The mid-season doldrums seem to be setting in early this year. With Christmas break, it seemed like half the team dissappeared for 12 days. That was followed by a week of temps barely out of single digits. Starting with our meet on 12/23, due to vacation and snow days, we’ve had 4 meets and only 4 practices. FOUR PRACTICES! Pretty hard to get anything going with THAT schedule!
*Now, let me preface the following review with this: I not only give the stats, I also report. On bad days we can’t alway have the results we want so we put it behind us and learn from it, and on good days there is always room for improvement. Read the following like a news report and not a critique!*
Nothing, really, to write about time-wise. No new MOC qualifiers, no PR’s. Let’s talk anyway.
Robert Wilson (200) and Matt Flancer (400) went out and bought the same racing flats. They both slipped and almost fell at the start of their races, costing them maybe 1 full second each. Check those shoes, guys!
Josh Chaiken (800) was originally not in the line-up as he was recovering from a bug. He volunteered to run if there was an opening. His 2:25.60 was well off his season best of 2:17. Probably should have rested.
Ben Hoyer was also recovering from a bad cold but volunteered to pace Sam Klugherz in an attempt to get Sam under 5:00 for the mile. This would help Sam and get Ben a work-out without killing himself. Ben clicked off the exact lap times needed, but Sam couldn’t hold on, 5:13.75 – mission not accomplished (Ben paced 4:59.66).
Matt Maiale wanted to run another 3k in an attempt to improve on his 9:10 of ten days ago. A better seed time would increase his chances of getting into the Ocean Breeze 2 mile on 1/27. The pre-meet advisory council (me and Coach Gallagher via telephone) reminded Matt that one only has so many 3ks in one in a season. Ten days between races was also cutting it pretty close. This time, it was Matt who led and provided the pacing for two guys who just wouldn’t go away for 14 laps. They both thanked him as they sped by on the last backstretch. Ouch. 9:19.37 still a pretty good time.
The goals for the DMR were as follows: Nathan Leung would reprise his role as lead-off 1200 leg. The more you run this, the better sense of it you get. He posted 3:28 back on 12/16. Hurdler Liam Davies would get some over-distance work at the 400 leg, same with former distance guy, Brendan Cantos in the 800. Bryce Miles would try to split between 4:50 and 4:55 for the 1600 anchor. After his 2:08 last week, it shouldn’t be a problem. (See splits below)
4×2, 4×4. Our usual Friday baton-work sessions have taken a hit coinciding with snow days and it showed. Our all-freshmen 4×2 lead-off left the baton at the starting line (?) and had to go back for it, the rest of the sticks weren’t bad considering. The 4×4 was pretty much status quo save for freshman Brett Lehman’s anchor. A 1.5 second PR of 58.5 looked faster as his stride and mechanics look picture perfect. But, he’s a lacrosse player in the spring! (at least for now….)
P. S. Can’t wait to get a few decent full weeks of training!!
Noteables missing this week: Rahsheed Wright, Ahmir Johnson, Ahmed Shamsi, Trey Hippensteal, Ethan Weiss, Zac Dallal, Caymus Ruffner.
200M – Wilson 25.57 (slipped at start) 7th place
400M – Flancer 57.04 (slipped at start) 7th place
800M – Chaiken 2:25.60 11th place
Mile – Hoyer 4:59.66 12th place, Klugherz 5:13.75 19th place
3000 – Maiale 9:19.37 3rd place
4×2 – 1:58.25 19th place (Reed 29.0 left baton at start, T. Quinn 27.7, Rogers 29.2, Patterson 30.8)
4×4 – 3:54.30 4th place (J. Quinn 57.6, Thistle 58.1, Futch 60.1, Lehman 58.6)
DMR – 11:55.85 4th place (Leung 3:35.1, Davies 57.2, Cantos 2:18.9, Miles 5:04.7)