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| Foot Locker Northeast
Nov. 28, 2009 at Sunken Meadows State Park, Long Island NY
CT-DE-ME-MD-MA-NH-NJ-NY-PA-RI-VT-DC & overseas military
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Cardiac at the heart of Miles' big victory
Famous hill proves the difference; also great day for Udland, other PA, CT runners
Boys Meet Story by SteveU | Photos by Lisa Coniglio, Photorun.net
“I knew coming in that I was just going to focus on qualifying,” he would say. “I just wanted to compete.”
 Still, Brad Miles was serious enough about the task before him that he made the 3-hour, one-way trek from suburban Philadelphia last Monday to check out the layout at Foot Locker Northeast’s temporary new home at Sunken Meadows State Park. The course, especially one distinct feature of it, immediately met with his approval.
“As soon as I saw Cardiac Hill, I fell in love with it,” he said.
Good news for Miles. Bad news for his competitors.
The North Penn PA senior (finishing, at right), who won the AAA state championships three weeks earlier, not only loved the hill, but he used it to make his ultimate move, a surge up from the base of the climb to pull away from the competition before the 3k mark. He was never headed after that, running 15:52.9 to win by 6+ seconds over Millburn NJ sr Tyler Udland.
That was one of several storylines emerging from a day when runners were greeted with mild 50-degree temps and a course that was damp from earlier rains, but with only a little mud. They also faced 30-40 mph winds – though much of the course was in the woods. It was a good day for Pennsylvania, with Miles pacing a meet-leading three qualifiers. There was the return to the runner-up spot for Udland, who found a way to overcome a year of disappointing races. There was continued success for a Connecticut duo that has emerged at the end of the season. And there were breakout performances, as there always are, from those who were off the radar for most pre-meet prognosticators.
Three had distinguished themselves as serious contenders coming in. Verona NJ sr David Oster had set course records and raced impressively through the second half of the year, winning the Group 1 title and taking 3rd in the NJ MOC only to the Rosa twins. New Fairfield CT sr John Raneri had emerged as the best in New England, winning that meet after claiming the CT Open title. And Miles had won everything in PA, save for a 3rd against the Rosas at Briarwood, and had been 2nd to Jon Vitez NJ at the Eastern States.
 Then there was Udland, the 2008 NJ MOC titlist and FL Northeast runner-up, who struggled much of the season and finished 3rd at his group meet and 8th at the MOC, but could not be discounted.
As it turned out, all four would make it in. None really had designs and intents upon winning, which is part of reason why no one had made a serious attempt to take charge. Nervous energy helped take the leaders through the mile in 4:48 anyway, a pace a few said was “comfortable” (Miles), but most others thought was a little too fast for a harder course. Then things settled down significantly in the second mile.
Despite his less-than-aggressive modus operandi, Miles had to do something when he got to Cardiac. “I knew if I was going to make a move, that would be the place to do it, so I took off at the base of the hill. No one really went with me. Then I was just praying to the Lord to keep me strong and that it would come out okay.
“I knew the rest of the course was downhill or flat,” he added, “and I just wanted to get through the rest of it as fast as I could.”
Raneri, too, saw opportunity there, but he could not match Miles. “I tried to move on Cardiac Hill, but he made his move, too,” he said. “Brad just had more than me.”
The New Fairfield sr held 2nd for awhile, but then had to give it up in the final half mile to the Jersey duo of Udland and Oster. “They both had great races,” he said. So at the end, it was Udland 15:59.3, Oster 16:01.6 and Raneri 16:04.9 for the top four.
There was probably no one more charged up by the final results than Udland, who revived his national-level prep career in a big, big way. “Coming back and getting second place shows I’m not going backwards,” he said. “This definitely helps my confidence. I came here definitely wanting to prove myself. I just tried to get out and have a good race.”
Udland (above, finishing ahead of Oster) revealed he contracted strep throat two days before his sectional meet, “the worst possible time,” he said. He had been “feeling about 90 percent better, but that last 10 percent seems to take forever. I was definitely feeling better today.”
 Now Udland has a chance to improve on his 34th-place finish from the 2008 Foot Locker Finals, which was really where his racing began its downturn, and use that previous experience to his benefit. “The first time you get the chance to go, I can see how some people get overwhelmed by all that’s going on. I plan on making my next trip a little more meaningful and a lot more successful.”
Of the top four, Oster gave the strongest indication that it was a struggle and he was gratified to survive. “Today I was a little more tired than usual,” he said, “and it was a tough course. I should have gone out slower.
That’s all not to say he’s disappointed. “A season of hard work has paid off and I'm going to San Diego. I came into the race looking for the top three and that's what I got.”
Raneri (right, 564, in lead pack with, l-r, Puffett, Bendtsen, Udland, Miles, Eric Jenkins, Will Geoghegan) was gratified, too, and thought maybe some had underestimated the strength of the field. “I knew winning this region would be hard because I think a lot of the runners here are underrated in the national rankings.” It was “awesome,” he said, to make it to San Diego. “My goal is to get in the top 15 there.”
Later, Raneri was chatting with Wolcott CT sr Chris Bendtsen, who finished 9th in 16:11.1. It’s been quite a month-long ride for both of them. Each won class titles four weeks ago in CT, then went 1-2 (Raneri winning both) at the CT Open and New Englands. Each also referenced Donn Cabral, the 2008 Glastonbury grad who blazed the 5k course record at Vanny in 2007 to claim that fall’s Foot Locker Northeast title. Raneri and Bendtsen were sophs then, but Cabral left on them a strong impression and became an inspiration of sorts.
“He was a monster,” said Raneri. “He was probably the best runner ever out of Connecticut.”
Bendtsen’s view of Cardiac Hill was a little different. “It killed me,” he said. “I was in the top 10 at the mile, but after Cardiac I was way back, out of the top 15. But I kept running hard and staying focused. Then I heard I was in 11th and just tried to kick really hard at the finish.”
The CT duo aren’t the only ones who will have the teammate thing going in San Diego. Miles will be joined by Mt. Lebanon sr Rad Gunderhauser, who was 5th in 16:05.7, and North Allegheny jr Ryan Gil, who was 8th in 16:10.8. It would be hard to find a trio more familiar with racing each other, as they finished in that order at the Carlisle Invite (1st, 2nd, 5th) and the PA state meet (1st, 2nd, 3rd). Gil also faced and beat Gunderhauser at the District 7 meet. In each case, the battles were close and hard-fought and Saturday was no different.
“I knew what those guys were capable of and all three of us represented Pennsylvania really well,” said Miles.
 Filling in the other three qualifying spots were a trio of relative unknowns, on the national level, who flew somewhat under the radar and broke out with big races to make San Diego. Each had their moments during the year that crystallized into Saturday’s success.
DeMatha MD sr Cory Puffett, won some meets off the national radar and, since his school is non-public, was not in the Maryland state meet. But he also had placed 2nd in the prestigious Maymont meet in VA and was 9th in the Penn Relays 3k last spring. He would claim 6th in 16:06.4 to give Maryland its only qualifier.
From Ward Melville HS in NY, there was Quinn Raseman, who appeared on few serious contender lists. Raseman did not compete at the Feds, but had finished a strong 2nd to Nick Hughes in the Class AA state meet in 15:31, his first sub-16. He had also raced at Sunken Meadow in both his district and section meets. He took 7th in 16:08.4.
Finally, there was Shrewsbury MA sr John Murray (left, at center, finishing just behind Gil and Bendtsen), who came into form very late. He was just 13th at the Mass All-State meet after taking 3rd in the Central divisional champs. But there he was Saturday, taking the 10th and final qualifying spot in 16:11.2.
The Northeast will not come to San Diego with runners sporting the reps of some past stars this decade, like Cabral, Solomon Haile, Craig Forys, Steve Murdock, and the Taye brothers. But like Raneri implied, it might be a mistake to underrank them.
Especially Miles. In fact, if Miles could battle anyone next weekend, he’d probably choose the Rosa twins. When asked about the Briarwood meet where he was third behind them, he was clearly filled with longing. “I wish I could race those guys again. My fitness has gone up a whole new level.”
If his subsequent XC wins didn’t tell him enough, a 5k road race in-between state and Foot Locker NE confirmed what he needed to know. In the Towamencin Turkey Trot 5k in Towamencin PA, he went out in 4:45 for the first mile and powered home in 14:52. “That put me in great shape for this race,” he said.
That was a big reason why he felt so comfortable during Saturday’s fast opening mile – and why you shouldn’t count him or any of his NE teammates out when it comes to San Diego.
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