First Week of Track Practice

9/20 it started, 7am, we all were happy and anxious for it to start.  Then it happened, boom alarms going off, music playing, and everyone up and early ready for the first day of practice on the baseball field.  Getting up early now is no where compared to the wee morning hours of 6:15 practice when we start our Indoor Season practice at Weaver High.  Walking towards the field you see a lot of nervous faces and a lot of faces of just wanting to be there.  This day started the last pre-season for 8 seniors on the team and they knew they had to make the last year the best.  As everyone started to slowly get there and you can tell from the first initial instance of who was a returner and a freshman. As the team waits for Coach Joe and Coach Nicole to get there to start the very first practice of the year.  As most of us anticipated it to be just drills to get everyone familiar with the routine, we were faced with learning a new routine.  A dynamic routine as most of us have known over the years, but also with different drills.  Teaching an old dog new tricks as it is said in society.

As the days went by, the routine has started to become second nature to us and we are getting it done in the way it should be done.  Warming our muscles and bodies up for what was coming to us at practice. We expect nothing but the best during the pre-season to get us ready for the season.  As the coaches repeat to us everyday, no one is safe during this tryout period, we as a team have to realize it is not a game, and you can be easily cut if you don't put your best foot forward.  A lot of the athletes are coming together and getting to know a lot of the returners and talking to everyone to become closer as a family.  As a team we succeed together and as a team we fail together.  The days of this first week have taught us a lot not only about ourselves, but also as a team and what weak areas we need to work on to make us a balanced team.  With the XC team still in season, we are missing the other 20 on the team, but if you look at the team now, we are more of an army.  With cuts coming quicker in time, we have to make sure as a team we sweat, bleed, cry, breakdown, and etc. as a team.

As a team with very little resources given to them from the start, we are probably one of the best teams on this campus with the biggest hearts ever.  Yea we might complain that we don't have a track or that we can't use the main gym to get a good workout in, but we deal with what we have and we go out there and practice hard together. This week we were on the baseball field early morning, the back field sharing it with rugby, and the Unitarian Church down the street from the school.  We go every where and anywhere to do our workouts.  I have never seen a group of 70 kids put their hearts out where ever they practice.  It is true that as runners we tend to get lazy, but when we step on the track you would think you are looking at another person.

As the week comes to a slow and roaring end, we take what we learned and apply to our lives. We look towards the future with our heads held high and get ready to tackle the next week ahead of us, only to know that it will get worse as the weeks go by, but we are ready.  As Coach Carr would say, "If you have a pulse, you can lift."  Running is what we do and you won't see us doing anything better than that.

2nd Annual Hartford Hawks Riverfront Festival @ Riverside Park

Photo by Josh Hummel

The past weekend, the Hawks hosted the 2nd Annual Riverfront Festival right here in our back yard at Riverside Park.  The 15 mins drive for the Hawks was short and sent a sharp source of purpose for the day.  As the Hawks hosted in state rival Central Connecticut for the dual meet, the Men's team was looking to defend their title at the meet, while the Women were out there to represent and come home champions.  The drive there was a fun drive with everyone focused on the race ahead.  Upon getting to the meet you can see the sun beaming down and the high school teams that were there also to run at the festival.  It was the Hawks only home meet and they knew they had to represent.  As the runners started to get their minds ready for the race that was well in front of them, you can see on the faces of the runners how serious it was to them to start the season off right.  As the momentum carried over from the last meet, they were ready.  Running by the Connecticut River and through a scenery only XC runners would love with trees, rocks, and hills around it was the perfect scene for a meet to come.  With teammates on the Track and Field Team coming out to support each other, there is no question in my mind, these group of runners are a family.  The girls went off at 12:15 running the 5k course wile the guys went off 30mins after running the 8k course.

The girls went off as the gun sounded and bunched up into a pack going into the woods.  The leader for most of the run was Hartford Freshman, Megan Barry.  She was closely followed by two CCSU girls in the woods.  The course has started to take a toll on the girls as they came into contact with the rocky back loop of the course.  As coaches and teammates were at each mile mark to shout out times, the ladies continued to push the pace through this course.  As the race was starting to end, the first girl out of the woods was CCSU's Elizabeth Eberhardt and following her was teammate Katherine Bossardet. Both posting times of 18:54 and 19:02 respectively.  The first Hawk to finish through the course was Megan Barry finishing 3rd with a time of 19:16. Marisa Poleta finished 5th with a time of 19:30 in the course.  Followed behind her was Jen Flores, Kayla Koonz, Rebecca Mendes, Catherine Carey, Steph Curcio, and Leslie Garabedian.  The girls had a great showing at the meet.  They ladies were only 7 points behind CCSU with 32 points in the meet.

At 12:45, the guys were off. CCSU runners came into the front of the pack with Hartford bunched up together right next to them.  In a sport where ever runner counts, it is very important that each team has the first 5 athletes in at the top spots.  The front runners for the guys were two of CCSU's runners and two of Hartford's runners.  As the teams made their way in the woods and the course, they were faced with the challenges of the inclining slope that is mid way of their run.  The hill that feels like it continues and doesn't stop.  Coming fown from the hill, the runners then continued into the back loop again to complete the 8k course.  The runners were fatigued and tired, but kept pushing to have that top spot.  As the runners started to exit the woods, CCSU's own Craig Hunt came out first with a time of 25:31.01. His teammate, John Krell, came in behind him with a time of 25:56.06. The first Hawk to cross the finish line was Junior Andrew Chalmers with a time of  26:03 which was a PR for him.  The second Hawk to cross the finish line was Jonas Hampton finishing 4th with a time of 26:08, besting his previous personal 8k time. Eric Falman was the 3rd Hawk to finish with a time of 26:43 also besting his personal time. At the end of the meet, 6 Hawks finished under their personal best times for the 8k run, but the Hawks were bested by in-state foe CCSU by 16 points.

A great showing by both teams through the day.  As they wind down the week they get ready for their next meet at the CCSU Invite in New Britain, CT.

For complete results click on the links below
Men's Results
Women's Results

Also for pictures from the meet, check our photographer Steve McLaughlin's website at the link below
Shots from the Meet

Trinity Invite @ Wickham Park

The XC team started the season off the past week with the Trinity Invitational @ Wickham Park in Manchester, CT.  The teams were anticipating good competition for the day as the guys ran the 5k course against 6 other teams, while the women were faced with running the 4k course against 5 other teams.  The day wasn't bad and it was good weather all around. As we remember from the pouring rain that occurred last year at the same event, the weather was as the runners said, "the perfect day." You can never expect what the weather will be like during the XC season as runners run through rain, sun, and mud. As the teams garnered their nerves for most the first meet as a collegiate athlete or for some the last XC season, the were ready to show that all the hard training wasn't being put to waste, as they were ready to battle "The Big Green Monster".

Girls Getting Ready to Run. L to R: Catherine Carey,
 Jen Flores,  Rebecca Mendes, and Megan Barry

On the girls side, the winner of the meet was Stonehill for the women.  The first runner that came in was from American International College, Jeptui Cherutich came in at a time of 16:21 for the 4k course. The first Hawk to come in was Freshman Megan Barry.  She came in 12th place out of the 67 person field, while coming in at a time of 17:03 for the course.  She is expected to do big things for the Hawks this year, so look out for her during the upcoming years.  The next Hawk to come was Senior Marisa Poleto in a time of 17:37 finishing 20th.  In her first season on the XC team, she is doing very well and we hope she continues to be that factor in the team.  Right behind her in 21st place was Freshman teammate Jen Flores.  She finished the course also in 17:37 with Marisa. To round out the top 25 spots, Sophomore Kayla Koonz finished in the 4th spot for the Hawks in the team scoring.  She finished 25th overall with a time of 17:43. The fifth and final Hawk to cross the line in the team scoring was Sophomore Stephanie Curcio.  She finished the course 30th in a time of 18:15. Finishing behind her were teammates Rebecca Mendes, Catherine Carey, and Leslie Garabedian. With the scoring following the meet, the women placed 3rd out of 7.

I had a little conversation with Kayla Koonz and Megan Barry about the race and what they felt during the day and this is what they had to say:

"Leading up to the start of the race, I was extremely nervous. I was hoping our freshman weren't getting psyched out because it was their first college meet and that my training had actually done its job! Talking to the girls at the start and being on the line, I got pumped. Everything just felt right. Everyone was focused and they all knew what they had to do. During the race, I actually just focused on my form. I know that has been my biggest obstacle in past years. I have always had a problem with keeping my body relaxed while running which caused cramps and just a bad mental state. When I was finishing, I looked up at the clock and it just made me go faster. I didn't think I was running that fast and when I crossed with a 17:43 I was ecstatic. I dropped major time from last year and I just generally felt better racing. Also, it was a great feeling working together with my team mates to try and stay up in the top 30. I was near Jen and Marisa and we kept yelling at each other to push us so we kept moving up. Overall it was just a great race. Our team was supportive and we work really well together. We're a young team, so we have a great 3 years ahead of us."

                                                                             -Kayla Koonz

" It was my first college race. I had talked to Kayla the day before about nerves and what it was like to race in college and she told me it was just the same as racing in high school, except your older now. So, I followed my normal racing schedule for the night before. We went to the boys apartment and they cooked us pasta and stuffed us with carbs to ready us for the next morning.  The course wasn’t too bad, nothing we hadn’t trained for. The course started with a small bump and after not too long after that another hill followed.  It was relatively flat as we made our way through the paths, inclined again as we made our way back over to where everybody was waiting for us to cheer us on. After a nice downhill, we had about a quarter of a mile before we hit the big hill. In retrospect, it really wasn’t as bad as everyone thought. It was merely the placement of it that made everyone dread it so much. After running hard for about a mile an half, even a tiny hill looks like a mountain, but once we made it up the hill, the worst was over and it was all downhill until the end. After running through some more trails and past the birdcages, I finally rounded the corner and headed up the last hill to the finish. Overall, I was happy with my performance. I felt much more tired than I had expected to feel, but was reassured by my teammates that it was just my body getting used to the new training and that it would get better with time.  The entire team ran great and everybody was very supportive of each other.  My first college race was a great experience, and it was a good time to bond with my new teammates. I can honestly say that I am proud to be a member of the University of Hartford Cross Country family."

                                                                            -Megan Barry

Andy and Jonas running together.
"Team's work better when we stick together"

On the guys side of the race, the winner was also Stonehill. The first runner that came in for the guys was Glarius Rop of American International College in the time of 15:22.  For the guys the first Hawk to come in was Junior Andy Chalmers.  He finished 6th out of the 82 person field in the time of 16:17.  A very strong returner for the Hawks, Andy is showing good promise through his years here and is sure he will continue his success.  The next runner to come if for the Hawks was Senior Jonas Hampton. He finished 9th in the field while running 16:37 in the course. Junior Wayne Lawrence crossed the finish line 16th with a time of 16:50 and following close behind was Junior Kevin Brandon finishing 18th with a time of 16:52.  The fifth Hawk to cross the line was Sophomore Bobby Giuliani. He finished 20th in the time of 16:57, finishing out the scoring for the Hawks team.  Right behind Bobby was Junior Eric Flaman, finishing in the time of 16:58.  Behind Eric finishing for the Hawks was John Busque, Josh Hummel, Brian Famigletti, and Chris Rodriguez. When the runners places were totalled, the men placed 2nd in the meet behind Stonehill. 

Both finishes were top places for the Hawks as they continue their success in this season.  This is a big momentum builder for the meets to come.  The next meet for the Hawks is at the 2nd Annual Riverfront Invite right here in Hartford.  

For complete results of the meet click on the links below.

Men's Results

Women's Results

                                                               

XC Pre-Season by Eric Flaman

Day 1-Cross-Country preseason kicked off when we all hit school grounds to move in. I’m personally rooming with Josh Hummel; my suitemates consist of Jonas and Corey, who are rooming together, and Andy and Kevin, who are roommates with each other. We all put in the work over the summer and where excited to kick off the season. As we get ourselves settled into the new apartment we can’t wait to run with the new freshman, which we had met as recruits only a few months ago. As we walk over to the sports center our spirits are high. We have a quick team meeting, meet the lifting coaches and before we know it we are going out on a nice easy five-mile jog. We get to know the freshman a bit more, their major’s hobbies what their times where how summer training went and we started bonding. It is in my opinion that you don’t really get to know some one until you run with them, because that’s when you truly find out who they are and what they are made of. Within thirty-five minutes we are already back on campus and pumped for the pizza party, because the only thing runners love other then running is FOOD! So we get back and wait up for the girls, and tell them that the party will be held in my apartment. With several boxes of pizza, a large salad container and the plastic silverware we trek across campus to cool down have some fun and eat some food, resting up for the 5k time trial the next day.

Day2- Today would be judgment day. It will show who really put the work in over the summer and who didn’t. Unfortunately all the girls who said they where going to come out didn’t so we where left with only a handful of eight very talented girls. Only two of them where returning from last year. But the recruitment by Kathy Manizza was outstanding. During the time trial the men had a solid pack of five leading the way, consisting of Senior captain Jonas Hampton, Jr captain Andy Chalmers, Jr Wayne Lawrence, Freshman John Busque, and Sophmore Bobby Giuliani, this pack was closely followed by Kevin Brandon and myself (Eric Flaman). Pulling up the rear but not too far behind was Chris Rodriguez, Andrew Dwyer, Zach Clark, Travis Anthony, and Corey Smith. For most of us it was our first 5k in a while some got lost because it can be a bit tricky but over all every one did very well. For the Women it was Freshman Megan Barry who headed the pack closely followed by Freshman Jenn Flores, Sophmore Kayla Koonz, Freshman Cat Carey, and Sophomore Steph Curcio, Senior but new to Cross-Country Marisa Poleto, Freshman Rebecca Mendes, and Freshman Leslie Garabedian. Over all the performances where better then expected only showing that we are expecting and going to have a strong season.

Day 3- I awake to my alarm, my arm grabs and pulls the shades and I am filled with relief as I only see blue skies ahead. My feet hit the floor and I’m ready to go. For today we head out for Hammonasset Beach, where the real pre-season and bonding starts. Every year the Cross-Country team goes out on a camping trip as a team to train. It is a good time had by all and this year we are even blessed with good weather. We load up the vans with all our running cloths, and tents and head out, all of us filled with the anticipation of a great time. We hit the road rocking out to all the new summer hits and having a blast, continuing to strengthen that bond that has brought us all together we talk about everything. When we hit the camp sight we unload, as the women sit on a near by bench the men set up the tents. As we are doing so the women are joking around with us and heckling us to hurray up. Once the men finished setting everything up we headed out for a nice easy 7 miles as a team. Keeping the pack nice and tight we enjoy the scenery Southern Connecticut has to offer us. Once the run is over with we hit the beach to catch some rays and cool off in the ocean. Our Coach and her husband decide to do I nice little ocean swim and end up going beyond the no wake zone buoys, as a result the life guard grabbed the ocean kayak to go have a talk with them. From the shoreline it was pretty funny to watch. Later that night Bobby and myself would do the same thing except we stayed within the buoys. By the way swimming against the current is tough business, even with a wetsuit I got rocked by a few waves, but it was a fun experience and good cool down. That night we headed back to the camp and as the sunset we started up our fire. Though it took us a while because most of the stuff we had was wet, we soon got a pretty good small fire going that lasted us a few hours. As we al huddled around it we made shmore’s poor Rebecca never had one before, which we all thought was absurd, so I took the liberty of roasting a perfectly golden brown marshmallow and make her, her first shmore. As we sat we shared summer stories, our goals and things that we are looking forward too in the upcoming year. As the fire dwindled so didn’t our eyes, and we decide to call it a night.

Day 4- We all awoke around 8am ate some food and today was looking to be a great day. Another clear and sunny morning started us off right. After the recovery day we were all feeling pretty good, which was a good thing because we had our second time trial where we had to run for 6 minutes and see how far we could go. Our coach didn’t let us wear watches she wanted us to pace our selves purely by ourselves. On top of that she had us guess how far we would get in the 6 minutes. We all got pretty close I personally was only 50 yards off. After a nice little cool down we headed back to the camp for some R&R. This night we would be doing some trail running with an Ultra Marathoner. We all brought some flashlights and head lamps so that we could see. We got to the running site around dusk so we all could still see pretty well. We hit the trails going at a pretty good pace, the trails where mixed with logs, rocks, and even bridges. Looking back it was actually a lot of fun. I personally enjoyed every minute of it. However some one stirred up a wasp’s nest and some of the runners in the back got stung a few times. The poor dog that was with us got it the worst. Corey, Coach Mannizza and Ken also got a few stings. Over all we survived it only one rolled ankle and a few bee stings. After the night run we grabbed as much wood from the woods as we could load them up into the van and headed back to the campsite. When we got back we where ready for an epic campfire unlike the small one from the night before. We set it up share some more stories and have more laughs. We where bonding as a team and as a family.

Day 5- Another day at the camp site, and Coach has a bit of a surprise for us. After getting a good breakfast in we head out in the vans towards a bluff. When we get there it is absolutely beautiful. Great trails and neighborhoods to run through right on the coast it was stunning. The girls did a loop that went around the bluff along with a few guys while the rest of us ran out onto some trails following signs to a farm, then cutting back and doing the bluff loop again. It was a great area a lot of people out and about walking and running. A few people had picnics, and every one was friendly. Afterwards we did band exercises before heading back. We showered up and hit the beach for a while. It was our last night there and what a night it would be. We caught the sunset at the beach and Josh snapped a team photo with the fiery red sunset in the background. As the sunset further we laughed and enjoyed each other’s company. The freshman felt more loose and comfortable around us. That fiery red sunset only mirrors the admiration we have for each other and the sport of running. That night we all became more then teammates we became family. We headed back to the campsite to start up another fire. As we did so we all agreed to sleep outside under the stars with no tents. We lay down in a row head to head and watched the stars before our eyes faded. 

Day 6- We all awoke to a nice crisp morning, the cool air and sun surround us we get out of our sleeping bags and step onto the dewy grass. We all grab something to eat for breakfast, the sun starts warming up the earth and quickly, it’s going to be another hot day. We hung around for about an hour before heading out on a nice 3 mile tempo. All guys looked pretty good and stuck together for most of it. Our top two Jonas and Andy extended the tempo a little but stuck together. As we jogged back to camp we had people asking us if we had been running for the whole time, and we all laughed and said yes. They where stunned and shocked but we knew that it wasn’t even that bad compared to what lies ahead. As we packed up and showered to go home, we could only smile at our hardships to come. We packed into the vans and headed back to University of Hartford more ready then ever, and not just as a team or group of people who want to run but as a family. 

The XC Team

Highlights from Last Season:Part II

As pre-season is approaching us in a couple of weeks, we wonder what is in store for the Hawks this year.  Entering the year with two new coaches and new additions to the family,  there are high expectations for all that wear that Red & White with the Hawk on the back.  We want to continue the success the team has had on and off the track.  With the limited places of practice, we handle our business with outstanding work ethic everyday, and it pays off when we step on that track.  If you want to see a group of runners that will practice where ever and no matter the weather, WE will be out there running and practicing.  To show you what a group of D1 athletes can accomplish, lets take a look back at the Indoor Season for the Hartford Hawks.

During the Indoor Season, each Hawk saw individual success.  School records have been shattered, we have grown into a family, and we had fun as a team where ever we went.  I'm not going to write about every meet, but only the most standout meets that we collectively had a great team showing from everyone. 

First meet being @ UVM.  The first meet of the season has been the nerve jitter for the freshmen while for the returners, it as a tune-up meet before break to see where they are.  Taking that long trip to Vermont was all worth it.  We saw 7 school records fall.  A great start for the team team, but as the year continued it only improved meet after meet.  Running around the 180m track is very hard, but you have to think, how can we manage to break 7 records on a 180m track.  Through all we have done, we can accomplish a lot no matter the surface or distance.  

As the team had Winter break off, we then came back for another popular meet on the NE Coast, The Reebok Collegiate Meet, in Boston, MA at the Reggie Lewis Center. Here at the meet 3 school records fell, in the shotput by Diana Kornberg, Mike DuPaul in the 800, and Andy Chalmers in the 5,000m run.  A lot of the Hawks love coming to this meet because of the track itself.  The Reggie Lewis is a top-notch track in the country.  The first banked track on the schedule, the Hawks were faced with competition in every event and pushed us to compete at our highest level in every stride and step on that track.  Each individual runner had their success posting season bests and top places in the meet. This continued success gave us a push and momentum to the next couple of meets. 

A meet that the team loves going to is the Ryder/Lafayette for one reason: The Armory in NYC.  Home to one of the best and fastest tracks in the country, this meet brings some home field advantage to some of the Hawks on the team. For runners Warren Lane and Anderson Emerole, it was like home coming for the two Hawk standouts.  Running at the Armory all through high school, they knew the ins and outs of this track.  At the meet 7 records fell, where Warren Lane a Senior now from Brooklyn, NY broke his own school record in the 500m sprint, Anderson Emerole a Junior now from Queens, NY broke the school record in the 400m sprint, Nicolle Adams breaking the Long Jump record, Brittany Lawson in the Weight Throw which she broke at almost every meet, Caitlyn Hauswirth in the Pole Vault, and a school record that has been standing since 2005; the 4x800m relay which included Wayne Lawrence, Christopher Rodriquez, Robert Giuliani, and Mike DuPaul.  This meet was the last meet before the America East Championship @ BU.  Were the Hawks ready, you bet they were!!!

As the time closed on us and the countdowns were  put into our heads by the coaches about America East approaching, the time has come and the countdown stopped because we were on our way Boston.  Competing for the rights of who was the best of the best in the America East Conference we all saw success in our eyes.  Day 1 saw success for many Hawks, as records fell and individuals garnered times to race again in the finals for their respective events.  We all felt that sense of momentum going into this meet.  We knew we had success after success and we couldn't let it stop here. Everyone ran with their hearts and left everything on the track.  We cheered on our teammates and pushed everyone to go out there and just run like the wind. As Day 1 came to a close, the Hawks saw Brittany Lawson place 4th in the Weight Throw and Nicolle Adams placing 6th in the Pentathlon and also breaking the school record in the multi with a score of 3,071.  On the track, Andy Chalmers found success on the track with his school record in the 5000m run, Priscilla Appiagyei made it back to the finals in the 400m sprint, Anderson Emerole continued his success as he went on to make it into the finals of the 400m sprint while breaking his school record, and the last Hawk to make the finals was Warren Lane in the 500m sprint. 

Day 2 on the track at the America East Championship, the Hawks continued their success from yesterday and knew it was all or nothing.  As we got to the track we continued our traditional team warm up.  When you see 50 runners, throwers, and jumpers together in a tight circle you know they are a family.  Getting everyone excited and pumped for another day,  we make it known that the Hawks are here and we mean business. On the track Mike DuPaul, Anderson Emerole, and Priscilla Appiagyei put the Hawks on the board with their individual events.  The relays for the Hawks also had a good showing for the Hawks, as the Men's and Women's teams put points on the board for the Hawks. The Women's 4x400m relay ran a season best 3:55 finishing 5th. The Men's 4x400m relay ran a School Record time of 3:19 while placing 6th in the event.  The Men's 4x800m relay also had a School Record showing in the event with a time of 7:52 while placing 5th in the event.  In the end of the meet both squads placed 9th in the competition, but left with their heads high as  most of the Hawks were going to be competing next week at the New England Championships.

Competing at the New England Championship @ BU, the Hawks took from what they ran the week before at the conference championship and fed off of it into this weekends races. Through the 2 Day meet, 3 Hawks went home with All-New England Honors and 4 School Records fell.  Ariana Bass came home with an 8th place finish for the Hawks in the 500m run in a time of 1:17. Melanie Wilson broke the school record in the 800 in a time of 2:22.18 at the meet. The Women's 4x400m relay also took home New-England honors with a time of 3:56 placing 7th in the event.  Anderson Emerole placed 13 in the 400m with a time of 49.25.  He missed the cut-off by 4 places and if you know how track is, the 4 places can be apart by .05 and it hurts that bad. Warren Lane broke his own school record in the 500m in the pre-lims of the 500 with a time of 1:04.95, then came back in the finals to break it again with a time of 1:04.51 to take home 7th place in the event.  Mike DuPaul, the standout all year, came into the event running 1:53 which is the school record in the prelims in the 800, then came back into the finals and ran 1:54. The 4x800m relay also broke their school record at the meet.  

As the year ended, we knew we would be faced with bigger and better accomplishments to come.  Outdoor season to come, the season of all Track seasons.  Where everyone comes out and runs, where it all matters, and where all the exciting meets are held.  We celebrate the ending of the Indoor Season, but we welcome the Outdoor Season with a warm embrace because we knew as a team, it was OUR TIME!!