Boys’ JV X-C vs. Kingswood Oxford
Location: Pomfret School
Distance: 5k/3.1miles
Saturday October 15th 2011
Perhaps one of the most challenging courses the team runs all year is our own. Starting in the Quad, the 1st mile makes takes runners around and behind Centennial, by the baseball field, around the outfield of the softball field, up the hill and behind a few faculty homes, then around the tennis courts to the Quad, and back around Centennial. Mile 2 works back by the 1st base side of the baseball field, back around the softball outfield, behind the girls’ varsity soccer field, down a steep hill, through the woods, behind Jahn Hockey Rink, and into the woods. Runners move into the 3rd mile in the woods, still quite muddy in spots due to the recent rains. Runners emerge from the woods on Paradise Rd., very close to Rt. 97. After a brief downhill, runners must climb approximately 150ft. up Paradise Hill, known affectionately by the team as “Her Majesty.” It’s more than a half mile and an unforgiving ascent that tests the mental and physical mettle of each and every racer. Runners get a small reprieve as they turn left on a flat stretch of Brown St. before once again passing behind Centennial, making a brief but speed killing climb back to the Quad for the 150 meter sprint to the finish.
It was a blustery 60 degrees with a mix of clouds and sun when the team toed the starting line at 2:30 in the afternoon. Coach Kim-Senior called the racers to attention. And with a word and a wave of the hand, the runners set off to attack the course.
Griffin Richards, fresh off a season best last week, led the JV, finishing strong in 22:57. Jack Byrnes, making steady progress each and every week, finished 23:12. Senior co-captain Nick Calabrese, leading the cheer “We must defend this house!” put in a season best 23:27. Fellow senior Chris Barber, completing his third race in a row since coming off injury, came in 4th for the JV squad in 23:37. After fighting some injuries during the week, Nate Kremer turned in a gritty 23:54 while senior Michael Wolak cruised in at 24:55. Also battling some nagging aches, Hayden Clarkin buried some pre-race nerves to finish in 27:21. In his first ever race, freshmen Thomas Wheatley powered his way to an impressive debut time of 27:58. Senior Keith Minton bore down and made his way over the hills and through the muck to a cross the line at 30:55. Hearty congratulations to An Hoang and Bryant Xiao for completing their first ever cross country races. An was right on Keith’s tail at 31:21, while Bryant showed great determination, finishing in 47:48. While there wasn’t an official Pomfret v. KO JV score, our own course is a fierce competitor and all runners should be proud of their efforts.
Cross Country travels to Gunnery next week before returning for Fall Family Weekend to face local rivals Hyde and Rectory.
This link will take you to an approximate map of the course where you can also view the elevation profile: http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/54139948
Boys’ JV X-C vs. Hyde & Rectory
Location: Pomfret School
Distance: 5k/3.1miles
Saturday October 29th, 2011
Word came down late morning that with the only teams that would take to the fields to represent Pomfret on Fall Family Weekend were Girls' Field Hockey and Cross Country. That's a lot of spirt to carry, but as Coach Jones & Rafftery wrote, we were up for and equal to the task!
By 12:45pm yesterday, 15 minutes before the girls race was to start, a cold rain began to fall and it wasn't but a few minutes later when those icy drops turned into thick, wind driven flakes of heavy, wet snow. We coaches elected to begin both the girls' and the boys' races simultaneously. I told our team that as long as we were here, as long as our competition was here, we needed to embrace the elements as our ally. we needed to 'lean into discomfort.'
Shortly after 1pm, Coach Hayes gave the command, blew the whistle, and the boys and girls of Rectory, Hyde, and Pomfret braved the soggy fields, cold weather, brisk winds, and driving snow. Mr Peck, who joined us at the finish line to cheer the teams on, noted that the snow flakes seemed bigger than the green leaves that had yet to turn color and fall from their branches.
It was a somewhat unusual group of runners. Due to some scheduled absences, there were opportunities for some JV runners to move up the ladder into the Varsity 7. As coaches, we were interested to see what the combination of Fall Family Weekend, a historic October Nor'easter, and three missing usuals would mean for the team. I know we learned much about our team, but I think the boys also discovered something more about themselves.
I won't sugar coat it: not everyone was was especially eager to hit the course and not every runner had adequately dressed for the elements. Heck, An Hoang hadn't ever seen snow in person before this week! With nearly every other sporting event cancelled, most parents and students had fled campus, leaving cross country and a few hardy parental souls in the quad to witness a most unusual autumn spectacle. In many respects this meet was not one between runners, not even one between Pomfret, Hyde and Rectory schools. Indeed, it was not even a compettion between runners and the elements. This was as much a battle fought between the ears as it was a trial that took place on the course.
In the end, each and every runner proved their mettle and participated in a cross-country race that will last indelibly in the minds of these young men long enough for them to tell their grandchildren. I can imagine them years from now, regaling their offspring with the epic tale, "I remember the Fall Family Weekend cross country race back in twenty 11 when we forged raced in the biggest October snow storm in Connecticut history."
An Hoang will have a story of singular magnitude to share. I often tell our team not to leave anything out on the course. The meaning, obviously, is to not save any energy, to expend every last ounce of effort. However, An deliberately disobeyed me. In the woods, some where into his third mile, An lost not one, both both shoes, in the hungry bogs that lurk in the that part of the trail. When i asked why he didn't stop to retrieve them he said, "I didn't want to lose any time, coach." An ran the final mile, up Paradise Hill, in a snowstorm, in his socks. When the weather clears, we'll go hunting for his sneakers.
There wasn't a JV squad from Hyde, but we did match our JV team with Rectory and I am pleased to say that we won: 22-34. (A brief note on scoring: the place finishes for the top 5 finishes are added, the low sum wins.)
Pomfret JV | Rectory | |||
2 | 1 | |||
3 | 6 | |||
4 | 7 | |||
5 | 9 | |||
8 | (10) (13) | 11 | (12) (14) | |
22 | 34 | |||
Individual times are as follows:
First | Last | Place | Time |
Nate | Kremer | 13 | 23:07 |
Kokou | Alasse | 14 | 23:08 |
Peter | St. Lawrence | 15 | 23:11 |
Nick | Calabrese | 17 | 23:48 |
Paul | Chun | 21 | 25:48 |
Austin | Galusza | 23 | 26:03 |
Hayden | Clarkin | 27 | 27:14 |
Thomas | Wheatley | 28 | 27:19 |
An | Hoang | 34 | 41:02 |
Bryant | Xiao | 36 | 44:21 |
We won't soon forget the October 2011 Nor'easter.
To paraphrase 80s musical icon and cross country bonfire inspirator, Rick Astley:
Never gonna give up!
Cross Country will be home next week, the 5th of November to take on Wilbraham & Monson, Cushing, & Worcester Academy @ 3:30pm.
Boys’ JV X-C versus Cushing and Worcester Academy
Location: Pomfret School
Distance: 3.1miles
Saturday November 5th 2011
What a difference a week makes. Last week, we ran a race in a virtual white out blizzard. Yesterday, the JV boys took to our home course in comparatively beautiful weather. The sun was shining, a cool autumn blew, and there were scores of spectators.
The JV boys’ squad acquitted themselves well, most shaving seconds, if not minutes off their previous times on the course. A season long effort to get faster and stronger is starting to pay dividends at just the right time, with our final race of the season being the New England Championships next week at Canterbury.
The Cushing team was small, but fast and Worcester Academy brought a large crew, but the Pomfret boys, on their home course, some in the last home race of their Pomfret careers, dug deep. Leading the way for the JV boys, was Peter St. Lawrence in 22:14, good for 23rd place. Senior Michael Wolak took advantage of the pleasant conditions to come in second for the JVs in 22:48. Co-captain, and fellow senior, Nick Calabrese finished right behind Wolak in 23:02. Nate Kremer was nearly caught from behind near the finish as he was unaware of two Worcester runners who were sprinting to catch him. He turned back to see them just in time and pushed himself to cross just before they did in 23:23. The triad of Hayden Clarkin, Austin Galusza, and Thomas Wheatley ran steady and strong (25:42, 26:26, 26:57). Senior Keith Minton, who’s been a steady presence all year, finished in 27:54. An Hoang and Bryant Xiao each made significant progress on their personal bests - 28:33, 39:10 (and this week, An managed to keep both his shoes for the whole race!).
We were also happy to see Pomfret Alum and former Cross Country Captain Fred Barney at the race!
First | Last | Place | Time |
Peter | St. Lawrence | 23 | 22:14 |
Michael | Wolak | 25 | 22:48 |
Nick | Calabrese | 26 | 23:02 |
Nate | Kremer | 27 | 23:23 |
Hayden | Clarkin | 35 | 25:42 |
Austin | Glausza | 37 | 26:26 |
Thomas | Wheatley | 38 | 26:57 |
Keith | Minton | 39 | 27:54 |
An | Hoang | 40 | 28:33 |
Bryant | Xiao | 42 | 39:10 |
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