Mid Week Long Run

In running, they say one of the biggest keys to success is consistency. So, therefore, even though I don't have a meet I'm particularly excited about for this weekend, I'm going to find one and write about it in yet another addition of the Mid Week Long Run.

So here's the deal folks, this thing is wide open. Team wise I still think on the AAA side there are 5 teams that have at least a reasonable chance of winning the meet in a month. AA has proven time and time again that anything can happen, although I think Quaker Valley looks pretty darn good especially if Westwood comes back.

And on the individual side, don't even get me started. It is WIDE open. The poll that I put up for this week (which everyone is doing a great job voting on) indicates the leading candidate to win states right now is no one that I mentioned. Other has taken 25% of the vote! Hibbs and Magaha round it out but there is still at least one vote for every guy I listed on poll. This means that at the bare minimum there are 10 guys that train station thinks can win states. And that assumes everyone is voting for the same other. In theory, the poll could indicate that roughly 15 different guys are in the hunt for the win. Wow.

So what does any of this have to do with the meet I'm excited for this weekend?

Well quite frankly, it doesn't I just wanted to say how awesome and wide open I think things are right now because that is what really got me excited this weekend. Which is crazy because it is etrain's birthday today so you think that would grab more of my attention. He turns four years old.

So trying once again not to get side tracked, back to this weekend's big meet. And for this one I'm going out of state borders to the Manhattan Invite. Up front there will big names from all over, headed by new NJ Holmdel record holder Ed Cheserek. But for PA there should be plenty of big names as well.

For this next part I'd just like to point out this is all speculation. These teams may not come and some guys I don't know about may also show up and surprise.

So here we go. Henderson has been to this meet in the past and I think they will be back again. Yes, they don't have anyone currently on my top 50, but Tony Russell is a guy I definitely have my eye on and Henderson is built around young improving guys this year. They are well coached and haven't done anything to flashy, so I'm hoping they show up here and show us what they've got.

Another D1 powerhouse that is usually in the building at this meet is North Penn. Now North Penn has underwhelmed me this year so far. They were my pick early in the season for District Champions and 2nd at the State Championships, but they have fallen out of my favor as of late. Their 4 and 5 guys can take a big step forward with a quality performance at this meet this year.
MacCauley took a nice step down in Delaware this past weekend and has a chance now to prove that he has matured into a top 5 contender like so many thought he'd be last spring.

In year's past Hatboro Horsham has made the trip to New York and if they travel here again, Sam Hibbs will have plenty of motivation to try and drop a fast time. He was beat by Magaha last week and has had to listen to a bunch of guys drop him off the top of the rankings. Could be a big statement race for Hibbs.

And oh yeah his teammate Conner Quinn ain't half bad either.

Lastly, a team with high hopes for this season and beyond is LaSalle who is expected to be back at Manhattan once again to showcase their talent. Their front man Tom Coyle had one of his best races of the season at the Manhattan invite a year ago. He was the team's second man behind eventual state medalist Tom Trainer. This year Coyle is the best Tom in a yellow jersey and has high hopes to beat Trainer's disappointing finish from a year ago.

Just kind of a random note worth mentioning: Pitt CC Champ Ean Disilvio was at the meet last year and may be a sleeper to watch this year if he and his squad return.

For the sake of reference I'll throw down some of the top times from year's past at the Manhattan invite (remember people it's a 4k and it's no pancake)
2010
Tom Trainer 13:14.93 (17th at XC States AAA)
2009
Brad Miles 12:27.51 (1st at XC States AAA, 1st at Regionals)
Sam Bernitt 12:33.33 (2nd at D1 AAA, 20th at States AAA)
Tom Kehl 12:51.20
Tom Waterman 12:55.70
Will Kellar 12:58.31
Achraf Khattabi 13:00.46
(Joe Rosa 12:03.8)
2008
Gus McKenzie 12:52
Michael Pierce 12:58
Will Kellar 12:52 (2nd at XC States AAA)
Ivo Milic 12:55
Patrick DeSabato 12:56
Brad Miles 12:47
(Soloman Halie 12:08)
2007
Dan Lowry 12:36 (12th at Regionals)
Max Kaulbach 12:27
Chris Aldrich 12:38 (2nd at XC States, 6th at Regionals)
Jake McKenzie 12:53
Zach Montijo 12:44 (6th at XC States)
Brad Miles 12:50 (10th at XC States as a soph)
Zach Hoagland 12:53 (24th at XC States)
2006
Dan Hibbs 12:52
Max Kaulbach 12:44
Paul Sringer 12:28 (14:47 at Lehigh, 2nd at XC States, 9 at Regionals)

-train
(Craig Forys (12:10)