Penn Relays recap
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- April
- 26
The Penn Relays are such a great experience. The atmosphere, the crowd, the stadium – I think it’s the best high school track meet to compete in. I was there yesterday and you can check out that story here.
I’ll have a post on Penn now and then I’ll be back and recap the rest of the weekend’s action a little later today. Unfortunately that will be my last post in about a week. The lovely people at corporate issued more furloughs this quarter and so I will be MIA this week. We’ll still have all the meets covered and Casey will continue to update the blog.
Now onto some of my thoughts:
- The Ursuline 3,200 relay team of Shanel Golding, Jackie McCarthy, Maddie Ederle and Katie Sullivan took third in the heat in 9:34.79. The team just missed qualifying for the Championship race. It followed that 9:33 at Arcadia with a 9:34 at Penn. It’ll be interesting to see them go up against the Bronxville team, if only at counties. Maybe in the federation race if both make it that far.
- Speaking about Bronxville, the DMR team finished seventh in 12:14.56. The time is the thirdI fastest in the state this season. It didn’t say, but I would imagine the team was Tori Flannery, Olivia Bruton, Henrietta Miers and Caitlin Hudson. It’s still early in the season, but I would say Bronxville is fast approaching its peak.
- I know there was a a runaway winner in the girls’ mile, but Jackie Gamboli of North Rockland ran a great race in 5:01.97. She was two seconds away from taking second in her first individual race at Penn. And I will say, she doesn’t have as much experience running in these “feature” races as a lot of other people, but Gamboli has performed extremely well when she’s given the opportunity.
- Of course the opposite of that is Shelby Greany. The Suffern senior took third in 9:35.42. The time broke her old Section 1 record in the event that she set last year by 13 seconds. She was four seconds away from winning the event. It’s amazing to see Greany run. Last year when I saw her she wasan incredible runner. But how many athletes can improve so much, after already being on top? I know you always have room to improve, but this is scary. People normally say that when you’re running 10:30-45. But not when you’re already running in the 9:40’s. Incredible.
- How about a sophomore jumping 5-3 at Penn? That’s what Sally Gale accomplished. The Nyack standout performed very well at this meet. When it comes down to it, this is still a track meet, but when you look around at the stadium and the fans and your competition, it’s very tough to remain focused and for a sophomore to do it – very impressive.
- How about the teams Section 1 haave in the boys 3,200 relay?
- After what the New Rochelle team of Ruben Barajas, Aki Bajulaiye, Harrison Quamily and Darren Oliver accomplished at Penn – 7:56.48, it’ll be interesting to see what this team does at qualifiers. They just missed the championship of America race, and have one of the top times in the state. At Red Raider, Bajulaiye and Barajas both seemed confident in the team going under 8 at Penn, but I didn’t think they were thinking a 7:56. This team can conceivably come away with a state title in the event.
- OK, so you have New Rochelle, but let’s not forget Iona Prep (Kyle Shepard, Ayo Bajulaiye, Nick Athanasidy, Sean Halpin) that finished in 8:02.38. It’s a good time, but this is also another sub-8 group. Then you have Fox Lane and Lakeland/Panas that also have real good 3,200 teams that didn’t even run. And then you have Fordham Prep (Harley Griffiths, Mike Jennings, Carlos Petrovich and Zach Keefer) finished in 7:59.21. Let’s not forget a Rye team that also ran 8:11 (A Rye team that should be in D-II). There should be interesting at state quals and hopefully at states.
- How about Mount Vernon? Rawle Craford, Justin Allen, Christopher Winslow and Casey Williams go out and run 43.57 in the 400 relay and then ran 3:20.92 in the 1,600 relay. Not a bad weekend for this group.
- Then the girls’ team of Kenine Bonner, Tanaya Yarde, Shamika Mindingall and Michelle McCrae just missed qualifying for the 400 relay finals as the team took 14th in 48.94.
- Another strong race by Chris Carrington. The North Rockland senior ran 4:21.90. I know his goal is to break 4:10 this season. And with the way he was running at the end of the winter, I think he can do it. I have a feeling we’ll see something big from him at Loucks.
- That was a big time run for Mike Hickey. To run 8:35 down there is pretty good. He was 10 seconds behind a very talented Bobby Andrews.
- That was a big throw by New Rochelle’s Charlotte Pope. She took fourth in the discus in 133-0. After watching that thrower from North Babylon (Vanessa Stewart) throw at Red Raider, I thought she would win a state title in the event fairly easily. But to throww 133 feet and to do it at Penn, I think Pope is ready to take off this season. This could be a jumping-off point for Pope.
- Another question of mine – why doesn’t New York have the javelin at the state meet? Safety? So, then are Jersey athletes valued less than New York ones because Jersey has the javelin at their state meet. Last year you had Konigsberg throwing 199 feet. This year – how about Andrew Bocskocsky of Lakeland took sixth, throwing 185-2. Not bad. Watch out for him at this weekend at Somers – a rare meet that holds the javelin.
- Wayne Seaton of Fordham Prep is quickly becoming one of the top athletes in the section. 53.96 in the 400 hurdles and then to come back and run a 51 in the 400. Two things – Seaton may be the best athlete in track. Second, Fordham Prep may decided to focus on the 1,600 relay. They could have easily run 3:16 if Seaton was fresh.
- Injury news: Claudio Delli Carpini decided not to long jump because his hamstring was bothering him. I don’t thin this is serious. He was down in Philly, warmed up, but decided not to risk it. While disappointing because I would have liked to see him jump, probably the right decision. The other is Jen Clayton – she hurt her foot at Red Raier. Apparently it’s the outside part, opposite the arch. Again, doesn’t seem to be serious. I heard maybe 10-15 days to heal. That could have her back by this weekend – Loucks the latest.
Again, anything else you want to mention, feel free. Hopefully I’ll get on one more time today, but then that will be it for a week.
This entry was posted
on Sunday, April 26th, 2009 at 11:33 am by Dan Marra. 
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Dan Marra began working for the Journal News this past September. He graduated from Manhattan College in 2004 and from John F. Kennedy High School in 2000. While at Kennedy, he ran cross-country and track. He is excited to be covering the sport that he participated in throughout his four years in high school. Dan loves all sports, but has, what some may say, an unhealthy obsession with the New York Giants.
Matthew Ng has been with Varsity Central and The Journal News sports department for the past two years handling high school beats such as skiing, bowling, girls soccer and tennis. Ng is a 2004 graduate of Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School with his major in broadcast journalism.
Casey Tolfree spent her high school career playing Section 1 sports at Dobbs Ferry and is excited to have the opportunity to cover them for the Journal News. After graduating from St. John's University, Casey joined the Journal News staff in December 2007 and has covered a variety of sports including basketball, softball, and volleyball.
Dan,
We were emailed at the beginning of the season that dual meets would be limited to one person per event in the paper’s results. In that same email, it said that invitationals would still go “four deep.” This weekend, not one invitational saw that kind of coverage, instead just reporting the winners. A few weeks ago, Pirate Relays wasn’t even covered by a reporter, nor had results in the paper.
After a back and forth email session with your editor weeks ago, she informed me that an online page would be made for deeper results for dual meets and invitationals b/c of lack of coverage in the paper in print as a possible solution. I’m not sure if you even knew about that conversation, but that page still does not exist, yet does for a number of other sports. It cannot take long to set up.
Shelby Greany, Mike Hickey, Chris Carrington, Sally Gale, Charlotte Pope, Jackie Gamboli, a number of relays, etc. compete against the best the northeast and some others from around the country have to offer and they get a line each, if that, in the paper. More coverage was given to the Haldane-Rye Neck softball game that I’m sure the viewership was really excited about.
It’s ridiculous. We didn’t like being informed that coverage was being cut at the beginning of the season. But now we’ve been lied to, and that makes things a lot worse.
The track coverage has truly hit an all time low, time for some drastic changes at lohud. 2/3’s of the events have been completed at Penn you should just cover the wonderful Mamaroneck and Croton Relays and save the gas.
What exactly are you going to cover the boys 4×4 relays?
Congratulations to both the New Rochelle boys and Ursuline 3200 meter relay teams who just missed qualifying for the Championship of America by 1 and 2 seconds respectfully.
Great job for both as some of the pre-race favorites falter under the pressure of Penn.
We can probably all agree that it’s not Dan’s fault that the Journal News is phasing out or, at the very least, severely limiting, his beat. I have heard that some coaches have just given up and simply stopped calling in their results. Here’s the thing, though—- fortunately we have the Armory site, Tullyrunners, Dyestat, and some great message boards. These have always been the “go to” places. The Journal News has been kinda random and not very “detail oriented” in its coverage. If you want to know what’s going on in the world of New York running, there are better places to go.
Running will always be the poor cousin to the high profile “stick and ball” sports. Hey, be grateful we are not bowling or curling.
Dan—in the meantime—keep fighting the good fight. I know that, if it were up to you, the coverage would be much deeper.
Dan,
You went down to Philly to write a story about Fordham Prep?
Actually does anyone really care about a school on Fordham Road in the Bronx? Please feel free to speak up.
If they wanted coverage they should have stayed in Westchester as Fordham probably recruited them anyway.
Half of the Indoor All-Star Team was from Fordham Prep what an insult to the athletes from Westchester/Putnam Counties.
What about the dozens of other teams and hundreds of athletes who participated at Penn? The above mentioned all time low is getting even lower. Fordham missed the Championship by 3 seconds wow, thats over 25 meters yet only a blurb for New Rochelle and Ursuline in the 4×8 missing by a lot less.
Give us all a break what with writing about every silly lax and softball game at length with a handful of athletes involved in. Lohud keeps disrespecting the hundreds of athletes who deserve better.
No wonder the paper business is going under.
Is there a way to make your furlough permanent?
Even the Croton Relays that have been held for 37 years didn’t get an article – but Fordham Prep did? There were about 500 hudson valley girls competing in Westchester County and not a lohud reporter to be found. Great job!
Everyone at Lohud should be really proud this weekend.
Let me address some of your concerns,
First, Mike, I was never informed of an online page that would be set up to report results. However, I think that would be a good idea. I’ll look into it.
Also, I was not in the office yesterday, so I really don’t know why the results only listed the winners. At the very least they should have been three-deep. I will find out what happened, I apologize for that and for the fact that the track coverage has been lessened this season. I’ll try and do my best in improving the coverage.
My next comments are directed to Trackfan, and all the other names you have used over the past few days. First, Fordham Prep is covered by every sport. It just so happens its track and field team is probably the best team at the school. Second, if you were really a track fan, shouldn’t you be looking forward to reading an article on anything track? Not just specific teams?
We did have a reporter at Penn on Thursday – Sam Borden. The paper didn’t send anybody down on Friday and that is unfortunate and I apologize for that, but he did write a column on a number of the athletes competing at Penn on Thursday.
And are you calling for my job at the end of your comment? It must be nice to post anonymous comments online with no consequences. Your previous comments – while negative, were no where near as mean-spirited as this one. I’m sorry you feel the way that you do. Hopefully your future comments will have some thought behind them.
Just expressing my feelings. My apology if I offended you.
Relax everybody, Dan is doing the best that he can do with the resources and what his superiors are telling him he can and cannot do. If it was up to him, I bet he would love to make an online page with deeper results for dual meets, etc. Maybe he will, but complaining to him every time he posts and insulting him will not help at all. We are lucky we have this blog, and any coverage whatsoever.
With that out of the way, great section 1 representation at Penn this weekend. Congrats to all athletes that competed there.
Dan,
And Section 1,
Just to make clear, I was told by his editor that an online page would be created. My concerns were not directed at Dan, but to the coverage overall. I realize that not everything is under his control. He is working with limited resources, no doubt about it. I know he was in Philadelphia and not in the office for the Gold Rush and Croton results. My concerns were “system wide” and not an attack. There was nothing intended Dan if you took it that way.
The paper is working with limited resources at this point. They are hurting over there. But there are ways to get around that. Check with your editor Dan, b/c I thought we had a good back and forth a few weeks ago, but nothing has been followed up on (at least nothing that has come to pass as of yet).
Sorry about that misunderstanding Mike. To your last post, I agree wholeheartedly.
I am disappointed at the new editorial policies of the Jnews, but -
again- Dan is not the proper target. Dan, I believe the silent majority appreciates your efforts, despite the direction in which the Jnews is going.Also, and I might be alone in this, I appreciate hearing about Fordham Prep’s accomplishments. FP—as a school—has a broad Westchester representation and, despite the frequent suggestions to the contrary, I have seen no evidence of recruitment. I have no connection to FP, but let’s give credit where credit is due. They have a great program.
i dont know if this is the case with running but in other sports kids who are good and want to get noticed and get even better go to private schools with great coaches and established programs which in this case is fordham and i could be completely wrong about that. but the thing most people get annoyed about is that they see this as a section 1 paper when in reality it isnt and then fordham goes on to get the most coverage of probably every team, which i dont mind since it’s well deserved and they have one of the best teams in the whole country, even though they arent in westchester or rockland but then again are the giants and jets located in new york?
Incredible HS mens 4 X 800 at Penn Relays. It will be a long time before 7:30 is broken. I can’t imagine one high school fielding two guys running 1:50 and two others at 1:55! Well done to the Section 1 athletes who competed at the best track meet in the world.
Some interesting observations about the Fordham track program on this blog. A few years ago I had a son who ran there. There are various reasons to send a son there, but I can assure you I never met anyone who went to Fordham Prep for the athletics. The coaches of the track team recruit – recruit from who walks in the building. There are posters all over looking for kids who do not make football, basketball or baseball. Once they get them, they teach them. Personal records are kept and personal bests are celebrated. I can understand the feelings about folks wanting more coverage of the Westchester teams. Asking for it is a good thing. All I ask is that bloggers do not disparage Fordham, Iona, Ursiline or the other Catholic/Private schools.
Lets focus on getting better coverage of the sport in the paper. it is crazy only first place winners are printed. For some runners it is about winning, PRing, and even getting their name in the paper. For fans it is a way to see who is coming up. For the athelete a way to see another teams times. This is where the focus should be. Blaming Dan is like blaming the soldier for the general’s decision. so focus on better coverage. write to the editor.
Steve, I’m not the one who brought up the fordham prep topic. however I feel that the journal news covering fordham prep is pretty hypocritical. Thats because Don Bosco Prep which is just over the border of jersey and has many students from Rockland is never covered by the journal news. Their xc team was 5th…in the nation. Their dmr at penn was 4th in the COA race. And yet they get no coverage yet a school from the bronx gets coverage because a few kids are from westchester. I have no problem with them covering Iona/Ursaline/Albertus etc because they are located within the Journal News’ area of coverage.
Dear Comment…there are more than a few kids from Westchester there….also….are you connected to Don Bosco? Helps to know where you are coming form.
no, I’m in no way affiliated with Don Bosco, I am from Rockland though and just feel that if a team from the bronx with westchester kids gets recognition then why does a team in Bergen County with Rockland kids get no recognition
Casey
get triple jump right for girls!!!
how does a 4:22 mile from carrington prove in anyway that he has sub 4:10 potential. Also Shelby shattered her own section 1 3k record and placed 3rd in an extremely competitive race and barely got mentioned in the paper. this is ridiculous
Hey all—the J-news is far from perfect. But, check out the coverage that some other sections get. Section II, for example, is absoltuely stacked with talent—especially in the distance events. I happened to be in Albany (Section II) while the State indoor meet was being held in Ithaca. From what I could recall, the local paper had a fine-printed line or two on the feats of local runenrs, but an avalanche of detailed articles covering everything to do with every moment of every basketball game, etc. At least on that day, I found myself grateful for the Journal News coverage. That said, I agree that the J-news could be a little more careful in getting some of the details right (event winners, times, etc). But, I mean that in a constructive sense. Dan and Casey do a decent job but, like all the rest of us, are human.
runfan, I agree. but imagine if you were eading a book and ever so often a word was missing or someone’s name was left out. The expectation is that as authors/writers thaty get it right. i can’t get mad at the content or which school gets more attention. Butif it is info thatis being provided it should be accurate. nuff said.
runfan, i do not have a proof reader.
Dear Flanders,
These guys try hard, but if they printed corrections every time they missed something the paper would be double the size.
People get left out. It happens a lot. High School sports is not AYSO where everyone gets a trophy. Everyone on this blog I am certain can give their own personal story.
Flanders—I hear ya, to some extent But, consider this—we have a redundancy of public information to which we can turn for results (Armory, Dyestat, Tully, message boards, etc.). So, even on those ocassions that the J-news gets it wrong (and, sigh, it does seem to happen), we all know the true score (for the most part). Let’s face it—the main function served by the Journal News is it publicizes our sport to the outside world—classmates, neighbors, family, etc.; the ones that don’t frequent the real track sites. So, when we get upset with the Journal News, what we are really saying is that—“sheesh, now my friends, neighbors,etc.” won’t know how I (or how my kid, etc) did. Those who really matter—fellow athletes, colleges, coaches, etc.—aren’t relying on the Journal News for their track news; they’re going to Armory, Tully, Dyestat, etc. Armory is available for just about everything—even some dual meets are now finding their way on there. It has great features and is run by folks who really know track. The same holds true for dyestat. I check out the Journal News for fun and do appreciate Dan and Casey’s effort.
But, I go to Armory if I really want to know what’s going on in the running world.
I gotcha and agree. Basically like the kids to see their names in the papers. Love The AYSO comment!!! so true. I do think it should be right just to open “friends and neighbors” eyes to the sport and the effort, regardless which kid or school. So for the causal reader of the paper they get the knowledge that their local school had a great relay team or so and so did well. it helps to get the sport more recognition. Plus it let Casey and Dan know that we read the articles. But nuff said and appreciate what you both have to say and agree.
Right. I will add this. Our school is small and not one known for its track and field program. Hence, it is very difficult to compete for athletes—most of which go to soccer, football, field hockey, lacrosse, etc. Thus, every year is a shot in the dark. We never know—year to year—if we are going to have a competitive team. If the Journal News and other community papers gave local track athletes—some of which are state and nationally ranked—even a 1/4th of the attention they give to, say, your run of the mill athlete from one of the premier sports, then it might be just a tiny bit easier for coaches to build their program. So, I guess what I am saying is that this is another function that could be served by the Journal News, and not really one that can be served by Armory, etc. The relatively thin coverage helps perpetuate the sport’s place on the bottom of the heap. I can’t stress enough, though, that I don’t view this as Dan’s or Casey’s fault. It just is what it is for them, I guess.
Other sports may get a tiny bit more than track but the coverage in any sport is focused to certain teams so its not like the not so competitive lacrosse or football team really gets much coverage either.
Maybe, Runner. But I see alot more ink devoted to the stick and ball sports, than I see devoted to running.
Again in todays results the track first place finishers don’t even get first names. Not the same in the “stick and ball sports”. Plus a 177 foot long jump and a 99 foot shot put are pretty spectatular. Hopefully our commnets are shared withthe editor and maybe a fix is coming.
Not all of the league results have been published. I sent the League 1A results for the boys to the other coaches in our league, the armory and the lohud address for reporting meet results. Other coaches and the armory received them yet not a mention in the journal news. Given that Tim also hosted one day of his league meet and is getting ready for his two day invitational and he still found time to link the results to the armory, it’s even harder to understand the lack of coverage in the paper.
Apart from anything else, these results are needed to help coaches plan out their lineups for meets like counties and sectionals. There are also some glaring story lines that have been missed – did Claudio get beaten in the hurdles or did he not run due to the hamstring he aggravated at Penn? How about a discussion of league realingnments – How did Yonkers end up apart from Saunders and Lincoln? Why was Mt Vernon taken out of League 1A?
I am not the only ooach who has complained either just on this blog or by refusing to buy the paper or by writing to the editor. Yet things seem to be getting worse rather than better.
I know for a FACT that Fordham Prep does recruit their athletes. I, myself, was one of these such athletes. I attended an elementary school, and was a track standout their in my final 2 years. After being pressured, by both the coach, multiple teachers, and the principal to look at Fordham because of its academic excellence, I was convinced to apply and attend. I later found out that both my coach and my principal had attended the prep.
Dear Previous Poster,
Please give your real name to make the post valid.
Gee, pressured by your teachers to pursue a school for its academic excellence…..are you a standout now?
Oh my—yet another “elementary school track standout” falling victim to the hordes of predatory scouts who hover around the grade school playgrounds (with their radar guns, stop watches and clip boards)—dodging kick balls and suffering all sorts of other indignities—just so they can get a leg up on some 9 year old phenom. It’s high time we slap some regulations on those wolves—or at least line up some agents for the kids. C’mon, JBAD, there are no “elementary school standouts” when it comes to track. I am pretty sure that the Fordham Prep coaches are smart enough to know that much.