(5/5-5/11): Men, Women Sweep 10k Team Championships

TEAM EVENTS COMING UP

The snow is gone.  The weather is warm.  It’s time for us to start rallying together for some of the final few team events of the year!  

 

If you’re a lady, you’ve got the Stomp the Monster 5k on June 1 and the Sunset Classic 5 Miler.

If you’re a dude, you’ve got the President’s Cup 5k on June 16.

If you’re an older dude, you’ve got the Lager Run on 6/22.

 

If you are a human being, you’ve got the COLLEGE AVE MILE on Saturday night. June 7^th.  Sign up HERE! 

 

What is the College Ave Mile?

In 2012, the GSTC leadership team agreed that New Jersey was in dire need of a road mile.  No, not one of those rinky-dink mile runs that grandma does with Junior and the family dog before the 10k starts.  But rather, an event whereas the mile is the showcase distance, celebrating the magic and the lore this event has always had in the running community.

 

In fact, tomorrow, May 6^th, marks a very important day.  Besides the fact that it’s Chuck’s 25^th birthday, for the 12^th time, it is the 60^th Anniversary of Roger Bannister breaking the 4:00 mile.  The story of three great athletes-  Great Britain’s Bannister, Australia’s John Landy, and America’s Wes Santee- pursing running’s elusive holy grail is well narrated in Neal Bascomb’s book, The Perfect Mile.  This chase to the endeavor of impossibility was, believe it or not, of world-wide interest.    

 

There is a mystique that has always surrounded the mile, as Bannister once said, “The mile has all the elements of drama.”  However, despite the many popular road miles in America, including the USATF National Road Mile Championship, New Jersey just didn’t have one.  So, the GSTC started one. 

 

In its third year, it was voted into the USATF-NJ Grand Prix in January of 2014.  This required changing the GP rules, as “Category 1” races only extended from 3k to 5k.  So, after two years of lobbying and discussing the event, the Long Distance Running Committee (“LDR”) voted on it months ago….and it passed almost unanimously. 

 

So, in one month, June 7^th will be another milestone for the mile race: its debut as a championship race in the USATF-NJ Association.  No pressure, but the adidas GSTC will be now hosting its first championship race in a few weeks!  We expect all members to be there, racing as fast as they can, in one of the twelve offered heats.

 

Meet the Vietnamese!

Highland Park: The Vietnamese national 4x400 relay will begin its first day training with the adidas Garden State Track Club today, Monday, at 5:30pm.  We will be taking a team picture for articles in local papers and for a piece being done by runblogrun.  We happily encourage anyone interested in meeting these four ladies, and their two team managers, to come to the track today to welcome them.  You may be in the picture, too!

 

They arrived Saturday afternoon, exhausted from a thirty-two hour trek.  After enjoying some welcoming traffic and air pollution along the NJ Turnpike, the crew was taken to their new home in Highland Park for the next four months.  Training for the Asian Games starting on September 19, the crew is sleeping on six beds loaned by GSTC members.  They will debut in Black and Gold next Monday at the Swarthmore Last Chance Meet.

 

 

10k Team Championships: Gold Streak Continues

Women Win as Unlikely Heroes Save the Day

 

Jersey City- In honor of the Kentucky Derby this weekend, the odds of Karen Auteri and Eric Davis being the race heroes this weekend may have been something like 5000-1.  After all, Auteri wasn’t signed up while recovering from her marathon last weekend, and Davis is a 45-year-old masters runner still rounding himself into decent shape.

 

Sometimes it does pay to bet on the long shot. 

 

After a last-minute cancelation, women’s co-captain Angela Dunn frantically contacted Auteri at 9:00pm the night before, and without hesitation, she agreed to be the much-needed 5^th woman needed to win their 15^th straight Grand Prix team title.

 

And win they did, as Auteri crossing the line sealed the dubya by twelve total minutes.

 

Cheyenne Ogletree, shaving a whopping sixty-five seconds off her PR and club record, crossed the finish line at 35:52…averaging an incredible 5:46 a mile.  Victoria Pontecorvo continued her excellent season debut, finishing second for the Gold in 39:29, ranking her #7 on the Big List.  Dunn was 3^rd in 40:46, Nora Norvell finished 4^th in 41:38 (GSTC #13), and Auteri closed out the team scoring with a 42:13 effort.  Prudence Jones was the #6 runner in 67:55.

 

The ladies averaged 39:59 for their top five finishers, as second place averaged 42:31.

 

 

Men Go 1-2-3 with Johnson Leading the Charge

Jersey City- Chris Johnson, Mike Fonder, and Will Griffin went 5-6-7 in the always-super-competitive Newport 10k field to lead the adidas GSTC men to a 1-2-3 team finish.  These times rank them #3, #5, and #7, respectively, in the Big List; consequently, it was the best showing of the club’s top three men at the event.

 

Despite the impressive efforts of these big ballers up front, an unusual hero emerged Saturday morning: 45-year-old masters runner Eric Davis.  Plugging along at a modest 7:32 pace, the Highland Park cross country and track coach most certainly figured his 46:32 final time wouldn’t make an impact on the team score at all.  But alas, it did.

 

The team’s scheduled #5 runner dropped out half way through the race, leaving the unsuspecting Davis as the #5 man.  Luckily, his team’s top four included Johnson, Ted Doyle (33:36), Ashwin Anantharaman (34:18), and Rob Nihen (34:44) had all run superbly, and Davis’ 46:32 was just enough to enable a clean 1-2-3 sweep of the top three team spots, which pay out $200, $100, and $50.

 

The first place team was comprised of Griffin, Atilla Sabahoglu (33:21, GSTC #11), Adam Gruchacz (34:01, GSTC #13), Chuck Schneekloth (34:34), and Steve Bonica (37:47), with Charlie Hood (44:16) as the reserve.  The second place team was Fonder, Ken Goglas (33:35), Luis Romero (34:58), Keith Gruchacz (35:44), Mark Minervini (38:29), and TJ Zablocki (38:46). 

 

The three teams averaged, respectively, 34:17, 34:52, and 36:08, earning thirty points (12, 10, 8) toward the overall Grand Prix competition.  The results can be found here.

 

 

The Big List: Top 10k Performances for the adidas GSTC Men

31:13               10k                  Jeff Perrella                 Newport 10,000                     May 12, 2012

31:25                                       Chris Croff                   Giralda Farms                         November 10, 2013

31:28                                       Chris Johnson              Newport 10,000                     May 3, 2014

31:31                                       Rob Nihen                    Newport 10,000                     May 11, 2013

31:33                                       Mike Fonder                Newport 10,000                     May 3, 2014

31:39                                       Paul Matuszak             Newport 10,000                       May 11, 2013

31:44                                       Will Griffin                  Newport 10,000                     May 3, 2014

31:49                                       Steve Mennitt              Newport 10,000                     May 11, 2013

31:58                                       Ken Goglas                   Newport 10,000                     May 11, 2013

32:03                                       Tim Morgan                Newport 10,000                     May 11, 2013

33:14                                       Mike Anis                    Giralda Farms                         November 10, 2013

33:21                                       Atilla Sabahoglu           Newport 10,000                     May 4, 2014

33:36                                       Ted Doyle                    Newport 10,000                     May 4, 2014

34:01                                       Adam Gruchacz            Newport 10,000                     May 4, 2014

 

The Big List: Top 10k Performances for the adidas GSTC Women

35:52               10k                  Cheyenne Ogletree       Newport 10,000                     May 3, 2014

36:56                                       Greta Sieve                   Newport 10,000                     May 11, 2013

37:23                                       Alyssa Douma              Newport 10,000                       May 11, 2013

37:53                                       Allie Dublinski             Newport 10,000                       May 11, 2013

38:22                                       Chelsea Callan              Giralda Farms                          November 11, 2012

39:12                                       Michelle Brangan         Cherry Blossom 10k               April 6, 2014

39:29                                       Victoria Pontecorvo     Newport 10,000                     May 3, 2013

39:40                                       Angela Dunn                Ben Franklin Bridge Run         November 3, 2013

39:59                                       Karen Auteri                Newport 10,000                     May 11, 2013

40:07                                       Erika Meling                Newport 10,000                     May 11, 2013

40:54                                       Alexis Patrick              Newport 10,000                     May 11, 2013

41:23                                       Sarah Schillaci             Newport 10,000                       May 11, 2013

41:38                                       Nora Norvell                Newport 10,000                     May 3, 2014

 

Other Weekend Results 

Denholtz Runs DC Half

Washington DC:  Amy Denholtz, the co-captain of the GSTC Steady Striders, ran the Nike Women's Half Marathon in DC last weekend.  She finished with a time of 2:26:52.

 

Wesley Breaks 100m Club Record

Cheyney, PA: Cyrus Wesley continues to assault the club’s record books in his debut season with the club.  Not only is he a part of the record holding 41.14 4x100 relay, he just lowered his own 100m club record this weekend during a meet at Cheyney University, his alma mater.  The short sprinter, also an assistant sprint coach at TCNJ, rolled to a 10.64—a huge leap from his earlier mark of 10.82.

 

Florek Wins at Princeton with a CR

Princeton, NJ: Brian Florek won the javelin at the Princeton Elite Meet on Saturday with a massive 67.11m toss, breaking the club record of 65.15m by Matt Tholis.  Tholis’ mark won him the club national title in 2013, an event Florek finished 2^nd in last year with a 64.58m mark.  His toss on Saturday is converted to 220’-02”.

 

Tyrone Ross also competed in the 400m, finishing 5^th with a 48.59 final time.

 

Big List: Top Javelin Marks of adidas GSTC

67.11m            Javelin             Brian Florek                 Princeton Elite Meet               May 3, 2014

65.15m            Javelin             Matt Tholis                 USATF Club Nationals           June 28, 2013

60.65m            Javelin             Tyler Yee                    USATF Club Nationals           June 28, 2013

55.03m            Javelin             Patrick Mulrooney       USATF Club Nationals           June 28, 2013

52.83m            Javelin             Dillon Rodgers            USATF Club Nationals            June 28, 2013

 

Brangan Top Master at Broad Street

Philadelpha, PA:  Masters superstar Michelle Brangan was the top masters women finisher at the wildy popular and heavily attended Broad Street Ten Miler yesterday.  Her time, 61:33, was not just a club record, but it won her $500 for being the top master in the field.  The proud South Enclave member was the 16^th overall woman finisher.

 

Miler Robyn Evangelist finished in 63:21, good for 32^nd overall woman.   Just behind her was Brittany McCann, who was 35^th overall women in 63:38.  Angela Dunn, running on tired legs after the 10k team race the day before, was 38^th in 64:07.

 

On the men’s side, Paul Matuszak was the men’s top finisher at 14^th place, hitting the tape in 51:13.  Adin “The Milkman” Mickle, rebounding well from an early season knee injury, was 43^rd in 55:09.  Shawn D'Andrea, Mickle’s elementary school friend, was just behind him in 59^th place with a 56:16 showing, and Joe Zeoli finished with a PR of 59:12, 117^th place. 

 

Croff Wins Our House

Summit- Coming off a month-long injury, Croff won his hometown five miler in Summit on Sunday, the Our House 5 Miler, in 26:41.  While clearly far from his best, the early May rust-buster ranks him as GSTC #3.  He averaged 5:20 pace to outkick Youssek Rochdi by just three tenths of a second.

 

Flyer, Chefitz Win Local 5ks

Kyle Flyer and Ezra Chefitz, both Rutgers students, won their respective 5ks this weekend.  Chefitz won the FIT 5k in New Brunswick’s Buccleuch Park, a race organized by the Rutgers Hillel, in a personal best of 19:37. 

 

Flyer, an original GSTC member from January of 2011, successfully defended his hometown 5k, the prestigious Madison 5k, in 17:37.  Graduating Rutgers in just a few weeks, the city residents carried him on their shoulders, declaring him the new King of Madison.  Unfortunately for the club, he got a job in Cleveland, Ohio with a beer distributor.  We can only imagine how many club members would “literally die to have HIS job.” 

 

Douma Wins WM 5k

West Milford:  Sara Douma, coming off a PR in the half marathon, won the West Milford Animal Shelter 5k.  She finished in a PR time of 22:38.

 

Swarthmore Meet Next Week

The tracksters race next at the Swarthmore Last Chance meet a week from today, Monday night!  If you’re interested, email us or keep an eye on the adidas GSTC Track and Field Facebook group page!

 

Team Run + LT Meetings

Pennington, NJ:  This Saturday, at 9:00am, we are having a big team run at Rosedale Park (422 Federal City Rd Pennington, NJ 08534) at 9:00am.  At 11:30am, we will be having a Leadership Team meeting, with the below agenda.  All dues-paying GSTC members are invited to attend the meeting and provide your input on the below agenda!  Or, just come for the run, as it is a beautiful park with wonderful soft trails.

Saturday's Leadership Team Agenda 

1.0  LT Reflections: (all) 10:00

2.0  Group Updates: 12:00 (2:00 each)

M Open (Ken, Mike, Dan), W Open (Erika, Angela, Cheyenne), M Masters (Matt), W Masters (Prudence), Track (Ricky, Mark, Erin), Field (James)

3.0  Adidas, Vietnam, Adidas GP, NJM, CPTC/SAC Updates (Chuck)  8:00

4.0  College Ave Mile Planning (all)  30:00

5.0  Membership Strategy & Planning (all) 30:00

 

 

 

GSTC Racing Schedule

 

USATF-NJ Grand Prix

6/1 Stomp the Monster (open women)

6/7 College Ave Mile (all divisions)

6/16 President’s Cup (open men)

6/22 Lager Run  (masters men)

6/26 Sunset Classic (open, masters women)

 

Spring Track and Field

5/12     Tuppeny Twilight (Swarthmore)

6/14     adidas Grand Prix (Icahn Stadium, NYC)

6/24     NYRR Speed Series @ NYC

7/8       NYRR Speed Series @ NYC

7/22     NYRR Speed Series @ NYC     

 

 

 

Team Runs

Monday:  (track and field) Team workout 5:30 at Highland Park HS

 

Monday: (Central Enclave) 5:30 @ Rutgers Student Center

Tuesday: (Central Enclave) 5:30 @ RSC

Tuesday: (South Enclave) track session TBA

Wednesday: (Central Enclave): 5:30 @ RSC

Wednesday: (Morristown Enclave) 6:15 group run @ Morristown Running Company

Wednesday: (track and field) Team workout 5:30 at Highland Park HS

Wednesday: (South Enclave) 6:30 @ trail at Elk or Williamstown bike path

Wednesday: (Princeton Enclave) 5:30 @ Turning Basin Park on Alexander Road

Thursday: (Central Enclave) 5:30 @ RSC

Friday: (Central Enclave): 4:15 @ RSC

Saturday: (Morristown) 9:00 group run @ Morristown Running Company

Saturday: TEAM RUN 9:00AM ROSEDALE PARK, PENNINGTON

Sunday:  Mother’s Day.  OFF.  Hang out with your family!

 

Steady Striders

Hey Steady Striders!

 

Looks like another beautiful week of training ahead. Let's continue working towards our first goal race of the College Ave Mile on June 7th.

 

This is a great race to start training towards; the unique one-mile distance is something we can all prepare for as a team and have a lot of fun doing.

 

Here is this week's plan:

 

Monday: 15-30min Run

Tuesday: Cross Train (Bike, Swim, etc.)

Wednesday: 20-35min Run

Thursday: Core Workout (Uploaded on the steady striders Facebook page)

Friday: 10 minute run and 3x50m Strides

Saturday: Long run, 30-60 minutes

Sunday: Off

 

Our team long run this week will be Saturday in Rosedale Park (422 Federal City Rd Pennington, NJ 08534) @ 9:00am! See you there!

Quotes of the Week

“Yeah it was pretty coo being all alone up front.  Now I know what it feels like to be you guys.”  -the always humble Ezra Chefitz, via text, after winning a local 5k with his first sub-20 time.

“When you’re on a team, you need to step up when needed.”  -Karen Auteri, on FB, moments after her last-minute agreeing to race and complete a full scoring, winning team

“Let’s hope this is the last time I need to ‘play doctor’ for that van.”  -Dr. Mike Anis, via text, after helping put in a battery into the old van.  Indeed, it is being resurrected as we speak.

“April showers bring maybe floods?”  -Adin Mickle, via FB, regarding this crazy weather

“Hope everyone who ran Broad Street 10 miler today had an awesome run and enjoyed it as much as I did.  Considering I’ve never run over an 8k before this, it was an awesome experience and it’s all thanks to the awesome coaching from GSTC I got to help me finish, can’t wait for next year!”  -Justin Richman, via FB.  Carmine Denicola, one of GSTC’s newest coaches, worked with Justin this year.

Gold Star

By Ashwin Anantharaman

Quimes Dela Cruz

Quimes joined GSTC today because his good friend Will Griffin recommended the club to him since they were teammates in Marist for 4 years. His Prs are 30:30 for the 10k, 14:29 for the 5k, 9:05 for the 3k steeple, 8:17 for the 3k, and 4:12 for the mile. His goal is to improve his times and take them to the elite level. Before races he eats pasta and watches a movie. On race day he has no pre race routine he just goes on feel. Outside of running he loves the arts as he is a Graphic Designer. He also enjoys playing different types of sports with his friends. 

 

Kevin Mulcahey

Kevin joined GSTC because he misses competing at meets as well as the camaraderie of belonging to a team. His goal is to make a relay team and pr in the near future. He would like to get back down to his old PRs of 22.60 in the 200 and 50.50 in the 400. However, he always wanted to break 50 in the open 4. Before races he jogs 2 laps, does dynamic walking stretches in addition to stagnant stretches and some strdies. Outside of running he enjoys weight lifting and traveling. He has also seen 14 out of 30 Major League Baseball parks and hopes to reach all 30. 

 

TMA: Totally Misunderstood Award

Well, a certain someone named Michael James on Facebook allegedly pushed back a run he organized from 10am to 2pm…as he stayed out just a little too late.  Then, he had to cancel on his two teammates at 1:45 because a parade, yes-a parade- was going on past his complex and he had no way to drive out of it to the run.  Womp womp.

 

TEAM STUFF

Yearly dues----à https://runsignup.com/Club/NJ/NewBrunswick/GardenStateTrackClub

 

Team website--------------->  www.gardenstatetc.org

Team Facebook Fan Page---->   https://www.facebook.com/groups/159501487397707/

Team Blog---------------> http://gardenstatetc.blogspot.com/

Team YouTube Channel---> http://www.youtube.com/user/GardenStateTC 

 

This Week in Training

By Chris Tafelski (cjtafelski@yahoo.com)

We have a month until CAM, with a slew of 5k championships immediately before and after.  So we're going to step up the pace of the workouts as we focus on shorter races.  

 

Monday - comfortable run + 8x 8-10s hill sprints

 

Tuesday - 5x1k@T with 1:00 jog; 2x1k@5k with equal rest

 

Wednesday - medium run of 75% long run duration

 

Thursday - super easy 40-60 mins + strides

 

Friday - 4x(4x400) at 5k pace.  Run the 400s with 1:00 rest with 3:00 rest between sets.

 

Saturday - same as Monday

 

Sunday - long run!

 

Sunday - RACE!

What is this email?

The GSTC Weekly Email is a collaborative effort to bring club membership an accurate and entertaining update on all team events, runs, results, workouts, quotes, and even mishaps every Sunday night.  It is also often referred to as “The Email” or, by more prominent members of the running community, “error-fraught spam.”  If you’d like to submit anything that would contribute to any of these sections, please email us! 

(4/28-5/4): Penn Relays, Lion Invite, 15k Champs, and NJM Baggage Highlights

10k Team Championship This Saturday!

The USATF-NJ Grand Prix Team Championship race is this Saturday.  As always, we will have a big contingent racing in Jersey City on Saturday, so please email us if you’re interested!

 

This Week in Results

The typical running club has one event every week, bringing together a small handful of people, usually from the same town or county, to participate in a group run, team race, or some other function. 

 

The typical elite running club specializes in one or two events, such as women’s distance running, men’s sprinting, etc. 

 

However, after reading the results below, you’ll get a sense of just how unique the adidas GSTC really is.  Indeed, what a weekend this was for the club!

 

Monday: Anis Leads Team in Boston

Boston, MA- Once again, the adidas GSTC was the top NJ team to finish at the Boston Marathon, and once again Mike Anis was a major player.

 

Last week, Anis averaged 5:54 pace to finish in a PR of 2:34:18, topping his previous best of 2:37 from his qualifying race, “Chase the Unicorn” back in September.  He finished 160^th overall, the 139^th male, and 128^th in his division.  His performance was #4 on the Big List, as shown below.

 

Will Appman made his marathon debut for the Gold, averaging 6:23 a mile en route to a solid 2:47:15 finish.  This was 724^th overall and 567^th in his division, ranking him #9 on the BL.  The third and final scoring team member, the 41-year-old masters phenom Chris Sallade, finished in 2:48:46, an incredible 6:27 average that finished him 94^th in his division.

 

Anis, Appman, and Sallade had a cumulative time of 8:10:19, which good enough for 26^th of 83 scoring teams.  While the club just ahead of them, New Haven Road Runners, is listed as a NJ club, they are actually based in CT.  The Gold was just ten minutes shy of cracking the top 20, as the Charlotte Running Club, from North Carolina, took the final spot with an 8:00:55 final time.   

 

Also on the adidas GSTC Boston Marathon team roster was TJ Zablocki (3:05:30), Ken Walsh (3:22:39), and master Brian Harris (3:31:12).  Keri Brown was the lone lady in the race, finishing in 3:43:22, a solid 8:32 pace.

 

Adidas GSTC “BIG LIST”: All-Time Performances, Marathon

2:26:45            Mike Dixon                 Philadelphia Marathon           November 20, 2011

2:28:24            Mike Fonder               Boston Marathon                   April 15, 2013

2:29:40            Ken Goglas                 New York City Marathon      November 6, 2011

2:34:18            Mike Anis                   Boston Marathon                   April 21, 2014

2:41:13            Stephen Comanto       New Jersey Marathon            May 5, 2013

2:41:14            Peter Bolgert               Milwaukee Lakefront October 6, 2013

2:43:49            Shawn D’Andrea        Philadelphia Marathon           November 18, 2012

2:44:03            Bryan McDonnell       Philadelphia Marathon           November 17, 2013

2:47:15            Will Appman              Boston Marathon                   April 21, 2014

2:48:05            James Lothian Philadelphia Marathon           November 18, 2012

2:48:13            Ken Walsh                  Philadelphia Marathon           November 18, 2012

2:48:46            Chris Sallade               Boston Marathon                   April 21, 2014

 

Thursday: Warren Leads trio to CR in 5k

Philadelphia, PA: In an incredible display of depth, three athletes broke the 5k club record at the Penn Relays distance night.  Chris Warren led the way, breaking the 2011 record by ten seconds, as he finished 9^th in a stacked field of forty-two competitors with a 14:32.93 finish.  Mike Fonder also continued to have a career season, dropping another big PR as his 14:36.88 was 13^th overall…just a stride in front of East Stroudburg’s Chris Schneider, a GSTC’er since 2011.  Eric DuBois also ran a season-best of 14:38.65, also dipping under the former record but now #3 on the club record list.  

 

Adidas GSTC “BIG LIST”: All-Time Performances, Track 5k

14:32.93          5,000m            Chris Warren               Penn Relays                            April 24, 2014

14:36.88          5,000m            Michael Fonder           Penn Relays                            April 24, 2014

14:38.65          5,000m            Eric DuBois                Penn Relays                            April 24, 2014

14:42.40          5,000m            Chris Heibell               Penn Relays                            April 27, 2011

14:48.41          5,000m            Ken Goglas                 Sam Howell Invite                  April 4, 2013

14:58.68          5,000m            Tim Morgan                Larry Ellis Invitational            April 19, 2013

 

Thursday: Price Finishes 3^rd in OD; Sets Steeple CR

Philadelphia, PA: In perhaps the finest race of his life, steepler Kyle Price broke his own club record Thursday night, rolling to a 9:08.89 finish in the Penn Relays Olympic Development 3,000m steeplechase.  Just two seconds away from winning it, Price was third behind Michigan’s James Yau (9:06.23) and Duke’s Christian Britto (9:06.67) in the fifteen-athlete race.

 

Friday:  4x100 Finishes 4^th at Penn Relays

Philadelphia, PA:  The men’s 4x100 relay, after a sizzling 41.14 performance on a warm Princeton track the week prior, clocked a 41.34 effort to finish fourth overall.  This is the highest finish any GSTC relay has had in the Olympic Development sections at the Penn Relays.

 

Sprinters Ish Robbins, Chris Turner, Herman Kirkland, and Cyrus Wesley teamed up for the performance, which was just .01 off a third place, podium finish.

 

Hours later, large rainclouds rolled in just in time for the 4x400 relay.  Originally set for two heats, only eleven teams showed up at the staging area.  So, race officials appropriately consolidated into one heat.  However, over the next ten minutes, as the race got pushed along closer to the starting line in the staging area, eight more teams joined the group.  Officials, at this point, should have split up the race into two races, but due to the pouring rain, and due to them being behind schedule, they pushed forward with nineteen teams on the starting line.

 

What ensued was a four minute non-stop barfight in monsoon conditions.

 

The start was complete mayhem, as all teams lead-off a stronger athlete with hopes to get away from the chaos of the big pack.  But worst of all were the exchanges, as the rain made it nearly impossible for runners to find their teammates in the masses at the passing zones.  So, every GSTC athlete was en-route to running a 48-49 leg, but the runner—and thus baton—would stop instantly upon arriving at the exchange zone, leading to much slower splits and a much slower team time.

 

Regardless, the group of Kevin Persson, Ricky Garcia, Wesley, and Mike Saparito clocked a 3:22.07, good for 7^th overall.  The b-team of Robbins, Josh Chavanne, James Burroughs, and Marquis Cole finished 14^th in 3:29.51 

 

All Olympic Development results can be found here.

 

Friday:  Duran Wins Hammer at TCNJ

Ewing, NJ: Alina Duran threw a season-best 54.14m to win the hammer throw on day one of the TCNJ Lion Invitational.  It’s always impressive to win a college event, but what’s most impressive about her win: second place Chelsea Cioffi’s best throw, from Princeton University, was six feet behind her. 

 

Saturday: Harris Wins Penn Relays Gold

Philadelphia, PA:  Nafee Harris and Herman Kirkland, when college jumpers in the PSAC, used to battle during every conference championship.  Years later, the only difference is that they’re wearing the same uniform now.

 

After ninety minutes of battling, Harris avenged his loss to Kirkland at the Millerville Metrics Invite earlier in the season, as his mark of 24-7.25 (7.50m) won the Penn Relays Olympic Development Long Jump event.  And, not surprisingly, his teammate Kirkland finished second, leaping 23-11 (7.29m) to snag the silver medal.

 

This was the first gold medal any adidas GSTC athlete has ever won in the Penn Relays’ Olympic Development section.

 

Unfortunately, hurdler Add Jean-Philippe, a week after winning his heat at Princeton’s Larry Ellis Invitational, tore his Achilles on the seventh hurdle and couldn’t finish the race.  We wish Add a healthy and quick comeback as he gets surgery this week.

 

Saturday: 8 Podium Finishes at TCNJ Lion Invite, Day #2

Ewing, NJ:  Mo Riddick and Brian Florek won the shot put and javelin, respectively, as the top performances for the club on the second rain-filled day at the TCNJ Lion Invite.  Riddick putbthe shot 16.00m for the win, besting second place by a large 2.25m gap.  Florek, in his first competition since club nationals in June of 2013, dominated his specialty, taking the gold medal in 68.01m.

 

Steve D’Aiutolo, a 2013 TCNJ grad who competed for the club at nationals, made his 2014 debut a solid one, grabbing second in the triple jump at 13.97m.  Cyrus Wesley also snagged a silver medal in the 100m, running 10.83, just .01 off the club record.

 

James Burroughs, Rider ’13, made his debut in the 100HH, clocking 15.03 for 3^rd overall.  Robyn Evangelist also earned a bronze in the 1500m, running a SB of 4:43.27 in a stacked field of seventy-two competitors.  Kelsey Lewis upped her own CR in the high jump, inching it up .01m for a third straight week, tying for 3^rd in the high jump at 1.61m.

 

Speaking of the high jump, former Meet of Champions medalist Anna Cook, coming out of a four-year jumping hiatus since after competing for Brown University, finished 9^th at 1.56m. 

 

In the men’s 800m, Dennie Waite and Mark Parisen finished 5^th-6^th, running 1:55.85 and 1:56.47 (PR), respectively.  Ricky Garcia, lulled to sleep after a pedestrian opening lap in the seeded heat, mustered only a 1:57.26 for 10^th overall. 

 

Back to the throws, Alyssa Hudgins (42.80m) and E’Lana Lemon (37.99m) were 4^th and 9^th.  James Burroughs also added a 10^th place in the 400IH, with teammates Darryl Simpson and Hadori Broderick just a second behind.  Waite and Fonder went 1-2 in the alumni steeplechase mile, running 4:33.96-4:41.38 to spank the rest of their fellow alums in the always-entertaining event.

Results can be found here.

 

 

 

Saturday: Men, Women Win USATF-NJ 15k Team Title

Clinton, NJ: In the USATF-NJ 15k Team Championships on Saturday, both the men and women came home with team golds, extending the winning streak of both teams in Grand Prix action.

 

The men were able to sweep the top two team spots, as Atilla Sabahoglu continued his hot hand, or rather feet, wearing the GSTC gold this spring.  A pack of eight eventually widdled down to four with two miles to go, and “Atilla the Run” eventually pulled away for the dubya.

 

Sabahoglu has run three road races this year with the GSTC uniform; he has won all three.  His 15k time of 51:32 ranks #7 on the Big List.

 

Ken Goglas (52:19), Ted Doyle (52:27, GSTC #12), and Chuck Schneekloth (53:06)  finished 4-5-6 to secure the team sweep.  Joe Zeoli (56:23), Peter Bolgert (57:33), and Mark Miniverni (58:53) joined Sabahohlu and Goglas to help the A-team win with a 55:20 average, while Tom Visicaro (58:42), Woody Kongsamut (62:09), and Matt Baker (63:16) teamed up with Doyle and Schneekloth to average 57:56 for the team silver medal.

 

Cheyenne Ogletree, as she always does, lead the women’s team with a 56:30 effort.  Her time, just three seconds off her own club record set last year, was good for second overall in the race.  The women averaged 62:10.83 to win by overall a half an hour of total time.

 

Erika Meling (61:04, GSTC #4) was the club’s #2 finisher, while Victoria Pontecorvo (62:58, GSTC #6) ran her finest race with the club, rolling in as the #3 runner.  Chelsea Callan battled through a cold to finish in 63:40 (GSTC#7), while Nora Norvell (66:40, GSTC#10) was the final scoring member in her club debut.

 

Rounding out the team’s finishers were Sandi Kaspszyk (70:38, GSTC#12), Stephanie Edwards (85:20), Prudence Jones (1:41:43), and Ana Garcia (2:04:10).

 

On the masters side, the men’s 40s team finished 7^th overall with a 68:40 average.  Baker, Kenny Huryk (63:24), Julius Pontecorvo (69:51), Eric Davis (72:56), Francis Beideman (73:38), and Don Weise (91:38) chipped in for the team finish.

 

Kaspszyk, Edwards, and Jones comprised the women’s masters team that finished 8^th overall with a team average of 85:57.

 

Resultscan be found here.  

 

Adidas GSTC “BIG LIST”: All-Time Performances, Road 15k

48:18               15k                  Tom Poland                Indian Trails                          April 1, 2012

50:33                                       Mark Del Monaco      Indian Trails                          April 1, 2012

50:33                                       Adin Mickle                Indian Trails                          April 1, 2012

50:38                                       Ken Goglas                 Indian Trails                          April 7, 2013

50:39                                       Mike Belgiovine          Indian Trails                          April 7, 2013

50:40                                       Kyle Price                   Indian Trails                          April 7, 2013

51:32                                       Atilla Sabahoglu          Clinton Country Run            April 26, 2014

51:59                                       Steve Mennitt             Indian Trails                          April 7, 2013

52:00                                       Shawn D’Andrea        Indian Trails                          April 1, 2012

52:08                                       Luis Romero               Indian Trails                          April 1, 2012

52:10                                       Tim Morgan                Clinton Country Run            April 27, 2013

52:27                                       Ted Doyle                   Clinton Country Run            April 26, 2014

 

56:27               15k                  Cheyenne Ogletree      Indian Trails                          April 7, 2013

56:59                                       Greta Sieve                  Indian Trails                          April 7, 2013

58:30                                       Allison Dublinski        Clinton Country Run            April 27, 2013

1:01:04                                    Erika Meling               Clinton Country Run            April 26, 2014

1:01:05                                    Alyssa Douma            Indian Trails                          April 7, 2013

1:02:58                                    Victoria Pontecorvo    Clinton Country Run            April 26, 2014

1:03:40                                    Chelsea Callan Clinton Country Run              April 26, 2014

1:04:54                                    Meghan DeCarlo         Indian Trails                          April 1, 2012

1:06:24                                    Karen Auteri               Indian Trails                          April 1, 2012

1:06:40                                    Nora Norvell               Clinton Country Run            April 26, 2014

1:09:02                                    Shanna Bearisto          Indian Trails                          April 7, 2013

1:10:38                                    Sandi Kaspszyk          Clinton Country Run            April 26, 2014

1:12:19                                    Jill Zablocki                Boston Buildup 15k              January 20, 2013

 

 

Sunday:  GSTC Moves 10,000 Bags at NJM

Long Branch, NJ:  For the second year in a row, the adidas Garden State Track Club moved close to 10,000 bags for all finishers of the Norvo Nordisk NJ Marathon and Half Marathon early Sunday morning.

 

Forty GSTC volunteers helped the runners using eleven different trucks.  First, six trucks were deployed after all half marathon runners were at the starting line; three more were sent to the finish line upon the start of the marathon.  One late truck trailed the entire group for those that missed the cut-off time of both the half marathon and marathon trucks.

 

Once at the finish line, club members frantically arranged bags in bib-number order.  Since each truck was designated for a different 1000 numbers, and since each truck had organized each 1000 by sets of 100, all that was left was bringing out bags and arranging them n sets of 100.  From there, club members were able to locate and hand back each runner’s bag quickly based on the organized system.  As most runners know, there’s nothing better than getting back your bag quickly after an exhausting race!

 

Other Results

Karen Auteri finished fourth in the Country Music Marathon in Nashville, TN.  Winning her age group as well, Auteri ran 3:12:33 to average 7:18 a mile….Erin Varga, in her first race back from various unfortunate injuries, won her 40-44 age group at the Clinton Country Run 5k, running 27:51 to just dip under 9:00/mile pace…..Last weekend, Sara Douma PR’ed in the half marathon, finishing the More Fitness Half Marathon in 1:38:48….Ashwin Anantharaman won the Piscataway High School Post-Prom 5k in 16:57….masters runner Michele Brangan ran 18:18, a PR, at the Philly Clean Air 5k, good for GSTC#8 all-time, as she was the second overall female in the race…four members ran in a race at the NJ Marathon this weekend: Danielle Mastrangelo (4:49:12), Peter Auteri (3:57:55), David Donza (1:43:59), and Jennifer Lucas (3:23:34).  Lucas’ marathon ranks her GSTC#8, an impressive debut with a very windy final seven miles!

 

 

GSTC Racing Schedule

 

USATF-NJ Grand Prix

5/3 Newport 10,0000 (open men and women)

6/1 Stomp the Monster (open women)

6/7 College Ave Mile (all divisions)

6/16 President’s Cup (open men)

6/22 Lager Run  (masters men)

6/26 Sunset Classic (open, masters women)

 

 

 

Spring Track and Field

5/12   Tuppeny Twilight (Swarthmore)

5/29  Speed Series, Icahn Stadium

6/5  Speed Series, Icahn Stadium

6/14   adidas Grand Prix (Icahn Stadium, NYC)

6/21   USATF East Region Championships (date?)

 

 

 

Team Runs

Monday:  (track and field) Team workout 5:30 at Highland Park HS

 

Monday: (Central Enclave) 5:30 @ Rutgers Student Center

Tuesday: (Central Enclave) 5:30 @ RSC

Tuesday: (South Enclave) track session TBA

Wednesday: (Central Enclave): 5:30 @ RSC

Wednesday: (Morristown Enclave) 6:15 group run @ Morristown Running Company

Wednesday: (track and field) Team workout 5:30 at Highland Park HS

Wednesday: (South Enclave) 6:30 @ trail at Elk or Williamstown bike path

Wednesday: (Princeton Enclave) 5:30 @ Turning Basin Park on Alexander Road

Thursday: (Central Enclave) 5:30 @ RSC

Friday: (Central Enclave): 4:15 @ RSC

Saturday:  (track and field): 10:00am at HPHS

Saturday: (Morristown) 9:00 group run @ Morristown Running Company

Saturday: 10k Team Championships @ Jersey City

Sunday:  Team Long Run TBA on FB

 

Quotes of the Week

“Mebs's win makes #5 on the sportcenter top 10. There were a few really great dunks and a couple double plays which looked really difficult to turn ahead of him....smh.”  -Adam Gruchasz, via FB

“Anis is a lot of things, but one thing he is not is a quitter.”  Ken Goglas, during a run

“Yeah, the team seems amazing especially the xc boys; they were powering through there workout like it was nothing.”  Lilly Anderson, via FB

 

TEAM STUFF

Yearly dues----à https://runsignup.com/Club/NJ/NewBrunswick/GardenStateTrackClub

 

Team website--------------->  www.gardenstatetc.org

Team Facebook Fan Page---->   https://www.facebook.com/groups/159501487397707/

Team Blog---------------> http://gardenstatetc.blogspot.com/

Team YouTube Channel---> http://www.youtube.com/user/GardenStateTC 

 

This Week in Training

By Chris Tafelski (cjtafelski@yahoo.com)

Recovery starts the week, prep for the next championship ends the week.  Not a lot of big work to do this week, just focus on being recovered and ready to roll.

 

Monday - Recovery run and strides

 

Tuesday - Comfortable run + 8x8-10s hill sprints

 

Wednesday - medium run of 75% long run duration.  Take the tempo on feel.

 

Thursday - fartlek run with 6-8x 2:30/1:00 cycles of 10k pace/distance run pace.  Take the off segments on feel.  

 

Friday – super easy 40-60 minutes

 

Saturday – RACE!

 

Sunday – long run

 

What is this email?

The GSTC Weekly Email is a collaborative effort to bring club membership an accurate and entertaining update on all team events, runs, results, workouts, quotes, and even mishaps every Sunday night.  It is also often referred to as “The Email” or, by more prominent members of the running community, “error-fraught spam.”  If you’d like to submit anything that would contribute to any of these sections, please email us!