MIAA Divsion 2 Meet of Champions, 11/16/24

Live Results

Meet Site:

Willard Park, Sherman Ave., Devens

Bus time 10 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:

Boys race 12:30 PM

Girls race 1:15 PM

Awards Ceremony 2:15

Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: Mostly cloudy, temperature in the mid to high 50s with NW winds 10-15 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.

• MIAA tournament format 

Course Map (click to enlarge):

• Link to course map

• 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 forecast rain in the morning hours and the foot traffic of the other races happening earlier in the day, spikes should be worn (1/4" or 3/8").

• Medals will be awarded to the top 15 finishers. 

Uniform Return:

All athletes will return their uniform after their race. You can put the uniform in the laundry basket. bring a change of clothes to wear after returning your uniform.

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. Parking map.
• We hope to return to WHS around 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.

Week 13 Training Plan, 11/11-11/16

2023 Euro cross mixed relay

Last one...

Monday 11/11 - Practice at Lincoln Station at 10 AM. Warmup including BURPEES followed by a CMR of 36 or 48 minutes. Bring your phone with the Outerspatial app loaded on it both to track your location while running and to review the results of this past weekend's Divisional meet. If planning to run off campus tomorrow, get a vest before leaving practice.

Tuesday 11/12 - On your own, 28-32 minutes starting at an easy pace and getting a bit faster over the last 10 minutes. This will be followed by 6x100 meters on the track with 100 meter jog recoveries at the end. These can be done "hourglass style" on the turf field if available.You can meet together at the school if you like or go home and do the run in your neighborhood, but be careful about any traffic on the roads. 

Wednesday 11/13 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including BURPEES followed by 10-12 minute jog, 5x800 alternating between repeats on the track (1,3,5) and on the small hill in the corner of the practice field (2.4). The repeats on the track should get progressively faster, while the second repeat on the field should be faster than the first one. The recovery interval after each repeat should be 2.5-3 minutes. Finally, a 10-12 minute cooldown jog.

Thursday 11/14 - off

Friday 11/15 - 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 11/16 - MIAA Division 2 Meet of Champions at Devens. More details in a forthcoming post.

MIAA Division 2B Championship Results, 11/9/24

Both WHS teams had excellent results in the MIAA tournament, held at Willard Field in Devens for the schools in Division 2. This is the first of two rounds in the state tournament; unlike with other sports there are no power rankings or brackets. Every school with a team can enter up to seven runners, with the top five comprising a scoring team. Only the top teams and the fastest individual finishers who aren't on those top teams make it to next week's Meet of Champions, the final race of the official high school calendar in Massachusetts.

The over 200 schools competing in the state are broken down into three divisions based on school size, with Division 1 schools being the largest and Division 3 schools the smallest. Each division is further broken down into three "waves," again based solely on school size. Each of the waves has around twenty to thirty teams competing, with not all of them fielding the necessary five runners to make a scoring team. Wayland competes in 2B which sits squarely in the middle of the size breakdown, with 2A schools being a little larger and 2C schools a little smaller. 2B also includes DCL opponent Bedford, which has almost exactly the same student population as WHS. 

The top seven teams in each wave and top ten individuals not on those top seven teams qualify to next weekend's second and final round, where all the qualifiers from 2A, 2B, and 2C face each other in the Division 2 Meet of Champions. There are also two wildcard teams qualifying from across all three Division 2 waves. Last year the boys team squeaked in as the last wildcard team, and Arya Samaratunga qualified as an individual wildcard. 

 The multi-loop layout meant that the wind would alternate between being in the runners' faces or at their backs. The third and final loop of the course takes the runners up and over Malvern Hill with a stair-step style ascent and somewhat terrifying, curving descent back to the field below. The final third of the course runs significantly slower than the first two thirds for all the runners due to this hill. The wind, blowing persistently around 15 mph from the northwest, made for another factor to account for in tackling this undulating course. 

The girls raced first, with Mia Rent continuing her very impressive rookie season. Hanging back off the early leaders, four of whom broke from the pack right away, she patiently reeled in all but the top two finishers to take a well-run third. This is the highest finish by a WHS female athlete at this level of competition since Sarah Tully's 2nd place finish in 2015. Not far back, Samaratunga kept herself in the mix for a medal, given out to the top 15 finishers. Running steadily throughout, Arya came in 14th improving over her 20th place of a year ago in the 2B race. Next was Dana Golanova who impressed once again in her first season of running cross country. She was followed closely by 10th grader Ainsley Jay with the Wayland scoring five rounded out by senior co-captain Naomi Rice. With only five runners in the race, all of them had to finish for Wayland to have a team score. This was the case, and in fact the 11th place finish is the highest by a Wayland girls team at this level since 2011. The 293 points the girls team scored is also the lowest total since 2011. 

On the boys side a large and deep pack formed up front which took a while to separate. Senior captain Luke Chisum stayed near the front of this group throughout to finish a strong fifth, matching his finishing place from 2 years ago and improving upon last year's 8th place. This year's 8th place runner was captain Will Jackson who was 10th a year ago. Both of them raced exceptionally well under pressure from a very competitive field. Chisum and Jackson matched their finishing places from last month's DCL Championship, giving an indication of just how strong the DCL is for boys cross country (most of the DCL schools are in Division 1 as they have much larger student populations). 

The next Wayland runner across the line was 9th grader Cyriaque Schaff, who was the second 9th grader across the line in 37th place. He was followed closely by senior captain Owen Williams who rallied strongly in the latter stages of the race. Rounding out the top five was 9th grader Ryan Foley who had the best race of a very good season when it mattered the most. Yet another 9th grader, Brandon Hopps was the sixth runner, making three freshmen in the top seven which is exceedingly rare. Junior Matthew Tan competed the seven runner Wayland contingent. 

When the team scores were tallied, Wayland came out a strong fourth, a single point behind third place Amherst. Pre-race favorites Ludlow were missing two of their top five runners from the group that dominated last month's Twilight Invitational in Falmouth and finished 8th. Meanwhile, for the first time all season and when it mattered the most, Wayland put its best top five runners on the line in the same race. Like last year, boys Wave 2B was much deeper than either 2A or 2C, as evidenced by the fact that both of the wildcard teams (teams that finished outside of the top seven that qualify for next week based on time) came from 2B, Ludlow and Newburyport.

Overall results - girls

Overall results - boys

 

Splits for WHS athletes

 

Team and Individual Results at DCL and MIAA Championship. 1997-present

 

MIAA Division 2B Championship, 11/9/24

Live results

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:

Girls race 12:30 PM - Golanova, Jay, Rent, Rice, Samaratunga

 Boys race 1:15 PM - Chisum, Foley, Hopps, Jackson, Schaff, Tan, Williams

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 their 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 Wednesday November 13th 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.

DCL Championship, 10/25/24

Live Results

Meet Site: Playstead Field at Franklin Park, Boston.

Bus Time: 

12:00 PM - note the bus time. Athletes listed below (and only those athletes listed below) will be dismissed after 3rd period. Remember that you're responsible for any work in classes that you miss. 

Meet Schedule and lineups:

2:00 PM JV boys 5k - Goldstein, Goode, Markey, Wheeler

2:30 PM Varsity girls 5k - Rent, Samaratunga

3:00 PM 9th grade 3k - Baker, Foley, Hopper, Hopps, Lehmann, Nicholson, Potashinsky, Schaff, Sondey, Young

3:20 PM Varsity boys 5k - Chisum, Cicarelli, Fallace, Jackson, Narvaez, Tan

3:50 PM JV girls 5k - A. Conley, Golanova, Jay, Kotzampaltiris, Ma, Rice, Sun, Wang

4:30 PM Awards

Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: sunny, temperatures around 60 degrees with light variable winds. Please have adequate warmups and to wear them before and after racing.

• Runners must report to the starting line 10 minutes before the start of their race, and begin removing sweats 5 minutes before their race starts.

• Each team is assigned a box along the starting line. We'll know our box number after we arrive at the meet site.

• The top 15 finishers in each varsity race, the top 8 JV and the top 7 9th graders (boys and girls both) will receive awards.

• While the course will surely be well marked, it's a good idea to check it out during your warmup. Please note the course tour is self-guided, using the maps below.

• If this is your final meet of the season, bring an extra change of clothes and after we return to Wayland you can change out of your uniform in the field house and return it to one of the coaches.  

• Return time to WHS is approximate, but we hope to be back around 6:00 PM depending on traffic. 

Course Map and Description:

• The 5k course used in the varsity and JV races has three loops:

• The first loop starts on the Playstead field and goes around these fields and White Stadium. 

• The second loop goes part of the way around the fields and stadium before heading up and over Bear Cage Hill. On the other side of Bear Cage Hill the second loop rejoins terrain covered on the first loop again. 

• The third loop covers the Wilderness and Playstead field. 

• The 9th grade race incorporates the first two of the three loops shown on the maps below. While the boys and girls 9th graders will start together at the same time, the races will be scored separately for the purpose of giving out individual awards.

What to bring:

• uniform
• everyday training shoes
• racing shoes if you have them
• warmup clothes including: long sleeved shirt, pants, windbreaker, gloves, hat
• water bottle
• snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Festival). If you're running in a later race, bring a snack to have when we first arrive at the park to tide you over until your race. 
• folding chair if you want something to sit on while changing shoes

For parents:

• There's a small parking lot at the corner of Circuit Drive and Pierpont Road; there's also a larger lot further down Circuit Drive, as well as on-street parking on Circuit Drive.
• If you're going to be at the meet and would like to take your child with you when their race is over, please let one of the coaches know.
• The area just beyond the finish line is a good spot to see the race at various points as the runners pass by this spot repeatedly.

 

Week 10 Training Plan, 10/21-27

This week is the beginning of the final phase of the season, kicking off with Friday's DCL Championship meet at Franklin Park. More information will be forthcoming on this meet which will require an early dismissal from school. As in years past, there will be a karaoke contest on the bus ride home. Submit your song choice to the coaches for approval in advance. The maximum group size for the contest is four people. It would behoove you to practice your song beforehand.

With the end of the season drawing near, we've entered the peaking phase of our training. The proverbial hay is in the barn and from here on out it's a draw down of training volume, which is achieved in two ways:

• a reduction in the length of most daily runs.
• a reduction in the number of runs per week. This is achieved by taking an additional day per week off from practice. This week that day is Tuesday.

• Mon 10/21 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including BURPEES followed by progressive run as follows:

Group A: 36 minutes (12 minutes easy-9 minutes fresh-9 minutes good-6 minutes easy)

Group B: 48 minutes (16 minutes easy-12 minutes fresh-12 minutes good-8 minutes easy)

Group C: 60 minutes (20 minutes easy-15 minutes fresh-15 minutes good-10 minutes easy) 

• Tue 10/22 - off.

• Wed 10/23 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup followed by a short length run at an easy to moderate intensity including hill drills on the aqueduct near Cedar Crest Road.

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

• Thu 10/24 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including BURPEES followed by a short length run with 3 sets of short reps at the end on top of the aqueduct.

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

• Fri 10/25 - DCL Championship Meet @Franklin Park. The meet starts early which will require dismissal after 3rd period class. You're responsible for any work or tests you might miss as a result of this. More information forthcoming. This is a medium length day, including warmup and cooldown running it should add up to the following:

Group A: 32-36 minutes
Group B: 40-44 minutes
Group C: 48-52 minutes

On the bus ride home, there will be the tenth annual edition of the Golden Microphone karaoke contest.

• Sat 10/26 - Medium length run at an easy to moderate intensity. For those that are interested, you can do this run in the Lincoln woods leaving from Lincoln Station, where we've met on various Saturdays this season. Note I won't be there this morning. Otherwise this is a run that can be done in your neighborhood. If you do decide to visit the trails in Lincoln, download the Outerspatial app on your phone.

Group A: 32-36 minutes
Group B: 40-44 minutes
Group C: 48-52 minutes

• Sun 10/27 - off

Week 9 Training Plan, 10/14-20

This week we wrap up the middle portion of the season. There are no meets on the docket, and this week's long run is the last of the season. We've reached the time of year where there will be days when we meet inside the field house due to cooler temperatures. There's no firm dividing line but in general if the temperature outside is much below 55 degrees we'll likely meet indoors to start. If you don't see anyone outside under the tree that's why.

Monday 10/14 - No organized practice today, if possible do a short run or cross training workout on your own for the time span indicated below. Do whatever parts of the team warmup that you can do on your own, the lunge matrix and leg swings are a good start.

Group A: 26-30 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 42-46 minutes

Tuesday 10/15 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including BURPEES followed by a CLR.  The route of today's run is TBA. The overall length of the run is listed below; remember that there are four cycles of easy-fresh-good, making for a total of 12 segments.

Group A: 48 minutes (4 minute segments)
Group B: 60 minutes (5 minute segments)
Group C: 72 minutes (6 minute segments)

Wednesday 10/16 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including strides followed by a short run followed by high knee run-throughs and bounding over cones. The cones will be set up on the softball field. We will again be practicing running around tight corners. Total length of the run today is as follows:

Group A: 26-30 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 42-46 minutes

Thursday 10/17 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup including strides and BURPEES followed by a short length recovery run at an easy to moderate intensity with hill drills. We'll be doing the hill drills near Cedar Crest Road on the Hultman aqueduct. The length of the run today is as follows:

Group A: 26-30 minutes
Group B: 32-36 minutes
Group C: 42-46 minutes

Friday 10/18 - Practice at 3:30. Warmup followed by either a medium length run (Group A: 36-40 minutes, Group B 46-50 minutes, Group C 56-60 minutes) for those attending tomorrow's practice at Lincoln Station or the following workout:

Group A: 6 minute jog warmup, 9 minute progression run with first 3 minutes at 60% effort, next 3 minutes 70% effort, last 3 minutes at 80% effort. 5 minute break then 3 sets of 3x300 meters with 200 meter recovery jogs. First two sets at race pace, last set faster than that. 3 minutes between sets. 6 minute jog cooldown. 

Group B: 8 minute jog warmup, 12 minute progression run with first 4 minutes at 60% effort, next 4 minutes 70% effort, last 4 minutes at 80% effort. 5 minute break then 3 sets of 3x300 meters with 200 meter recovery jogs. First two sets at race pace, last set faster than that. 3 minutes between sets. 8 minute jog cooldown. 

Group C: 8 minute jog warmup, 15 minute progression run with first 5 minutes at 60% effort, next 5 minutes 70% effort, last 5 minutes at 80% effort. 5 minute break then 3 sets of 3x300 meters with 200 meter recovery jogs. First two sets at race pace, last set faster than that. 3 minutes between sets. 8 minute jog cooldown. 

Saturday 10/19 - Either a short length run (Group A: 26-30 minutes, Group B 32-36 minutes, Group C 42-46 minutes) for those not attending today's optional practice or the following workout meeting at Lincoln Station at 9 AM:

Group A: 6 minute jog warmup, 9 minute progression run with first 3 minutes at 60% effort, next 3 minutes 70% effort, last 3 minutes at 80% effort. 5 minute break then 3 sets of 3x300 meters with 200 meter recovery jogs. First two sets at race pace, last set faster than that. 3 minutes between sets. 6 minute jog cooldown. 

Group B: 8 minute jog warmup, 12 minute progression run with first 4 minutes at 60% effort, next 4 minutes 70% effort, last 4 minutes at 80% effort. 5 minute break then 3 sets of 3x300 meters with 200 meter recovery jogs. First two sets at race pace, last set faster than that. 3 minutes between sets. 8 minute jog cooldown. 

Group C: 8 minute jog warmup, 15 minute progression run with first 5 minutes at 60% effort, next 5 minutes 70% effort, last 5 minutes at 80% effort. 5 minute break then 3 sets of 3x300 meters with 200 meter recovery jogs. First two sets at race pace, last set faster than that. 3 minutes between sets. 8 minute jog cooldown.

Sunday 10/20 - off

Bob Glennon Twilight Invitational Results, 10/12/24

There were many impressive results from Wayland athletes at the Twilight Invitational, a meet that starts in the late afternoon and ends in the dark of night at the Cape Cod Fairgrounds in Falmouth. The extremely sinuous loop course makes for a very engaged spectator experience and the overall vibe is quite energetic. 

The 9th grade athletes distinguished themselves once again, with Mia Rent winning the 9th grade girls race by a wide margin. The 9th grade boys contingent, led by Cyriaque Schaff in 3rd, finished 1st out of 13 teams and earned the bragging rights that come along with that title. Joining Schaff in earning a medal for a top 25 finish were Ryan Foley and Brandon Hopps. 

Wayland had three other medal winners as well in the varsity races, with Luke Chisum finishing an impressive 6th in a very competitive race up front, while fellow co-captain Will Jackson cracked the top 20 in 18th. In the final race of the night, Arya Samaratunga far outstripped her previous performances at this meet to finish 21nd overall. 

This meet featured large race fields with crowded starting lines and a frenetic first few minutes of racing. Wayland athletes did well in terms of running tactically sound smart races, which is always gratifying to see. The next meet on the schedule is the last Friday in October as the championship season gets underway with the Dual County League championship at Franklin Park in Boston. 

overall results

splits for WHS athletes

Bob Glennon Twilight Invitational, 10/12/24

Live results

Pants

Meet Site: Cape Cod Fairgrounds, 1220 Nathan Ellis Hwy (rt. 151), East Falmouth, MA 02536

Bus Time: 2:15 PM. Arrive at the school a bit before this time so that we can be on the road promptly, it's a long ride!

Meet Schedule and lineups:

5:15 Novice co-ed race - 2.1 miles - Sun

5:45 9th grade boys - 2.1 miles (17 minutes) - Baker, Foley, Hopps, Schaff, Sondey, Spence, Young

6:05 9th grade girls - 2.1 miles (19 minutes) - Rent

6:50 10th grade girls (28 minutes) - Jay, Wang

7:20 Junior Varsity boys - 3.1 miles (25 minutes) -Wheeler

7:45 Junior Varsity girls - 3.1 miles (28 minutes) - Kotzampaltiris, Ma, Rice

8:40 Varsity boys - 3.1 miles (22 minutes) - Chisum, Ciccarelli, Fallace, Jackson, Narvaez, Tan, Williams

9:35 Varsity girls - 3.1 miles (26 minutes) - Samaratunga

The time in parentheses after each race is the cutoff for that race. Athletes who don't make the cutoff won't be recorded in the official results. The coaching staff will get finishing times for all WHS athletes.

Course Map:

• The main loop of the course is indicated by the blue line on the map. The novice and 9th grade races run this loop twice, the 5k races cover the loop three times. The red line on the map is the initial run off the starting line; the yellow line is the final run to the finish line.

• Part of the loop is paved, which may influence your spike element length choice. Check the course loop beforehand.

• The loop passes through multiple barns. 

• The starting line is a mix of grass and sand, and can best be described as "crowded." The most people from one team that will be allowed to stand side by side on the starting line is two, others will have to line up behind them if there are more than two people from Wayland entered in a given race.

Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: early - mid 60s, late - high 50s, clear, ESE winds 10 mph

• The top 25 finishers in each race except for the novice race win medals. Medals will be given out in the finish chute.

• All warmup and cool down runs must be done on the fairgrounds, athletes aren't permitted to run on the roads near the fairgrounds. 

• MSTCA will be using Chip timing. Athletes who are not competing and are by the finish line should not be wearing their bib with tag because it can be picked up by the transmitter. This will cause issues in recording places.

What to bring (IMPORTANT):

• uniform
• everyday training shoes
• racing shoes if you have them
• full set of warmup clothes including: long sleeved shirt, pants, windbreaker, gloves, hat. You might want to bring a dry set of clothes to wear for the trip home.
• water bottle
• snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Festival)
• folding chair
• blanket to lie on under the team tent
• flashlight/headlamp
• DINNER for before or after your race. We won't be leaving the meet until sometime after 10 PM. There is food for sale at the meet if that's your type of thing; otherwise I'd recommend preparing something in advance and bringing it with you in a small cooler or lunch bag. 

Information for Parents:

• From the meet director:

• We encourage spectators to purchase admission tickets online before reaching the gate.  If purchased online, the tickets cost $8 for adults and $4 for students/seniors and can be bought without creating an account.  If admission tickets are purchased at the gate, the fees are $10 for adults and $5 for students/seniors.  The MSTCA accepts cash, credit/debit cards, and Venmo at the gate.• Dogs and grills are prohibited. As are drones, so leave those at home.
  

• Given the sinuous nature of the course loop there are various spots where you can stand in one place and see the race pass by your position multiple times.