........PSAC.......

Had a chance to make the trip back east to watch Penn. It was disappointing to not see the Ship women there...as, they would've torn things up. Neely would've done aweseome in the 5K and/or their DMR team would've faired well. It would've been fun to see them put it to a few good D1 schools. Is Neely hurt? If not, anybody have insight into why they weren't there in a big way?

The men's 5K was awesome. Chris Clark is a stud indeed. Go back and look at that kid's progressions...it's amazing. He's improved every year he's been in college...adn this season is shaping up to be an incredibly one. I think his 29:03 is really, really good...but, I was even more impressed with his breaking 14 minutes at Penn. I did, however, feel bad for him watching him anchor the DMR for Cal...he was totally by himself...not a fun time.

I talked with Pap a bit and asked him why Weiss was running the 5K vs. the 10K, when the 5K seemed like it was designed to have a bunch of folks run between 13:55 - 14:10...which seems like it would've been great for Weiss. Pap said something to the effect of "yeah, I thought he should run the 5K as well...it's his last chance for a fast time" which I thought was a bit of a weird response from the head coach. Doesn't the coach determine which races his/her athletes run?

Compare and contrast that response to that of Chanelle Price who ran the opening leg for Tennessee on their world record 4x1500m. When I asked Chanelle in the press room how she felt going into her race knowing she had to run the first 1500m of her career, she responded "that's what coach wanted me to do."

Anyway, I thought it was an interesting choice to run the 10 vs. the 5...

Overall, it was a great meet though. Times were blazing fast in many of the races...fantastic stuff.

Hoovis

Even the Ship runners like Neely have to do what their coach wants. They have a home meet called the Paul Kaiser Invitational. MY guess.. that was their only choice.

The Ship women ran fine without going to Penn, Neely got her Auto out of the way, who cares where they do it.

What? You serious? The Ship women won't get another chance to run the DMR as fast as they could've this past weekend at Penn. Little Spence likely won't get a chance to run in as deep of a 5K field as she would've this past weekend at Penn. You only get a few chances in college to really run fast. Track nationals usually isn't one of them. Chris Clark realizes this and got into two fast meets...Mt. Sac where he broke Ferrari's PSAC 10K record and Penn where he came within two seconds of Platt's PSAC 5K record. I wasn't sure I'd ever see anybody that close to either of those two marks in my lifetime. You don't run times like that at small meets. Hoovis

psacrunner3 wrote:

The Ship women ran fine without going to Penn, Neely got her Auto out of the way, who cares where they do it.

I think Neely is going to have plenty more chances to run fast...she is just a freshman. And you might be forgetting that she is just returning from training for World Cross, I believe that was a pretty big and important meet.

well she already has the Auto for NCAA's in the 5k and didn't have a time for the 1500 for NCAA's or PSAC's and she was helping out a teammate. Going to Penn in the 5k wasn't going to do much for her or the rest of the team. No worries though Hoovis we'll design our schedule to please you next year.

xoxo

Hoovis! wrote:

Penn where he came within two seconds of Platt's PSAC 5K record. I wasn't sure I'd ever see anybody that close to either of those two marks in my lifetime. You don't run times like that at small meets.

Hoovis

I thought it would be gone long before this.

Most of me was pulling for Clark to get the record, and he still can do it.

He is having a great year. I hope he continues for many years to come.

Good to see Rowe back in the mix.

Nothing like being young and fast...savor it!

Former IUP runner Adam Lint was once again named to the USATF 100K team.

http://northwestultra.com/2009/05/01/usatf-world-100k-team-announced/

He'll be competing in the World 100K championships in Belgium this June.

Congrats to Lint, and as well to any other PSAC alum that have continued running after college, as we have all (or will all) find out running after your collegiate career is difficult to say the least, so Hoorah to any who does it.

The Big(out of shape)Bear

That's awesome to see Lint still alive and well on the ultra circuit! Congrats to him.

On another note, I didn't see Beegle's name on the Steeple performance list for PSAC's. Does anyone know what is up with that?

he went pro.

excuse me i mean pYro.

BigBear wrote:

find out running after your collegiate career is difficult to say the least, so Hoorah to any who does it.

The Big(out of shape)Bear

No it is not.

It is about priorities. 50-60 hour work weeks mix very well with training to race.

Training to foot-race is the easiest and most efficient sport for which to train.

(My wife is a triathlete. You haven't begun to experience difficulty until you try to train for that endeavor)

Keep your heads up! If you want to race, there is a way.

It seems I make this post on a yearly basis.

You're right on about the priorities thing. I think for many of us, we don't live in the cross country house anymore, and all of our friends aren't runners, so we don't have that same influence and routine in our lives. That and it's so much easier to sit on the couch and be lazy than it is to put on the shoes.

BigBear wrote:

and it's so much easier to sit on the couch and be lazy than it is to put on the shoes.

That is an amazingly honest reply.

For some, running is a transient hobby, a fun recreation, easy to quit and leave behind.

For some, racing is a passion, an instinctual urge that leaves a burning ember in your being that never extinguishes even long after prime years or even retirement from the sport.

I never knew how to motivate any person other than myself, I am not sure it can be done.

As I aged and injuries put an end to "my ultimate goal", I shifted focus and prioritized my life differently. However, I still feel the flame inside, and when I find time to move racing back up the list, no couch ever snared me. It is neither dedication nor discipline, it is what I am, a racer.

I guess you have to view yourself as who you really are.

You may be *a racer* caught up in learned social habits. Step outside yourself - what do you see? What does your heart want to see?

Make those two things agree and you will be on the right track.

By the way, there is nothing wrong with leaving running behind, if it is not who you are.

Play Soccer or pick your nose, it is your life, just be righteous.

Good Luck

so with psacs this weekend at millersville, what're the predictions?

800: i think it'll come down to whoever has the best kick between kacsur, hatch, rector, jamieson and mcconnell.

1500: depending on who runs what, but looks like right now it's between hahn, weiss and pom.

5k: Clark's got this one in the bag.

10k: Should be a good race between clark and weiss, with clark running away from weiss on the last lap like blood did last year.

steeple: hilton is the favorite with a wide open field behind him.

Clark is more likely to win the 10 than the 5k...although he'll probably win both.

If Kacsur races like he did this weekend he won't be beat. He's peaking at the right time.

I would bet on benjamin hahn for the 1500.

The Pittsburgh marathon was this past weekend. 5 out of the top 11 women were IUP graduates (#3, #4, #7, #9, #11). Nicole Blaesser ran a 2:43:57 -- smoking!

Full results here:

http://results.active.com/pages/searchform.jsp#hot_links

Results for the IUP alum were as follows:

3 Nicole Blaesser Oxford PA USA Women 20-24 24 F 2:43:57 2:43:57 21 3 1 Oxford PA 43:32 2:09:37 167 1282 6:16

4 Mendy Sawtelle Indiana PA Women 35-39 36 F 2:48:41 2:48:41 31 4 1 Indiana PA 43:38 2:13:19 185 1282 6:26

7 Gina McGee Johnstown PA USA Women 40-44 44 F 2:58:02 2:58:02 67 7 2 Johnstown PA 47:40 1:39:53 2:21:40 170 1282 6:48

9 Sara Raschiatore Clermont FL USA Women 25-29 28 F 2:59:09 2:59:09 72 9 4 Clermont FL 43:53 2:17:51 297 1282 6:50

11 Tammy Slusser Sewickley PA Women 40-44 44 F 3:02:52 3:02:52 89 11 3

PSAC's on Thursday-Saturday at Millersville.

Our AD did a little write up. Entries should be posted on Tuesday.

http://www.millersvilleathletics.com/

Thanks Coach Young! FYI, in the write up it says Neely won the 800, when in fact she won the mile indoor.