Ramblings by Steve Taylor...: August 2010

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

2010 Spider Alumni Open this Saturday (September 4)

Cross Country Hosts Spider Alumni Open
Spiders looking forward to 2010 season opener

by Kathryn C. Rismiller, Richmond SID

Sept. 1, 2010

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND - This Saturday, Richmond will host the Spider Alumni Open at the St. Catherine's School Fields Course. The men's 5K will begin at 9:30 a.m. and the women's 2 mile run will start at 10:05 a.m. Participants include William and Mary, Richmond, and Richmond alumni.

"Our staff is looking forward to our Alumni coming back to campus and for us to see our teams compete for the first time this year," said Richmond head coach Steve Taylor. "It will be a great competition with our Alumni and William & Mary in attendance."

The Spiders currently have everyone returning from last year, in addition to redshirted athletes and an excellent recruiting class.

Coach Taylor stressed, "Since this is our first meet of the season we are looking for the key responses from our team that show we are on target for the entire season."

The women's cross country team will compete next at the Wolfpack Invitational on Friday, Sept. 17 at the Wake Med Soccer Park in Cary, NC.

2010 Spider Alumni Open
Cross Country Meet
Saturday, September 4, 2010

St. Catherine’s Fields Course
Richmond, Virginia

Date: Saturday, September 4, 2010

Race Site: St. Catherine’s School Fields
(Located off River Road in Richmond, VA-See Directions Below)

Time Schedule:

9:30AM- College/Open Men’s 5K
10:05AM- College/Open Women’s 2 Mile

Course: Flat, 100% Grass surface

Rules: All NCAA Rules of competition apply. Alumni, friends and family are encouraged to come out and run or watch.

Entry Fees: None.

Entry Limits: None

Entry Information: Please send name, club name, etc to Steve Taylor (staylor7@richmond.edu) no later than 10:00PM on Thursday, Sept 2……Office Phone: 804-287-1935.

*Unattached athletes are welcome… They should send an e-mail with their name titled “Alumni XC Meet Entry” to staylor7@richmond.edu

Competing Teams/Athletes:
Richmond (Men and Women)
Richmond Alumni (Men and Women)
William & Mary (Men and Women)
Unattached (Men and Women)

Team Packets: Packet pick-up will be held at the Collegiate Cross Country Course beginning at 8:00AM on Saturday, September 4.

Directions to the St. Catherine’s Fields Cross Country Course:

From I-64:

a) I-64 West to Rt. 288 South (Exit 175).
b) Rt. 288 South for 3.7 miles to "West Creek Parkway Rt. 1250 West" exit
c) Merge RIGHT onto West Creek Parkway (Rt. 1250 West) as you exit…proceed 1.0 mile
d) At stop sign turn RIGHT onto Paterson Avenue (Rt. 6 West) toward Goochland
e) Proceed West on Paterson Avenue (Rt. 6) for 0.7 mile to River Road (Route 650)
f) Turn LEFT onto River Road (Rt 650) and proceed roughly 1 mile
g) Turn LEFT at the stone St. Catherine's School sign and Proceed to the end of the paved road to the parking lot at St. Catherine’s Fields (Address: 12950 River Road).

From Patterson Avenue:
a) Proceed West on Paterson Avenue (Rt. 6) to River Road (Route 650)
(Note- River Road is 0.8 after you cross over Rt. 288)
b) Turn LEFT onto River Road (Rt 650) and proceed roughly 1 mile
c) Turn LEFT at the stone St. Catherine's School sign and proceed to the end of the paved road to the parking lot at St. Catherine’s Fields (Address: 12950 River Road).

From University of Richmond Campus:
a) Turn LEFT out of the Fred Hardy Track Parking lot onto College Rd/Boatwright Drive
b) Proceed approximately 1 mile to the end of College Rd and then turn RIGHT onto River Road
c) Proceed approximately 8 miles west on River Road…You will cross over Rt#288 (New 4 lane highway)…Turn RIGHT on the first paved road beyond the Rt#288 overpass. Proceed to the end of the paved road to the parking lot at St. Catherine’s Fields (Address: 12950 River Road).

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Spider Alumni Sweep Patrick Henry 1/2 Marathon (13.1 Miles) Race

Jon Molz (UR '08) set the course record of 1:08:35 breaking the old record by nearly 5 1/2 minutes...

Emily Ward (UR '04) broke the women's course record with a time of 1:23:45...

Molz will look for USA Olympic Trials Mark (sub 2:19:00) at the Chicago Marathon on October 10th, while Ward wants to run sub 2:50:00)...

The 4th annual Patrick Henry Half Marathon (13.1 miles) road race took place Saturday morning in Ashland, Virginia under steamy conditions that included 90% humidity and temperatures that climbed into the 80’s by the end. That didn’t stop two former University of Richmond track & field/cross country athletes from attacking the course and setting new course records under the sunny skies and in the rural hills of Hanover County.

Jon Molz (UR ’08) and Emily Ward (UR ’04) swept the overall titles while setting course records in the process.

The race is named for Hanover County’s famous Colonial-era patriot, Patrick Henry, who proclaimed the Revolutionary War’s rallying cry, “give me liberty or give me death". The 13.1-mile race started and finished in Poor Farm Park in Hanover County, traversing both rolling countryside and the city of Ashland’s scenic railroad district.

Jon Molz,

assistant men's cross country and track & field coach

for the Richmond Spiders,

warming up before his course record run

in the Patrick Henry 1/2 Marathon in Ashland, VA.

The Race Director gives final instructions to the runners

before the 2010 Patrick Henry 1/2 Marathon.

The starters of the race...No problem hearing the start.

Jon Molz, who is sponsored by New Balance-Richmond,

took the lead at the start and never looked back...
setting a course record be nearly 5 1/2 minutes...

and winning the race by over 6 minutes!

Molz approaching the 1 mile mark...

Molz, who is training for the 2010 Chicago Marathon where he wants to achieve the USA Olympic Trails Standard, used a fast start to set the tone for the men’s race. Running completely alone from the start, he ran the opening mile in 4:53 and continued to assert himself throughout crossing the 4 mile mark in 20:04 before settling into a manageable pace through the rolling hills of Hanover County. In the end he continued to pull away from the 1,500 other runners entered in the race crushing the course record by 5 ½ minutes with a time of 1:08:35 and winning the race by over 6 minutes.

"I felt good today", said Molz. "I started off a little fast but I wanted a good effort to test my marathon training going into the Chicago Marathon on October 10th...It was a lonely race, but the volunteers were loud and they did a great job at the aid stations...I'm pleased with the course record, it was more hilly than I thought."

Mile 2 was a 5:01 and Mile 3 was a 5:06...

The Mile 4 aid station...Molz ran the first 4 miles in 20:04...

The fifth mile was uphill (25:25) and he crossed

10K in 31:50 through the rolling hills.

Coach Lawson, Spider Track & Field Throws coach,

was on hand to cheer on Steph Gustwiller and the Spider alumni.

Downtown Ashland...the Amtrak came through on cue.

The 9 mile aid station...

Molz approaches the 10 Mile aid station all alone...

Grabbing water at 5 minute pace isn't easy...

Emily Ward ran alone in the women's race...

Emily Ward, who graduated from the University of Richmond in 2004, took command of the women's race at the start and also used the event as a tune-up for the 2010 Chicago Marathon where she wants to run sub 2:50:00.

"I did exactly what I wanted to today", said Ward. "My training is going really well going into Chicago (marathon)...I wanted to start out conservative and build into the race and was able to do that. I didn't find the course that hilly but the humidity was really noticeable."

Emily Ward nears the finish as the crowd is informed she will
also set a new course record.

Molz getting interviewed following the race...

Emily Ward getting interviewed...

Here she talks to Jon Molz and I

about the one thing to do

following the Chicago Marathon.

Molz getting a message following the race...

Patrick Henry 1/2 Marathon (Ashland, VA) Website

RACE RESULTS LINK

Molz splits: Mile 1=4:53 /Mile 2= 5:01 / Mile 3=5:06 / Mile 4=5:04 for 20:04 /Mile 5=5:21 /Mile 6= 5:14 / 31:50 at 10k /Mile 7=5:14 / Mile 8=5:16 /Mile 9=5:22 /Mile 10=5:18 /Mile 11=5:30 /Mile 12=5:18 /Mile 13=5:17 for 1:08:35 ½ marathon (13.1 miles) course record

Top 5 Men Overall
1st---Jon Molz 1:08:34

(Course Record...Old record 1:13:54 in '09 by Rich Saunders)
2nd--Andrew Catanese 1:14:54
3rd--Daniel List 1:16:45
4th--Kevin Timp 1:17:21
5th--Alex Addison 1:18:32

Emily Ward's 1/2 Marathon (13.1 miles) Splits: Mile 1-6:46/ Mile 2-6:14 /Mile 3-6:29 /Mile 4-6:16 /Mile 5-6:34 /Mile 6-6:19 /Mile 7-6:21 /Mile 8-6:23 /Mile 9-6:27 /Mile 10-6:22 /Mile 11-6:27 /Mile 12-6:16 / Mile 13...last 1.1 miles-6:46 = 1:23:45 Course Record.

Top 5 Women Overall
1st---Emily Ward 1:23:45

(Course Record...Old record 1:24.38 in '09 by Mary Beth Muething)
2nd--Rachel Northup 1:29:53
3rd--Holly Sheffield 1:31:03
4th--Candice Collins 1:32:21
5th--Ruthie Burke 1:33:38

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Richmond's Chris York Prepares for the 2010 IAAF World Mountain Running Championships

Richmond Spider standout Chris York

will fly to Slovenia next week to represent the USA in the

26th World Mountain Running Championships.

Below is an article on Spider sophomore Chris York (Clarke County HS, VA) who will represent the USA at the 2010 IAAF World Mountain Running Championships next weekend (September 5th) in Kamnik, Slovenia.

As those of you that follow the Spiders team know, York completed an excellent freshman campaign in June with his 7th place finish in the United States Track & Field (USATF) Junior (under 20) National 10K Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. During his freshman year he ran 31:28.32 in his first 10K on the track at the Colonial Relays in Williamsburg, VA on April 2nd… Later in the spring season he followed teammates Matt Llano (1st) and Tim Quinn (3rd) to place eighth in the 10K at the Atlantic 10 Conference Championships with a PR of 31:26.91 on a hot day for Amherst, MA.

Thank you to Robert Stocks for the article below...

The Winchester Star

Winchester's Online News Source

The Kamnick-Steiner Alps in Slovenia will be home to the
26th IAAF World Mountain Running Championships
on September 5th

Rearview Mirror: A Golden Opportunity

by Robert Stocks
The Winchester Star Assistant Sports Editor

August 18, 2010

Chris York heads back for the University of Richmond's preseason cross country camp this week, but before the rising sophomore puts on his team's red and blue colors, he will be wearing the red, white, and blue of Team USA.

York, a former state champion runner at Clarke County High School, has been selected to compete at the 2010 IAAF World Mountain Running Championships Sept. 5 in Kamnik, Slovenia.

"It's going to be my first time out of the country so I'm pretty excited," York said. "It's probably going to be the hardest race I'll ever run. I'm just going to try to soak it up because it's something that happens once in a lifetime."

York, 19, of White Post, will be the fourth Richmond runner to compete for USA in the World Championship event, which features athletes from 36 countries climbing 8.5 kilometers (5.3 miles) through the Alps.

To prepare for his sophomore season, York said he's been running 80 to 90 miles per week, and he's also been devoting some of his training sessions to running on more challenging terrain.

"The course is pretty rocky and uneven, so I've been going out on the Appalachian Trail," said York, who finished eighth (31:26) in the 10K at the Atlantic 10 Championships in Amherst, Mass., last spring. "I've been running the trail to just try to get used to uneven surfaces. It's not going to be [about] who's the fastest but who can run on the terrain and get comfortable out there."

The Slovenia Alps

The 26th World Mountain Running Championships would take most runners out of their comfort zone. Aside from climbing difficult terrain, runners must deal with the altitude of the Alps.

"[Chris] will be looking at an event that's all on dirt," said Richmond men's track and cross country coach Steve Taylor. "The trails that they use will be for ski slopes and for mountain biking. They tend to be very rough, and the terrain is steep with grades in excess of 20 percent.

"In places it will be a challenge to keep your legs moving. It's a 5-mile race, and it's unrelenting. It will climb the entire time and it will be at altitude. He'll top out at just under 7,000 feet in elevation. ... Anything over 3,000 feet you start noticing it."

Taylor said York made tremendous strides through his first year in the program, and his times helped him get the opportunity to represent his country next month.

York closed his stellar freshman season by finishing seventh in the 10K (32:41.43) at last month's U.S. Track & Field National Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.

"We're real happy to have Chris as part of our program," Taylor said. "He comes from Clarke County, and they've had a tremendously successful program. He had a great freshman year for us."

York said he plans to take about a month off from competition following the World Mountain Running Championships before making his debut for the Spiders at the Paul Short Invitational at Lehigh, Pa., Oct. 1.

But before that he plans on giving his best when he represents the U.S. in an international competition.

"The main goal is Team USA," York said. "We want to finish in medal contention - top three. There's four guys on the team and the top three score. We're all new to this, so we'll have to work together and hope for the best.

"I'm so excited to see the Alps and that part of the world. To wear a USA jersey over there - it's going to be great."

- Robert Stocks is the assistant sports editor at The Winchester Star

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Richmond Cross Country Preseason Camp (Day 4)

Our 4th day of preseason Cross Country Camp was filled from start to finish...

After a hard workout...Panther Falls was exactly what the team was looking for.

The day started with a hard workout for each team...and was followed with a trip to Panther Falls...then our 2nd workout of the day... with a celebration of two birthdays to top it off...Freshman, Molly Parsons (The Tatnall School, DE) birthday is today...while freshman, Amanda Lineberry (Lee Davis HS, VA) will celebrate hers this Friday.

Our women did their workout on the Chessie Trail, which is an old railway line turned into a nature trail several years ago. The trail is flat and meanders along following the scenic Maury River. It's a great place for a hard workout...

The men's team climbed today for their hard workout...Starting in the outskirts of Buena Vista, VA they warmed up in town and then connected to Robinson Gap Road which climbed over 1,400 vertical feet to the Blue Ridge Parkway over a 4.6 mile series of zig-zags up the mountain side. A tough climb for sure...

Below is a photo gallery of our day...

The Workout...

Active-Isolated Stretching before the workout...

The Chessie Trail is a 6.5 mile nature trail along the scenic Maury River...

The old railway line was turned into a nature trail but still holds many reminders of it's historic past...

(L-R) Jenn Ennis and 2010 NCAA National Championship Semi-Finalist 5K runner, Amy Van Alstine on the Chessie Trail.

(L-R) 2009 NCAA National 5K Championships qualifier and 5K school record holder (16:17) Nicol Traynor and Dana Guglielmo run together. Guglielmo is a 2010 NCAA National Championships Semi-Finalist in the 3K steeplechase. Traynor and Guglielmo were also high school teammates for Ridge High School, New Jersey.

(L-R) Freshmen, Jill Prentice (Montgomery HS, NJ) and Roxanne Henningson (Greenwich HS, NY) finishing the workout.

(L-R) Erin Lunny (green top...Red Bank Catholic HS, NJ), Katrina Jueng (Shadyside Academy, PA), Molly Parsons (The Tatnall School, DE), Alli Mannon (Warwick HS, PA) and Amanda Lineberry (Lee Davis HS, VA)...

(L-R) Stephanie Paradis (Stone Bridge HS, VA), Liz Schinski (Geneseo HS, NY) and Lydia Morton (Lebanon HS, NH)...

The men parked at "Grizzly Acres" in Buena Vista, VA before starting their 1,400+ vertical feet climb spread over 4.6 miles...Was the sign a foreshadow of the climb ahead?

The men on their warm-up...before heading up Robinson Gap...

( L-R) From the start 2010 NCAA 10K All-American, Matt Llano and Andrew Benford (12th place 2009 World Mountain Running Championships) pushed the pace...Behind them Tim Quinn leads the chase.

Tim Quinn (several time A-10 All-Conference performer) is followed by Spider Assistant Coach, Jon Molz...then Ryan Lee (green shorts...Archmere Academy, DE) and Chris York (2010 USA World Jr Mountain Running Team member) continue the climb to the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Oooohhh...the sign...

The view from the top is always better...This view is from the top near Robinson's Gap.

Yes...the view from the top is always better...Have I said that before?

The Blue Ridge Parkway provides amazing views of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virgina...

Panther Falls...

After the workout and lunch we headed to Panther Falls...Listed as one of the top swimming holes in Virginia. This place impressed us all... It's known for the rocks you can jump off into the cool mountain water....All-Natural...