Paul VI 47, Saint Augustine 51, Camden Catholic 75, Bishop Eustace 108

Your Eagles won a hard fought battle in the SJ Parochial Meet this past Saturday, grabbing their second consecutive championship by four points. Since taking over, it has been amazing to watch the impressive improvement of each team (including ourselves) within the South Jersey Parochial spectrum. Three teams averaging below 17:30 a man is not customary and it certainly was a hard-fought battle between us and Saint Augustine. Seniors Mike Rankin and Brian Walter – a little set back from sickness – showed well though not falling where they wanted to in the grand scheme of things. Junior captain Tom Hoban and senior Rich McKean stayed pretty close to each other most of the way and with four in averaging around 16:40, it looked like a lock. Saint Augustine, however, packed their next four guys in front of fifth man Stefano Mastrando to make things very close in the last 200 meters. Soph Mastrando hung in there for a respectable 17:52. Hoban and McKean won MVP honors for the day after overcoming much adversity this season (McKean had an injury that kept him out a month, Hoban the same – except his came about mid-season) to help solidify the win. As a runner, that’s the hardest thing to do – come back from injury after weeks of lonely pool workouts, bike rides, watching your teammates race. These guys fought all season and were able to muster up a great performance. Same goes with Brian Walter fighting sickness to a Top 10 finish. Ten guys finished in the top half of the race showing significant depth as the 5-6-7 spot on the State team is far from decided but whoever races will prove to be a crucial part of this Saturday’s race!

2. Rankin 16:24
7. Walter 16:46
8. Hoban 16:50
9. McKean 17:05
22. Mastrando 17:52
25. Nuccio 18:08
31. Gallagher 18:18
34. Vadino 18:23
35. Lamberto 18:24
37. Smith 18:29
46. Catrino 18:50
51. Booth 19:11

Please join me in congratulating these guys as their hard work this season continues to pay off!! McKean’s 17:05 was 10th fastest on the Delsea list. We’re proud of all you guys for sticking it out.

Next up is Parochial A States up at Holmdel this Saturday. The race is scheduled for 2:10PM, more details to come.

Tomorrow night is also the last night of the Race to College Series with many new speakers coming to help us out. 7PM, Mount Laurel. E-mail Coach if you need directions!

MEET AT PAUL VI HS – 10:45AM – Everyone shows, injured or healthy!

Bus leaves from Paul VI – 11:00AM

South Jersey Parochial Championship Race – 1:45PM

(12 runners)
Rankin
Walter
Hoban
McKean
Lamberto
Mastrando
Catrino
Nuccio
Gallagher
Vadino
Smith
Booth

2:15PM – After the cool down, Post-race cookout!!!

4:00-4:30PM – return home at Paul VI HS (Everybody returns on the bus!)

Please take some time tonight to really take in all the improvement each of you have had over the past 6 months. It has been a bumpy but fantastic ride – you guys have brought back a sense of true expectation to this team!! Both Coach Rankin and I only ask that you go out there – whether you were sick all week, a bit banged up, or mentally drained – and give it everything you have tomorrow. I am confident that if we do that we can come away not only successful but extremely proud and happy with the way we performed!

Most importantly, let’s get ready to have some fun. It’s going to be PERFECT weather out there. 53 degrees, sunny, minimal wind. Let’s come overprepared though!

Coach Bonnette and Coach Rankin

For results and “history” of the Blue and White – check out the new Blue & White tab!

It’s 3-2 Yanks, Pedro on the mound, who takes the game tonight?? Score predictions?

Our 2nd Annual Blue & White meet will take place this Saturday at Borton Mill’s Park in Cherry Hill, NJ. It is a flat, two-mile course that all are welcome to race! The idea – for PVIXC’s purpose – is an intra-squad meet in which teams will be drafted by both Coach Bonnette (Blue) and Coach Rankin (White). It will be scored like a regular XC meet with the For the alumni and parents, we challenge you to muster up a team of five capable of beating our current Eagles. The winning squad (Blue or White) will win a dinner on the other squad (this past year’s was held at Villari’s in Sicklerville). There will be prizes for Best Costume (those that dare to dress up – you’ll get negative points if you dress up like either Coach), Top Runner, and Most Improved.

We will have snacks/refreshments afterwards. Alums or parents, please e-mail bbonnette@pvihs.org if you plan on racing! ALL ARE WELCOME TO RACE – younger/older siblings, parents, alums, friends! The full course can be seen here…http://www.mapmyrun.com/route/us/nj/cherry%20hill/597684926998. (For the best view, put it into Satellite View)

Time: 9AM
Date: Saturday, October 31st, 2009
Location: The MAIN Parking Lot is right across the street from 306 Bortons Mill Road, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034.
Rain or shine (hopefully the weather cooperates). The 2-mile course will be marked.
Course Record: Mike Rankin (2008), 10:42

TEAMS will be posted shortly.

BLUE (Coach Bonnette)

Catrino
Nuccio
Vadino
Booth
Smith
Bretschneider
Marino
Madden
Advisors: Hoban, McKean, and Lamberto (as last year’s Blue team members)

WHITE (Coach Rankin)

Mastrando
Gallagher
Verna
Patterson
Boldurian
Munns
Hubbs
Team Advisors: Walter, Rankin (as last year White team members)

Last year’s result - White 27, Blue 28, Vadino’s 9th place finish (5th man) and Rankin’s win seals up a one-point white team win.

Also on tap this week is the Haddonfield Frosh/JV Championships held at Pennypacker Park, a flat and fast 5k course behind Haddonfield Memorial HS. Most of the guys racing the Blue and White will also race at Haddonfield. The details are forthcoming but the meet is this Thursday, 10/29 and the schedule looks like this:

Boys Sub-Varsity 4:00PM
Boys Freshmen 4:30PM

Olympic Conference Championships

The squad finished 5th in the tough Olympic Conference this past weekend. Although we all were somewhat unhappy with the team finish we did have several individuals grab first and second team All-Conference honors. Best performance of the day went to frosh Mike Patterson for a ‘C’ course PR!

1st Team – Michael Rankin, Brian Walter, Thomas Hoban, Richard McKean
2nd Team – Stefano Mastrando, Nick Lamberto

The Championship Season is upon us and we now enter the early stages of what we’ve been working towards for since June.

EARLY DISMISSAL 12:45-1:00PM on Friday, 10/23 (HAVE YOUR EARLY DISMISSAL NOTES at the ready!)

BUS leaves as close to 1PM as possible from PVI (sharing with the Girls squad)

3:00PM Junior Varsity Race

Catrino

Gallagher

Nuccio

Marino

Verna

Boldurian

Patterson

Hubbs

Smith

Bretschneider

Munns

3:40PM Varsity Race

Rankin

Walter

Hoban

McKean

Lamberto

Mastrando

Vadino

EVERYONE returns on the bus to PVI. This is a championship race fellas – we race and whether win or lose, we do it as a team. Plan accordingly.

Come overprepared (dry clothes, warm clothes, warmups, jerseys, spikes, etc.). De-catastrophize (meaning don’t let negative thoughts take over, make this fun). Don’t tell me 7th period was your only time to eat. Plan ahead and eat when you need to eat during the day! Couple quotes to think about:

“The greatest hurdle is convincing yourself that what you want is possible” – Author Unknown

“It is hard to fail, worse though to have never tried at all” – Timothy Dyson

You all know this one - “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift” – Steve “Pre” Prefontaine

“Run like hell and get the agony over with” – Clarence DeMar

“Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it’s all about.” PattiSue Plumber, US Olympian

And last but not least, take a look at Dathan Ritzenhein’s last mile in his American Record performance recently. He didn’t win the race but watch him move (running just over 4 minutes for his last mile) to break a long-standing 5k record.

We will not run anyone in the frosh race. It is ‘C’ course and the last time this year you will see GCC.

Great competition, new scenery, a flat and fast course (Goddard Park is beautiful) all helped to generate big times. The truth of the matter is, however, that you still have to RACE and our guys did just that, about 80% or so PR’ed in the process. The Varsity guys finished a respectable 6th place, winning on the 6th runner rule, and competing very well with a bunch of great Northeast teams. The guys had three out of the four PR, led by Nick Vadino and Chris Booth, who grabbed a huge PR (pure reward for all of the hard work he’s been doing). The froshies were the first to go off and Adam Verna found that the race was flying through the mile mark, leaving him with a little bit of making up to do. He came on strong in the end finishing 20th in a remarkably competitive race. Patterson wasn’t too far behind in 47th with the frosh pack not too far behind that. Overall, there was a little bit of a daze over the guys as they dealt with the weather, travel, new surroundings but it was a good performance and it’s always good when they come up to you afterwards asking why they couldn’t run the full 5k (I think they sensed PRs).

Freshmen (2.55mi)

20. Verna 14:18 [5:36/mi]
47. Patterson 15:05 [5:54/mi]
76. Pezzano 15:45 [6:10/mi]
78. Boldurian 15:47 [6:11/mi]
79. Marino 15:47 [6:11/mi]
115. Munns 16:38 [6:31/mi]

Junior Varsity

out of 171
43. Vadino 18:22
47. Booth 18:31 [-:22 PR]
84. Hubbs 19:19 [-:02 PR]
111. Bretschneider 20:02 [-:22 PR]

The Varsity guys lined up with some of the best from Massachussetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, and New Hampshire and fared particularly well. We have been harping over key injuries and not being 100% all year that it’s clear at times, as coaches and athletes, we forget to just go out and race with all you got and see where it takes you. Rankin and Walter established themselves early on latching on to a quick first group and heading through in 4:59 and 5:00 respectively. Tom Hoban was feeling all sorts of bad through the first mile but really helped Rich McKean (sub 17 for the first time!) deliver a fine performance in the end as they jockeyed for position throughout the race with Nick Lamberto around as well. If we can keep you three together, that could be a dangerous pack with Championship season looming. A couple negative thoughts (to get them out of the way) – a deceiving homestretch led us to lose a couple places in the last 200 meters or so, something we have to improve upon for this Friday. We also fell asleep in the second mile, a pattern that is starting to take hold. We have to reverse this and trust that regardless how overextended we feel with 1.1 to go, our fitness and mental toughness will take us to the finish. Overall, you guys raced with a sense of ownership and urgency – something we were lacking just a week or so ago. Let’s gear up because Championship season is here guys and it’s up to us to meet it head on!

Varsity Championship

12. Rankin 15:52 [-:14 PR]
18. Walter 16:11 [-:22 PR]
43. Hoban 16:46
51. McKean 16:58 [-:03 PR}
65. Lamberto 17:12 [-:22 PR]
78. Mastrando 17:41 [-:08 PR]
84. Gallagher 18:08
team avg. 16:36

NEXT UP: Olympic Conference Championship, this Friday, October 23rd. Details to come tomorrow!