenue, Providence, RI 02908
BOYS' 12# HAMMER THROW (TOP 15)
PL		ATHLETE		CL		SCHOOL	DISTANCE
1		Velez, Joe		SR		Classical, Providence, RI	220'10"
2		Ionata, Charlie		JR		Barrington, RI	209'02"
3		Horace, Reuben		SR		Bishop Hendricken, Warwick, RI	198'03"
4		Conway, Kevin		SR		Westerly, RI	188'04"
5		Mangum, Carlos		JR		Central, Providence,RI	182'09"
6		Briggs, Alex		SR		Portsmouth, RI	172'08"
7		Palazzo, Robert		SR		Classical, Providence, RI	172'02"
8		Fugere, Connor		SO		Woonsocket, RI	169'01"
9		Cummins, Ed		SR		Lincoln, RI	165'06"
10		Gardner, Dylan		JR		Pilgrim, Warwick, RI	164'08"
11		Casbarro, Matt		JR		Bishop Hendricken, Warwick, RI	163'11"
12		Vincent, Joe		JR		Bishop Hendricken, Warwick, RI	161'04"
13		Gallop, Clarence		JR		Central, Providence,RI	160'03"
14		Bassette, Brad		SR		Lincoln, RI	156'07"
15		Sheriff, Ndailor		SR		Classical, Providence, RI	155'01"
BOYS' 5K HAMMER THROW
1		Ionata, Charlie		JR		Barrington, RI	195'06"
2		Fugere, Connor		SO		Woonsocket, RI	175'02"
3		Casbarro, Matt		JR		Bishop Hendricken, Warwick, RI	169'07"
BOYS' 6K HAMMER THROW
1		Velez, Joe		SR		Classical, Providence, RI	201'10"
2		Mangum, Carlos		JR		Central, Providence,RI	176'07"
3		Cummins, Ed		SR		Lincoln, RI	159'00"
4		Palazzo, Robert		SR		Classical, Providence, RI	158'01"
BOYS' 16# HAMMER THROW
1		Velez, Joe		SR		Classical, Providence, RI	170'11"
2		Ionata, Charlie		JR		Barrington, RI	159'07"
3		Andrews, P.J.		SR		Lincoln, RI	132'00"
4		Palazzo, Robert		SR		Classical, Providence, RI	126'08"
5		Cummins, Ed		SR		Lincoln, RI	119'06"
GIRLS 4K HAMMER THROW (TOP 15)
1		Dufault, Maggie		SR		Pilgrim, Warwick, RI	150'06"
2		Maloney, Catherine		SR		LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI	148'00"
3		Cousens, Becky		SR		Portsmouth, RI	146'09"
4		Dagrin, Ann		SR		Classical, Providence, RI	144'03"
5		Mistowski, Leia		SO		Narragansett, RI	137'06"
6		Cooper, Marthaline		JR		Classical, Providence, RI	132'04"
7		Janes, Grace		SR		Rogers, Newport, RI	130'10"
8		Thornton, Adrienne		SR		John D. O'Bryant, Roxbury, MA	129'05"
9		Irwin, Katie		SO		Chariho, Wood River Junction, RI	126'09"
10		Barrette, Destinee		JR		Pilgrim, Warwick, RI	125'06"
11		Makowske, Hannah		SR		Joel Barlow, Redding, CT	118'07"
12		Cousens, Abby		FR		Portsmouth, RI	113'03"
13		Donadio, Bianca		SO		Classical, Providence, RI	113'00"
14		Hughes, Katelyn		SR		Smithfield, Esmond, RI	106'06"
15		Shields, Mary Kate		SR		Smithfield, Esmond, RI	106'05"

NBNI Index


NEW YORK – To fully appreciate Chariho’s national record Saturday in the boys 4x1 Mile relay, try imagining the vantage point of longtime coach Bill Haberek, who will soon enter his 23rd season as the outdoor track head coach at the Wood River, R.I. school.

There he was, bellied up to the rail, wearing the Steve Prefontaine T-shirt , watching his first three runners log PRs and then once-in-a-career standout Mike Marsella chase Shaker (Latham, N.Y.) anchor Christian Delago with a national championship on the line.

“First of all, I wanted Mike to hold on and win the thing,” Haberek said. “Then, I’m looking at the clock and trying to savor as much as I can. I knew it was going to be close. When I saw (the time) posted, I can’t explain the emotions.”

Tiny Rhode Island doesn’t often barge into a meet like New Balance Nationals Indoor and rearrange the all-time list with a national record. But Chariho turned the stick over to Marsella within striking distance of Delago, right on time and according to plan.

“I had a feeling I’d be 15-20 meters behind the guy in first,” said Marsella, who split 4:11.7. “I just wanted to keep my eyes open and hopefully catch him with 800 meters to go. I was hoping to sit on him, but I knew we had a chance at the national record so I made a move and just had to keep going for it.”

By the time Chariho’s quartet – Dan Kilcoyne, Bryce Kelley, Jake Kilcoyne and Marsella – was kneeling next to the reader board stuck on 17:20.20, it had been nearly forgotten that the squad wasn’t even favored to win the race.

Christian Brothers Academy (Lincroft, N.J.) was expected to be the team that pushed all of its chips into the record chase, but the Nike Cross Nationals (and defending 4x1 Mile) champs fell behind early and were barely a factor in the race.

Meanwhile, Chariho knew it had a foursome that could average close to 4:20 per mile.

“We wanted to stick on the leader and be as close as possible so I could go after him, whether it was CBA or Shaker,” Marsella said.

Dan Kilcoyne split 4:24.1 and Kelley followed that with 4:15.6. Then Jake Kilcoyne, more of a long-distance specialist, stripped six seconds off his mile PR to split 4:28.8. Marsella did the rest.

“It was crazy, absolutely crazy,” Marsella said. “I couldn’t see the time (coming around the final lap), I just knew I had to close as fast as possible. I didn’t want to leave anything out there.”

Chariho took down the 2009 record of West Windsor-Plainsboro North (N.J.), which ran 17:21.58. Shaker ran the second-fastest time in history, clocking 17:21.56.

Relays in the spotlight all day

Chariho’s record came on the heels of a near-miss by The Tatnall School (Wilmington, Del.) in the girls version of the same event.

With pressure coming from Saratoga Springs (N.Y.), Tatnall ran aggressively throughout and put together legs of 5:03, 5:03, 5:00 and 4:54 on the way to 20:00.97. Senior Haley Pierce, who placed second (and #2 all-time) in the 5,000 meters the night before, anchored the race and came up just a second and a half short of the national record.

Saratoga Springs, which set the record of 19:59.24 in 2005, finished second in 20:16.23 – good for No. 6 all-time.

In the 4x800 relays, much later in the day, the Armory crowd was treated to more sensational relay action. The powerhouse Fayetteville-Manlius (N.Y.) girls ran away from the field and won in 8:58.18 – four seconds shy of the national record and No. 4 all-time. The school won the same event in 2010 and then claimed the distance medley relay last year.

NXN championship team members Katie Brislin, Katie Sischo and Jillian Fanning were joined by Heather Martin, who returned to training in January after missing out on cross country with a foot injury.

In the boys 4x800 race, Boys and Girls of Brooklyn produced the No. 2 time in history, 7:41.10, thanks to Robert Rhodes’ heroic 1:52.1 anchor. Rhodes gave it everything he had, to the delight of a roaring home crowd.

“It was all about my team,” Rhodes said. “I was not giving up this race. The whole time I was running I was thinking ‘I’ve come way too far.’ If I would have gave up, and let them pass me, I’d be ashamed of myself. I was too close and I wasn’t letting it go.”

Rhodes paid a price for his effort. He spent nearly 10 minutes doubled over, on his knees, throwing up and trying to recover. But after he and his teammates had their fingers sized for championship rings, it was all worth it.

In the boys sprint medley relay, Edward Cheserek led St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark, N.J.) to its second relay title of the meet. Cheserek anchored with a 1:51.2 800 to bring the baton home in 3:25.88, for No. 4 all-time – outrunning a quartet of the nation’s best half-milers. He will try to add third and fourth titles on Sunday in the two-mile and mile.

Hillhouse (New Haven, Ct.), spurred by long sprint superstar Precious Holmes running on the third leg, won the girls sprint medley relay in 4:00.58. Her teammate Kellie Davis gradually extended the lead on her 800 anchor, then provided one of the day’s best expressions of delight at the finish.

Conley, Blankenship win marquee events

When the coach in your corner is an Olympic champion and an American record holder, it’s a little bit easier to react in the big moment and not get overwhelmed by it.

Sydney Conley made the adjustment she needed to on her sixth and final attempt to win the girls long jump with 20 feet, 1.5 inches.

Conley, of Fayetteville, Ark., said it was the first time she had ever pulled out the victory on her final attempt. She needed it because Jasmine Todd of Chandler, Ariz. had taken the lead in the fifth round with a leap of 19-11.5. Todd’s jump surpassed Javanique Burruss of Louisa County, Va., who took the early lead with a second-round 19-8.75.

There were four current 20-footers in the loaded event, including defending champ and Newton North (Newtonville, Mass.) junior Carla Forbes, who was fifth.

The boys’ pole vault competition lost some of its luster despite the presence of three vaulters who had scaled 17-6 or better this winter. Jacob Blankenship won the competition with a clearance at 17-0 and then took the bar up to 17-8.5 and missed all three attempts at that height.

Reese Watson of Spring, Texas had been nursing a quadriceps injury that he hoped would heal in time to compete. But when he tried to run on it at the start of the competition, the leg didn’t respond as he’d hoped. He ran through three times and didn’t attempt a jump.

Shawn Barber of Kingwood Park, Texas worked his way up and over 16-8 – good for second place – but couldn’t summon the energy he needed to keep pace with Blankenship.

“I was going slow,” Barber said. “(I was) trying to get up, trying to get moving. I had a hard time getting down the runway, getting upside down. I tip my hat to (Blankenship).”

Blankenship, of Lincoln (Gahanna, Ohio) had a few early misses, but then found his rhythm and made majestic first attempt clearances over 16-8 and 17 feet. It was his second NSSF title, following his triumph last June in the outdoor meet.

“At the end, sometimes you run out of adrenaline,” Blankenship said. “There was so much competition, I was worried about Reese Watson being there and Shawn Barber. That’s good for me, but maybe I kind of played it a little long. It worked out well, though.”

Blankenship has two more indoor meets scheduled (Ohio has not had its state meet yet) in which to try and surpass the national record of 17-9.75.

In the boys’ long jump, US#1 Devin Field of DeSoto, Texas won his first New Balance championship, finding a 24-footer on his fourth attempt. It wasn’t an easy day for Field, who has been suffering from back pain and also had cramping issues in his calves. He sought help from the meet trainer three times during the competition and fouled his final two attempts.

“The last jumps I tried to hide (the pain,) but I really couldn’t (go),” Field said.

The 2011 U.S. junior champion has a 25-5.75 from earlier this year. But he has been ruled ineligible to compete this spring for DeSoto because residency issues. He has transferred twice in the past year. He may be able to compete unattached in a few meets, but he will not be allowed to defend his state title in the long jump.

The nation’s top-ranked shot putters closed the deal on NBNI titles as well.

Torie Owers of Athens Academy (Georgia), part of the Throw1Deep Club’s contingent, threw a new PR of 51-0.75 to win the event as well as move to No. 11 all-time. She won by three feet.

Braheme Days, Jr. of Bridgeton, N.J. continued his dominance of the boys shot put, throwing 68-10.75 to win the competition by more than eight feet.

“It’s all about development,” Days said of his progress this winter. “I didn’t throw 70 feet today, not even close, but I’m more happy about the win. It’s my first national championship and I’m excited. A lot of guys can say I threw this far, or threw that far, but I like titles.”

NBNI Index


NEW YORK – Erin Finn decided that she’d had enough of driving to the lead in big races and then getting passed at the end. That happened to her in the Foot Locker XC Finals this past December and it happened again at the Brooks PR Invitational two weeks ago.

It didn’t happen on Friday.

Instead , the junior from West Bloomfield, Mich. charged to the front and kept on charging. She buried the field on the way to smashing the U.S. high school indoor 5,000 record by more than 15 seconds – crossing the finish line in 16:19.69 to win her first national championship at New Balance Nationals Indoor at The Armory. The previous record was set in this meet just last year: 16:35.15 by Waverly Neer.

“I told myself this is my chance,” Finn said. “I’ve come in second and third too many times. This is my race, my night, and everything worked out so well. God blessed me tonight, I’m so happy.”

Haley Pierce, of the Tatnall School (Wilmington, Del.) – who was second at NXN and second ahead of Finn in the Brooks PR two-mile – figured there was a chance that she could stick with her evenly paced plan and catch back up to Finn. She briefly edged closer in the middle of the race, but Finn’s pressure was too relentless.

Finn opened with 2:31 for 800 meters and went through 1,600 in 5:07. She then hit a succession of laps mostly in the 39s, with just one over 40.

“I was a little disappointed that I was slowing down,” Finn said. “I think my ego got the best of me. I knew if I went out and held on as long as I could I’d (get the record).”

Pierce also had reason to think she could break through with her biggest win since last year’s 3,000 at the Penn Relays.

“I was pretty confident,” Pierce said. “I know she goes out hard, but sometimes you can pull her back in, you know? I was just trying to stay relaxed in my head. I was trying for the national record and I could win if I got the record, but (Finn) ran an amazing race so I can’t feel too bad.”

Pierce also ran under Neer’s 2011 standard, running 16:31.86. Brianna Nerud from North Shore (Glen’s Head, N.Y.) was third in 16:43.56 and 2011 New Balance Outdoor 5,000 champ Wesley Frazier of Ravenscroft (Raleigh, N.C.) was fourth.

Finn wasn’t the only success story from Michigan on Friday.

The girls distance medley relay squad from Grosse Pointe South (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.), featuring junior twins Hannah and Haley Meier, chased Mountain View of Utah’s 8-year-old national record (11:35.43) and came up just four seconds short.

GPS turned in the No. 4 time in history, clocking 11:39.29 and winning by nine seconds. And it could return intact next year to make another attempt. In addition to the Meier sisters, the quartet included sophomore Kelsie Schwartz (800 meters) and freshman Ursula Farrow (400).

Hannah Meier took the final baton pass needing to run about 4:42 to get her team the record. And the mixture of adrenaline and nerves drove her to a 65-second first 400.

“There was a lot of nerves,” she said. “I felt different than I usually do before races. I just got out there pretty fast and went for it.”

Meier, who won the mile at the Brooks PR Invite two weeks ago, split 4:47.3.

The third final for girls on Friday was the high jump, and Kell, Ga. junior Kendell Williams lived up to her No. 1 ranking in the event. Williams needed a third attempt to make 5-9.25 but then cleared 5-11.25 on her first try.

Williams, who will begin the indoor pentathlon Saturday and also has the 60-meter hurdles on her plate, was able to overcome nagging discomfort in order to focus on her event and win the high jump title. She spent at least 20 minutes trying not to think about her full bladder.

“I’ve never had to high jump when I had to go to the bathroom like that,” Williams said. “I’m just glad I could still jump. I just tried not to think about it, to look at something else.”

After outlasting 2011 runner-up Maddie Morrow of Hoover (North Canton, Ohio) and Dakota Dailey-Harris of LaSalle Academy (Providence, R.I.), Williams was given permission to leave the competition for a few minutes to address her emergency and then returned to take three attempts at 6-0.5.

In the boys DMR, the irrepressible Edward Cheserek made his first appearance in the meet a memorable one. He anchored St. Benedict’s of Newark, N.J. to the championship in 10:10.08.

Cheserek took the stick in sixth place but burned through a 54-second 400 to catch everyone in front of him and move up to the lead. From that point he ran only as hard as he needed to in order to stay in front of Piscataway’s Tim Ball.

Ball made Cheserek work for it, but the Foot Locker champ and 5,000-meter record holder had enough in the tank to bring his team the victory. He has three more events on his weekend to-do list: The sprint medley relay on Saturday and the two-mile and mile on Sunday.

The meet concluded Friday with a stirring finish in the boys 5,000. Foot Locker finalists Daniel Lennon of Peru, N.Y. and Dallin Farnsworth of Pocatello, Idaho traded the lead and neither one of them could shake the other. For 25 laps they went, not separated by more than a stride.

Lennon sped to the lead with 220 meters left and tried to put the race away but Farnsworth responded. Coming around the final curve Farnsworth slide wide and tried to make one final pass but he ran out of room and lost by less than a foot. It was Lennon in 14:37.25 and Farnsworth, the Simplot Games two-mile champion, in 14:37.32.

Lennon was gracious, calling it a “co-championship” because the race was so close.

“I got to the last 100 and started to see his shadow and thought, ‘I’ve got to go,’” said Lennon, who summoned everything he had to get to the finish line first. “I had no idea (who won). In all honesty, I thought he was going to get me. I consider it a co-championship. He closed on me faster than I closed on him and it was both of us together the whole race.”

NBNI Index

Girls High Jump (Friday, 6 p.m.)
This should be a great battle between a trio of jumpers who have cleared 5-10 or better, led by 2011 runner-up and top returnee Madeline Morrow OH. Morrow was known last year for a big handful of great duels with fellow Ohioan Taylor Burke (2011 NBNI champ), who has now moved on to college. But she’ll hardly have the stage to herself. Multi-event star Kendell Williams GA, always a national championship threat in any one of several indoor or outdoor events, is entered here – though she recently said she might just focus on the 60H and pentathlon. The HJ has perhaps been Williams’ best event (and favorite) this year, so it would be surprising if she skipped it. If she’s here, she’ll likely battle Morrow to the final jump. A later add to the field is fast-rising Rhode Island star Dakota Dailey-Harris, coming off her New Englands title a week ago. Finally, the deep field includes 13 jumpers at 5-8 or better, so if the stars falter at the higher elevations, it could be anyone’s gold.
Top Three Picks: 1. Williams, 2. Morrow, 3. Dailey-Harris.
Winning Height: 5-11.25

Girls Distance Medley Relay (Friday, 6:10 p.m.)
The last time a powerhouse girls distance program from Michigan was a threat for a national relay title was back in the early 2000s when Rockford was fielding some of the nation’s best. Now enter the girls of Grosse Pointe South, which won the Michigan D1 state XC title (MI teams aren’t allowed to run NXN) and feature the Meier twins – both sub-4:50 milers (See Baker’s Dozen story about their record chances). There are a handful of other teams that could run in the mid-11:40s to 12:00, including LaSalle RI (US#3 11:53.36), Ocean Lakes VA, and meet-record holder Saratoga Springs (US#4 11:55.14), but it’s hard to imagine anyone beating the Michigan squad. Defending champ Fayetteville-Manlius is only running the 4x800.
Top Three Picks: 1. Grosse Pointe, 2. LaSalle, 3. Kinetic (Saratoga).
Winning Time: 11:34.50, USR

Boys Distance Medley Relay (Friday, 6:40 p.m.)
CBA NJ assistant coach Chris Bennett said Friday that their US#1 squad was pulling out of this event, better to focus on Saturday’s 4x1 Mile relay – the assault on a record taking precedence over scoring a potential sweep of the three longest relays. That leaves the door wide open for US#2 St. Benedict’s NJ to take the win, with star Ed Cheserek’s path to a potential DMR/SMR/2M/1M quadruple growing a bit easier. That’s not to say there are no other contenders. Marshfield MA with its distance duo of Kevin Thomas and Joel Hubbard, Piscataway NJ with Tim Ball, and Pembroke MA with Wesley Gallagher all have a chance to run 10:10 or better. Still, if Cheserek gets the stick within 6-8 seconds of the lead, it’s lights out.
Top Three Picks: 1. St. Benedict’s, 2. Marshfield, 3. Piscataway
Winning Time: 10:06.40, USR

Girls 5,000 (Friday, 7:10 p.m.)
The rematch of Erin Finn MI, Haley Pierce DE, and Wesley Frazier NC is the story here (see Doug Binder Story, SteveU’s Baker’s Dozen) and, as has been mentioned, Brianna Nerud NY is also highly capable of winning. If Pierce is on form, she should win, but the fact that she has been prone to an occasional collapse or major mid-race fade opens the door for anyone else. Whoever is most on their game definitely has a national record shot.
Top Three Picks: 1. Pierce, 2. Finn, 3. Nerud
Winning Time: 16:31.20, USR

Boys 5,000 (Friday, 7:55 p.m.)
There aren’t going to be any record chases this year, but the 5k should still be a very good competitive race with national class talent. Dallin Farnsworth ID and Dustin Wilson PA are both familiar with the 5k on the track; Farnsworth was 4th in this race last year and Wilson was 5th in the NBON 5k last June. On top of that, they were 11th and 13th, respectively, at Foot Locker Finals last fall. Farnsworth is really on a roll, though, coming off his meet record Simplot 3,200 win. Also, New Yorkers Thomas Awad and Dan Lennon should be solidly in the mix, especially Awad, whose marks have been strong nearly all winter.
Top Three Picks: 1. Farnsworth, 2. Awad, 3. Wilson.
Winning Time: 14:33.70

Coverage of the 2012 New England Indoor Championships
Friday, March 2, 2012 -- Reggie Lewis Center, Boston MA
LINKS: Jack Prior Photos: BOYS | GIRLS
Full Results | DyeStat Elites | Meet Site


HIGHLIGHTS

• G-300/600/4x400: Scorching triple for Hillhouse CT sr Precious Holmes, with US#3 38.22 (#12 all-time), US#2 1:30.79 (#11 all-time), and anchoring winning 4x400 effort (3:56.84).
• G-4x800/Mile: The LaSalle RI girls roar into the US#3 spot with a 9:07.28, as six run 9:31 or better. Then anchor Molly Keating comes back with a 4:54.57 victory.
• B-4x800/2-Mile: Already US#5 at 7:50.25, Chariho RI and star Mike Marsella flex their muscles with a 7:51.22 triumph, winning by five seconds over Acton-Boxborough MA’s 7:56.78. Then Marsella bounces back to a 9:16.76 victory.
• G-1k: Classical RI soph Madeleine Berkson didn’t quite make the fast heat; though she’d run 2:12 for 800, she didn’t have a sub-3:00 1k to her credit. But in the 2nd of 3 sections, she blazes a US#7 2:50.11, thought to be the 3rd best ever by a soph nationally. The fast heat sees NW Catholic CT jr Sarah Gillespie lead 3 at 2:55 or better with US#8 2:51.31, but has to settle for 2nd overall.
• G-55H: Brockton MA sr Vanessa Clerveaux took the title and snips another .01 off her PR with a US#5 7.97.
• G-HJ: US#2 leaper Dakota Dailey-Harris (5-10), the LaSalle RI sr, nets the 5-9 victory.
• B-600: Somerville MA sr Andre Rolim, already US#4 1:19.94, settles for 1:20.80 to beat SMSA CT sr Aaeron Sykes (US#10 1:21.00) and Greenwich CT sr Marcus Motill (#11 1:21.08).
• B-1k: Staples CT jr Henry Wynne prevails in US#8 2:28.30, as 9 run 2:32 or faster.
• B-HJ: Somerset MA soph Adam Couitt impresses with 6-9 victory.
• B-SP: Newton North MA sr Swardick Mayanja upholds the favorite’s role with 59-3.5 triumph.
• B-4x200: Chelmsford MA gets their 2nd sub-1:30 with a winning 1:29.83.
• G-4x200: US#5 Hope RI wins easily with a 1:41.88, just over a second off their best.
• G-55: South Burlington VT sr Mollie Gribbin starts double attempt with 7.11 victory, but is 2nd by just over an inch in the LJ.

Coverage of the 2012 Eastern States Championships
Tues., Feb. 28, 2012 -- The Armory, New York, NY
Scroll down for schedule
LINKS: John Nepolitan Photos
Full Results | DyeStat Elites
Live Results | Meet Page (Armory) | Meet Page (Jacob Brown)


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

HIGHLIGHTS

• B-DMR/2 Mile: St Benedict’s (Newark, NJ) first three legs get the baton to Edward Cheserek just a few steps off the lead. Ches rips a 4:06.4 anchor, exploding into the lead with 500 to go and bringing his team to a US#2 10:10.70 win. He returns a few hours later for a meet-record 8:54.82, a time only he has beaten this year. He beats the old record of 9:01.1 by Alberto Salazar in 1976, going out in 4:29 and picking it up from there. New Jersey 1600 champ Ben Malone (Pascack Valley, NJ) keeps moving up and gets 2nd in 9:12.02.
• B-SP: Braheme Days Jr (Bridgeton, NJ) cracks 70’ with a throw of 70’ 8” to improve his US #1 throw and jump to #7 all-time.
• G-55H/200: First, in a battle of New York and New Jersey, NJ champ Stey’ce McNeil (Winslow, NJ) wins in US#1 7.89 over Akayla Anderson (Cardozo, NY) 7.98. Then McNeil wins the 200 in 24.65 (after running 24.61 in the prelims) over Tanaya Yarde (Mt Vernon, NY) 24.86.
• B-4x800: Boys and Girls (NY) has a 12-meter lead at the final exchange, ahead of Cherokee (NJ) and Pope John XXIII (NJ). At the bell, the three teams are together and Pope John kicks best to win with US#2 meet record 7:47.00, followed by Cherokee US#3 7:47.84, Warwick Valley (NY) #5 7:50.68, and Boys and Girls #6 7:50.86. Splits for Pope John: 1:56.2 – 1:58.4 – 1:57.5 – 1:54.
• B-4x200: West Orange (NJ) wins a close boys final in US#3 1:28.85 over Mt Vernon (NY) 1:29.06. Boys and Girls 3rd overall, winning the first of the 2 section final in 1:29.68.
• G-4x200: The girls race comes down to a battle between the anchor legs of Mt Vernon (NY) and Hope (RI). Hope gets the win in US#4 1:40.76 to 1:40.91.
• B-200: New Jersey 400 champ Darrell Bush (Woodbury, NJ) drops down and runs his first 1-lapper of the year and wins in US#4 21.53 over hurdles winner Jermaine Collier (Trenton Central, NJ) 22.00.
• G-800: Jessica Gelibert (Bay Shore, NY) wins in US#5 2:11.15 and Erin Jaskot (Tappan, Zee, NY) closes hard to get 2nd in 2:14.66.
• G-DMR: Red Bank Catholic (NJ) and Mt. St. Dominic’s (Jersey City, NJ) get the baton together and allow West Morris Mendham (Mendham, NJ) get back into the race. But RBC kicks to the US#6 11:55.32 win, pulling MSD to US#7 11:57.06 and WMM to #8 11:58.74.
• G-HJ: Kyaira Wright-Harmon (Franklin, NJ), winner of the NJ Meet of Champs, and Noel Jancewicz (Robbinsville, NJ) both clear US#7 5’8” with Jancewicz getting the win.
• G-TJ: Bryanna Grant (Cranford, NJ) wins with a jump of US#8 39’ 9” over Adefunke Sonaike (Montgomery, NJ) 39’ 7.75”
• B-55H: New Jersey champion Jermaine Collier (Trenton Central), already US#2 at 7.19, wins a close final in 7.35.
• B-LJ/55: Anthony Averett (Woodbury, NJ) leaps a US#11 23-7.25 and dashes 6.46 for the double.
• B-400: Steven Gayle (Mt Vernon, NY) wins the final section in US#12 48.63, with Najai Omari (St Benedicts, NJ) getting 2nd from the unseeded section in 48.93.
• G-SP: New Jersey Champion Theresa Picciallo (Immaculate Heart, NJ), already US#4 at 47'8", repeats as champion with a throw of 45’ 9”.
• G-4x800: Lenape (NJ), already US#4 at 9:09.71, leads wire-to-wire to win in 9:11.37.
• G-55H: Annie Johnson (Shawnee, NJ) wins the girls sprint title with a time of 7.07. US#2 Myasia Jacobs (Paramus Catholic, NJ) has the best time in the prelims, 7.01, then does not show for the final. Jacobs was 3rd Sunday night in the 60 at the Brooks PR meet across the country.
• B-800: Issac Clark (Pleasantville, NJ) takes a close battle with Bryce Kelley (Chariho, RI) 1:54.34 to 1:54.65.
• B-PV: Greg Gallagher (Iona Prep, NY) equals his indoor best of 15’ 6” for the win.
• G-400: New Jersey champion Olivia Baker (Columbia, NJ) holds off Jennifer Edobi (Union, NJ) 56.32 to 56.70 for the win.
• B-Mile: Foot Locker Finalist Tim Ball (Piscataway, NJ) leads wire-to-wire to win in 4:15.75 over Mike Turi (John Jay East Fishkill, NY) 4:19.67.
• G-LJ: Keturah Orji (Mt Olive, NJ) jumps 19’ 3.5” to win the title.
• B-4x400: Cherry Hill East (NJ) boys lead the entire way and in the last straight battles Cherokee (NJ). In the final steps, it looks like Cherokee has a step on Cherry Hill East and then drops the baton and Cherry Hill goes on for the 3:22.60 win. Cherokee does not finish as the baton rolls over the finish.

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

Schedule
4:30 pm Boys' 55m hurdles trials
4:30 pm Boys' pole vault
4:40 pm Girls' 55m hurdles trials
4:50 pm Boys' 55m hurdles semis
5 pm Girls' 55m hurdles semis
5 pm Girls' shot put
5 pm Girls' triple jump
5 pm Boys' long jump
5:10 pm Boys' 55m dash trials
5:15 pm Girls' 55m dash trials
5:20 pm Boys' 55m dash semis
5:25 pm Girls' 55m dash semis
5:30 pm WEBCAST BEGINS ON ARMORYTRACK.COM
5:30 pm Boys' 200m trials
5:45 pm Girls' 200m trials
6 pm Boys' distance medley relay
6:15 pm Girls' distance medley relay
6:35 pm Boys' 55m hurdles final
6:30 pm Girls' 55m hurdles final
6:40 pm Boys' 55m dash final
6:45 pm Girls' 55m dash final
6:50 pm Opening Ceremonies
6:55 pm Boys' 4x200m trials
7 pm Boys' high jump
7 pm Girls' high jump
7 pm Girls' pole vault
7 pm Boys' shot put
7 pm Boys' triple jump
7 pm Girls' long jump
7:05 pm Girls' 4x200m trials
7:15 pm Boys' 4x800m
7:35 pm Girls' 4x800m
7:55 pm Boys' 4x200m final
8 pm Girls' 4x200m final
8:05 pm Boys' two-mile run
8:25 pm Girls' two-mile run
8:40 pm Boys' 200m dash final
8:45 pm Girls' 200m dash final
8:50 pm Boys' 800m run final
9 pm Girls' 800m run final
9:10 pm Boys' 400m dash final
9:20 pm Girls' 400m dash final
9:30 pm Boys' mile run
9:40 pm Girls' mile run
9:50 pm Boys' 4x400m relay
10 pm Girls' 4x400m relay
WEBCAST CONCLUDES

Meet Index


In a venue that high school tracksters own for so many days and nights over the long winter, it was only fitting that the The Armory’s first-ever hosting of the Milrose Games should have been a special one for preps. Yes, for the previous years of the meet in Madison Square Garden, there were many special boys and girls miles, plenty of good relays, and some occasional forays by preps into elite races. But in 2012 with the promise of the 200-meter track encouraging fast times, meet organizers brought in three of the nation’s very best – St. Benedict’s (Newark, N.J.) junior Edward Cheserek, Neptune (Neptune, N.J.) senior Ajee Wilson, and Christopher Columbus (Bronx, N.Y.) senior Strymar Livingston – to battle the pros and chase records and added a few relays as well. It all added up to a very heady brew in the sold-out historic structure.


And guess what? The meet lived up to the hype – especially when the preps mixed it up with the elites. In the men’s 5,000, Cheserek started fast, shook off the lack of consistent pacing, and finished strong to nail his first USR: a 13:57.04 that took more than nine seconds off of Lukas Verzbicas’ 2011 mark (14:06.78). Fellow Kenyan-born stars Bernard Lagat and Lawi Lalang (U. of Arizona), who gave Cheserek a little boost when they lapped him, set American and collegiate records ahead of him and the trio celebrated together afterward.

The women’s 800, on the other end of the spectrum, could hardly have been more tightly packed, and that Wilson was right in the thick of that pack was a tribute to what she’s learned in her third race in three weeks against the elites. It wasn’t strategically perfect – she was pinned on the curb mid-race and swung extremely wide in the last 100 – but it was aggressive and that’s what counted most. Wilson’s reward was a US#1 2:04.13 that’s #2 all-time and netted her 4th in a field of eight.

Only Livingston wasn’t elevated on this day by racing the elites. After two spectacular records in three weeks, he couldn’t get in the rhythm in a slow-starting field and wound up 6th out of six in 1:03.39.

Meanwhile, the prep miles were typically strong and deep, with good storylines, even if they weren’t world-beaters on the clock. US#1 North Shore (Glen Head, N.Y.) senior Samantha Nadel was the overwhelming favorite to win and take down the Millrose record – and didn’t have to PR to do so. With somewhat tired legs, she settled for a 4:46.19 victory.

Liverpool (Liverpool, N.Y.) senior Zavon Watkins was the boys favorite (though not as overwhelmingly as Nadel), but in the third quarter of the race he had drifted into next-to-last place. No problem; Watkins woke up before the final lap and delivered a sledgehammer of a kick (28.5), finally stomping across the line with a triumphant growl.

The prep relays, overall, didn’t quite live up to pre-meet hopes; for example, the nation-leading Christian Brother Academy (Lincroft, N.J.) boys 4x800 and Boys & Girls (Brooklyn, N.Y.) boys 4x400 squads didn’t field their ‘A’ teams for various reasons. B&G’s boys did, however, sweep the PSAL 4x400 and Metropolitan 4x800 titles, while CBA got an impressive Suburban 4x400 victory. Another sweep came in the newest relay events, the sprint medleys for boys and girls, as St. Anthony’s (Melville, N.Y.) claimed both races. The most impressive stickwork, however, came in the girls Metropolitan 4x800, as Garden City (Garden City, N.Y.) ripped a US#1 9:00.92, #10 all-time.

New meet records were established in the girls mile and weight throw, and nearly all of the prep relays.

Cheserek and his fast friends

The aftermath said it all: First, Edward Cheserek on the track celebrating as part of a trio of Kenyan-born record-breakers. Then, Edward Cheserek delivering softly, quickly spoken short answers and sentence fragments in the interview room, leaving as quickly as he politely could. Finally, Edward Cheserek back on the track, getting into his warmups while happily chatting with the middle man of the aforementioned trio, Lawi Lalang.

Except for the rare occasion, the St. Benedict’s junior prefers to do his talking with his feet. And breaking records is a lot more fun when you have comrades from home to share it with.

Though Cheserek had run very fast times in the Stanner 2-mile and the New Balance Games mile (the elite race), until now he had never entered a race set up for a record attempt with all of the inherent hype. There was reportedly supposed to be two pace-setters for Cheserek, but the way things unfolded, he only truly had pace help for a few laps. At the beginning, there really wasn’t any need as Ches hung on the back end of the lead pack and went through 1,600 in a too-fast 4:16. That put him more than 14 seconds up on record pace. Shortly thereafter, he fell off the back. He got a few laps pace help from Ben Bruce, but then Bruce dropped out and Ches was back on his own, starting to lose ground, but still passing 3,200 in 8:48 with a dozen seconds to spare.

As his 200s started slipping above 35 seconds, Cheserek got a boost when Bernard Lagat and the other leaders lapped him. “When someone passes me, I usually slow down,” he would say later with a wry smile, “but not tonight.” He managed a 67-second in the middle of that final mile and while he then slipped back to 35 second laps and a couple slower, he was now closing in on the finish and the energy of the crowd and announcer carried him the final two circuits.

So, in the final 50-seconds of the 5,000, three records were broken: First, Lagat sprinted home in 13:07.15 for the American record, just holding off the 13:08.28 collegiate record effort of Lalang. Then, finishing 8th out of nine in the remarkable field was Cheserek, receiving a champion’s reception and raising his arms as he crossed in 13:57.04, taking away Lukas Verzbicas’ only indoor record less than a year after he set it.

Cheserek admitted the experience of running so far back yet breaking a record was kind of “crazy, but it was okay, though.” He added that “it was important to break the record” and he liked having someone pace him (for the few laps that it happened). Not surprisingly, he said, “I was very happy with my time.”

Then Cheserek left the interview room and while he was changing and chatting with Lalang, his coach Marty Hannon finally made his way down to congratulate his star pupil. “We knew up front it would be very fast and Edward would have to try and hold back. This was the best 5k field ever, here,” he said moments later. “To break the record by nine seconds, and to do it with the guys he looks up to, was awesome.”

Wilson proved she belonged

Unlike Cheserek’s presence in the 5,000, or even Livingston’s in the 300, there was little hype as Ajee Wilson lined up with America’s finest half-milers. Perhaps that was partly because it’s become commonplace for the Neptune (Neptune, N.J.) senior to line up with the elites. First, in the US Open, she had finished 2nd of four – not a particularly good field overall – with a 2:09. Then in the New Balance meet in Boston, she ran a faster 2:07.37 against a better field, but fell off the back and was not competitive. Would she be able to change the game here against the best field of the season?


After a stumble necessitated a recall, the field was off again, with Wilson getting inside and staying there. One athlete immediately fell back, so it was basically a 7-woman race. This time, Wilson never lost contact with the lead group, smartly holding her position, running steady 31-second laps, and setting herself up for a big improvement.

Then in the final 120 meters, Wilson really impressed by gathering herself and sprinting around the outside for a final kick. She ran very wide, but was able to sustain it all the way to the finish, passing three women for 4th – including sub-2:00 pros Maggie Vessey and LaTavia Thomas. When the times came up, the magnitude of what Wilson had done became further apparent: 2:04.13, a 2-second improvement on her indoor PR. With that mighty kick, she had zoomed past legends like Joetta Clark, Tameka Grizzle and Chanelle Price on the all-time list. Only Mary Decker, with her otherworldly 2:01.8 from 1974, is ahead of Wilson now.

Wilson is rarely one to jump around and celebrate, but she was definitely smiling and had a look that said, ‘So that’s what it feels like.’ Then she revealed what made the difference this week: “I know this sounds strange, but I didn’t care as much. I didn’t put so much pressure on myself.

“This week I just ran my own race and stayed close. After I got through the second lap, I felt good, so I said ‘stick in there for one more.’ On the last lap, I heard my coach say, ‘Get to the outside,’ and I made my move. I enjoyed it more this week.

Watkins: Call him “Hulk”

What was up with that, Armorytrack.com asked Liverpool (Liverpool, N.Y.) senior Zavon Watkins after he stomped across the finish line after his boys HS mile victory, letting out a roar and throwing the finish tape to the track in a mostly beastly manner?

“The Incredible Hulk,” he said. “I was really excited.”


Whether Watkins will dye his skin green next time to better resemble the Marvel Comics superhero or this was a one-time deal remains to be seen, but he certainly was emotional about a victory that came in a most improbable fashion.

For the first six laps, Watkins looked lost, like someone who’d just squeaked into the field instead of the favorite. With three laps to go, he had drifted to dead last. But after a 63-2:06.5 start, the leaders were hardly hammering the third quarter anyway and Watkins woke up and passed a few runners to get within striking distance. Still, he hardly looked like the winner with a quarter to go (3:12.5).

Chariho (Wood River Junction, R.I.) senior Mike Marsella had led since taking it from New Providence (New Providence, N.J.) senior Everett Price at 600 and, with his 4:09 mile PR from outdoors last year, was certainly a worthy potential champion. He had pushed the pace, then let up before three quarters as if to make sure he had enough for a kick. With 300 to go, there were still nine in contention – with a surprise off the back end being Great Valley (Malvern, Pa.) senior Ned Willig, with a 4:15 mile best this winter as well as that great NB Collegiate 1k and a US#1 1:51.25 800 to his credit. He would finish 10th.

Coming down the home straight for the bell, however, Watkins suddenly exploded and passed seven runners into the lead in a matter of about 40 meters. By the backstretch, the race was over, with Marsella giving earnest chase but just not having the same wheels. The “Hulk” crossed in 4:13.83, with a 28.5 last lap, followed by the Rhode Island star in 4:14.68 and the rest of the group at 4:17 or slower.

Watkins admitted emotions got him at the finish, that he was just so excited to win. “This was something I really wanted,” he said, “ever since Millrose last year when I got tripped up. I was really upset about that.”

He added that he wasn’t sure why he drifted all the way to the back so late in the race, but “I never count myself out. I really have a lot of confidence in my kick.”

Watkins plans to go back to his cornerstone event at New Balance Nationals, however. “I definitely want to run the 800 and go under 1:50,” he said.

Nadel: Winning was the most important thing

When you race the way Samantha Nadel has this winter, so successfully and with steady frequency, there will be times when you can’t quite achieve everything you want. So you settle for the most important thing.


For Nadel in the girls HS mile Saturday night, that was winning – and defending her title. Chances are pretty good that if someday Nadel has grandchildren she wants to entertain with tales of her running prowess, one thing she’ll be able to claim is being the only girl to win a Millrose at both Madison Square Garden and The Armory. But the record she aspired to, Emily Lipari’s New York state mark of 4:42.04, would have to wait for another race.

In the past, Nadel has fallen victim to starting too fast, but this winter she has overcome that and Saturday she relaxed through the first quarter to see what everyone else might do. The pace was fast enough, 71.9, but when the inevitable slowdown happened for the others, Nadel took command. Victory was never in doubt at that point and she won as she pleased in 4:46.19, easily crushing the Games record and just .08 off her PR and track record of 4:46.11.

After that, the battle was for second, which was something Nadel’s teammate Brianna Nerud badly wanted. When it came to the final kick, Cosby (Midlothian, Va.) senior Megan Moye had more and edged Nerud at the finish, 4:49.95 to 4:50.12.

“Winning was the first priority,” Nadel admitted. “And it feels really great to win this meet again. The atmosphere here tonight was great.”

There was a good reason, though, that she didn’t have PR form. It turns out Nadel had tripled in a mid-week Section 8, Class B County meet. But she had no regrets – there are big races like Millrose strewn throughout the year, but she and Nerud also had business to accomplish for their team, and their performances helped North Shore win an 18th straight title there. “My legs were feeling it tonight,” she said.

Relays: Garden City shines brightest

Compared to the other fireworks in the individual events, the relays were a tad underwhelming, especially without the aforementioned CBA 4x800 boys and Boys & Girls 4x400 boys not at full strength. B&G star Robert Rhodes ran the Metropolitan 4x800 as the school took that title in 7:51.83, but having battled the flu during the week, the coaches gave him a break in the PSAL 4x400, figuring they still had enough to win in style – which they did, in 3:18.83.

Meanwhile, CBA was without top guns George Kelly, who had battled the flu most of the week, as well, and Tom Gorman – who was going to run the mile anyway, but didn’t do that either because of the same illness. The school still took 6th in the race with 7:58.87 and refocused on putting out a great 4x400. Mission accomplished, as CBA took the Suburban 8-lap affair in a US#3 3:19.61. “We were a sprint school today,” said CBA assistant Chris Bennett. “Our 4x4 stole the show. And three of these four guys will be coming back next year, including our anchor (Theo Foster), who we had in 48.8 today.”

The top relay performance of the meet went to a fresher group, the Garden City (Garden City, N.Y.) girls. In the Metropolitan 4x800, they ripped a US#1 9:00.92. They came into the meet having qualified for both this race and the Long Island 4x400 and, given their US#2 3:50.03 status in the 4x4, they had their choice of where to make their mark.

“We’re really happy with the time,” said freshman Emily O’Neill, whose older sister Katie is also part of the quartet. “We wanted to run that fast, but I’m not sure we really thought we could.”

Added fellow frosh Emma Gallagher, “This is only the second time we’ve run this relay this year. We wanted to win and hopefully run a US#1 time.”

Senior Taylor Hennig admitted as a sprinter, she preferred the 4x400, but was thrilled nonetheless and said that even though she’s older than her teammates, “they’ve taught me at least as much as I’ve taught them. It’s an honor to run with them.”

Also racking up the victories were the sprint medley foursomes from St. Anthony’s (Melville, N.Y.). The relays were just added this year and the school lived up to favorites’ status in both. The girls improved their own US#1 from 4:06.08 to 4:02.62. Senior Olicia Williams anchored in 2:12 and said that Chynna-Monica Chung’s third leg got them in position where they could get a seasonal best. “She put us ahead and I took it from there. We wanted to get a good time to get ready for nationals.”

The boys followed late in the meet with a 3:34.76 triumph.

Dunn, others shine individually

In the Women’s USATF Championship 1-Mile Racewalk, the field was boosted by the presence of several top preps from New York and the Northeast. The best of them turned out to be Edward Little (Auburn, Maine) senior Abby Dunn, who strode to a 7:28.36 in 3rd place, which she said was “just about” a PR. Like the other preps who were able to mix with elites, she enjoyed the experience tremendously. “I got to come last year and I was really excited to do it again, to have the chance to compete against women like Lauren Forgues (winner from N.Y.A.C. at 6:48.62),” she said. “I love this track.” Dunn also won the NBIN mile walk here last year and hopes to repeat in March.

Two more new events were the 55 dashes, with the star entry being Paramus Catholic (Paramus, N.J.) senior Myasia Jacobs – the defending NBIN champ in the 60 and the silver medalist from last summer’s World Youth 100. Jacobs indeed dominated, rolling to a 6.91, just .04 off her current US#2 best. For the boys, it was Sweet Home (Amhearst, N.Y.) senior Wayne Gordon hitting 6.46 to get the win.

The weight throws, contested Friday, were to feature two of the nation’s best: US#2 Averill Park (Averill Park, N.Y.) junior Rudy Winker for the boys and US#1 Woodward Academy (Atlanta, Ga.) senior Avana Story for the girls. Winkler scratched, leaving the win to St. Anthony’s senior Bryan Rhodes with 63-9.5, while Story just missed her national leader with 57-8.5.

Coverage of the Millrose Games
Sat., Feb. 11, 2012 - The Armory, New York, NY
LINKS: A Special Night for Preps at The Armory, by SteveU
Results | DyeStat Elite | Meet's Own Site | Video Replay
PHOTO GALLERIES:
Preps with Pros - Cheserek breaks 5k record; Ajee #2 all-time in 800
Miles - Samantha Nadel and Zavon Watkins again
4x800 - Garden City girls US#1, B-G Boys US#6
Sprint Relays - St. Anthony's sweeps SMR
====================================

HIGHLIGHTS

• M-5,000: A NEW HIGH SCHOOL RECORD for St. Benedict's NJ jr Edward Cheserek NJ as he runs 13:57.04 against the elites (8th overall) to break Lukas Verzbicas' one-year-old record.
• W-800: US#1 and #2 all-time 2:04.13 for Neptune NJ sr Ajee Wilson as she takes 4th against an elite field of eight.
• G-Mile: 4:46.19 for North Shore NY sr Samantha Nadel, just .08 off her US#1 mark, to defend her Millrose title. Cosby VA sr Megan Moye just outkicks Nadel's teammate, Brianna Nerud (US#7 4:50.12).
• B-Mile: US#3 4:13.83 for Liverpool NY sr Zavon Watkins, coming from almost the back in third quarter and kicking home to win. US#6 4:14.68 for Chariho RI sr Mike Marsella in 2nd as he and Watkins repeated their NB Games finishes.
• G-4x800: US#1 9:00.92 for Garden City NY, #10 all-time, as they lead a total of five teams at 9:15 or better, including US#5 9:10.59 for Strath Haven PA and #6 9:11.16 for Red Bank Catholic NJ.
• G-SMR: US#1 4:02.62 for St. Anthony's NY, improving their own national lead with a 2:12 anchor by Olicia Williams. US#4 4:09.40 in 2nd for St. John Villa NY.
• B-4x800: US#6 7:51.83 for Boys & Girls NY, as 8 schools break 8:00. US#1 Christian Brothers NJ is 6th as they hold out some of their top guns.
• B-4x400: Christian Brothers NJ breaks out with a US#3 3:19.61 to win the Suburban race. Boys & Girls NY, already US#1 at 3:15.12, rolls to the PSAL win in 3:18.83 w/o star Robert Rhodes. Uniondale NY takes the Long Island race in 3:22.22.
• G-4x400: Medgar Evers NY improves their US#4 to 3:51.46 to beat Benjamin Cardozo NY #5 3:52.37 for PSAL title. Massapequa NY wins the Long Island race in 3:57.17 (with Garden City putting its top runners in the 4x8), and the Suburban title goes to New Rochelle NY in 3:56.44.
• B-SMR: US#8 3:34.76 for St. Anthony's NY as they complete the boys/girls sweep in the event.
• W-RW: Edward Little ME sr Abby Dunn is the best of several preps in the USATF Women's Championship, clocking US#1 7:28.36 for 3rd.
• G-WT: Woodward Acad. GA sr Avana Story takes it with 57-8.5, just off her US#1 58-2.25.
• G-55: 6.91 for Paramus Catholic NJ sr Myasia Jacobs, close to her US#2 6.87.
• M-500: 1:03.39 500 for Christopher Columbus NY sr Strymar Livingston, taking 6th vs. the elites, but off form from his 1:01.68 USR from last month.

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PREVIEW: Best Millrose for preps ever has full menu

The 105th Millrose Games, the first in the Armory facility, promises perhaps the best exhibition of top prep talent in its history, with three all-time prep greats in their respective events mixed in with the pros in great opportunities to break records and/or move up the all-time lists. That’s on top of the typically great boys and girls high school mile races and a big schedule of prep relays.

The preps competing with the pros include the following:

• St. Benedict’s (Newark, N.J.) junior Ed Cheserek, is running with the elites in the 5,000, getting pacing help with hopes of breaking Lukas Verzbicas’ 2011 USR of 14:06.78. Cheserek has already made strong bids for the 2M and 1M prep USRs – following an 8:43.16 deuce (just short of his own #3 all-time 8:42.66 from last March) at the Molloy Stanner Games Jan. 14 with a 4:02.21 last weekend during the Elite Mile (#2 all-time) at the New Balance Games. But this will be the first paced record attempt that Cheserek has contested and, if he sticks with the plan, he has a great chance at the Verzbicas mark. He has to average less than 34 seconds a lap and his best in this event is an outdoor time of 14:02.xx last spring. Ahead of Cheserek, pro Bernard Lagat is trying to retake the American record – Galen Rupp ran 13:11.44 last year to top Lagat’s 13:11.50 from 2010.
• Christopher Columbus (Bronx, N.Y.) senior Strymar Livingston, will be sprinting with the pros in the 500 with a chance to reset his own 1:01.68 USR. Seemingly perfectly suited for these odd distances only found indoors, Livingston has clearly become the greatest long sprinter ever with his 500 USR and his second 600 USR in two years. Meanwhile, pro Lashawn Merritt is in the field, going for the 1:00.17 world best and American record set back in 1987 (not an official IAAF event). The event is so infrequently contested at this level that there has only been one revision in the all-time top 10 since 1992.
• Neptune (Neptune, N.J.) senior Ajee Wilson, competing with pros for the third straight weeks in hopes of improving her US#1 2:07.37 and perhaps her indoor PR of 2:06.17 (on this track at New Balance Nationals last March), which is #6 all-time. Her task competitively will be no easier than last week, when she was 6th out of six in the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix 800, despite a US#1, as pros Morgan Uceny, Phoebe Wright, and Maggie Vessey head up the loaded field.

The boys and girls miles are typically well-loaded affairs.

• Girls Race: Unbeaten North Shore (Glen Head, N.Y.) senior Samantha Nadel has already taken down the track record last month with her US#1 4:46.11, claimed the US Open title with a surprisingly fast 4:47.29 on the tiny Madison Square Garden track, and also stands as US#1 in the 3,000. While the field that will be surely chasing her is a strong group of 4:48-5:00 milers, expect Nadel to set out on her own and only have herself for competition. Though she doesn’t start notorious fast most of the time, she is a confident pace-setter. The rest of the field is headed up by three other sub-4:50 performers from this winter: Bronxville (Bronxville, N.Y.) soph Mary Cain (4:48.96; also has US#1 2:47.29 1k and 4:17 1500 last spring), Friends Academy (Locust Grove, N.Y.) senior Kelsey Margey (4:49.03; 4:43.91 career best outdoors), and Cosby (Midlothian, Va.) senior Megan Moye (4:49.36). Nadel’s teammate Brianna Nerud, runnerup in the US Open with 4:54.65, should not be counted out, either.
• Boys Race: There is definitely not a heavy favorite in this race, but you certainly have to place Liverpool (Liverpool, N.Y.) senior Zavon Watkins and Great Valley (Malvern, Pa.) senior Ned Willig atop the list of contenders. Watkins has won the New Balance Games mile three weeks ago in 4:14.52, making him the fastest qualifier. He followed that up with a US Open win in a tactical race. That set up a showdown last week at the New Balance Collegiate 1,000 meters with Willig, a fast-rising talent with his own new 4:15.61 PR and a US#1 1:51.25 at 800. The appeared to go 1-2 in this 1k ahead of Alan Webb’s USR, only to get DQ’d due to lane violations and give the win to Ben Malone. Now Watkins and Willig get to go at it again at a mile, where they also have nearly identical 1600 PRs from last spring of 4:11.13 and 4:11.99. And though those two are the favorites, don’t forget about the eight others who have run 4:17 or faster indoors this winter, including Chariho (Wood River Junction, R.I.) senior Mike Marsella – who was 2nd behind Watkins at the New Balance Games and owns the best mile PR in the field overall with his 4:09.09 last spring outdoors.

Other prep individual events

• 55 Dashes: Paramus Catholic (Paramus, N.J.) senior Myasia Jacobs heads up the girls field with her US#2 6.87 (6.82 career best). Her long resume includes a NBIN 60 dash title last winter and a World Youth Champs silver last summer in the 100. Sayville (West Sayville, N.Y.) junior Chris Belcher is the top boys’ seed at 6.53.
• Weight Throws: US#2 Averill Park (Averill Park, N.Y.) junior Rudy Winkler, with a best of 76-11 (#12 all-time) leads the boys field, while US#1 Woodward Academy (Atlanta, Ga.) senior Avana Story with a best of 58-2.25 (also #12 all-time) paces the girls.
• Women’s USATF Nat’l Championship Mile Racewalk: While this is a “senior” USATF championship event, about half of the entrants are preps. Townsend Harris NY junior Ji Won Kang (current US#5 7:13.73 1500) and Auburn ME sr Abby Dunn (US#3 7:41.22 mile) look like the top contenders.

Prep Relays

• Boys: The top 4x800 and 4x400 seeds will be challenged to top their New Balance Collegiate fireworks. Christian Brothers (Lincroft, N.J.) is the heavy favorite in the Metropolitan 4x800 after their US#1 7:41.53 last weekend (#2 all-time), while Boys and Girls (Brooklyn, N.Y.) has the same status in the PSAL 4x400 after their nation-leading 3:15.12 made them #4 all-time. Long Island and Suburban 4x400 crowns will also be awarded. New this year is the SuperRunners CHSAA Sprint Medley, with St. Anthony’s NY the favorite.
• Girls: In the 4x400s, US#2 Garden City NY (US#2 3:50.03) is the Long Island fave, while Medgar Evers NY (US#4 3:54.46) is the PSAL top seed. The SuperRunners Metro 4x800 battle should come down to US#2 St. Dominic’s NJ and #3 Lenape NJ, while US#1 St. Anthony’s NY is the clear pick in the Joe Fox Memorial CHSAA Sprint Medley.

Full fields:

BOYS



55-meter Dash

  1  Timoy, Malcolm              Snyder                 6.72

  2  Gooden, Brandon             John Bowne             6.63

  3  Jackson, Mark               Longwood               6.59

  4  Belcher, Christopher        Sayville               6.53

  5  Gordon, Wayne               Sweet Home             6.58

  6  Dixon, Danito               Sheepshead             6.61

  7  Campbell, Kareem            Mt Vernon              6.64

  8  Spooner, Gabe               Xavier                 6.77 



Larry Byrne New Balance Mile

  1  Watkins, Zavon              Liverpool, NY          4:14.52

  2  Marsella, Mike              Chariho, RI            4:15.27

  3  Willig, Ned                 Great Valley, PA       4:15.61

  4  Delago, Christian           Shaker, NY             4:16.00

  5  Price, Everett              New Providence, NJ     4:16.22

  6  Surkont, Konrad             Stuyvessant, NY        4:16.31

  7  Lewandowski, Stephen        Mountain Lakes, NJ     4:16.66

  8  McIe, Adam                  Brewster, NY           4:17.10

  9  Holt, Eric                  Carmel, NY             4:17.42

 10  Gorman, Tim                 CBA, NJ                4:17.67

 11  Napolitano, Rob             Red Bank Catholic, NJ  4:19.67

 12  Rog, Connor                 Fairfield Prep, CT     4:20.08 



PSAL 4x400-meter Relay

  1  South Shore, NY                                   3:28.15

     1) Candio, Alex                    2) Lawremce, Kevin

     3) Lewis, Christopher              4) Morency, Kevin

  2  DeWitt Clinton, NY                                3:26.91

     1) Asante, Godfrey                 2) Beckford, Rudje

     3) Hudson, Montel                  4) Obeng-Agyapong, Jeremiah

  3  Medgar Evers, NY                                  3:26.80

     1) Ali, Roger                      2) Daniels, Alex

     3) Davis, Delroy                   4) Merchant, Jenoy

  4  Samuel J. Tilden, NY                              3:25.10

     1) Applewhite, Kwasi               2) Charles, Dwayne

     3) Europe, Corwin                  4) Ventour, Justin

  5  Boys & Girls, NY                                  3:19.90

     1) Grant, Javaun                   2) Johnson, Joel

     3) Renwick, Curtly                 4) Rose, Richard

  6  Harry S Truman, NY                                3:25.05

     1) Cherry, Shane                   2) Hall, Michael

     3) Mathis, Kevin                   4) Tomlinson, Jason    



Long Island 4x400-meter Relay

  2  Massapequa                                        3:30.87

     1) Caraciolo, Joe                  2) Deluna, Danny

     3) Maione, Andrew                  4) Poole, Brian

  3  Elmont, NY                                        3:30.50

     1) Aristide, Calvin                2) Atkins, Brandon

     3) Barker, Chad                    4) Obadare, Ayomiede

  4  Port Jefferson, NY                                3:29.20

     1) Conte, Cole                     2) Keresztes, Andrew

     3) Neiman, Benjamin                4) Walsh, Dennis

  5  Uniondale, NY                                     3:23.99

     1) Armour, Chris                   2) Chardonette, Nyder

     3) Goodwin, Tresean                4) Ingram, Derrick

  6  Freeport, NY                                      3:28.68

     1) DeVore, Tremanie                2) Grant, Justin

     3) Greenwood, Jonathan             4) Jenkins, Caleb  



Suburban 4x400-meter Relay

  1  New Rochelle, NY                                 3:30.94

     1) Bajulaiye, Temi                 2) Clarke, Jordan

     3) Lawrence, Aaron                 4) Wheeler, Roland

  2  Pearl River, NY                                  3:26.40

     1) Bateman, Brenden                2) Bonaro, Tom

     3) Brennan, Kieran                 4) Lueders, Hans

  3  Mount Vernon, NY                                 3:25.02

     1) Austin, Raheem                  2) Gayle, Steven

     3) Samuels, Chevaun                4) Taylor, Donnell Avery

  4  Union Catholic, NJ                               3:23.76

     1) Costello, Darryl                2) DeAngelis, Mike

     3) Eke, Allen                      4) Jimerson, Jordan

  5  Newburgh Free Academy, NY                        3:20.27

     1) McAllister, Xavier              2) Moore, Terrel

     3) Valentine, Isaiah               4) Wimboly, Shaquille

  6  Christian Brothers, NJ                           3:21.52

     1) Foster, Theo                    2) Mangini, Clark

     3) McDermott, Zack                 4) Rodio, Matt 



Metropolitan 4x800-meter Relay

  1  Boys & Girls, NY                               7:52.45

     1) Rhodes, Robert                  2) Rose, Richard

     3) Wickham, Nebroth                4) Williams, Darryl

  2  Christian Brothers, NJ                         7:56.53

     1) Kelly, George                   2) Lippert, Conrad

     3) McClemens, Mike                 4) Olsen, Kevin

  3  Colonie, NY                                    7:56.65

     1) Holmes, Jon                     2) Johnson, Jacob

     3) Luizzi, Matt                    4) Sainato, Giancarlos

  4  Arlington, NY  'A'                             7:57.44

     1) Hanson, Sibby                   2) Koenitzer, Chris

     3) Lotocky, Krystopher             4) Merenda, Eddie

  5  Collegiate, NY  'A'                            7:58.42

     1) Garcia, Will                    2) McDonald, Alex

     3) McDuffie, Will                  4) Pompilj, Marco

  6  Strath Haven, PA  'A'                          8:02.96

     1) Butera, Dylan                   2) Huemmler, Jack

     3) Seelaus, Jeff                   4) Stewart, Dan

  7  Bronxville, NY  'A'                            8:03.71

     1) Dennen, John                    2) Flannery, Dayton

     3) Flannery, Johnny                4) Harrison, James

  8  Shaker, NY  'A'                                8:04.60

     1) Hausamann, Ethan                2) Libruk, Mike

     3) Morgan, Max                     4) Phillips, Dan

  9  Bellport, NY  'A'                              8:07.06

     1) Correa, Travis                  2) McGlynn, Ryan

     3) Palafox, Derek                  4) Santana, Brandon

 10  Bronx Science, NY  'A'                         8:07.28

     1) Berkmans, Pier                  2) Destefano, John

     3) Ledger, Joe                     4) Yohanan, John

 11  Pawling, NY  'A'                               8:08.50

     1) Hunter, Kevin                   2) Konchan, Mike

     3) Souter, Colin                   4) Souter, Taylor

 12  Pleasantville, NJ  'A'                         8:03.77

     1) Arias, Dagoberto                2) Clark, Isaac

     3) Clark, Jacob                    4) Narinensingh, Radcliffe 



SuperRunners CHSAA Sprint Medley Relay

  1  Bishop Ford, NY                                   3:40.96

     1) Lopez, Bryan                    2) Messam, Chad

     3) Mitchell, Devon                 4) Rocks, Devin

  2  Xavier, NY                                        3:38.73

     1) Arvanitis, Phil                 2) Camacho, Isidro

     3) DeNiro, Dominic                 4) Spooner, Gabe

  3  Fordham Prep, NY                                  3:38.60

     1) Crossdale, Malik                2) Graziosa, Giovanni

     3) Keefer, Lucas                   4) Kennelly, Dennis

  4  Kellenberg Memorial, NY                           3:38.55

     1) Capozzoli, Tyler                2) Evelyn, Enoch

     3) Maulo, Joseph                   4) McGee, Raul

  5  St. Anthony's, NY                                 3:36.35

     1) Adegbite, Adekola               2) Graw, Daniel

     3) Kreider, Kevin                  4) Ridley, Stanton

  6  St. John the Baptist, NY                          3:37.11

     1) DuPlessis, Thomas               2) Ferguson, Sean

     3) Rowan, Pat                      4) Selle, John   



Weight Throw

  1  Barnett, Donte                   NY      43-08.00

  2  Walton, Blake                    NY      54-04.00

  3  Pensa, Chris                     NY      50-09.00

  4  Wilson, Tim                      NY      50-11.00

  5  Gallagher, Keith                 NY      51-02.00

  6  Rosario, Angel                   NY      58-08.00

  7  Rhodes, Bryan                    NY      64-04.00

  8  Winkler, Rudy                    NY      74-04.00



GIRLS



55-meter Dash

  1  Shanus, Julie               Rye Country            7.41

  2  Rogers, Robbi               Mt Vernon              7.28

  3  Hannon, Valenica            Elmont                 7.19

  4  Jacobs, Myasia              Paramas Catholic       6.98

  5  Philson, Lateisha           Cardozo                7.12

  6  Smith, Jordan               Paramas Catholic       7.19

  7  Yarde, Tanaya               Mt Vernon              7.29

  8  Marcus, Jalilissa           St. Edmunds            7.48 



New Balance Mile

  1  Nadel, Samantha              North Shore, NY        4:46.11

  3  Cain, Mary                   Bronxville, NY         4:48.98

  3  Margey, Kelsey               Friends Academy, NY    4:49.03

  4  Moye, Megan                  Cosby, VA              4:49.36

  5  Paul, Rachel                 Sachem East, NY        4:52.95

  6  Chase, Sophie                Lake Braddock, VA      4:55.79

  7  Batzel, Audrey               Ocean Lakes, VA        4:58.06

  8  Nerud, Brianna               North Shore, NY        4:58.45

  9  Gerlach, Tori                Pennridge, PA          4:58.67

 10  Sargent, Sara                Pennsbury, PA          4:59.07

 11  Panisse, Alexis              Benjamin Cardozo, NY   5:00.87

 12  Seykora, Maria               Notre Dame, PA         5:01.09 



PSAL 4x400-meter Relay

  1  Campus Magnet, NY                                  4:04.92

     1) General, Thea                   2) Green, Monique

     3) Lindor, Danielle                4) Stobbs, Samiesha

  2  Benjamin Banneker, NY                              4:04.03

     1) Chestnut, Bryanna               2) Cummings, Breanna

     3) Harrison, Khadejah              4) Meadows, Nzinga

  3  Port Richmond, NY                                  4:01.07

     1) Delacruz, Amanda                2) Doway, Alison

     3) Humes, Shi-Anne                 4) Wilson-Jones, Yazmin

  4  DeWitt Clinton, NY                                 4:00.11

     1) Adams, Britttney                2) Lambert, Katrina

     3) Tidball, Kianna                 4) Wright, Marlena

  5  Medgar Evers, NY                                   3:54.46

     1) Baird, Kadecia                  2) Cameron, Janai

     3) Tasher, Ashley                  4) Thompson-Charles, Paige

  6  Benjamin Cardozo, NY                               3:56.61

     1) Anderson, Akayla                2) Panisse, Alexis

     3) Philson, Lateisha               4) Southerland, Sabrina



Long Island 4x400-meter Relay

  1  Bayport Blue-Point, NY                            4:08.74

     1) Dooley, Courtney                2) Hasher, Casey

     3) Triani, Sami                    4) Walker, Bailey

  2  Brentwood, NY                                     4:04.94

     1) Reid, Brianna                   2) Richardson, Bionca

     3) Richardson, Brittany            4) Smith, Roslyn

  3  Massapequa, NY                                    4:00.78

     1) Bourgal, Andrea                 2) McBrien, Shannon

     3) Sweeney, Heather                4) Yevoli, Kristen

  4  Bay Shore, NY                                     3:59.97

     1) Anderson, Jacqueline            2) Andrade, Cesia

     3) Gelibert, Jessica               4) Rowe, Danielle

  5  Uniondale, NY                                     3:58.84

     1) Linton, Stephanie               2) Powell, Adrianna

     3) Roberts, Kadesha                4) Webley, Brittany

  6  Garden City, NY                                   3:59.74

     1) Jaeger, Laura                   2) Lawkins, Kelly

     3) Punturo, Kelly                  4) Yeboah-Kodie, Alexis



Suburban 4x400-meter Relay

  1  Washingtonville, NY                               4:05.43

     1) Connors, Kerry                  2) Hehir, Lauren

     3) O'Neill, Alayna                 4) Robinson, Raheema

  2  Weequahic, NJ                                     4:04.28

     1) Cooper, Saborrah                2) Frett, Shenique

     3) Jones, Jasmine                  4) Uhunwangho, Amenza

  3  Winslow Twp, NJ                                   4:03.79

     1) Cross, DeAnn                    2) McNeil, Stey’ce

     3) Oguledo, Christine              4) Robinson, Torie

  4  New Rochelle, NY                                  4:01.56

     1) Donaldson, Alicia               2) Marshall, Selena

     3) Stevens, Deajah                 4) Wiggins, Ashley

  5  Suffern, NY                                       3:59.75

     1) Adler, Sara                     2) Shedler, Sara

     3) Solan, Imani                    4) Theard, Soraya

  6  Mount Vernon, NY                                  4:00.14

     1) Cameron, Shanice                2) Harney, Lexus

     3) Rogers, Robbi                   4) Yarde, Tanaya     



SuperRunners Metropolitan 4x800-meter Relay

  1  Mt. St. Dominic, NJ                               9:09.69

     1) Corbosiero, Amanda              2) Fields, Ashlynn

     3) McCurdy, Kathleen               4) O'Driscoll, Kelsey

  2  Garden City, NY                                   9:21.62

     1) Gallagher, Emma                 2) Hennig, Taylor

     3) O'Neill, Emily                  4) O'Neill, Katie

  3  Red Bank Catholic, NJ                             9:21.71

     1) Bellaran, Lindsey               2) Dooley, Mary Kate

     3) Marzano, Liana                  4) McMullin, Meghan

  4  Strath Haven, PA                                  9:21.84

     1) Grossman, Hannah                2) Irons, Bri

     3) Miller, Kristen                 4) Wilson, Allie

  5  Holy Names, NY                                    9:22.31

     1) Close, Kaitlin                  2) Maloy, Catherine

     3) Scott, Kaylee                   4) Triller, Leah

  6  Lenape, NJ                                        9:23.71

     1) Duffey, Emmy                    2) McGee, Emily

     3) Ocasio, Natalia                 4) Restivo, Amanda

  7  West Potomac, VA                                  9:26.50

     1) Boyle, Colleen                  2) Lescher, Dale

     3) Passacantando, Sophia           4) Underwood, Sarah Jane

  8  St. Anthony's, NY                                 9:27.55

     1) Fontana, Lauren                 2) Mitchell, Taylor

     3) Russ, Sloane                    4) Worth, Delaney

  9  Colonie, NY                                       9:30.20

     1) Kaminski, Kirsten               2) Malecki, Jackie

     3) Schillaci, Kaitie               4) Shannen, Kerin

 10  Bronxville, NY                                    9:30.26

     1) Campbell, Courtney              2) Hoffer, Emilie

     3) Phillips, Amelia                4) Rizzo, Meredith

 14  Pearl River, NY                                   9:34.50

     1) 1363 Hayes, Kelly               2) 1364 Kohlbrenner, Maria

     3) 1365 McMorrow, Ceili            4) 1362 Shine, Molly

 11  Morris Hills, NJ                                  9:38.09

     1) Clyne, Ailis                    2) Polanco, Jennifer

     3) Polimeni, Krissa                4) Thompson, Ulana

 12  Boys and Girls, NY                                9:45.60

     1) Diarra, Sally                   2) Singh, Omawattie

     3) Sterrett, Jhanee                4) Wickham, Carol

 13  Mamaroneck, NY                                    9:46.60

     1) Banks, Anima                    2) Devore, Katie

     3) Paras, Paulina                  4) Rauls, Leonie 



Joe Fox Memorial CHSAA Sprint Medley Relay

  1  St. John the Baptist, NY                          4:27.97

     1) Hollomon, Jasmind               2) McLeod, Krystal

     3) Penn, Chelea                    4) Rivera, Lauren

  2  Archbishop Molloy, NY                             4:21.50

     1) Morrison, Niamani               2) Salas-Ali, Tiana

     3) Woods, Kathleen                 4) Woods, Mary Ellen

  3  Holy Trinity, NY                                  4:19.84

     1) Bartolo, Marrianna              2) Brown, Caroline

     3) Luebke, Rachel                  4) Sandowski, Amanda

  4  Kellenberg Memorial, NY                           4:19.44

     1) Belcher, Jasmin                 2) Belot, Odrine

     3) Conroy, Ashlin                  4) Montgomery, Carly

  5  St. Anthony's, NY                                 4:06.08

     1) Chung, Chynna-Monica            2) Fielder, Megan

     3) June, Melissa                   4) Williams, Olicia

  6  St. John Villa, NY                                4:13.12

     1) Claudio, Dominique              2) Claudio, Mariah

     3) Simon, Alexandra                4) Taddoni, Kristi    



Weight Throw

  1  Cooper, Monae                    NY      35-05.50

  2  Bishop, Sochima                  NY      36-04.00

  3  Furman, Heidi                    NY      39-11.00

  4  Brown, Briyah                    NY      40-09.00

  5  Rodriquez, Danely                NY      41-10.00

  6  Collins, Jordan                  NY      42-01.00

  7  Borriello, Danielle              NY      42-04.00

  8  Darby, Dominique                 NY      47-01.00

  9  Story, Avana                     GA      55-11.00

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

SCHEDULE

Time Order Event
9 am Millrose Collegiate Invitational
4 pm 1 Women's Club Championship Distance Medley Relay
4:15 pm 2 Men's Club Championship Distance Medley Relay
4:28 pm 3 Women's Club Championship Sprint Medley Relay
4:37 pm 4 Women's USATF National Championship Mile Walk
4:47 pm 5 Long Island High School Boys' 4x400-meter Relay
4:54 pm 6 Joe Fox Memorial CHSAA Girls' Sprint Medley Relay
5:01 pm 7 Long Island High School Girls' 4x400-meter Relay
5:08 pm 8 Suburban High School Girls' 4x400-meter Relay
5:15 pm 9 SuperRunners Metropolitan HS Girls' 4x800-meter Relay
5:27 pm 10 NYRR Youth Girls' 4x200-meter Relay
5:32 pm 11 NYAC Youth Boys' 4x200-meter Relay
5:37 pm 12 Metropolitan High School Boys' 4x800-meter Relay
5:49 pm 13 Masters Women's 4x400-meter Relay
5:59 pm 14 Masters Men's 4x400-meter Relay
6:06 pm 15 Susan Rudin USATF National Championship Men's Mile Walk
6:15 pm 16 Metropolitan College Men's 4x400-meter Relay
6:22 pm 17 NYRR Fastest Kid on the Block
6:27 pm 18 Suburban High School Boys' 4x400-meter Relay
6:34 pm 19 Men's Club Championship 4x200-meter Relay
6:40 pm 20 Gotham Cup Metropolitan College Women's 4x400-meter Relay
6:47 pm 21 Men's Club Championship Sprint Medley Relay
6:55 pm 22 Women's 60-meter Hurdles
7 pm 23 Men's 60-meter Dash
7:05 pm Opening Ceremony
7:15 pm 24 HBCU Men's 4x400-meter Relay
7:21 pm 25 NYAC Women's Club Championship 4x200-meter Relay
7:26 pm 26 John Thomas Men's High Jump
7:30 pm 27 PSAL Boys' 4x400-meter Relay
7:40 pm 28 Byron Dyce College Men's Distance Medley Relay
7:55 pm 29 Fred Schmertz Women's Pole Vault
8 pm 30 NYRR Wanamaker Women's Metric Mile
8:10 pm 31 Mel Sheppard Men's 500-meter Dash
8:20 pm 32 New Balance Men's 5,000-meter Run
8:35 pm 33 Women's Long Jump
8:37 pm 34 Howard Schmertz Women's 400-meter Dash
8:42 pm 35 New Balance High School Girls' Mile
8:52 pm 36 High School Boys' 55-meter Dash
8:57 pm 37 High School Girls' 55-meter Dash
9:02 pm 38 Mushin Men's 60-meter Hurdles
9:09 pm 39 Women’s 60-meter Dash
9:14 pm 40 Larry Byrne New Balance Boys' High School Mile
9:21 pm 41 PSAL Girls' 4x400-meter Relay
9:28 pm 42 Women's 800-meter Run
9:35 pm 43 SuperRunners CHSAA Boys' Sprint Medley Relay
9:49 pm 44 NYRR Wanamaker Mile

Coverage of HS events at the U.S. Open
Sat., Jan. 28, 2012 - Madison Square Garden, New York, N.Y.
Broadcast: Sun., Jan. 29, 7pm-9pm ET, ESPN2
LINKS: Boys Mile Video
John Nepolitan Photos: Girls Mile | Boys Mile | Women's 800 & Relays |
Full Results | DyeStat Elite
Meet's Own Site | LIVE RESULTS

HIGHLIGHTS

• G-Mile: North Shore NY sr Samantha Nadel dominated in 4:47.66, beating teammate Brianna Nerud (4:54.65) by seven seconds. Nadel's time is the fastest ever for a high school girl on the MSG track. She went out in 71-2:25.9 for the first two quarters, building a 5-second lead, then closed in 68 to get the record.
• B-Mile: Liverpool NY sr Zavon Watkins kept his hot streak going, following up a big NB Games win last week with a 4:19.86 triumph here, edging the Massachusetts duo of Pembroke sr Wesley Gallagher (4:20.01) and Peabody sr Nick Christensen (4:20.23). The race had a painfully slow start, going out in 69 before picking up to 2:13.9 at halfway. Watkins took the lead with 2 laps to go and held off his challengers. Last quarter was 61+.
• Elite 800: Neptune NJ sr Ajee Wilson took 2nd in 2:09.09, beating 2 of 3 elite/open competitors and losing only to 1:59-runner Fantu Magiso of Ethiopia (2:07.54). Wilson sat in last place (through 400 in 63) until the final lap, when she kicked to 2nd.
• G-4x400: St. John Villa NY took the CHSAA event in 4:02.08, leading wire-to-wire and fending off a late run by St. Anthony's NY (4:03.05).
• B-4x800: Kellenberg NY topped their CHSAA rivals in 8:07.40, taking the lead on the final lap to win a see-saw race.

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

PREVIEW

This USATF professional and Olympic-level meet, now THE meet at the venerated Madison Square Garden, has four high-school events – plus Neptune (Neptune, N.J.) senior megastar Ajee Wilson racing the pros in the elite 800.

ELITE 800: Wilson has not raced a hard 800 (or mile) this winter, but does have US#1 marks in the 600 (1:30.36) and 1k (2:48.31) to her credit. Of course, last summer she was the World Youth champ outdoors at 800 in a US#2 2:02.64, #6 all-time, and was also US#1 at 800 last winter with her winning 2:06.17 at New Balance Indoor Nationals. She has run on this 160-yard track more than once, including a 3rd in the Millrose HS Girls mile last year. Just two other runners are listed in the race, but they’ll be tough: Canadian Jessica Smith (2:01.54 best) and Ethiopian Fantu Magiso (1:59.17 best).

GIRLS MILE: The big favorite will be North Shore (Glen Head, N.Y.) senior Samantha Nadel, who is not only US#1 in the mile this winter with her 4:46.11 PR (#13 all-time), but is familiar with the Madison Square Garden track, thanks to her Millrose Games victory here last winter. Nadel’s North Shore teammate Brianna Nerud also returns to the Garden after taking 7th at Millrose in 2011. She has run a 4:58.45 this season, but also clocked 4:53.25 last winter and 4:28.50 in the 1500 last spring, in addition to being the #2 all-time 2k steeplechaser.

Based on this winter’s times, Nadel would seem to have a sizable edge on the rest of the field, with only Pennsbury (Fairless Hills, Pa.) junior Sara Sargent and Bernards (Bernardsville, NJ) senior Dana Giordano having broken 5:00 this winter – and barely at that. But things look potentially a lot tighter when you look at career bests – like 4:51.64 1600 for Sargent – or bests at other distances. A 2:12 800 by Classical (Providence, R.I.) soph Madeleine Berkson shows she’s a good candidate for well under 5:00; so does a 9:52.25 3k by Saratoga Springs (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) junior Keelin Hollowood – who broke 5:00 earlier in her career.

Girls Entries (with most relevant PRs)
Emily Waligurski (Onteora HS/Onteora, NY) – 4:57.52 1M, 4:33.51 1500
Brianna Nerud (North Shore HS/Glen Head, NY) – 4:58.45 1M, 4:28.50 1500
Samantha Nadel (North Shore HS/Glen Head, NY) – 4:46.11 1M, 4:25.59 1500
Sarah Jane Underwood (West Potomac HS/Alexandria, VA) - 2:55.97 1k, 5:04.87 1600
Dana Giordano (Bernards HS/Bernardsville, NJ) – 4:57.25 1600, 10:28.23 2M
Sara Sargent (Pennsbury HS/Fairless Hills, PA) – 4:51.64 1600, 9:39.26 3k
Taylor Driscoll (Saratoga Springs HS/Saratoga Springs, NY) – 5:03.76 1M, 2:59.00 1k
Keelin Hollowood (Saratoga Spr. HS/Saratoga Spr., NY) – 4:56.27 1M, 4:33.02 1500, 9:52.25 3k
Marissa Ruskan (Bridgewater-Raritan HS/Bridgewater, NJ) – 4:57.41 1600,
Madeleine Berkson (Classical HS/Providence, RI) – 5:04.74 1M, 4:43.62 1500

BOYS MILE: When you’ve got someone running like Edward Cheserek has been this winter, any national-class distance race without him seems somewhat lacking. But the US Open field has the next two fastest milers of 2012 and 5 of the top 10 overall – pretty darn good. One of this winter’s biggest surprises is Peabody (Peabody, Mass.) senior Nick Christensen, whose US#2 4:12.56 PR came against open runners in the Boston U. Mini-Meet #3 on Dec. 31 and that makes him the top seed.

The biggest and arguably the most talented name in the field, though, is Liverpool (Liverpool, N.Y.) senior Zavon Watkins – who won the New Balance Games mile last weekend in 4:14.52. Watkins is best known at 800, where he’s the 2011 NB Indoor Nationals champ and a 1:49.70 performer outdoors. Also, only Watkins has raced the mile on this track before (7th, 2011 Millrose).

Six others in the field have broken 4:20. Chaminade (Mineola, N.Y.) senior Thomas Awad has run 4:15.67 this winter, 4:12.86 1600 last spring, and 9:10.97 for 2M. He and Chesnut Hill Acad. (Philadelphia, Pa.) senior Dustin Wilson (9:02 3200 PR from 2010) have the best long-distance chops in the field. On the other end, Shaker (Latham, N.Y.) senior Christian Delago – whose teammate Mike Libruk is also in the race – has hit 4:16.00 in 2012 and sped 2:28.86 for 1k last winter.

Boys Entries (with most relevant PRs)
Nick Christensen (Peabody HS/Peabody, MA) – 4:12.56 1M
Wesley Gallagher (Pembroke HS/Pembroke, MA) – 4:18.28i 1M
Tom Awad (Chaminade HS/Mineola, NY) – 4:15.67i 1M, 4:12.86 1600, 9:10.97 2M
Zavon Watkins (Liverpool HS/Liverpool, NY) – 4:14.52i 1M, 4:11.13 1600, 1:49.70 800
Christian Delago (Shaker HS/Latham, NY) – 4:16.00i 1M, 2:28.86 1k
Mike Libruk (Shaker HS/Latham, NY) – 4:19.63 1600
Dustin Wilson (Chestnut Hill HS/Philadelphia, PA) – 4:17.79i 1M, 9:02.85 3200
Konrad Surkont (Stuyvesant HS/New York, NY) – 4:16.31i 1M
Zach Cammer (Walt Whitman HS/Huntington Station, NY) – 4:21.40i 1M
Chris Cogliano (Bishop Guertin HS/Nashua, NH) – 4:25.40i 1M

CHSAA Girls 4x400m Relay - The strong favorite should be St. John Villa off their US#4 3:55.81 2012 best. No other school in the field has broken 4:00 this winter.

Archbishop Molloy (Briarwood, NY)
The Mary Louis Academy (Jamaica Estates, NY)
Notre Dame (Staten Island, NY)
St. Anthony's (South Huntington, NY)
St. John the Baptist (West Islip, NY)
St. John Villa (Staten Island, NY)

CHSAA Boys’ 4x800m Relay – The best mark coming in is from Kellenberg at US#7 7:59.10. They were 4th in the 4x8 on this track last winter. The 1-2 schools from that race – St. John The Baptist and St. Anthony’s – are also entered.

Fordham Prep (Bronx, NY)
Kellenberg (Uniondale, NY)
Monsignor Farrell (Staten Island, NY)
St. Anthony's (South Huntington, NY)
St. John the Baptist (West Islip, NY)
Xavier (New York, NY)

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

Schedule
The list of events below is subject to change.
TIME

6:58 USATF Club Sprint Medley 1
7:06 USATF Club Sprint Medley 2
7:15 CHSAA HS Girls' 4 X 400m
7:20 Men's High Jump
7:25 Girls' Invitational High School Mile
7:35 Boys' Invitational High School Mile
7:45 Harris Women's 800m
7:52 CHSAA HS Boys' 4 x800m
8:05 Women's 500y
8:15 Chase Women's Mile
8:20 Women's Pole Vault
8:25 Men's 600y
8:35 Visa Men's Mile
8:45 Visa Men's Shot Put
9:25 Visa Women's 50m hurdles
9:35 Harris Men's 50m hurdles
9:45 Harris Women's 50m dash
9:55 Chase Men's 50m dash

Coverage of the 2012 New Balance Games
Sat., Jan. 21, 2012 - The Armory, New York, N.Y.
LINKS: Meet's Own Site with Entries | ARCHIVED WEBCAST
Coming Post Meet: Full Results | DyeStat Elite |
Nepo's Photos: Cheserek in Elite Mile | Sprints | HS Miles |
Scroll down for highlights and meet schedule

HIGHLIGHTS

• B-500: USR 1:01.68 for Christopher Columbus NY sr Strymar Livingston, topping the old mark of 1:02.40 (Mike Greene 1984). St. Peter's Prep NJ sr Najee Glass was 2nd, also under the old mark with 1:02.16. Last year, Glass beat Livingston in this race, 1:02.22-1:02.88, but the apparent record was not accepted due to a lane violation.
• Elite-1M: US#1 4:02.21 for St. Benedict's NJ jr Ed Cheserek, finishing 7th among the elites and good for #2 all-time behind Alan Webb's 3:59.86. He went out in 60.4 and was 3:00.8 at 3/4 mile. Historical Links: Coverage of 2001 New Balance Games | John Dye's story of Webb's sub-4 | 23 Photos from Webb's great day
• Boys-1M: US#3 4:14.52 for Liverpool sr Zavon Watkins, moving ahead of Chariho RI sr Mike Marsella US#4 4:15.27 on the last lap -- after Marsella had led the entire race through 65.4-2:10.6-3:14.3 -- and both qualifying for the Millrose Games Boys HS Mile.
• Girls-1M: US#2 4:48.96 for West Genesee NY soph Laura Leff, ahead of US#5 4:49.36 by Cosby VA jr Megan Moye and #7 4:55.79 by Lake Braddock VA sr Sophie Chase. The top 2 qualify for the Millrose Games Girls HS Mile.
• B-4x800: 7:52.45 for Boys & Girls NY, improving their own US#1.
• G-4x800: US#1 9:09.69 for Mt. St. Dominic NJ, with 5 more teams between 9:21 and 9:28.
• G-4x200: US#3 1:41.20 for Mt. Vernon NY, surprising US#2 Medgar Evers NY at 1:41.52.
• B-4x200: US#2 1:29.29 for Uniondale NY, edging Penn Wood PA #3 1:29.69.
• B-SMR: Not super fast, but Liverpool NY anchor Zavon Watkins (mile winner) outlegs Columbus NY anchor Strymar Livingston (500 USR setter) in the final 800 for the 3:36.45-3:36.53 victory.
• G-SMR: US#3 4:07.38 for Garden City NY.
• G-400: US#4 55.60 for Medgar Evers NY jr Kadecia Baird; Paramus Catholic NJ sr Myasia Jacobs was expected, but did not run.
• G-55H: US#3 7.99 for Cardozo NY sr Akayla Anderson.
• B-55H: US#6 7.42 by Willingboro NJ sr Issac Williams.

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

Preview: Top Storyline:

Elite 1M: In a race that features elites as good as Great Britain’s Andy Baddeley (3:55.64 indoor/3:49.38 outdoor PRs), St. Benedict’s NJ jr Ed Cheserek will have a great chance to make history, just as Alan Webb did in the same race 11 years ago. In the 2001 New Balance Games, Webb became the first prep sub-4 miler indoors with a 3:59.86. Cheserek’s PR is 4:03.29 from last spring and he’s coming off an unbeaten, record-breaking Foot Locker championship XC season this past fall and an 8:43.16 2M (#5 performance ever) last week. Cheserek won’t be the only teen in the race as 16-year-old World Youth Champs 3k finalist (7:57.45) Mohammed Abid of Morocco is competing, sporting a 3:42.32 PR.

More anticipated storylines

• B-500: A year ago, Seton Hall Prep NJ sr Najee Glass crossed the line in the 500 meters on this track in an apparent USR 1:02.22, but when video later revealed he’d run outside his line, the record wasn’t accepted (though the results stood). So he’ll go for it again here, with last year’s runner-up Strymar Livingston (a #3 all-time 1:02.88) also with a great chance for the record. As if that’s not enough, current US#1 and Henry Wise MD sr Champ Page – 1:05.43 on a flat track – could well play the spoiler.
• G-400: Paramus Catholic NJ sr Myasia Jacobs – US#1 at 55M and best known for her deep short creds from 55-200, in and out, moves up to the 400 to battle 300 US#1 Medgar Evers NY sr Kadecia Baird and a deep field of long sprint standouts.
• G-1M: Some new faces to The Armory this winter will do battle in this one, as entries include Virginia’s Foot Locker Finalists Megan Moye (Cosby jr) and Sophie Chase (Lake Braddock sr), and from the home state West Genesee soph Laura Leff, who was 3rd at Foot Locker. Moye sports a 4:48 1600 PR from last spring.
• B-1M: 4:09 outdoor miler and Chariho RI sr Mike Marsella has taken his time to get into things after a long XC season, but he heads up the field here in his big-meet debut. Again, Foot Locker Finalists are in force with Tim Ball (Piscataway NJ sr), Daniel Lennon (Peru NY sr) and Connor Rog (Fairfield Prep CT sr) in the field. Then there’s also the speed of 2011 New Balance Indoor Nationals 800 champ and Liverpool NY sr Zavon Watkins (1:49.70 800 / 4:11.13 1600 PRs outdoors).

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

SCHEDULE

2012 New Balance Games Order of Events

Time Event
9 am Varsity Girls' Shot Put Relay
9 am Varsity Boys' Long Jump Relay
9 am Varsity Girls' Long Jump Relay
9 am Varsity Boys' Pole Vault Relay
9 am Varsity Girls' Shuttle Hurdle Relay (Final on Time)
9 am Freshman Girls' 4x200m Relay (Final on Time)
9:20 am Freshman Boys' 4x200m Relay (Final on Time)
9:35 am Varsity Boys' Shuttle Hurdle Relay (Final on Time)
9:45 am Sophomore Girls' 4x200m Relay (Final on Time)
10:05 am Sophomore Boys' 4x200m Relay (Final on Time)
10:25 am Varsity Girls' 4x200m Relay Trials
11:05 am Varsity Boys' 4x200m Relay Trials
11:45 am Freshman Girls' 4x400m Relay Final
12:10 pm Freshman Boys' 4x400m Relay Final
12:35 pm Sophomore Girls' 4x400m Relay Final
12:55 pm Sophomore Boys' 4x400m Relay Final

ArmoryTrack.com YouTube webcast begins

12:55 pm Varsity Boys' Invitational 55m Hurdles
1 pm Varsity Girls' Invitational 55m Hurdles
1:15 pm Varsity Girls' Invitational 400m Dash
1:20 pm Varsity Boys' Invitational 400m Dash
1:25 pm Youth Girls' 4x200m Relay Final
1:28 pm Youth Boys' 4x200m Relay Final
1:30 pm Opening Ceremony
1:40 pm Elite Men's Mile Run
1:50 pm Elite Women's 800m Run
1:55 pm Varsity Girls' Invitational Mile Run
2 pm Varsity Boys' Triple Jump Relay
2 pm Varsity Girls' Triple Jump Relay
2 pm Varsity Girls' High Jump Relay
2 pm Varsity Boys' Shot Put Relay
2 pm Varsity Boys' High Jump Relay
2 pm Varsity Girls' Pole Vault Relay
2:05 pm Varsity Girls' 4x200m Relay Final
2:15 pm Elite Women's 400m Dash
2:20 pm Elite Men's 400m Dash
2:25 pm Varsity Boys' Invitational Mile Run
2:35 pm Varsity Boys' 4x200m Relay Final
2:45 pm Elite Women's Mile Run
2:50 pm Varsity Boys' Invitational 500m Dash
2:55 pm Elite Men's 800m Run

ArmoryTrack.com YouTube webcast concludes

3:20 pm Varsity Girls' 4x400m Relay Final
4:10 pm Varsity Boys' 4x400m Relay Final
5:10 pm Varsity Girls' 4x800m Relay Final
6:10 pm Varsity Boys' 4x800m Relay Final
7 pm Varsity Girls' Sprint Medley Relay Final
7:40 pm Varsity Boys' Sprint Medley Relay Final

Coverage of the 43rd Dartmouth Relays
Fri.-Sun., Jan. 6-8, 2012 (preps Fri.-Sat.)
Leverone Fieldhouse, Dartmouth College, Hanover NH
LINKS: Meet home page | DyeStat Elites | Full Results
DOUG AUSTIN PHOTOS: Boys | Girls

HIGHLIGHTS

• Newton North MA jr Carla Forbes won the LJ in US#3 19-4, then the TJ in US#1 40-10.
• Hillhouse CT jr Precious Holmes blasted a US#2 55.80 400 Saturday after helping her 1600 SMR squad to a US#1 4:07.11 Friday
• Pembroke MA sr Joe Vercollone rolled to a US#1 2:30.51 for 1k.
• Colonie NY sr Giancarlo Sainato not only tied US#1 with his 1:21.67 600, but beat the other US#1 Somerville MA jr Andre Rolim (1:22.53) in the process.
• Waterville ME jr Bethanie Brown took the 2M in a US#1 10:48.35.
• LaSalle RI sr Molly Keating anchored her team’s US#2 12:12.44 DMR Friday, then on Saturday won the mile in 5:03.85 and added a leg on her team’s winning US#5 9:38.69 4x800
• Bishop Hendricken RI sr Reuben Horace won the WT in US#2 69-3.5
• Bishop Guertin NH soph Molly McCabe ran a US#2 2:16.01 800.
• Colonie NY sr Kyle Plante took the girls 300 in US#3 39.54.
• Salem NH sr Jerickson Fedrick zipped to a winning US#3 6.39 55 dash
• Marshfield MA boys combined for a US#3 10:26.42 DMR, topping Pembroke MA’s US#5 10:29.61.
• Pembroke MA sr Wesley Gallagher edged Methuen MA jr Mike O’Donnell in the mile, 4:23.45 to 4:23.58, while Wakefield MA sr Stephen Robertson took the 2M in US#4 9:23.35.
• Lebanon NH sr Mike Cyphers won the PV at 15-0.
• Canadian athletes from Quebec won the boys 400 (Alex Tourigny-Plante 49.90), boys 800 (Mathieu Sturkenboom 1:56.35), boys 55H (Gabriel Slythe-Léveillé 7.58), and girls 55 dash (Clemence Paiement 7.06)

.

January 6-8, 2011
Major Meets

HISPANIC GAMES, Friday-Saturday
The Armory, New York, NY
DyeStat Home Page | Meet’s Own Site
Overview: The meet of the weekend is highlighted with a great girls mile (a Millrose Games qualifier), featuring four of the best girls in the country: 4:43.92 1600 runner (and 800 megastar) Ajee Wilson NJ, frosh class 1500 record setter (4:17.84) Mary Cain NY, defending Millrose champ Samantha Nadel, and 4:43.91 miler (2010) Kelsey Margey NY. That’s only the beginning of the list of talent assembled at The Armory. The numerous other US leaders or stars from 2011 getting their 2012’s under way include long sprinters Najee Glass NJ, Eric Futch PA and Kadecia Baird NY (both US#1 300), dashers Myasia Jacobs NJ (2011 NBIN 60 champ) and Ronald Darby MD (2011 NBIN 200 champ), distance runners Dan Lennon NY and Brianna Nerud (current US#1 miler, but in the 3k), US#1 long jumper Shakeela Saunders VA, and many others.

LSU CLASSIC, Friday-Saturday
Carl Maddox Fieldhouse, Baton Rouge LA
LIVE RESULTS
Overview: While the advent of the Texas A&M meet the same weekend has cut down on the Texas crowd a bit, this is still a huge season-opening meet for (primarily) schools in the South and Southeast regions. Multi-event superstar Kendell Williams GA is entered in the HJ, LJ, and 55H; she won two of those in 2011. Dasher Jeryl Brazil LA (6.34 55 in ’11), quarter miler Michael Newton GA (48.79 in, 47.15 out in ’11), and sprinter Jada Martin TN (24.36i in ’11) are just a few of the elites entered.

TEXAS A&M CLASSIC, Friday-Saturday
Gilliam Indoor Stadium, College Station TX
LIVE RESULTS
Overview: Lots of elite Texans plus a few from surrounding states converge on this still-new facility with its fast 200 banked track, most making their seasonal debuts. It will be interesting to see how the boys and girls 200s and 400s stack up with the Hispanic Games in New York; World Youth finalist Aldrich Bailey TX and 46.79 400 runner (outdoors) Richard Gary are among the boys entries, while 53.03 (outdoor) 400 star Courtney Okolo TX is among the girls’ best while Aaliyah Brown is coming down from Illinois. In the jumps, USATF Junior and Pan Am Junior champ Devin Field TX – still just a junior – will be opening.

DARTMOUTH RELAYS, Friday-Sunday (Preps are Fri.-Sat.)
Leverone Fieldhouse, Dartmouth NH
Meet’s Own Site | LIVE RESULTS
Overview: This long-standing fixture (this is 43rd annual) draws from many northeastern and New England states, and also includes collegiate, open and masters competition. Some top entries include long sprinters Kyle Plante NY (38.87 300 in ’11), Precious Holmes (US#5 53.16 400 out in ’11) and the Hillhouse CT relays (US#2 3:59.87 outdoor SMR in ’11), the Molly Keating-led LaSalle RI distance crew and the Lizzie Predmore-led Shenendehowa NY distance crew, sprinter/jumpers Carla Forbes MA (US#2 in out TJ in ’11, NBIN LJ champ) and Mollie Gribbin VT (4 state titles in ’11), and long sprinter Andre Rolim MA (current US#1 600).

MONTGOMERY INVITE, Saturday
PG Sportsplex, Landover MD
Meet’s Own Site
Overview: Generally the biggest invite of the year at the former home of the Nike Indoor Nationals, the meet is a magnet for Virginians and other nearby athletes in addition to the home state. The meet typically has impressive distance and 500 fields, and Virginian Foot Locker All-Americans Ahmed Bile VA (mile), Sean McGorty VA (2-mile), and Sophie Chase VA (2-mile) are entered. Old Mill MD sr Alexis Franklin (55H) and Archbishop DC sr Kiah Seymour (500) are threats to win big. Mtn View VA sr Kim Ficenec could take both the girls mile and HJ.

SOUTHEASTERN INVITE, Friday-Saturday
Boo Williams Sportsplex, Hampton VA
Overview: One of two large meets and a few somewhat smaller ones pulling in Virginia’s deep indoor corps, this one will feature the likes of US#1 putter Kiara Howell (46-7) and 55 dasher Ayo Raymond (6.43), super soph 55 hurdler Chantel Ray (US#2 8.04), veteran 500 specialist Genamarie McCant (top 10 US all four years), and versatile combo sprinter Justin Burke.

CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT SHOWCASE, Friday-Saturday
Freeman Center, Newport News VA
Meet’s Own Site
Overview: Another of the slew of strong Virginia meets this weekend, this one features Foot Locker Finalist and 4:48 1600-runner Megan Moye and short/long sprinter Kenneth Williams (6.45 55, 49.97 400 this winter), among others.

RHODY CLASSIC, Saturday
Mackel Fieldhouse, Kingston RI
Meet’s Own Site
Overview: Attracting mostly in-state and Connecticut athletes to the University of Rhode Island, some of the top entries include Hope RI sr jumps/sprints/hurdles star Royal Cheatham and US#1 weight thrower and Classical RI sr Joe Velez.

Edward Cheserek touched down in San Diego late Tuesday, arriving early with St. Benedict’s Prep School coach Marty Hannon in order to prepare for Saturday’s Foot Locker finals.

Cheserek’s 2011 cross country season has been nothing short of spectacular. The junior from Kenya’s Rift Valley is in his second year as a student in the U.S. – and this fall has broken seven course records in seven races.

If Cheserek goes 8-for-8 and breaks Reuben Reina’s 1985 Balboa Park record of 14:36 the achievement will surely go down as one of the greatest in prep cross country history. So far this season, Cheserek’s closest race was a 24.9-second win in the Foot Locker Northeast regional.

The clock, and each course, served as motivation when competition was absent.

“I try to keep myself motivated all the time,” Cheserek said. “Last year, I had lots of competition. This year there is not as much.”

On Saturday, Cheserek knows there will be competition. He will race Futsum Zeinasellassie of North Central (Indianapolis, Ind.), the Nike Cross Nationals champion, for the first time.

“For me, in my mind, I would like to win and get the course record,” Cheserek said. “But Futsum is a great runner, so it will not be easy.”

Season in review

The groundwork for Cheserek’s course records assault began over a summer that included highs and lows. He strengthened his friendship with the Rosa twins, Jim and Joe, and went on training runs with them at New Jersey’s famed Holmdel Park. He also
attended the Nike Elite camp in Oregon, getting a chance to socialize and make friends with some of the top runners in the country. And he continues to become more sophisticated with his approach to training. He bumped his mileage up to about 55 per week.

But the summer also held bad news and heartbreak. Cheserek’s father died in Kenya. He made a trip home to be with his family, but the visit was short – just three days.

“It was a very difficult time for me,” he said.

Back at school in Newark, N.J., Cheserek poured his energy into his training – and began one of the most impressive cross country campaigns ever.

Sept. 24, Garret Mountain Reservation (N.J.): After bypassing an early-season meet, Cheserek opened his season by running on familiar ground at the Passaic Coaches Invitational. Garret Mountain is not far from Newark and he has done training runs there occasionally. From the starting gun, he took off and left the field behind, hitting the first mile in a scorching 4:25.

“I knew when I came through two miles in 9:25, I could get (the record),” he said. “With 800 meters to go, I sprinted.”

Final time: 14:53, the first under 15 minutes on the layout.

Oct. 1, Holmdel Park (N.J.): Holmdel Park is hallowed ground in the state of New Jersey because it is the site of not only the Shore Coaches Invitational, but also the Meet of Champions. It is the ultimate measuring stick for high school cross country in the Garden State and has been for many years.

Cheserek had never raced at Holmdel before, but he was certainly aware of his friend Joe Rosa’s 2009 record of 14:56.

“This course is really tough,” Cheserek said. “I wanted to see what I can do on it.”

He peeled three seconds off Rosa’s time, running 14:53.

As Cheserek met to answer questions from Star-Ledger newspaper reporter Jim Lambert, “there were 100 kids around the interview,” Hannon said.

Lambert reported that Cheserek went through the challenging uphill first mile in 5:01, six seconds ahead of Rosa’s record pace.

“He was signing autographs and was very happy with his performance,” the St. Benedict’s coach said. “He was also cognizant of Joe Rosa and the time he spent with him over the summer. So I think he had some mixed feelings about breaking a friend’s record.”

Oct. 9, Van Cortlandt Park (N.Y.): The Manhattan Invitational, held on one of the most historic courses in the U.S., arrived on an unusual day – much to Cheserek’s liking. With temperatures in the mid 80s, he tore out after the first sub-12 minute time in history on the 2.5-mile course.

Cheserek accomplished the feat, running 11:55.4 to win the Eastern States championship by nearly 26 seconds. Again he bettered a Joe Rosa record, this time by more than eight seconds. At the 2010 meet, one of Cheserek’s first in the U.S., he had finished second to Jim Rosa.

“He knew the course a little bit better this year,” Hannon said. “Having broken (the record) at Holmdel, I think he had a lot of confidence. He got out well, had some people with him through the woods and then poured it on at the end.”

Said Cheserek: “That course is hard. There are more hills. But you can sprint at the end of it.”

Oct. 15, Goddard State Park (R.I.): Traveling outside of the New York City metro area for the first time, Cheserek made a return to the Brown Invitational, where he had missed the course record (15:00.5, Cory Thorne in 2004) by three-tenths of a second in 2010.

Conditions were far from perfect.

“We went up Friday and jogged (the course). It had rained heavily and we were concerned there would be mud puddles. It was in much better shape by the time of the race,” Hannon said.

Meet organizers put hay down over the soggiest points on the course to help with footing. But it was quickly apparent that the wet track wouldn’t slow down Cheserek.

“The Brown Invitational was the most shocking (record) to me, to be honest,” Hannon said. “We thought he might get it by five or 10 seconds – but he broke it by 25 seconds.”

Cheserek finished in 14:34.6.

“I didn’t think I was going fast like that because it was a muddy course,” he said. Yet once again, he knew by the two-mile mark that he had the record. He won the race by nearly 47 seconds over fellow Foot Locker finalist Joel Hubbard of Massachusetts.

Oct. 28, Brookdale Park (N.J.): Flat and fast like a road race, Cheserek let it rip –hammering out a first mile in 4:28 and a second mile in 4:48 – on the way to 14:20.0 at the Essex County Championships.

He knocked 22 seconds off his own course record from 2010 and lowered it to a realm where it may be untouchable by anybody else. He won by 44 seconds – over another Foot Locker finalist Blake Udland of New Jersey – and produced one of the fastest prep 5K times anywhere.

After the race, he complained of a bothersome twinge in his hamstring, which caused him to hold back a bit.

“He’s got a lot of speed,” Hannon said. “When he first came to us we thought he was probably more of a 10K guy.”

Last spring’s 4:03 mile on the track, a sophomore class record, suggested otherwise.

Nov.5, Warinanco Park (N.J.): In 2010, Cheserek beat a 22-year-old course record by 10 seconds. Coming back to the New Jersey Catholic Track Conference championships, and running all alone yet again, he kept the record streak alive, but just barely.

Cheserek ran 4:50 for the first mile and 4:40 for the second and completed the 5,250-meter course in 15:18.2 –three-tenths of a second ahead of his 2010 time. Warinanco isn’t his favorite place to run, he said, because stretches of the course are paved. He prefers softer surfaces.

Nov. 26, Sunken Meadow State Park (N.Y.): On the north shore of Long Island, a rested and ready Cheserek intended, first and foremost, to qualify for the Foot Locker Finals.

But the course record dangled like a carrot and Cheserek couldn’t resist trying to keep his streak alive. John Gregorek, who would go on to represent the U.S. at two Olympic Games, held the record of 15:32.3 since 1977. Cheserek said he did not give an all-out effort, but merely wanted to qualify for the trip to San Diego. He finished in 15:20.5.

Hannon had instructed him to go conservatively for the first mile, a strategy designed to ensure a win but not necessarily a record.

“I told him after the first mile, if you feel good, then you can take off,” the coach said.

Cheserek listened to his coach, and went through the mile in 4:52.

“It was exciting to get the record, but it wasn’t really my best (effort). I was aiming only to qualify,” he said.

Is an eighth course record in the cards?

Hannon said he tries to keep a lid on expectations that rise so high, but this fall they have been difficult to contain.

“I think we all feed off other people’s expectations sometimes,” he said. “But I don’t like that stuff. I tell everybody I talk to that it’s not a given (he’s) going to win Foot Locker. Everyone goes to the starting line even.”

The number to keep in mind on Saturday is 14:36 – a standard that has been on the books since Reina, a Texan, led nine runners under 15 minutes 26 years ago.

Earlier this week, the USTFCCCA (that's the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association) recognized the NCAA Division I all-region teams, revealing cream of the college crop for 2011. It also offered a chance to examine where those athletes went to high school -- and which states are contributing the most Division I talent.

Making the all-region is a byproduct of placing in the top 25 in one of the nine regional meets across the country last Saturday.

That means 450 athletes make the all-region teams, a list that skims the cream off the top of Division I cross country. And while it may not be exactly the 450 best ( because not all of the regions are equal), there is information here that may be eye-opening for high school athletes and coaches thinking about the next level.

The West Regional produced the fastest winning times, the fastest 20th place finishes and fastest 50th place finishes. That could be an indication that it was held on the easiest course, but it also indicates the level of talent in the West. Six women's teams from the West are ranked in the Top 30 nationally as well as four men's teams.

The deepest region for women may be the Great Lakes, where the top 50 finished within 81 seconds. The region with the fewest spaces up front for the men was the Mid-Atlantic Region, where the first and 50th finisher were separated by 84 seconds.

So where do the 450 all-region runners come from? Where is the fertile recruiting ground?

It may not come as a surprise that there are more Kenyans on the list (35) than there are Texans (30) or Californians (27). Additionally, 40 of the runners (or close to one-tenth) come from European countries. And 25 more come from Australia, New Zealand or Canada.

Would you believe that Pennsylvania produced more men on the list (12) than New York (8) or Illinois (8)? It's true. The Keystone state trails only California (15) and Texas (15). Also, 10 come from Indiana and nine hail from Georgia.

The women's list doesn't follow the same pattern. Texas (15) produces the most, which may seem odd because the state only runs 3,200-meter races for high school girls. Twelve of the 15 go to universities within Texas.

Ohio, the source of three of the men on the list, produces the same number of women (12) as California.

After Ohio and California, New York (11) and Michigan (11) are next, followed by New Jersey (10).

Pennsylvania, represented by 12 men, has just five women on the list. Iowa has six women, no men.

Here is a combined (men and women) breakdown by state or country where the athlete went to high school. Five states that did not make this list are Hawaii, Vermont, Delaware, Arkansas and Montana.

Kenya 35, Texas 30, California 27, New York 19, Michigan 17, Pennsylvania 17, Indiana 16, Ohio 15, New Jersey 15, Illinois 15, England 13, Georgia 11, Colorado 10, Utah 10, Virginia 10, Canada 10, Arizona 9, Connecticut 9, Australia 8, Minnesota 8, New Zealand 8, Missouri 7, Massachusetts 7, Florida 7, Tennessee 6, North Carolina 6, Washington 6, Iowa 6, Wisconsin 5, Ireland 5, Maryland 5, New Mexico 4, New Hampshire 4, Alabama 4, Germany 3, Uganda 3, West Virginia 3, Nevada 3, Norway 3, Kansas 3, South Carolina 3, Oregon 3, Wyoming 3, Nebraska 3, Kentucky 3, France 2, Belgium 2, Sweden 2, Idaho 2, Oklahoma 2, South Dakota 2, Mississippi 2, The Netherlands 2, Scotland 1, Maine 1, Czech Rep. 1, Rhode Island 1, Ethiopia 1, Venezuela 1, Zambia 1, Alaska 1, North Dakota 1, Portugal 1, Louisiana 1, South Africa 1, Estonia 1, Serbia 1 , Switzerland 1.