Jackson Invite results

Here are the results of the races in Jackson. (finally) We had a very good outing and the guys could be happy with the team performance. At least a dozen of the teams that competed were tough programs. A couple of them, like Ann Arbor Pioneer, are competing extremely well right now. I would think that they are currently worthy of a national ranking the way they looked on Saturday. So to finish in 8th as we are just really “coming alive” is very good. Good for this point in the season.

Top 10 teams:

1  Ann Arbor Pioneer  - 39

2  Saline            95

3  Troy               97

4  Rockford      139

5  East Kentwood  174

6  White Lake Lakeland (Milford Lakeland)  193

7  Grand Blanc      218

8  Traverse City West  227

9  A2 – B team      240

10  Warren DeLaSalle   257

Overall winner:   Mike Atchoo  - Troy  -  15:30

TCW:

36 – Jonah Laursen  16:54

38 – Sam Kosinski   16:58

43 – Sebby Kucera    17:04

50 – Matt Laylin    17:11

60 – Brad Clark     17:28

76 – Ray Innis     17:44

87 – Dylan Snider  17:58

The spread from 1 – 5 was :50, 1 – 7 was 1:04. That’s good for now, and so nice to see that we’re improving steadily.

On Friday we had 4 guys run in the JV race, and even after the long drive and racing later in the day, they set the pace for the varsity to follow by racing very well themselves. No places or scores were kept, but these were their times:

Max Verellen led the way for us as pack running was the order of the day.

Max – 18:02

Brock Downer – 18:07

Chris Chargo  - 18:08

Russell Carter  - 18:31

I’m looking forward to the meet at CCC this Saturday. It is a fairly fast course, with some of the biggest challenge being the number of runners and tight turns in places. It will be good to preview the regional course.  The way the guys handled a strong interval workout  of 400’s, 800’s, a 1200 and some 200’s today they are looking ready to break out any time.     (the alumni would love that workout!)   Z

Carson City info.

This Friday after a short practice we’ll be heading for the Verellen’s for the team dinner. Linda has sent along her requests for what to bring for the evening.. We’ll carpool over, and pickup will be from their home.

Table service, main dish & breads will be provided.

9th grade – bring desserts. (not too heavy on the junk or sweets please)

10th grade – bring appetizers / munchies; like veggies and dip, deviled eggs, etc.

11th grade – bring drinks. -juices would be great, cider (no pop or soda please!)

directions: 4947 Buckhorn Dr. – 1st left off of Zimmerman – going south – or away from the high school. 3rd house on the right.  941-9031

SATURDAY – CARSON CITY CRYSTAL   (CCC)

We are car-pooling to this one. I have enough drivers, and I can’t make a distinction on this team, so I’ve decided to take everyone. A couple can’t make it, and a couple had made other plans or are opting not to, but we should have about 26 or 27 going.

We will leave from the HS at 8am.

JV’s race at 11:50

Varsity race at 1:10

I expect that we’ll be back at the school around 5:30. I imagine that everyone will want to stop for a lunch. (fast food style this time)

NOTICE > there is a parking fee at this race, they’re charging $5.00 per vehicle.

ALSO> No dogs are allowed. It’s in a sportsman’s club, it’s very crowded and busy and just isn’t a good idea anyway.

They ask that everyone stay off of the berms or any towers. Their use of this site is much like ours with our new course, they ask for help in showing respect for the facility.

This is a very big meet and they start races every 15 to 20 minutes. So you need to be aware and watch out for the course.

Directions:

131 south seems to be the best (just remember about the bridge near Manton)

follow 131 south almost to GR > 1 exit south of Cedar Springs exit is 57.

Exit onto 57 & go east (left) toward Greenville.

Travel thru Greenville and keep on going.

Eventually you’ll come to Carson City (57 goes straight thru it)

in the middle of CC; look for Division / S. Mount Hope. -> turn right (south)

follow Mt. Hope until a sharp left bend in the road, it becomes E. Snows Lake.

after bend take the immediate right turn onto Dailey Rd. (look for sign to fish creek sportsmens club)

turn right on Jenks road and you are there, it’s obvious from there.

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It’s late, and I’m tired so it looks like I’ll put off logging the results from Jackson until tomorrow.

Petoskey Invitational Results

9th-10th Grade Race

7   Hunter Swogger     18:26

15   Kieran Hall     19:01

27   Aaron Mahoney     19:33

32   Joey Vanderbosch     19:38

47   Matt Zenner   20:28

 

 

11-12th Grade Race

20   Matt Kulka     18:23

25   Alex Hawke     18:35

30   Jack Lyon     18:42

31   Dan Cholger     18:47

39   Landon Meggison     19:05

49   Dan Schmidt     19:33

56   Trevor Painter     20:04

59   Forrest Verellen     20:09

67   Scott Ringwelski     21:14

76   Kasey Goss     22:00

93   Ethan Poirer     25:41

Petoskey Invite / Jackson Invite

It’s that time. Racing season has arrived, and we are moving into that aspect of our season full steam ahead beginning this week. After a hard fought meet in the first BNC, we move on to 2 tough invitationals this weekend.

>> A side note: thank you to all that helped to make our two home meets happen. Especially last night. That venue has grown to 4 races and a lot of kids, it’s now an invitational meet of sorts. From a vision of what I thought it could be, last January. To becoming reality now, has been a long involved process. So involved that there is no way that I could have done any more than I did. Eight months of meetings, permits, calculations, measuring & hoops to jump through.  It also required many others to share duties and help to pull it off. From the magnificent work done by Dana Laursen, Karen Laylin, Phylinda Painter & Cathy Carter, – to all of the other parents who showed up on the day and performed the many jobs that it required, thank you very much. The meet went very smoothly, and I received many compliments not only on the course itself but especially about the folks that were working it. Helpful, friendly, pleasant were some of the words commonly used. We’ve never had a meet go so well, and it was great! Now let’s not do it again for a while, ok? It’s a beautiful course. And thanks to Tracy Clark for de-stressing me so last week when she went out and mowed the whole thing for us! Next year we’ll just increase the size of the parking area…

So anyway for the PETOSKEY invite on Saturday – this is for JV team members. Many teams there this year, it won’t be easy. Good tough competition.

Meet at the school (under the new awning) @ 5:50 am

Depart at 6:00

9th & 10th grade race @ 9:30

11th & 12th grade race @ 10:30

It takes a good 2 1/4 hours to get there on a school bus. Camp Petosega is where it’s held and it is well beyond Petoskey. Izaak will be traveling with the team. I expect that they will return between 1:30 & 2:00.

I will refer you to the post of Sept, 18 2008 for directions to this meet. Look under the Petoskey section.

JACKSON Invite:

The top 7 + 4 others will travel to Jackson on Friday. The 4 JV guys will run at 5:35 Friday afternoon. The Varsity will race at 10:30 Saturday morning.

We are excusing these 11 at 10:45, and plan to leave at 11:00.

Karen Laylin will be helping me to drive them. I’m asking that each pack a lunch / snack for the road. Those that are running Friday need race food. Those that race Sat. may want race food to help prep in the morning.

We are staying at the Baymont Inn north of I-94 in Jackson, on Holiday Inn Dr., West side of 127. I need to charge for rooms and that amounts to $34.00 each. Please make checks payable to me, it’s on my card. If there is a financial difficulty please let me know. Otherwise they will need money for dinner at Olive Garden Friday night and lunch at Laud & Jackson’s on Saturday. (an old fashioned ice cream parlor / burger joint)

If you are going to Jackson, remember that the 131 bridge is out over the Manistee river near Manton. Go 37 to Mesick > 115 to 27 > 127 thru Lansing – straight to Jackson.

When the highway ends at I-94 follow straight south past the mall on your right. continue straight and over a high arched railroad bridge. Stay straight all the way south thru neighborhoods & stoplights until  the road turns right angle to the left.

The old Jackson Parkside High school will be immediately on your right.

Then you will come to a large roundabout, take the first exit on what I believe is Stonewall Rd. (south)   Turn left about 1 block up into Ella Sharp park (big sign)

The main park & course will be right in front of you, turn right and find a place to park. We set up across from the planetarium, near the pavillion with awards and concessions & the kids playset. We won’t have the big yellow tent though so don’t look for that.

News of what is coming…

Tomorrow is the BNC # 1, but I need to get some info. out about other meets that are coming up.

First, for the Jackson meet we are taking the top 10 guys down. (as determined Tuesday) On Friday we will have 3 in the JV race at about 5 pm. Saturday we’ll have the Varsity race at 10:30. More on all of that later. Everyone else goes to the Petoskey Invite, and that is an early start on the day.

>>> The main reason for getting this on here while I’m thinking of it; is that we are going to need drivers for the Carson City Crystal meet. If you have been thinking of going to that one, please consider driving some team members, and if you do wish to, let me know. (phone or e-mail, but not at BNC meet please) We are not going to take the entire team for a couple of reasons:

1- The JV race is a zoo at this one, if you aren’t a mid-pack or faster runner in that race, it’s very hard. A very tight start, tight turns, and I’ve seen the finish literally log-jamb with runners unable to cross the finish line. I don’t want that for my guys.

2- Those that are not in the top 18 or 20 (or so) are likely to do better having a weekend off at that point as a recovery. The weeks before and after have 2 meets each.

3- I don’t want to take a bus. I prefer to take the team more quickly and more comfortably for everyone. It would be at least a 3 hour drive in a school bus. 3 weeks in a row, we need to keep it more quick and fun.

It’s about a 2 1/2 hour drive and the JV race at 11:50 & Varsity @ 1:10.

Also Linda Verellen has asked that I pass on info. about the team dinner that will be at her house on Friday Oct. 2, before Carson City.

It will begin after practice at their home off of Zimmerman at 4947 Buckhorn Dr.

She says that parents are invited as well. No word on bringing any dishes to pass yet. I’ll make sure about that as the time comes up.

Z

BNC #1

My inernet was out until yesterday so I’m catching up on this topic…

It’s that time, one week from tonight we host the first Big North meet at Hickory Meadows. An awful lot of work has been put into making this and the last meet a success. As usual it has been work performed by an active few. Thank God that I have them as volunteer parents, because it has enabled me to be able to pull these meets off (so far) without a hitch, even when using a new, untried course.

So here and now I am calling on all of you parents that show up at the meet and don’t help. You want to come and see your child run, but you don’t want to help. Yes I’m calling you out on this. I expect your sons to be respectful of the efforts of others and I work to keep them in line. Now I expect that you will do the same. It took 8 months of effort for me to be able to host these two home meets. It doesn’t happen by itself. It isn’t a sport where the custodians set up the playing area and clean up after. “We” do it. That means you and I. The better the job that we do, the more likely we are of being able to continue to use the meadows as our home course. The more parents that help the easier the job for all involved. This time we don’t have to do the race results work. (but I was thinking of assigning a parent per runner so that we don’t lose any, – inside joke) We do want to make sure that we have enough people on the course and especially with parking. If there were enough from each of the boys and girls teams, those that don’t have a runner on both – would not even have to work while their kid was competing. What a concept! Seriously, it doesn’t go over well when some work their butts off, and others just show up and enjoy the meet. I hope that you can make it, it is earlier, as usual for the BNC. If you can, you can help out. It isn’t a big deal, anybody can learn these jobs quickly. I’m not teaching them on the day, so you don’t have to worry about me losing patience with you. Thank goodness my “foremen” are doing that for me! That is the greatest thing, I hope that I’m never without such willing parents again! It allows me to be more able to coach during a home meet, and this time I will have things under control more than the first time.

If you are unable to make it early, then perhaps you could help to knock things down and pack up / clean up. Of course your sons will be doing that, but it helps to have someone watching over them to be certain that we have an excellent job done. When it’s all done I will be going to the next board meeting to present the results and see if we get the passing grade for the future.

I am asking that anyone that is able to show up early to work, try to arrive by 3 or soon after. Also please carpool as much as possible, I anticipate that we’ll be filling up the parking.

Schedule:

4:00  girls race

4:40  boys race

5:15  Middle school race (2 mile)

5:40  6th grade race (1 mile)

The team will be excused from class at about 2 – 2:15 so that they can be at the course and help if needed. They will meet in the parking lot next to the track and carpool down to the course with a minimum of vehicles, seniors being certain that no one is left behind.

After the meet is complete, as stated above; it is required that your son be there to help in cleaning up the area and making sure that we have everything packed away.

We have some high ideals for the team this year, it’s time for them to step up to the required effort in order to be able to accomplish them. I ask that you work with us to be positive and supportive as your son strives to do something that some don’t understand. It’s very difficult, it hurts. It takes support to be able to your best. We supply it at the practices and when we are with them, please do the same at home. We want to come out strong in the BNC meets this year.

Thank you, and I’ll see you next week,   Dan Z

Fremont – directions

Here’s my latest version of directions to the course at Fremont.

They do charge for parking there, and my friend Jim Featherstone will likely be cooking up breakfasts at their concession stand again. He’s a great guy, and makes a mean breakfast!

The race is around the HS / Middle school area, and parking is in the school lots, you’ll just have to see once you get there.

*********************

->the team will need to bring a “breakfast” so that they can eat something light at the appropriate time prior to warmup & race. Some fruit, granola bars, etc. Preferably they will have had some breakfast early before they get on the bus.

-> Also they may want to bring a towel with them, in case we might jump in the lake quickly before leaving for lunch.

*******************

From TC head south on M-37, take the jog in the road in Mesick and continue waaay south.

Thru Baldwin -> just north of White Cloud, find highway 20 and turn right,

follow 20  for 4 – 5 miles,  look for Stone rd. on the left,

turn left on Stone rd., and follow it several miles until it ends in Fremont.

In Fremont turn left on W. 48th St.

follow 48th just across the rail road tracks and turn right on Gerber, (or you could use S. Weaver Ave.) follow either one south to the end and you will see the schools, and the folks working the parking areas.

See you there, we will be set up near the finish and likely next to the softball field again.   Z

Fremont Hill & Bale

OK, it’s time we got this show on the road! Did you realize that this one’s coming up this Saturday? Here’s the info.:

It’s all happening in Fremont on Sat. We’ll be leaving the High School at 5:30 am. Yes it’s an early one isn’t it? Be there, before that time. Pack a secondary lunch so that you can have some proper food at the right time before your race prep. Double check your gear, and have it all set by the door and ready to go before you go to bed the night before.

>  9 am    girls varsity

>  9:40     boys varsity

>  10:15    girls jv

>  10:50  boys varsity

11:25 awards presentation

After the cool-down, after the awards we will be packing up and heading off to the Troosts campground area, not too far from Baldwin. There they have graciously offered to cook up a lunch for us. After that we’ll be on our way home. It will likely be in the neighborhood of 4 to 4:30 when we get back to the school.

ALSO – we will meet the bus and drop off at the new awning area – next to the new gym on the east side of the school. Not at the circle area as we have always done before.

DIRECTIONS, – I’m pressed for time right now, and I have to look them up. If you need them right away – look under the postings for Fremont from last Sept. they will be in last years’ equivalent post. Otherwise I will try to get them on here in a day or 2.

Titan Challenge a success!

In the history of TCWXC the “Titan Challenge” as I have called it, (with tongue in cheek) has had several “incarnations”. None have been nearly as successful as we enjoyed yesterday. It was a beautiful day, the course was commended by many. Some things didn’t happen as I had wished, but those things will iron out – or I’ll be more able to accomplish them – as putting on a meet at a new course becomes more routine and polished. It was a real challenge yesterday, it’s good if it didn’t look that way. By the time the girls race began, I was fried.

We received many comments on how efficient, helpful, effective & friendly our crew of workers were. To all of you that worked; thank you for making this meet what it was. It certainly could not have been near what we accomplished. We’ve taken on several tasks required by this new course that we haven’t had before; like needing parking control as an example. It all means people willing to step up and help out. My hats off to ya! I think that it says a lot that all of the other coaches made very positive commentary on the jobs done.

Of course in just over 2 weeks we have another meet at home; in the first BNC meet. Then we’ll host 6 teams and more runners. Plus all of the Middle school runners. It’ll be a bigger zoo! So of course we are hoping that each of you will pitch in, it is after all – your program. It’s what your child is involved in, and I hope that makes it worth helping out in this way, because we need your help. I do hope that everyone that worked yesterday will return = as they are now trained, and can help to guide others. We will not have to do the results next time, that is being hired out, so that takes one job away. Even if you just show up on the day, willing to work, it can be a big help.

Next week after labor day we begin practicing after school. Tuesday, school is out at 11:28 and practice will begin no later than 11:50. That means that it will run until about 2:15. Then the regular days practice will begin at about 3:20 and finish up at about 5:30. Sometimes running later, but always done by 6:00. Later, when we get to the championship season, practices won’t go as long.

Yesterday was a very rough beginning, and we were missing a few that would make a difference. Over all we had an ok start against a very tough Benzie squad, that looks like they may well compete for a state championship in div 3. We will come around, and the guys have been warned that there will be a time trial on Tuesday. Therefore it’s very important that they accomplish their training over the weekend.

On Monday the A’s should run 55 to 60 minutes. The B’s should do 45 to 50 min. Each at a steady pace, fairly comfortable.

Here are our results from yesterday:

Winner Ben Wynsma – Suttons Bay 17:32

5 – Sebby Kucera – 18:17

6 – San Kosinski  - 18:22

9 – Matt Laylin –  18:32

15 – Hunter Swogger – 18:55

17 – Russell Carter   – 19:03

18 – Ray Innis   – 19:04

19 – Drew Vandrie  - 19:13

20 – Jonah Laursen  - 19:20

22 – Dylan Snider   – 19:31

27 – Brock Downer  - 19:54

28 – Landon Meggison  - 19:54

29 – Brad Clark     – 19:59

30 – Max Verellen  - 20:00

32 – Joe Yancho   – 20:03

33 – Kieren Hall   – 20:08

35 – Matt Kulka   – 20:13

36 – John Troost   – 20:21

37 – Dan Cholger  - 20:25

38 – Alex Hawke   – 20:34

39 – Aaron Mahoney  - 20:50

45 – Joey Vanderbosch  - 21:30

46 – Dan Schmidt  - 21:33

48 – Scott Ringwelski  - 22:02

49 – Kasey Goss     – 22:09

53 – Matt Zenner   – 23:10

There you have it. A rough start at best. Some stepped up and ran exceptionally well, many did not. All are learning about preparation, state of mind, over-eating & nervous stomaches. Also realizing that everyone in the race feels terrible most of the time, it’s all about learning the art of making yourself do something that it would be far easier and more comfortable no to do. Training in order to race at your best, and not being just the king of the practice field, unable to perform in the real test; competition.

The weekend of Sept. 25 & 26 my plan is to take the top 10 to Jackson this year. I have found that I can’t get a 2 day rental of a 12 passenger van. (they insist that it has to be a weekend rental – that means 3 days in this case) It’s too darn expensive. So I am wondering if any parents are interested in going down. The team will travel down Friday afternoon as usual & get there in time for the 3 JV to race at 5 pm. The Varsity races Sat. morning. We figure to be back around dinner time Sat..  I don’t have a large passenger vehicle of my own anymore. I can rent 2 mini vans, or something else would work.

I have rented 4 rooms, we can get more if needed, but would need to act soon. If your son looks like he may be in the top 10 and you have an interest in going down to watch the Jackson meet AND have an interest in driving, AND can move along in a caravan at a fair and safe speed, call or e-mail me. We need to figure that one out ahead of time.

Have a wonderful weekend, I will see you next week, and we’ll be right back at it. Remember that next Saturday is the Fremont Hill & Bale Invite. Also remember that my only phone number is now 941-7085.      Dan Z