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.
This year the footing was predictably punishing—embellished somewhat by the heat index, which added to the overall misery of running on the last official day of summer—but the story line was quite the opposite of racing against adversity.
The race schedule began with a cameo appearance by Florida’s favorite distance runner. Proving that not all clichés are true—unless attempting to do so during peak travel days, such as Thanksgiving--local legend Sam Vazquez parlayed a standby airline ticket to return home.
“It’s a traditional alumni meet,” Sam Vazquez explained, “so I had to make an effort to be here and race against the current team. There’s no hope that we’ll ever win, though. We’re grown-ups now, and there’s no more time for running.”
Except, like the aforementioned cliché, for one notable exception.
“For me, it’s my profession. I’m base training, and getting ready for the indoor season. I’m also coaching at Roosevelt University, in Chicago. We didn’t have a meet this week, so I thought I’d come down here to run.”
Keep in mind that Coach Vazquez makes Roosevelt’s schedule.
Sammy’s long trip back from his present residence in Chicago is one piece of a common thread that seems to reach all over the world. Being a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University “opens doors” to those who need transportation—cabin, cockpit, baggage, or otherwise--but the real reason is much more obvious on weekends like this, which has become legendary as the cross country team’s official Homecoming.
“On a grand scale, it’s not like other schools,” Sammy said. “It’s more family oriented, and I’m proud to be associated with Embry-Riddle.”
If only they could merge the flying part with a finishing school, and throw some of that love in the direction of personal grooming. Embry Riddle Fashion and Flying University, perhaps?
College and Open Men’s Race
After Sammy (a “runaway” 25:23 course record), things got tight, as the team battle was decided between host school Embry-Riddle and cross-county rival Stetson.
For awhile, it looked like the non-Olympians would be led by ERAU’s Vincent Bett. On lap one he was there behind Vazquez, on lap two still there—but further behind—but on lap three his position in the landing pattern had been taken over by Eagle freshman Paul Mckenna.
“I think Vincent had a stomach problem,” Paul guessed.
Paul, who ran a 25:29.71 at the September 15th Mt. Dew, is the classic Hopfesque runner: talented, dedicated, and no doubt poised for running success at the college level.
“I got blessed with a really good high school coach—Ray Friedman—who looked after me. He made sure that I got into a school that offered what I wanted—to specialize in Mechanical Engineering—and Embry-Riddle was my first pick. It was the best school that I could go to for (both) an education and running.”
It all fell into place rather rapidly; that mid-25 in his first 8K, and a first place team finish in his second. Add to that a team trophy, and he is on a fast track to take over in the Vazquez-Kirwa tradition.
“I just knew that there was no joking around today. It was our home meet, and there was no way we were going to lose. One of the best things that I’ve found is that it is like a family here. In high school I ran by myself, did workouts by myself, and raced by myself. Here, it’s not like that. It’s the Embry-Riddle family. I couldn’t be happier, and look forward to the next 3 ½ years here.”
The Team Race: Stetson made a stab at winning, but with only two runners anywhere near the front—college-wise, Andrew Epifanio was in third (27:28), and Joe Beery in sixth (28:12)—ERAU’s 1-2-4-5-7 (19 points) made short work of what was essentially a local dual meet. Stetson had a 3-6-10-13-14 finish for 46 points and second place, while Johnson and Wales ran a spirited, but distant third (18-22-24-26-28-31; 118). (Places scored take out the Alumni/unattached finishers.) 52 runners and five schools appeared in the results.
College Women/Open Race: Stetson Women Solve the Embry Riddle
The ERAU gals came into the meet with a six year winning streak, one of the top distance runners in Florida--Ellie Staker--and a home course advantage. They also have one of the best organized running programs in the state, which includes both indoor and outdoor track, a first-class track facility, and a knowledgeable and highly successful coaching staff (which, by the way, was recently made even stronger with the addition of Chuck Harris of Lake Brantley fame). Forget that they are an NAIA school, and their only real competition was DI Stetson, whose women—to anyone’s recollection—had never placed first in a college meet. (I could be wrong there, but record keeping is not their strong suit.) So how do you beat the best five-girl team in the area? Why, you go to your sixth man…uh, woman.
Enter Clarissa Consol, of Stetson: “I saw Trixie”--Menge, last year’s top Hatter as a freshman—“and the Embry-Riddle girl”-- Stephany Valesco, who ran 21:24 on a beast of a course—“ahead of me. I thought, ‘I have to catch up to them; I have to pass them.’ I worked all summer on a kick, because I didn’t have one last year. Between that and the intense workouts we’ve had with Joe”—Matuszczak, the Stetson coach—“I feel that I’m getting stronger.
“From the top of the hill, I could see the finish line, and gradually picked it up. When I got to the gate”—which was opened to allow a finish inside the soccer stadium—“I sprinted. I didn’t want anyone to pass me. I actually didn’t know she was that close.”
Had she looked back, she would have seen Stephany Valesco breathing down her neck, and in the effort perhaps given her pursuer an edge by which to pass by. As it turned out, Consol finished twelfth in 21:23, and Valesco thirteenth, a second behind.
Up to that point, Embry-Riddle (1-6-7-8-10) and Stetson (3-4-5-9-11) were tied at 32. But by virtue of their sixth place runner, a one second margin that was the result of Clarissa’s sprint, they won. Cue O Fortuna - Carl Orff, Carmina Burana http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdIpoE2LEps. (Really.)
“It was very exciting…I was glad to be a part of our success.”
A big part of Embry-Riddle’s success, past, present and future—she still has two more years of track left—is Ellie Staker.
“I was excited for this race,” Ellie told me after the meet. “We trained on the course a lot this week. It can be tiring training on these hills, but we are in the middle of our training schedule for the end of the season—conference and nationals. The conference is on the same course that I set my PR (17:18, at the Sand Shark Invitational, October 20, 2012, USC-Beaufort, SC). It’s a nice course. The nationals are in Kansas (November 23rd, at the Rim Rock Farm, in Lawrence) this year. I haven’t run that one yet.”
College Women’s Team Race: Since the hat’s already out of the box, it remains to note that Lynn (2-17-20-21-29; 89 points) finished third of five teams. 50 runners finished.
Large School Varsity Boys
One summer not long ago a close family member of mine, upon returning from the Embry-Riddle Running camp, gave it this endorsement: “On the last day of camp, we did a four mile graduation run up a steep mountain trail. I never came so close to passing out as I did on that run…but I was the first camper to finish…. It was definitely worth it.”
I am led to believe that this race could best be summed up as an ERAU mini-camp, or at least the course was set up to approximate the “what doesn’t kill you makes you a cross country runner” outlook on the sport. Don’t get me wrong; if it was that bad, you could always walk—and some did. But the true mettle of those who run here is to complain all you want after you finish. And the high school races certainly had their share of both.
Large school winner Burkhardt Helrich—Burk for short—was in for more than just finishing.
“Coach Hines told me to go for the win,” the Boone senior shared with me after his race. “I was in the lead pack for a ways, but at the two mile mark they kind of fell back. I don’t think I picked it up any. The hills, for sure, had an effect, and the sand might have had something to do with it too. And for some reason the sand was right where the hills were, before and during them. The hills were not gradual, but steep. They started at a 30 degree incline.
“This race is definitely good because of the hills, and it is in the beginning of the season. It certainly conditions me for the state meet, where there will be a really big hill.”
And if Burk survives that one, too….
“I’m looking at the SEC schools, for pre-med or engineering. Maybe both…I might get lucky.”
Asked when he would have time to run, Burk just shrugged.
While his 17:18 might not show up on a college application (we save that spot for races like the flrunners.com Invitational, which is the following weekend), it did lead the list of the 123 Large School finishers. And with it, made him best of the class.
Team Race: Lyman runners placed third and fifth, plus had four more finish close together (11-12-13-17) to win by a bunch (44 total points). The next three teams, Viera (4-18-19-22-26-28-38; 89), Boone (1-8-14-23-46-47-54; 92), and Matanzas (2-6-7-9-69-95; 93) fought it out for the remaining two trophies. 16 teams sent 125 runners to the line.
Large School Girls
Seabreeze High School—so named due to its proximity to the World’s Most Famous Beach—has a group of underclassmen whose age belies their competitive spirit. Last year, then freshman Elizabeth Murray and then sophomore Josie Gray seemed to trade places as team leaders on a weekly basis…but either way, one of them always seemed to win the meet’s title. This year Kianna Bonnet, a sophomore, has added her name to the mix.
“I’ve only been running since last year,” she explained. “I started by myself, and did a few road races. This year is the first year of running cross country for Seabreeze.”
Although inexperienced, Kianna was as impressed as anyone else with the course.
“It may have been one of the toughest courses I’ve ever run. Mainland was hard, but this was definitely harder because of the sand hills…and it was slippery.”
And yet…
“This is the first race I’ve won. At DeLand I came in second (August 31st; 20:04). (There) I was close, but here I won.”
In between, Kianna ran her PR, 19:34.83, and came in 25th at Mt. Dew. No doubt too new to running to truly appreciate those first year times, her coach no doubt does. With Bonnet, Murray (a 19:59.53 PR at the 3A Region 1 Championships on 11/10/2012), Gray (a 20:26.59 PR at the October 27, 2012 5 Star Conference Championships), and Alyssa Bayliff (a 20:03 PR at the 9/15/2012 DeLand Invitational)—all underclassmen—Seabreeze might be too mild a word for this team. Try the Gales of Fall.
Team Race: Placing 1-4-5-6-17-18-37, the Sandcrabs—a truly disturbing name for a mascot—underscored the 14 team field with 33 points. In second was West Orange with 83 points (2-13-19-20-29-44-56), and Lyman took third with 87 points (3-12-14-27-31-34-35). 107 runners finished.
Small School Boys
Generally, by the time I interview the winner of a race, he has already shaken off half a night’s sleep with a “warm-up,” run all-out for 3.1 miles, done again as much as a “cool-down,” and re-hydrated himself into melancholia. In other words, the dude is quite mellow. Questions have to be repeated—and sometimes rephrased—and are often followed up by my leaning over to hear better. That was not the case with Titusville’s Xavier Walton.
Walton ran 16:53.56…on this course. Looking no worse for wear, he sprinted up to me, then—interrupted for his award—sprinted over there. I had to sprint, well, walk more rapidly than usual, to finish up our talk. He looked ready to race again. So I talked fast.
Ralph: With an almost constant change in terrain here, how hard was it to maintain an even pace?
Xavier: “I felt that I kept the same pace as last week, but the sand and hills got me. Especially the first hill; that was really steep. Once we made the first loop, we went down the hill with all the dirt. I almost fell. I lost my balance, but picked myself up and pushed myself through everything else.”
Ralph: Did anyone challenge you?
Xavier: “I was in the lead the whole race.”
Ralph: What kind of pace do you prefer running?
Xavier: “At UF”—7th in 16:01.59—“I had really good competition. When I have good competition, I can run a lot faster.”
Ralph: What are your personal goals for this season?
Xavier: “I really want to run in the 15s. I wasn’t far off at UF, but I want to get into the 1550s, even if it’s 15:59.”
Ralph: Besides you, who are the leaders on the Titusville team?
Xavier: “We’ve got a freshman, Mason Jone,”—second in this race with 17:34.35—“and he’s really good. And then Jonathan Pugh”—fourth in 18:02.96—“and he’s good too.”
Ralph: By the end of the season, how far do you think you will go?
Xavier: We’re doing really well as a team and progressing as the season goes on. I think we can make it to Regionals, and if we push, the potential is to make it to into States. As a team, we’re dedicated. We lift each other up, and never let each other down.”
Team Race: The more you push, the more you pull, so it was obvious that, despite a 41 second lead, Walton pulled his team to victory. Titusville placed all five scorers in the top ten (1-2-4-8-9-12-15) and scored a scant 34 points against 18 other teams. Bishop Moore (6-14-16-19-20-29-54; 75) was hardly weak, and took second. Menendez was third (5-13-24-38-52-55-63; 132). 158 runners came down from the hills.
Small School Girls
Titusville also produced the top finisher in the Girls Small School Race. Senior Claire Castillo came into the meet with a 19:09 personal best (Footlocker South on 11/26/2011) and had no qualms about attacking this course head-on.
“We practice in sand in Titusville,” Castillo said. “There are sandy spots around our school—sand dunes—so that prepared me for this meet. I just wanted to go out fast and see what competition there was.
“I went out fast and led up to the top of that first hill. I held it (from there). I don’t think anyone challenged me.
“I slowed down in the second mile, but I felt good. For this race, I wanted to work on my placement, because I knew it wasn’t going to be a speedy course. I wish I had a better time, but I’ll take the win over the time.”
And so she persevered, finishing a solid first in 20:27.64.
Team Race: While Titusville had Claire Costillo in first and Hannah Flemming in third (21:41.39), beyond them there was a falloff in placement. St. John’s Country Day School, on the other hand, had four in the top ten (2-5-8-10), plus a close grouping in the teens (14-17-18), so they prevailed with 39 points. Titusville was second with 46 (1-3-11-15-16-21-32), and Father Lopez came in third (7-9-22-26-28-35-38; 92). 104 runners completed the course.
JVS
One minute they were there, and the next, poof! Anxious to get to the Shaved Ice counter, no doubt, these winners were the fastest among the JV runners:
In the JV Boys race, Anthony Turner (18:47.61) led Boone to a 1-3-8-11-14-19-24 spread to place first among 14 teams with 37 points. Viera was in second place with 59 points (2-5-10-17-25-29-35), and Seabreeze right behind them with 61 (4-7-13-15-22-23-38). 178 runners entered the chute.
Sharrika Barnett of Oak Ridge (24:44) saved some legwork for her finishing sprint, outrunning 133 girls in their JV race. Boone (4-5-8-11-12-17-25) dominated the other 15 teams—to make it a JV sweep for the Indians, winning with 40 points. Next came West Orange (6-23-24-28-42-58-79; 123), then Lyman (3-7-15-52-57; 134).
Footnotes: I want to extend my thanks to ERAU coaches Mike Rosolino and Peter Hopfe, and their many student helpers for their gracious hospitality, and overwhelming show of support this past Saturday. Whenever I do double duty (photographing and reporting on an event), the level of assistance afforded me by the host school can make or break my coverage. I also happened to notice the presence of AD Steve Ridder. Embry-Riddle is one of finest examples of a school where all sports are given equal attention. When the Athletic Director cares enough to watch a cross country meet—which kicked off at 7:30 AM—it’s obviously an endorsement of that support….Next weekend looks to be a busy one, so look for my photo coverage (hopefully) Friday and Saturday nights, but a story in the early-er part of the following week.
More Coverage
Complete Results & Meet Index
Photo Album by Ralph Epifanio (1254 Photos!)
Photo Album by Marty Hammond (871 Photos!)