MSTCA Twilight Meet -under lights!

Zitans

09-27-2011, 08:07 AM

We do - meet should be awesome. Really looking forward to it.

not going...

wish it was at wrentham and not on October 22nd...if this was during the Baystate meet or the weekend before say the 24th and at Wrentham (a more central location) i think we'd see a bigger turn out. i know Barnstable has lights...but i got a pretty good price for portables for Wrentham, plus the 22nd is just an akward date, just after Brown and right before League Champs week.

mcrun33

09-27-2011, 08:49 AM

We aren't going to make it this year either. Kind of tough to race 3 weekends in a row hard (although I suppose we could just not run this meet hard).

Got to find time to work out at some point.

Warrior

09-27-2011, 10:27 AM

We aren't going to make it this year either. Kind of tough to race 3 weekends in a row hard (although I suppose we could just not run this meet hard).

Got to find time to work out at some point.

You have to run the BSC hard ????

MassFartlek

10-03-2011, 08:39 AM

1st XC meet under lights-there been to this course, is it spectator friendly? flat? hilly, terrain?

rebeljumper

10-03-2011, 08:46 AM

1st XC meet under lights-there been to this course, is it spectator friendly? flat? hilly, terrain?

Fast and flat as I remember it from the Fr/So Meet last year. Also very spectator friendly.

MassFartlek

10-05-2011, 08:53 PM

http://ma.milesplit.com/articles/73882-an-experience-like-no-other

looks awesome:)

mcrun33

10-06-2011, 06:43 AM

Which teams are going? So far, Brookline boys.

Anyone else, or is this a dual meet?

CohannetXC

10-06-2011, 07:56 AM

Which teams are going? So far, Brookline boys.

Anyone else, or is this a dual meet?

The article on Milesplit says that 30 teams are already registered.

MSMa

10-06-2011, 10:27 AM

38 teams and over 700 athletes now.

mcrun33

10-06-2011, 10:36 AM

Can we get some names? Just curious if this will be a deep meet or more like the Bay State meet was.

Distance2010

10-06-2011, 12:21 PM

Athletic.net lists Brookline, Needham, Walpole, Mansfield, Stoughton, BC High, Fairhaven and Bishop Feehan.

oldmiler

10-06-2011, 07:19 PM

http://www.directathletics.com/meets/xc/3422.html

Pretty cool idea....looks like a road trip over the bridge :D

I don't see a full schedule but
if the first race is at 4:30 it looks to me as though very few - maybe just Varsity Races will actually be under the lights

Warrior

10-07-2011, 10:07 AM

I don't see a full schedule but
if the first race is at 4:30 it looks to me as though very few - maybe just Varsity Races will actually be under the lights

2 frosh races then 2 soph races then 2 jv races then 2 varsity races with maybe a chance if there are many schools for a seperate championship varsity race.

Guesses for time

4:30 Frosh 3k B
4:50 Frosh 3K G
5:10 Sopb 5K B
5:35 Soph 5K G
6:05 JV 5k B
6:30 JV 5K G
6:55 V 5K B
7:20 V 5K G

Looks like the sun will be setting about 6PM in 2 weeks so half the meet will really be "under the lights" .

Should be very cool - probably literally.

MassFartlek

10-18-2011, 10:48 AM

http://ma.milesplit.com/meets/95910/attachment/177783

looks like a decent meet....good luck all
:D

CohannetXC

10-18-2011, 11:38 AM

This looks like it will be a fun meet, but am I the only one that thinks the timing is bad? I mean, most teams around here just ran at the Brown or CMI on 10/15. Our team has a dual meet today, 10/18. Next week we have our last dual on Tuesday, 10/25, and our league meet on Friday, 10/28. I know that a lot of other leagues have their league meets on Saturday, 10/29 or before that date. So I'm thinking that a lot of teams won't be running their varsity guys in this Twilight meet.

mcrun33

10-18-2011, 12:14 PM

Feehan vs. Weston girls- could be a matchup of the top two DII teams in Mass. I didnt think we'd get that kind of quality. Maybe I'll come down over the bridge to watch!?!?!

Rustamon

10-18-2011, 05:48 PM

Feehan vs. Weston girls- could be a matchup of the top two DII teams in Mass. I didnt think we'd get that kind of quality. Maybe I'll come down over the bridge to watch!?!?!

Definitely worth watching these girls if they come to run. But for an excursion to Bowdoin Park where they took 1st, 3rd and 10th and were just beaten by LaSalle, the Weston Girls haven't been pressed all year. And...they have yet to run a fast 5K course. Meanwhile the Feehan girls have run a couple of big races on some fast courses (Ocean State and Brown). Question is: will their respective coaches let them race? If so, this will be the first in a three meet series (to include the MA DIV II and the NXN NE Regional) and some really exciting racing. I would make it a point to catch them all. Too bad there are no MA top five DI girls teams in the mix this Saturday...

JCWildcat

10-19-2011, 10:18 AM

Teams that should be in attendance that are ranked on MSTCA

D1 BOYS
1 Brookline
14 Walpole

DII BOYS
2 Bishop-Feehan
3 Sandwich
8 Martha's Vineyard
10 Dennis-Yarmouth
14 Sutton
17 Whitinsville Christian
19 Hopkington

DI GIRLS
7 Newton South
9 Shrewsbury
12 Needham
13 Notre Dame Academy

DII GIRLS
1 Bishop-Feehan
2 Weston
5 Sutton
6 Dennis-Yarmouth
9 Coyle & Cassidy
12 Somerset
15 Hopkington
16 Martha's Vineyard
17 Hingham

Just about half of the DII GIRLS ranked team will be there this Saturday. WOW!! That should be a fun meet to watch!

Warrior

10-19-2011, 10:56 AM

MA2010

10-19-2011, 11:32 AM

Not that there aren't lots of other teams in the mix....But I'll guess we'll find out if Brookline can hold off the 2nd ranked D2 team after getting waxed by the top ranked D2 team last week.

You should be able to get 2-3 runners in before Feehan's top runner, but then their pack takes over - larger deeper field certainly helps you Warrior - not sure this meet fits that "description" - but I'm sure your team will step up and get it done!

Good Luck to all!

mcrun33

10-19-2011, 11:54 AM

You should be able to get 2-3 runners in before Feehan's top runner, but then their pack takes over - larger deeper field certainly helps you Warrior - not sure this meet fits that "description" - but I'm sure your team will step up and get it done!

Good Luck to all!

I'm not so sure the Feehan pack will "take over" Brookline's. I expect Brookline to dominate up front and in the middle, that is, if all their guys were to race.

Warrior

10-20-2011, 10:18 AM

I'm not so sure the Feehan pack will "take over" Brookline's. I expect Brookline to dominate up front and in the middle, that is, if all their guys were to race.

I'm not so sure Brookline will dominate. Feehan raced great at Great American and I thought based off that would really push Pembroke. After Brown and the absolute great race by the Pembroke top 4 I'm not so sure. They still have plenty to challenge Brookline. Should be a great race under the lights.

MA2010

10-21-2011, 08:16 AM

I'm not so sure Brookline will dominate. Feehan raced great at Great American and I thought based off that would really push Pembroke. After Brown and the absolute great race by the Pembroke top 4 I'm not so sure. They still have plenty to cahllenge Brookline. Should be a great race under the lights.

As I look closer at the actual people running - this really becomes a dual meet between Brookline and Feehan (with the Sandwich team and Sullivan from Foxboro thrown in- Ganshirt from Walpole is not running). Not trying to "diss" anyone - its just that these 2 teams are that much better than anyone else in this meet.

I see Brookline winning based on their strength up front (Sisay & Perry) beating Feehan's top runner.

Good Luck to all!

mcrun33

10-21-2011, 08:20 AM

As I look closer at the actual people running - this really becomes a dual meet between Brookline and Feehan (with the Sandwich team and Sullivan from Foxboro thrown in- Ganshirt from Walpole is not running). Not trying to "diss" anyone - its just that these 2 teams are that much better than anyone else in this meet.

I see Brookline winning based on their strength up front (Sisay & Perry) beating Feehan's top runner.

Good Luck to all!

I see Brookline racing at 80-85% and winning the meet.

Warrior

10-21-2011, 11:26 AM

I see Brookline racing at 80-85% and winning the meet.

Hopefully we race better than 80-85%? I think we'll need 100% to get it done against BF.

mcrun33

10-21-2011, 11:39 AM

Hopefully we race better than 80-85%? I think we'll need 100% to get it done against BF.

OK, Moranichick... I guess I just don't think you care whether or not you win the MSTCA Twilight meet (similar to the MSTCA Bay State Meet).

Warrior

10-21-2011, 12:59 PM

OK, Moranichick... I guess I just don't think you care whether or not you win the MSTCA Twilight meet (similar to the MSTCA Bay State Meet).

LOL ...water just came out my nose.

We care about winning everything and were disappointed we didn't get the win at Baystate...came close but that doesn't count.

Winning the inaugral Twilight meet is defintely the goal. I hope and believe this meet will be even bigger and better in the furture and to be the team that wins the first will mean alot.

Rustamon

10-22-2011, 11:06 AM

MSMa

10-22-2011, 07:57 PM

Full results are posted:

http://ma.milesplit.com/meets/95910

Hulk

10-22-2011, 08:22 PM

1 734 Gonser, Owen SO King Philip 16:16.74
Impressive, wins by almost a minute in the soph race

Warrior

10-22-2011, 10:30 PM

Congrats to Coach L'Homme and the Feehan guys on a great race.

Great meet! Wonderful experience for fans and athletes. Fast spectator friendly course. Awesome!

rorschach

10-23-2011, 05:52 AM

probably the most exciting non-class/state meet i've been to in MA. the weather was perfect, the course was visible, and the atmosphere was electric.

mcrun33

10-23-2011, 07:31 AM

Tonight should be 50 - 55 Degrees F, dry and pretty calm (5-6kts) - perfect conditions for running under the lights. Will it be fast like the Milesplit hype? I bet the girls race winner is under 18. Pity Weston isn't running their whole team in the varsity race but I don't question the strategy (see Milesplit update). Boys race may not be all that fast (relatively) but very exciting given the BF, Brookline match-up. What else you got going on a Saturday night?

Looking at the results from Brown to here (short sample, Sandwich and Brookline is all I came up with), I'd say this course was running real fast- about 25 seconds fater than Brown even- they say Brown is short (I say it now too), so i've got to imagine this might be too, or at least it's like running on a track. Not that it really matters of course, you race the course you're asked to run.

Why do I bring this up? Analyzing Feehan and Weston, this is a real dogfight. Weston has tightened up that gap significantly from 1-5, and I think on a course like Northfield, BF would have the day.

But they will meet in 4 weeks at cold Franklin Park, as fair and neutral a course there is in Mass. The top 3's (Brackett, Walmsley, Pohl vs. Powell, McNulty, and Svensen) are a wash and will all take small points. I expect the 4-5 battles will be the key (Harum and Svensen vs. Snow and Wessenyeleh). A week ago, OK a day ago, I would not have thought Wessenyeleh was in the discussion, and she dropped a monster race last night. I think HW will get tightened up too and be right in the discussion... there's something about teams that are always there in the end, they're always there in the end.

rorschach

10-23-2011, 07:39 AM

Having run at both Brown and Barnstable, I think the fundamental difference this year was racing conditions.
The Brown course is narrow in the woods and because it was really muddy in the woods and after about the 20th runner, the pack got jammed and the mud slowed people.
The Barnstable course was definitely short last year, but it was lengthened and my athletes' times reflected it. The course is a little wider and wasn't chopped up the way Brown was. The weather was almost perfect last night.
I also think that a lot of kids perform better running later in the day, the atmosphere was really electric, and I don't discount the effect of coaches being able to see and rally their athletes 9 times during the race.

runnerxc

10-23-2011, 08:33 AM

was this the same course as the frosh/soph course last year at the bob mcintyre meet?

Rustamon

10-23-2011, 08:37 AM

Looking at the results from Brown to here (short sample, Sandwich and Brookline is all I came up with), I'd say this course was running real fast- about 25 seconds fater than Brown even- they say Brown is short (I say it now too), so i've got to imagine this might be too, or at least it's like running on a track. Not that it really matters of course, you race the course you're asked to run.

Why do I bring this up? Analyzing Feehan and Weston, this is a real dogfight. Weston has tightened up that gap significantly from 1-5, and I think on a course like Northfield, BF would have the day.

But they will meet in 4 weeks at cold Franklin Park, as fair and neutral a course there is in Mass. The top 3's (Brackett, Walmsley, Pohl vs. Powell, McNulty, and Svensen) are a wash and will all take small points. I expect the 4-5 battles will be the key (Harum and Svensen vs. Snow and Wessenyeleh). A week ago, OK a day ago, I would not have thought Wessenyeleh was in the discussion, and she dropped a monster race last night. I think HW will get tightened up too and be right in the discussion... there's something about teams that are always there in the end, they're always there in the end.

A dogfight indeed. Good analysis and I agree, Wessenyeleh was very large last night. (And to think, Milesplit missed her in the pre-race hype.) I'm still trying to figure out what to expect at Franklin Park. Weston's top three are pretty good mountain goats which will help them at Franklin Park (and ultimately at Bowdoin Park) but, as was true last night, Snow and Wessenyeleh run better on a flat course. And the BF girls just run. I am reminded of the Monty Python bit about the lupin express. The punchline "in a bunch" was ringing through my head all night.

And how about the BF boys? I know Brookline was running a tempo and not all of the varsity runners where there, but the BF boys came to race. What a finish!

220440880

10-23-2011, 08:39 AM

was this the same course as the frosh/soph course last year at the bob mcintyre meet?

At first I did not believe the course was 3.1. However, I had three kids in JV and Sophmore races who had GPS watches on. All three had 3.15, 3.15 and 3.2.
The course certainly ran fast, perfect conditions, firm footing, most of the course lined with spectators. 800 to mile downhill, 1.5 to 2 mile downhill and 2.5 to 3 downhill. The three loop course led to great times.

Nee800

10-23-2011, 09:22 AM

was this the same course as the frosh/soph course last year at the bob mcintyre meet?

There were two runners on my team that said the course was changed from last year and I guess that the course was rolled and measured on a GPS to be exactly 3.1

rebeljumper

10-23-2011, 09:26 AM

There were two runners on my team that said the course was changed from last year and I guess that the course was rolled and measured on a GPS to be exactly 3.1

Last years course cut in by one of the big sheds on the last loop of the 5k.

MassFartlek

10-23-2011, 12:41 PM

Mstca well done probably the best cc meet I have seen in awhile music.spectators kids were pumped...only thing annoying was that guy announcing....mr microphone flashback..

mcrun33

10-23-2011, 01:26 PM

Mstca well done probably the best cc meet I have seen in awhile music.spectators kids were pumped...only thing annoying was that guy announcing....mr microphone flashback..

Was it Infascelli??? If so, best call out of the nicest guy on the planet!

MassFartlek

10-23-2011, 06:30 PM

its the guy from reggie lewis, the reason why I bring my ipod fully chargedm blah, blah, blah......

chasetherabbit

10-24-2011, 12:23 AM

its the guy from reggie lewis, the reason why I bring my ipod fully chargedm blah, blah, blah......
Just want to give you a heads up.

The guy from Reggie Lewis is the only coach that I know from Ma. to be awarded National coach of the year. He has coached national champions and won several state meets. His kids have gone on to the Olympics. He does not have to continue in the sport, but he does because he still loves the sport and kids.

This voice has done more than most of us and is giving information on meet records, who is in the field, national rankings and some history of our great sport.

Warrior

10-24-2011, 05:45 AM

And how about the BF boys? I know Brookline was running a tempo and not all of the varsity runners where there, but the BF boys came to race. What a finish!

Brookline was not running a "tempo". This does an absolute disservice to how well BF raced and outright won that race. We lined up with the guys we had and attempted to win. I said on this thread before the meet the win was important to us and it was. It eluded us and BF raced absolutely awesome over the 2nd half of the race to take the win from us. Congrats to them!

Rustamon

10-24-2011, 05:50 AM

Fair enough Warrior. It was a great race.

JCWildcat

10-24-2011, 10:01 AM

I would like to see this meet get swapped with the Bay State Invitational. Doesn't it make sense to put a Twilight meet on an SAT date?

The Bay State Invitational suffered because there was a lack of competition, for the most part, because of the SATs. If you have a team full of seniors and juniors you were most likely at half strength on that day.

The Twilight Meet suffered because of its timing during the season. A lot of teams did not have this meet on their schedule because it was a week before or in some cases the week of their League Championships. Coaches were faced with having to choose their battles.

I think if the meets got switched you would see a larger attendance for the Twilight meet (for most it would be the first large scale invitational of the season) and the usual attendance for the Bay State Invitational. Also I think we got very lucky with the weather this year. I don't know if we will always see 55 degree nights in late October. Any thoughts?

The_Conductor

10-24-2011, 10:59 AM

I would like to see this meet get swapped with the Bay State Invitational. Doesn't it make sense to put a Twilight meet on an SAT date?

Very much so. The Weston Twilight Meet in the spring is usually on the May SAT date, but because of its start time kids can still test and run. Same thing with outdoor AS being a twilight meet now, although I wouldn't want to take my SATs and run in the state meet in the same day.

oracle

10-24-2011, 02:01 PM

its the guy from reggie lewis, the reason why I bring my ipod fully chargedm blah, blah, blah......

I like his announcing style.

Warrior

10-25-2011, 06:14 AM

Just want to give you a heads up.

The guy from Reggie Lewis is the only coach that I know from Ma. to be awarded National coach of the year. He has coached national champions and won several state meets. His kids have gone on to the Olympics. He does not have to continue in the sport, but he does because he still loves the sport and kids.

This voice has done more than most of us and is giving information on meet records, who is in the field, national rankings and some history of our great sport.

Who went on to the Olympics? Anne Jennings?

Certainly does alot for the sport along with his better half. Wasn't an issue at Twilight but could make sure at Indoor meets not to be annoucing when the starter has runners on the line.

Not a bad thing to hear criticism but good to have iot be constructive.

We all have things we continue to work on.