Catching up before XC; NS v WA v BL 15 April 09

From NSHS v Westford v Boston Latin

There were a few meets where I never posted photos from spring track.
These are from the Newton South v Westford Academy v Boston Latin double dual track meet on 15 April 2009.
Click here for photos by George

Cold Spring Park 19 Aug. 2009

Captain's practice Wednesday found a few people around town:

From Cold Spring Park

George junior showed up:

From Cold Spring Park

Also, there was another large group for the Newton Summer Running Project with Jon Waldron:

From Cold Spring Park

Newton Summer Running Project

I still plan to post photos from 3 dual meets of the outdoor track season.

In the meantime, the Newton summer running project organized by Jon Waldron has inertia, with about 30 runners showing up yesterday plus another 30 between Newton South and Newton North HS teams captain practice.
Show up at Cold Spring Park at the end of the parking lot off Beacon street in Newton at 6:15 p.m. to start running at 6:30 p.m. on both Mondays and Wednesdays.
Besides HS runners, many university and college graduates are represented.
Runners go anywhere from 4 to 16 miles from what I see. Doug Brecker gets his extra miles in before everyone else starts. Former 400 meter man Jon Wofsy (NNHS, Harvard) has been seen running 9 miles. Chris Barnicle shows up and probably keeps the pace moving. Everyone keeps the pace moving trying stay up with Kelsey Karys (NSHS, Cornell).

Nike Outdoor Nationals - Story

See post from 20 June for links to photos, videos and results.

Story and photos by Jennifer Reed

Newton Centre Athletics 4 X 1 Mile Girls’ Relay National Champions

Newton South runners Kelsey Karys, Melanie Fineman, Kathy O’Keefe and Bridget Dahlberg won the Nike Outdoor Nationals 4 X 1 mile relay to become National Champions. Kelsey Karys ran an outstanding first leg pulling away from the pack at 1/2 mile and never looking back. She split the last 1/2 mile in 2:27 for a sub 5:00 mile. Her leg set the pace for the rest of her teammates. Karys passed the baton to Fineman who kept the lead running a 5:10 leg. O’Keefe and Dahlberg put the race away with 5:06 miles, giving the girls a finishing time of 20:23.20, a New England record and 8th U.S. all time.

The 4 X 1 mile relay was part of a group of sixteen track and field athletes from Newton South who traveled to Greensboro, North Carolina to compete for NCA at the Nike Outdoor Nationals (NON). Four relay teams and three individuals competed for NCA. In the first day of competition for NCA, Ezra Banks, sprinter and triple jumper, was the first Newton South athlete to compete. NON officials surprised the field by moving the take off board from 32 feet to 36 feet and many national caliber jumpers didn’t even make the pit. Banks jumped an impressive 36’ - 7 3/4”, her 2nd best jump ever, especially given these conditions. Nalis Mbianda competed in the Shot Put and threw a remarkable 41’ - 2 1/2” to finish 11th overall.

The 4 X 100 meter relay of Katie Sandson, Dani Pensack, Andrea Braver and Ezra Banks has had an incredibly successful high school season breaking the school record multiple times. They ran their second fastest time at NON. The Relay of Sandson to Pensack to Braver to Banks posted a time of 49.22. They performed extremely well, especially considering that the athletes had gotten up at 4:00 am for the early flight to North Carolina and encountered summer heat-wave like temperatures and humidity upon arrival.

The boys 4 X 1 mile relay of John Beck, Andrew Wortham, Igal Bubar and Sasha Long ran the fastest time ever run by boys from Newton South. A spectacular effort with three sub 4:30 legs impressive given two members of the team were coming back from injury. Their finish time of 18:10 placed them 11th in the nation. Madeleine Reed came in 9th in the nation with a 7:29 showing in only her 2nd 2000 meter Steeplechase competition. She ran a brave and competitive race in incredible heat and humidity while also sick.

The final event for NCA’s athletes was the Distance Medley Relay (DMR). The DMR set a new New England record and was 21 seconds faster than girls from Newton South have run the DMR previously. Kathy O’Keefe ran a 3:34.38 1200 in the first leg handing off to Dani Pensack in first, who had over a second personal record with a remarkable leg of 58.80. Pensack handed off to Melanie Fineman who ran a 2:19.85 800 leg with Bridget Dahlberg finished the relay with a 5:00.33 1600. The final time of 11:53.35 gave the girls a 4th place finish and All American status. It was a great same day effort by the girls who had run that morning. Nike Outdoor Nationals 2009 proved to be a very successful experience for all the Newton South athletes competing for Newton Centre Athletics.

Boston Globe All Stars

Click here for boys Globe All Stars
Click here for girls Globe All Stars
Yong Cho in the hurdles
John Beck, Will Cha, Xhulio Uruci, Alex Long in 4x800m
Kelsey Karys in 2 mile

Nike Outdoor Nationals

Click here for Nike Nationals Website
Click here for all results
Click here for story by Jon Waldron
Click here for photos by J.Reed

4 x 1 girls mile won by Newton South
NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
1 Newton Centre 20:23.20
5:00.14(5:00.14) Kelsey
10:11.01(5:10.87) Mel
15:16.95(5:05.95) Kathy
20:23.20(5:06.25) Bridget
Click here for interview of team
Click here for video of race
Click here for awards ceremony

boys 4 x 1mile 2nd heat, NSHS in 4th in 18:10.59
4 Newton Centr 18:10.59
4:27.14(4:27.14) John Beck
8:57.12(4:29.99) Andrew Wortham
13:39.76(4:42.64) Igal Bubar
18:10.59(4:30.84) Alex Long
11th overall
Click here for video of race

girls 4 x 100m in prelims:
6 Newton Centre Athletics 49.22
1) Katherine Sandson 10
2) Danielle Pensack 09
3) Andrea Braver 11
4) Ezra Banks 10
20th overall
Click here for video of race

girls Distance Medley Relay
4 Newton Centre Athletics 11:53.35
3:34.38(3:34.38) Kathy O'Keefe
4:33.18(58.80) Dani Pensack
6:53.02(2:19.85) Melanie Fineman
11:53.35(5:00.33) Bridget Dahlberg
4th overall
Click here for video of race

girls triple jump:
29 Ezra Banks 10 Newton, MA
11.17m -0.4 36-07.75
FOUL(1.4) 11.17m(-0.4) FOUL(0.8)

girls shot putt:
11 Nalis Mbianda 09 Newton, MA
12.56m 41-02.50
12.17m 12.56m FOUL

girls 2000m steeplechase
9 Madeleine Reed 7:29.87
Click here for video of race

Have to add the other Massachusetts winner, Ricardo Jaquite of Roxbury in the triple jump winning in 49'-10".
Click here for video of jump
The video is his last jump, not the winning jump.

Nike Outdoor Nationals June 18-20, 2009 at Greensboro NC

Team Newton Centre Athletics is sending quite a few runners to the Nationals in North Carolina.
Click here for Dyestat races to watch
Click here for official Nike meet website
You can check out the entry lists.
Some of the competitors:
boys:
A 7'-5" high jumper!
4 shot putters over 70'!
girls:
2:03 800m!
13:56 in 100m hurdles!
and it goes on.

Entries from Newton:
- 2000m steeplechase: Madeleine Reed
- 4x100 meters:
1) 1285 Katherine Sandson
2) 1282 Danielle Pensack
3) 1273 Andrea Braver
4) 1271 Ezra Banks
5) 1284 Juliet Ryan-Davis
- 4x1mile:
1) 1278 Kesley Karys
2) 1281 Katherine O'Keefe
3) 1277 Melanie Fineman
4) 1275 Bridget Dahlberg
5) 1283 Madeleine Reed
The national record is 19:56.75. There is a real shot at this.
- Distance Medley
1) 1281 Katherine O'Keefe
2) 1282 Danielle Pensack
3) 1284 Juliet Ryan-Davis
4) 1275 Bridget Dahlberg
5) 1277 Melanie Fineman
- Triple Jump: Ezra Banks
- Shot Putt: Nalis Mbianda
Boys:
- 4x1mile:
1) 1272 John Beck
2) 1286 Andrew Wortham
3) 1274 Igal Burbar
4) 1279 Alex Long
5) 1276 Benjamin Finch