Lexington, Kentucky- Masterton Station Park was the confluence of America's forty best clubs, and when the mud settled after a rainy, sloppy day in Kentucky, New Jersey's Garden State Track Club finished 9th overall in combined men and women scoring. Many teams, like the overall men's champions Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, had just a men's teams--while a few, like the Impala Racing Team from San Francisco, brought just women. However, out of the hundreds of clubs in America, the GSTC cracked the top ten in the combined score--a incredible feat for a group celebrating just its second birthday this month. The overall winner was the Boulder Running Company with five points, as their men finished third and women were second.
1- Boulder RC (5/ Colorado)
2- Boulder TC (11/ Colorado)
3- NB Boston (15/ Massachusetts)
4- NB Silicon Valley (21/ California)
5- Run n Fun (24/ Minnesota)
6- Club Northwest (26/Washington)
7- Central Park TC (27/New York)
8- Georgetown RC (28/Washington DC)
9- Garden State TC (34/New Jersey)
9- Columbus RC (34/ Ohio)
11- West Valley TC (36/California)
12- Greater Boston TC (39/Massachusetts)
13- Genesee Valley (40/New York)
14- Team Nebraska (42/Nebraska)
15- Playmakers (48/Michigan)
16- Atlanta TC (50/Georgia)
17- Bull City TC (53/North Carolina)
18- Berry TC (64/ Georgia)
2- Boulder TC (11/ Colorado)
3- NB Boston (15/ Massachusetts)
4- NB Silicon Valley (21/ California)
5- Run n Fun (24/ Minnesota)
6- Club Northwest (26/Washington)
7- Central Park TC (27/New York)
8- Georgetown RC (28/Washington DC)
9- Garden State TC (34/New Jersey)
9- Columbus RC (34/ Ohio)
11- West Valley TC (36/California)
12- Greater Boston TC (39/Massachusetts)
13- Genesee Valley (40/New York)
14- Team Nebraska (42/Nebraska)
15- Playmakers (48/Michigan)
16- Atlanta TC (50/Georgia)
17- Bull City TC (53/North Carolina)
18- Berry TC (64/ Georgia)
GSTC Men Edge out CPTC by 1 Point, Finish 20th
The coming out party will have to wait until next year when Oregon hosts the 2013 national championships.
The GSTC men, despite severely underperforming, had the best finish of the GSTC's three teams as they finished 20th of 42 scoring teams. The disappointing performance really had nothing to do with the muddy course, the missing teammates at home due to injury, or the ten hour van ride. It simply had to do with race execution.
Most everyone on the A-Team got caught up in an ambitious first mile. The always reliable Ken Goglas went out in 4:41, in 50th place, and this cost him 50 places over the next five miles--as he finished 100th overall. Tony Harris, whose 15:01 5k weeks ago had him projected to finish around 33:00, went out in 4:53, resulting in finishing at 34:04.
However, for the second straight year, Chris Heibell was the team's #1 man, finishing in 32:28 for 94th place. Thirty seconds ahead of the top finisher for cross-river rival Central Park Track Club, the GSTC edged them out by one point, 563-564. Also running well was Steve Mennitt, who finished as the team's #3 in 33:13, and Rob Nihen, who crossed in 33:28 after a very conservative first 5k. Kyle Price was the team's fifth and final finisher, coming in at 33:55.
Women Debut in 14th Place of 24 Teams
After a dominating fall season, the GSTC ladies finished 14th of 24 teams at the national championships. While not everyone had the races they were hoping for, it was the icing on the cake for an otherwise great season. It also sets the stage for a potential top-ten finish next year in Bend, Oregon.
As she has done all year, Cheyenne Ogletree led the team with a first overall finish in the 6k race, coming in 64th with a 22:00. Not too far behind her was Alyssa Douma, who is normally the team's #4, who finished second for the team in 22:14. Lindsey Lambert was just a few steps behind in 22:29, while Chelsea Callan, nursing a week-long cold, finished fourth in 22:54. Kristin Cupido was the final scoring member of the squad, coming in at 23:38 as the team's #5 runner. Erin Higgins ran perhaps the best race of her fall, coming in as the #6 runner at 24:01, while Meghan DeCarlo filled out the top seven, finishing at 24:30.
Karen Auteri finished eighth in 24:44, and Liz Bissell closed the scoring at 25:01.
Men's B Team Finishes 32nd, Beats 10 Teams
Adin Mickle, last year's #3 man, came into this race as a dark horse himself, finishing a disappointing fall as the club's #7 man. Consequently, he was placed on the B Team, despite his incredible performance last year in Seattle. Well, that didn't stop him from yet another clutch performance at the USATF XC National Championships.
Slowly grinding through the middle miles, Mickle finished as the team's #5 finisher in 33:43, holding off CPTC's Matthew Lacey by .1 to help the B Team finish 32nd in the 42-team field. Tim Morgan ran a strong race, coming in as the #2 man at 34:02, holding off his dear old pal Mike Anis (34:32) by thirty seconds. Ashwin Anatharaman had an off-day as the #4 man (34:54), and both Andrew Capizzi (35:44) and Dave dos Santos (36:55) struggled home as the mens' final finishers.
Big Fun at Big Chill
Dozens of GSTC'ers Conclude Season in New Brunswick 5k
New Brunswick- As planned, dozens of GSTC'ers wrapped up their fall season with the Big Chill 5k, and did they have a blast!
Let's start with the lovely ladies, shall we? Rutgers freshmen Courtney Connolly had her best race of the year, running 20:10 and winning her age group. Heather Gardiner ran her first race in the gold and black, which we are VERY excited about, and ran a season-best 20:45. Speaking of season-bests, Nicole Callaghan continued her awesome comeback season, breaking 22:00 for the first time with an awesome 21:56.
Edsel Flores lead a group of five who cracked the top ten, running a twelve-second lifetime best of 16:41, finishing third overall. Half milers Ricardo Garcia (16:54) and Jaris Rousseau (16:57) also ran lifetime PRs, finishing 4th and 5th-- just behind Easy E. Dan Teichmann cracked 17:00 for the first time on the roads, coming in sixth at 16:59, a stride ahead of teammate David Fett's17:01. Four more came in under 18:00: Zak Martins (17:24), James Lothian (17:25), Mark Parisen (17:40/ PR), and Robert Klink (17:57), with half-miler Tyler Foss (18:10), Mike Obsuth (18:20), and Kyle Flyer (18:44) just a few steps behind.
Other runners who competed were master Don Weise (20:03- first time in GSTC uniform baby!!), Woody Kongsamut (20:29), Pete Klapsogeorge (20:39), and Nick Waclawski (21:02).
Geiger Wins Jingle Bell 5k in 16:11
Toms River- After taking over as head cross country and track coach, this year we've seen a lot less of Steve Geiger.
But he hasn't disappeared, and he isn't getting slower, even though he has had very little time to train and race this fall.
Yesterday morning, he won the Jingle Bell 5k in 16:11, running away from Philadelphia's Carl Leunig who finished in 16:17. With his time, the 35 year-old Geiger continues "The Streak" of never losing to college teammate Chuck Schneekloth. Somehow, this guy was able to throw together a few weeks of training, a few workouts, and still run six seconds faster than Old Man Chuck this fall. He did dodge the competition all year, and chances are this is some bootleg 2.94 "5k course", but on paper, Geiger has won again. Damn, you, Geiger.
Quotes of the Week, aka, the Mickle & Morgan Show
"Off to Kentucky, hopefully to get lucky." -Tim Morgan, FB post (editor's note: much controversy around the intended meaning behind this)
"Did you just fart? Because you're blowing me away." -Adin Mickle, one of many pick-up lines used in Kentucky
"He is the dark horse...I mean, but but, not in that way." -Adin Mickle, referring to Ashwin's chances of winning a game, realizing there could be an unintended racial undertone to his prediction
"Do you like Tootsie Rolls? Because I have one right here." -pickup line used by Ashwin Anantharaman. We suspect it didn't work too well.
"Wow. That makes Tim one of the most inefficient organisms on the planet." -Adin Mickle, responding to Mike Anis' hyperbolic observation that Tim needs "36 hours of sleep to function four hours at a time."
"Everyone wants to know who got the TMA Award each week, but no one wants to be it." -Kyle Price, on the van ride home, discussing the club's most revered and feared award
"So why DID your boyfriend break up with then?" -Tim Morgan, once again stepping waaaaay over the line, in van conversation with Sarah Peterson
".................................................." -Rob Nihen, known for being a bit quiet
"I was watching Mennitt stand on line....he's starting to grow on me. I think I wanna have a bromance with him." -Chris Heibell, at a gas station break returning from Kentucky
"Alyssa slapped me on the van ride back last night. It wasn't a hard slap....I've had worse." -Adin Mickle, the morning after the post-race celebration
"Is Tim with you?" -Mike Anis, via text. Never a good sign when you've lost Tim Morgan at midnight in a foreign city
"So what exactly happens at this pasta buffets? I've never been to one. Is there, like, pasta?" -Tim Morgan, during van ride to pre-race pasta buffet. We aren't sure of two things: 1- how he has never attended one as a 28 year old, 2- why the concept was so perplexing regardless
"I was going to hit on that lesbian until...I realized it was Chris Heibell." -Erin Higgins, honestly discussing a moment in the post-race after-party
"I have about a hundred that I bought with my mom over the years. They still have their tags and are in protective cases in my bedroom. My favorites are Princess, Cubby, and Tye Dye." -Chris Heibell, talking about his extensive Beanie Baby collection, at Cracker Barrel
"There are two states I'm currently not allowed to drive in. I don't wanna add a third to that list." -Dave dos Santos, when asked if he wanted to drive the team van
"The Tim Morgan Award is so feared on this team. It's turned into the Scarlet Letter....but only worse." -Adin Mickle, reflecting on the TMA
"I have to go in the middle (of the team picture) because......I'm black." -Cheyenne Ogletree, perhaps recognizing the need for team picture symmetry?
"If you don't want to wear your skirt, I'll wear it." -Kyle Price, beginning to reach the level of Chris Heibell, to Alyssa Douma prior to the post-race after-party
"you all should be impressed...he was probably texting, slurpin a GU and filling out the nats lineup sheet in this vid." -Mark Parisen, FB comment regarding posted footage of Chuck's "swerving" on the way to Kentucky
"December 8th 2012, the return of the sweatpants." -Mike Obsuth, via text, who wears an infamous pair of red Fair Lawn sweatpants every day for practice when the weather gets cold
The 2012 Finale: Tim Morgan Award
Somehow, the same old players keep showing up again and again, making for an interesting team vote in two weeks as to who wins the 2012 TMA Award.
If you recall in Thanksgiving, he was the only runner in a race of 5,000 to be listed as "age zero" and not have a name next to his finishing time. This time, Zak "Z-Mart" Martins was at it again. At the Big Chill, he finished 10th in 17:24, but somehow is listed as "Zachary Montius." Not the end of the world, but when we hear he was involved in an effort to keep this hush-hush from the TMA Grand Royal Committee....he gets to headline this week's nominations.
The next nomination was, surprisingly, Tim Morgan. Opening the trip up with a controversial "Hope to get lucky in Kentucky" Facebook post, Mr. Morgan proceeded to then admit he had never been to a pasta buffet before, and asked about its protocol as if he was meeting the president. Not a big deal we took several team pictures and he was the only one NOT there (although it was funny when, upon taking what we thought would be the last one, watching him come running around the corner waving his arms as if saying "wait, let's take one more!"), his biggest misstep was Saturday night's post-race celebration. Between getting kicked out of the Tin Roof three times, then getting lost in Lexington afterward, he was just a hot mess all night long. If you wanna learn more, check out Capizzi's footage posted on the GSTC Group page.
Finally, we'll welcome Sarah Peterson to the group with her first TMA as well. Charged with a ten minute drive to get to Adin Mickle's house, where they were carpooling up north to the van departure site, somehow she got thirty minutes lost, causing the south bus to delay their departure. After she called him for directions, they considered using a non-TMA excuse like "a flat tire", etc., but ultimately honesty became their best and only decision. Welcome to the club's most beloved fraternity, Sarah!
The GSTC Awards Night
In two weeks, you will receive an email with a Survey Monkey link. After all club members vote on our various team awards, we will present such esteemed awards on Friday night, January 25th, at the Road Runners Sports in North Brunswick. If you have some running apparel to buy the next two months- please hold out the best you can until 1/25, as the more money we spend at Road Runner Sports--the bigger the fund raising check we get back from the company the next day!!!!
Team Runs
None! Enjoy! Relax! Soon enough, but not this week!
If you're wondering about team races next year, here they are: http://www.usatfnj.org/ldr/2013_Championships.pdf. Don't forget about February 24: the Road Relays--->www.roadrelays.org
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