Cross Country and Track

Cross Country and Track Cross Country and Track

I ran cross country and track for St. Xavier High School, before becoming a Fordham Ram. I had the good fortune of being a part of one of the elite high school programs in Ohio, and one that is emerging on the national scene. In my four years, the program won state twice, were runners up once, and finished fourth once (behind 3 teams that were nationally ranked at some point that season). My junior year, we won state and set a state record for fastest average team time: 16:00. (I was 6^th on the team, with a 16:41 for 5k.) That team also ended the year ranked 13^th in America by xctrack.com, and 16^th in the country by The Harrier magazine. Unfortunately the time record only lasted a year, but one record that is still held by the Bombers is their streak of qualifications to the state meet. St. Xavier’s 15 straight qualifications is the longest active streak in Ohio. A senior on the 2000 state championship team, Tim King, has assembled two nice pages dedicated to St. Xavier running: St. Xavier Cross Country and Track and Field.

The 2000 Division 1 Champions of the state of Ohio. (I am second from the left, front row.)

This photo is from that same season at the Trinity Invitational in Louisville, Kentucky. Here you can see Ben Wietmarschen and I easily thwarting a weakling Kentucky runner. The Trinity Invitational featured practically the best Kentucky had to offer in 2000, and we responded with our best overall performance of the year, scoring a meet record (low) 34 points. I was our 5th man and finished 11^th overall in 16:19 (5k). If you don't know much about cross country, that is good (for one's 5th man). Ben was 10th. We done good.

St. Xavier has sent runners to numerous collegiate programs. During my tenure, former Bombers have gone on to compete for Auburn, Cincinnati, Colorado, Florida State, Fordham, John Carroll (Div. III), Kent State, Marquette and St. Louis. Among the most notable performances turned in by alumni of St. Xavier’s program, Reade Kidd (’99) recorded a 3:49.9 1500m (roughly equivalent to a 4:07 mile) for Auburn, Matt Hils (’99) set the school record for cross country (8k) at John Carroll, and Andy Wietmarschen (’01) ran 9:15 in the 3000m Steeplechase for the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Now I run for Fordham University in the Bronx, New York, where the Rams compete in the Atlantic 10 conference. In this, my freshman year, I ran on the Varsity 7 for Cross Country, usually as seventh man, but hey you have to start somewhere. We run most of our meets at historic Van Cortlandt Park, one of the most hallowed courses in the country—and even the world. VCP has hosted by the American National Championships, and even hosted Worlds once. Its 8k course is extremely challenging with almost a solid mile of hills in the famed “back hills” and then a final climb of “Cemetery Hill” a little after the 4 mile mark. After a regular season spent at Van Cortlandt, last season we entered the A-10 Championships having been a very, very close 6^th the year prior. Unfortunately things didn’t come together as well as hoped and we finished 9^th. The positive in all of this is that we underperformed and as a young team, (4 freshman and a sophomore last year) it was good experience to gain. With our 2-3-5-7 runners returning, and a transfer from St. John’s competing with us for his senior season, we should be much improved, with top 5 finishes at the New York Metropolitan Championships and Atlantic 10 Championships not out of the question.

Our track team is a very middle-distance oriented team. Our best marks come from the 400-500-800 indoors, and 400-400H-800 outdoors, with the 4x400 and 4x800 relays being pretty strong as well. Our 4x400 ran 3:15.73 indoors, and our 4x800 posted a 7:36.26 indoors as well. ^{Jerrey (and Jeff) Alcoser}

Although we want to have success in the current day and age, Fordham’s track history is one to be remembered. Under coach Art O’Connor, the men’s program flourished. For instance, sprinter Sam Perry tied Bob Hayes world record in the 60yd dash as a Fordham student, beating the medallists from the past Olympics in doing so. The Runnin’ Rams also won a few Penn Relays relay titles, in the 4x800 and 4xMile. Our school records in those events are 7:21.4 and 16:42.7 which average out to about 1:50.3 and 4:10.7 per man. Perhaps most impressively, the 4xMile was the world record at the time. Fordham runners to make a splash on the international scene include Tom Courtney who won the gold medals in the 800 and as a member of the 4x400 at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956, and Joseph McCluskey who won bronze in the Steeplechase in the 1932 Los Angeles Games. Interestingly, at the conclusion of ^{Tom Courtney} 3000m, McCluskey was in silver medal position, but a race official miscounted and sent the runners on another lap. On the extra lap, McCluskey was passed and finished 3^rd.

on the web: Fordham Cross Country / Indoor Track / Outdoor Track / Record Book

As for me personally, there’s not much to tell. 400: 51.3 (split-time, HS)

I went from a decent high school runner to a 800: 1:58.8 (hand-timed, open, HS)

decent college runner. My PRs: mile: 4:29 (+ 4:28 1600 in HS)

3000: 9:00 (+ 9:59 3200 in HS)

(xc) 5000: 16:17 (HS)

(xc) 8000: 27:08

(xc) 10000: 33:36

I want this to be slightly more than a page about my running endeavors. Thus I have added this spinning icon:

Yes, I think that does the trick nicely...

But in all seriousness, as a service to those who are fans of the original sport (running), or those wishing to become fans or at least educate themselves, I have made it possible for you to follow the following link to the page to which the link is linked. A brief (and admittedly incomplete) history of running. (pre 1980’s)

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