MIAA Division 2B Championship, 11/9/24

Meet Site:

Willard Park, Sherman Ave., Devens

Bus time 10:00 AM

Please arrive a few minutes early so we can get on the road in good time. If necessary, use the bathroom before we leave.

Race Schedule, note change in start times:

Boys race 12:30 PM - Chisum, Foley, Hopps, Jackson, Schaff, Tan, Williams

Girls race 1:15 PM - Golanova, Jay, Rent, Rice, Samaratunga

Awards Ceremony 2:15

Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: Sunny, temperature around 50 degrees with SE winds around 10 mph. Dress appropriately including layers to wear when you're either waiting for your race or after having completed your cool down.
• Report to the starting line 10 minutes before your race is scheduled to start; keep your sweats on until the meet officials at the starting line tell you to remove them. Warmup clothes will be placed in the laundry basket which will then be brought to the tent. 
• Numbers will be assigned to you specifically for this meet; these numbers have an RFID chip attached to the back which interacts with a conductive mat at the finish line to record your time. The meet director has asked that athletes who aren't racing NOT wear their bib number if standing near the finish line; doing so can cause a false reading by the finish line mat. Also, don't crumple or fold your bib number. Finally, don't press the stop button on your wristwatch as you cross the finish line, since doing so might interfere with the RFID chip and your hand and wrist will obscure your bib number from view by the backup camera.

• girls teams in Wave 2B

• boys teams in Wave 2B

Course Map (click to enlarge):

• link to course map online

• Starting from the NE corner of a large area of ball fields, the course is three trips around the fields. The first of these loops is the shortest, while the third loop is the longest and includes a trip into the woods with a short steep climb and descent. Soon after completing the third lap athletes turn off to the finish area.

• Due to the fact the course is entirely on grass spikes should be worn (1/4" or 3/8").

• Medals will be awarded to the top 15 finishers.  

• Qualification for next week's Meet of Champions (MOC) is covered in page 4 of this document. 

Uniform Return:

Those athletes who don't qualify for the MOC can put the ir uniform in the laundry basket. Bring a change of clothes for after you're done racing.

What to Bring:

• Uniform, including both jersey and shorts

• spare change of clothes

• Everyday training shoes

• Racing shoes

• Multiple layers of clothing including clothes to wear while warming up and cooling down, in addition to dry warm clothes for after your race

• lunch for after your race

• a bag to put wet clothes in

• Water bottle (filled)

• Snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Festival)

• Folding chair

• Blanket (optional)

For Parents:

• A parking fee will no doubt be collected, I don't know what it is.
• We hope to return to WHS sometime around or a bit after 4 PM.
• Dogs aren't allowed on or near the course.
• Snacks are welcome, but due to allergy concerns the Athletic Director has asked that any snacks be individually wrapped and ideally have the ingredients written on the label.

Awards Night and Varsity Lists

Next Tuesday November 12th there will be an end of season celebration held in the Commons at 6:30. Everyone will receive a certificate of participation. We'll recognize the recipients of team-specific awards including Most Improved, Rookie of the Year, and MVP. There are also Coaches' Awards and Booster Awards that will be given out. Plus there's the always popular prize bag blowout, a highlight of this event. We hope to be done by 7:30.

While on the subject of recognition, the athletes listed below have earned varsity status for this season. An explanation of what it takes to be varsity in what is a no-cut sport can be found on page six of the team policies and FAQ document.

Girls:

Dana Golanova

Ainsley Jay

Amy Kotzampaltiris

Denedra Ma 

Mia Rent

Naomi Rice

Arya Samaratunga

Karis Tam

Cordia Wang

Boys:

Luke Chisum

Leo Ciccarelli

Morgan Fallace

Ryan Foley 

Jack Goode

Brandon Hopps

Will Jackson

Adrian Narvaez

Cyriaque Schaff

Matthew Tan

Owen Williams

Week 12 Training Plan, 11/4-11/10

Devens course map

Saturday's Division 2B Championship meet is the latest and highest level competition in the championship phase of the season. Everything leading up to Saturday in practice is intended to help optimize performance in that race. We're not reinventing the wheel here, so no major changes are afoot other than a further reduction in training volume. These workouts are less about building fitness than confirming it. 

In the days leading up to the meet you can build on the gains in fitness you've made throughout the season by getting to bed at a reasonable hour, drinking water regularly throughout the day (to the tune of around 48 ounces a day), and eating a nutritious balanced diet. Like the last two weeks, there's a scheduled day off during the week, which is Thursday. 

For people that aren't racing on Saturday and either haven't had an opportunity to run a mile time trial or would like to try it again, we'll be doing a mile time trial on Tuesday as well. Athletes who are racing on Saturday won't participate in this. 

Finally, it's important to note that with the clocks turned back it will be getting dark quite early. The reflective vests are a must when running off campus.

Monday 11/4 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including BURPEES followed by a PMR of 36 or 48 minutes. The PMR will then be followed by 5x150m (100m race pace, 50m faster than race pace) with a 150m jog recovery.

Tuesday 11/5 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup followed by a 12-15 minute jog, 3x400 at 5-10 seconds per mile faster than race pace, mile at race pace, 3x400 at 5-10 seconds per mile faster than race pace. Wrapped up with a 10 minute cooldown. The recovery between each 400 is 60-90 seconds, with 4.5 minutes before and after the mile. 

OR

Warmup, 10-12 minute jog, 3x100 meters at mile race pace followed by mile time trial. 10-12 minute jog cooldown.

Bring racing shoes today if you have them, particularly for the time trial. 

Wednesday 11/6 - Practice at 2:30, meet in tennis court parking lot for trip to Devens. Abbreviated warmup including BURPEES followed by a run of 36 or 48 minutes on and around the course for Saturday's meet. NB you will be dismissed 15 minutes early from school for this.

Thursday 11/7 - off

Friday 11/8 - Practice at 3:30 PM. Warmup followed by a 10 minute jog, two sets of short intervals on top of the aqueduct, 10 minute cooldown.

Saturday 11/9 - MIAA Division 2B Championship at Willard Field, Devens. More details in a forthcoming post. 

Sunday 11/10 - off

Frank Mooney Invitational Results, 11/2/24

Impressive racing on Saturday by WHS athletes at the Wrentham Developmental Center. The course underfoot was dry with modest winds, a marked difference from our previous visit in September when it was more of a gale with steady pouring rain. The WHS athletes that raced took advantage of the favorable conditions to post a raft of personal best times on the 3k and 5k courses. Medal winners on the day were three of the boys in the 9th grade race, with Brandon Hopps taking second overall and taking the top spot for WHS athletes on the all time boys 3k list. He was followed by Ryan Young in 8th and Archie Baker in 19th. Next up is the MIAA Tournament on Saturday, with the divisional round at Willard Field in Devens.

overall results

splits for WHS athletes

all time performance list for WHS athletes at Wrentham Developmental Center

Frank Mooney Invitational, 11/2/24

live results

Meet Site: 

Wrentham Developmental Center. The address is 131 Emerald Street, however the race course is located a little further down the road, in the large field at the intersection of Emerald Street and Shears St. This is across the street from the William A. Rice Recreation Area.

Bus time 10:30 AM

Race Schedule and Entries

12:59 PM 10th grade boys 5k (25 minutes) - Kheir, Salahuddin

1:44 PM 9th grade boys 3k (16 minutes) - Baker, Hopps, Lehmann, Young

2:01 PM 11th/12th grade girls (26 minutes) - Golanova

2:28 PM 11th/12th grade boys 5k (22 minutes) - Cicarelli, Fallace

*TBD

The number in parentheses after each race is the time cutoff, after this point is reached the timing system will be turned off.

 
Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: partly cloudy, temperatures in the mid 50s, S wind 5-10 mph 
• Numbers will be assigned to you specifically for this meet; these numbers have an RFID chip attached to the back side which interacts with a conductive mat at the finish line to record your time. The meet director has asked athletes who aren't racing NOT to wear their bib number if standing near the finish line; doing so can cause a false reading by the finish line mat. Also, don't crumple or fold your bib number. 
• Report to the starting line 10 minutes before the start of your race; the meet staff has been known in the past to start races a few minutes earlier than the posted schedule. You can complete your warmup at the starting line.
• If you're wearing a stopwatch while racing, putting your arm up to hit the button on the watch while crossing the finish line can cause the RFID chip to be blocked by your arm, and your finish might not be recorded. In other words, don't press the button on your watch when crossing the finish line.
• No one is to do their warmup or cool down among the buildings of the Wrentham Developmental Center, where patients are housed. Aside from the course itself, you can warmup and cool down on the ball fields across the street.
• Medals will be given to the top 30 finishers in each race.

Course Map:

• The course is fairly flat, with some roll in places. There are no long and/or steep hills. The course is almost entirely on grass. The 5k course is three loops. The 3k course ends after the second loop (yellow on this map). The 5k course repeats this second loop. Both the 3k and 5k share the same first loop, which is the circumference of the large field where the course is situated. The second and third loops have two incursions from the outer edge of the field into the middle. Typically there are large digital clocks at the mile and two mile marks. 

What to Bring:

• Uniform
• Everyday training shoes
• Racing shoes if you have them; this is a course for spikes, 1/4" or 3/8" elements
• Warmup clothes including a shirt
• Water bottles - filled

• Folding chair - important to have something to sit on other than the ground

• Blanket or sleeping bag - important as we won't be bringing the tent, while we won't be out in the open for that long you might want to have something to help stay warm when not warming up, racing, or cooling down

• Snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Festival)

For Parents:

• The parking fee this year is $10 for each car.
• Dogs aren't allowed except for service animals.
• No grilling, cooking, or fires are allowed at the meet site. 
• Snacks are welcome, but due to allergy concerns the Athletic Director has asked that any snacks be individually wrapped and ideally have the ingredients written on the label. 
• We hope to return to WHS by around 4 PM

Week 11 Training Plan, 10/28-11/3

Purdy calculator for use in interpolation of a goal time for the mile time trial

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1eDpa1ehzrI7qBJxOijLlah7H6hbtnLd_1PCKina-GPA/edit

This week features the Frank Mooney Invitational on Saturday.  This meet is for 9th graders, JV runners, and also some athletes who are in contention to round out the top seven that will be racing next weekend at the MIAA Division 2B Championship race. Those that aren't racing on Saturday will be doing a time trial, either on Wednesday (first choice date) or Friday (backup date if weather on Wednesday isn't suitable). Like last week, there will also be a day off, this week on Thursday. 

For the remainder of the season, all athletes must wear a reflective vest when running off campus afterschool. A set of vests has been acquired for this purpose using funds raised from the Wayland XC Festival. Remember to return the vest at the end of practice. It must be folded neatly before being put away in one of the two "Pam's Run" drawstring bags that are used to store them. The vests don't need to be worn while running on campus, for example when running on the track.

Mon 10/28 - Warmup including BURPEES followed by a cyclic medium run. The length of this week's run is the same as last week's PMR.

Group A: 36 minutes (3 minute segments)
Group B: 48 minutes (4 minute segments)
Group C: 60 minutes (5 minute segments)

Tue 10/29 - Warmup followed by a medium length run including timed repeats as follows:

those racing 3k on Saturday: 10 minute warmup, 2 sets of 3x400 meters with the first set at race pace and the second set 1-2 seconds per rep faster than race pace. 200 meter recovery jog after each repeat with 4-5 minutes recovery between sets. 10 minute cooldown.

those racing 5k on Saturday: 10 minute warmup, 2 sets of 4x400 meters with the first set at race pace and the second set at 1-2 seconds per rep faster than race pace. 200 meter recovery jog after each repeat with 4-5 minutes recovery between sets. 10 minute cooldown.

for those not racing on Saturday: 10 minute warmup, mile time trial on the track, 10-12 minute break, 4-5x200 at race pace with a 200 meter jog recovery, 10 minute easy jog cooldown. The time trial is in essence a race, so if you have a pair of racing shoes you should wear them.

Group A: 24-28 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 40-44 minutes

Wed 10/30 - Warmup including BURPEES followed by a short length run including run-throughs and bounding over cones

Group A: 24-28 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 32-36 minutes

There will be a meeting for the boys in the MIAA tournament pool after practice in Coach Lee's classroom.

Thu 10/31 - off

Fri 11/1 - Warmup followed by a short length run at an easy to moderate intensity. Two sets of short repeats on top of the aqueduct in the last 8-10 minutes of the run.

Group A: 24-28 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 40-44 minutes

Sat 11/2 - Frank Mooney Invitational. More information will be forthcoming in a subsequent post. 

Those not racing today should do a medium length run with the first two thirds of it being an extended "warmup" run at an easy effort. Then a mile on the track at race pace (not all out) followed by a 5 minute break and then 4-5x200 run at faster than race pace with 60-75 seconds recovery after each. Finally a 5 minute jog cooldown.

Sun 11/3 - off

DCL Championship Results, 10/25/24

The final portion of the season began today with the DCL Championship at Franklin Park, the site of cross country races since the late 19th century. The current course layouts for both 3k and 5k have been in place since the mid-90s; with the impending renovations to White Stadium the routes will likely change as soon as next year. The DCL includes 11 schools, the vast majority of them having much larger enrollments than Wayland. With the league divided into Thorpe (large) and Foley (small) divisions, this is the first and only time Wayland faced the schools in the Thorpe category. This group includes multiple teams that are among the best in MIAA Division 1. 

The WHS contingent was led by the all-star level efforts of the top two runners for both the girls and boys teams. For the girls, Mia Rent ran a calculated race to finish third in only the second 5k race of her season. She was followed by senior co-captain Arya Samaratunga who also cracked the top 20 in 17th. In the boys race, it was very tactical up front for much of the way with the leaders stretching things out in the second half of the race. Senior captains Luke Chisum and Will Jackson were in the thick of the battle throughout coming through in 5th and 8th place. 

Other medal winners for Wayland came in the boys 9th grade race. Wayland took three of the seven medals on offer, led by Cyriaque Schaff who won the race comfortably followed by Ryan Foley in second and Brandon Hopps in fourth. Schaff and fellow 9th grade teammate Archie Baker then treated the crowd to an impromptu violin concert in the park which was almost as impressive as their running perfomances.

With most of the Wayland team members this year being new to the sport, only a few WHS runners had experience running on the course. There were many PR efforts from this group, and overall the racing was impressively executed on a course that starts out relatively flat in the first mile before offering more challenging terrain later on in the course. 

overall meet results - note varsity results are separated by division (Foley and Thorpe) even though both divisions ran together. 

splits for WHS athletes

all time WHS Performance List at Franklin Park - this list dates back to 1997, the longest period of time that WHS Cross Country teams have been running on the same course. With the likely changes to the course in the offing, a new Franklin Park performance list will be established going forward.