Heps XC Results?

How were the conditions?

The front-end times were about the same, but it seems all the other times were, on average, about 7-10 seconds faster than last year (e.g. 25th place was 25:29 last year, it was 25:20 this year; 26:00 was good for 44th place last year, and only good for 53rd place this year)

As another example: Harvard's times this year would have gotten it 6th place in last year's meet, but it still wound up finishing a distant last in this year's meet.

A result of better conditions or the league just getting faster? I don't remember the race last year, did it go out unusually slow?

Conditions wrote:

How were the conditions?

I wasn't at the park, but it's been in the high-40s to low-50s with little wind here in the city today. I have to think it was nearly perfect out there this morning.

I'm just an old guy who follows the sport and not trying to start a p****** match, but Brown's poor showing is a surprise.

Great Job Ben! Keep going.

The love has gone from the Brown program.

There's only one Berg!

Conditions wrote:

How were the conditions?

The front-end times were about the same, but it seems all the other times were, on average, about 7-10 seconds faster than last year (e.g. 25th place was 25:29 last year, it was 25:20 this year; 26:00 was good for 44th place last year, and only good for 53rd place this year)

As another example: Harvard's times this year would have gotten it 6th place in last year's meet, but it still wound up finishing a distant last in this year's meet.

A result of better conditions or the league just getting faster? I don't remember the race last year, did it go out unusually slow?

Just about perfect, 50º, sunny, virtually no wind, last year was warmer.

Zeb,

Fancy meeting you here. Funny, I don't seem to remember us doing that well in '00. Was that Jerry's first year?

Looks like you had a good run in Chicago. Nice even splits.

Later

Gaites

YALE FOURTH!!! WHAAAAT? WOW

The Columbia men ran as great team. They worked together to pull-off an overachieving 2nd place. There times are pretty impressive, Princeton was just too much this year.

Give Craig sometime and she'll work her magic. Berg only liked superstars anyways...

NY's real ivy? Had to get a cheap shot in there, didn't you? Does that make you sleep better at night?

This is her second year. The team was more talented than 7th. They didn't show up. That's short - mid term coaching.

Yale and Penn weren't that good. From the other posters, Cornell had an amazing race.

Still she had a great run w/ the Columbia women. I guess that gives her sometime.

Come on, Brown has had a horrendous season. Their men should have been 3rd at very worst. Their women have taken a huge step backwards as well. This team was terrible and she must be to blame on some level. WTF happened to Burke, Neeley, Meyers, and all of thier senior women. When speaking about the Columbia run, keep in mind the subtle truth that should be coming to light over the last two years.

I was trying to be a little diplomatic. Her style sometimes doesn't work with everyone. I wanted to see Brown do well, I am a little disapointed.

What Wood that subtle truth be?

Princeton (50) ran ok, but were lucky to be so much more talanted than the Columbia guys who raced with much more heart.

Columbia (63) As impressive as performance as I have ever seen from a group of unknowns. Princeton walked away knowing eventhough they won they were outran at VCP.

Dartmouth (97) A disgrace after #3 man. What happened to them at 4-5? Harwick was so pissed afterwards.

Yale (116) Unbelievable run. They were the worst team in the conference coming in yet ran very well.

Cornell (122) Great at 1-2. Wyner was incredible! Just do not have a team.

Penn (123) These guys took it out so hard. Only 2 could handle the pace they set though.

Brown (139) Worst performance of the day. They started way off the back and never engaged.

Harvard (174) Absolutely terrible. they gross under-performed.

Sincere congratulations to Princeton, Columbia (who ran tough on both sides), the Yale men, the Cornell women (especially, but not exclusively, Salucci and Kagwima), and Wyner. They all stepped up today. (The rest of the Cornell men ran a pretty solid race, too.)

I agree that it's scary to see Wyner--an 800/1500 guy--run like that. Given that Cornell seems to do a bit better in mid-distance (track) than in cross, he could have a sensational track season ahead, assuming he gets backed off appropriately between Thanksgiving and MLK day (and RoJo's guys have done pretty well during that period, as a group).

Pretty much a perfect day at VCP (good thing they're not running tomorrow!), but even so the conference has some very tough teams and individuals--those times were legit.

Whoa--more about Cornell's performance:

"Overall, Cornell boasted five All-Ivy performances and 21 of the 24 athletes on the trip set Van Cortlandt Park personal bests! Additionally, both the men and women had the fastest average times for the scoring five runners in Cornell history at VCP...breaking a 14 year old record for the women and a 36 year old record for the men!

"Senior Toni Salucci placed second (behind only Yale All-American Lindsay Donaldson) and broke the 5K Van Cortlandt Park school record set by Kate Boyles '05 in 2004 and ran the #10 time in Heps meet history, crossing the line in a phenomenal 17:14.9. . . . [T]he top five averaged 17:52 which is the best such average in school history and the first time a Cornell women's team has had five runners average under 18:00 at Van Cortlandt Park.

"With every runner in the top seven a non-senior, . . . [t]he [men's] team's top five averaged 25:14.4,a Van Cortlandt Park school record, breaking the mark set by the 1970 team [of Jon Anderson, Phil Ritson, et al.]!"

From a Cornell asst. coach's email summary of the meet...

Not to take anything away from Columbia, but for everyone talking up their performance, keep in mind that racing Heps at VCP every year gives them a huge advantage over everyone else. May explain why they seem to "overachieve" so much at this meet. Would be nice to see some variety of Heps locales, and this from a New Yorker. Just a thought...

Jimmy's a badass.