Ralph's Musings: Metro Fresh/Soph Championships

For the vast majority of runners who compete, any rewards of completing a footrace that they might enjoy basically boil down to just two things: an accurate course and post-race results. (As for the latter, one shouldn’t need to provide your own computer.) The rest is gravy. Recently, it seems to me, we’ve seen more and more gravy, and less and less meat. So where’s the beef?

When I dropped in at Orlando’s Blue Jacket Park for a mid-October, mid-week meet, it was déjà vu, circa Welcome Back Kozub. There was no inflatable igloo, no self-promoting banner, no computers, and no attitude. Instead, there was a host of nervous—thus attentive—volunteers  with their handy-dandy clipboards and pencils; a referee who was at both the start and the finish line; and in place of a rubber mat, a chute on testosterone. (Stay straight, or watch those shins!)

In this race, the Metro Orlando Freshmen/Sophomore Championships, I also saw a glimpse of past economic times. None of the teams had to fork over more money than they could afford. (Hence that endless shell-game of “I will sponsor my invitational so I can pay for yours.”) Quoting directly from the flrunners.com calendar page, there was this: Entry fee: $20 per school, $15 per team, not to exceed $20.

I wish to report that, at the conclusion of the meet, the course was accurate, the times compiled neatly and accurately, and everyone went home with enough money to stop for dinner…shirts were extra, though.

“We didn’t make money on this,” reported Dennis Kozub, the meet director. “I guess we lost it. I paid the $120 bucks for use of the course myself, because it’s so much of a hastle going through the school(s).”

In reference to springing for professional timing, Dennis added, “We’ll have that for the Conference Championship. But I can’t believe we have to pay so much money.”

In this one, it was all Team Kozub.

“I loved doing it, but I wish that I had a printing watch…”

Apparently, Dennis’ timing was off. Instead of spiking his Seiko after scoring, he did so prior to doing so.

“I dropped it this morning, and it broke.”

On a positive note, his volunteers survived time travel….

“It was a throwback to the 60s and early 70s. Once I showed them how to do it, it went pretty well. The tic sheets and coaches cards worked out really well.”

And as far as the course and distance….

“This is a beautiful course. I did it”—measured it—“three times. First I did it with a GPS. Then I wheeled it, and because it was 15 feet short, I wheeled it again. The course was legit. From two miles to 2-½ it was all uphill, so it hits them when they’re the most tired.”

And on that note, let us turn to the athletes for whom that half mile of uphills was so lovingly included.

Boys’ 5K Race

Taking the lead from the get-go was Winter Park freshman Ben Roberts. And why not? This  former Geneva School runner came in with a 16:34.78 personal best (at the September 15th     2012 UF Invitational, where he finished ninth overall in the Varsity Race). As many race fans familiar with the area knew, he was the runner to beat.

“I wanted to win,” Roberts said, “but it didn’t happen. The other guys were really fast.”

Almost as fast as a timely break in the clouds ratcheted up the heat and humidity.

“I went out for the lead, and heard them right behind me. In the last mile, I felt really bad. But I guess everybody did. Just before we came past the finish the second time, I was just dying, and people were passing me. First, (there was) the guy from Lake Nona (Jean Carlos Peralta). Three people passed me, but I was able to get him (Ortiz, from Colonial, fourth in 16:58) back at the end.

“I guess I can learn a lot from this. Maybe I shouldn’t go out as fast.”

Still, third in 16:58 in any metro-area race is nothing to wheeze at, let alone the Freshmen/Sophomore race. And with another chance in 2013, that education might prove beneficial.

At the top of this class was Jean Carlos Peralta, who runs in that Lake Nona singlet referred to by Roberts. Up until this race, JC seemed to have been trying to find his stride, having run anywhere from a high of 18:32.30 (September 14th at Jim Ryun), to a low of 17:10.30 (October 5th at the FSU Pre-State Meet.) That 17:10 was a long way off Roberts’ best, so Peralta’s 16:41 win might have caught more than one race forecaster off-guard.

“I started running in sixth grade (for Lake Nona Middle School), but I had a back injury in eighth grade and was out for about eight months going through rehabilitation. I had a stress fracture of a spinal lumbar bone. One day I just woke up and had it. I’m not so sure if it was from running; probably just cumulative, from everything. At least that’s what the doctors said. (At that time) I was just trying to stay relaxed. I didn’t want to overdo it before high school. I knew that high school was what was important; that’s what counted.”

Although Jean Carlos seems to have a laissez faire attitude about running, so far it seems to have worked well.

“I’ve been letting things happen. At the beginning of the year, I started out in the low 18’s. But my expectation is to go into the low 16s by the State meet.”

This meet provided a step in that direction.

“I had a busy week. We had Trinity Prep on Saturday.” There he ran 17:57. “It was a small meet, like this one. (Today) I wanted to break 17, and I did it. It’s good for my confidence. Now I know what I can do. As of today, I’m the fastest. But from 1-5, there’s only a 30 second differential. So we’re a tight pack.

“We have one meet at West Orange (October 20th), then the Metro Conference Meet (October 26th), and after that the Districts. Lake Nona is hosting the 2A District 7 Meet (November 2nd) and the 2A Region 2 Meet. It’s our course. Surprisingly, we still haven’t run it. I think I know that it’s fast—all leveled out—but I don’t have an advantage because we haven’t run it yet.”

And if you want to know more than that about this opportunistic runner, he says about his long term plans that “I’ve always had the goal to break 15 by my senior year, and do as well as I can in college.” (And in between races, studying something medical.)

With another PR, sandwiched between Peralta and Roberts, was the only sophomore in the top three, Sergio Santiago.

“I think I ran 16:56 (officially, 16:57),” he said during the awards ceremony. “I was hot and tired, but it was a good race. The one who got first (Peralta) was really good. He took the lead in the second lap. I tried to get him, but I couldn’t. At one point, at a mile and a half, I started pushing. I got the second runner (Roberts), and kept pushing to the end.”

Sergio came into the race with 16:48 under his belt (at the September 28th Great American), so he was nine seconds off his best, but the hothouse conditions of a shadeless, late afternoon race in Orlando were tough to deflect.

F/S Team Results

While teams made up of freshmen and sophomores are a long way from predictors of future conference battles, the F/S Championship has undeniable bragging rights attached, especially when the top runners are concerned. Here, Winter Park (3-7-8-12; 30), Olympia (2-6-11-18; 37), Colonial (4-5-14-26; 49), and Lake Nona (1-17-19-46; 83), can look forward to (at least) several years of inter-conference rivalry. 50 boys and ten teams participated.

Girls’ 5K Race

Unlike the Boys’ race, with its exciting lead changes, its female counterpart was all about an Olympian leading the rest. Emily Headley, who came in with a sizzling 18:17 season’s best (Great American on September 28th), had only one thing to prove.

“Today, I told myself that I needed to work on my mental strength--because I’ve been giving up at the end—and my finishing speed,” Emily explained. “I think I was definitely mentally tough. I heard the name of the second place girl from Lake Nona (Adair Lyden). I heard her spikes on the concrete, right behind me. I wanted to give up so bad, and let her lead for awhile, but I didn’t.

“Up until that point, I had no idea where anyone else was. So it’s tough to strive for working towards winning. Last year I got second here (on October 19, 2011, to Winter Park sophomore Charlotte Stephens, 19:55.14 to 19:28.59). This year I told myself I could get first, and I did.”

Next on her to-do list?

“My goal for this whole season is to get into the 17s.”

 With that 18:17 earlier in the season, and an 18:10 best at the end of 2011 (Footlocker South on 11/26/11), it is not that much of a reach.

Reaching with her, no doubt, will be this meet’s second place finisher, Adaire Lyden. If that name sounds familiar, it should. Adair—and her equally talented father, Sean—is a product of Westminster Academy i

n Ft. Lauderdale, which she represented as an eighth grader in winning the Small Schools Race at FLR XII (19:52.80 September 30, 2011).

“I am a transfer,” she told me. “My mom, Jennifer, is currently working at Nemours Children’s Hospital, in Lake Nona. It’s a brand new hospital, which I think is opening on October 22nd.”

I asked Adair if the new uniform seems strange.

“I miss my old team, but I love it here.”

Beginning as a ninth grader helps.

“It’s better (that way), because beginning in high school, you can start fresh. Everyone is new. The atmosphere here is different. There are different things that teams do. Everyone has their own way of doing things, but I like it here.”

Racing, however, was the same.

“I was trying to do my best, and stay with Emily. But she took off at 2-1/2 to go. I was trying to hang on, but I was just glad I finished. That’s what I think in every race.”

Better done than said. While her 19:13 time was well off her best (18:42.90 at this year’s FLR XIII), she finished as the top ninth grader in her (new) conference.

F/S Team Results

Led by Headley, Olympia (1-6-7-10) scored 24 to win. Next was West Orange with 57 (8-13-14-22), and in third Cypress Creek with 60 (3-9-23-25). Oh-so-close in fourth was Boone with 61 (11-15-17-18 & 19).

Footnotes: In defense of Hy-Tek timing, that equipment costs a bundle, needs frequent repair, and eventual replacement. Since it is probably not eligible for a government subsidy, there’s no other way to pay for it—and earn a living for those who have to be available virtually every day of the week—than charge what it costs. One alternative for race directors on a limited budget, however,  is Jason’s RaceTab meet management software with free bib #s from Road ID (and yes, Jason is offering).
 

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