Survive and Advance

Life as a tiny Catholic school can be tough.  Life as a tiny Catholic School located in arguably the best running County and Conference in the state can be even tougher.  And over the last few weeks we had some really really good performances at the Skyland Conference and Somerset County Championships (such as Shannon Reinhart's school record in the 400m - 63.78).  But those performances often go unnoticed due to the fact we are competing against literally some of the best and biggest teams in the State.  But what don't kill ya make ya stronger.  And our strength and experience showed the past 2 days at the Non-Public B South State Sectional Championships. 

The name of the game at Sectionals is Survive and Advance.  The goal is top 8 in your event so that you advance to the State Group Championships.   Top 6 you get a medal and help contribute to the team point total. 

That said, here's the highlights from Sectionals:

Boys

• Avery Lawrence - 5th in 100m
• Avery Lawrence - 5th in 200m
• TJ Harkins - 2nd in 1600m
• Mike Paustian - 8th in 1600m
• TJ Harkins - 2nd in 3200m
• Michael Blandino - 4th in 3200m
• Tim Albano - 3rd in Javelin *School Record*  129-9
• 4 x 100 (Avery Lawrence, Jason Rizzo, Matt Lumia, Thomas Lederman) - 4th
• 4 x 400 (Mike Paustian, Jason Rizzo, Matt Lumia, TJ Harkins) - 5th
• 4 x 800 (TJ Harkins, Matt Lumia, Jason Rizzo, Michael Blandino) - 3rd

Girls

• Caroline Onderko - 6th in 400m Hurdles *School Record* 73.65
• Ali Wehrhahn - 7th in 1600m
• Ali Wehrhahn - 7th in 3200m
• Kelly Griffin - 7th in 100m Hurdles *School Record* 19.37
• 4 x 400 (Caroline Onderko, Ali Wehrhahn, Haley Rogers, Shannon Reinhart) - 4th *School Record* 4:26.69
• 4 x 800 (Caroline Onderko, Ali Wehrhahn, Haley Rogers, Shannon Reinhart) - 3rd *School Record* 10:35.18

All in all it was a successful meet for our young team.  8 different individuals and 5 relay teams earned the right to compete at the State Group Championships next weekend.  For comparison sake, 3 years ago Sectionals was also held at Donovan Catholic and we didn't have anyone advance (and only 3 kids competed from IHS).  2 years ago we had 2 different individuals and 1 relay team advance.  And last year we had 7 different individuals and 5 relay teams advance.  So we keep one upping ourselves.  Plus as a team our Girls basically tripled their previous highest ever team point total with 11 points.  Anddddd that's with basically all underclassmen (Kat Diana you will be missed).

Now we get 9 days to recover and prepare for Groups.  The task gets tougher as only the top 2 in each event qualify for the Meet of Champions.  We'll have to be faster and tougher than ever before.  But why not?  

There has to be a first time for everything, right.  At Groups you better believe we're gonna have plenty of first times.

#MakeEmNotice

Night of PR's

There comes a time during the 10th hour of the 100th Saturday meet in a row where everything starts to blend together for even the most die hard of trackies.  "How many heats of the 4 x 1600 can there possibly be" you think as another heat takes off, another heat that doesn't contain any members of your team at that.  "And how many more times can these kids possibly use the word 'chim'." 

But then a night like Thursday comes along to re-instill a sense of clarity in your mind.  The lights are on, girly music is playing, and everyone comes together with one goal: Run 4 laps as fast as you can.  For one night rules are thrown out the window as rivals become friends in order to push each other to faster times and fans line up along the outside lanes of the track to cheer.  Pure pandemonium.  But it's oh-so-beautiful.

We had 7 athletes compete Thursday night.  We had 7 athletes leave Ridge HS with new 1600m PR's

• Kelly Griffin: 6:43.75 *biggest negative split of the night (3:27/3:16)*
• Caroline Onderko: 6:32.86 *could have a future in this event (1st 1600 ever)*
• Sophia Gonzales: 5:58.73 *Best race of the night, hands down.  Not just for us, for anyone*
• Ali Wehrhahn: 5:46.64 *2 sec PR, knocking on the doorstep of something special*
• Michael Blandino: 5:00.46 *AHHHHH .46 -- but 11 sec PR and never seen push harder*
• TJ Harkins: 4:42.21 *5 sec PR, see Ali's comment for more insight*
• Mike Paustian: 4:41.49 *biggest move over last 400m of the night*

It would be criminal not to highlight Sophia Gonzales's race for a second before we wrap this post up.  On Tuesday we had a tri-meet at Manville.  Sophia was running the 800.  She said before the race she wasn't feeling well and not to expect much.  She ran 2:43, a 6 second PR.  Thursday night on the way to the meet she said the same thing.  And on Thursday night she PR'd by 23 seconds.   But it's not just that she had a huge PR.  It's how she did it, weaving her way up from about 8th place after the first lap to 1st place with 300m to go, and then fighting all the way to the finish to secure 2nd place and breaking 6:00 for the 1st time.  Words can't do justice to the drive and determination Sophia displayed on Thursday night.  Even Mr. Leddy was so impressed that he abandoned his post of timing Bridgewater runners to come express his awe at how amazing she ran.

As we enter #ChampionshipSeason let's remember all it takes is One Night, One Race to change everything.  And suddenly all the sweat-filled shirts are worth it.

#MakeEmNotice

Drive for Show and Putt for Dough

May is here.  Which means Championship Season is on the horizon.  The April Relay season was a fun way to get our feet wet but now it's time to pony up and compete with the big dogs with the real prizes on the line.  But before we jump ahead, let's look back at our accomplishments from Relay Season.  We've had 4 different Relay teams set School Records over the last 2 weeks.

• Boys DMR: 11:30.76 - Somerset County Relays - Harkins (3:26) Lawrence (51.3) Blandino (2:22) Paustian (4:49)
• Boys 4 x 800: 8:51.00 - Randolph Relays - Paustian (2:07) Harkins (2:12) Rizzo (2:13) Jaskolski (2:17)
• Girls SMR: 4:46.90 - Somerset County Relays - McDonough (29.7) Viscione (30.0) Reinhart (65.5) Wehrhahn (2:40)
• Girls 4 x 400: 4:32.94 - Somerset County Relays - Reinhart (65.2) Wehrhahn (68.3) Rogers (68.8) McDonough (70.1)

Additionally, we have found some early success with field events.  Tim Albano has become the first ever Immaculata Javelin thrower and has impressed early with a distance of 123-10.  That mark would have been good for 6th place at last years NP-B South Sectionals.  On the girls side, Sheridan Hoyt and Stephanie Alpizar have teamed to become Immaculata's Girl's Throwing tandem, and Hoyt has already set School Records in the Discus (66-6) and Jav (63-1).  And lastly, our resident 'Try every event before Junior year' girl Kelly Griffin has split 18.70 in the 100 hurdles (unofficial but would be over a second better than her own school record of 2017) and become our first ever girls Triple Jumper, successfully jumping 29-5 in her first meet.  She has forced herself into the conversation in multiple events leading up to States this year.  

Now we look ahead to Conferences, Counties, and States.  These meets will define our season.  Will 2018 be a year to remember?  Who is gonna step up?  Who is gonna make the leap?  Who is gonna shock the world (well okay not the world but shock some Milesplit nerd who studies all the results)? 

Why not you.  Why not now.