| 2015 Finale: Club Breaks USATF-NJ All-Time Points Record For the third year in a row, the adidas GSTC won the USATF-NJ Overall Grand Prix. Also for the third year in a row, the club broke the all-time USATF-NJ Overall Grand Prix single-season points record.
Coming into the race with 756 points, the team racked up 89 more at the 2015 season finale, the Ashenfelter 8k in Glen Ridge. The open men accounted for 45 points, the masters men 22, the open women 17, and the masters women 5.
For perspective, the last team to win the Grand Prix before the aGSTC was Raritan Valley Road Runners in 2012. That year, they scored 421 points- less than half of what the club totaled in 2015.
In addition to breaking this association record, both men and women masters teams clinched top-three finishes, the first time in club history for a masters team to do so. In contrast, the open men have won the season title for five straight years, since 2011, and the open women have since 2012.
As icing on the cake, club front runner Alfredo Santana scorched the historic Ashenfelter course in 23:45, or 4:47 pace. This shattered the course record of 24:26 by forty-one seconds, formerly held by teammate Youssef Rochdi from last year.
USATF-NJ Overall Grand Prix All-Time Points Leaders 845- adidas Garden State Track Club (2015) 728- adidas Garden State Track Club (2014)
582- adidas Garden State Track Club (2013) 577- Morris County Striders (2005) 532- Raritan Valley RR (2004) 520- Raritan Valley RR (2003) 494- Raritan Valley RR (2010) 467- Raritan Valley RR (2002) 459- Raritan Valley RR (2007) 434- Raritan Valley RR (2009) 426- Raritan Valley RR (2008) 421- Raritan Valley RR (2012)
STORY 1: Masters Women Snag Surprise Second After putting out a very strong team at the Giralda Farms 10k, the ladies were clinging to third place, just two points away from a non-plaque-earning fourth place. The team scores were as follows prior to Ashenfelter:
1. Garmin 72 points 2. RVRR 51 points 3. aGSTC 49 points 4. Shore AC 47 points
Eight aGSTC runners lined up on Thanksgiving morning, with hopes to hold on to their place they had fought all season for. In a bizarre turn of events, numerous clubs put out strong masters women A and B teams, resulting in an unusual finish of team scores. While RVRR, aGSTC, and SAC are typically very close, the results this race were quite different.
1. Garmin (10 points) 2. Clifton (8 points) 3. Fleet Feet/Essex (6 points) 4. aGSTC (5 points) 5. Clifton B (4 points) 6. Garmin B (3 points) 7. SAC (2 points) 8. RVRR (1 point)
| | | Kaspszyk travelled two hours, round-trip, to ensure a podium finish for the Gold |
The club's A Team of Cherylann Dorsey (34:37), Sandi Kaspszyk (34:39), and Pat Butcher (36:54) finished with a solid 35:23 average. While just getting fourth, SAC and RVRR only managed a 7th and 8th place finish, respectively, resulting in the following final team scores:
1. Garmin (82 points) 2. aGSTC (54 points) 3. RVRR (52 points) 4. SAC (47 points) 4. Clifton (47 points) The women's B Team was a respectable 11th out of 16 scoring teams, as Ellen Patterson (39:33), Erin Varga (39:50), Jenny Poherence (42:35), and Jennifer Dos Santos (43:49) all ran solid Thanksgiving Day races. Although finishing 3rd in America last year at club nationals, this is the first time the masters women have been consistent enough to finish on the podium and earn a USATF-NJ plaque for their team efforts. STORY 2: Masters 50s Wins First Gold The men's masters team took a huge step forward on Thanksgiving morning, as the 50's team won the USATF-NJ 8k team title--the first time any master men's team have ever done so. And to make things even better, the men's 40s team also had a fantastic outing and finished 2nd overall in a very crowded, competitive field.
On the 50's side, John Montgomery (above) ran brilliantly, finishing in 29:07 to be the first man. Team captain Matt Baker was second in 30:34, while newly-minted 50s guy Kenny Huryk was third in 31:32. Jeremy Stratton continued his great comeback season, finishing as team #4 in 31:43, while Yuki Negoro rounded out the team's scoring five in 32:48. Brian Harris (33:06) and Don Weise (34:40) were other 50s guys competing for the Gold.
On the 40's side, the scoring top five put up a very impressive 29:20 average to claim second overall. World-beating triathlete Joe Pawlish, above, who last competed for the team at club nationals in 2014, ran an impressive 27:45 to be the top club finisher. Montgomery was second, and Nick Van Langen was third in 29:10--a fabulous run to close out his final year in his 40s. Will Parker also closed out a great season, finishing fourth in a speedy 30:04. Baker was the fifth man, with Wesley Cole (30:38) and Karl Leitz (32:42) just behind him.
The club also put out a rare 60s team, a group that finished 13th of 15 teams. Peter Auteri (35:27), John Bergacs (51:45), and Doug McAndrew (55:32) were the team's scoring members.
STORY 3: Open Men Put On A Show for the Ages | | | Santana hits the tape in an Ashenfelter record time of 23:45 |
When Alfredo Santana out kicked NJ*NY's Michael Jordan to win the Ashenfelter 8k in 23:45, it was more than just a course record. It was also a foreshadowing of the imminent tsunami and black and gold uniforms that would soon pulverize the finish line in a way no club has ever done before.
In their finest showing ever on Turkey Day, twenty-one black shirts were in the top fifty finishers helping the club go 1-2-3-4-6-8. With a bit more finesse with the team lineups, the club certainly had the horses to sweep the top six team spots. That said, the club's six scoring teams had 5-man averages of 25:48, 26:14, 26:23, and 26:24. The two other teams averaged 29:14 and 29:49. In all, twenty-eight GSTC'ers broke the 30:00 barrier.
Along with Santana, two other members averaged sub-5:00 for the race: Youssef Rochdi (24:29) and Sean Stetler (24:32). The three others in the top ten were Rob Nihen (25:06), Nick Crits (25:16), and Kyle Price (25:31).
| | | Jon Sewnig debuting in #blackandgold |
Several other GSTC'ers made their club road debuts, including half miler Dylan Lowry (25:45), NJAC 10k champ Jon Sewnig (26:06), and Matt Terantino (30:56). Also running personal bests were Big Will Alston (26:51), Edsel Flores (26:58), and Mak Zartins (27:28). Dylan Hallahan, after being shelved for injuries for months, returned with a solid 27:27--a good sign for the future.
To put in perspective just how strong the club's top four teams were, let's take a look at the long-standing history of the race, used often as the open men's 8k team championship. Listed below are the total times of the top five runners over the past few years.
It's also worth noting that the aGSTC teams of 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2015 were split up into A, B, and C teams. However, when adding up the club's actual top five runners this year, their team time is actually 2:03:16 (23:47, 24:31, 24:33, 25:08, 25:17).
To get a sense of how much the game has changed, the one time Raritan Valley won the Ashenfelter 8k team title, in 2006, their total team time (2:24) would have placed 6th this year.
A Look Back: Ashenfelter 8k Team Total Times
2:09:00 adidas GSTC 2015 2:11:13 adidas GSTC 2015 2:11:15 adidas GSTC 2011 2:11:27 Breakneck TC 2007 2:11:30 adidas GSTC 2014 2:11:42 Fleet Feet 2005 2:11:58 adidas GSTC 2015 2:12:01 adidas GSTC 2015 2:12:33 adidas GSTC 2014 2:13:07 Running Company 2009 2:13:19 adidas GSTC 2013 2:13:57 RVRR 2009 2:14:03 adidas GSTC 2014 2:14:18 adidas GSTC 2013 2:14:48 adidas GSTC 2013 2:15:08 adidas GSTC 2013 2:15:16 adidas GSTC 2014 2:15:31 adidas GSTC 2014 2:15:31 Fleet Feet 2004 2:16:01 Sneaker Factory 2008 2:16:15 Fleet Feet 2003 2:24:40 RVRR 2006
THE BIG LIST ALL-TIME PERFORMANCES: 8K ROADS 23:24 Alfredo Santana Rothman 8k November 21, 2015 24:24 Youssef Rochdi Ashenfelter Classic November 27, 2014 24:32 Chris Johnson Ashenfelter Classic November 28, 2013 24:32 Sean Stetler Ashenfelter Classic November 26, 2015 24:41 Chris Croff Ashenfelter Classic November 28, 2013 24:48 Steve Mennitt Ashenfelter Classic November 28, 2013 24:48 Chris Heibell Rothman 8k November 17, 2012 24:56 Tim Seeley Rothman 8k November 21, 2015 24:58 Paul Matuszak Rothman 8k November 16, 2013 25:06 Rob Nihen Ashenfelter Classic November 26, 2015 25:08 Kyle Price Ashenfelter Classic November 27, 2014 25:16 Nick Crits Ashenfelter Classic November 26, 2015 25:20 Ken Goglas Ashenfelter Classic November 28, 2013 25:22 Mike Fonder Ashenfelter Classic November 27, 2014 25:22 Mike Dixon Ashenfelter Classic November 24, 2011 25:25 Stephen Ellwood Ashenfelter Classic November 27, 2014 25:43 Josh Neyhart Ashenfelter Classic November 27, 2014 25:43 Ash. Anantharaman Ashenfelter Classic November 24, 2011 25:45 Dylan Lowry Ashenfelter Classic November 26, 2015
Story 4: Women Dominate | | | Schillaci, Callan, and Douma roll together |
Alyssa Douma, Chelsea Callan, and Sarah Schillaci all ran brilliantly Thursday, as they worked together to hammer personal bests while all finishing in the top five overall. They ran, respectively, 29:46, 29:48, and 30:05 while the open women scored seventeen total points, the most by any women's team on Thanksgiving.
The entire women's team, however, had a day of PR's. This included Karen Auteri (31:19), Leah Roberts (32:02), Maxine Mcinulty (32:20), Aya Leitz (33:28), and Cherylann Dorsey (34:37). Nicola Hallenborg (32:13) and Heather McDermott (35:37) also pitched into the big day for the Gold.
THE BIG LIST ALL-TIME PERFORMANCES: 8K ROADS 27:18 Carmen Graves Rothman 8k November 21., 2015 28:23 Greta Sieve Ashenfelter Classic November 27, 2014 28:38 Cheyenne Ogletree Ashenfelter Classic November 28, 2013 29:46 Alyssa Douma Ashenfelter Classic November 26, 2015 29:48 Chelsea Callan Ashenfelter Classic November 26, 2015 29:53 Robyn Evangelist Rothman 8k November 22, 2014 30:04 Sarah Schillaci Ashenfelter Classic November 26, 2015 30:28 Allie Dublinski Ashenfelter Classic November 28, 2013 31:06 Angela Dunn Ashenfelter Classic November 28, 2013 31:15 Erika Meling Ashenfelter Classic November 28, 2013 31:19 Karen Auteri Ashenfelter Classic November 26, 2015 31:43 Brittany McCann Inside Out Sports Trot November 28, 2013 32:02 Leah Roberts Ashenfelter Classic November 26, 2015 32:20 Maxine Mcinulty Ashenfelter Classic November 26, 2015
| | | Ayanna Kellar (48:54) and Diana Angi (41:16) after the race |
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Kyle's Corner What do you think of when you hear the name Ted? If you guessed an alcoholic druggie teddy bear then we can't blame you but you're wrong. If you guessed the soft spoken guy on our team that has those gorgeous blonde curls and runs pretty damn fast then your right! But do you know the real Ted Doyle? He has been involved with running since he was young and now is fortunate enough to even have a job that involves it! Here's your chance to get to know him better. Rob Nihen
Rob Nihen is a very polite, soft spoken guy who you may or may not know on our club. But for those of you who don't know him, you certainly don't know that he's a force to be reckoned with! A very strong runner who has had some battles with injuries here and there, he hasn't been the model student with regards to club race attendance, but when he shows up he damn well shows up. He is regularly one of our clubs top performers and will be joining us in California at Nationals this year. Here's your chance to get to know him a little better! Kyle: Hello Rob. Thank you for joining us! Mr. Nihen: Hey, Kyle! Thanks a lot for having me. Kyle: Let's start with what's fresh in everyone's mind. Take us through your Ashenfelter race. Mr. Nihen: This was my second time running Ashenfelter, and my main goal going into the race was to run faster than I did last year. I started out at a comfortable pace around 5:15 and tried to pick it up gradually each mile throughout the race. I ended up running 25:08, almost 40 seconds faster than last year and a new 8K PR for me. Kyle: Sounds like the plan worked perfectly! Mr. Nihen: Yes, indeed! The funny thing is, although I was extremely pleased with how I ran and wasn't really even expecting to run that fast, I was also disappointed at that same time for coming so close to that 25 minute barrier and not dipping under. But anyways, that'll be my goal for next year. Kyle: Aah this story hits very close to home. Don't do what I did ha. How did your season's training lead you to such a good performance? Mr. Nihen: Just consistent training since the summer, getting out the door every day and putting one foot in front of the other. Nothing too serious, just basic miles with some up tempo runs thrown in, trying to avoid injury as much as possible with lots of stretching, icing, foam rolling, etc. My training the last few years has been off and on due to some hip/lower back problems, so my racing has been sporadic. But since this past June or July I have finally been able to get a good stretch without many hiccups. So basically consistency is the key to running well for me, and it is finally starting to pay off as I am feeling very fit at the moment. Kyle: That's awesome to hear! You must be excited about the chance to have to have a great nationals experience this year. Mr. Nihen: Yea, I'm definitely pumped for the opportunity. It should be a great trip! Kyle: How many national appearances will this make for you? Mr. Nihen: This will be my third club nats race. I ran in Lexington in 2012, last year at Lehigh, and now San Francisco this year will be my third. Kyle: What are you aiming to accomplish for big number 3? Mr. Nihen: Just hoping to have a solid race. I'm not sure what the course is like, but ideally I'd like to run around 32 minutes. And obviously try to contribute to the team showing as best I can. This year we have an extremely strong group of runners heading out there, and hopefully we can have one of our best, if not best team performance in club history. Kyle: Well you being there with us will certainly help us with that goal. When did your running career first take off? Mr. Nihen: I started running in middle school cross country, and then ran cross and track throughout high school and college at The College of New Jersey. Kyle: So you've been running quite a long time? What are some of your favorite memories of running in the past? Mr. Nihen: Hmm, that's a tough question as there have been so many races over the years. Probably contributing to my college TCNJ's 18th consecutive conference title in cross country my senior year. I even believe that win streak is still going strong today. Also, setting my 5k PR in my last college race is probably up there.
Kyle: That's a very fitting end to what I'm sure was a very successful college career. What is your favorite event? Mr. Nihen: My favorite event is definitely the 5k. Kyle: Track, road, or grass? Mr. Nihen: All of the above. On the track is probably my favorite though, however unfortunately have not had the chance to run a track race since college. Kyle: You must be eager for track season to start then! Mr. Nihen: Yea, I would love to try and hop in a track 5k in the spring and see if I can come close to my PR. Kyle: What keeps you busy on the non-running side of life? Mr. Nihen: Ha, unfortunately right now it's lots of work. This is my company's busy part of the year so working a lot of overtime hours and even on some weekends recently. I have just enough time to squeeze in my morning runs. Free time is a foreign term to me now haha. Although I did make some time to watch the mid season finale of the Walking Dead this evening. Couldn't miss it. Kyle: There is always time for a good finale. I'd wager that the dedication through the busy schedule and the morning runs have helped a lot with your success this season. Mr. Nihen: Yes it definitely helps keep me in a good routine. Kyle: Do you miss the greater freedom to train you had as a college athlete or do you think the dedication needed to keep your training in check now makes you a better athlete post college? Mr. Nihen: I definitely miss a lot about college running and running with my teammates every single day was a lot easier than running alone most days now. However, learning to push myself out of bed every morning, especially in the dark cold winter months, I think has made me a stronger overall runner mentally. Kyle: Well said! RANDOM QUESTION! If you got to pick the actor that portrayed you in the movie documenting your life, who would you pick to be you? Mr. Nihen: Ha I don't know how exciting of a movie that would be, but if I had to pick, being a huge fan I would probably pick someone from the Star Wars films. Maybe the younger version of Harrison Ford. Kyle: A man after my own heart! Well that's all the time we have for this week. Thank you for speaking with us! Mr. Nihen: No problem, Kyle. Thank you and see you soon. Kyle: Tune in next week to see who we interview!
STEADY STRIDER SECTION By Diana Angi
The Importance of Cross Training
As a middle of the pack runner, I am always trying to think of things that can help me improve my speed and endurance. I began participating in a boot camp class this August. I have tried to go 1-2x a week based on what my running schedule would allow . The classes are 30-60 minutes each and are always a good mix of cardio as well as static and dynamic strength exercises. They utilize a variety of different tools such as kettle bells, TRX and battle ropes. I'm not trying to advertise one cross-training activity over another but I have seen great results translating to my running. In addition to faster times, I have remained injury - free this season (even finally got rid of chronic Achilles pain) and have seemed to recover a lot more quickly from races and long runs. It's important for ALL runners, no matter what level to incorporate cross-training and strengthening into their weekly plans. It's amazing what a little extra strength in the non-typical running muscles can do!
Interested in running with Diana and the Steady Striders? Find and join the Facebook Group Page!
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Club Results (please email us your results and pictures...ideally you're wearing the team uniform and gear, too!)
Gillette Wins Run for the Diamonds; Wins a Diamond Ring Brimming with confidence after qualifying for the Olympic Trials last month, Matt Gillette not only won the 2015 Run for the Diamonds last week--he saved himself a trip to the jeweler when the right lady comes along in the future.
On Thanksgiving morning, Gillette won the nine miler in a blistering 45:02. It is one of the oldest races in the United States, with results going back to 1908; this year, there were 1,446 finishers at the Berwick, PA event.
That said, it is one of the most prestigious races on the East Coast, as the winner of the nine miler wins...well, a diamond ring. If that's hard to believe, check out the picture Gillette posted on Facebook after his hard-earned victory.
With that kind of a prize, you can certainly guess it's a super-competitive race...which it is. But what's more, they really make you earn it, as the course is one of the most rugged around. Below is the elevation map for the race. How he averaged 5:02 on this course is almost unfathomable.
Groups Runs Westfield Trot  Several club members competed in the Westfield 5 Mile Turkey Trot on Saturday, just two days after Ashenfelter. Who needs diamonds when you can win scarecrows!
From left to right are John Bergacs (46:48), Peter Auteri (35:59, 2nd AG), Yuki Negoro (32:18, 2nd AG), Karl Leitz (33:06, 2nd AG), Aya Leitz (33:44, 1st AG), and Ashwin Anantharaman (25:00/1st AG). Oh wait, that's an inflatable turkey. Sorry.
Great Swamp Devil Run | | | Stratton accepts his award for his AG win |
Two weeks ago, in our weekly "results we were told about but forgot to include because we have a terrible memory," numerous club members competed in the Swap Devil 15k and 5k races. In the 15k, Atilla "The Run" Sabahogluwon in 51:36, a clear indicator he has regained full health after an injury in May. Karen Auteri ran 64:13 to finish 4th female while Jeremy Stratton won his 55-59 age group in a solid 64:29.
In the 5k, Hope Tiboni won the 5k in 18:48.
Rissell Trots 15:12 Ethan Rissell, in his final preparation for Club Nationals, was second in the York YMCA Turkey Trot last weekend. The A-Teamer rolled in 15:12, just two seconds short of the winner. We are hoping this guy on the bike is the lead cyclist and not some local yokel who dresses up like this every Thanksgiving. Out in PA, ya never really know.
Round the Horn: Other Trots Joe Jacobs won the Butler Turkey Trot in 17:40... Aimee Chegwidden ran 18:21 and was the 2nd women at the Sparta Turkey Trot.
A Message from the President Keep an eye out for our aGSTC Black Friday sale at week's end!
12/12 USATF National Club XC Championships @ San Francisco
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Team event this weekend:
Sunday, December 6
9:00am Team Run- Buccleuch Park 11:00am- Leadership Team Meeting 944 Hermann Road, North Brunswick
All are welcome Come see what the $%^& we talk about in LT meetings...and help us make decisions for the club!
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