FHSAA 4A Region 1 Featured Photo Album Ralph Epifanio Apr 25, 2014

Ralph Epifanio came out of retirement to attend the 4A Region 1 "Region Of Doom" at Flagler Palm Coast. The girl's quarter-mile was moving with 54 second performances from Destiny Washington of West Orange and Oak Ridge standout Sharrika Barnett. The distance races came down to the wire. Check out over 1,000 photos of all the action. Enjoy!

 

Ralph's Musings: Atlantic Sun Conference Championships Ralph Epifanio Nov 07, 2013

Even though several teams limped into the meet with injuries to key athletes, the incredible weather couldn’t help but add some spring to their step. Fortunately sidestepping the predicted end-of-the-world weather scenario two days prior, and the first chill of Autumn the morning after the meet, this was perfect weather for cross country: cool, but not so much so that it required layering; clear blue skies, warmed by a radiant sun; and fall foliage that inspired spontaneous smiles at the merest of suggestions. Good thing there, because while everyone felt like a winner before the race, in reality, that honor became a virtual monopoly by the host school, Lipscomb.

Ralph's Musings - 4A District 2 Championship Ralph Epifanio Oct 28, 2013

The Roman god Janus is a two-faced god; his gaze simultaneously fixed forward towards the future and back into the past (hence, his name being the root of our month of January). In Roman religion, it was this god that presided over beginnings and transitions, and was associated with motion, journeys, and passages. In Roman architecture, his presence is sometimes depicted as that of a door, either open or closed. If the door was open, it symbolized war; a closed door meant peace (hence a basis for the superstition that we should “close doors behind us,” and use of the term “close the door” on our competition). 

Ralph's Musings: Five Star Conference Championships Ralph Epifanio Oct 21, 2013

While in high school, I was determined to be an astronomer. Because the stars and planets existed in a three-dimensional sphere, a career in that science meant a lot of higher level mathematics. (It is not easy finding one star among billions, especially since they move around constantly.) Unfortunately, at the time, calculators were still a novelty, and PCs had yet to be invented, so calculations had to be done with lots of paper and pencils, and a slide rule. (Betcha never seen one, eh?) 

Ralph's Musings: UCF Invitational Ralph Epifanio Oct 20, 2013

If you spend a lot of time outdoors, you can’t help but notice certain consistencies in weather patterns. In New England, for example, mid-October has long been known for its “Indian Summer.” Just when those Yankees feel they are due for some well-needed cooling off, they are slammed with unseasonably dry, hot weather. 

Ralph's Musings: Titan Trail XC Meet Ralph Epifanio Oct 08, 2013

Even as pioneers, the residents of what is now known as Orange City were sensitive as to how the world saw them. The townsfolk felt that finding a proper name for the town would add distinction to their community. So back in those early days (circa 1880), it came down to two possible choices. Most of its residents chose as its namesake the refreshing Blue Springs, which was greatly admired, not only as a source of clean water—which was bottled and shipped all over the world—but as a landing for steamships that connected the town with the outside world. 

FLR XIV: The City Grows (Day Two) Ralph Epifanio Oct 03, 2013

Arriving just as the sun was, it couldn’t have been a more amazing sight to see. Where once there was an empty field, a tent city now spread into the distance. When did all this happen? Doesn’t a runner ever sleep? And they were already awake enough to be running all over the place. If you ask me, they couldn’t pay a person enough to do that…which is the point.

FLR XIV – An Ephemeral City Comes to Life Ralph Epifanio Sep 30, 2013

At his core, a runner is a nomad. Perpetually in motion, he seems driven by the most basic need of human subsistence—spiritual fulfillment. His endless quest is to satisfy a thirst for something that promises to be just ahead—better and better times. 

Ralph's Musings: Stetson Women Solve The Embry Riddle Ralph Epifanio Sep 23, 2013

Making maximum use of all those things that runners love to hate—a steep uphill start, sand hills, sharp turns, and uneven footing—over the years this meet has become a rite of passage for anyone brave enough to run a PW (personal worst) in order to get better by season’s end.

Ralph's Musings: Dew Tell Ralph Epifanio Sep 17, 2013

All things considered, every once in a while it’s a good idea to throw a big party. That way, you have an excuse to clean the place up: dust off the furniture, vacuum and mop all the floors, slap a new coat of paint where it’s needed, and mow and weed the front lawn. That’s probably what the University of Florida had in mind when they did a complete makeover of their Mt. Dew/UF Invitational. 

Runners Discover 110% Cross Country at UNF Ralph Epifanio Sep 03, 2013

It is comforting to know that stretches of wooded trails still exist in a state that is generally regarded as a “Shopper’s Heaven,” where air conditioned malls seem to have replaced most of what we originally came here to find. Of course, “find” is the term that best described my initial visit to the UNF campus. 

Sami Hicks: Top Of The Class Ralph Epifanio Aug 21, 2013

The roster for the 2013 Stetson Women’s Cross Country team leaves little room for doubt that this is the best squad in school history. With senior Sabrina Guzsvany (a 19:50 5K PR), and sophomores Adrienne DeVita (19:15 best) and Trixi Menge (19:36) already having proven themselves on the college level—Menge finished first on the team in all but one race as a freshman in 2012--it is no wonder that Coach Joe Matuszczak starts the season in the best of spirits. 

An Interview With Embry Riddle's Mike 'Air' Edwards Ralph Epifanio Apr 16, 2013

 

Few of us could ever imagine high jumping our height, let alone going another half-foot (or more) higher than that. Raise the bar to seven feet, and the track announcer’s voice, normally a baritone, becomes falsetto, and all attention--previously directed at other track events--is immediately siphoned off for the remainder of the high jump competition.

 

Clarissa's Choice: Crystal River Senior Selects Stetson Ralph Epifanio Apr 11, 2013

If you can imagine, for a moment, a television game show that describes a person in relatively contradictory terms, and you—as part of the audience—have to separate the real contestant from the invented one, Clarissa Consol might open wide a door to self-doubt. Is the Clarissa that you see a self-described scholar, or an athlete; a whiz with numbers, or with words; a soccer player, or a runner?

Nicole Bonk: The Natural Ralph Epifanio Apr 09, 2013

…or so it would seem. Each spring, for the past three indoor track seasons, Nicole Bonk has stepped onto the Embry Riddle track for her one “warm-up” race walk. She posts a pretty good time (fast enough to qualify for the NAIA Indoor Nationals), returns to her running events—usually the 800 and 4 X 8—and chills. A few weeks later at the Nationals, she rockets along…well, figuratively speaking, it is the walk, after all—and leaves with a trophy. Ditto for the outdoor season. Easy said, easy done.

Ralph's Recap: Deltona Invitational Ralph Epifanio Mar 18, 2013

Perhaps not carrying all the effects of a mid-week meet--where, homework and all, you are sandwiched in between two school days--a Friday night meet can still be a pretty exhausting affair for its participants. Beginning with a day that starts at 5-something in order to get ready for classes, most likely a bus trip to school, followed by the better part of seven hours trying to keep your eyes open under bright, fluorescent lighting, another bus trip to the track meet, in this case a seven hour track meet, yet another bus trip back to school, and finally a car ride home. Is it midnight yet? Probably.

The “Big C” Comes to the “Big D” Ralph Epifanio Mar 05, 2013

It was one of those early season meets that most of us look forward to: a potentially fast-moving, all-relay schedule on a bright spring day, with the unspoken promise of good times to come. But when you stepped off the bus into that delightful DeLand sunshine, wham!--you got hit right in the face with a bone-chilling blast of arctic air. Although it was the second day of March, the BIG CHILL had come to the “Big D.”   

A Long & “Windy” Road to the Olympics Ralph Epifanio Mar 01, 2013

Although it has been almost ten years since his graduation from Flagler Palm Coast High School, he is still affectionately remembered as “Sammy.” To put that in perspective, consider just how many great runners have run on the same tracks, perhaps won more races, and maybe even captured more FHSAA titles than he has, and yet a surname would be required for the proper identification of any one of them.  

Ralph's Recap: Lake Brantley Developmental Meet #2 Ralph Epifanio Mar 01, 2013

Given its attractive facility, welcoming staff, and central location, it is small wonder that Lake Brantley’s Tom Storey Field has become an almost weekly destination for track teams in and around the Orlando metro area. This week, in fact, there have been two track meets here: the Lake Brantley Open on Saturday, February 23rd, and the more recent Lake Brantley Developmental Meet (#2) on the 27th.  It was the latter that I visited, camera in hand, and notebook at the ready.

Ralph's Recap: East Coast Classic Ralph Epifanio Feb 26, 2013

On the way to this meet, when I was forced to trade in my family’s second car to fill up the gas tank of my truck—my main transportation to and from track meets--it occurred to me that the rising price of gas ($3.95 on February 22, 2013 at the Kangaroo Express on Moody Blvd. in Bunnell) and the declining mile record (3:43.13 on July 7, 1999 by Morocco’s Hicham El Guerrous in Rome’s Olympic Stadium) are definitely  going in opposite directions. At the current rate, it won’t be long before we’ll all be forced to stay at home and be “Virtual Track” fans. Fortunately, Jason Byrne’s got that covered. (And he’s been improving on it for years.)

Last Chance: To Do The Last Dance Ralph Epifanio Feb 19, 2013

Theoretically, the theme of this meet is to bring into focus every athlete’s dream of competing on a national level. The host—Embry Riddle—and several of the teams competing, of course, were looking towards the NAIA Indoor Track and Field Championships (February 28 to March 2nd, at Spire Institute, in Geneva, Ohio). If they had not already, this meet was their “last chance” to register an “A” (automatic) or “B” standard. In reality, 23 athletes met one standard or other in this meet-- by my count--either individually, or as part of a relay.

Spring Declares Stetson “A Perfect Fit” Ralph Epifanio Feb 13, 2013

DeLand in general, and what was the former DeLand Academy in particular, have the reputation—whether deserved or not--of reacting to good news with that kind of old-fashioned, reserve best described with a noun (located in my 1937 edition of Roget’s Thesaurus), being somewhere between aplomb and apoplexy. In other words, keep that new-found fortune under your hat, lest it escape down Woodland Blvd. 

Taking Pictures Ralph Epifanio Feb 11, 2013

Other than an “experimental stage” as a photographer--which involved my trusty Kodak Instamatic while in college—the serious side of a lifelong interest in photography began in 1976 with a Nikon F2. It was a professional camera, with a black body and a Nikkor 50 mm 1.4 lens.  (I also had a macro, a 135, a 300, and eventually added a 105.)

Ralph's Recap: 2013 FACA Track & Field Clinic Ralph Epifanio Jan 17, 2013

This year’s FACA Conference, held at the luxurious Daytona Hilton Oceanfront Resort, unfortunately overlooked the silver sands of “The World’s Most Famous Beach” and the broad, blue Atlantic beyond. It was “unfortunate” because the scene laid out in panoramic splendor on one side of a room-length window might have posed a conflict of interest to coaches who earn at least part of their living out of doors; succumb to the siren call of the breakers—a mere whisper of its seductive sound escaping through the salted glass—or stay inside and talk track. For those assembled, it proved to be less of a conflict than one might imagine.

Injuries R Us Ralph Epifanio Jan 08, 2013

My “running career,” such as it was spanned approximately 40 years. It began with an injury—a broken hand in the fall of 1966,  which precluded my participation in normal gym class activities as a high school senior—and ended with an injury: the long-term effects of worn cartilage, and the resultant arthritis that plagues most aging athletes.

College Bound? Ralph Epifanio Dec 12, 2012

For a scholar-athlete, absolutely the toughest year of high school will be his last. This is especially true of a runner, who has to “go the distance,” in more ways than one. First—and I mean first--he has to maintain a high standard, both in his grades and his commitment to being a mature, well-respected member of the high school and his own community.

Trinity Prep Standout Daniel Salas Signs With Big Green Ralph Epifanio Dec 11, 2012

Trinity Prep’s Dan Salas has always been an aggressive runner—the key, no doubt, to why he has gotten the most out of his high school running career—and it is probably this drive that led him to make his choice from among just about any college in America. Just prior to this writing, his acceptance to Dartmouth College, in Hanover, New Hampshire, was finalized.  His response, predictably, was one of anticipation.